Universalist Quotes
More Universalist Quotes
A Christianity split into a diversity of ecclesiastical streams, the dualism implicit within its political agenda – nation-forming on the one side, universalism on the other was further accentuated. The classical eastern orthodox form stressing the power of the emperor was in principle universalist enough in its vision of Constantinople as the New Rome, but in practice Byzantium became a rather thoroughly Greek empire, .ihen1mung non-Greeks in Egypt, Syria or the west. This combined with its considerable degree of Caesaropapism led to the generation of a type of church-state relationship characteristic of eastern autocephalous churches of a highly nationalist type.
— Adrian Hastings (1997). The construction of nationhood: ethnicity, religion, and nationalism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 202. ISBN 0-521-62544-0.
Unitarian universalist congregations together affirm and promote seven Principles. We also share a “living tradition” of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from many sources. The seven Principles and six Sources of the Unitarian universalist Association grew out of the grassroots of our communities, were affirmed democratically, and are part of who we are.
— Christopher Reeve, on joining the Unitarian Universalist Association, in an interview with Reader's Digest (October 2004)
The mission of the universalist church has been a double one, first to contravert the one-time prevalent idea of an endless hell . This part of the mission has practically been accomplished. … But the second and more important one awaits fulfillment … a fight which shall continue until the real, actual hells, before our very eyes, are destroyed.
— Henry Clay Ledyard, as quoted in "Not Hell, But Hope: Writings from the Heritage of American Universalism" compiled by Karen E. Dau, New York State Convention of Universalists
Hypocrisy, double standards, and "but nots" are the price of universalist pretensions. Democracy is promoted, but not if it brings Islamic fundamentalists to power; nonproliferation is preached for Iran and Iraq, but not for Israel; free trade is the elixir of economic growth, but not for agriculture; human rights are an issue for China, but not with Saudi Arabia; aggression against oil-owning Kuwaitis is massively repulsed, but not against non-oil-owning Bosnians. Double standards in practice are the unavoidable price of universal standards of principle.
— Samuel P. Huntington The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (1996) p. 184
