| Universal Life Church Seminary Master of Metaphysics "Spirit Quest" Final Essay It's interesting to see how many of these courses written by completely different people, on completely different topics cover the same basic material. Spirit Quest is another one of those. It covered giving and receiving energy as well as grounding, some main points of several courses. Rev. Long's way of doing things involving "roses" and "golden suns" is very similar to things I've read in other ULC Seminary Courses as well as things I've read in books prior to now and other courses such as the Ar nDraiocht Fein and Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids course work. The "golden sun" part is basically the same throughout every course I have ever taken. The "rose" technique is used throughout although this is the first time I've seen a rose used. I like the symbolism although it's not overly effective to me, probably largely because of the effeminate connotations that go with it. Rev. Long also helps to drive a lot of her points home by using personal examples. While these examples don't apply to everyone they make it easier to understand and in many cases relate. At times I found myself wandering away from the course because of the repetitiveness of the course and the sometimes silly thoughts it evoked in my mind. I'm a spiritualist but at the same time possess a rational and logical mind that has a hard time going along with things that seem fanciful or silly. Once I pulled myself back on track though I normally found that while her exact technique didn't play well with me I could modify small bits to get the same effect. One that I never got past was the rose. In the case of the destruction rose it was easier for me to just picture whatever it was I wanted to destroy blowing up than bothering to picture putting it in a rose. For the cleaning techniques I found that just visualizing something similar to a cotton swab accomplished the same task as the rose was meant to. All in all this was a good course and like most ULC Seminary courses, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Spirit Quest
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Religious Philosophy
Master of Religious Philosophy It truly has been a wonderful experience to take this course. I have always found Philosophy interesting in all aspects of the word, but this course is different in several ways. One being, that it is dedicated to the religions and personal beliefs of our planet past, present, and to some degree the future. I know I'm a lot more informed now than I was, even though I have studied many different religions both secular and non secular in respects before. One of the more interesting though was the Hare Krishna's. Back in the early 1980's I actually joined the priesthood of a temple in San Diego, California and became known as a Bakta in the Hindu faith. Just so I could try and understand who these people were and what they believed. It was an experience that has aided me many times in my life to deal with individuals from India that were Hindu. It's strange to them to see how much I know about their religion and it becomes a common starting point of respect between us. This course is much like that experience in my life, it has opened my eyes and my heart to other types of briefs that not many people are willing to try to understand. Granted it is only a beginning point of study, but it has tripped my intuitive side and I am sure I will not stop with just this course. No matter what, it is a great course to start with, when trying to understand what faith is and what others hold true to their knowledge and hearts. The fact is that this course takes you to the beginning of mankind and speaks about the archeological findings that support the prehistoric cultures and their beliefs. And then takes you to a discussion of what the future of religion will look like, if it survives humanity. I hope whoever reads this, will take seriously the intention behind it, it is my pleasure to be able to help you to decide to take this wonderful course. It will offer you an insight on the world and peoples in your neighborhood and give you the opportunities to break through barriers that have stood the test of time. So don't hesitate to sign up today for this course. It is a rare opportunity that you have today to learn something new, different, and exciting. Rev.Fr. Andrew R. M. Manley ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Spiritual Development
Dr. Of Spiritual Development Final Essay By Dennis Zerull I appreciate Dr. David Crouch in authoring this course and the ULC Seminary for making it available to all students participating in this wonderful program and making a difference not only their own personal lives but making a difference in their relationship to fellow beings and communities around the world. Today in an age when science and technology have reached a most advance stage, we are incessantly preoccupied with mundane concerns. In such an age, it is crucial that we attain faith based on various traditions of religious and non-religious teachings on the basis of genuine understanding. It is with an objective mind endowed with the curious skepticism that we should engage in careful analysis and seek reason behind our beliefs. Then on the basis of seeing the reasons, we engender a faith that is accompanied by wisdom. It is this wisdom that should be the emphasis on approaching any kind of spiritual development not just through faith and devotion but also through critical inquiry. In Buddhism for example this approach is known as the "way of the intelligent person". Another saying I'm sure many have heard is "no self, no problems". The selflessness of both the person as well as the psychophysical components of the person is another way of understanding "no self". In this course, NLP, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, is one of the main focuses as a method for self-improvement in achieving a higher plain of spiritual development. It is my belief that Dr. Crouch needs to go a bit further into the history if this controversial approach to psychotherapy and organizational change based on a model of interpersonal communication chiefly concerned with the relationship between successful patterns of behavior and the subjective experiences underlying them and a system of alternative therapy based on this which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective communication to change the patterns of mental and emotional behavior. We know that Richard Bandler while a UC Santa Cruz, was listening to taped portions of therapy sessions of the late Gestalt therapist Fritz Perls and Bandler believed he recognized particular word and sentence structures which facilitated Perls' therapeutic suggestions. Bandler took the idea to Linguist John Grinder and Virginia Satir to produce what the termed the meta model which gathers information and challenges a client's language and underlying thinking. It was then presented in 1975 in two volumes, The Structure of Magic I: A Book about Language and Therapy and the Structure of Magic II: A Book About Communication and Change. They believed that the "therapeutic magick" as performed in therapy and by performers in any complex human activity, had structure that could be learned by others given appropriate models. They believed as Dr. Crouch, that implicit in the behavior was the ability to challenge distortion, generalization and deletion in a client's language. We also know that later Milton Erickson became the third model and wrote Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton Erickson, Volumes I & II. Basically it was it was a model that was vague and metaphoric in the inverse of the meta model. It was a combination used with the meta model as a type of softener, to induce a trance, and to deliver indirect therapeutic suggestion and includes the models and techniques mentioned by Dr. Crouch such as anchoring, reframing, sub modalities and representational systems. It was also a time of the so-called human potential movement and was developing into an industry. One so lucrative that Bandler and Grinder gave up academic writing and produced popular books from seminar transcripts such as Frogs into Princes. It may seem that I am a bit skeptical about this system but as I mentioned before I do have curious skepticism when it comes to representational systems. NLP doesn't seem to concentrate on diagnosis, treatment and assessment of any disorders. Instead it focuses on help people overcome their own self-perceived, or subjective problems. And as they learn more about their problems they learn how to modify those goals further as a result of extended interaction with a therapist or teacher. But what does NLP have to do with spiritual development. Dr. Crouch explains that there is "the application of mental technologies in spiritual change". I assume those technologies which are presented throughout this course is NLP. In all honesty I have found NLP to be a bit like a Tony Robbins seminar. I find NLP to be somewhat vague and ambiguous in its language, which can mean different things to different people. NLP tends to offer you a sort of users manual for the brain. This seems to be a metaphor as I have also hear it referred to as "software for the brain". NLP relies heavily upon the notion of the "unconscious mind" as constantly influencing conscious thought and action. A common thread I did find in NLP is the emphasis on teaching a variety of communication and persuasion skills, and using self-hypnosis to motivate and change oneself. I certainly have no doubt that many people benefit from NLP training sessions and from these lesson but there seems to be several questionable assumptions based on such beliefs about the unconscious mind, hypnosis and the ability to influence people by appealing directly to the subconscious mind. All scientific evidence, which exists on such things, indicates that NLP claims are not necessarily accurate. You cannot learn to speak directly to the unconscious mind as Erickson and NLP claim, except in the obvious way of using the power of suggestion. We know that Einstein and Tolstoy's work as an example might produce a dozen "models" of how the mind works, but there is no way of knowing which, if any models is correct. In lesson 18, Dr. Crouch talks about Eckhart Tolle's book "The Power of Now" and how it made an impact on his life. I can also attest to Tolle's works. I have read most if not all of his works and have attended his seminars and lecture. He is a contemporary prolific spiritual teacher who expands on powerful ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. In his book the Power of Now he talks about methods and "how methods are sometimes needed until they are no longer needed and should be cast aside or dropped". An essential part of spiritual awakening is the recognition of the unawakened you, the ego as it thinks, speaks, and acts, as well as the recognition of the collectively conditioned mental process that perpetuate the unawakened state. I submit that unless you know the basic mechanics behind the workings of the ego, you won't recognize it, and it will trick you into identifying with it over and over again. It takes you over and pretends to be you. The simple act of recognition itself is on of the ways in which awakening happens. No other complicated methods or hours of writing are needed. "When you recognize the unconsciousness in you, that which makes the recognition possible is the arising consciousness, is the awakening." Eckhart Tolle, a New Earth. Over and over again Tolle talks about living in the now and that the past and the future will always manifest themselves as the present. Therefore any method that uses projections into the future as to where your life will be is both illogical and not grounded in reason. It is of course possible to plan for the future as long as it is done in the present moment and done with understanding and reason. In my opinion NLP places outcomes on the criterion of usefulness rather than objective truth. Metaphors for the mind conflict with what cognitive science have discovered. This does not imply that NLP would argue against the mind being embodied. The difference between researcher working on Artificial intelligence and NLP is that the first use a computer as their laboratory, while the latter uses human subjects to test their theories. Again it is vital for us to obtain genuine confidence in the nature of mind and reality, grounded in understanding and reason. As long as you are unaware of being you will seek meaning only within the dimension of doing and of future. That meaning will dissolve or turn out to have been deception and it will be destroyed by time for it is only true relatively and temporarily. Earlier in this essay I mentioned selflessness. Let me further expand on this subject briefly and how it relates to spiritual development. What would you say that success is? The world tells you that success is achieving what you set out to do. It tells that it is winning, finding recognition is essential in any success. They may be by-products of success but they are not success. The conventional notion of success is concerned with the outcome of what you do. Some say it is a combination of hard work and luck, determination and talent, being in the right place at the right time. What the world doesn't tell you is what it doesn't know. That is that you cannot become successful. You can only be successful. Being successful is nothing more than a successful moment. The sense of quality in what you do. Care and attention which comes into awareness. The joy of being conscious, of being awake, of Being. We create a universe with ourselves in the center, and from this point of reference, we relate to the rest of the world. With this understanding it becomes crucial to ask what the self is in relationship to spirituality. Self can be described as ego, as ignorance, which is the failure to see reality and the ultimate nature of reality. But once we gain insight into ultimate reality we ask what is it's nature? Since the physical and mental faculties that constitute our existence are transient, they change, age and then one day cease they cannot be true self. The answer may be that the existence of the individual is accepted only as a dependent entity and not as n independent absolute reality. We are a convergence in the world and the universe and are the interaction of all constituents in mutual interdependence. Each person's life and each life form represent a world a unique way in which the universe experiences itself. In place of spirit I use consciousness or Being. Consciousness is already conscious. It is timeless and therefore does not evolve. It was never born and does not die. When it is manifested it appears to be subject to time and undergoes some sort of evolutionary process. No human mind is remotely capable of comprehending or fully understanding the reason for this process. But we can become aware of it in ourselves and catch a glimpse of it and become a conscious participant in it. It is the intelligence, the spiritual, and the organizer behind the arising of form. Spiritual development is nothing more than an awakened consciousness. That realization is awakening because awakening is the realization of Presence. ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
Monday, February 22, 2010
Master of Religion
Master of Religion Course - Lesson 7 - Comments I have found this lesson very interesting and informative, being particularly interested in the views of the writer on the place of women within the Christian faith. Many churches have moved with the times and now ordain women as ministers/priests carrying out the full duties of the ministry. Within the Anglican church, women can now be ordained and are accepted albeit in some cases reluctantly by some Anglicans. The Archbishop of Canterbury has recently been holding talks with the Pope on closer relationships with the Catholic Church but these are always hampered by the fact that the Anglican Church has ordained women priests. This fact is going to become more of a problem as the question of women bishops comes to the fore. All the larger churches are suffering from a shortage of priests/ministers, even the Catholic Church which at one time had no shortage of candidates for the ministry. One of the answers seems to be to offer suitable women the opportunity of ordination to help fill the vacancies that exist more or less everywhere. Without the willing help of female ministers many churches would be in a bad way. Even the Catholic Church may eventually have to consider seriously using women in a ministerial capacity within their church. There are some moves within that Church to try to gain recognition of that fact but so far there is too much pressure from traditionalist people in high places. Rev. Kemp ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
Religious Philosophy
Master of Religious Philosophy essay by Rev. Daniel Irwin It is my belief that, in some people, there is a genetic/biological affinity toward 'religion'. The matter of which type of or established religion, faith system one follows has a great deal to do with in which religion/faith system on eis born. Hence those born into a Christian family/community will, as a matter of natural course of learning one's culture, be 'Christian'. The same in regard to various beliefs/faith of those born in Muslim, Hindi, Buddhist, atheistic, etc., cultures. The difference between myth and holy truth...myth is someone else's beliefs that are not accepted by others...holy truth/gospel...one's own accepted beliefs. This is evident in what is considered 'sacred'. Sacred...that which is selectively important to any certain religion/belief group. This then connected to what we definitely consider important to a religion: books /scripture (Bible, Koran, etc.), places (pick any one of the many in Jerusalem), things (icons, relics). The 'sacred' may not be readily viewed as sacred when we consider groups that are not within our 'normal/usual' realm of what we label as religious groups...such as, Marxist atheism (which in itself,, atheism, that is, is indeed a religion), but in the case of Marxist atheism we have sacred items such as the Communist Manifesto, Lenin's tomb and, in China, Mao's 'Red Book'. As much as any group may profess it, God's Community as a universal concept doesn't actually exist...not among men, anyway. Every group that professes that God and religion are universal usually has some groups/people that they would exclude...and, in the case of the true Universalist, there are groups that would refuse to be included within the all encompassing universalism of the Universalists. So while, for example, Eastern and Western religions have their similarities, if in nothing other than end aim, each would tout their differences so as not to be too similar to the other....just a matter of human nature. As for religion and science, there should be no conflict in that science can be seen as what is revealed to us by the Devine in the way of knowledge of our universe, yet fundamentalist would disagree in that science does not account for the literary, word for word, interpretation of scripture. Hence fundamentalist would say science is wrong when scientists say the world/earth was created over an extended period of time and not in six days with a day off for God. We can look to the past and see that there are those religions which have come and gone, as so will, no doubt, many of our current religions. All are the current accepted interpretation of what people consider 'Divine will' (or lack thereof). It's all just human nature. Human nature to question, to wonder. And, if all this seems a mixed up mess, even if one interprets all the mis-mash between religions current and past, as well as, future, one should consider....maybe this is as God meant it to be. By Rev. Daniel Irwin ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
Spiritual Development
| Universal Life Church Seminary Doctor of Spiritual Development Final Essay This course used an interesting methodology to teach the material which worked very well for me. My world is very much based around reason and logic and it would appear that the author's is as well. As such I was able to more easily relate to the discussions brought up in the discourses than I am in some of the fanciful courses that the seminary offers. Dr. Crouch starts out the course right from the get go with a scientific explanation of where the mind exists within our world. He then in future discourses goes on to explain how to use the mind to change our world and ourselves to help us grow, develop, and meet our needs and wants. He also goes on to explain how with a little work we can change the way we think about certain things by moving around their location on our "visuo-spatial workbench" or cognisphere, in other words what we see when we look through our minds eye. Dr. Crouch explains that the location of things within our "workbench" has a lot to do with how we view things. For example, if something gets stored away near the area of things you dislike, then you will dislike it, but if we make a conscious effort to move that thought over to the area of things we enjoy then we may be able to get ourselves to like it. The same thing works the other way. While this may seem like a trivial item, who cares about changing what you like or don't like, you feel that way for a reason right? This technique can be useful in our personal and spiritual growth, for example, if there is something that is causing a road block in your development due to fear or anger, and you can't seem to understand why and get over it, you may be able to change its location in your thought processes and therefore change the way you feel about it. In lesson 2 Dr. Crouch continues with his scientific methodology by first stating the "universal law", which is that energy follows thought. From there he goes on to give examples of cases where scientists while looking for something and expecting a certain result went on to find exactly what they expected. Are these cases of sheer coincidence or are we seeing scientific proof that energy follows thought. Are we finding what we expected because it was always there, or are we finding it because we expected to and therefore made our expectations manifest based on our strong assumption that it is the way is must be? Using the assumption that whatever thoughts we have will change the very energy of the universe he goes on to talk about how by accepting this and then accepting or affirming what we need or desire we may be able to provide for ourselves. Dr. Crouch also explains in several of the lessons how the mind works and how it works with the universe. He states that in order for the mind, and therefore thoughts, to change the energy of the universe that it must be