Masters in Religious Philosphy lesson 9

Religious Philosophy Course Lesson Answers from the Universal Life Church

I believe the stories, myth, legend, historical, etc.. all started as oral traditions. The ones  who told had to be the story tellers of the day, so there had to develop stories to get people to listen and remember them. 

As far as timelines, as with the Noah's Ark story, I really don't think when it happened or what the entity was called that made it happen, I know God was the one who made it happen. The only problem I have with the story is the when people try to break it down and try to rationalize it. As in how much food, cleaning up after them, living conditions on the Ark. I think when that it's done the most important part is forgotten, IN GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! I guess my point is listen to the stories for their meanings and don't try to pick them apart to make them rational, I don't believe that is what having faith is about.

Again, no matter what category a story fits into, when it happened, we have to look at the story for the meaning.

Rick Robbins +

Father, Give me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change those I can, and the wisdom to know the difference

Religious Philosophy Lesson 20 Food for Thought

MY VIEW: MASTER OF RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY LESSON 20

                                                    

Food for Thought

Universal Life Church

·       

What does "dominion" mean to you? Does it entitle you to kill anything you want? For food? For sport? What about non-living natural resources? Does dominion give you the right to take whatever you want or need, and not worry about the long term impact?

Answer: "DOMINION" to me meant having the spirit of excellence and diligence in anything I find myself doing or to do. It does not entitle me or anybody to kill anything/anybody you want, for food nor for sport; No dominion does not give me the right to take whatever I want or need, and not worry about the long term impact but dominion has given me power to do all good things according through Him (Christ) that strength me.

 

·        The Chinese invented paper, gun powder, wine, and numerous other things that we now take for granted. And yet, it was the West that developed the "scientific method", and the West that created the entire "field" of science. Since China was clearly capable of brilliant individual inventions, why do you suppose the organic development of science happened in the West rather than in China?

Answer:  why I suppose the organic development of science happened in the West rather than in China is still because of lack of consciousness excellence and diligence to God given vision/gift.

I mean that God may has given Chine the spirit of excellence in the field of science they saw the vision; they implemented the calling but failed to be diligent to the vision that resulted to the West picking the vision and run diligently with it. Once anybody is satisfied at ones level it becomes difficult to grow above the level. China did not excel (show dominion) as supposed because they initially lack the consciousness of using their God given dominion in the field of science. However they are now bouncing back.

 

 

 

Thanks,

Yours in Him,

Ikpenwa, Chizoba Gabriel

ULC

Re: Religious Theology Lesson 19

I don't believe that the mixing of the customs of different religions by the Cao Dai weakens or dilutes their religion. Personally I think this proof to me that all of the gods of the different religions are actually the one true God.

The Ainu, although they are traditionally animist,  from what I understand is one of the closest to Jesus's commandment that most, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I guess if you believe there are spirits all around you you may have a tendency to be more appreciative of everything and everybody.



Rick Robbins +

Father, Give me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change those I can, and the wisdom to know the difference

Religious Philosophy Lesson 19

MY VIEW: MASTER OF RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY LESSON 19

                                                     Food for Thought

• Cao Dai is the eclectic Vietnamese faith that has shamelessly "borrowed" from other faiths in an attempt to create a faith that is universally unifying. Do you think that selecting rituals from multiple faiths and then merging them together provides a stronger faith than those from which you borrow? Or, do you believe that this dilutes and diminishes the value of the original faith?

Answer: I think that selecting rituals from multiple faiths and then merging them together do not provide a stronger faith than those from which the idea is borrow rather it makes the new idea a fake, counterfeit and imitation.

• The Ainu are so socially attuned that they greet strangers with irankarapte, meaning "let me softly touch your heart". What do you think of this? Are they a sensitive, caring, socially tolerant people? Or, do you think that this is insincere and phony? If it is legitimate, why do you suppose that the dominant Japanese culture has treated them so poorly (the official government position is that they are "noble savages")?

Answer:  For the dominant Japanese culture to have treated them so poorly (the official government position being that they are "noble savages" or brutal people is a danger signal. There wouldn't be any smoke without fire. There I will believe that their irankarapte attitude is insincere and phony.

