My own approach to religion

MY Own Approach TO RELIGION

By Laurie A. Beck

Religion has ever been a large portion of my life turning up every bit good as into my maturity. As with many households, our household heritage was/is based on a strong spiritual foundation documenting back to the 1600s to the present. We have practiced a assortment of faiths including Mennonites to Lutherans to Methodist to Baptist churchs but Christianity has been the primary faith in our household and within me today.

Merely to give you a small background and better apprehension, I come from a really strong Christian, Biblically based background and my beliefs, religion, and ethical motives are reasonably much the same today as they were when I foremost learned what the significance of faith was. I attended Southside Christian School from Kindergarten to 2nd class, attended the Baptist Temple from birth to about 8 old ages old on Sundays and Wednesdays, at which clip my parents divorced and my brother and I were so transferred to Indianapolis Public Schools. It was a really difficult passage for us to state the least. Our category size about doubled, it turned into a really diversified environment non merely where faith was concerned but on all facets of the playing field. We no longer got to travel to chapel or hold prayer on a day-to-day footing which was a HUGE letdown to me but this did n’t halt me from holding soundless supplication when I felt the demand to pray.

Although the Supreme Court ordered to take faiths from all public schools in 1962, faith is all around us and everyone has the freedom to take what faith they want to pattern irrespective of their upbringing and roots. My attack would be to acknowledge the spiritual neutrality false belief and supply an even playing field for all divinities to be openly admitted and expressed no affair where we go in this life. Admiting that all worlds have a religious nature and that different people seek religious truth in different ways would be a start. All major universe positions should be explained and discussed openly. Teachers and pupils would be encouraged to show their footing for world and truth in a non-judgmental ambiance. The deductions of peculiar universe positions as they relate to assorted subjects, life functions, world, and being could replace efforts at suppression, persecution, and enforcement of the fabulous “ neutrality. ” Under such a model affairs of the head and the bosom would be unfastened to analyze. The antithesis between positions would non alter but adjustment would go possible. I am decidedly an advocator of conveying back faith and supplication into our public schools. This is a topic I am really passionate about and I believe if this was implemented we would see a positive alteration in all facets of our future coevalss.

Religion to me is the one component of life that has connected the races and societies of the universe for 100s of old ages. It has given intending to lives that may look otherwise hopeless. Religion has provided for a cosmopolitan linguistic communication and civilization among those who believe in a higher power. The spirit or being having the worship and congratulations may non be the same, but the patterns are normally similar and serve the same intent — to give way, penetration, bravery, and a godly connexion.

Religion is the chief beginning of ethical motives and values today. I feel like many people today are non following the word of God. I think that faith is overlooked, and non taught plenty. I feel that though faith is a pick, it should be introduced, because many do n’t even acquire the chance to larn about it to make up one’s mind for themselves what faith they would wish to follow/practice.

Religion non merely provides strength, values, and a word to follow, it expresses itself in many different ways in many assortments of people. It is a sense of togetherness and connexion to certain civilizations. Bad experiences are a portion of life and everyone will travel through them at some clip in their lives.

The premier illustration of enduring in the Bible is that of Jesus. He suffered the ultimate forfeit of decease to salvage world from decease for their wickednesss. This gives a comparing for person who is enduring ; it shows that nevertheless bad the agony of that individual is it is nil compared to the agony felt by Jesus. The Bible besides says that we should be happy that we are enduring merely as Jesus did, ‘be happy that you are sharing in Christ ‘s agonies so that you will be happy and full of joy when Christ comes once more in glorification ‘ . The Resurrection of Jesus besides gives hope for a individual in demand as it tells them that enduring is merely impermanent and there will be an terminal to it.

The bible Teachs that God is in control of the existence and all that occurs in it ; this means that God has the power to alleviate people from enduring and do them a better individual because of it.

I have to acknowledge that my attack to faith has n’t changed as a Christian but has been broadened since taking this class and I am really grateful for this chance. I ever felt like I knew the rudimentss of faith where Christianity was concerned and the importance of it in my life but ne’er felt like I could learn on the topic but this class has truly given me a different position and apprehension on the many different types of faiths that are out at that place to larn approximately and to go involved in and the good intelligence is there is good to be found in all of them and each individual has a pick. Just because I am a Christian does n’t intend that my neighbour has to be a Christian for me to be accepting of them. I respect all faiths every bit good as persons and I am really open-minded when it comes to our freedom of pick merely like God is with giving us “ free will ” .

Merely to touch on a few faiths that I ever perceived as being “ bad ” merely to happen out that their overall belief and religion is good. They are the following “ Islamic ” , “ Hebraism ” and “ Buddhism ” . Now that I have become better educated on these types of faiths, I have a new regard degree and apprehension for them and hold come to see that there is good within these faiths that I would hold ne’er known until taking this class.

I can look up to and appreciate the Islam/Muslim faith for their kindness and concern for the hapless and their practical philosophy ( the Quran ) that encourages them to pray 5 times a twenty-four hours, fast during Ramadan, pilgrim’s journey to Mecca, declare ‘There is no God but God, and Muhammad is His prophesier ‘ and pay money to the hapless. This is something I would ‘ve ne’er even thought about of this peculiar faith particularly after the 911 calamity.

