Statement Of Faith
The following 10 principles are published to the world, not as a creed binding the conscience of the individual, but as the consensus of a large majority of UniverSOULists on the fundamental teachings of UniverSOUL Metaphysics.
1) God is the ultimate and absolute creative force.
2) Every person is an individualized divine expression.
3) The Divine Mind of God is the power behind all creation.
4) We are spiritually guided through the wisdom of Divine Mind.
5) Spiritual Healing restores balance and wholeness to the mind, body, and soul.
6) Life is continuous, and what we call death serves as a transition to higher planes of life.
7) Heaven and Hell are states of consciousness that can be experienced while still in the physical world.
8) Spiritual Truth can be found in the sacred texts of all major world religions.
9) Through service, diligence, and dedication to the spiritual path we evolve toward enlightenment.
10) Through many cycles of life, death, and rebirth, we attain perfection, spiritual mastery, and enlightenment.
UniverSOUL Ministries Tenets of Faith God and the Universe
The UniverSOUL Heart Ministries has a panentheistic view on the nature of God; meaning that God intersects with, and is intertwined with, every aspect of the Universe and transcends space and time. The universal spirit is present everywhere, in everything, and in everyone, which at the same time "transcends" all things created. Acts 17:28 states, “For you know the saying, ‘We live in God; we move in God; we exist in God. And still another said, ‘We are indeed God’s children.’”
​Sacred Texts
As UniverSOULists, we revere the teachings and guidance of sacred texts from all major world religions. We believe them to be divinely inspired, highly metaphoric, allegorical, and best understood through the language and customs of the time period in which they were written.
Creation
​All of creation began in the mind of God, of which all sentient beings are a part of. In the Bible, God finished his creation in seven days, which we believe to be numerologically symbolic of a perfect completion. Creation continues to this day, and occurs by aligning one’s thoughts, words, and actions to that of Divine Mind. This tenet is referenced in the Bible book of Proverbs, Chapter 23, Verse 7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Also, the Koran states, “And your Lord said, ‘Ask of Me, I will respond.’” (40:60), and “Surely Allah does not change the conditions in which a people are in until they change that which is in themselves” (13:11).
Angels
Throughout history angels have played very important roles in scripture, spiritual teachings, and spiritual experiences. The term angel is loosely translated as a “messenger” from God. UniverSOUL Heart Ministries views angels as “guiding spirits.” Psalm 91:11 states, “For God shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” In his book New Testament Light, George Lamsa references Matthew 4:11, “Then the devil left Jesus. And heavenly messengers came and ministered to Him.” He then goes on to say, "Angels ministered to him" is an Eastern idiom meaning that God, or God's counsel, took care of him. Angels can only minister to man's soul and guide and strengthen him during temptation. Angels have no physical body to minister to a person as a servant does. Jesus during his temptations was helped by God's counsel and by the Holy Scripture, which he quotes in order to counteract the false thoughts which crept into his mind. In other words, God's counsel prevailed and Satan, or falsehood, was defeated.”
Sin
One of the most mistranslated Hebrew words is chait, which we usually see translated as "sin." A more accurate translation is "error" or "mistake." Sin does not refer to endless guilt and damnation. In this context, people don’t sin, they make mistakes. We are all human beings striving towards perfection and enlightenment. We learn from our mistakes, apologize, right the wrongs, and move forward with life. Forgiveness is a true virtue that must come from within ourselves, not from a God of judgement and eternal damnation.
Death
The UniverSOUL Heart Ministries does not view death as an experience where one ceases to exist, but instead views death as a transition of the soul to higher planes and spheres of existence in the spiritual realms. We believe this to be illustrated in John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you.” All major world religions believe in the continuity of life. Death is a natural part of the life cycle, and simply leads to rebirth.
Karma
​We believe that our Creator is one of pure love and wisdom, not punishment. Everything that happens is a result of Karma, or the law of cause and effect. Every action, both good and bad, has an effect on the future. We alone are solely responsible for our choices in thought, speech, and action. Karma can, and does, go beyond the boundaries of our current lifetime. This explains why bad things happen to good people. However, Karma can be used to experience certain outcomes by changing the cause. Deepak Chopra states, “Forgiveness can play a large role in this because as we learn to forgive others and our self, we come into a deeper understanding of our true Self. We recognize that our essential nature is not defined or identified with those actions, and we see the actions of the past from a more awakened perspective.” Job 4:8 states, “As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.” The Koran also addresses the experience of karma, “And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open” (17:13).
Reincarnation
Everything we experience is a cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Look at the days, seasons, moon, and tides just to name a few. Everything changes, everything is cyclic, and life is no exception. Even though we have lived before, the truth is that we all have the power to call upon, embody, and become exactly who we choose to be, regardless of the past. Joseph Murphy states, “Where is the truth? It is within yourself. 'Look within- Search the scriptures,' said Jesus. This means that all has been written in your subjective mind from the foundation. All knowledge is within; all beings that ever lived are within you now. You can project the likeness of any living being, past, or present; for all men are states of consciousness- qualities of the mind expressed. All moods, tones, qualities, and vibrations are within you, because Infinity is within, and Infinity cannot be divided; all is contained in the part. All beings are projections of yourself- the one man.”
