Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: John_Graves@cellbio.duke.edu (John Graves) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Divorce and Unitarians Message-ID: Date: 9 Jun 91 18:47:16 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Duke University Medical Center Lines: 53 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article rb65@prism.gatech.edu (Butera, Robert J.) writes: > I have three friends who are practicing Unitarians, and in my opinion I would > classify it more as a school of philosophical thought than a religion. > Religion is defined in my dictionary as "belief in and reverence for a > supernatural power recognized as the creator and governor of the universe." One of the shortsighted problems of dictionary creators is the tendency in pocketbook dictionaries to use only the most commonly accepted definitions of a word. Fortunately the IRS recognizes Unitarian Universalism as a religion. Fortunate since without Unitarians there would probably not be a system of voluntary tax payments nor democracy as we know it. However, to get back to the dictionary, my Mirriam-Webster's (MW), Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary gives as definition 4 for religion: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith. That this would be similar to their definition of Philosophy of Life (MW that is): 1: an overall vision or attitude toward life and the purpose of life. That religion is often a philosophy of life or embodies one and that the terms are almost synonymous is not really surprising. Even a belief in the supernatural would still be part of a philosophy of life. The main difference appears to be what Webster notes, i.e. held to with ardor and faith. Most Unitarian Universalists have a zeal and a faith that UUism is the best religion to belong to because of whatever caused them to join (circular but you get the idea). Some UUs believe in a version of the many Judeo-Christian gods (not multi-gods, but the changing descriptions of god through the writing of the Bible, both OT and NT). Many call themselves Christian as I do because we believe that Jesus was a great prophet who has had an enduring effect on western civilization. Most of us are not believers of Jesus Christology as set forth in the creeds, and many of us would answer with Jesus' question, Does it not say that ye are gods? (paraphrase - my Bible is not next to me today). Others have come to Unitarian Universalism with such painful experiences in reactionary Christian churches that they find it hard to relate to Jesus at all. We accept them anyway. P.S. I'm not sure what you meant about Universalists but it is generally the Universalists who are more likely to call themselves Christians and who are more comfortable using terms like soul, god, prayer, Christ. John Allan Graves Unitarian Universalism Duke University An inclusive religion! and all its components () including the Divinity School, \__/ disavow anything I say. II