Posts

Post 1 (9/1)
Religion is universally the sacredness of one's faith in a supernatural. Religion is a way of life for many people, whether itis a Catholic following Jesus Christ and his divine Commandments, a Hindu adhering to doctrines and many Gods, a Buddhist believing in the Noble Eightfold Way or an atheist living by their own set of rules, answering to no higher power. To Emily Durkheim, Bryan Wilson and Georg Simmel, religion invokes community, a sense of belonging, hopefulness and understanding. To Ninian Smart, religion is an "organism with seven dimensions; myths, rituals, religious experiences, doctrines, ethics, social institutions, and material forms of the religion". Religion is simply matter to Albert Einstein. Religion will mean something completely different to everyone. I was baptized and raised Catholic, went to Lutheran and Catholic schools from kindergarten to high school. Catholicism is all that I know. The way we should study religion is in a three segment system which includes phenomenological, sociological and transpersonal psychological studies. Firstly, one should put themselves in the shoes of the believer in order to collect just data. Secondly, one should analyze the origins of the religion. Lastly, one should subjectively learn about the progression of the religion over time. There are several different theories as to how religions became, such as the biological, theological, anthropological, psychological, sociological and egotistical explanations. I believe in a combination of the biological and the sociological explanations. Our biological makeup is the foundation for the sociological meaning. Since we are humans, we feel the need to love and to feel wanted, which we receive in society. Sociologically, we yearn for community. Belonging to a community keeps us grounded and sane. Without other people justifying our own thoughts, wants and behaviors, we would become lost species, such as Neitzsche describes. Since religions have been around for thousands of years, they will probably be around for thousands more because humans thrive forcommunal acceptance, moral beliefs and rules such as the Golden Rule. The Baby Boomers are a significant amount of individuals who have experienced the sixties and seventies and still a majority ofthem are devoted believers or reformed believers. For Nietzsche, the ultimate meaning of life is meaningless with God. According toMircea Eliade, if we were to kill a God another God will be born as a replacement. We permanently cannot kill because God will resurrect after dying, in a new formation. Religions cannot die because theyare biologically connected to us. We cannot change our DNA makeup because it is imbedded in us, just as we cannot change the fact that religion has existed and will continue to exist. Therefore, we would have to diminish ourselves in order to diminish religion. Basically, memes are putting a modern twist on traditional religions. We see this with the baby boomers born between 1946 and1964. Baby boomers make up a large part of the population and as theworld evolves there are differences in the traditional ways of religion and the reformed ways. Religions are transforming but remain on the foundation. As the world evolves, memes are imitated over and over again until they stick. Memes are infiltrated mental ideas in time. The exact meaning of how and why memes are created is critical to understand them. Categorizing memes is important since there are different stages in one's life. By doing so, we will benefit from the outcomes and knowledge.


Post 2 (9/6)
One of my favorite Indian gurus in the text The Enchanted Land was the Mother, Yogini Mataji. Although she was considered to show saintliness as a child, Mataji went on to marry because of her devotion to her Indian culture. Not breaking her chastise, she realized that she could not give her husband what he needed and found another woman to be his wife. Even when the wife she had found eventually died, Mataji found her husband another wife that would satisfy his needs. Mataji’s unselfishness is so admirable that I found an utmost respect for this woman because she was not embarrassed to show who she really was. Knowing that Mataji chose a life that was saint like, she did not pretend to be a complete saint. For example, in my life, I have never heard of or seen a Catholic priest smoke. Mataji knew her place in the world, the fact that she was not perfect, and enjoyed a cigarette with pleasure. The one thing that bothers me in life is when people try to be something that they are not. Self realization is so important for everyone because it helps understand who we are as individuals. Nonetheless, I respect the fact that Mataji may have made mistakes in life but did the right thing to fix them.

Another one of my favorite Indian gurus in the text was Ramana Maharshi, or the sage. I was baffled by the character of Maharshi, which is rarely seen in this world. His character was a true definition of a religious person. He was a non violent believer who did not seek revenge on those who hurt him. In fact, he knew that humans were sinners and allowed them to perform their sins, even on him. Selflessness is extremely hard to find in this world and Maharshi defined it. I am a devout animal lover and that Maharshi was made me grow fonder of him. I loved that Maharshi was not consumed by his cancer but instead did not take it too seriously. Maharshi believed that the “true self is timeless” and that he did not vanish just because he was dead. I am a firm believer in life after death, whether it is that we are reincarnated or that we stand by Jesus Christ in heaven.

Archarya Sushil Kumar was one of my favorites because of his belief, “whenever there is an other, fear arises.” We are afraid of what we do not know. I strongly believe that knowledge gives us the strength and power to conquer our fears. I have had numerous fears in my life simply because I did not know much about the fear itself. Reality is all about knowing and challenging the unknown. That is how we grow as individuals and Archarya Sushil Kumar knew that. I adored Sushil Kumar because he also believed that we must give up the idea of self and see one indivisible whole. We are truly nothing without each other. We must love and care for one another in order to succeed in this life. I admired Sushil Kumar because his approach as a spiritual scientist meant that he was open to other religions and their ideas, not just Jainism. Because he was the founder of the World Conference of Religions, he has paved the way for us to acknowledge other religions exist, gain insight on other religions, to learn from other religions.

Baba Faqir Chand had a revelation during his presence in the war in Iraq in the early 1900’s that changed the way we look at life. Faqir Chand was an intelligent, humble man who searched for the truth himself. Faced with death during the war, Faqir Chand looked to his guru for the answer. Faqir’s guru astonishingly guided him to the fact that the Iraqi’s did not want to fight anymore than the Indians did. Faqir Chand went on to say “who knows what may happen to me at the time of death? I may enter the state of unconsciousness, enter the state of dreams and see rail way trains…..How can I make a claim about my attainment of the ultimate? The truth is that I know nothing.” Faqir Chand realized that he was unknowing of the truth of life and that anyone who claimed to know was ignorant. Even though he knew nothing, he did not pretend to know everything by making false assumptions. Faqir Chand believed that we had to find out for ourselves the real truth, if we were to ever obtain the truth.

