Lesson 13 ~ Religious Philosophy ~ Functionality & Nature

Religious Philosophy Studies

Lesson 13 ~ Religious Functionality ~ Religious Nature ~ Essay

Rev. Trent Murman, OSM, OSF

Which view best describes your personal relationship with nature — dominion, cooperation, or reverence? I personally feel we should respect nature the best ways we can after all He has given us this planet on a long term loan (if you will) hoping we will not purposefully destroy it through our foolishness.  Knowingly doing things to harm the planet he has loaned us would be gravely against His wishes.

How is this view played out in your everyday life? How does it (consciously or subconsciously) impact the way you live your life, earn a living, and function within society? Recycling mass produced products is a great way to help our planet out.  Whether it be at the office, at an eating place or anywhere there is abundance of waste materials.  Our scientists are constantly devising ways to improve waste disposals.

Does whatever religious faith you follow share this view of nature? In what ways do you agree or disagree with the religious functionality of your faith with regard to the natural world? The natural world consists of us allowing the powers at be function as they see fit.  This can relate to religious functionality as well.  It would be natural to let God carryout his ultimate plan for not only this world but they entire universe.  Maybe there is a reason He has made our living conditions here on Earth compatible to our survival.  Maybe there is a reason the other planets cannot support our life forms as we know it.  I do believe He wants us to have our own visions and seek out the knowledge to pursue other worlds.  Maybe it is natural for other beings to be inquisitive of our planet and technology.  Maybe in His eyes we are just as important to Him as they are to Him.  My faith believes and subscribes to the salvation of our natural resources and the thought that no one power here on Earth should be in control of any one natural resource.  Mother Nature (God if you will) has given us this beautiful planet on loan…we need to continue doing everything in our power to protect it and return it as we received it.

GO IN PEACE

Lesson 12 ~ Religious Philosophy ~ Rev. Murman

Lesson 12 ~ Religious Expression ~ Sacred Space Essay

By:  Rev. Trent Murman

Have you ever visited a spot considered to be a Place of Power? If so, how did it "feel"? Was this any different than anyplace else? There is a small church located near the city where I live, it was said to be a holy space because the priest and several of the congregational members claimed they had seen the statue of The Blessed Mary weeping.  This attracted many visitors and holy men to observe this phenomenon.  It was said to have no trickery involved and to be genuine.  I too took the opportunity to visit this holy space.  I can honestly say I felt no different vortex or spiritual enhancement that I normally get when I walk into any place of God.  I always have been so amazed at the "mystical" feelings I have when looking at the magnificence of it all.   The odds against this occurring are astronomical. Do you think this is coincidental, or is it the result of the actual existence of Places of Power? There is a great possibility in my mind that these lines could have occurred astronomically, after all it is said that beings from far away regions in space have visited our planet tens of thousands of years ago, perhaps preparing our places of power even way back then to coincide with these places of power, perhaps it was God himself aligning and preparing this earth for the future guidance of our biblical people to connect the places to each other.  I do not think this is coincidental because I believe everything from the time of creation of the Earth to present is all part of His greater plan for our part in the universe.  In closing I would like to put this out there – we cannot begin to think we are the only peoples or creatures in the massive universe, how small our minds would be to resign to this shallow thinking.  

Go In Peace 

Lesson 9 ~ Religious Philosophy

Religious Philosophy

Lesson 9 ~ Religious Expressions

By:  Rev. Trent

 

Consider your own religious path. What stories are told that serve to enlighten and educate? In other words, what stories are mythical? How about the mythical Santa Clause living at the North Pole.  This is a fable expounded upon here in the United States.  However in Europe there actually was a St. Nicholas that did go around with presents for children.  We here in the states presented this as a myth.  The Easter Bunny….St. Valentine's Day….are other mythical stories.   

