Weblog Inquiry 8

My interest in finding a religion that suites me or even becoming more spiritual has changed. In the beginning of my research I thought that maybe the only reason I was not religious was because I was ignorant to the meaning of religion. I thought there had to be a lot of extremely important and convincing evidence out there that I knew nothing about. I actually expected after looking up a few religions I would be inspired to become more spiritual myself.

My spirituality did not change which is the opposite of what I thought would happen. My experience has made me realize I do not need to be religious to be happy or find meaning in life. I was not religious before but it bothered me that I wasn’t. After my research I am still not religious but I am now comfortable with it. Now I actually have my own reasons why I don’t want to be religious. I think religion is just a safety net for most people. It is one way of finding meaning and purpose in life though.

Teachings of religions are not proven facts, they are faith based. If it wasn’t for the faithful believers all the stories would disappear. Science has proven facts that will never disappear. It’s amazing that believers still stand by their religious faiths. Although it does hold more promise for the future then scientific facts. I personally do not want to believe in anything that does not make sense to me. I want to think for myself and live with my own decisions.

My interest in religion has changed. I was once looking for a religion that suites me because I was afraid of the consequences after death. Now I only have a curiosity about religion. I think that if you know at least a little about someone’s religion, it helps you understand them more. It may explain some of their actions and views in life. I now longer want to become part of a religion. I do not think a structured religious belief is for me. Religion is great for those who need it and can benefit from its services.

I can not put my blind faith in something just to feel secure in life. I am not happy not being a part of any particular belief. I do not feel guilty for feeling this way anymore. I have justified my reasons with myself. I’m just glad I’m alive for whatever reason, and I’ll do my best while I’m here.

Weblog Inquiry 7

Scientology seems to be the new Hollywood craze. Almost everyone in the world knows that Tom Cruise is a Scientologist. Along with Tom Cruise is Kristie Alley, John Travolta and Patrick Swayze to name a few. He promotes it every chance he gets. I saw the video he did, when he talked about Scientology. To be perfectly honest, it made no sense and he looked and sounded absolutely crazy. This religions popularity has me a little curious. I have asked several friends and co-workers what they knew about it. For the most part, no one new much about it except that Tom Cruise was a fanatic and that it was all started by a book that a man wrote. In my search to find out more about Scientology I read an article by William Sims Bainbridge and Rodney Stark titled: “Scientology: To Be Perfectly Clear”.

Before I read this article I assumed “To Be Perfectly Clear” meant this would be a perfectly clear explanation of Scientology. It did give me a basic knowledge of the religion but, I the title had a totally different meaning. The religion was started by a man named L. Ron Hubbard. This article also refers to Scientology as a cult, based on psychotherapy. Hubbard offers his members a state of high mental development known as, clear. Clears are supposed to be mentally more advanced then normal people. Preclears are members that are working their way up to their goal of being clear. Here is a list of some interesting quotes from Hubbard that defines what a clear is: “Clears do not get colds”, “A clear…has complete recall of everything which has ever happened to him or anything he has ever studied. He does mental computations, such as those of chess, for example, which a normal would do in half an hour, in ten of fifteen seconds” and “The dianetic clear is to a current normal individual as the current normal is to a severely insane”.

What really shocked me were the prices for services of this religion. The article states in 1979, the Los Angeles Org was charging very large amounts of money for various services. Such as a course name Solo Audit for $1,777.84 and a package deal including 50 hours of New Era Dianetics cost $12,603.61. These are just 2 examples of many ridiculously priced services. It seems that you must really have a lot of money to become a clear. I agree with the authors of this article when they explain that after you become a clear, you have invested a lot of time and money. After making a commitment like this, it would be embarrassing to admit it did not work as well as expected. This status of clear, does not meant anything, anywhere else except the Church of Scientology. This would make it more beneficial to stick with it.

