...strong that you feel overwhelmed and calm at the same time. Faith that has grown over the last five weeks to a level that makes you believe you can share your knowledge of God with other people. Sharing knowledge of the Bible and God’s message prior to the last five weeks was a definite insecurity for me prior to this class. I will try to put into words how this class has benefitted my personal faith and some things that have been difficult to completely understand. The Bible begins with the book of Genesis. According to Life Application Study Bible, the definition of Genesis is the “beginnings” or “origins” (NIV). Genesis is the beginning of the creation of the world. Genesis is the “story of God’s purpose and plan for his creation” (NIV). Genesis is where faith also begins. Believers have blind faith in God that the heavens, earth, man, animals, Satan and sin were created, but not witnessed. To support this faith in God, we have the Bible. The Bible and growing up in a Christian household with parents who are true believers and followers of God, helps support my belief and knowledge in God. In Genesis, we learn that our actions and decisions have consequences. For example, Adam and Eve whom God created in His own image (NIV) were created without sin. Genesis 2: 16-17 tells Adam And the Lord God commanded the man, You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will...
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...Essay topic: Compare and contrast the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama as the founder of Buddhism with either the teachings of Jesus as the founder of Christianity or Muhammad as the founder of Islam. Guidelines: In topic 8 we deal with New Religious Movements and the fact that each of the major world religions was once a New Religious Movement. In topic 9 we dealt with the role of the founder in New Religious Movements. Use the material of topics 8, 9, 10 and 11 to present an overview of the teachings of the founder in the two traditions. What are the similarities and differences in the teachings of these two founders? Word Count: 2746 Virtually every major Christian doctrine is denied in Buddhism and vice versa, yet many consider that there are similarities between the two religions. From looking at the founding figure of each, it is clear that these two religions emerged from two vastly different times and each taught opposing values for their followers to abide by. Although there are some values and ideas that the founders both taught as important, the major aspects of the religions differ greatly and suggest that following the other religion will only result in suffering or eternal punishment. By examining the founding figure of each of the religions and how each began, it illustrates the opposing ideas of each religion. The initial similarity of the two religions is that both of the founding figures existed in the flesh and lived among their followers and disciples...
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...Presenting Buddhism’s Multiple Viewpoints on Worldview The question of Origin: Buddhism is a religion that involves a wide range of customs, values and methods mostly depending on lessons linked to Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhist believe the world have no beginning or end. “The Buddha added the notion that all creatures, including man, are fictions: there is really no "self"; only a series of occurrences that appear to be individual persons and things.” (The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error 2. Compiled by Steven Cory. Copyright 1986, Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. ). The question of Identity: Buddhism instructs that there is no self, but instead there are individual, ever-changing elements that create who we are. Buddhists also believe “what keeps man in this cycle is known as Karma. Although good Karma can have a positive effect, it is still viewed as a curse; since good and bad Karma keeps a person locked in this life cycle of reincarnation.” (Weider & Gutierrez, 2013). The question of Meaning/Purpose: Buddhism stocks many of the values of Hinduism. However, they vary in many ways. Buddhists believe suffering is actual and the purpose man is captive to the pattern of reincarnation. Our objective is to “eliminate suffering by removing desire” (Weider & Gutierrez, 2013). This...
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...Hell on Earth Nothing impure can enter into the Kingdom of God (Revelations 21:27). Every person will have to pay for their sins to "the very last penny" (Luke 12:59). I'll use somewhat of a parable to explain purgatory. God is just per Scripture (John 5:30), correct? Now, let's say you have one man who leads a saintly life and another who leads a sinful life, but sincerely repents of his sins on his death bed. According to Protestants, both these men go straight to heaven after death. Is this just? I would have to answer in the negative. According to Catholic belief, the saintly man would go straight to heaven whereas the repentant man would have to be cleansed through temporal (not eternal) punishment for his sins before entering heaven. Where is this done? He can't be sent to hell because hell is eternal per Scripture (Matthew 25:46; Mark 3:29). There has to be a middle ground so to speak. This "middle" ground is purgatory. We must suffer for our sins just as Christ suffered for them (Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 1:5-7). If this suffering is not in this life, it has to be in the next. Protestants say that since purgatory is not mentioned in the Holy Bible, it doesn't exist. But the Holy Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible either yet almost all mainstream Protestant denominations believe in it. Unfortunately, the King James Version of the Bible mistakenly omits the Books of Maccabees. These books were decided by the Church Fathers to be inspired of God. The Twelve Apostles...
