I am taking a religious studies class on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I was raised as a Christian, and I am very familiar with the Bible. I have recently been learning about Judaism from friends. I took up an interest in Kabbalah some time back, read texts translated to English, and was completely unable to understand it. My friend told me, "The writers of Kabbalah went mad and two of them, I think, committed suicide." She said to me, "The Kabbalah is like dessert, people want to enjoy it before the main course, which is Torah. Kabbalah cannot be understood without sound understanding of Torah".
For my class, I have to visit a religious ceremony at a place of worship that is different from my faith of origin and write a 10 page essay about it. I intend to visit a Jewish synagogue for this project.
I have not paid much attention to Islam in the same way I have other religions. I own English translations of every sacred text of every major religion, and have read them all front to back with exception to the Qur'an. I started reading it and it didn't keep my attention because it is so repetitive. I have an understanding of Islam based on current events and media education, as well as through the Bible.
I wouldn't have elected to take this course except that it is required at Regis University, a Jesuit school. It is the only university that requires two religious studies courses. I have already taken eastern religions. I thought I would learn the most about Islam, but it turns out I am learning a lot about Judaism and Christianity as well.
After receiving a virtual "flogging," as I think it's called, on my buddy, Lennon12's blog, "What's your religion" I realized that it is much more effective to separate things between matters of fact and matters of faith. With that being said, I wanted to start blogging about religion, instead of whether or not God exists.
Religious studies is valuable to anyone regardless of their own personal faith and beliefs. The study of religions provides great insight into the human experience across the globe, both currently and historically. It promotes tolerance and impedes misconception.
My personal interest in religious studies is also based on my own belief that religion is one of the most powerful forces in the human experience, and affects everyone, whether or not they themselves are religious. I also think that sexuality is an equally compelling force, but I will save that for another blog, maybe.
Religion serves to provide basic answers to the greatest questions humans have regarding the universe. These questions are:
"How did the universe come into existence, does it have a purpose, and will it end?"
"What is time, and how should we make use of it?"
"What should be our relationship to the world of nature?"
"Why do human being exist?"
"How do we reach fulfillment, transformation or salvation?"
"Why is there suffering in the world, and how should we deal with it?"
"What happens when we die?"
"What should we hold as sacred?"
Judaism, Christianity and Islam tend to remain subject to male dominance, but I do have immense reverence for the matriarchal religions. They are not the dominating belief systems, even though there is strong archeological evidence that these systems prevailed before the better known male dominated Western religions.
The separation between male and female status is important in Western religion though. All 3 religions tend to blame women for the Fall of Man and tend to exert the basic idea that wives should submit to their husbands. Christianity introduced some interesting ideas and possibilities regarding the feminine sex. Jesus was a friend of prostitutes, the Catholic church deified his mother, Mary, and the New Testament discusses certain female leaders who spread Christianity after Jesus' crucifixion.
"I do not allow them to teach or to have authority over men; they must keep quiet. For Adam was created first, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and broke God's law" 1 Timothy 2:12-14.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
I think I understand now how your series if you will on religion came to be. You have used this word before and I still do not know what it means and I am to scared to google it because who knows what crap that engine will spit out. The word Jesuit...it looks familiar but I do not know why
Love is like a box of chocolates; if you chose wisely you won’t be disappointed and have to spit it out. ~T
you can google it safely. Jesuits are an order of Catholic monks. They have a very rich history.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
I didn't know that you attended a Jesuit school! Neatness...but just a random warning, don't believe everything about Catholicism that you might hear from the Jesuits...there are some INCREDIBLE Jesuits (Fr. Hardon, for example), but the order is generally known amongst traditional Catholics for their misconceptions on the faith. I don't know about your school, so I'm not going to make any definite statements, but I did want to point that out, especially since you're interested in religion.
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
has not yet seemed to teach me anything about Catholicism or Jesuits. There is a lot of references in their admission statements and mission statements in reference to Jesuit ethics. A lot of the library sources are catholic based. it is the only school that I know of that requires 2 relgious studies classes, both western and eastern.
I have so far had a great experience and I love my instructors, especially my Religious Studies professor. He is a Mennonite, not a Jesuit.
I don't know a lot about Jesuits, but the church I used to go to was on grounds that used to be a Jesuit monastery. The buildings were all still there. They were into bookbinding, and I found buildings with books still inside. I didn't touch any for fear they would disintegrate. The remnants they left were beautiful to me.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
where the original text granted women the right to own property and the right to divorce...It is always reiterated by non-muslims about how oppressive they think Islam is toward women but for a true Muslim we understand the level of respect granted to a woman.
Also, it is not that I have not had these thoughts, I had them long before you did because I actually LIVE the double standard but what I have learned after all this time is that is not my religion neither my faith, it is my culture and my back ground that has dirtied my religion.
Religion did not set the precendence for women to be treated the way that most are treated in certain Islamic countries, it was and is culture and upbringing.
"No, not rich. I am a poor man with money, which is not the same thing." - Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera Fudge "It's the hard-knock life..."
"what I have learned after all this time is that is not my religion neither my faith, it is my culture and my back ground that has dirtied my religion.
Religion did not set the precendence for women to be treated the way that most are treated in certain Islamic countries, it was and is culture and upbringing."
That is such a perfect explanation.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
...Tigers exist, and if you don't understand them, you might get eaten!
TTFN,
Blackout
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Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake!
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Check out Progressive PRIDE, a Gay-Straight Alliance for the Progressive U community.
Another very good reason.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude