Apologetics Index - U
Key |
About Apologetics Index Key Policy Link Policy Disclaimer
|
Christian Non-Christian Secular Pluralistic Grey Zone, Unsure or Offkey
Aberrational, Heretical, Heterodox, Suborthodox or Unorthodox Academic
Profess to be Christian but are outside orthodox Christianity. Off-site Link
|
UFOs - Unidentified Flying Objects
Alien Abduction by Leslie Price, associate editor of Theosophical History, writing in "Evangelicals Now"
UFOs: The Hidden Agenda by Jay Howard
UFOs, ETs and the New Age: A Christian Perspective by Doug Potter
What in Heaven's Name? "An analysis of the messages and world views coming from aliens and modern day angels" by Patty Tunnicliffe.
Books
» Database of archived news items
(Includes items added between Oct. 25, 1999 and Jan. 31, 2002. See about this database)
Older items:
(Jul 18, 1999) Doctors get to grips with tokoloshes, witches and aliens
(Mar. 31, 1999) The CEO From Cyberspace: Joe Firmage, A Master of the Universe at 28
(Oct. 14, 1998) From Radio's Overnight Sensationalist, Dead Air
(Oct. 13, 1998) Art Bell Mysteriously Quits
(Oct. 11, 1998) Astronaut asks Washington to tell truth about aliens
(Oct. 10, 1998) NASA, news media rapped at UFO conference
(Oct. 9, 1998) Are we alone? UFO Conference launches today in Cocoa Beach
(Sep. 1998) Take Us To Your Professor
UFO Cult
A cult based on the belief in UFO's, generally accompanied by reliance on messages from extraterrestials, often including doomsday predictions.
"Una Voce Grida...!" 
A Catholic Charismatic ministry in Italy. According to a newsgroup message, it has "an interest in new religious movements including the support of ex-members, particularly those with previous bad experiences in the occult and magical groups." However, it is keyed grey here because the organization promotes CESNUR, and is engaged in unethical internet activities (See article "Sex, Lies and CESNUR")
Belies its claims of support for ex-members by persistently promoting the CESNUR site in messages posted to the alt.support.ex-cult newsgroup.
A. Menegotto, National (Italy) coordinator.
Sex, Lies and CESNUR A report on the strange internet activities of CESNUR's supporters, including those at Una Voce Grida!
UNADFI
Union Nationale des Associations de Défense de la Famille et de l'Individu (National Union of associations for the defense of family and indiviuals). French coalition of anti-cult organizations.
Unarius Academy of Science
UFO-cult based in El Cajon, California
The Unarius Academy of Science, a UFO-oriented group based in El Cajon, believes that at some point in 2001 (the society doesn't specify a date), a "Pleiadean star ship will land on a rising portion of Atlantis in the area of the Bermuda Triangle." Earth, the Unarians predict, will become "the final world to join an alignment of 33 planets forming an interplanetary confederation for the spiritual renaissance of humankind on Earth."
Charles Louis Spiegel, a cosmic visionary who shared his concept of immortality and extra-terrestrial life as director of the Unarius Academy of Science in El Cajon, has died. He was 78.
Mr. Spiegel died in his sleep Dec. 22 at his Mount Helix home, said Celeste Appel, an academy spokeswoman. In the parlance of the academy's international followers, "he made his transition to the spiritual worlds," Appel said. One of the tenets of Mr. Spiegel's teaching was that there is no such thing as death.
He did believe, however, that as many as 33 starships carrying extraterrestrials from the planet Myton will land on Earth some time in the year 2001. His predecessor as director of the 45-year-old academy, Ruth Norman, had purchased 67 acres in Jamul in 1975 to accommodate the expected visitors.
Unbiblical
Opposite of Biblical. See also extra-Biblical
Understanding Cult Mind Control
Used to be cult expert Steve Hassan's web site. It now points to his new site, Resources for Freedom of Mind.
Steve Hassan
Email: shassan@shassan.com
P.O. Box 686
Boston, MA 02258
"Unholy Devotion - Why Cults Lure Christians"
By Harold Busséll (Zondervan, 1983. ISBN 0-310-37251-8) (Out of print). Reprinted under the title, By Hook or by Crook: How Cultists Lure Christians
Unification Church
Cult founded and led by Sun Myung Moon who, claiming that Jesus failed, has declared himself the title "Messiah."
 See Extended Entry
Unionism
Fellowship between churches and/or denominations without there being unity in doctrine and practice.
See Unity
Unitarian Universalism
United Christian Conventions of Australia and New Zealand
Name under which the Two-by-Twos are officially registered in Australia and New Zealand.
United Church of God
Splinter group of the Worldwide Church of God. Adheres to Armstrongism.
Magazine: Good News
United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors
United Pentecostal Church
Theologically, a cult of Christianity. Adheres to and promotes Oneness doctrines.
ex-UPCIsupport ''This group can discuss doctrinal issues that we struggle with since we have left UPCI. This can also include our leaving experiences and talking about the spiritual abuse that we have all gone through. We can also talk about the cult mentality that we all struggle with.''
United Pentecostal Church An overview of doctrines and practices, from Charts of Cults, Sects, and Religious Movements
by Dr. H. Wayne House
Sites
The United Pentecostal Church (CONTRA) Good collection of articles refuting the doctrines of the United Pentecostal Church.
United Pentecostal Church International Official homepage
United Pentecostal Church International Unofficial site, but more informative than the official one.
