From: https://www.uuhystericalsociety.com/uu-jokes UU missionaries go around knocking on people’s doors for no particular reason. A while back, someone who should have known better, disparaged my Unitarian faith. That is OK because we are not for everyone. But I thought it useful to share some history. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity#:~:text=The%20doctrine%20of%20the%20Trinity,scriptural%20documents%20and%20prior%20traditions. . . . the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, coeternal, consubstantial, divine persons . . . First Council of Nicaea (325) . . . The Confession of the First Council of Nicaea, the Nicene Creed, said little about the Holy Spirit.[89] At the First Council of Nicea (325) all attention was focused on the relationship between the Father and the Son, without making any similar statement about the Holy Spirit. . . . First Council of Constantinople (381) . . . Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, by saying that the Holy Spirit is worshiped and glorified together with the Father and the Son . . . These early Christian governing bodies had a problem with various versions of Christianity being taught. So they decided to define God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit so anything else was heresy and thus punishable on Earth. They further decided which writings were true (canon) and which were false. This began nearly 2,000 years of religious wars that continue today. My History Mom and Dad attended "Disciples of Christ" a derivative of the Methodists. A mild if somewhat boring church (to me.) At age 14, my parents sent me to an Episcopalian junior high school for two years. We studied Latin, religion, and started each day with a 20 minute service. Five days a week I was a practicing Espicopalian and Disciples of Christ on Sunday. It wasn't until College that I began sampling different denominations which came down to: (1) conservatives, hardest, most demanding but sexually more permissive, (2) normal denominations less invasive but not inspiring, and (3) visit to the Unitarians . . . where I found the Spirit of God in the music. What Is It Like? The Spirit in the music is still there and I have very seldom been bored by the sermons. Furthermore, my fellow congregants are on the high-side of the bell curve and not slaves to ROTE. So for me: GOD is one We experience GOD in the Spirit Jesus teaches us how to worship GOD in our daily lives The walk-in wounded, are those condemned by more conservative denominations and their families. Individuals who found they were dam'd by their intransigent, non-forgiving, stiff necked churches. They find relief but sometimes, bad habits from their former denominations emerge and they wander off. We treat them gently but continue in our Unitarian faith. For business reasons (i.e., maintenance of property and salaries,) the Universalists and Unitarians formed a joint denomination: What's the difference between a Unitarian and a Universalist? Universalists think that God is too good to send them to hell. Unitarians think that they are too good for God to send them to hell. I visited a Universalist church once and they are forgiving, trinitarians. But as a 'jack booted' Unitarian, I disagree and did not feel the Spirit. I know many live in their hell by their individual actions in this life . . . when we fail to follow the teachings of Jesus. Not every Unitarian congregation is blessed but the GODliness ratio is high and I find the proof, the Spirit, in the music. Forgiving and clever congregants helps. Just Unitarian faith is not for everyone and if you are happy in your denomination, go with GOD. Bob Wilson