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...James Bible, Revelation 6:12). When people read bits of the Bible they believe what they pick out, even if they just believe that the Bible is a fictional book. The Blood Moon Prophecy of 2015 is based on this snippet of a Bible verse. In this case, the Bible can easily be used to prove how this prophecy is entirely wrong. The entire Bible verse reads this: “I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as a sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood” (King James Bible Revelation 6:12). It is understandable to think that the world could end during the four consecutive blood moons in 2015, but it is also wrong. People believed that the world would end during the blood moons because the Bible prophesied it, but also because it is believed to be rare to have four consecutive blood moons occur. That statement is not as accurate as one would think though. In fact, since the first century there have been sixty-two blood moons occur, and since 1492 there have been three blood moon tetrads, the tetrad of 1493-1494, the tetrad of 1949-1950, and the tetrad of 1967-1968 (Blood cnn.com 2). Since there have been so many blood moons to occur, it has become easier for scientists to predict when a blood moon will occur, that is why people knew about the tetrad in 2015 before the tetrad actually occurred. Since the blood moons were predicted in advance, it proves that the Blood Moon Prophecy is inaccurate. The Bible states...
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...Old Testament Bible Dictionary Project: Deuteronomy The book of Deuteronomy was authored by Moses and contains three speeches by him which include the “Song of Moses, the blessing fo Moses and the transition of leadership to Joshua.” Ed Hindson & Elmer L. Towns, Illustrated Bible Survey 81 (2013) As the final book of the Law, Deuteronomy completes the Torah scrolls written around “1405 BC at the end of the wilderness wanderings.” Hindson & Towns, supra 83 Within Deuteronomy there are some “narrative material” as well as “legal material,” but it is primarily of a “sermonic” writing of the law. Deuteronomy is divided into three divisions of past, preset and future where the beginning tells Israel’s history proceeding to the present where Israel’s laws are recorded into principles, priorities and practice. In the end the writings conclude with Israel’s destiny where their covenant was ratified and community was prepared. “Moses begins with his first sermon as a covenant renewal for the second generation who were born of the wilderness.” Hindson & Towns, supra 85 Through the recording of Israel’s laws, Moses’ second sermon “articulates the covenant law and its application.” Hindson & Towns, supra 85 The principles speak of loving God, which emphasizes a “matter of the heart.” Loving God was not just a ritual nor was it required, but it was and still is of “spiritual devotion” that would ultimately result in giving the “Israelites the land of Canaan...
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...The nation of Israel, or God’s chosen people, had every opportunity to set themselves apart from other nations. Israel had a covenant relationship with God, which means Israelites only had to live holy lives to receive God’s blessings. The book of Judges describes the cycle of the Israelites forsaking God and then Him raising up judges to bring them to repentance. After this time of uprising, and sorrow, the cycle would begin again. Just like the situation of Israel, Christians have the opportunity to set themselves apart from others. In my opinion, it is of utmost importance to look to God for leadership, and to learn from the lives of others, like Saul, David, and Solomon. It is common, in the human experience, to look for leadership. This was the case of the Israelites during the time of the prophet Samuel, who lived during the time of the Judges. In the fifth verse of the book of 1 Samuel chapter eight, the people of Israel said to Samuel , “….Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have” (Holman Christian Standard Bible). God’s chosen people, in this verse, made it known that they desired to be like everyone else. God gave the nation of Israel what they desired and told Samuel, “Appoint a king for them” (1 Sam 8:22). The reasoning behind why peoples may choose their leader is not infallible. For example, sometimes a leader may be chosen because his physical appearance is more appealing than his competitor. This was proven during the...
