Religion Position Paper

Having the privilege to serve in the military has allowed this writer the opportunity to be exposed to the pluralistic society in a way which has exposed him to the beauty of the diversity enjoyed in American culture. One aspect of said diversity is the interaction which has taken place amongst the Christian and various world religions who also wear the same uniform in defense of America. It was the pleasure of the writer to attend a local synagogue in which his Jewish brothers and sisters welcomed him with open arms. The local congregation of Jewish believers went out of their way in order to ensure their newest visitor understood the flow of service and the significance of the ritual which took place on the first Shabbat or Sabbath of the month. The following essay will serve to detail the worship experience as well as how it and other beliefs of Judaism compare/contrast with the Christian faith.

In today’s extremely competitive, job-scarce economy, having a college degree is now a steadfast requirement when applying to even entry-level professional jobs. Choosing a college has always been a challenging task for high school seniors, but it is now fraught with stress and anxiety for nearly every adult who seeks to further their education. Questions abound: what school offers the exact program I desire? What school is in the best location, or has the best campus? What school feels ‘right’?

From the time I was small I learned that God created the heavens and the earth and he created Adam and Eve and put them in the garden and they sinned which made it harder on the future generations. We learned that the world just got

Religion 120 has taught me something more than just the meaning of religion. I would argue that I will be taking away more knowledge from this class than any other class I have taken so far in my college career. The learning path Professor Robert takes has benefited me throughout the semester. The learning path I took persuaded me to open my mind and absorb and understand the ideas of other individuals. After I opened my mind up and read all of the content we were assigned in class, along with listened to my classmates and professor Robert’s take on religion, I was able to picture religion as something other than just the physical place of worship and discussions taken place there. When most individuals think of religion they think about going to church and not much else. Religion is so much more than just the physical place and the individuals leading the practice. Religion has the potential to help guide you in life, along with giving you a sense of meaning in this big world. Religion has the power to help you connect with individuals like yourself,

Theologians worldwide believe that Judaism begins with God's promise to Abraham in about 2000 BC - "I will make you a great nation" (Genesis 12:2). The descendants of Abraham are often referred to as the "Children of Israel."

29:11), there are much more to be said about what happens to us after we die. As Christians, our belief affirms that there is eternal and abundant life after death for those who die in Christ (John 3:16, John 10:10). Referred to as heaven, this life after death is connected to the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The believer takes hope in knowing that this present life is only temporary but life with Christ is eternally. This believe in life after death, is symbolic of light and its triumph over darkness and that death does not have the final word (1 Corinth

Every human being has a worldview. They may not know exactly what that is but every person has an idea of how they think about things and what they believe in. Our worldview makes up the way we think, feel, and act upon certain issues in life. The environment in which we are raised has a lot to do with our worldview. Most people gain their way of thinking through the ways their parents think about issues in life. For example, parents can have a certain political party they align with and growing up the child can feel like they lean the same way but after learning and understanding the issues on both sides they can decide to change their minds on which party they feel best suits them.

1. In a minimum of 100 words, describe the basic teachings of Zoroastrianism. What a fascinating religion, Zoroastrianism is! I never knew this religion existed. The first time I heard the word “Zoroastrianisam” it was a few months back when someone on Facebook was talking about Gal Gadot, the actress that plays wonder woman and saying that she is Zoroastrian, like it was a bad thing. Then, I found a chapter in my text book pertaining to Zoroastrianisam and I was excited to read the chapter, just to see what they are talking about. I asked myself, why would this be a bad thing if someone is Zoroastrian? I learned that this is probably the oldest monotheistic religion on the world and most importantly, the base for 3 major religions. Judaism,

Beginning as a direct rebuttal of Corinth beliefs regarding resurrection and eventually evolving into a explicit and according to Paul irritable account of the events that lead to resurrection of the dead. The passage showcases Paul’s authority on followers of Christ and just how seriously his understanding and beliefs regarding Christ were taken. Again as 1 Corinthians is in part a direct address to his intentions in helping the church and part response to Corinth inquiries.The Resurrection of the Dead passage Paul structures his response in a way that makes no room for his commentary to be misinterpreted or ignored. Verses 12-19 are a clear formulation of taking Corinthian rebuttals to resurrection and using their own phrasing to admonish their disbelief.These verses are structured as a continuous unfolding of Paul's response. It begins in verse 12 with an acknowledgement that some in Corinth do not believe in resurrection of the dead and then continues on verse after verse appealing to that disbelief. The structure is a very much a “this, then this, then this argument, mounting the consequences of not believing in resurrection of the dead on top of one another until he reaches a conclusion that should cause all disbelief to vanish; if Corinthians do not believe in resurrection then they cannot believe that Christ was resurrected and if they do not believe that then their faith must be in vain.

Using the analogy of a widowed woman having been set free from the law of marriage, Paul opens the chapter by explaining our death to the law. For under the law, we were sinful, but dead to the law, we are free to serve the Holy Spirit. Paul goes on to describe how the law revealed our sin to us. However, it was not the law that brought us death, but sin through the law. Paul describes his own struggle with sin, as he is unable to do the good he desires and unable to stop the evil that he hates. Therefore, we must live in God through Jesus Christ so that we may be brought out of death. Paul gives thanks to God and says, “I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (7:25), which demonstrates the continued earthly struggle of man.

When asked the question on my definition of religion, I decided to look at it in a way that goes beyond just my religion. Religion goes much deeper than being something that we just believe in, it is a relationship or a part of a person’s culture. My purpose of religion is something for me to try and understand what my goal in life is, as well as building a relationship with a higher being. Religion gives people that higher being that they can look to for guidance and comfort. I feel that you can also express your culture through religion as well as explain some of the reasons for some of the things that you have done in your life.

Christianity played a significant role in my life up until lower school. I would go to church with my Dad every Sunday morning to help set up, which is how we became close. I fondly remember how he instilled that with a close relationship to God, you could get through anything. I took what he said to heart, said my prayers before bed and meals, and read my bible. I always dreamed of going to Heaven and spending eternity with my family. As the only religion that I had ever known, I thought everyone else also believed in Christianity. I never questioned any of it until elementary school.

Freedom of Religion is the freedom to pursue any religion you choose without fear of government persecution, sanction or reprisal. Freedom of Religion is protected under the first amendment, which gives American citizens the right to freedom of “speech, religion, press and to assemble and petition”. When the founders wrote it in the Bill of Rights, they put it first for a reason. The original pilgrims fled England after facing religious persecution from the Church of England. Over the years, America still struggles to define what that means. Though we are still arguing, the definitions are surprisingly easy for something that has been argued over so much.

To begin with, religion is one aspect of my life that I could not be happy without. My brothers and I have formed this conviction in the Lord from being taught the right way. My father is the minister at Sims Hill Christian Church and he has always taken us to every church service held as long as we were able. It has always been a priority in the Jones’ household to read the Bible and to present ourselves in the correct manner. Without God, the pursuit of happiness

I have come to know of religions other than my own, and each has different ways of worship. By taking the time to learn the different religions of the world has helped me with understanding what others believe. In learning of others beliefs will help me in recognizing the way they dress, act and respond. Religion runs deep in different cultures all over the world, and with many it is sacred, symbolic, and law. Religion brings people together in time of need such as deaths, destruction or pain, also in celebration of birth and marriage.