Universal Life

Universal Life (German: Universelles Leben, unofficially

abbreviated UL) is the name of a controversial[1][2][3] new
religious movement based in Marktheidenfeld, Germany,[4] which
is described by members as a part of the new revelation movement.
The group was originally called Heimholungswerk Jesu
Christi,[2][5][6][7] but has been known as Universal Life since
1984.[2][5]

Organisation
The founding of Universal Life was through teachings distributed
by Gabriele Wittek.[3][8] These works were claimed to be
revelations from Jesus Christ[2] or other spiritual beings, which
Gabriele received as a prophetess[2] and promulgated.[1] These are,
along with the Sermon on the Mount and the 10 Commandments,
the fundamental basis of the faith. In 2003, Wittek published her HQ of Universelles Leben in
own bible, Das ist Mein Wort (This is My Word), also including Würzburg, Bavaria
anti-semitic phrases.[9]

Members of Universal Life run, among other institutions, a school,[2][5][6][10] two kindergartens, a natural
healing clinic[2][5][6][10] and ive publishers.[6] The beliefs of the group are propagated by Radio Santec of
Marktheidenfeld through three TV stations, Die Neue Zeit TV, Sender Neu Jerusalem and Sophia TV,
transmitted from SES Astra 1KR satellite at the 19.2° East orbital position. They operate agricultural
establishments,[1][6] which farm according to the principles of organic farming.[1][2] 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.[2][6] After a year,
she saw her dead mother appear during a spiritual meeting,[2] and spoke to her. Wittek claimed to have
experienced several apparitions later, including of a spiritual being named " Spiritual Teacher Brother
Emmanuel".[2][5][6] Finally, she met Christ himself. On 18 April 1987 Christ allegedly spoke in a great
revelation, among other things, about the "Inner Path".[5] 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.[11][12]

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 4,000 in Germany.[1][6] 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[5][6] and work on farms, calls itself the "Covenant Community of the
New Jerusalem".[1][5][10]

The activities of Universal Life are concentrated in Bavaria.[1] The organisation is represented in other
regions of Germany,[5][10][13] as well as in Austria,[4] Italy and in Switzerland.[10] They also do activities
in other countries, as Spain.[14]

Beliefs
Members believe in reincarnation and promote vegetarianism.[14] Moreover, UL
members refer to themselves as "Original Christians".[15] In consequence, a
characteristic feature of Universal Life is the fomenting of resentment against
"established religious leaders," especially the Roman Catholic Church, which is the
predominant religion in Bavaria. In 2010, for example, Universal Life failed in a
lawsuit before the Freiburg Administrative Court in which it sought to prohibit the
Catholic Church from calling itself "Christian."[16] Since Jesus in UL reading is
believed to have rejected violence against humans and animals as well as
ecclesiastical institutionalism,[17] Universal Life, according to the Catholic diocese
of Trier, appeals primarily to "idealistically minded people" in search of "authentic
Christianity"[18] despite the fact that the group's teaching contains Far Eastern
elements.

See also Advertisement for

the Universal Life,
Universelles Leben e.V. v. Germany seen in Neuwied,
which promotes
vegetarianism
Footnotes
1. German Scientology News in Munich, Germany (http://www.lermanet.c
om/cisar/survey/mq.htm)
2. http://members.aol.com/bbsaktuell/weristue.htm and
http://members.aol.com/bbswerth/weristue.htm
3. Internetserver (http://www.religio.de/server/serv.html)
 4. United States Department of State, International Religious Freedom Report 2006 (http://ww
w.unhcr.org/home/RSDCOI/450fb0b1a.html), (Austria), released by the Bureau 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.
5. "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 (retrieved 2007-02-17). Unofficial English
translations at "Brochure on Sects" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070208202920/http://ww
w.ilsehruby.at/sektenbroschenglish.htm). Archived from the original (http://www.ilsehruby.at/s
ektenbroschenglish.htm) on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2007. (retrieved 2007-
02-17) and http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/books/990913b.htm (retrieved 2007-02-17)
6. German Scientology News in Frankfurt, Germany (http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/survey/np.
htm)
7. "Dialogcentret" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070217223851/http://www.dci.dk/?artikel=20
5). Archived from the original (http://www.dci.dk/?artikel=205) on 17 February 2007.
Retrieved 17 February 2007.
8. German Scientology News in Frankfurt, Germany (http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/survey/nq.
htm)
9. Gabriele Wittek, Das ist mein Wort – Alpha und Omega, das Evangelium Jesu. ISBN 978-3-
89201-153-8
10. former Bruderhof members and residents KIT Newsletter June 1997 Volume IX #6 (http://ww
w.perefound.org/KIT6_97.html)
11. "UFO-Mairadi" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070221072024/http://www.michelrieth.de/mai
radi.htm). Archived from the original (http://www.michelrieth.de/mairadi.htm) on 21 February
2007. Retrieved 9 February 2007.
12. German Scientology News in Berlin (http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/survey/bq.htm)
13. McNair report on religious discrimination in Germany, 1996 (http://home.snafu.de/tilman/kras
el/germany/mcnair.html)
14. Madrid. vegetarianos simulan un funeral en la puerta del sol por la muerte de animales para
consumo humano (http://ecodiario.eleconomista.es/sociedad/noticias/419895/03/08/Madrid-
vegetarianos-simulan-un-funeral-en-la-puerta-del-sol-por-la-muerte-de-animales-para-cons
umo-humano.html) 15 March 2008 EcoDiario (in Spanish)
15. Gabriele Wittek, "Das ist mein Wort", 4th edition 2004, Verlag DAS WORT GmbH, ISBN 3-
89201-153-2, p. 1080.
16. "Verloren: "Universelles Leben" scheitert mit Klage gegen katholische Kirche" (https://www.j
esus.de/nachrichten-themen/verloren-universelles-leben-scheitert-mit-klage-gegen-katholis
che-kirche/). 11 February 2010.
17. "Das Universelle Leben Aller Kulturen Weltweit – Urchristentum und Prophetie – der
Weltweite Urchristliche Strom" (https://universelles-leben.org/en/).
18. "Universelles Leben" (https://www.bistum-trier.de/weltanschauungsfragen-sekten/gruppen-w
eltanschauungen/universelles-leben/).
External links
Universal Life (http://www.universelles-leben.org/english/index.html) – Official website
Universal Life Yahoo! group (https://groups.yahoo.com/group/UniversellesLeben) – English-
language discussion group

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