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...Christianity (Baptist)” Christianity (Baptist) is my religion. Christianity Baptist Churches were established in the American colonies from the mid-17th century. In 1639, Roger Williams founded a church on Baptist principles in Providence, Rhode Island, and this is usually regarded as the beginning of American Baptist history. Also established in the 17th century was a small group known as the Seventh Day Baptists, who required rest and worship on Saturday based on the fourth commandment. Even though this true, I go to church on Sunday. This is because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday morning. The resurrection is so important that if it didn’t occur, Christianity would be false. In the Bible 1 Corinthians 15:17 Paul writes, "...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins." Baptist Churches have baptisms to show the world that you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior. We also have communion. At my church we have communion every first Sunday. But if you are not baptized you are not allowed to take communion. Buddhism originated in India in the 6th century BC. Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices. It consists of the teachings of the Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha. Of the main branches of Buddhism, it is the Mahayana or "Greater Vehicle" Buddhism which found its way to Japan. After its arrival from China and Korea in 538 A.D., Buddhism spread rapidly throughout Japan. While Buddhism...
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...The Hindu religion disputably began around 2500 years before the Common Era (B.C.E.) in India. It was geographically located along the Indus River, which was called “Hindu” by the Persians who had migrated there. They also called the land Hindustan and its inhabitants, Hindus. After that, the religion that followed was called Hinduism. Today, almost 800 million people practice the Hindu religion. The main deities of the Hindu religion are Brahma and his two deputies named Shiva and Vishnu. The god Vishnu is the creator, and Shiva is the destroyer. One is not looked upon as better than the other. These are not the only gods in Hindu culture. There are many others and all have special skills and talents. The gods themselves also give birth to the idea of avatars, or the form of god when he or she comes to earth. The idealism of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedas, which are the Hindu religion's oldest scriptures and are considered to be a direct revelation from God. The Upanishads are writings that take their themes from the Vedas. Lastly, the Bhagavad-Gita is a collection of teachings that are based on the conversation between Arjuna, a soldier, and Lord Krishna who is the mortal reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. He appears as Arjuna's charioteer. In these conversations the two discuss everything from the purpose of life to the basis of reality. Much like Christian proverbs, the teachings of Lord Krishna give advice, general good sense and insight on many subjects. Perhaps the...
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...to every continent and are now the largest religion in the world. Traditional Christian beliefs include the belief in the one and only true God, who is one being and exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the belief that Jesus is the divine and human Messiah sent to the save the world. Christianity is also noted for its emphasis on faith in Christ as the primary component of religion. The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible, including both the Hebrew Scriptures (also known as the Old Testament) and the New Testament. Central to Christian practice is the gathering at churches for worship, fellowship, and study, and engagement with the world through evangelism and social action.” (Patheos Library) There are so many different religions throughout the world, but Christianity is one of the most diverse of them all. Within the one religion are several different interpretations of the same scripture. You have Lutherans, Non-denominational, Baptist, and so many others that all worship the evangelistic God. The interesting thing about it is how the Bible can be interpreted in so many ways. The church that a person attends has a lot to do with influencing each interpretation, but ultimately there is no one way to...
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...experience (Anandarajah & Hight, 2001). The purpose of this paper is to acknowledge this writers spiritual perspective on healing and its critical components. After presenting a Christian perspective and approach to healing, the Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim faith perspectives will be compared to the Christian approach to healing. The conclusion will include a summary of the information obtained from these comparisons and ideas of applying it to this author’s health care practice. Authors’ Spiritual Perspective on Healing The core of this authors’ perspective on healing is founded on her faith and trust in God. This author understands a balance of seeking medical advice for physical ailments from doctors and also trusting God to heal. The Bible...
