Religion

All religions essentially try to answer the big questions about life. How does one go bout living a meaningful life? What is the nature of the universe? Is there life after death? Is there a spirit...

For the individual, one of the main positive effects of religion is a sense of purpose, meaning, and justice in life. This often takes the form of belief in an afterlife, in which all the wrongs...

A psalm of praise seeks to offer praise specifically to God. An example of this type of psalm is Psalm 145. Part of those verses read as follows: Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his...

Presbyterians and Baptists both belong to Protestant Christianity, which traces its origins to the 16th century when reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin began to preach against the...

Since the dawn of humanity, people have sought a connection with forces greater than their own. The mysteries and power of the natural world and the wonder of life making more of itself engendered...

Nimrod the hunter is killed by his bitter rival Esau, who is himself a renowned hunter. Both Nimrod and Esau are so utterly consumed by jealousy towards one another that it's just a matter of time...

There are various ways a person may have their dignity taken away from them. One way may occur with declining health. As people age or become sick, they may not be able to do things that we take...

Religions promote social change by guiding their followers to share or "live" their views. By encouraging the outward expression of religious views, the views become a vehicle for social change....

Great question! Actually, the Christian (primarily Catholic) tradition of celebrating the Eucharist developed out of Passover traditions. Jesus of Nazareth was raised in a Jewish society and even...

Moses's story begins with the setting being explained in the first chapter of Exodus - the pharaoh's orders that "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall...

The significance of Jesus's presentation at the Temple is that, for the first time, he is recognized as the Messiah. The man who recognizes him, Simeon, is a devout Jew who has for many years been...

Quite simply, the last supper "sends us" the Eucharist. This is the Sacrament that Roman Catholics celebrate daily (and by obligation on Sundays), the sacrament that transforms simple bread and...

Like many Protestant or Protestant-derived denominations, the Seventh Day Adventists stick closely to the words of Biblical scripture, but they also try to capture the spirit of the Bible and live...

Among the main themes in the book of Genesis in the Bible are the conflict between good and evil, frequent difficulty in staying on the right path to remain good, and the importance of family, even...

Ultimately religion and culture are inseparable in many ways. For thousands of years, various societies have had some form of religion at the center of their cultural beliefs and practices....

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are what are termed "Abrahamic religions" because they all share scriptural texts. The Jewish "Old Testament," God, and figures such as Moses and Abraham are shared...

Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism all emerged in China during the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), a time of feudalism when today's China existed as seven different states that were often in...

Being God-centered means putting God first and allowing all activity in life to flow from the premise that God's priorities are the priorities of the individual. The opposite of being God-centered...

Taoism or Daoism is a religion that originated in China in approximately the fourth century BC. It is polytheistic with many deities and ritual practices. There are several different forms of...

Both Abraham and Moses have life-changing encounters with God. They react to these experiences with faith and perseverance, placing their future and that of their family in the hands of the God...

Oh my, I'm afraid if you are looking for a physical place, you are going to be disappointed. In the general Christian tradition at least, Heaven has everything to do with faith and nothing to do...

In Exodus 12, God commands the Israelites to keep the first Passover in preparation for the final plague (the death of firstborn males) and the Exodus from Egypt. As part of the Passover...

Although the Bible mentions a number of wealthy individuals, the richest person by far was King Solomon. His reign is described in the first half of the book of I Kings in the Old Testament....

They are all hard to obey. However, I would say that “do not covet” is the most difficult, especially in this day and age. The internet, from social media platforms to sneaky ads, makes it very...

Different people will answer this question in different ways because it is a rather personal question. For many people, particularly in the United States, the answer would have to do with...

The Book of Joshua exists in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible and, as the name suggests, focuses on Joshua. Following the death of Moses, God tasks Joshua with leading the Israelites into...

If everyone took revenge, there would be no one left. Consider the person who loses his house to bank foreclosure. You've heard the tale. He goes on a shooting spree and destroys the bank, or...

There are two approaches to the act of forgiveness: one is the religious, and another is the psychological approach. With both approaches, there is a certain release that is obtained through...

I think the third question is interesting to ponder. I believe that if we have no religion, other ideologies will take the place of religion. We can look historically at states that have tried to...

There are two different Islamic days of observance that begin with "Eid." The first is Eid al-Fitr. The second is Eid al-Adha. These are two very different holy days for Muslims and neither bears...

I think that when Islam is exported from its roots, to other countries in which the prevailing culture is not Islamic, some assimilation is typical, but not necessarily inevitable. To some degree,...

Many scholars have attempted to provide comprehensive yet concise descriptions of what is common to all religions. I think that Huston Smith, a Doctor of Religious Studies, has best summarized the...

In the Book of Genesis, Joseph has eleven brothers: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, and Benjamin. He also has one sister, Dinah. Joseph and all of his...

Hinduism and Buddhism are known as Dharmic religions. Dharma is defined as the sum of all moral responsibilities and duties that adherents are expected to perform. Closely tied to the concept of...

In the Catholic Church, as well as in other Western forms of Christianity, the sanctuary refers to the area immediately around the altar. It is considered to be a place of the utmost divinity where...

In Hinduism, the heavenly triumvirate consists of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Collectively, they are the Trimurti. Each of the three gods is also known by their individual disposition or guna. For...

Christianity is an umbrella term used to refer to all Christian denominations. The Catholic Church is one of the churches under the term Christianity. There are other Protestant churches....

The movie was touching in all its horror and gruesomeness. I admit that I have had a difficult time trying to watch it repeatedly. I cannot bear to see the pain and ultimate death by Crucifixion....

Confucianism is concerned with stability in society, as well as proper respect given to every individual. To that end, they believe one of the ways in which to properly respect someone is to give...

The word "monotheism" is made up of two parts, from the Greek. "Mono" is a form of "monos," which means "single, alone" and "theism," which is a form of "theos" meaning "a god." So, "monotheism"...

The religious practices found in Mecca before the rise of Islam were of the sort that would typically be considered pagan. There were three deities who were most central to the Arabic practices at...

Of course, Cain's original crime was one of the worst things a person can do. Not only did he kill someone, he killed someone that he was supposed to love. This is a terrible thing. But then he...

The book of Zephaniah in the bible consists of three chapters. The main message of the first chapter in the book of Zephaniah is the Day of the Lord. Zephaniah prophesied about the wrath of the...

This is also one of those many instances in The Bible where multiple translations and the passage of time could well have distorted the original intentions of the message. It also underscores the...

In a sense, both of these theologians are on the same side of the debates over faith and reason. In antiquity, there was a major controversy over whether secular learning was of any value to the...

Just because a question can be expressed does not make it a legitimate inquiry.

Judaism and Christianity differed markedly from Greco-Roman religious traditions. Judaism and Christianity were monotheistic, meaning they believed only one God ruled the universe. Greco-Roman...

Different scholars place the divisions between sections of the book of Exodus in slightly different places. However, the three general topics covered in the book can be separated in approximately...

The Stations of the Cross are representations of the path Jesus bore on his way to the crucifixion. They involve Jesus enduring suffering, insults, moments of support, and relay the intense...

I am not sure if you are looking for a specific answer from your textbook. Here is a general answer. I think that if ordinary people are unaware of the greatness of God, it is because they cannot...