... whereas Buddhists do not believe in one God (and do not necessarily believe in any gods at all, or in many, as you wish) and believe that human destiny is individually determined by our past personal actions, thoughts and words (karma) which act as causes of our future happiness and misery. Karma is entirely focused upon individuals -- group karma is impossible as it must relate to one person. Christians believe that the efforts of another person or being (eg. Jesus, Virgin Mary, Saints, etc) can progress the spiritual condition of a single individual, and thus be the cause of their salvation, whereas Buddhists believe this is not possible and that only through pe ...
... being played out even on a global stage. What does the Roman papacy mean for North American’s Latino and African descended followers? What challenges do they face? What is the sense of groundedness, comfort, and community that bonds them? The end of the fifteenth and start of the sixteenth centuries ushered in the introduction of Christian-Trinitarian-monotheism to the Americans. Preachers and friars of Spain evangelized the scriptures and sacraments to the indigenous peoples. Yet, the central theme of Christ and the Trinity, the very foundation upon which Catholicism sits was the largest obstacle to its reception in sixteenth century Mexico and the Americas. ...
... beliefs are recorded in sacred texts. The most important being the Vedas and the Upanishads. The Vedas contains eternal thruths that were reveiled to the wise men. The Upanishads helped to explain the ideas that occured in the Vedas. This is somewhat similar to Buddhism being that the Buddah taught others what he learned as he sat under the tree. He called those ideas the four noble truths. The first truth was that suffering was universal. The second was that suffering is caused by desire. The third is that the only way to stop suffering is to crush desire. The fourth is that the only way to end desire was to follow the noble Eightfold path. Hindusworship tho ...
... it is our time, we cannot help but wonder. The mystery of resurrection can be traced to the historical life of Jesus. Through Jesus came strong faith from the Jewish people, this came to be from his good teachings and preaching. That is why today many approach the term resurrection in conjunction with Jesus. In the book, The reality of Jesus we come across a section known as the "The Pauline Evidence". This particular section interested me because Paul makes a contrast between two types of bodies. One type is the physical body (soma psuchikon) of which we are in now. Soma is the man's body and personality which is a quality of the inner being. The seco ...
... complex of sects, doctrines, beliefs and practices set in a social framework. It has the unique distinction of having no single founder, no centralized organized hierarchy and no fixed dogmas. It represents instead countless sages and the truths revealed to them over thousands of years in the Vedas. The sanctity of the four Vedas—Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda—is the ultimate authority for all Hindus. While the Vedas is a very important aspect of Sanatan Dharma, the Bhagavad Gita is Hinduism’s most widely read literary work. It is basically a dialogue between Krishna (an avatar of Vishnu) and the charioteer of Arjuna who ref ...
... on school property.The Seperation of Church and State refers to the seperation of religion and the schools, courts and any other state or federal ran department. Some schools still question should they recognize religious holidays or activites at public schools. Many people still argue that public prayer in school would violate the 1st amendment and make some children feel uneasy or stressed. William Torrey Harris began his teaching career in St. Louis as a private tutor. He later became a teacher and administrator in the city’s public schools. In 1867 Harris became the superintendent of the St. Louis public school system, where he enforced his belief that the ...
... and Cambodia. Mahayana, the greater vehicle, refers to the Theravada as Hinayana, the lesser vehicle. It is dominant in India, Tibet, Japan, Nepal, Taiwan, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Siddhartha Guatama was born in Kapilivastu. His father was the ruler of the small kingdom near the Indian/Nepal border. As a child, his future was foretold by sages. They believed that he would someday be a fellow sage or leader of a great empire. He led a very pampered and sheltered life until the age of twenty-nine. It was at that time that he realized that he had led an empty life. He renounced his wealth and embarked on a journey to seek truth, enlightenment, and ...
... responsibility for his actions. Throughout time men who have entered the courthouses scattering the United States, like the colorful leaves scattered across peoples' yards during autumn, have pleaded innocence - blaming parents and their unjust upbringing. They scream to the jury that it really wasn't their fault, but the fault of their parents because if they had a perfect childhood then they wouldn't have committed the crime. It is true that the values that children develop in their early years are important in influencing future decisions but how does this explain the many adults that climb above their horrible childhood and become successful happy individuals ...
... He chose Simon, James, John, Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Thaddaeus, Simon and Judas. They all came from different backgrounds. Judas was the apostle who betrayed Jesus. It was time for the last supper. Jesus sat down with his disciples at the table to share the bread and wine. Jesus went to pray in Gethsemane with his disciples when Judas arrived with an armed crowd sent by the chief priests. They arrested him. Jesus was brought to Pilate and he sentenced him to death. Then he was crucified. When he died, a man named Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus and he replied yes. Joseph took the body down wrapped him in linen ...
... their entire life learning how to control others so as to increase their personal wealth. They had been consumed by their lust for greed and power. When Jesus Christ came proclaiming the word of God, he was branded a fool by these so called "wise men." Throughout his life, these people attempted to discredit all of his work and teachings. Eventually, he was taken by these rulers and crucified for his so called crimes. "To the world the wisdom of God is folly and weakness, but to those who are being saved, Christ crucified is the power and wisdom of God. (Matera, 94)" When Jesus was crucified, Paul discovered the paradoxical intentions of God. God intended ...
