As the scholastics say, the concept of God and religion has an attribute of aseity (from Latin a "from" and se "self", plus -ity) refers to the property by which a being exists in and of itself, from itself, or exists as so-and-such of and from itself. God is not dependent either for existence or for characteristics upon any other reality. It follows from this that God is eternal, without beginning or end. In abstract terms, God has absolute ontological independence. The divine eternity means more, however, than simply that God exists without beginning or end, as is indicated in this passage from Anselm (1033-1109). While the theological concepts draw independent idealist ontology, Spirituality is a construct derived from the same.
The central point of spiritual orientation is considered to be built up from the perceptions and actions of social actors, giving rise to a position of constructionism. Spirituality as a concept cannot be seen as something having its own tangible reality. It is perceived as a subjective norm with no objective reality of its own. Spirituality can often be seen as a repository of shared values and customs that bring people closer to a higher conscience, so that they can function as full participant to the higher calling. We internalize certain beliefs and values to lead an idealistic way of life, which may restrict us as well. But rather than viewing this order as pre-existent and restrictive, it is usually less rigorous and often worked up at as
There are many different meanings to the word spirituality. Spirituality can be defined in several different ways, as it pertains to different worldviews. Throughout this paper we will look at and discuss worldview as it related to pluralism, scientism, and postmodernism. Worldviews have been known to be a matter of the heart. Every person has a world view, “A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false)
“Sara may be well-intentioned, but she and St. Gregory’s are going about things the wrong way. You’re not supposed to let just anyone who wants to, take communion, much less pray the words of consecration over toast when your friend and former lover is dying, you don’t baptize people after they take communion, you don’t baptize children just because they ask, you don’t ‘marry’ a person of the same sex and you don’t ‘lay hands’ on people and pray for them without having received the authority to do so. And the pantry is not ‘church’; you need a valid liturgy and authorized clerics for that. Sara has simply allowed her leftist politics, concern for outcasts, and the ‘liberation theology’ of Jesuits like Martin-Baro to overcome her good
1. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the argument for the existence of God based on religious experience. (18) 2. ‘The argument merely indicates the probability of God and this is of little value to a religious believer.’ Discuss. (12)
in this world, and they are effects derived from a cause. The effects in turn
The belief that morality requires God remains a widely held moral maxim. In particular, it serves as the basic assumption of the Christian fundamentalist's social theory. Fundamentalists claim that all of society's troubles - everything from AIDS to out-of-wedlock pregnancies - are the result of a breakdown in morality and that this breakdown is due to a decline in the belief of God. This paper will look at different examples of how a god could be a bad thing and show that humans can create rules and morals all on their own. It will also touch upon the fact that doing good for the wrong reasons can also be a bad thing for the person.
Another, aspect, spirituality is not as much a prearranged system, it is a quest and a prolongation of one’s development.
For the purpose of this paper, the term spirituality will include the specific adherence to a religious movement as well as broader forms of beliefs (i.e. meaning making, hope and faith, prayer). Spirituality is being considered because of the large role it plays in the lives of some individuals. There isWe see an increase in this number when
Religion is a guideline for social conduct; additionally one may conclude of the gospel, and superstitious practices are the closest perceptible occurrence humans can term ‘magic. ' There are several definitions of the word religion because no one seems concise. One proper definition, according to Merriam-Webster, is “Religion is a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices” (Merriam-Webster, 2015). One might think that this distinguishing definition is most suitable for the purpose of this assignment. This paper will discuss the interviews of three different people who associate themselves with a particular religion. Hiawatha Macomb, Maxine Hawthorne, and Christian X will answer questions about their beliefs concerning religion, spirituality, faith, and perceptions about religion. In brief, the participants will have honest discussions about their beliefs in God and the supernatural.
I swung from my brightly colored hammock, camouflaged amongst the other teenagers in their enos. I was famished, uncomfortably hot, and drenched by the pouring rain that fell from the sky and dripped down the bridge of my nose. I didn’t mind though, and neither did the other eleven campers that also futilely attempted to keep their bibles dry while listening to our counselors over the rain. There at Camp Lake Stephens, I learned that sometimes giving up your life can help you find it. The Holy Spirit reigned at camp, and people came there to worship him. For eleven years, I have been growing there, and it’s changed me as a person.
Spirituality can have a variety of different meanings to different people. To some it means to be one with nature, to others it is the search for the meaning of life or a person’s concept of God/a higher being. However, spirituality is best understood as “looking beyond the individual to family, community, and support networks” (Maloof, n.d.).
The relationship between God and humanity brings with it also the seeds of religion as the expression of our connection with God, and therefore of religion as a historical phenomenon. In discussing the fundamental nature of our relationship with God, Schelling approaches the narrative of Genesis in a way analogous to that he uses for the monotheistic dogma. Therefore, Schelling reads the history of the original couple as carrying in itself an account of the ideal or negative image of our relationship with God. In this respect, the Fall as narrated by the book of Genesis is a catastrophic event preceding history, that Schelling argues to be visible a posteriori in the fact that nature fails to display the unity it should have, as it is made unable to do so by the Fall itself. Consequently, Schelling reads the end of the Edenic condition as the key to
The thing that strikes me the most is the fact that Jesus would have become man even if Original Sin didn’t enter our lives (Benedict XVI). It makes me feel really loved when I think about the fact that God wanted to come to us even if we didn’t fall. It shows that he loves us when we are good and bad. God planned to send his son to save us from our sins and give us eternal life because of his love for us (John 3:16). Another thing that strikes me is that even though it may seem like God is angry and demanding, he actually isn’t. God wanted to give us salvation, but the death of his son was not a ransom for this (Article). I never realized that God was willing to do anything to save us and share eternal life with us because of how much he loves us. I learned that God became human not only to save us from sin but to also show and teach us how to love others. I never thought of the Incarnation in that way, so it changed how I view the relationship between God and Jesus. God wants to show us how to treat others by Jesus’s example while saving us from sin at the same time.
a) Christians believe many different things about God’s nature; due to the huge spectrum of Christians that there are. However, as a general rule they perceive God as being one of the following four things:
The Problem of Definition of Religion The study of religion is problematic. There are so many dimensions to religion (belief, practice, experience, knowledge and consequences) that it is impossible to provide a conclusive definition. Most sociologists do not believe in God. Functionalist views on Religion -------------------------------
The existence of God has been questioned since the beginning of time. Religions thrived on answering the unanswerable questions of the universe and people were able to find solace in the answers. As science has expanded and been able to answer these questions with natural, as opposed to supernatural answers, many people stopped looking to God and religion for the causes of things and started looking towards science. God was dead, according to many scientists and people of all professions. Many philosophers, however, have different conclusions.