What We Believe

UNITY is a worldwide Christian organization over a century old. Because of a similarity in names, Unity has, on occasion, been confused with other organizations. However, there is no connection between Unity and Unitarianism or the Unification church.

UNITY is a trans-denominational, spiritually based educational organization, teaching practical, livable principles based on ideas taught and demonstrated by Jesus Christ. Many see Unity more as a way of life than a religion. Many consider us a spiritual resource for daily living.

UNITY believes that these Christ-based principles can be used on a daily basis by everyone in the world. The basic principles that make up the Unity belief system are:

UNITY is an extremely positive approach to life, seeking to accept the good in people and all of life. God is seen as having many attributes, but the most important one is that God is Love. Unity stresses that God is not a physical man in the sky, for this limits God. God is Spirit, everywhere present, the one and only Spirit in and through all things.

UNITY seeks to relate religion to daily needs, affirming that, for every need, there is God’s perfect answer. Its main textbook is the Bible and it relates its lessons to our life and everyday experiences.

UNITY proclaims the divinity of Jesus, but goes further and assures us that we, too, are children of God and, therefore, divine in nature. Jesus expressed his divine potential and sought to show us how to express ours as well. Salvation, then, is the expanding understanding of one’s innate divinity and perfectibility through living the life demonstrated by Jesus.

UNITY explains the mind as our connecting link with God or divine Mind and shows us how the action of our mind affects our body and circumstances. Prayer is not seen as a technique for changing God, but for expanding and transforming our mind, and thus changing us.

UNITY denies the existence of any power or presence opposed to God. It sees that there are evil appearances and suffering in the world, but ascribes these to one’s ignorance and erroneous use of God’s laws of Life.

UNITY has no dogma, ritual, credal requirements, or ecclesiastical garb. Unity chooses to believe that there is good in every religion. Different religions are like spokes on a wheel, with the hub being God. They may be set apart by a variance of beliefs and approaches, but they are all seeking the one God as the hub of all life. Consequently, Unity does not deny anyone the right to have his/her own beliefs.

UNITY sees worship as serving God by uplifting and glorifying God’s Spirit in people, in positive, joyous ways. It seeks not to emphasize one’s sins in the past but instead, gives attention to the good that exists in everyone and to what can be done now to transform one’s self and life. Its main concern is not so much with a “future life,” but with teaching people how to live fully in the present, seeking the good in all things. Unity believes in eternal life and views the present moment as part of eternal life.

UNITY does not impose any financial burdens or pressure on its adherents. It believes the desire for giving should be initiated from within the giver to reap the joys of sharing. Consequently, all support is by freewill offerings.

In summation, UNITY emphasizes the divine potential within every child of God and teaches that, through a practical understanding and application of what Jesus taught, every person can realize and express his/her divine potential for a happier, fuller, and more successful life.