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Religious Study

    • 2 posts
    January 11, 2018 1:51 AM PST

    I have been a member of the ULC since 2012 and even though my spirituality has been fairly decent, I feel that 2018 is the year for me to expand.  I have come across a co-worker that is looking to expand his own mind spiritually and I would love to be there to help him in his progess, however, I dont want to just cover one or two different religions, I would love to open his mind to others.  

    Now I know that the best way to understand the religions is to essentially pick up their version of the bible (the Torrah, Korran, etc), but I feel that would be too much to take on for what I am looking to do.  I was wondering if there are some essential readings to better understand the basis for the different religions.  I know they exist because, I picked up a book on Bhuddism several years ago that taught the basics of what Bhuddism is and what their beliefs are.  

    This year is the year that I want to spread the word of the ULC, why is it that we are all similar biologically but we always seem to find the most hate when it comes to religious freedom?

    I'm sure that this isn't the best place to post this and moderators please feel free to move this to a different forum page if needed.  But being that this is to aid in the path of spirituality, this seemed like the best place to post.  I look forward to your responses, thank you for you time.  

    Blessed be.

    • 14 posts
    January 16, 2018 6:59 AM PST
    First, you need to understand that the Torah is not the Jewish bible, it is one component of Hebrew scripture as it contains only Genesis through Deuteronomy.

    Second, a good introduction to Judaism is Basic Judaism by Milton Steinberg, a thin volume available in paperback. I use it when teaching introductory classes.
    • 2 posts
    January 16, 2018 12:59 PM PST

    @Rabbi O

    I assure you I meant no disrespect by my lack of knowlege.  This is why I seek to learn more about the other religions to better my understanding of them for those who seek that knowledge.  I appreciate the insight and will look for that book at my local bookstore or apothecary.  My ultimate goal is to be able to provide sermon like services in which I can make references to different teachings from various religions.  It helps when I am talking to those who seek spirituality but arent sure what path they want to follow. 

    Thank you again for the great recommendation, I look forward to reading it.

    Blessed be.

  • January 19, 2019 11:39 PM PST

    One good place to start might be the ULC's own "Guide to Divinity" book, which gives a brief summary of a good number of world religions. Then perhaps you can expand on the basic information there, using it to help you know what to look for elsewhere. 

    Of course, the Internet has large amounts of information. 

    And of course fellow ministers can be good resources - either through postings in the different sections of the site, or private messages. We come from different traditions, and have joined this interfaith ministry, and one major aspect of interfaith work lies precisely in helping each other to understand our own faiths, and perhaps others that we know well enough to describe accurately.

    • 1 posts
    March 14, 2019 6:07 AM PDT

    I hope that we will have the same spirit and willingness as you. Let us all continue to be the salt and light of the world. 

    Chris | click here

    • 20 posts
    March 14, 2019 3:33 PM PDT

    amen