- Universal Life
:"For the religious organisation founded in 1959 by Reverend
Kirby J. Hensley , seeUniversal Life Church and for insurance company seeUniversal Life (Cyprus) " Universal Life (German: "Universelles Leben", unofficially abbreviated "UL") is the name of a controversial [http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/survey/mq.htm German Scientology News in Munich, Germany ] ] http://members.aol.com/bbsaktuell/weristue.htm and http://members.aol.com/bbswerth/weristue.htm] [http://www.religio.de/server/serv.html Internetserver ] ]new religious movement based in SouthernGermany ,United States Department of State , [http://www.unhcr.org/home/RSDCOI/450fb0b1a.html International Religious Freedom Report 2006] , (Austria ), released by theBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor ,
The vast majority of groups termed "sects" by the Government were small organizations with fewer than 100 members. Among the larger groups present in Austria, are the Church of Scientology, with between 5,000 and 6,000 members, and the Unification Church, with approximately 700 adherents throughout the country. Other groups found in the country included Divine Light Mission, Eckankar, Hare Krishna, the Holosophic community, the Osho movement, Sahaja Yoga, Sai Baba, Sri Chinmoy, Transcendental Meditation, Landmark Education, the Center for Experimental Society Formation, Fiat Lux, Universal Life, and The Family.] which is described by members as a part of the new revelation movement, and by critics as acult . The group was originally called "Heimholungswerk Jesu Christi","Sekten : Wissen schützt. Eine Information des Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Jugend und Familie, Stubenbastei 5, 1010 Wien, 1996 (Sects : Knowledge protects. Information from the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Youth and the Family, Stubenbastei 5, 1010 Wien, 1996). Transcript of the 2nd (revised) edition online at http://www.ilsehruby.at/Sektenbroschuere.html (retrieved2007-02-17 ). Unofficial English translations at http://www.ilsehruby.at/sektenbroschenglish.htm (retrieved2007-02-17 ) and http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/books/990913b.htm (retrieved2007-02-17 )] [http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/survey/np.htm German Scientology News in Frankfurt, Germany ] ] [http://www.dci.dk/?artikel=205 Dialogcentret ] ] but has been known as Universal Life since 1984.Organisation
The founding of Universal Life was through teachings distributed by
Gabriele Wittek . [http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/survey/nq.htm German Scientology News in Frankfurt, Germany ] ] These works were claimed to be revelations fromJesus Christ or other spiritual beings, which Gabriele received as a prophetess and promulgated. These are, along with theSermon on the Mount and the10 Commandments , [http://home.snafu.de/tilman/krasel/germany/mcnair.html McNair report on religious discrimination in Germany, 1996 ] ] the fundamental basis of the faith. In 2003 Wittek published her own bible, "Das ist mein Wort" ("This is My Word").Gabriele Wittek: Das ist mein Wort – Alpha und Omega, das Evangelium Jesu. ISBN 978-3892011538]Members of Universal Life run, among other institutions, a school, [http://www.perefound.org/KIT6_97.html former Bruderhof members and residents KIT Newsletter June 1997 Volume IX #6 ] ] a natural healing clinic and a publisher. They operate agricultural establishments, which farm according to the principles of
Organic farming . However, these establishments are not officially connected to Universal Life.History
Gabriele Wittek claims to have heard the first "inner words" after the death of her mother. After a year, she saw her dead mother appear during a spiritual meeting, and spoke to her. Wittek claimed to have experienced several apparitions later, including of a spiritual being named "Brother Emmanuel". Finally, she met Christ himself. On
18 April 1987 Christ allegedly spoke in a great revelation, among other things, about the "Inner Path". It concerns a mystic school of thought in which God is considered to be in people and in all living beings, according to Jesus' saying: "The kingdom of God is 'within' you."In the past, Universal Life claimed contact with an alien from outer space named Mairadi. [http://www.michelrieth.de/mairadi.htm UFO-Mairadi ] ] [http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/survey/bq.htm German Scientology News in Berlin ] ]
Adherents
Exact numbers are hard to determine, since there is no formal membership within Universal Life. Georg Schmid estimated, in his book "Churches, Sects, Religions", the number of members to be 100,000 worldwide, including 40,000 in Germany. Other estimates claim 10,000 members worldwide, with 3000 in the
Würzburg region.The association "Universelles Leben e.V." has around 500 members. The inner circle, who live in communities in the Würzburg region and work in farms, calls itself the "Community of New Jerusalem".
The activities of Universal Life are concentrated in Bavaria. The organisation is represented in other regions of Germany, as well as in Austria, Italy and in Switzerland.
Beliefs
Members believe in reincarnation and promote vegetarianism.
Footnotes
External links
* [http://www.universelles-leben.org/english/index.html Universal Life] - Official website
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UniversellesLeben Universal Life Yahoo! group] - English-language discussion group
* [http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_655.html Adherents.com] - Estimates of the number of Universelles Leben adherents
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