Surat Shabd Yoga is the sacred practice of finding and understanding mystical thoughts. Shiv Dayal Singh founded Surat Shabd Yoga in eighteen hundred and sixty one and was named Radhasoami. The idea is to find the true self, the true essence and the true divinity, while alive in the human body. Creation is depicted through different hierarchal planes. There are five regions plus three additional higher levels in the fifth region. These regions are the hierarchal planes that represent different stages in the ascending process. Eventually, the believer realizes that the he or she is not above or below the lord but is actually in unity with the lord.


Post 3 (9/8)
Hudson Smith indicated that people desire pleasure, success on the path of desire, community and duty. Pleasure is natural for humans because we are born wanting and if we ignore the need for such pleasure, we will die. People always want more and are never satisfied with what they have. Community is important to people because it gives them a sense of belonging. Duty makes people feel important and as if they have accomplishments in life. According to Smith, people really want to be happy, to have knowledge and to be as to exist. People do not want to be distant from happiness, knowledge and existence because their ultimate goal is Moksha. The avenues to these goals can be found through knowledge, love, work and psychophysical exercises. The trail through knowledge is done by Jnana yoga, which is the quickest way to achieve our surface selves but at the same time is the most difficult route of them all. Love works through Bhakti yoga, which is the most popular form. The work path is done through Karma yoga with emphasis on either Jnana yoga or Bhakti yoga. The psychophysical path is completed through Raja yoga, known as “the raj (royal) road to reincarnation”.

God is viewed to the Hindus as the supreme person. In regards to personal stipulations, God is the maker, the protector and the demolisher of all. Transpersonally, God takes a laid back approach. It is known to the Hindus that God’s force allows souls to mysteriously enter into this world. The universe is a playground for the Hindus. It is where souls are reincarnated, where souls climb the evolution latter and where one’s knowledge and wisdom conclude one’s future. There is a personal responsibility that binds Hindus to the universe. There are different stages in the life that Hindus recognize. The first is the student, then the householder, then the retiree and finally, the repudiated. Each of these stages has their own plan of what should happen. For instance, the student should not be sexually active during this stage as that is preserved for marriage. The retiree will begin to withdraw from social encounters. The renunciated will prepare for death.

In my reflection of the movie, I found Hinduism to be a very beautiful and aged religion. It is very interesting how Hinduism is not a religion per say but more of a way of life for Indians. It is astonishing that at one point in history, Hindus actually ate beef considering how sacred the cow is to Hindus today. It is apparent that Hinduism played a major role in the creation of Buddhism and Jainism simply out of rebellion towards the Indian caste system. I admire the fact that India has acknowledged other religions. It shows decency and intelligence. Ghandi was a brilliant man by respecting and incorporating other religions in his everyday life. Before reading the book and viewing the movie, I have a preconception of India and it was nothing how I view it now. I am in awe by the Hindu beliefs and plan on incorporating them into my life.


Post 4 (9/8)
Jainism is a religion is that based on the foundation that all life forms have souls and deserve respect. Furthermore, Jains believe that there is no beginning and no end to the universe but instead the universe goes through developments of recurring transformations. The ethical view point of Jainism is based on the soul’s liberation. Jains live by standards such as non-violence, truth, no stealing, celibacy, no attachment to worldly possessions, the practice of forgiveness and no animosity. In Jainism, the spiritual goal is to reach Samyak darshana, or true perception. This can be achieved by observation and knowledge of worldly associations without attachment and loathing. Religious influences for Jains have been obtained from Parshvanatha and Rishabh.

The neuron-ethical theory about vegetarianism is similar to that of Jainism because both put the feelings of other life forms in question. Before hurting another living being, Jains and David both agree that we should put ourselves in the other living beings “shoes” so that we understand exactly what we are doing by killing them. The basis of the vegetarianism for Jains and David are different in the sense that Jainism is founded on the belief that all life forms have souls and therefore deserve respect and David initially takes a healthy stance to get into shape. Both theories have the same underlying idea that we should treat everything the way we would want to be treated.


