Jesus, Prophet of Islam - The Islamic Bulletin

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232 Jesus, Prophet ofIslam
Thegreat objection to the doctrine of the trinity is that
it is an infringement of the doctrine of the Unity of God,
as the sole object of worship, which it was the primary
design of Divine Revelation to establish. Any modifica­
tion of fuis doctrine, therefore, or anyothersystem what­
ever, ought to be regarded with suspicion, in propor­
tion as it makes a multiplicity of objects of worship, for
that is to introduce idolatry. W
e o e e o
The Unitarian movement in England had a profound effect in
America, where it began as an off-shoot of CaIvinism - but by the
seventeenth century, the different foundations graduaIly changed
into different reIigious denominations, with not so much empha­
sis being placed on dogma. As a result, the way ahead was opened
up for graduai theologicaI change:
Charles Chauney (1705-1757), of Boston, gave a definite impe­
tus and direction to the establishment ofbelief in the Divine Unity.
Under James Freeman (1759-1835), the congregation of King's
Chapel in Boston purged their Anglican Liturgy of ail references to
the doctrine of Trinity. This took place in 1785.Thus, the first Uni­
tarian Church came into existence in the New World. Here, the
doctrines of Priestly were openly printed and freely distributed,
and they were accepted by the majority of the people in Boston.
The result was that Unitarianism was accepted by allthe ministers
in Boston except one.
In other words, the religious intolerance which had character­
ised the attitude of the various estabIished Trinitarian.Churches ­
whether Roman Catholic or Protestant- in Europe was not exported
to the New World in its entirety. Although the Roman Catholic ar­
mies succeeded in massacring vast numbers of the indigenous in­
habitants of the West Indies and South America - in thenarne of
Jesus Christ, and although the Protestants succeeded in massacring
vast nurnbers of the indigenous inhabitants of North America -in
the nameof Jesus Christ, there was neverthelessa sufficientamount
of open space and a sufficient degree of hurnan tolerance in the
New World to permit Unitarianism to grow.
o o o o o

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