Unitarian vs. Unitarian Universalism

[lilithu]

Heh. By PU, I meant Pluraltarian Universalist. I googled pluraltarian cause I figured SOMEONE had to have used it sometime, but nope. I created a new word.

Oh...I thought you were saying that you stink!

Universalist traditionally meant that God was going to save everyone - universal salvation. But more recently, UUs say it means that we recognize that there are universal truths in the major world religions. Functionally, it ends up being the same thing.

 

[Kay]

Is that the same as Pluralist?

I guess it could be, if by pluralist it's meant in the "God manifests as many" way. That's not what most mean by pluralist though. Plus, I felt left out by not having a "tarian" on the end.

 

[Kay]

Oh...I thought you were saying that you stink!

Yes, the double meaning was intended.

 

[Stairs In My House]

The way I like to think of it is this: Unitarian comes from unity, which means one. Universalism comes from universe, which means everything. Therefore, the Unitarian Universalist approach to religion is to just take one of everything.

 

[Green Gaia]

The way I like to think of it is this: Unitarian comes from unity, which means one. Universalism comes from universe, which means everything. Therefore, the Unitarian Universalist approach to religion is to just take one of everything.

Reminds me of a joke...

Setting - Starship Uniprise crossing over the Bible belt into the Fundamentalist Zone to respond to a distress call from a lost (UU)Association outpost.


Kirk: "Spock, what can you tell me about these people?"


Spock: "The library computer has little information, Captain. Logically, however, we may deduce from their name, 'Unitarian-Universalist', that since Unitarian means one, and Universalist means everything; that these people believe in one of everything."

 

[Stairs In My House]

I had forgotten about that joke! That must be where I got it.

 

[nutshell]

thanks to everyone for your help!

 

[hartlandcat]

I must admit that I actually tend to treat 'Unitarian' and 'Unitarian Universalist' as though they are the same thing, because we just call ourselves 'Unitarians' in Britain, even though we're quite similar to Unitarian Universalists in the United States.

 

[lilithu]

I must admit that I actually tend to treat 'Unitarian' and 'Unitarian Universalist' as though they are the same thing, because we just call ourselves 'Unitarians' in Britain, even though we're quite similar to Unitarian Universalists in the United States.

Hey hartlandcat, nice to see you again. I was actually thinking of you when nutshell first started this thread. From what I remember of what you've described in England that makes sense. My understanding of Unitarianism in other places, for example Romania, is that it's still very Christian-centric.

Here in the U.S. I usually (tho not always) am careful to say both Unitarian and Universalist (or UU for short) because I want to respect the Universalist side of our tradition. The merger happened only in 1961 and at the time the Universalists were afraid that they would be swallowed up and forgotten by the larger Unitarians to become just a blip in history, and I don't want that to happen.

 

[applewuud]

I really enjoy going back through the UU history for this kind of discussion...it seems so many great ideas have been left behind. Sometimes I call myself a "Trinitarian Universalist", since the idea of three different aspects of God in one does carry somemeaning for me. But the "Unitarian" aspect appeals because it symbolizes a rebellion against ideas that claim absolute authority from the slimmest of Biblical citations.

There's another background to the word "Unitarian", though, claiming that it's not really anti-Trinitarian (except by historical accident):

"[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]It is interesting to remember that the name "Unitarian" was once given to a number of religious bodies which had pledged themselves not to persecute one another. This was in the sixteenth century, in Transylvania, and the meaning intended by the name was that of unity. Those who had made the pledge of mutual toleration had to that extent banded themselves together and were known as the "United" or the "Unite-arians." It was soon discovered, however, that some of those within this league were rejecting the dogma that God is a trinity, and so the believers in this dogma, who began to be called the "Trinitarians,", withdrew at once, leaving to the remainder the name "United" or "Un."

(A. Powell Davies, "Unitarianism: What Is It?", February 24, 1946)
[/FONT]

 

[uufreespirit]

...a religious "movement" which places so little emphasis on doctrine is named for one? We might have been better served by a name like "methodists" but apparently somebody else took that name. Methodist would have worked for us, because we are not so much concerned with the "Truths" that a person holds as we are the methods by which they were derived (--how free, how open, how sound, how honest--), and how tightly those "Truths" are held.

I've suggested over the years that UU is more of an attitude, a temperament, in matters of religion than a set body of doctrine. I use the terms "stubbornly protestant" and "broadly catholic" a lot to describe this attitude, but never in a Christians-only sense. I've enjoyed going back through centuries of U and U (and pre-U and pre-U) history to see evidence of that attitude legacy, and there's plenty there to see. I even did a little sermon last year about this attitude emphasis...about the popular "leading UU's is like herding cats" saying and how that's not necessarily a bad trait to have: If used well it can be a valuable thing. :kat: :bkcat: :kat:

 

[des]

.re's plenty there to see. I even did a little sermon last year about this attitude emphasis...about the popular "leading UU's is like herding cats" saying and how that's not necessarily a bad trait to have: If used well it can be a valuable thing. :kat: :bkcat: :kat:

Namaste!


I can't resist. Sorry sorry. But my Corgi (dog) is quite a cat herder. She is even partly successful. Perhaps she would make a good UU (or UCC) minister?

--des

 

[uufreespirit]

DES, when I was researching for that talk on "UU as an attitude,its history, etc." Google revealed several sermons on the subject of Unitarians and herding cats, plus literally thousands of other hits. I even discovered that the funny tv commercial that had cowboys on horseback trying to "ride herd" on thousands of cats was actually played at one of our UU General Assemblies (don't know which one). My talk also admitted that the comparison between UU's and cats doesn't really go very far. (My real underlying theme there was more about the principle of "unity within diversity," or community among individuals more than about rugged individualism.)

Actually, DES, I should have put five kitty icons there. (I like Corgi's too! They're great. )

 

[lilithu]

...a religious "movement" which places so little emphasis on doctrine is named for one? We might have been better served by a name like "methodists" but apparently somebody else took that name. Methodist would have worked for us, because we are not so much concerned with the "Truths" that a person holds as we are the methods by which they were derived (--how free, how open, how sound, how honest--), and how tightly those "Truths" are held.

Yes, Methodism would have been a good name for us. But I kinda think Unitarian Universalism is quite fitting too, a big long confusing name for a tiny little "denomination." Heck, we can't even agree whether we can be called a denomination (hence the quotes). We are gifted at making everything remarkably complicated. Methodism would have been too straightforward!

 

[des]

Yes, there was a great commercial years ago of herding cats. I even saw how they did it which was interesting. I did a little websearch about herding cats and UCC, I got 40,000 hits, so I see we have something else in common.

And yes, forming community with disparate individuals is hard work. I would guess harder than with UCC which at least has the exterior of being
a Christian church-- however you might define it.

--des

DES, when I was researching for that talk on "UU as an attitude,its history, etc." Google revealed several sermons on the subject of Unitarians and herding cats, plus literally thousands of other hits. I even discovered that the funny tv commercial that had cowboys on horseback trying to "ride herd" on thousands of cats was actually played at one of our UU General Assemblies (don't know which one). My talk also admitted that the comparison between UU's and cats doesn't really go very far. (My real underlying theme there was more about the principle of "unity within diversity," or community among individuals more than about rugged individualism.)

Actually, DES, I should have put five kitty icons there. (I like Corgi's too! They're great. )