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My Own Version of Unitarian Christianity

dsaly1969

Member
Among more progressive Unitarian Christians there is not one set form of Unitarian Christianity (unlike the more authoritarian and conservative forms like Christadelphians and Jehovah's Witnesses).

Over time I have developed my won conception of Christianity based upon my own spiritual seeking both through other religious traditions (including Eastern religious traditions such as Buddhism like Jodo Shinshu or Shin Buddhism and Sant Nirankari and Baha'i) as well as alternative, less-known forms of Christianity (such as Christadelphianism which plays a very strong role although my interpretation is far more progressive, Quakerism, Community of Christ, etc.). I have found one group that may be inclusive enough for me - "Christian Witnesses of Jah", but generally my focus has been on daily personal practice at home. Maybe some of my ideas will allow you to see Christian teachings through a different lens.

I am a disciple of Jesus, the human being who is the Christ (the Anointed One), and I believe in One God who is to be worshipped and honored. I do not believe in creating idols to be considered the equal of God, whether that idol is Jesus or the Bible (we should not ascribe divine qualities such as infallibility or inerrancy to a human-scribed book).

I believe the core essentials of faith are: 1) to believe in One God, 2) that Jesus is the Christ that was foretold to be sent to redeem humanity and establish the New Covenant of Grace, and 3) that we are to follow the New Commandment (John 13:34) to the best of our abilities through the grace and power of God.

The New Covenant of Grace established by Jesus Christ provides for the Ultimate Reconciliation of ALL through Jesus Christ. The "devil" or "Satan" (aka the "adversary") is the symbolic representation of the ego, our mortal human tendency towards selfishness (envy, greed, anger, and ignorance) which leads to sin. "Hell" is a state of being or the condition of life where people are living out from the state of sin, elevating their own wants above the needs of others. "Hell" can also simply refer to the grave or death. "God" is the name we use for the interdependent forces which create and sustain life in the Universe. We are ALL saved from the Hellish conditions we create in life by the grace, wisdom, and love of God through the Atonement.

We are not saved by the legalism of the Old Covenant such as having the “right beliefs" or “doing the right things". The penalty for all sins was paid once and for all on the Cross. By heeding the guidance of the Holy Spirit (the power and wisdom of God), we can better live out the New Commandment through the Grace of God. "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 16:13) As per the New Commandment of the New Covenant taught by Jesus Christ: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) It does not matter about their ethnicity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, gender, religious persuasion, etc. If we did this, we would be living in Heaven or Zion (the Kingdom of God here on Earth).

By simply entrusting in Jesus and God's Grace, we can enjoy the fruits of living out the New Covenant IN THIS LIFE which produces gratitude and joy in us, not condemnation and fear.

My daily spiritual practice is to read, study and reflect on a short passage from the Bible; then to pray for myself, my family and friends, my "enemies", and all others; quietly listen to the Holy Spirit; and then to recite the Lord's Prayer.
 

popsthebuilder

Active Member
Unitarian Christianity or simply Unitarianism is descriptive of my belief.

Most of what you said ing true for me.
It is a pleasure to meet you. Hopefully we can speak further and aid one another towards rtf he direction of God through conversation.

Peace
All praise is God's
 

dsaly1969

Member
Since my spiritual seeking has involved Ahmadiyya Islam and the Baha'i Faith, I have been influenced by the spiritual discipline of doing something similar in Unitarian Christianity (which connects better to my own heritage culturally) to the "5 Pillars" which exist in Islam and Baha'i. So my daily practice has evolved over time since my original post on this topic. I have found that *for me* (I cannot speak of others) that doing a daily scheduled prayer similar to Islamic salat or the Baha'i daily obligatory prayers is helpful. So I use the Lord's Prayer which certainly may have been intended for such a purpose. I do an ablution (washing the hands and face) before praying as it helps with the mindset. I stand facing the East (technically I stand and bow towards the East, rise back to standing posture, say the Prayer, and end with prostration - in a chair due to my knees) when doing it in the morning and towards the West at sunset. I suppose I could also do it facing the South during the midday and the North during the night. Being of Native American ancestry the idea of a moving "qiblah" (direction of prayer) appeals to me. This practice helps me to remain more mindful of God and how I treat others throughout the day. I also find this time to be helpful to do study of the teachings of Jesus (the "Red Letters") in the New Testament and Gospel of Thomas (I see the words of Jesus as having higher authority than the Old Testament or the letters of Paul or other apostles).

FYI the other four traditional pillars include: 1) declaration of faith (baptism is a physical expression of this declaration), 2) fasting (traditionally done during the season of Lent), 3) charity and compassion to others (that was the orginal intent of Old Testament tithing and Islamic zakat or Baha'i huquq'ullah), and 4) pilgrimage. Obviously a spiritual discipline could be made for all of these in ways that might appeal to a Unitarian Christian.
 
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