Post 5 (9/20)
Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak and eventually had nine other Gurus who shaped the religion. Although Guru Nanak was a philosopher who was connected to the Sant Tradition, he was the founder of the religion called Sikhism in the beginning of the sixteenth century. Even though the basic beliefs of Sikhism were not actually founded by Guru Nanak, such as reincarnation which had already existed, he contributed ingenious ideas and simplicity of the Sant Tradition which consequently created Sikhism. During Guru Nanak’s time, God was taught as being amorphous and that enlightenment can be attained through mysticism and meditation. After the death of Guru Nanak, Angad was appointed to carry on the traditions. Guru Angad, a disciple, was seventy three years old and made little to no changes to the religion under his control. Angad simply followed the mantras made by Guru Nanak. Following the rule of Guru Angad was Amar Das who implemented several changes to Sikhism during his time. Firstly, Guru Amar Das created an environment free from a caste system. Secondly, he was a strong believer of community and made certain of it by arranging Sikh traditions and festivities for the people. Thirdly, he implemented a Sikh organization, known as the manji system, which included men and women who held responsibilities. Guru Amar Das also compiled statements made by past Guru’s, which would later be an importance addition to Sikhism. Guru Amar Das’ son in law, Ram Das, took the place of the next Guru after Amar Das’ death. Not much changed after the reign of Guru Amar Das except that Guru Ram Das appointed Amritsar to be the pivotal location of Sikhism. Ram Das then chose his youngest son, Arjan, to be the next Guru after his death. The Andi Grath was created by Guru Arjan in the early sixteen hundreds, which is composed of statements from Sant Teachers and from the Sikh Guru’s as well as Muslim and Hindu scripts. Guru Arjan also constructed a religious site called Hari Mandir, which means the Temple of God, and also referred to as the Golden Temple. Persecution arose under the reign of Guru Arjan. Guru Arjan was captured and died while imprisoned causing him to become a martyr in Sikhism. Har Gobind, Arjan’s eleven year old son, took supremacy and soon structured a Sikh army. Guru Har Gobind was soon captured and forced to move to the Himalayan foothills in sixteen hundred and thirty four. Har Rai, the grandson to Guru Har Gobind, was appointed to be the next guru. After the relocation to the mountains, there was peace and tranquility found by the Sikhs. Har Krishan succeeded his father, with little to no changes made to Sikhism. Tegh Bahadur was the next Guru who fought to his death to keep Sikhism alive. Gobind Singh took over after his father’s death, Guru Tegh Bahadur. As Guru Gobind Singh felt the pressure to make Islam the only recognized religion, he built up the Sikh army. When his four and only sons were killed in battle, Guru Gobind Singh employed the Khalsa instead of appointing another Guru to succeed him. The Khalsa, which means pure community, outlined the appropriate Sikh conduct. Those who followed the Khalsa were seen as orthodox Sikhs. Gobind Singh implemented strict guidelines for his followers, such as no smoking, no eating meat and the five k’s, which were kesh, meaning not cutting your hair, kara, a bracelet that was worn, kanga, a comb placed inside the turban, kirpan, a sword that is worn, and finally kaach, or cotton underwear. The five k’s are controversial because studies have shown no direct correlations to Gobind Singh. The five k’s were seen being enforced in the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries, two hundred years after the creation of the Khalsa. Sikhism did not die out with the death of Guru Gobind Singh because of the implementation of the Guru Granth Sahib, which is a group of religious Sikh inscriptions. Sikhs went on to experience several invaders such as the Afghans and the British. The British finally annexed the Punjab in eighteen hundred forty five. Sikhs welcomed the British because they improved life for them by building roads, schools and hospitals. The British also respected Sikhs and allowed them to keep their religion and traditions. In eighteen hundred seventy three the Singh Sabha, an organization to protect Sikhism, was created. The Singh Sabha kept the Sikh traditions alive in the following years, such as encouraging the five k’s. In nineteen hundred twenty five the Sikh Gurdwara Act passed which gave Sikhs the rights to their temples. Ironically, as the Punjab dealt with debt, famine and plagues, the British did nothing to help Sikhs out. After that, Sikhs decided to relocate in the United States and Canada because of resentment towards the British and to pursue an improved life. In the nineteen hundred sixties President L.B. Johnson reversed immigration laws. Consequently, numerous Indians and Sikhs found their way to the United States to start a new life. In nineteen hundred forty seven, India was liberated for British control causing fights for land ownership. Sikhs were left with no land and forced to leave. In the nineteen hundred eighties, Sikhs fought for independence for Punjab. More hostility grew in India as the Sikhs were denied rights to the Punjab. Indira Gandhi tried to rectify the situation but instead civil wars arose and Sikhs were killed. Evidently, Gandhi was shot by a Sikh bodyguard. Because of Gandhi’s death, Sikhs were forced out on Delhi and fled to Punjab as a safe haven. Today, the quest for an independent Sikh state is still exists.

The evolution of Sikhism is significant to religion because it shows exactly how a religion can be shaped by its environment. The history of Sikhism does make me stop and think about what Sikhism has endured over the hundreds and thousands of years. It also goes to show that the main principals of the religion that were seen with Guru Nanak can still be seen in orthodox Sikhs today. There are many changes that have occurred from the reign of Guru Nanak to the creation of Guru Singh Sahib but those changes meant conforming to the environment at hand while still enduring the path to enlightenment.


Post 6 (9/20)
The fundamental principals of Buddhism were created by the Buddha as a rebellion towards Hinduism. The Buddha encouraged individualism and responsibility over our own fate because we should not depend on other teachings for answers but to instead experience and reason for ourselves the answers in life. Rituals were not supported by the Buddha because they offered superficial prayers to hindering gods. Assumption was avoided by the Buddha because offered no real truth. Customs were worthless to the Buddha because one would need to find out who they were before they could question a thought. Eternal bliss was obtained from personal endeavors, according to the Buddha. Divineness was not true to the Buddha because realism was sought. Other characteristics provoked by the Buddha were experience, logic, healing, mental, emotional, democratic and straight being. The Buddha believed in Nirvana, which was bliss, to describe the purpose of existing. According to the Buddha, souls do not live because the corpse does not store spirits after it is dead. The Buddha believed immensely in reincarnation but thought we only obtain our uniqueness and everything else is lost and does not pass on in the next life. The Buddha believed in three existing symbols; dukkha, or suffering, anatta, or non permanent identity, and anicca, or impermanence. Consistent with the teachings of the Buddha, all was transient and dying because life was a journey that was constantly changed and eventually ended until the next journey.

Buddhism and Hinduism share similar qualities but also differ in some areas. Hinduism is based on the belief that one reaches enlightenment through meditation while Buddhism believes that one reaches nirvana, or bliss. Hinduism believes that we all have a soul that is carried on with us in the next life and that we can change our souls standing in life through our actions. Although Buddhism also accepts reincarnation but believes that we have no souls that pass on through different lives.

Hinduism is religion that slowly evolved over time. Hinduism is a part of every aspect of life. It is deeply rooted within the Indian people and its history. Buddhism was created as a rebellion towards Hinduism and was formed overnight. Buddhism is seen in many Asian countries today but not in India. Ironically, Buddhism influenced Hinduism and after time was seen as being similar to Hinduism. Hindus accept Buddhist concepts and even embrace them in their everyday lives.


