The Nature of Religion Kathy Legare rel/134 May 10 2012 University of Phoenix The Nature of Religion Describe the common elements of religion. An important element in a religion is to have a Supreme Being or person to worship. Where this supreme being(s) guides and teach people how to live. That does not help or hinder the control of the nature of mankind. (Johnson, 2009) There is an unwritten code that religions have that tells the believer how to live, how to bring more in to the religion and what do if the person does not want to believe.
Michael Lobato Prof. Bristol English 122/ CR #1 20 August 2008 Belief in Religion One way to go about religion is to believe in what your parents believe in. The other way is to believe in what you think is right. Just like Tom Paine talks about in this brief passage “What I Believe.” I think the purpose for writing the story was not only to pass time while in a prison cell, but it was to influence his fellow citizens to think for themselves. “I intend it to be the last offering I should make to my fellow citizens of all nations, and that at a time when purity if the motive that induced me to it could not admit of a question, even by those who might disapprove of the work”(99). I imagine what Pane is trying to say is that
The author concludes that the person who has no faith in religion could watch religious debates go on and never be affected, either positively or negatively. The other conclusion is that a person who has even the smallest amount of faith in a religion should dive head first into that religion because of the promise of infinite reward. All other religions should be denounced because they are in conflict with his chosen religion. The author did not sufficiently support the premise of disbelief in faith and or religion. He states that if one does not believe in a religion then one can gain nothing from religious debates.
This means that the Galatians should allow their whole life to be controlled or regulated by the Holy Spirit opposed to the law.’’ Law is culturally or divinely prescribed regulations for living. The regulations always carry a punishment for disobedience. From this, we can see the how the biblical audience of that time interpreted Paul’s message to mean the grace of God is not found under the bondage of law, but under the guidance of his indwelling spirit. The Galatians were heavily influenced by teachers who sought to diminish Paul’s authority, insisting that he had no right to deviate from the Jerusalem practice. These teachers urged the Galatians to add to their faith in Christ by adding the law to it, particularly circumcision.
In her book “The Case for God” she writes that religion requires leaps of faith and should accept that there is no scientific proof for the existence of God. For this reason, Karen Armstrong agrees with this claim. Some philosophers, such as Keith Ward, say that religion is non-cognitive and that religion focuses on the way the believer lives their life rather than what you believe. This view on religion does not seem compatible with Aquinas’ Cosmological Argument because Aquinas is trying to find reason behind believing in God whereas Ward would say it doesn’t matter why or how there is a God. Ward believes religion to be existential.
Benedict declared that physical labor was encouraged because idleness was an enemy of the soul. Monks were encouraged to practice a powerful relationship with God. Ways for Monks to practice discipline were to include fasting, silence, to accept bodily discomfort, and not to own anything. One of the most important rules for the monks was to be obedient to their spiritual leader. Saint Benedict thought that monks should only serve Christ, not study philosophy or literature. He thought that monks should be able to read well enough to understand and study the bible.
Critically assess with reference to William James the arguments from religious experience. William James, in his book ‘The Varieties of Religious Experience: a study in human nature’ concludes that religious experiences are at the heart of religions whereas religious teachings, practices and attitudes are ‘second hand’ religion, and develop later as individuals reflect on their common experience. The experiences are true religion. William James aims to show that religious experiences are telling of some kind of divine order which transcends normal reality. James analysed a range of religious experiences, though in particular mystical experiences.
The nature of disciplines is joy, but without submitting to God joy can never happen. According to the author prayer is the avenue uses to transform us (Ibid, 33). In our prayer one should ask the things that God wants not the opposite. The next part of the author’s book deals with fasting according to the author biblical fasting always centers on spiritual purposes (Ibid, 49). The author also states, in scripture fasting involves abstaining from all food, solid or liquid, but not from water (Ibid).
He decides that he is going to live his life by believing that he has no hands or eyes or senses, but that he just always believed that he had these things. By looking at things through this train of thought, he will protect himself from accepting any false beliefs to be true, ending the deceivers game of illusionist trickery. He is willing to accept this task although he is aware of how hard it is going to be to steer away from his former habitual opinions. It is evident that by the beginning of the second meditation Descartes has found himself shaken out of his comfort zone. Considering that he has decided to regard everything around him as false and an illusion concocted by this powerful demon, he is just left stuck in the middle of absolutely nothing.
They saw Jesus as a Muslim philosopher with an idea that every individual can be loved and forgiven. That the 12 disciples and Paul went all over spreading the word of Jesus. Buddha was in belief that life was suffering and desiring so he left his family behind to spread the word in N.E. Asia, Tibet, and China where they integrated together to imitate Jesus but in their own type of philosophical teachings. Christians across the world battle on the issue that memes does or doesn’t exists.