Unitarian vs. Unitarian Universalism (tradition, Buddhism, hell, America, trinity)

[nutshell]

What's the difference between the two?

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by nutshell

What's the difference between the two?

Hi nutshell.

Unitarian = non-trinitarian Christian.

Unitarian Universalism is the result of a merger between American Unitarianism and American Universalism. While it has its roots in Christianity, UU is not Christian. (To elaborate on that would probably require an essay.)

Because UU comes partly from Unitarianism we share many similarities and some UUs have maintained connections with Unitarian congregations in Europe.

[lunamoth]

I'm a TU.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

I'm a TU.

A trinitarian unitarian or a trinitarian universalist? lol!

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by lilithu

A trinitarian unitarian or a trinitarian universalist? lol!

I think only a trinitarian universalist makes sense...but I could consider the other a koan. Heck the Trinity is a koan to begin with!

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

I think only a trinitarian universalist makes sense...but I could consider the other a koan. Heck the Trinity is a koan to begin with!

You lost me...

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

You lost me...

Sorry...just kind of joking around a bit. I said I was TU because I am a Trinitarian and also a Universalist, or at least something close to Universalism.

I said that the Trinity is a koan...you go beyond logic to get to the meaning...if you try to focus on the literal interpretation you can't. Like the sound of one hand clapping.

Originally Posted by wiki

A kō·an (公案; Japanese: kōan, Chinese: gōng-àn) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement in the history and lore of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet that may be accessible to intuition. A famous koan is, "Two hands clap and there is a sound; what is the sound of one hand?" (oral tradition, attributed to Hakuin Ekaku, 1686-1769, considered a reviver of the koan tradition in Japan).

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

I think only a trinitarian universalist makes sense...but I could consider the other a koan. Heck the Trinity is a koan to begin with!

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, both.

The thing is, for me the word unitarian doesn't just mean non-trinitarian. It means humanist. Because that's the theme that has run through Unitarian history, from the Transcendentalists to the influx of atheists to the influx of pagans.

Thomas Starr-King, a Unitarian (who used to have a statue in statuary hall in Congress until the California legislature decided to replace him with Ronald Reagan) put it this way:
Universalists believe that everyone is going to heaven because God is too good to condemn anyone.
Unitarians believe that everyone is going to heaven because we are too good for God to condemn anyone.

It's a joke but that's the gist of the difference between Unitarians and Universalists. And what I love about that dichotomy is that we still end up in the same place. To me, Unitarian Universalism holds those two seemingly conflicting views together and says that they are really one and the same.

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by lilithu

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, both.

The thing is, for me the word unitarian doesn't just mean non-trinitarian. It means humanist. Because that's the theme that has run through Unitarian history, from the Transcendentalists to the influx of atheists to the influx of pagans.

Thomas Starr-King, a Unitarian (who used to have a statue in statuary hall in Congress until the California legislature decided to replace him with Ronald Reagan) put it this way:
Universalists believe that everyone is going to heaven because God is too good to condemn anyone.
Unitarians believe that everyone is going to heaven because we are too good for God to anyone.

It's a joke but that's the gist of the difference between Unitarians and Universalists. And what I love about that dichotomy is that we still end up in the same place. To me, Unitarian Universalism holds those two seemingly conflicting views together and says that they are really one and the same.

I'm OK with being a humanist-theist too.