Post 7 (9/20)
According to Hudson Smith, Confucius had five principles that shaped his thinking. The first value was jen and was the most important of them all because it outlines the standards of interaction between individuals. The second value is chun tzu, which is the dignified and ample way life in its entirety is handled. The third value is li and has two connotations: propriety and right conduct. The fourth value is te, which means power. The last value is wen and refers to the ability of tranquility. Confucius believed that heaven and earth were connected to each other firmly. Heaven made up of our ancestors and Earth stored mortal beings. Confucius believed that the dead should be treated as if they were alive and living on Earth. A good supernatural did exist in the cosmos, according to Confucius.

The Confucian project states that there is no self without human relationships. Communication with others defines the self, which is in the center of it all. According to Confucius, individuals are like birds and the affiliation with others are our wings that allow us to fly to the goal. As long as individuals try to be unselfish and outstanding individuals, their peers will help them succeed.

According to Smith, Taoism was created by Lao Tzu, about six hundred before Christ. Tao te Ching is the book that defines the religion, just like a bible does in Catholicism. Tao means path and there are three implicit logics of the path. The first is the way of the definitive connotation. The second is the way of the cosmos. The third is the way of human existence. There are three schools of Taoism that exist in China. One school of thought is the philosophical Taosim, known as a way of life, which has two elements: comprehension and accomplishment. The second school of thought is known as the proficient Taoism because it does not settle for comprehension but instead wants to master the Tao. The third school is known as the religious Taoism because a church was established to give hope and power to ordinary people. All three schools of Taoist thought all have the same agenda, which is to find the power to make the most of the path. Paralleling the Tao with an individuals’ daily life is an important task in philosophical Taoism.

Other Taoist values condemn self-confidence and competitiveness. Exploitation, mistreatment of the natural world, wastefulness and pageantry are not permitted. Modernity and travel are forbidden in Taoism. Oppositions, such as the yin/yang symbol in the Chinese tradition, compliment each other: man and woman, day and night, life and death and the rest. Peacefulness is important in Taoism and war is solemnly viewed.

According to Smith, Confucianism and Taoism are like yin and yang. Taoism is based on naturalness while Confucianism promotes analyzed behaviors. Confucius centered on the human while Lao Tzu connected humans to doing extremely well. Confucius travels within society while Lao Tzu goes further than society.


Post 8 (9/29)
In Gnosticism, the main goal is gnosis, which means spiritual knowledge. Traditionally, there are two forms of spiritual knowledge in Gnosticism; one being knowledge of the Divine and the other being knowledge of extraordinary practices. There are three branches of Gnosticism known as the libertinism, the moderate asceticism and asceticism. Because the universe is viewed as a dim reformatory, three dissimilar schools of ethics were produced by violence, temperance and repudiation. Modest Gnostics are comparable to followers of the Sant tradition. Gnostics and Sants analogously believe the human soul is remarkably important, is able to overcome ignorance and is realistic in beliefs. There are a certain number of Gnostics that believe there is a God ahead of every one of the gods, as does the Sant tradition, which is indescribable, vast and allows to be known through a transcendental demonstration of sound and light. Reincarnation has been apparently connected in both the Gnostic and Sant traditions.

Both Gnostic and Sant teachings offer a good God and an evil god just as Christianity believes in good and evil. A Saint is viewed as a sacred person in Christianity just as a Sant is a spiritual body in the Sant traditions. Unalike, Salvation happens once in a Christian life but numerous times in the Sant tradition when the soul rises above ignorance. Gnosticism is similar to Christianity because they both believe that God or the human Savior induces consciousness in us. The Old Testament has also been exploited by Gnostics. Ironically, the Old Testament has been viewed much differently to Gnostics than to Christians as Gnostics saw the Old Testament as an inferior, resentful and ignorant divinity.


Post 9 (10/12)
Islam is a religion that believes in one God, Allah, who created the earth and mankind. A Muslim is an individual who practices the religion of Islam. Islam stands for two things; peace and surrender. There was one prophet, Muhammad, which stands out in Islamic history because he modified the original Islam to what it is today, through the words of Allah. Muhammad was born in the sixth century, after death, which was a time filled with disarray in a bustling desert. Muhammad lived in an area called Mecca and was raised by his loving uncle because his mother and father passed away when he was a little boy. Muhammad was known to be considerate, kind and loved by individuals. He specialized in the caravan industry, which eventually led him to meet his wealthy wife Khadija. It was not until fifteen years after he married Khadija that Muhammad began his ministry preparation. One night as Muhammad began his investigation into Allah, he was approached by an angel, named Gabriel, to "proclaim", which scared him. Muhammad expressed his concerns to his wife, Khadija, who guided him to follow the word of Allah. From that moment on, Muhammad became the prophet that delivered the words and true meanings of Allah. At first, Muhammad was rejected by the masses because he preached the opposite of what they stood for. This forced Muhammad to leave Mecca for the city of Yathrib because he feared his life was in danger, which is known as the hijra. The hijra is very important because Muslims started their calendar year from the hijra. Muhammad was welcomed in the city of Yathrib, which soon came to be known as Medina, meaning the city. In Medina, Mohammad was able to carry out the teachings of Islam. For the next ten years of Muhammad's life, there were constant struggles between the people from Mecca and Medina. Eventually, Muhammad won control over the entire Arabia. Muhammad added to the Koran, the Muslim bible, over some twenty-three years, and is read literally by Muslims.

There are four significant spiritual notions of Islam which are God, Creation, the Human Self and the Day of Judgment. God is the center of Islam, who is neither here nor there. Muslims are to be frightened of God due to Allah's infinite powers that are portrayed in the Koran. A Muslim must surrender their self to Allah. The second concept is that Allah intentionally created the earth and human beings. As a result, realism and excellence are asserted for the materialistic existence on earth. The Human Self is the third principal which is seen as being superior. According to Islamic belief, people may fall to remember their heavenly beginning but because people are superior in nature, they are entitled to a confident sense of self. Because life is granted by Allah, appreciation and submission are two responsibilities for Muslims. Lastly, the Day of Judgment is important because all Muslims are responsible for their own feats. Achievements in life will create future standings for Muslims.