placed in the present-positive mind set. The positive portion of this is easy to prove as the mind only works in positives. A good way to think of this is to try to tell yourself that something can not happen or does not exist. Because the mind only works in positives if you try to prove this to yourself you will only see on your minds eye what you are trying to disprove. For example, try to not think about pink elephants and what will you picture in your mind, why a pink elephant of course. The only way your mind can tell itself not to think of something is by thinking of it. The present portion of this theory is harder to prove without getting more in depth but long story short the only thing that really exists is the present, the past is gone and only a memory, often an incorrect one at that, and the future has yet to occur. Also the only part of this timeline you can affect is the present for the same reasons. Dr. Crouch goes on to give several more examples throughout the course of how to affect the universe through your thoughts but as this course was long and in depth I'm not going to explain it here, you'll just have to read the discourses for yourself. Near the end of the discourses Mr. Pavlina takes over the writings for Dr. Crouch but the message stays the same, as did most of the thought process and narrative. I would recommend this course to everyone, but specifically those than want to gain a new way of looking at the universe. By Rev. Justin Oles ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
Chaplaincy Studies
******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
Master of Religion
Master of Religion Course Final Essay I appreciated this course very much and found it most interesting and varied in the number of subjects included, all of which are necessary for a Christian Minister of whatever persuasion. There are many points that a keen student can learn from a close study of the lessons. The content was of much value particularly in the lesson on women in the ministry of the Church because they should be fully included in that vocation as they have much to offer in service to the Christian Church and can bring a different and distinct outlook to any denomination. To deny them the right to serve in a full capacity is to lose much authority and opportunity. The lessons on church history followed by the contribution by Bishop Pat was very appropriate as St Paul was, with St Peter, the foremost leader of the early church, spreading the good news around the Mediterranean coasts to the centre of Rome. His epistles show his caring love for the new Christians even though they were falling aside from the truth. It was helpful too, in the early lessons to have a good summary of bible basics for both the Old and New Testaments, and the subject of Bible Study, with the emphasis on having a good guide when doing so, was necessary to ensure that one was getting the true meaning of God's word. It was also good to have some firm views on subjects like Marriage, Family, Divorce and also some comment on some of the social evils of our time with guidance on Counseling. This is a very tricky subject for the inexperienced and needs more in-depth study for those undertaking this hard but very valuable contribution to our society. Overall. I found that I enjoyed working through the course and can honestly say that I looked forward to each lesson, and found valuable help and guidance throughout. Rev. Derek Kemp ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
Master of Spirituality
| Master of Spiritualism/Defining Spiritualism Final Essay By Dennis Zerull Conceivably defining spiritualism could be a bit like defining the Universe. The possibilities are endless and the definitions in form or language could fill volumes of texts in the largest of libraries around the world. When one thinks for a moment of each and every individual's experiences both positive and negative just upon this planet alone, not to mention the experiences in different dimensions not yet understood, it brings me back to a simple thought from Carl Jung. Jung said "the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being". This course touches upon that light buy the author's own experiences as well as using examples of some of the worlds best known philosophers works recorded to date. While some of these philosophers had made attempts and what is seen by some as great strides in trying to explain the human condition, they were somewhat successful in developing a course by which man can achieve great goals and others have failed miserably. Such is the case with Marxism to suggest one example. The "one system" that works for all in the utopian way of thought can only lead to the undoing of this illusion at some point. The author does a fine job in pointing out this fact. But when taking this course the student must ultimately decide when it comes to philosophy what course lies ahead and which one they will follow. Yet this course does a good job in taking a look at some of the more popular routes throughout history. I do find it a bit odd that the author in his last lesson would say that: "I have decided that any philosopher who has never been married (and who if married has not made it through at least ten or more years of marriage) is a philosophy that is less than worthless". I beg to defer. The Dalia Lama has never been married and has proven not only to be one of the great philosophers or our time but a great spiritual leader, author of over 25 books and mentor to millions of people on this planet. It may be because of the great suffering that the author experienced in his life on the road to enlightenment or spiritual experience that this perception is made in his statement. But