... Halverson, World Religions Specialist for International Students, in his book, World Religions, talks about how Hinduism can be traced back to 1500 B.C. in what is now India. It began as just a religion that worshipped lots of gods and that was very ritualistic. At first, the simple head of the household could perform the rituals; however, they became increasingly complex as the centuries passed. Consequently, it became necessary to create a priestly class and to train those priests to perform the rituals correctly. During this time, the Vedas were written to give the priests instructions as how to perform the rit ...

... century. Many people would dispute the Bible's relevance to contemporary thought in general, and in particular to the role of women in worship. If the Bible were not written under divine inspiration, a person or practice is not bound by its teachings. He or she can therefor pick and choose whatever corresponds to his/her point of view. However, if the Bible is of divine inspiration, then a cautious consideration of passages relevant to a particular issue must be undertaken. Traditions and customs that have arisen after the Bible was written may thus be carefully scrutinized. Such practices may or may ...

... questioned if there were two Gods. This is very interesting to me because it seems that these Christians were questioning their faith. And it is known that most people in the older times did not question their beliefs out of respect for God and their religion. The major issues of the Conciliar time period were that the people tried to figure out how God could be God the father and Jesus Christ the Son all at the same time. They couldn’t figure out how there could only be one God. Questions of Jesus really being human arose also. The people wondered if His flesh was really flesh, and if His soul was really a ...

... contained an extraordinary rich collection of apocalyptic literature, such as fragments of the Testaments of the patriarchs, Daniel, the cycles of Enoch, and pseudo-Mosaic works (Frend 18). Moreover, this tradition contributed toward shaping the apocalyptic tradition of the early Church, and in particular, inspired the theology of martyrdom and separation from pagan society, which dominated so much of the Church's thought in the first three centuries A.D. Qumran, the home of the Essenes, was a settlement in Palestine on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. The Essenes lived in caves within the cliffs borderi ...

... heaven and earth praise him. The seas and all that move in them. For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of his servants will inherit it; and those who love his name will dwell there.� God does not intentionally inflict despair and heartache on his believers for no reason at all. I think the despair we experience, and how we deal with it, is a test to show our true selves. The Lord does not make us suffer because of what we have done. Through suffering, we become better people and grow as an individual. You find your identity through ...

... believed that priests were no better or more religious than anyone else and that, in essence, all believers were priests; and thought that the Bible should be available to all people in their own language. However, it seems that the timing for a reformation was simply not right during the times of Hus and Wyclif. When Luther began his crusades, numerous groups in Germany were discontented with the changes they saw taking place around them. Peasants desired the right to hunt and fish as they had been able to in the past, and disapproved of the rising taxes being imposed on them by their landlords. The common peop ...

... lives. The church acted as a unifying factor for the Russian nation. Church holidays and fasts enriched and brought meaning to the cycle of seasons and sowing in the subsistence society. Russians possessed a deep religious faith and from it they derived a sense of purpose in the universe and the promise of salvation. The church nourished and preserved the culture of Russia during centuries of internal strife and foreign intervention. Orthodox people feel a strong sense of community and brotherhood towards one another through a shared bond of faith. As a result of this emphasis on community, the rights of the gr ...

... conformity shapes Stephen's life early in boarding school. Even as he is following the precepts of his Catholic school, however, a disillusionment becomes evident in his thoughts. The priests, originally above criticism or doubt in Stephen's mind, become symbols of intolerance. Chief to these thoughts is Father Dolan, whose statements such as, "Lazy little schemer. I see schemer in your face," exemplify the type of attitude Stephen begins to associate with his Catholic teachers. By the end of Chapter One, Stephen's individualism and lack of tolerance for disrespect become evident when he complains to the rector a ...

... it is suffering. Being born is suffering. In Buddha's theory, isn't practically everthing we do then suffering? Buddha defines suffering with the five aggregates of grasping. They are the aggreagates of grasping that is form, feeling, perception, mental formaitons, and consciousness. I don't agree with Buddha in any of this. I don't think suffering is caused by any of this. This is all life. I don't think that we are suffering all of this time. My definition of suffering would be anything that causes any pain, not anything that doesn't cause pleasure. There is a huge difference between the two. With Buddha, you ...

... the generosity and glory of a God who gave us life? He did give us life, and Blake tells us that we take this great gift for granted. So, he asks "Dost thou know who made thee?" So God created man in His own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female, He created them. Genesis 1:27 Anyone who has seen a lamb knows that it is a weak creature; unable to protect it's self from the strength of an evil predator. If we are the Lamb, then we must rely on the protection of our Shepherd, God. Why would Blake call us a Lamb then? Aren't we stronger than any other animal upon this earth? I think that God ...