Along with spiritual concepts there are principals to follow in everyday life. By following these principals, known as the Five Pillars of Islam, one will be directed onto a pure pathway in life. The first pillar is shahadah, known as the dogma of Islam, and is said in the following words "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet." Muslims are required to say the shahadah at least once in their life but with bit by bit accuracy, understanding and compassion. The second pillar is the norm of having prayer in a Muslim's life simply because it shows appreciation to Allah for the gift of life and it maintains life's point of view. Originally, Allah asked that Muslims pray fifty times in one day but Muhammad was able to decrease that amount to five. A Muslim should pray when they wake up, when the sun is above them, in the middle of the afternoon, when the sun sets and when they are getting ready for bed. The third pillar is charity. According to Islamic beliefs, the fortunate should share with the ill-fated. The Koran goes on to say that a Muslim should give two and half percent of their income to charity each year. The fourth pillar is to observe Ramadan, which is a sacred month because of two reasons; the revelation of the Koran started and Muhammad relocated from Mecca. For the duration of Ramadan, Muslims who are not sick, are not in war and not on inevitable voyages abstain from eating, drinking, smoking or having sex from dawn until sunset. Ramadan teaches willpower, how fragile and dependant a person is and it cultivates compassion. The fifth pillar of Islam is pilgrimage. One in a lifetime, Muslims who are able to travel should set off on a voyage to Mecca because it strengthens the pledge given to Allah and embraces egalitarianism.

Economically, Islamic beliefs stand behind ambition but with sympathy and equilibrium. Daughters are entitled to inheritance just as sons are. Women are not beneath Men and can be successful in business, educate themselves, choose who to marry and to divorce their husbands. Polygyny is accepted in Islamic belief and men can have up to four simultaneous wives. Forgiveness and punishment are both taught by the Koran, just as Christianity does.

There are three schools of thought in Islam; Sufism, Sunni Muslims and Shi'ite Muslims. Sufism is the spiritualistic tradition where supporters look to Allah for self awareness through meditation and rituals. Sufi's wear rough wool as clothes as part of their symbolic life. Sunni Muslims are supporters of the Shafi, Hanifa, Malik and Hannibal schools of thought. Sunni Muslims are the largest group making up about ninety percent of Islamic followers. They follow their devotion in worldly civilizations and can become accustomed to any environment. The Shi'ite Muslims are believers of the Jafri school of though and are considered to be the smallest Islamic group. The Shi'ite's and the Sunni's argued over who was Muhammad's successor which caused the Shi'ite's to break away from the Sunni's. Shi'ite Muslims adhere firmly to the Koran. They also have twelve gurus who showed the way to their progression.

The most interesting aspect that I found in Islam was the similarities to Christianity. Before taking this class, I believed that Muslims preyed on the weak and lived for wars. Astonishingly, Islam supports compassion, equality, forgiveness, confident self awareness, punishment for irresponsibility, closeness to God and the tools to live a pure life. Ironically, Islam is more dedicated to their teachings than are Christians. I have a newly profound respect for Islam.

The videos were interesting in that they gave a different insight than the reading and because they were visual. The calling of the Lord before every prayer each day is a universal symbol for Muslims around the world. Muhammad struggled to deliver the words of Allah because he was going against the grain. Muhammad was bringing change to the mass majority that was unfamiliar to them. When Muhammad was finally able to convey his messages, trade arose which was vital because of the dry, harsh desert. The center of Islam ended up to be Baghdad because the most excellent individuals traveled there. People of different religions even sought out Baghdad. Arabic appeared as the standard for learning since Islamic scientists translated Greek mythology to their own. Algebra and engineering can be drawn back to Muslims. Muslims are attributed for the discovery of optics and how the eyes function. Cataracts were surgically treated by Muslim doctors one thousand years prior to the Western world. The Arabic world came up with the idea of paper and introduced it to the rest of the world. Islamic culture eventually found its way to southern Spain where a city of lights, paved streets, flowers and libraries could be found. A great Mosque was built in Cordova, Spain, which serviced all of southern Europe and eventually was the architectural influence for other churches in Europe. Muslim crusaders invaded Jerusalem, killing all the people to take over the sacred land. The twenty thousand crusaders that stayed in Jerusalem built the most beautiful castles in the East. The words of Allah revealed by Muhammad did not perish but continued to grow across the world. Trade united Muslims to the outside world, which they mastered. Muslims specialized in textiles which were in great demand and of the finest materials. The most famous Muslim of all times was Saladin Shawar because he took Jerusalem from the crusaders and allowed people to worship other religions freely. After that, the rest of the world became more and more interested in Islamic culture and ideology. The Mongolians from Asia surmounted Baghdad, destroying everything. Eventually, most Mongols converted to Islam and glorified it.


Post 10 (10/13)
Judaism did not have an abundance of history that can justify their inspiring authority. The territory the Jews originally chose for themselves seemed to have been undersized for a religion such as Judaism. Canaan was the name of the city which was equivalent to one eighth of the size of Illinois. Jews searched for true meaning in God. What put Judaism on the playing board were the two traits that were attributed to its solitary God: ethics and consideration. Jews asserted everything that God created. By doing this, Judaism was created on a positive foundation. Giving up on life itself is not an option to Jews because they wholly believe in their creator God. Since Yahweh, the name given to God, created everything good the Jews also believe that everything is truly good. Yahweh expressed that humans have total control over the earth.

Jews also searched for meaning in the true natural view because self image was important. Jews recognized the physical frailness in human nature but at the same time saw how magnificent it could be. Moral frailness was further important because of the fact that humans are naturally imperfect. Moreover, Judaism teaches life would not be the same without recognizing transgression, autonomy and heavenly adoration.