Spiritual Abuse Lois Gibson's excellent collection of material and links. Deals with the subject of spiritual abuse in general, and in relation to the United Pentecostal Church.
 United Religions Initiative
Unity
Divisions Are Not Always Bad "Unity over doctrine" is today promoted by various movements, but A.W. Tozer shows that "unity is no treasure to be purchased at the price of compromise."
There Have To Be Differences Among Us Shows that unity is based on common doctrine; not common experiences.
Unity School of Christianity
Based on Pantheistic and New Age teachings
Universalism
Check out updated entry on Universalism
Universal Church of the Kingdom of God
Universal Life Church
Mailorder ordination business. [See updated entry on the Universal Life Church]
The Universal Life Church ( http://www.ulc.org) will ordain anyone to the ministry for free, for life and with no regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality or theological position. And they'll do it online. It doesn't matter whether you are a Christian, Satanist, Kabbalist, Wiccan, atheist, or a creator of your own "homemade" religion. The ULC, from its international headquarters in Modesto, Calif., and its monastery in Tucson, Ariz., welcomes all. [...more...]
University Bible Fellowship
Unorthodox
Departing from orthodoxy in some measure, though not necessarily embracing explicit heresy.
Note: the term can apply in various religions.
Unravelling Wittgenstein's Net
"A Christian ThinkTank." Excellent apologetics site of special interest to those interested in philosophy/logic. Includes a Tough Questions Lab dealing with Bible Difficulties.
Operated by Glenn Miller
Email: gmiller@netcom.com
Unsound
Upside Down Club
Campus recruitment outreach of the cultic International Churches of Christ movement. [See the ICC entry for details]
Urantia
Fast-growing new religious movement whose members believe celestical beings are providing them with corrections to the Bible. These channeled revelations are collected in the Urantia book.
...with one mighty swipe, THE URANTIA BOOK accomplishes what few other cultic writings have expressed in one breath, namely, the rejection of every significant doctrine of Christianity and Judaism,
Of all the cultic systems in all the world, none is more intricate than that of URANTIA! This organization has Orders of Trinity Beings, Supreme Beings, Ascending Beings, Sons of God, Universe Power Directors, Michael class (a very important group) and nearly ad infinitum.
Urantia Brotherhood (CONTRA) Brief look, by Watchman Fellowship
Urantia (CONTRA) Excellent overview
Urantia Book and The Bible (PRO) "A Comparative Study of The Life and Teachings of Jesus"
Urantia Book FAQ (PRO) Part of a larger presentation on Urantia
Martin Gardner, best known as mathematical-games-meister for Scientific American, turns his refreshingly unblinking gaze on the origin and continuing growth of the Urantian cult, whose members believe they are receiving corrigenda to the Bible from celestial beings. A marvellous study of the ways in which the zaniest ideas can be propagated through society.
Urantia Foundation (PRO) Official Urantia Foundation site
U.S. Commission on Human Rights
One of many Scientology front-group.
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Established in 1998, this U.S. federal commission advises the State Department and the White House on issues of religious freedom around the world. The commission's yearly reports are seen by many as unacceptable attempts to interfere with the internal business of sovereign nations which may face ''possible punitive actions'' if - in America's views - they do not measure up:
The report will be used by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as a basis for possible punitive actions against countries deemed the most serious violators of religious freedom rights that are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The penalties can range from a diplomatic note at one extreme to economic sanctions on the other.
It is no surprise that those same countries are among those who wonder why a double standard is used. After all, America's own documented human rights abuses are serious and ongoing.
America's hypocritical approach, this time in it's Oct. 2001 report, was noted by U.S.-based Human Rights Watch.
It should also be pointed out that the American government actively supports extremist movements such as the Church of Scientology, and is trying to get countries like France and Germany to accept the cult as the ''religion'' it claims to be.
The nine-member religious freedom commission appointed by the president and congressional leaders was set up to advise the State Department and the White House on protection of religious freedom around the world.
Organized under a 1998 law that arose partly out of rising congressional unease about alleged persecution of Christians abroad, it is headed by a rabbi and a law school dean and includes people of the Christian, Muslim and Baha'i faiths.
Articles
Religious Liberty: How Are We Doing? A report by Robert Seiple, former U.S. ambassador at large for religious freedom.
» Database of archived news items
(Includes items added between Oct. 25, 1999 and Jan. 31, 2002. See about this database)
Sites
USA
Uskontojen uhrien tuki ry
Finnish "support group for the victims of religions." The URL leads to the english-language information page, but the rest of the site is in Finnish only.
Kukonkuja 2
39160 JULKUJÄRVI
Finland
Tel: +358-3-349 0631 or in Finland only: 03-349 0631 or 9400 466 990
Fax: +358-3-349 0634 or in Finland only: 03-349 0634
Email: usk-uhri@icon.fi
Utah Lighthouse Ministry
Founded by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, the purpose of the site is to document problems with the claims of Mormonism and compare LDS doctrines with Christianity.
Recently, the Tanners came under legal attack from the Mormon Church for posting excerpts of the Church's Handbook at their web site. The portion in question deals with instruction to LDS officials on how to deal with the requests of ex-members to have their names removed from church records - a process the LDS Church makes needlessly difficult.
For news and background information on the legal situation, see Under The Cover of Light
» News articles about the Utah Lighthouse Ministry
(Includes items added between Oct. 25, 1999 and Jan. 31, 2002. See about this database)
|