Do Unitarian Universalists (The So Called 'Heathen' Church) Like Jesus?

What does Jesus mean to Unitarian Universalists?

There’s really no one answer.

UU’s have different beliefs, but similar values. What’s consistent is that we’re a liberal church, heavy into social justice.

But congregants run the gamut of former (or current) Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims.

We have agnostics, humanists, atheists, pagans. And many “none of the above.” UU is where you can believe as you feel called, while bringing compassion and social justice to the world. We’re a safe and welcoming church for the LGBTQ community. The marginalized and forgotten are especially welcome. All are welcome.

A very Christ-like vibe but without Scripture.

When I left the United Methodist Church ten years ago I wasn’t angry or bitter (that changed after the UMC-GMC split). I loved my journey into Christianity.

It’s where my daughter was baptized and I looked for God. What exactly is He/She/It? My mom was a laid back Methodist. My dad was a laid back agnostic. Neither pushed too hard.

But after 16 Bible studies and raising my daughter in the Methodist church I knew it was time to go.

What I said to myself is “I don’t know what God is but I now know what God isn’t.”

God isn’t wrathful. God doesn’t require you to believe in Him/Her/It to get into Heaven and avoid Hell (I don’t believe in either H). Methodist doctrine never leaned Old Testament angry God. But there was a sense of “Believe in Him, to get in” aspect, but without being evangelical or explicit.
God isn’t a homophobe or a transphobe.
God is prochoice (a stretch, I know. But this is my Jesus-image, and actually, many Christians and clergy are pro-choice ).
God believes in equality for all
God believes the LGBTQ community are welcome to marry and to join the clergy.

Some people have this weird notion that UU’s are cultish because we don’t follow the Bible.

And because we have varied beliefs and a strong sense of individualism. But we’re actually rooted in deep tradition (Unitarianism + Universalism). And many of us love Jesus. The inclusive version.

I like this testimony from a UU minister about what Jesus means to her:

“I grew up Unitarian Universalist. Jesus only showed up on Christmas in the form of a baby.

When people asked me as a child who Jesus was, I answered “a fictional character some people think is God.”

This answer said far more about me and my parents than it said about Jesus.

Now I have children of my own. My four-year-old Eloisa, when asked who Jesus was, said Jesus is the “Queen of God.” My eight-year-old, Cecilia, said “the person who is always with me, in my heart.”

And these answers makes sense, because Eloisa has always wanted to be Queen, and Cecilia has always wanted to be kind. Jesus resembles who they want to be in the world, and what they want the world to be like.

We need to answer Jesus when he says “Who do you say that I am?” because the answer says a lot about what we want the world to be like. We need to tell a really important story about who Jesus is before someone else tells our children differently.

So if Jesus were here, and if he said to me “Who do you say that I am?” or “When you are talking to your children, what do you tell them about me?” I would say something like this: “Jesus, I say you are a person sent to show us what God’s love looks like. In your brand of love the last are first, the lost are found, the least are favored. You came to loose the chains of injustice, to create earth as it is in heaven. Thank you, Jesus.” ~ UU Rev. Robin Bartlett, First Church of Sterling, MA

No It’s Not a Cult.

Segregating Bigoted Churches? I’m All For It.

Unitarian Universalist Views of Jesus.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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