New Thought Beliefs ~ Unity Beliefs - Fillmorean

Today there are at least ten different New Thought Denominations, some of which prefer to call themselves "Transdenominations." Although some say this term comes from the Rocky Horror Picture Show:

We believe it was invented by one of the more popular ministers in California.

One must understand that in New Thought there can be a tendency by some well-meaning souls to create new language such as the terms "transdenominational," or "chemiicalization" which conjure up strange imagery. This often springs from well meaning intent to describe things that these people have not learned the language for.

In fact there are many wonderful and diverse organizations within New Thought with distinct approaches to both their methods of teachings and their root texts.

Explore the different belief structures and beliefs of the various denominations and choose the path that best suits you. Although there are some denominations who attempt to avoid the issue of articulating beliefs ...

This is an exploration of the beliefs articulated by various New Thought denominations at some time or other.

New Thought - Divine Science - DivineUnity - Home of Truth - Mental Science - New Thought Alliance - New Thought Affiliates - Religious Science - Science of Mind - Seicho No Ie - Unity - Universal Foundation for Better Living

Unity

Common Unity ~ Five Basic Beliefs ~ 5 Basic Beliefs in detail ~ About Unity by James Dillet Freeman ~ FAQ - Basic Tenets of Unity Texts ~ Unity Texts

Common Unity

"We believe in our common unity with all life and in the community of all human kind empowered by love.
We teach the universal principles and spiritual values as revealed and demonstrated by Jesus and the continuing revelation of the Christ Presence. We practice prayer, meditation and service as our primary means of becoming conscious of our "Oneness in God".

The five basic beliefs of Unity are:

1. God is the source and creator of all. There is no other enduring power. God is good and present everywhere.

2. We are spiritual beings, created in God’s image. The spirit of God lives within each person; therefore, all people are inherently good.

3. We create our life experiences through our way of thinking.

4. There is power in affirmative prayer, which we believe increases our connection to God.

5. Knowledge of these spiritual principles is not enough. We must live them.

The Five Basic Beliefs Explored

God is Good, and God is All. "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Mark 12:29). The foundational statement of our religion, and the very meaning of the word Unity, is "There is only One Presence and One Power everywhere; God the Good Omnipotent, “ This means that Unity teaches that God is all-Powerful, all Good, and Everywhere Present. In other words, there is no place, event, person or situation where God is not. And because we know God Itself, we believe that Good is the essence and truest nature of all that is.
Humanity is Divine. "You are the gods, children of the Most High, all of you " (Psalm 82:6). If God is everywhere, God must be present in His creation. The bible teaches us that we are made in the Image and Likeness of God (Genesis1: 27). Good is the real Truth about who and what we are! And all that God Is goes into the making of His Image and Likeness -- Life, Love, Good, Truth, Wisdom, Power and Freedom. And it is that last attribute, Freedom that gives us the wonderful ability to see more or less of God’s Presence in our lives and in us. The more we choose to see God, the more we can accept His Gifts to us.
Mind is Primary and Causative. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds" (Romans 12:2). The freedom we have been given to see more or less of God does not concern our perception. For, as God is the Creator of all, we are also endowed with the ability to create in our lives. Unity teaches that we create through the power of thought. Unity's teaching that mind is primary and causative means that ideas come first, and when we open our mind to Divine Idea, we create according to God's Perfect Will!
Individuals are Free in Matters of Belief. "Now the Lord is Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (Corinthians 3:17). Because each of us is a child of god, equally given the power to grow and create by looking to God within, we know that we cannot pray for or heal others. Whenever He presided over a miracle, Jesus Christ was always careful to teach it was not He, but God that did the work, and the faith of the individual is what heals them. We love to pray with others, knowing the Truth with them and supporting their spiritual growth, but we know that spirituality is between the individual and God. For this reason, Unity believes that all religions are valid and sacred, and upholds the freedom of the individual in matters of belief. While it is very true that Unity has its own path and practices, we believe that all other paths are important and holy. If God is everywhere, all roads must lead to Him.
Jesus Christ is our Elder Brother, Master Teacher and Wayshower. "Any one who hears my word and believes He who sent me has eternal life" (John 5:24). To understand more of Unity's Christianity, it is helpful to look at the meaning of some important words; Jesus, Christ and Jesus Christ. We understand Jesus to be the name of the historical person Whose work and teachings we read about in the Gospels. The word Christ is not Jesus' last name, but it is rather a description of the Divine nature of all God's creations. The Apostle Paul wrote about "Christ in you, the hope and glory (Colossians 1:27). Jesus taught about the Christ within us when He said "The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these" (John 14:12) and when He referred to God as "Our Father" (Matthew 6:9). Jesus Christ is the phrase used to describe the perfect union of the natural person and their Divine Self, as demonstrated by Our Lord. Unity is Christian in that if follows the path and teachings of Jesus. Who taught about the Christ in all of us. This path leads us to the perfect union of us with that Divine Spark in us, exemplified by our Wayshower, Jesus Christ.