Are any of these myths thought to be actual historical events? Is that important? Would it matter if it was proven that they didn't really happen? No I don't think it would really matter if they were proven not to have happened because these myths or stories are usually meant for the younger kids in the community.  Yes, I do believe these stories are beneficial because sometimes these myths can also be a learning tool and mostly they are very mild unlike "Urban Legends".     

Can you think of a non-religious myth? Perhaps political, or economic, or ethnic. What is the telling of this myth trying to convey?   The myth I would like to convey is from the Urban Legends….Stranger In The House….Where the baby sitter is in the house late at night alone and she receives multiple calls on the phone.  When she answers it there is no one on the phone.  She starts to get frazzled….she calls 911…they trace the call from inside the house….they tell her to get out of the house…she tries to get to the baby sleeping upstairs, she ends up scared out of her mind.  This can be classified as truth or fake….myths are not only there to help us understand but to scare us into conjuring up illusions within our minds. 

 Go In Peace

Lesson 10 ~ Religious Philosophies

Masters of Religious Philosophy

Lesson 10 ~ Religious Expressions Essay

Rev. Trent Murman

 

Are you what you thought you were?  After reviewing the quiz results, according to the doctrines I am exactly what I thought I was and I feel for me this is the best way for me to carry out my ministering.  I have found that being liberal and open to all suggestions, experiences and tolerance to all persons has allowed me to gain valuable knowledge every time I have the privilege to counsel or speak with someone.  I feel this is very important that everyone have the freedom to express themselves without being judged.  Remembering we are all God's children and only He can judge. 

Go In Peace

Lesson 5 ~ Religious Spirituality ~ The Last Option ~ Please Post

Religious Philosophy

Lesson 5 ~ The Last Option

By:  Rev. Trent Murman

 

Is it possible to have such a strong and lasting effect on a child that they are virtually certain to retain religious beliefs throughout their entire life?

I feel it is possible to have this lasting effect on a child as he/she grows into adulthood, however it is very unlikely that they would retain these religious beliefs throughout their entire life.  In my opinion, nothing is forever. 

Your thoughts on Dr. Dean Hamer's research regarding serotonin receptors in the brains of religious people? Do you think that this is simply anti-religious science, evidence for understanding the religious tendencies of people, or evidence of the means by which 'God makes us religious'?

If Dr. Hamer is to be considered correct then the pre-disposition of this gene would, in my thought be inherited which would mean the religious persons father, mother, grandparents would have to be also in the ministry system.  However, I do feel Dr. Hamer could be correct in his theory that there is a pre-disposed gene that one may later in life "get the calling" and develop into a religious person. 

Is the concentration of serotonin receptors a factor in how spiritual we are?

Since serotonin is naturally occurring in the brain and would differ between one subject and the other it is not reasonable that serotonin could be associated with how much or less spiritual we would turn out to be. 

Do twin studies confirm the very existence of a genetic link?

The twin studies definitely do confirm the genetic link, both in identical and fraternal twins.  However it has been proven the genetic link is considerably stronger in the identical twins.

Are we conditioned to religiosity as a result of our early years of parental control?

As stated parenteral control conditioned them into their own religiosity  however, it was not successful in conditioning religiosity within the group encompassing their children.

Are we religious because God wants us that way?

I do not believe that God "wants" us that way.  I believe God does presents the opportunity for us to be religious, but to push us in that direction would be a grave mistake.  We are all human beings and we do have the ability to make those decisions, right or wrong, on our own.  This particular lesson presented many thought provoking theories and certainly does make one search his inner thoughts and possible listen more intently to that little voice deep inside themselves. 

 

Go In Peace

 

Lesson 6 ~ Religious Philosophy ~ Religious Forms

Religious Philosophy

Lesson 6 ~ Religious Forms

By:  Rev. Trent Murman

 

What religious organizational form does Wicca use?  Which is it? Perhaps a better question is, since it exhibits all of these traits, 'which of these approaches does it primarily follow?

This course gets more interesting by the week.  Even though this lesson has a lot of information to digest it certainly does open one's eyes to different cultures, sub-cultures, beliefs and cults.

