For the insurance product known as "universal life," see Universal life insurance

Universal life insurance

Universal life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance based on a cash value. That is, the policy is established with the insurer where premium payments above the cost of insurance are credited to the cash value of the policy...

. For the insurance company, see Universal Life (Cyprus)

Universal Life (Cyprus)

Universal Life was the first local insurance company created in Cyprus. Today, it is the largest insurance company on the island with a market share in excess of 28%. 2005 results report assets of CYP £457,383,000....

.

Universal Life is the name of a controversial new religious movement

New religious movement

A new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in...

 based in Würzburg

Würzburg

Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, which is described by members as a part of the new revelation movement, and by critics as a cult

Cult

The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...

. The group was originally called Heimholungswerk Jesu Christi, but has been known as Universal Life since 1984.

Organisation

The founding of Universal Life was through teachings distributed by Gabriele Wittek. These works were claimed to be revelations from Jesus Christ or other spiritual beings, which Gabriele received as a prophetess and promulgated. These are, along with the Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...

 and the 10 Commandments, the fundamental basis of the faith. In 2003 Wittek published her own bible, Das ist mein Wort (This is My Word).

Members of Universal Life run, among other institutions, a school, a natural healing clinic and a publisher. They operate agricultural establishments, which farm according to the principles of Organic farming

Organic farming

Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...

. 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.

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

Würzburg

Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....

 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. They also do activities in other countries, as Spain.

Beliefs

Members believe in reincarnation

Reincarnation

Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...

 and promote vegetarianism

Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...

.

External links

• Universal Life - Official website
• Universal Life Yahoo! group - English-language discussion group
• Adherents.com - Estimates of the number of Universelles Leben adherents
• Cyprus Insurance - Insurance in Cyprus