There are some people that really do benefit from Scientology. From what I have read about it, it is just different approaches of intense counseling. For the amount of money you pay, you could just go to a good psychologist. Although when you go to a psychologist they will not give you a status such as clear. Clear is an achievement. If that is what some people need to feel better, then I see no harm in it. There is one thing about Scientology that I do like and find unique. Most people who are Scientologist join out of interest. They don’t join because of a disaster or devastation in their lives. No one came to their door or approached them on the street preaching about it. Majority of Scientologist just found it interesting and looked further into it. I have not read the popular book by L. Ron Hubbard. Maybe the book would change my perspective. As of now with the research I have done, this religion or cult seems to be a good scam with little validity, to get large amounts of your money.

Weblog Inquiry 6

I never had a real interest in Jehovah’s Witnesses. To me they were just a nuisance, always coming to your door and bothering you. My brother married a girl that is a Jehovah’s Witness. I did not thing this was a big deal, I actually found it humorous because my brother is very anti-religion. Now that I have done a little research on the religion it actually scares me to be honest. They just had a baby. My niece is the first baby of the family and I would hate to think that her mother would ever deny her medical treatments in the future because of her religious beliefs. That would just cause a lot of problems between our families. I do not think she is too much involved with her church anymore, and I hope it stays that way.

I have thought on several occasions that many religious groups seem to have cult qualities. I feel the same way about this religion. The article I read was written by Carolyn R. Wah. She has been a Witness for 20 years and is Associate General Counsel for the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. The name of this article is “An introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah’s Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower”. The Watch Tower Society is a non profit organization that is the main legal organization used by Jehovah’s. It also holds copyrights to literature published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Jehovah’s are known world wide for their door to door preaching. They are also known for their political neutrality and refusal to participate in any political or military conflict. They also refuse to salute the flag of any of the 235 lands in which they live and worship. They are also known for their legal battles for religious freedom. Which seems funny to me that they demand their right to religious freedom but, refuse to serve or respect the governments that protect that right.

There is a lack of research on the Witnesses. One might expect them to be in text books about American religious history or Sociology of religion, but they are rarely mentioned. The only real research that can be done on the Witnesses is through their own library. They publish two magazines named “The Watchtower” and “Awake”. The magazines are publishes twice a month and there are copies of every last one of them since 1930 kept at the Watch Tower headquarters, in New York. These are also available at several branches.

Witnesses are made up of all races, cultures and language groups. Their churches are call Kingdom Halls. They are open to the public, like any other church. One way Witnesses justify their charges by law is because of something Jesus said on earth. According to the Bible Jesus indicated that those who follow him would be objects of persecution and on occasion, be taken to court as a witness. The reason behind the name of the religion is they believe Jehovah is God’s personal name. The article claims as a Jehovah’s Witness, they have the responsibility to lead clean moral lives, obey the law, be good neighbors to all, preach about the coming Kingdom and worship regularly with other Witnesses. These are all admirable things but they are better known for what they do not do. For instance they do not celebrate holidays, birthdays, do not accept blood transfusions, participate in patriotic ceremonies, or serve in the armed forces.

On the inside cover of these 32 page magazines called the Watchtower, it explains its purpose. It reads as follows “The purpose of the Watchtower is to exalt Jehovah God as Sovereign Lord of the universe. It keeps watch on world events as these fulfill Bible prophecy. It comforts all people with the good news that God’s Kingdom will soon destroy those who oppress their fellowmen and that it will turn the earth into a paradise. It encourages faith in God’s now reigning king, Jesus Christ, whose shed blood opens the way for mankind to gain eternal life. The Watchtower published by Jehovah’s Witnesses continuously since 1879, is non political. It adheres to the Bible as it’s authority.” The magazine is available in 144 different languages. The author of this article claims there are good reasons to trust this magazine. One reason is they report bad news as well as good news and their statistics stand up solidly when compared to outside statistics.

I do not believe this is a bad or evil group to belong to. Like other religions they are based on being good and kind in general. I can understand why they do the things they do because of their strong beliefs. I realize that there are extremist of the religion that make it seem a little crazy. I do think some of their decisions do hurt other people. My personal opinion is that it is unfair to loved ones not involved in the religion. I especially disagree with their respect for governments that protect their rights to worship as they wish. They seem a little brain washed to me. So far in my journey to learn more about different religions, to be more educated to make an informed decision. I have only found myself more unwilling then before to become a part of any of these religious organizations.

Weblog Inquiry 5

This past weekend I went to Florida with a married couple I am friends with. It was Easter weekend. They are Catholic and I was informed that I was attending Easter Mass with them. I thought no problem, a little church in my life can never hurt and it might help me with my English paper. The ceremony was three hours long. Some of it was done in Latin. I know that is the traditional language but, it makes no sense to me why you would speak a language no one understands. I would also like to know why it is necessary to sing everything they say. I found it annoying and it just made the ceremony longer.

There are several reasons why the Catholic religion interests me. One reason is my mother was raised Catholic. I have never seen her go to a Catholic Church a day in my life, but when she was a child she was forced to go. She told me that she went to Catholic school until she was in the first grade. Then the school started charging tuition, so my grandmother put all 7 of her children in public school. My mom has told me stories of how I was a sick baby when I was first born. A Catholic Priest baptized me in the hospital and I made a recovery after that. I was re-baptized by my own choice at the age of 13 at a Bible Baptist Church that I attended.

I read an article written by Debra Campbell. She is a professor of Religious Studies with a B.A. in Religion and a Ph.D. in American Church History. She is also a devote Catholic. The article was titled “Flannery O’Connor Is Not John Updike”. The article began telling about the history of Catholics in America and how they gained “all-American” status after the WWII. The political victory of JFK, who was also a Catholic had a positive reaction to the religion. There are claims in this article that Catholics view God as someone who is more involved in the everyday life of individuals and is constantly revealed. God is involved in marriages, family and churches. The comparison was to Protestants who view God as distant and does not interfere in the struggles of people on an individual basis.

I find it hard to summarize a religion with such an immense history. One thing I do think is wonderful is that they give martial counseling. I don’t agree with confessional. Your sins are between you and God, not some man to determine how many Hail Mary’s will make you right with God again. The religion is fascinating but does not suite me. I personally think I may be too attached to thinking for myself. If it doesn’t make sense to me then I’m not going to do it. I can not conform to a bunch of rules that I think are silly.

Weblog Inquiry 4

Before reading this article “The Myth, Is there religious liberty in America?” by Kevin J. “Seamus” Hasson. I took a quick look at the authors credibility to be writing an article on this subject. I found that Kevin Hasson is the Founder and President of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. It’s a law firm that represents people of all religious faiths. It protects the human right to freedom of religion with out fear of being discriminated against. Kevin was an attorney that focused on religious lawsuits. In the eighties he served as a legal counsel at the Justice Department where he advised the White House and the Cabinet Departments on church-state relations.

Kevin describes how there has never been religious liberty in America and there will never be religious peace because there will always be competition. Religious liberty is not the solution to religious competition. It is in our nature to want to the find the truth and goodness. When we think we found it, we want to spread it.Even in the beginning when the pilgrims came to America to have religious freedoms didn’t practice whatthey came here for. The Puritans banned Quakers from their city. The Pilgrims banned the celebration ofChristmas. The Puritans were hanging Quaker preachers. Rhode Island barred Jews from voting. It took nearly a hundred years until a Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom came about. “Freedom to embrace, toprofess and to observe the religion which we believe to be of divine origin” Madison said. This means even people that disagree must have the same freedom to follow their consciences as we do. This is a Natural Right. Jefferson knew that legislators would find a way around this so he wrote if any future legislation is “to repeal…or narrow” it would “be an infringement of natural right” So he knowing he can not make anyone respect natural rights, so he tried to shame them into it. It was written into the Bill of Rights but the states had there own laws. They did not get rid of religious tests for public office. This left states free to persecute as they wished. For example Vermont required all that held public office had to be protestant. It was wrote in their constitution. Many other states had similar provisions, excluding minority faiths.