The past is noteworthy for Jews because it is influential, exploitive, offers perspectives and lacks correspondences. Because the Jews saw the past as a constant battle between the teachings of Yahweh and the failed obligated human actions, transformation was necessary. Since humans depend on social interaction, ethics were significant in order to regulate society. There are six hundred and thirteen laws in the Jewish religion. Four principal commandments of those six hundred and thirteen are wealth, sex, speech and force. Basically, success is good as long as it has been earned and not stolen and adultery, perjury and murder are immoral.

Yahweh exerted his words through prophets on three momentous occasions. To begin with, the Prophetic Guilds was the first juncture in which prophets realized their motivation was heavenly. Subsequently, the Individual Pre-Writing Prophets followed which conveyed morals. During this time, Yahweh went to unaccompanied prophets to proclaim divineness. Then there came the third occasion called the Writing Prophets who were Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah and Isaiah to name a few. The Writing Prophets were important because they addressed the condemned concerns of Yahweh. Because of the unfairness of all aspects of society during this time, Judaism was threatened, which concerned Yahweh greatly. Yahweh expressed the importance of change for the nation or there would be consequences endured. Prophetic principals instructed collected righteousness because Yahweh is superior and in turn expects humbleness from people.

Since the Jews did not take the advice of the Prophets, they found themselves in a huge predicament in the eighth to the sixth centuries, before Christ. As a result, Assyria abolished both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, taking the leaders as prisoners. Instead of angrily replying to the leaders, the Prophets tried even harder to instruct the meaning of humbleness to the Jews. By doing this, Judaism was saved forever. This was a learning lesson for the Israeli people that freedom cannot be taken for granted. Yahweh took this opportunity to teach the Jews through their anguish the importance of autonomy and fairness that would trickle down to all mankind.

A Western thought arose from the Jewish suffering which would change the world incessantly. Since the Jews were considered to be second class citizens, they knew there was no where to go from their position but up. The Jews turned to their Messiah for optimism. There was a second annihilation of the Jewish Temple in seventy, after death, that embedded the Western thought of optimism and split it into two parts; a politico-national and a spiritual-universe. There were concerns that followed for the Jews which were the coming of a Messiah or future Prophets that would possibly transform the world. These concerns came together and the energy was preserved in the mentality of the Jews.

Next we come to what is carried out in Judaism. There is not a statement of belief in Judaism but rather customs, such as circumcision and the dinner on Sabbath day, which consecrates life. Everything good in life has to be sanctified by Yahweh. Whether it is at meals, weddings or just to be happy, everything revolves around what Yahweh stands for. For the history of the Jews is in connection with the holiness of Yahweh and acts as a guide in Judaism. Symbolization, like candles at Sabbath dinner, is used for meaning of life and for assertion that Yahweh's children are good.

The Torah, the Jewish bible, was created to divinely reveal the words of Yahweh. The Exodus was by far the most amazing incident because Yahweh astonishingly set free enchained people and showed his disposition for the first time. The Jews greatly appreciated the act of Yahweh in liberating them from slavery. Yahweh was authoritative, decent and caring but most of all he worried about people. Following Exodus was the creation of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.

The Jews believed that they were the chosen people since Yahweh decided to free them and disclose his nature to them. They felt responsible to serve and to suffer the consequences of attending to Yahweh. This Jewish theory was not intended to be brought on by egotism but rather humility at its best. Yahweh was responsible for nurturing the Jews as he saw fit. By doing this uniquely, it shows all humans that God is unpredictable but very much capable of using powers when necessary.

After the Romans shattered the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in seventy, after death, the Torah became the guide for Judaism. Rabbis taught the Torah which kept the religion alive in the thousands of years to follow. Judaism is the assurance for a people and of a people. There are four finest pieces of Judaism; observance, culture, nation and faith. There is a range of observance understanding in Judaism but as long as the purpose is to lead to a consecrated life, it is okay. Verbal communication, wisdom and resemblance are the three main elements that make up culture in Judaism. The fourth element is the state of Israel in which the Jews have returned to Palestine. There were four historical aspects in history that led to the importance of Jerusalem. The Holocaust, the minority of Jews all over the place, the dying of Judaism and a central location needed for the success of Judaism. Palestine gave Jews the opportunity to freely live out their service and sufferance to Yahweh.


Post 11 (10/13)
Daniel Lazare attempts to give compelling evidence that biblical history is inaccurate in his written article, "False Testament". According to Lazare, Moses could not literally split the Read Sea or turn his team into a snake, for evident reasons. Archeological evidence offers that the Israelites were aborigines who settled and urbanized west of the Jordan River, about twelve hundred, before Christ. The Empire of David, what was once an unquestionable concept is now seen as a fabrication of priests who lived in Jerusalem around the seventh or eight centuries, before Christ. Lazare goes on to explain that Judaism is in actuality a by product of the political aspirations to conquer Babylon and Egypt. Lazare makes clear the fact that the Exodus never happened because historical evidence in Egypt does not show traces of the Israelites. Two sagas are being unfolded by archaeologists: the derivation of ancient Israel and the association amid the Bible and science. Lazare gives detail to the concept that Moses did not actually create the initial five books of the Old Testament but instead the books were created by Jews who were not long before liberated in Babylon. This is due to a German biblical school, known as "Higher Criticism", which has used the examination of linguistics and manuscripts to prove otherwise. A German scholar has even said that the book of Genesis was created a lengthy time after and cannot possibly be a sequential timeline for events because it was a concoction of different myths that had no correlation to one another. Lazare believes that the first archaeologists searched for accurate evidence to support Religious history but found themselves ignoring the truth to piece together what they had learned in Bible school. Eventually, historical artifacts turned up in the nineteenth century that would prove Jews occupied the Holy Land. Another archaeologist found Mycenaean pottery shavings where the walls of Jericho went tumbling down. This would put the timeframe of the falling of the wall at question because Joshua's army was not around during that time. In addition, research has indicated that cities named in the book of Genesis never existed due to the fact that the biblical text was not in agreement with the knowledge gathered from archaeologists concerning the city of Canaan around the second millennium. Another misleading concept on the book of Genesis was the fact that camels were not around during that time and the book refers to examples with the use of camels. In the nineteen hundred and fifties, Lazare states that the Book of Exodus became questionable just as the Book of Genesis because Eqyptian records do not indicate the fleeing of some six hundred thousand Jewish slaves as did the Book of Exodus. According to Lazare, doctrine is simply camouflaged to appear to be erudited. Other evidence led to the fact that the history of Judaism never existed and the Jews were simply aborigines that were different from surrounding neighbors. Lazare uses two rulers of the southern kingdom of Judah as examples, Solomon and David. According to the bible, Solomon had goblets made out of gold that he drank from, had a group of one thousand wives and mistress', gave his soldiers golden armor to wear and had sailing ships that he used for treasure hunts. David used militia forces in Judah to conquer the north but evidence has shown that Judah was deprived of necessities and therefore was unable to produce such an armed force. Lazare raises the question, if this is true where are the artifacts to prove so? Israel was of importance around nine hundred, before Christ, and held the same prosperity as did the kingdom's of Solomon and David but was not a place that Jewish doctrines would support. During that time, there were numerous cultures in Israel that worshiped many gods, not just Yahweh. Lazare believes that monotheism was falsely created by priests because individuals that followed the words of Yahweh were killed for no reason. Monotheism was created during a time when there was nothing else to compare it to. Judaism may have been created to surmount all other religions and people. The Bible was not only created as a structured belief but also as a deviated hesitation.