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...212 World Religions | | | HINDUISM & JAINISMWEEK 2 | | Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe | Hinduism: Brahma: Birth of the universe, Vishnu life of the universe, Shiva: Destruction of the universe.P.87,89Jainism-Universe has no beginning or end has no creator or destroyer. P.124 | Nature of God/Creator | Hinduism: Cycles, Brahman the supreme spirit.Jainism: God is not the creator, no such thing as a heavenly father. Do not believe in Gods and demons. P.124 | View of Human Nature | Hinduism: Karma-Means action and the consequences of action. Every act we make, every thought and every desire we have shapes our future experiences. P.Jainism: Until it frees itself from karma the mundane soul wanders through the universe in an endless cycle of deaths and re-births. P.125 | View of Good & Evil | Hinduism: Good, light, balance, order virtue; Evil: darkness, impurity, imbalance, selfishness.Jainism: Karma: Minute particles that accumulate as we act and think. P.123 | View of Salvation | Hinduism: Moksha-The liberation from the cycle of life and death and become one with God. P101Jainism: | View of After Life | Hinduism: Samsara-Cycle of death and rebirth ends when the soul realizes it’s true nature P.101Jainism: Believe we are born again and again until we free ourselves of samsara. P.133 | Practices and Rituals | Hinduism: Birth, name giving, time of conception, braiding of pregnant mother’s hair, birth, starting education, beginning of solid foods. Puja:...
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...creator, the world and mankind appear and disappear as time passes in our vast universe. Mankind is a never ending cycle of reincarnation. People choose in their own thoughts, to a beginning and end. The identity of Buddhist can change through their reincarnation cycle. They believe they are natural spirits. Their choices, in good or bad actions will hold the key to their next life, which is Karma. Buddhism, consider to be kinetic, they are in a constant and continuous change through their lifecycles. Buddhist search for meaning of complete peace, joy or bliss, also often called nirvana. Nirvana is reached when a life has released all negative desires and the reincarnation no longer is needed. They can reach the end of suffering by the teaching of the Four Noble Truths. The five moral principles or the silla for Buddhism are, do not take a life of any kind, do not steal, abstain from immoral sex, do not lie and no intoxicants. The Eightfold path is also followed, it is the concept of right speech, right actions and right livelihood. They try to practice these to reach nirvana. Buddhist choose their own destiny. They do not believe in freewill or God. Their good and/or bad actions determines who or what they will be reincarnated as. This cycle continues until a life no longer suffers the worldly desires. Nirvana is the end to the reincarnation cycle, peace is found. Christian Worldview of Buddhism The Christian faith has a beginning and an end, much different...
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...are of lesser import and are more directly connected with specific duties such as the house or ancestors | In Hinduism, the soul, or atman, is an eternally existing spiritual substance or being and the abiding self that moves from one body to the next at rebirth. In Jainism, the soul is uncreated, eternal and has infinite power and knowledge. It therefore has the inherent potential of divinity (that is, perfectly omnipotent, omniscient and free; not a god). By ridding oneself of the karma that obstructs the soul, one can achieve this liberation (moksa). | Karma is the basic principle within an overarching psycho-cosmology in Jainism. Human moral actions form the basis of the transmigration of the soul (jīva). The soul is constrained to a cycle of rebirth, trapped within the temporal world (saṃsāra), until it finally achieves liberation (mokṣa). Liberation is achieved by following a path of purification.[1]The key to understanding the existence of suffering and evil in Hinduism is the central concept...
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...Jesus provides a mode of love and sinlessness. Christians celebrate a yearly cycle that leads them through the life of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christmas,Easter,Ascension and the Pentecost are celebrated through Christ. Jesus was executed by the the Roman Government and after his death attempts was made to record his teaching. Life and teaching of Jesus Jesus was of Jewish descent about 2,000 years ago in the land of Israel and spoke Aramic. The Apostle Paul spreaded the teaching of Jesus to both Jews and non Jews (Gentiles). Jesus is the Savior of the world and the sonship of Jesus is the incarnation of God. Ordinary bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. Jesus provides a mode of love and sinlessness. Christians celebrate a yearly cycle that leads them through the life of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christmas,Easter,Ascension and the Pentecost are celebrated through Christ. Jesus was executed by the the Roman Government and after his death attempts was made to record his teaching. Christianity Ethel Ragland | 6/11/2014 | [Edition 1, Volume 1] | Christianity Ethel Ragland | 6/11/2014 | [Edition 1, Volume 1] | Christianity Christianity is a religion based on the life , the teaching , the death and the resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe that the true story of Jesus life and teachings can be found in the Bible. Traditionally the holy scriptures have been reverently regarded as the...
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