Weblog Inquiry 3

Collins is a Christian and a Scientist. His argument is that you can do both because they are compatible.  Collins suggests that God could have activated evolution with full knowledge of how everything would turn out. God gave us free will to worship and believe what we want along with the ability to figure out how he constructed his great plan. Collins supports that science proves there are 6 or more characteristics of out universe and if any of those had varied at all, it would have made life impossible. This is evidence to him that there was a designer that planned it this way. Collins has no problem agreeing with science of the natural world and that there may be answers that science is not able to provide. He stresses that he is still interested in the whys. He not only finds his answers scientifically but also spiritually and he claims this has no effects on his ability to think as a scientist.Dawkins is a Scientist with no religious beliefs and he believes this makes him a more efficient scientist then someone who has religious beliefs. He does not believe that someone with a religious faith could an effective scientist. One of his ideas that support this idea is the belief in miracles. He argues that if you believe in miracles then you will find yourself losing you skepticism and your scientific credibility. Science is all about finding and discovering the unknown and presenting evidence about how nothing is a miracle, it all comes from natural science.  He touches on the subject of God creating evolution. He asks why would God wait 4 billion years for humans to evolve and start worshipping and sinning. He also points out that the 6 constants have not yet been explained by science yet. If and when science does prove this, it will rule out divine intervention all together. Dawkins final thought is that God is not a good explanation of how things work, it’s just an easy way out. Reading this article of the dialogue between these to very intelligent scientist was very informative. I can agree with them both in most areas. I don’t agree that you will not be a good scientist if you are religious but I can see why Dawkins would believe that. That is why I think it is important to have scientists from both sides. I don’t know if I would agree that the bible goes along with the Big Bang Theory as Collins suggests. I never knew about the 6 constants that had to all be perfectly the way they were for life to exist. That does make me want to believe that there had to be divine intervention but, on the other hand who is to say they were free to vary. I do not think this is an argument that there will ever be a certain winner.

Essay 1

The Dictionary definition of Religion is the belief in the existence of a superhuman controlling power, especially of God or gods, usually expressed in worship. There are so many religions. How do you choose the right one for yourself? Does it really matter? Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, just to name a few. These are the ones that come to my mind first and most frequently.

I remember my step dad’s parents were Mormon. My grandma was always storing canned goods and talking about being prepared. I can’t say for sure what the Mormon religion is about but, I would like to know. If’ my grandparents were still alive I would ask them. All that I do know are things I have been told by non-Mormons. I have heard they store food and water away because they believe when the world ends they will hide underground with their supplies and come up when it’s safe and restart the population. I also heard that they are not allowed to drink caffeine but they own the Pepsi company. Like I said I can not be sure of any of this. That is the reason for my search.

My sister in law is a Jehovah’s Witness and so was a childhood friend of mine. I have not talked to either one of them much about their religion but I have had many on my door step willing to inform me and the most inconvenient times. I have read that the do not believe in blood transfusions or organ transplants. I have also heard that their rules for the types of things they can and can’t do come from a group of people called the Watch Tower.

The Jewish religion is a pretty big mystery to me. I know very little about Hanukkah and I learned a great deal about the Holocaust in school and the museum in Washington D.C. This is all I really know about the religion. I have the impression it is something you are born into and not something you choose to be, but I could be wrong, because I have done no research into this.

Buddhism seems very interesting to me personally. From what little I know about it, it seems to stand for peace, health and love. I can look up to anyone that has no desires for worldly possessions and still be happy. I know about Gandhi and the amazing things he did and I would like to learn about the things that drove him to be the man he was.

The Catholic religion is one of the largest and oldest of religious groups to my understanding. I know it has a long history and many old traditions, which make it trustworthy. I have never even seen or met a real Nun. I only know what the ones in Hollywood look like. Their devotion fascinates me.