I can look up to and appreciate Judaism as it is one of the oldest faiths still bing today and for the simple fact that Jesus was one time a Jew himself. Bing brought up as a Christian, I thought that Jews were considered “ bad ” people and they did n’t believe in Christmas because they did n’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah and that He was merely a prophesier to God so there was no demand to observe Christmas. I used to believe this was merely awful. How could people non observe Jesus Birthday? This was beyond me. However, now that I ‘ve been farther educated sing Judaism, I do n’t believe of this faith as being “ bad ” . Just like all the other faiths there are good things that can be taken off from Judaism and that is mending the universe to be a better topographic point.

Another faith that I ever perceived as a “ bad ” faith is Buddhism. Like the other faiths I ‘ve mentioned, there is good in Buddhism. Buddhism teaches that anyone can travel to heaven if they so wish. They merely necessitate to be good. Buddhism emphasizes compassion, tolerance and moderateness. Like Christianity, it teaches us to take full duty for all of our actions. It besides believes that sincere followings of other religions are besides rewarded in the hereafter. This is really inspiring to cognize.

Although I can see the good in all faiths that we have covered in this class, my religion and beliefs remain with Christianity and the philosophies of the Bible. The Bible to me is the “ book of life ” and what it says is what I will believe. My faith remainders on the narratives in the Bible.

I would wish to portion with you my statement of religion and personal beliefs as a Christian which besides touches on the seven dimensions. They are as follows: I believe that there is one life and true God, everlastingly bing in three individuals, the male parent, the boy, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glorification ; that this triune God created all, upholds all and governs all. I believe that Bibles of the old and new testaments are the word of God, to the full inspired, without mistake in the original manuscripts and the infallible regulation of religion and pattern. I believe in God the male parent, an space, personal spirit, perfect in sanctity, wisdom, power and love ; that He concerns himself mercifully in the personal businesss of work forces ; that He hears and replies prayer ; and that He saves from wickedness and decease all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus Christ, God ‘s merely begotten boy, conceived by the Holy Spirit. I believe in his virgin birth, impeccant life, miracles and instructions, His substitutionary expiating decease, bodily Resurrection, Ascension into Eden, ageless intercession for His people and personal, seeable return to Earth. I believe in his first coming, Jesus inaugurated the fulfilment of the land of God. I believe in the Holy Spirit, who came away from the male parent and boy to convict the universe of wickedness, righteousness, and judgement, and to renew, consecrate and authorise for ministry all who believe in Christ. I believe the Holy Spirit indwells every truster in Jesus Christ and that He is an staying assistant, instructor and usher. I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercising of all the scriptural gifts of the spirit. I believe that all people are evildoers by nature and pick and are hence under disapprobation. God regenerates and baptizes by the Holy Spirit those who repent of their wickednesss and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. I believe in the cosmopolitan church, the populating religious organic structure, of which Christ is the caput and all regenerated individuals are members. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ committed two regulations to the church: baptism and the Lord ‘s Supper. I believe in H2O baptism and Communion unfastened to all trusters. I believe besides in the laying on of custodies for the empowering of the Holy Spirit, for ordination of curates and seniors, for having gifts of the spirit and for mending. I believe in the personal, seeable looking of Christ to Earth and the consummation of His land ; in the Resurrection of the organic structure, the concluding judgement and ageless approval of the righteous and eternal agony of the wicked. I besides believe in what is termed “ the Apostle ‘s Creed ” as incarnating cardinal facts of Christian religion, and back the historic Orthodox credos of the church.

There are many different types of faith to follow ; the bottom line is at the terminal of the twenty-four hours we all serve one God. There is good in all faiths and the of import thing is for all of us to be impersonal and happen a common land to be sort to one another, non to be judgmental against our neighbour, and to populate our lives the manner God has described in the Bible for in the terminal we will all be judged by God non by adult male.

God is a enigma to all of us as worlds and regardless what faith you follow. We know he exists but we have n’t seen him, heard him talk or touched him, so how do we cognize he is non a complete enigma, I believe that to larn and understand God to our fullest capablenesss, we have to undergo a “ spring of religion ” . We have to be willing to read and understand God ‘s message to us. We have to understand what He went through and why He did the things, he did. For illustration, he died for us. Why did He make this when He could hold merely said “ no ” ? I feel he died for us to hold a better life and to be dependent for ourselves alternatively of holding Him “ spoon provender ” everything to us. He wanted to see that if what he created could work and trust on each other to profit ourselves. As stated before, it ‘s all about CHOICE and the freedom to exert our religion and beliefs in whatever faith we choose to follow.

I am a Christian through and through and nil or cipher will of all time be able to convince/persuade me to follow any other faith. I have learned to esteem and appreciate, peculiarly, the other three faiths I ‘ve mentioned throughout my paper. I have to acknowledge that holding an open-mind piece taking this class is about compulsory and I am grateful that I was able to make this because non merely have I gained a much broader cognition bank where faith is concerned I genuinely feel this will be helpful to me in my future calling as a nurse. Our universe is so diversified when it comes to faith and holding this cognition of the many different types of faiths will be more than helpful in the people that I am certainly to traverse waies with along the manner.