What is Unity?

The teachings of Unity emphasizes and is inclusive of all that Jesus Christ demonstrated but is not exclusive of Truths revealed by other masters and teachers. The name Unity denotes a synthesis of the greatest concepts that have ever come to the mystic mind and heart of humanity. The philosophy and teaching of Unity is nothing new to the world. Unity incorporates:

• The laws of Moses
• The love of Christ
• The ethics of Buddha
• The contemplation of Lao-tzu
• The morals of Confucius
• The deep spiritualization of the Hindus
• The mystical revelations of the saints of the Middle Ages
• The laws of parallels and compensation of Emerson
• The logic of Kant
• The spirituality of Swedenborg
• The beauty of Browning
• The service of Mother Teresa
• The surrender and humility of Ghandi
• The vision and freedom of Martin Luther King
• Faith & confidence in each person's own interpretation of God, humankind, and the universe.

what is THE BACKGROUND OF THE unity?

Founded in 1889 by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, Unity began with the publication of Modern Thought, a small magazine devoted to the teaching of Universal ideas of Truth.

Since then, it has grown to a world-wide movement through the publication of Daily Word, Unity Magazine, Wee wisdom, and a variety of other books and pamphlets. In addition to its publishing efforts, churches like Unity Centre in Kitchener have been established throughout the world to serve an every growing community of Unity adherents.

Unity is a Christian organization whose primary thrust is the practical application of spiritual principle. Unity is not an offshoot of any other Christian denomination, and is, therefore, under no obligation to perpetuate the rituals and dogmas common in traditional Christianity. Unity presents the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Bible, and the works of other inspired writers in a simple, practical, and current way, inclusive of applicable teachings of other fath communities.

MISSION STATEMENT

Unity Centre is committed to spiritual Learning, Loving and Living through our spiritual community and through our individual spiritual journeys. We Express God by Loving People, Empowering Dreams and Inspiring Lives.

Unity is a transformational teaching that believes it is the divine birthright of each individual to experience health, prosperity, and harmony in all aspects of life. We believe that God’s will for each of us is absolute good and it is from this point of view that Unity carries out its educational mission.

The Unity Perspective

THE NATURE OF GOD
”God is spirit.” (Jn. 4:24). As such, God is present everywhere equally at the same time. God, also known as “Good”, is life, intelligence, love, power, and harmony permeating all things, both animate and inanimate. God is equally accessible to all people regardless of religious persuasion.

JESUS Christ
Jesus Christ stands as the true example of what each human being is capable of becoming. As Emma Curtis Hopkins said of Him, “He is the blossom in the garden of man.” In Unity, He is seen as our Way Shower. He represents one who has completely aligned the soul with the “image of God’ and expressed that image in physical bodily form. His supreme command was “Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt. 22:37-39)

THE NATURE OF MAN
Man is a three-fold being, composed of spirit, soul, and body. The spiritual aspect, biblically named the “image of God.” (Gen. 1:27), or the Christ, is divine and limitless in every respect and is the basis of each individual’s true identity. The soul is the realm of the thinking and feeling aspects of the mind. The body is the physical garment of flesh worn by the soul during its earthly tenure.

OUR DIVINE INHERITANCE
As the offspring of God, it is the natural condition of every person to experience an abundance of health, wealth, and harmony. That we do not all express these natural and bountiful gifts is evidence that, through spiritual ignorance, we have accepted ideas not in harmony with God’s divine plan. This condition is changed by grounding the basis of logic in Truth and spiritual principle.

THE BIBLE
The Bible was written over an extremely long period of time, for a multitude of different reasons, and from various levels of spiritual understanding. It should be understood that no book, letter, psalm, or proverb found in the Bible was written with the intention of becoming the basis of faith for the Western world. The Bible, in its entirety, cannot be taken as the infallible and literal Word of God. It was, no doubt, inspired by God but was obviously colored by cultural influences as well as by the particular understanding of the individual writers. It is clear that there is an evolution of the God idea throughout the Bible, evidence that this collection of writings represents an unfolding understanding of the unchanging nature of God. Embodied in the Bible are universal principles which provide inspiration, instruction, and guidance for successful living. The written word, however, should not be mistaken for the inner Spirit of Truth, which, according to John, “will teach you all things” (Jn. 14:26)

HEAVEN AND HELL
Heaven and Hell are states of mind that result in living either in harmony with, or in opposition to spiritual principles.

SIN
Sin is anything that causes us to fall short of expressing our divine potential – our highest potential. Sin is best understood as an error in thinking. Any belief or claim that binds us to limiting conditions, including conditions of sickness, poverty, and discord, could be considered sinful (erroneous) for such claims and beliefs are not in accordance with the nature of God or the nature of our divine potential.

SALVATION
Salvation is the process of becoming free from the limitations imposed by spiritual ignorance.

EVIL
Evil is a shadow cast by our erroneous thinking. Like all shadows, evil is without substance and can be eradicated from one’s life through correct thinking.

CONSCIOUSNESS
Consciousness is the term used to describe the sum total of one’s beliefs. These beliefs are in turn reflected as life conditions that correspond to these beliefs. A common axiom in Unity says, “If you want to change your life, you must first change your consciousness.” When our beliefs are in agreement with the true nature of God, our life reflects all the splendor and beauty of God. This is done through the practice of meditation and prayer.

MEDITATION & PRAYER
Meditation is the process of listening to the “Still small voice” of God in the innermost depths of our being. Prayer is the process of aligning our daily attitudes with the inner revelations that come in our quiet times of meditation.

SPIRITUAL BAPTISM
Spiritual baptism is the name given to the inner process of spiritual realization. It is seen in Unity as an evolving inner process rather than as a single event.

COMMUNION
The assimilation of the life and substance of God through periods of meditation and prayer.

THE UNITY CENTRE
The Unity Centre is an educational institution designed both to teach spiritual principles and to assist those who attend it in applying these transformative principles in their daily lives.