The only religious background I have is some Bible Baptist Church when I was young. I think one reason I am interested in learning about these religions is because I was never exposed to them. I am also puzzled at why people choose the religion they choose when there are so many to choose from. I have the freedom to choose and religion I want or no religion at all. I don’t know how to make an educated decision though. Do certain religious groups target certain types of people? What if I never fully agree with one religion. What does that mean? I have no desire to belong to one particular religious group at this point. I am not an atheist, I just can’t seem to find what I’m looking for. I can’t find that comfort zone.

Weblog Inquiry 2

I believe the government is corrupt.

I believe God is a different meaning for everyone.

Do your religious beliefs effect those around you?

What does it take to change someones beliefs?

Is religion just a crutch for people who need a reason not to be evil or just the fear of death?

They say your religious convictions are a personal decision for you alone. I have mixed feelings about that. One reason I would agree is that I wouldn’t want anyone to tell me what I should and shouldn’t believe in. I also think that no matter what your beliefs are, as long as they motivate you through another day and inspire you to be a good person, that is all that matters. The other reason I would disagree is because of a personal experience I am having. My sister in law is a Jehovahs Witness. Sweet girl and her religion has never been an issue. I don’t really care what her personal beliefs are, they don’t effect me, until now. Her and my brother are pregnant. I am going to be an Aunt in 2 months and I’m very excited. I don’t care that they don’t celebrate birthdays or holidays. Recently I have been talking to people about Jehovah’s Witnesses blood beliefs. I have learned that they refuse to take in blood as a medical treatment. For example blood transfusions or organs. They also refuse this treatment for their children. This is the part that bothers me. I am worried that if something happens to my new niece and she needs this type of treatment that our families will go to war. First of all, I really don’t want to deal with the drama. Second, I think it’s horrible that you could let your child die because of a belief. You should most defianetly put your child, your own flesh and blood, before your religion.  I understand religion is a powerfull thing. There are wars fought over religions. For something that is supposed to teach you morals and kindness, it sure does create alot of catastrophe. Maybe I am talking out of ignorance because I don’t know a lot about the seperate religions but, as an outsider looking in with no strong convitions of my own, it seems chaotic. I have always been on the search to beleive in something that means alot to me, but I have a hard time justifying any of these millions of different beliefs. I almost want no part of it, because I don’t want ot believe in something blindly and sound like a fool the way I think many people sound whne they believe in these things that make no logical sense to me.

Weblog Inquiry 1

I believe that people lives are much more precious, than they are treated.

I believe that society is controlled by the media.

I believe that the government is corrupt beyond return.

I believe justice is best served as vengence.

I believe knowledge is unlimited.

I believe science si an excuse for the unexplained.

I believe reality is confusing like a dream that feels real. Reality is different for everyone.

I believe life is a journey that is too short.

I believe happiness is ignorance.

I believe goodness is as simple as cookies or a warm smile.

I believe death is the scariest part of life.

I believe that God is whatever gives you the strength to keep going when it’s tough and the will to be kind.

My View:

I believe society is controlled by the media. We believe everything that is fed to us through the television, newspapers and radio. Does anyone stop to think for themselves anymore? I guess we don’t have to when we let the media do the thinking for us. It gives us opinions and so called “research”. I will admit I am guilty of it too. The first and biggest  thing that comes to mind is September 11th. We all know that terrorists hijacked planes and flew them into the world trade centers, becuase we saw it on TV. Not many questioned it. We all automatically believed everything the news was reporting to us. We believed a man living in a cave countries away named Osama Bin Laden planned it all. I know I ate it up. I was upset. It got the whole nation upset. We stood together to support a war on terrorism. How do we as individuals even know there were terrorists, because FOX News told us. Didn’t your mother tell you not to believe everything you see on TV? If we are all so sure that we are fighting a war on terrorism, then why does it seem like a fight for oil? Why are we ignoring that fact? The point is, challenge the media, ask questions and do your own research. Their are many other journalists that aren’t a part of the mass media. I ask myself why are there no pieces of the airplanes at the site of the world trade centers? Why didn’t the military react immediately when, I know for a fact that jets at Langely Air Force Base have the ability to to get to N.Y. in minutes. I feel so foolish now that I too, allowed the media to create opinions and emotions for me.