Lazare mocks the history of religion whereas conventional outlooks accept the history of Judaism, without question. An example of this is seen in Houston Smith's book "World Religions". Smith does his best to describe the history and culture of numerous religions. Smith offers insight and meaning but never a personal opinion of whether he believes it to be true or not. A traditional evaluation, by definition, will offer a longtime established actions, norms and practices, without using artifacts as proof. On the other hand, Lazare is depending on such artifacts to prove what actually existed.

When I read the Bible, I always question the truth behind the stories. I have learned over the years that the Bible is not meant to be taken literal. Lazare offers solid questionable reasons as to why religious history may not have existed but that does not offer a fine explanation to why religion is not important. Moreover, faith binds us to religion. It is our faith in our God or gods that help us in life. It is only natural to want to know every detail about our God or gods. It is as if we are children, constantly hearing from our parents "I know you do not understand why I say no to you but when you are older, you will thank me". The same applies to life. Do we really know if we enter heaven or hell when we die or if we can change our position into our next life? Only our ancestors know the answer to that and one day we will as well. In the meantime, we have faith to give us that sense of realism.


Post 12 (10/14)
The most extensive and supported religion in the world is Christianity. The life of Jesus of Nazareth is the core of Christianity. The little that we know about Jesus is that he was born in Palestine around four hundred, before Christ, and was raised in Nazareth. The prophet John baptized Jesus. For a couple of years in his thirties, Jesus was a compelling educator and healer until he was crucified. Jesus existed during a time that adhered to Hebrew customs, which included religious arrangements, angels and above all had Yahweh at the core. Every so often, Yahweh would express his words to prophets but humans could look towards Yahweh by not eating and being isolated. Vigils were where individuals looked to submerge themselves in Spirit. Jesus was situated directly in the middle of these customs. Spirit over the natural world was indubitably believed by the Jews. It was Spirit that restored to health the sick, evicted evil spirits, subdued squalls, divided waters and revived the dead and the Gospels accredited all of this to Jesus. Jesus lived to cure humankind. During the time of Jesus, the Jews were enslaved to Rome and heavily taxed. There were four types of individuals with two different attitudes: the enthusiastically rich and people seeking transformation. Jesus searched for alteration as well and was intimate with the Pharisees of the time. The Pharisees manifested that Yahweh desired a holy world and the Jews were chosen as the individuals to accomplish this. Jesus did not accept the clear cut separated social configuration between those who were unsoiled and soiled because he saw this as insulting to Yahweh's sympathy. Because Jesus ignored those who supported the social configuration, he became a prophet trying to alter the present. Jesus fought for the compassion of Yahweh and in doing so, the Pharisees did not approve. The objections of Jesus did not triumph but caught the attention of the Romans. This directed Jesus to be placed under arrest and put to death for treason.

People did not see Jesus as a form of God while he was alive but came pretty close. Jesus did this by showing his disciples his good deeds, teaching the word of the Lord and living the word of the Lord. Jesus did not stress the importance of good deeds but silently executed them. The words that Jesus spoke were charming because they were short and to the point. Jesus did as he preached to his people as his actions spoke for his words. Jesus lived a life that was filled with modesty, charity and adoration and was adored back by people. Jesus detested insincerity and unfairness because people were concealed. Instead, Jesus wanted to use genuineness to develop connections.

Eventually, Jesus was crucified and soon after arose. Not long after the crucifixion, admirers of Jesus encountered him through the traits of God. Instead of being present in the flesh, Jesus was now ubiquitous. The creation of the Church and the Christian ideology came from the confidence in the rebirth of Jesus. This confidence exerted goodness as being invincible. The love of Jesus from his disciples was triumphant.

Jesus did not die on the cross and continued to live on forever. There were a dozen or so devotees of Jesus that eventually turned into one of the liveliest assemblage in history. There was Good News spreading throughout Jerusalem. A symbol of a fish was being placed everywhere and stood for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior". Jesus was responsible for changing lives as people found the clandestine of living. There were two qualities that changed lives: shared consideration and happiness. As they found the clandestine, suddenly life was not something to deal with anymore and magnificence was recognized. Three unbearable loads were lifted through love, as the New Testament explains: trepidation of dying, guilt and the imprisonment of egotism. Love is the basic ingredient in the Christian revolution. Christians sensed the love from God and came across the identical love from Jesus, which in return took away their fears, guilt and egotism. Christian love was created and equally cuddled criminals, outsiders, Samaritans and opponents.

