The Discovery Of The True Religion Of God

people can make their own decisions, independent of the religious leaders, provided reason is invoked in

Tomoko Masuzawa’s literary work, The Invention of World Religions, provides a meticulous analysis of how the term “world religions” is categorized and used in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Masuzawa addresses how the categorization of world religions has changed throughout history and how different elements of each religion, such as texts, origin, and ability to expand have shaped the classification of that religion by scholars. By using the works of well-established scholars, she is able to provide an accurate account of how the perception and analysis of these religious occurred in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Institutions within the public domain, such as universities and hospitals, can then shape interaction with their specific audiences to abide by the practices of these world religions in order to connect with the public in a culturally competent manner.

For many people, religion is a very touchy subject. For most, it is a personal decision; people choose a faith that aligns with their beliefs, ideas, and faiths. Although people would like to think that religion is a personal decision, and they can adapt it to how they feel and what they believe, in practice, that is not the case. Religion represents a commitment to a set of principles that are not moldable, adaptable, or flexible. Religion, although it may be a personal belief, it is extremely defined, with little to no room for flexibility. If people try to modify their religion to their own beliefs or ideas, the pushback can be severe. The lines in religion and faith as to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable are clear, and

A Sociologist would say that if we do not have to confirm with one aspect of religion and how one shall live. We have the right to choose. However, you get what you put out. Your higher power will be who you choose, but Gods plan for cultivating and caring for creation and our fellow neighbor should be what all people should feel and want to do. Some form of that has been lost in our society. We have fallen into a world of I and not us, we have lost the path that was in the divine plan for each and every one of us. We abuse each other verbally, physically, we neglect those who have less and outcast them from our society, we ignore calls and signs for help. We fall prey to misguidance, yet we look for a higher God after the fact. I would say

Since the dawn of time, religion has been the staple of humanity. It has been our explanation for the unexplainable, as well a way for us to form a community with those around us. Due to the natural diversity of humans, a varied set of separate religions has formed throughout the world. Religions continue to adapt and inspire each other, however, they all have their differences, as well as internal differences through the observations of each believer.

Gnosticism can be defined as the mystical perception of knowledge and was considered to be a heresy that was condemned by those who followed the traditional Orthodox form of Christianity. In the second century the movement of Gnostic Christianity occurred; it is also referred to as a Christian sect (Carus). Though people viewed Gnostic Christianity as a sect, it has never been denied that Gnosticism is older than Christianity and the relation and importance between the two groups have never been acknowledged (Gnostic Discoveries). Since the discovery of texts found at Nag Hammadi which presents Jesus as a Gnostic teacher, the connection between the two groups has grown exponentially, and Paul Carus the author of The Monist even believes that Christianity is a branch of Gnosticism. Marvin Meyer a professor of Bible and Christian studies, has found that the discovery of the Gnostic texts allows scholars to get a deeper understanding of Christian teachings and relate the findings to biblical texts (Gnostic Discoveries).

Being exposed to a mass variety of religions at the new school posed the question, “If all of these individuals have different religious upbringings, would the god I believe in punish them for ignorance?”. This question was one I never faced before, because my environment never made it apparent. With the new ideology acceptance of different cultures became much

Religion is one of the most important components of culture which has been used in understanding the universe, natural phenomena, what to die for and how to dwell among other people. Religion can be considered as culture by itself because it provides the set of values, beliefs and guidelines for specific behavior (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel & Roy, 2013, p.40). Religion helps to control the social behavior, maintains conflict, supports emotions and gives explanations to unexplainable.

In San Manuel Bueno, Martyr, Miguel de Unamuno describes the tragic tale of a priest who finds himself unable to believe the messages that he shares with his congregation. He hides this disbelief from the people and lives in a sort of martyrdom, unable to break the charade he built in the village as a saintly figure. He recognizes his own suffering from his life without faith and devotes his life to withholding his truth from the masses in order to allow them to live. To him, their faith acts as a protector from the cruel nature of the world and the comfort of belief is more valuable than the truth.

Historically, theologians and philosophers have struggled to agree on the ideas of human freedom. This struggle seems to stem from the debate over faith vs. reason, or the internal and external sources that lead to human thought and understanding, through which free will is then interpreted and carried out by means of the will. A hidden and constant strive for spiritual enlightenment has always been embedded within humans since the beginning of the Fall. Through this natural drive of pursuing spiritual enlightenment comes the creation of the road to which it leads. Throughout most of time, religion has taken the reigns of showing humans the road to salvation, externally, by means of scripture, which requires faith. Yet in the past, there have been times when the powers of evil have inevitably hijacked religion, turning those who have witnessed or experienced this treachery against external values based on faith, but rather internally based values by means of philosophical thought and reasoning through God’s gift of grace.

Monotheistic religions, especially Judaism, Christianity, and Islam promote the belief in One God; all that exists is because of God. Through prophets and scripture, God portrays moral goodness and truth. Essentially, these three religions believe that God speaks to us, unveils God’s Being, and seeks to guide us through life. In turn, humans should embody the moral goodness and excellence that is revealed to us by God. These religions are taught based upon both scripture and reason. When reading traditional texts, the tools of reason and social sciences are required. However, dilemmas arise when there is inconsistency between reason and scripture. Some believe that is we side with reason, we betray God. Others believe that if we side with

The gospel changes everything, it becomes the very lens through which we look at all of life and its challenges. The gospel transcends all cultures. The essential truths of the gospel can be expressed in any language or clothed in any culture. the truth of the gospel shapes my thinking and conduct in a way that produces a Christ-like love and holiness - putting his kingdom values into practice in the power of the Holy Spirit. Humility, boldness, dependency and the assurance of his presence replaces all my self-reliance, pride, selfishness. Putting my faith in God and his word has helped me become a firm believer that he is always there, always watching and protecting his follower. The passage “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper’’

Every religion holds truth to the believers, and gives them a sense of identity. There is no right or wrong answer to the question of which religion to follow, only interpretations and behaviors according to what makes sense to the individual. People will behave as they believe (Beliefs and Believers, Class 1).

As long as humans have walked the Earth, we have sought out answers. Answers for questions like: "Why are we here? Where do we go when we die? Where did we come from? and What's that?" How different people answered these questions is important to study because it shows us the spiritual side of human nature. Especially now, a time of conflict between Islam and Western Civilization, it is important to look back and trace the evolution of religion. To see where we started and perhaps, gain some perspective into what is happening now and what may happen in the future.

Some people believe our life is based off of morals, a belief of right/justification or wrong/ unjust. Living this way perceives their ways of the world by doing what they feel is good or bad or what is lead by their conscience regardless of religion. Others believe in religion, a feeling or act of faith, from God or “gods” ( Merriam-Webster). These acts motivated by faith and God/ “gods” provide a comprehension between choices, a choice given to all for all based off of a religious belief. In analyzing this presentation, it will show what the writer of this topic is trying to point out to the intended audience or its purpose, while conveying to the readers what morality and religion is.