The media also seems so negatively focused. When I watch the news I hear many stories of murder and robbery. Rarely do I ever hear of a story about all the good the goes on in society. I know it happens, I just wish someone would talk about it. I think it’s pretty sad that i know much more about crime in the Hampton Roads area, then non-profit organizations. How many people have been helped out of poverty by the salvation army? Or some accounts of soup kitchens changing peoples lives for the better. I feel cheated by the media and I wish more people would think for themselves. Be careful, the media will form opinions and make decision for you, with out you even realizing it.

Opposing View:

I believe that media has little to do with society. Journalism is used to inform society of what is going on all around the world that you would not normally have knowledge about. It is a public service of truth seekers. It is people using thier Freedom of Press right. No one forces you to believe anything you see or hear. Also keep in mind that media is a form of entertainment, if it wasn’t it wouldn’t make any money and there would be no funds to support it. Media is powerless and no one in thier right mind takes it serious. Violence and sex sells more then kittens stuck in trees and firemen saving them. Give them a break, the kitten story is played out and boring.

Is it important to believe in life after death?

     Is religion just a comforting feeling for those who are scared that there might be no reason to do good deeds. That what you did on earth might never be analized. That maybe after this life no one really cares what kind of person you were. Is religion just a crutch for these insecure people. Does it really matter what religion you are or what you believe in as long as you are contributing to the good of man kind? I really don’t know. I know that when I was younger I really threw myself into religion to help myself cope with hard times and then there was a time that I was totally against it. I have always been bothered by the fact that some people just throw themselves blindly into a church and beleive anything that is told to them just so they can feel a part of a group and that they need this feeling of belonging to do what they think is right. Or what other people made them think was right. I think it okay to feel strongly about something but, I don’t think it’s okay to force it on people who are no interested. I would like to discover religion on my own terms, not from a “religious salesman”. That’s what I like to call these pushy people.

     When I was young I went to a Bible Baptist Church. My preacher was very old fashioned. He thought women should be in dresses, raising the children and that men should be clean shaven and to provide and be the spokes person for the family. Considering I was raised in a single parant home, by my mother and I am a very independent myself, I found my self disagreeing all the time. There were a lot of good things being taught in church but there were many I didn’t like either. I also never like the idea that everyone seemed to act so different and fake at church. They put on this smiley face and soft voice that was irritating to me. The strict standards my church taught just seemed to make everyone liars because they did what they wanted to and then denied it on sunday. Then again the church preached that Jesus accepted and loved eveyone the same, even our town drunk. This sent me a mixed message.

      One religion that made a negative impression on me was Jehovah Witnesses. These were the people that would come to your front door and argue with you for hours. It seemed almost like they forced you to be mean with them because if you weren’t they found force their relgion on you untill you couldn’t handle it anymore or you gave in. My parents taught me at a young age that if they come to the door then tunr off all the appliances, hide and pretend you are not home until they leave. When I got a little older one of my friends from school was a jehovah witness. I always remember that she couldn’t celebrate any holidays with us. If it was her birthday we would all sneak her presents to but it all had to be food or something that she did’nt have to bring home, so that her parents wouldn’t know. This always seemed bizarre to me.

     In my early twenties I started reading several different spiritual books. I have explored that a little but I’m still not really on board with that either. I haven’t been back to church since I was a teenager and I have no desire to. I do pray to God on occasion. I just try to live the best way I know how, to have fun, be happy and live an honest life. This seems to be enough for me right now, but I would still love to research other religions. I am going to try to discover what different people believe and practice and do a comparitive religious study. This paper might suffice my curiousities or it just might get me more confused. You never know, but I’m gonna give it a shot.