Editing Unity Church (section)

==Basic teachings==
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{{New Thought beliefs}}
The five basic ideas of Unity teachings reflect the universal spiritual principles taught in most of the world's religions.
#[[God]] is everywhere and always present in every circumstance. This divine energy underlies and animates all of existence.
#Human beings are innately good because they are connected to and an expression of Spirit. 
#Our [[New Thought|thoughts]] have creative power to influence events and determine our experiences.
#Prayer and [[meditation]] connect and align us to our own spiritual nature and to God.
#It is not enough to understand spiritual teachings. We must apply our learning in all areas of life, incorporating them into our thoughts, words, and actions.

Unity teaches that each person is a unique expression of God and is sacred and worthy. It emphasizes the creative power of thought and encourages choosing life-affirming thoughts, words, and actions in order to experience a more fulfilling and abundant life.

===God===

Unity views God as spiritual energy that is present everywhere and is available to all people. According to Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore: “God is not a person who has set creation in motion and gone away and left it to run down like a clock. God is Spirit, infinite Mind, the immanent force and intelligence everywhere manifest in nature. God is the silent voice that speaks into visibility all the life there is.”

===Jesus===

Unity teaches the divinity of Jesus and of all human beings. They consider him an “elder brother” or “wayshower” whose life demonstrated what is possible when we live from our innate spiritual nature or divine consciousness.

===Nature of humanity===

Unity teaches that all people are individual, eternal expressions of God, and their essential nature is divine and therefore inherently good. Followers believe their purpose in life is to express their divine potential as demonstrated by Jesus, and that the more they awaken to their divine nature, the more they can do this.

===Bible===

Unity founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore interpreted the Bible as a metaphysical representation of each soul’s evolutionary journey toward spiritual awakening. Unity considers the Bible its primary spiritual resource, a complex collection of writings compiled over many centuries and a reflection of the comprehension and inspiration of the writers and their times.

===Affirmative prayer===

Affirmative prayer is understood in Unity as the highest form of creative thought. It includes the release of negative thoughts and holding in mind statements of spiritual truth. Unity teaches the use of meditation and prayer as a way to experience the presence of God, heighten the awareness of truth, and thereby transform a person's life. Prayer is believed valuable not because it alters the circumstances and conditions of a person's life but because it alters the person.