 

Wicca appears to be a distinct worldview with an identifiable set of beliefs, ritual systems, and an organizational structure, albeit a loose one and certain forms of witchcraft may be practiced. Many Wiccans practice as solitaries, not in identifiable groups or "covens." 

 

A popular misconception of Wiccan religion is that it involves the worship of Satan. This is false. Wiccan religion was blamed for it. 

 

Many who practice Wiccan religion will identify themselves as witches and say that they practice witchcraft; however, Wicca and witchcraft are not synonymous.

 

I believe the structure appears to be Shamanistic faith in that it does have a centralized person which the members of the group feel has "special" powers to contact the dead and encompasses the three main ideals below:

 

neopaganism- this includes all faith groups based on attempted reconstructions of ancient or extinct religions, such as the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Sumerian and others.

paganism - has both positive and negative meanings. This term is negative in the sense that it is used to mean "anti-Christian" and some will claim it simply to spite Christianity, the term has a positive meaning similar to or synonym with neopaganism.

witchcraft or craft - generally refers to the practical arts of casting spells, herbalism, performing magic ceremonies, and the like. This may or may not be located inside any specific or organized religious association.

 

I will have to submit to you much of this information was gotten from the internet since I needed support and current information that I did not have a view point myself.  This has certainly given me more insight as to the Wiccan religion or practices and that they are not all satanic worshipers and "bad" people that most of us previously believed. 

Go In Peace

Organized Religions by Trent Murman

Religious Philosophy

Lesson 4 ~ Organized Religions

By:  Trent Murman

 

If those zoo keepers are right in thinking that gorillas "get something" out of a wake when one dies, what does that say about religion? Does it diminish faith and make it "just biological" if we were to discover that the great apes do it also? What do you think: are these gorillas expressing some type of proto-faith, or are the zoo keepers 'anthropomorphizing' (assigning human attributes to animal behavior) the gorilla behavior? 

I do not believe it diminishes faith.  I believe in the animal world even the most primitive or simplistic species mourns over the loss of a member of their own "nest or higher family or group structure".  You can certainly tell by the look in a gorillas eyes that he or she is hurting when a member of the group dies we call this empathy….it doesn't have to be about religion.  I believe in the religious aspect the wake is used to help along with the grieving process ultimately ending in closure for the people who lost their loved one.

 

 If Karl Marx was correct, and religion is only useful in maintaining the political and economic status quo, does it really matter whether that religion believes in Heaven and Hell or whether it accepts reincarnation? How could religion work as this "opium of the people" in each type of society?

I believe religion acts as an opium for the masses because usually it does play an important part in "calming" the masses.  Not too often have I ever heard of fighting going on during a mass or church service.  It is up to the people to make up their own minds regarding Heaven or Hell.  As you are aware there are some that believe death if final and there is nothing after the body ceases to function it is just a baron vessel, lifeless.  Reincarnation is a huge part of some religions and I feel it is necessary to have different beliefs and we need the right to form our own opinions and to choose what we want to believe. 

 

Finally, what if Sir Frazer and Sir Tylor were correct (being American, it does sound strange to refer to people as "Sir" and mean knighthood)? They considered religion to be the end result of enough people accepting the "answers" offered by some savage philosopher – someone who had thought about the 'great questions of life' and had come to some conclusions. Can you think of anyone from the 20th century who might be thought of in this way? You don't need to agree with them; but, they would need to be someone who had pondered these questions, come to conclusions, and then had others follow their teachings – eventually organizing into a structured religion. Anyone come to mind? If not, how about the 19th century (1800s)?

Jim Jones could certainly fit into this category…I believe he attempted to create his own society, religion and following.  However, some would call this brain washing of the masses.  They were definitely influenced by his power or persuasion even going as far as referring to himself as the savior…..this following did end up in mass suicide.  The power of one person over a group is definitely wrong and the bible does caution us against false gods and prophets.  He built a temple and with his actions shocked the world.