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Metaphysics is a term you hear frequently in Unity churches. It literally means above or away from the physical. In fact, metaphysics is what Jesus taught -- that we are more than physical beings, we are also spiritual beings. Unity Metaphysics involves a systematic study of the scriptures and the application of these practical, spiritual teachings to our everyday lives.
Unity is not "New Age". Unity falls under a set of beliefs known as New Thought. This is a mental system that holds man as being one with God (good) through the power of constructive thinking. That said, we don't find wrong in New Age and in fact are quite fond of utilizing New Age music in our services.
Religious cults are usually personality driven and disempowering of individuals. In Unity we seek to place principles above personality and give our power away to no person on earth. So, no. Unity is not a cult.
The basic ideas that underlie Unity are known as the Five Principles. They are:
You will frequently hear reference to "The Twelve Powers" in Unity churches. Often sanctuaries are decorated in a specific color theme that changes each month. This practice is related to The Twelve Powers.
Charles Fillmore, Unity's co-founder, identified twelve spiritual powers that are a part of each of us. He called them "The Twelve Powers." These spiritual abilities were perfectly expressed by Jesus and are present in every person. We invite you on a spiritual journey to discover how to put these Powers to work and create the life of your dreams. Unity is a Bible based teaching. We believe that there are many levels of wisdom in the scriptures, as they were written under the inspiration of Spirit. Those who read the Bible may turn to the same Spirit to be a personal guide and teacher revealing Truth to each individual.
As a Bible based teaching, Unity recognizes Jesus Christ as the example of spiritual consciousness in human expression. We literally seek to follow Him in demonstrating the same consciousness of love and power. Unity also recognizes the wisdom of all traditions, and includes people of all faiths.
God is Spirit, the loving source of all that is. God is the one power, all good, everywhere present, all wisdom. God is divine energy, continually creating, expressing and sustaining all creation. In God, we live and move and have our being. In Unity, some other ways we speak of God are: Life, Light, Love, Substance, Principle, Law, and Universal Mind.
We believe that Jesus expressed his divine potential and sought to show humankind how to express ours as well. We see Jesus as a master teacher or our Way-Shower of universal truths. In Unity, we use the term “Christ” to mean the divinity in humankind. Jesus is the great example of the Christ in expression. Unity teaches that the spirit of God lived in Jesus, just as it lives in every person. Every person has the potential to express the perfection of Christ as Jesus did, by being more Christ-like in everyday life.
Sin is our separation from God, the Good, in consciousness. Salvation is in the moment; it is not something that happens after death of the body. It occurs whenever we transform our thoughts, opinions, and views from fear, anxiety, worry, and doubt into feelings and beliefs of love, harmony, joy, and peace. The “fall” takes place in consciousness whenever we collapse into negative habits of thinking. Heaven and hell are states of consciousness, not geographic sites - thus, we create our own heaven or hell in this place, in this world, by our thoughts, words, and deeds.
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