Good News was stretched out all through the Mediterranean from Christians who had faith in Jesus and his solid and invigorating influence. Christian followers explored the world God deemed was their own. The Holy Spirit, the main ingredient, was alive in all Christians. The Church was considered the spiritual Body of Christ, which arose at Pentecost in Jerusalem. Moreover, Christ was the cranium of the body, the Holy Spirit its spirit and human beings were the smallest units within the body. Reciting and maintaining this was the aspiration in Christian reverence which integrated Christians into the Church. Without faith, the body cannot function to its fullest and eventually will become full of disease. For healthy Christians were guided through with no problems. By doing this, Christians were conjoined with each other and with Christ. Eventually, Christians arrived at the conclusion that the Church consisted of two facets which was the infallible Christ and Holy Spirit and the imperfect human worshipers. There are two views of salvation. The first is a lenient view that believes salvation will be available o all human beings. On the other side, there are others that believe in the strict following of the Church and only those who are officially Christians will be hoarded. The Church has offered insight to those who fall in the middle of these two categories by saying that perfection does not lead to salvation but worthy, graceful and decent human beings will have eternal life.

Jesus attracted believers by his heavenly delight, adoration and influence. In due course, Christians searched for the meaning of this experience and Christian theology was created. The foundation of this theology is Christian doctrine: incarnation, atonement and Trinity. The life of Jesus is the ideal representation of a Christian life because it represents enthusiastic dedication to God. This was difficult to grasp because a man cannot be a God at the same time, as Jesus is described. Historically, emperors were considered to be divine. Jesus was novel because of the enthusiasm he possessed along with the natural replica of God. This threatened conventionalists and those who were profane ensued persecution. With the survival of the Church at stake, Apostles instituted that fact that the man aspect of God was human. Because Jesus was born, he endured pain and death and consequently laid to rest. The life of Jesus on earth was to the same degree as genuine as God. In essence, Christ had to appear to be man and God because Christ was the viaduct that united people to God. The life and death of Jesus brought together people to God. Defiance pushed people away from God and Christ dying on the cross signifies a never-ending plan of unity. Personal adoration enslaves our lives due to the feeling of being vulnerable. Only a superior force can break us free from slavery. For Christians, the superior force was Christ. Christ gave them a liberated life. Christians saw the Lord trilaterally, just as H2O can take the form as ice, water or steam. The three parts were God, his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism make up the three magnificent divisions of Christianity. After receiving harassment from the Romans for many years up to three hundred thirteen, after death, Christianity turned out to be known as the authorized religion of the Roman Empire. In one thousand fifty four, it split into the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. In the sixteenth century, the Protestant Reformation took place, creating the third division. In Roman Catholicism, the Church is the ultimate educator on significant topics. Thus, this leads to the perfect Pope, who is human in every aspect but is flawless in faith and morals. The Pope is all knowing in these two areas. The Church is an Agent of Sacrament. Sacraments are administered by the Church to assist Christians to deal with natural, self-centered motives of wanting to live a life contrary to the one Christ described, a life filled with kindness and assistance. There are seven sacraments that have been issued since the twelfth century and represent superior instances and essentials in life. The first sacrament is Baptism and happens when a person who is born into this world is acknowledged by God and is entered into the Christian faith. The second sacrament is Confirmation and happens when a rational young person is ready to take on accountability for their own actions through the guidance and help of God. The third sacrament, the Holy Matrimony, occurs when two people enter into the sacredness of marriage. The fourth is the Holy Orders which are devoted to God throughout life. The fifth is the sacrament of the Sick where the Church primes the soul for the final passage. The sixth and seven sacraments, Reconciliation and Mass, are frequented in life. Reconciliation is confession given for our sins so that our souls can be cleansed by the Lord. Mass is the Holy Eucharist which resembles devotion to God. Sacraments are vigorous gifts from God to the soul. Prominently, constituents of the Eucharist replenish the body just as water hydrates the body.

Eastern Orthodoxy is more similar to Roman Catholicism than it is dissimilar. The seven sacraments are practiced in Eastern Orthodoxy. The purpose of the Teaching Authority is the same but the Eastern Church accepts only those that are named in scripture. On issues such as eradication and the Immaculate Conception of Mary to name a few, the Eastern Church does not see these as required positive statements as does the Roman Catholic Church but rather as accompaniments to use at your own discretion. The Eastern Church does not have a Pope that shares examinations of faith and morals but has "the conscience of the Church" in which Christian perspectives have been viewed by the Holy Spirit as being accurate. Salvation is obtained by way of the remnants of the Church in Eastern Orthodoxy. Individuals are not only held accountable for their own salvation but also for the salvation of everything in God's creation. Clergy men and women are chosen by the people of the congregation. Clergy will distribute the sacraments and can marry. The mystical life is important in the Eastern Church and is promoted to their supporters to seek here on earth.

Protestantism arose from new understandings for Christianity, known as Justification by Faith and the Protestant Principle. Protestant faith is made up developments of the mind, heart and the will. Respectively, to believe, to love and trust and to encourage factors. All three of these make up the Justification of Faith in Protestantism. Protestants believe that doctrine and rituals are important as long as they rouse the feeling of God's love. Good deeds should come from the heart instead of a pre calculated attempt to go to heaven. The Protestant Principle advises the risks of idolatry. Basically, idols cannot offer anything predetermined unless they are of biblical characters not of sexual or victorious objects, philosophy or of society. Protestants believe that Pope being seen as perfect is idolatry because it allows no room for possible error. The bible is idolized in Protestantism but is understood that the love and words of God are verbalized through the human heart. Faith is a living adventure in Protestantism but it cannot be mistaken for individuals who assume that they are God. Even though the root of Protestantism is protest, and that justly describes the religion, the foundation is constructive. The bible is of very high esteem because it can lead to the divine life by openly reading and understanding the elegance of God. This should be taken with caution because the bible can easily be misinterpreted. Protestants freely acknowledge this risk because unstable liberty is more important than imperfect principles and institutions.