Religion is something that has always interested me. This World Religions class taught me a great deal in relation to the different religions of the world. In this I Learned Paper, I will describe my religious upbringing and where I am at today in terms of my religious beliefs; I will also discuss a few key learnings that have made the biggest impact on me; and how I will apply these learnings to my life.
My family was not devoutly religious. In fact, we did not even attend church until I was in junior high when my father met and became good friends with a pastor of a non-denominational church. When the pastor left the church due to a conflict of beliefs between he and some of the congregation he was hired on at a church that was too far …show more content…
Like them, I believe we all have a responsibility to take care of the earth and I believe that just because someone is different from me does not make me better, we are all equal. Through the required text for this course, Living Religions, I learned about the indigenous peoples and through my own research I learned about the Druid and Wiccan religions. Earth based religions are not essentially monotheistic. They do, however, believe in a Supreme Being who is known by many names depending upon the culture. They also have a very close connection to nature, respect all living things, and “consider themselves caretakers of their mother, the earth” (Fisher and Rinehart 44-45). They have strong beliefs that hold the human body, the earth, animals, and plants in a sacred light (Pike). Two traditions that are essential in the earth based religions are honouring their ancestors and honouring the land (Orr 10). They also lack any form of written scripture, preferring to rely on stories that have been passed down from generation to generation. Living Religions states, “Such stories are important clues to understanding the universe and one’s place in it,” (Fisher and Rinehart …show more content…
Deep down most people just want to live their lives in peace and be respected for their beliefs. Through this course I have gained an interest and will continue to look further into the earth based religions as something I might like to apply to my personal life. I have gained a better understanding of the Muslim religion and now have facts to back up my arguments that not all Muslims should be persecuted for their religious beliefs, and I have gained the knowledge that religions have more similarities than differences contrary to what we have been taught to believe. We are all equal as human beings. All lives have meaning and purpose. If we could just learn to respect each other for our differences and allow everyone the right to their own beliefs and ways of life, the world would be better for
My family was not devoutly religious. In fact, we did not even attend church until I was in junior high when my father met and became good friends with a pastor of a non-denominational church. When the pastor left the church due to a conflict of beliefs between he and some of the congregation he was hired on at a church that was too far …show more content…
Like them, I believe we all have a responsibility to take care of the earth and I believe that just because someone is different from me does not make me better, we are all equal. Through the required text for this course, Living Religions, I learned about the indigenous peoples and through my own research I learned about the Druid and Wiccan religions. Earth based religions are not essentially monotheistic. They do, however, believe in a Supreme Being who is known by many names depending upon the culture. They also have a very close connection to nature, respect all living things, and “consider themselves caretakers of their mother, the earth” (Fisher and Rinehart 44-45). They have strong beliefs that hold the human body, the earth, animals, and plants in a sacred light (Pike). Two traditions that are essential in the earth based religions are honouring their ancestors and honouring the land (Orr 10). They also lack any form of written scripture, preferring to rely on stories that have been passed down from generation to generation. Living Religions states, “Such stories are important clues to understanding the universe and one’s place in it,” (Fisher and Rinehart …show more content…
Deep down most people just want to live their lives in peace and be respected for their beliefs. Through this course I have gained an interest and will continue to look further into the earth based religions as something I might like to apply to my personal life. I have gained a better understanding of the Muslim religion and now have facts to back up my arguments that not all Muslims should be persecuted for their religious beliefs, and I have gained the knowledge that religions have more similarities than differences contrary to what we have been taught to believe. We are all equal as human beings. All lives have meaning and purpose. If we could just learn to respect each other for our differences and allow everyone the right to their own beliefs and ways of life, the world would be better for