ultimately I think the point he makes in this course is that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The course one takes is entirely up to the individual. Some humans are born into a great spiritual condition while others must struggle to find what it is that brings them closer to the God of there understanding or consciousness. Perhaps it is maternal love, empathy, and other positive mental states or unpleasantness that eventually triggered a deep state of calmness, clarity and compassion. Some humans will never find any spiritualism in this life at all. As humans, simply coping with the internal and eternal challenges that present themselves on a daily basis leaves little time for reflection to evaluate our habitual responses to day–to-day events and consider that perhaps there may be other options. Over time as the author mentioned in his lesson, a deadening sense of suffering can occur and our egos play it out in endless scenarios of pain and misery to were it finally becomes a sense of, this is the way it is and the way I am and there is nothing I can do to change it. In most cases people suffer horribly or aren't even aware of this way of seeing themselves and the world around them. This basic attitude of hopelessness sits in a layer of sludge on the bottom of a lake, present but unseen. Robert Frost once said: "the best way out is always through". Some people can't grasp such a radical alternative right away so we start to suffer from our own thoughts. We may start to avoid people, turn to drugs or alcohol, loose sleep, hide in our homes, or fight with our loved ones until all you can think about is figuring out how to escape. Unfortunately there is no escape because we can't hide from our own minds. Eventually if we are fortunate we finally figure out that the problem is the solution and we begin to understand what the particular situation is. We begin to seek something greater than ourselves. In the Christian tradition it may be the teachings of Jesus or for a Buddhist the first teachings the Buddha gave after he attained enlightenment. Spirituality or enlightenment is a term that can sound a bit grandiose or unattainable by most people. It is actually quite simple. In terms of thinking it can be as simple as habitually walking through a dark room, bumping into the chairs or a coffee table. One day by luck or accident we brush up against the light switch or a button that turns on the lights. Now suddenly we see the room and all of the furniture in it, the walls, the rugs and perhaps with a deep sense of wondering we actually see it for the first time. We realize the light switch was always there. We just didn't know it or maybe we just didn't think about the possibility that the room could be anything but dark. We have spent our lives navigating in the dark that we've forgotten how to turn on the light. As humans we also suffer from not getting what we want and not keeping what we have. Whether it is marriage, our jobs, or in some cases our faith in God or your concept of a God or Spirit. Life doesn't stay in place for a moment. All living beings and the contents of this world are impermanent so therefore we should not suffer from attachment to a set of beliefs or perceptions. Change your perception and your experience will change. We all experience a profound desire to survive, to live and maybe experience some moments of peace. Finding peace in silence or meditation helps us to comprehend that thoughts, emotions, judgments and sensations come and go and helps us realize that attachment to our perceptions of who we are or what we are, what we want, what we need or what we don't want are common to all living creatures. Acknowledging that all conditions are bound to change, we can approach each moment with a bit more clarity and allow new avenues in our life to flourish and grow. The desire for everyone to achieve happiness in this life and the effort we put forth to achieve that goal is done through loving kindness. Buddha knew this and Jesus knew this. Both gave us direction and instruction to practice. Spirituality may come and be perceived in many forms. A thought, an experience, a moment of profound clarity. When you choose to be happy, you can't avoid seeing the same desire in others. When you clearly look at your own fear, anger, or aversion, you can't help but see that everyone around you feels the same fear, anger and aversion. This is wisdom. The awakening of the heart, the recognition of our connection to others is spirituality. Each morning when I wake up I try to shape my thinking in beneficial ways before I begin my day. I have to watch my own thought process and try to observe my mind so I do not get immersed in it. It helps to extend human values outward, extending from a single person to your family and from your family to their friends. In this way we can not only transform our family but our communities and hopefully our nations and our world. If we cultivate our minds in the way of the spiritual leaders that came before us and we practice what they taught us, it will lead and spread to a better world. Practice the profound. "May my body, my speech, and my mind be used in a more compassionate way so that they become a service to others". ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
Religious Philosophy