Though judgments should not be passed without hearing from both sides; who knows if at first they struggled for some things with the dominant Japanese (like lands and positions of headship or leadership and the dominant Japanese won) and now the dominant Japanese treats them so poorly with their culture. The dominant can overcame the minority group and push them to the corner where they may either be morning and calling on their God silently. If such is the case one would say that their irankarapte attitude is justified, sensitive, caring, and shows they are socially tolerant people to have even tolerated the now dominant Japanese who treated them so poorly with their culture.

Let's not forget (the people you harbor can at times turn against you and overpower you).

 

 

Thanks,

Yours in Him,

Ikpenwa, Chizoba Gabriel

Universal Life Church

Religious Philosophy Course Lesson 21

MY VIEW: MASTER OF RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY LESSON 21

                                                     Food for Thought

• Critics, and some academics, have sometimes maintained that it is this focus on the internal self that has prevented societies where these religions are predominant that has resulted in their lack of material gain and progress. They accept the notion that it is this psychological focus that has removed any emphasis on scientific, educational, or economic advances. What are your thoughts? Do you think that emphasizing the "inner you" that that necessarily precludes social or scientific advances?

Answer: I don't go in line with the Critics, and some academics. Though these people may have been affected negatively due to this psychological focus; the whole issue boils back to how the mentors handled the issue of psychological training. Why? Because every human has a lot of wealth embedded within from creation.  Looking within and believing in oneself enables one to maximally utilize the God given potentials. And such can be taught via psychological focus.

 

• If, as we saw earlier in the course, that it is true that religions have tended to focus on one of Russell's 'three great problems' at the expense of the other two, which of these problems seems to you to be the "most important"? Ignoring for the moment the specific religions this indirectly indicates, do you believe the world would be better off if it adopted the views of the Western Ecclesiastical religions (i.e. the natural problem), the Eastern Ecclesiastical religions (i.e. the social problem), or the Southern Ecclesiastical religions (i.e. the psychological problem)? Why?

Answer:  The "most important" is the one that handles the psychological problem because if a man thinks aright, he will most likely behave aright towards everything on earth. The problem with the Southern Ecclesiastical religions is just what I have mentioned above- "how the mentors handled the issue of psychological training. Why? Because every human has a lot of wealth embedded within from creation.  Looking within and believing in oneself enables one to maximally explore and utilize the God given potentials. And such can be taught via psychological focus"

 

 

Thanks,

Yours in Him,

Ikpenwa, Chizoba Gabriel

Universal Life Church

Religious Philosophy lesson 20

Religious Philosophy Course

 
I believe that dominion over animals and plants does give us the right to use them for what ever needs we have. I don't believe it gives us the right to use it to the point it causes a problem in the environment. The problems, so I believe, of environmental  impact comes from being greedy, or not using the resources appropriately. Being wasteful also takes a toll on the environment.

The second question about the invention of a item in one area, changing purposes when it goes to another. Lets say Amy were to invent an item, say hair. She may use it to stuff pillows or mattresses, if you give it to me I will glue it to my head. It is just a matter of what the need of the item is and how it can be changed to meet another need.

Rick Robbins +
Universal Life Church

Father, Give me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change those I can, and the wisdom to know the difference

Re: Religious Philosophy Lesson 5

Religious Philosophy Course
1. I feel that in earlier times the values of the parent could be passed on to a child. I believe this was because most of the parents back in the times when I was a child (I am 56), were basically the same, and in most homes the parent was ever a presence. But as time passed values changed, and what people find important now has changed so the parents values are not as important. There was not the amount of social networking as there is now, not referring just to the computer, but to cell phones, television, music, and such that influences children now.Peer pressure is also a major factor that is important in what a child finds important. Now that in a lot of homes both parents have careers and do less child rearing this leaves a child vulnerable to join with peers to find values. So, I believe in some homes the presence of religion is still present and passed on, but not to the extent it use to be.

2. I do believe that chemistry in the brain has something to do with the way people feel. I don't  believe however the God gene theory. There may be a a release of serotonin when a person is worshiping and feels calm due to them being assured that there is a God, but does that mean there is a Budda gene, a Alla gene,.... I am sure these people feel the same way when they worship.

Rick Robbins +