Jesus and other Holy Avatars
UniverSOULists believe that Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, and all other Holy Avatars have evolved and progressed to a level of being we call enlightened or Christed. We do not deny their divinity, but neither do we deny our own. These Holy Avatars are highly disciplined, spiritual, and serve humanity as wayshowers and teachers. Umschurch.com states, “Jesus was also a man who worked to overcome the human weaknesses that we all face. To be a “God” in human form would distance him from those whom he came to teach. The people would not be able to relate to him unless he had come from a similar background and had weaknesses of the ego to overcome. Jesus was able to put into practice the spiritual truths he learned during the early years of his life. His gentle method of relating to everyone regardless of position, income, or race, made him an effective and sought-after teacher.” Jesus illustrates this in John 10:34, “Is it not written in your law, 'I have said, “You are gods”?’” Psalm 82:6 also states, “I have said, "You are gods; you are all children of The Highest!”
Satan
​The word Satan translates into English as adversary. We do not believe in Satan as the eternal personification of evil or sin. Our own error thinking and imperfect nature (ego) is our biggest Satan or adversary. We must keep our thoughts, words, and actions in alignment with our Divine Higher Selves to overcome negativity and evil.
Heaven and Hell
We believe that heaven and hell are states of consciousness, not physical places we go after transitioning from the physical life. These states of consciousness which people experience are a direct outworking of their thoughts, beliefs, words, and acts. If a person’s mental processes are out of harmony with Divine Mind and natural law, they result in turmoil and sorrow; mental and bodily anguish are experienced, and this is hell. A heavenly state of consciousness can be experienced by true mental, emotional, and spiritual alignment. There are other dimensions and planes of existence beyond the physical, but not physical locations of eternal damnation for one’s soul.
Spiritual Healing
​Health is the natural state of the body, mind, and soul. Spiritual Healing aids in the restoration of balance to our natural state. Through taking care of our body physically, carefully observing and monitoring our thoughts and emotions, and aligning ourselves to Divine Mind, balance can be restored and maintained. Spiritual Healing involves the transfer of energy, not from the healer, but by linking with Universal or Divine energy to channel healing where it is needed. Spiritual healing can be received directly by the individual or through a UniverSOUL Ministries Licensed or Ordained Minister in the form of a spiritual healing session. Luke 6:19 states, “And all the crowds were seeking to touch him, for power was proceeding from him and it was healing all of them.” The Koran states in 10:57, “O mankind! there hath come to you a direction from your Lord and a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts,- and for those who believe, a guidance and a Mercy.” Hinduism also incorporates healing through the practice of Ayurveda.
Spiritual Guidance
At its core, spiritual guidance is the process and experience of receiving wisdom from the Divine. The practice of establishing contact with a higher power has been with humankind throughout the ages and can be found in nearly every belief system. Spiritual guidance can be received directly by the individual or through a UniverSOUL Ministries Licensed or Ordained Minister in the form of spiritual counseling. Guidance may be received directly from Divine Source, the individual’s higher self, ascended masters, spirit guides, angels, or departed loved ones. Tools to aid receiving guidance may include, but are not limited to billets, tarot cards, oracle cards, pendulums, astrology, numerology, runes, I Ching, osteomancy, lithomancy, bibliomancy, channeling, automatic writing, and the development of the individual’s own intuition. James 1:5 states, “If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.” Spiritual guidance is also referenced scripturally in the Koran, “Guide us in the right path —The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray.” (Al-Fatihah 1:6-7)
Ministry
​A Divinely called and ordained ministry has been provided for a two- fold purpose: (1) The enlightenment of the world, and (2) The edification of an individual’s entire being.
Marriage
God created marriage. Because Divine Love knows no boundaries and is limitless, we recognize that same love in ourselves and all people. Therefore, the UniverSOUL Ministries believes that race, sex, gender identification, sexual orientation, national origin, native language, religion, age, or disability should play no factor in the act of marriage. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Daisaku Ikeda has also written, "The Buddha's teaching begins with the recognition of human diversity.... The humanism of the Lotus Sutra comes down to the tenet of treasuring the individual."
Equality
​All people are of God; therefore, all people are equal. We do not exercise judgement regarding any of God’s creation. Instead, we see differences in individuals, ideas, opinions, and choices as opportunities to grow, evolve, and expand our own consciousness and experience of life. The “Golden Rule” of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us is the epitome of love and equality. This is clearly stated in scripture in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.”
Acts of Service
We grow in faith and in spirit by engaging in acts of service to those in need. The desire to serve others is born out of a heart of love and gratitude, which leads to spiritual evolution. It allows us to discover and develop our spiritual gifts and talents. Through acts of service, we will have the opportunity to experience Divine Love, firsthand. We serve without expectation or attachment to any outcome. This is how we truly manifest God’s will on Earth as it is in heaven [spiritual realms]. Acts 20:35 states, “And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” From the Baha’i perspective, “Service to humanity is service to God.”