Master of Religious Philosophy ~ Lesson 23 ~ Religion and Science - Partners or Competitors Rev.Fr. Andrew R. M. Manley Q.1.) What is your view? Which relationship do you usually accept? Even if you have not previously used these terms, which is your view of scientific and religious knowledge? A.) I personally would agree more with the Religious Philosophers and open minded scientists. Q.2.) Numerous religions recount stories of miracles (events or actions which appear to defy the so-called 'laws of nature'). What are your thoughts on these miracles. A.) Mark Ch. 4 Ver. 9 thru 12; vers.9) And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10) And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11) And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12) That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; This is just one of many examples within the Holy Bible that give some credit to what I believe to be true of Natural Science and Religious acceptance. There are other books,chapters and verses with in the Holy Bible that reinforce my belief that there are intersection between both throughout history. Most of it has to do with acceptance of something new, challenged or perceived as factual until proven other wise. until that time all knowledge is in Gods time to reveal to mankind, and for mankind to except, or not. Q.3.) Do you believe that these miracles are true, but the natural sciences are simply incapable of understanding them (because they are outside their 'field of expertise')? A.) Yes, by the knowledge of the doctrine of the Holy Bible which is by faith, it is so. Science can not prove faith nor can it prove spirituality and God. Q.4.) Do you tend to believe that there is a scientific explanation for these miracles that we just have yet to discover? A.) All things are possible, when we are ready to hear and believe than and only then will we except what is revealed. Q.5.) Do you believe that God (or gods) intervened and set aside these natural laws? A.) I believe in what I know, I also believe in faith and things not yet revealed. So yes, In my thought, my heart, and my knowledge God did and does intervene with natural law as we know it. I emphasize as "we know it". Q.6.) Do you think that the miracles are religiously exaggerated to make a religious point, and that the actual event would be harmonious with the natural laws if this exaggeration had not occurred? A.) I can not tell for sure because I was not present at the time of the accuracies. However, throughout the Holy Bible parables are used to help people to understand and relate to what message is being conveyed at the time. We do the same thing today it is just that our technology and our ability to communicate has advanced far beyond what was understood decades ago. Q.7.) Or, do you think that anyone who believes in miracles should be confined to a facility where they can't hurt themselves? A.) No, absolutely not. There are many things that have happened throughout history that can not be explained and if two or more experience a situation than it, with a small degree of doubt and faith should be accredited to the possibilities of account. ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
Comparative Religion
ULC Seminary Master of Comparative Religion Essay by Rev. Joy Lynn Zen Rosenberg This course reaffirmed for me many long-held beliefs in the commonality of man, as well as helped me discover new connections across traditions and times that I had never known of before but always felt must exist. I am much more confident in discussing various traditions with others than I was before taking this course, as I was at a loss for the words to describe my ideas. We are all wrapped in God's everlasting grace, though in our limited human vision we can only seem to embrace one of God's infinite versions at a time. Imagine my surprise, learning in my 40's what I suspected to be true since I was a child: we are all children of God, by whatever names and forms we envision for our Higher Power. Newly empowered with the right terms and a thirst to learn about my human brothers and sisters, I have reached out to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and atheists. My rewards are immeasurable, and the friendships I've made are strong and true and based on shared love of the spirit of God that lives within us all. In the case of my atheist friend, it is the love of humanity that we share. I found nothing in the Comparative Religion course that needed improvement. I'm pleased with the content and I refer to my printed discourses often for information and refreshers. Occasionally I would run into a broken or outdated link, but not to be dismayed, I'd google my way to alternate sites for related information and allow the journey to circle me back to Kythera Ann's material for the week. Her writing style and presentation is exceptionally beautiful, professional, and of the quality that one finds in a hard bound book. My expectations were not only met but exceeded and made me want to delve further into each subject when I was finished reading the discourse. I'm definitely going to continue learning with ULC courses as the format is perfect for me. Living with MS (multiple sclerosis) means having to be flexible and always be prepared to go with Plan B should my true ambitions fall through for the day. The unpredictable nature of the disease means rigid classroom schedules are an insurmountable obstacle. ULC gives me back my Plan A and allows me to read and research on my time as my situation allows. That translates for me into a fuller learning experience and not just an exercise in stressful deadlines and commutes. My gratitude is immeasurable. Finishing this course, my first course at ULC and the first class I've been able to finish since MS, means something incredibly special to me. I am looking forward to working my way through another course and then another. Thank you for your time and consideration. Peace be yours! Joy Lynn Zen Rosenberg ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. The ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar |
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