Religious Philosophy

Religious Philosophy

Final Essay

Mary McGar

I found the final lesson to be one of the most interesting to me.  To have the information presented in this manner and with all the detail made the history of why certain events occurred and the end result of religious suppression was thought provoking.  The growth of Taoism and the Neo-Pagan faiths compared to the other faiths is encouraging to me, since I am a UU Pagan.  Perhaps “Pagan” will more quickly lose the stigma of being a derogatory word in the near future.  I found is interesting that Hinduism and Buddhism are holding their own as far as growth statistics are concerned.  To me, that indicates more people are reaching inside for truths rather than just accepting the established dogma.  The more people try to determine for themselves what religious path is best for them, the stronger and happier they will be, in my opinion, regardless of the path they eventually choose.  That people are truly thinking about their religious beliefs is a positive sign.

This course was fascinating throughout.  The lesson covering the parallels between Utnapishtim and Noah are remarkable as are many stories that have similar counterparts in different religions.  I also found it useful to be able to more accurately determine what groups are cults and which are not with the guidelines set forth in this course.

The continuum of diverse religious acceptability was easy to understand when presented as a staircase.  I had never given any thought that there are people who are unaware of any religious belief other than their own.  How intriguing!!  I think most people of the world have at least attained the acknowledgment step and, hopefully, in this day and time, are at the acceptance step.  I see proof of this as a Pagan.  Even ten years ago, the acceptance of Paganism was less than it is today, although because I live in a major Northwestern liberal city I might have a more optimistic view than if I lived in the South of Mid-West, for instance.  I hope, in my lifetime, to see great strides to reach at least partial amalgamation or, perhaps, regional is a better word for my expectations.

I learned much from the lesson regarding the difference in definition between histories, fables, lore, tradition, myth and legends.  I realize that, up to now, I have lumped several of them together in error.  In conclusion, this is the eight course I have taken from ULC and this one has been among the most, if not the most, thought provoking course of all.  Thank you, Robert Chamberlain for writing and offering this course.

********************************************

To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.

Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church, as well as an online seminary program and a chaplaincy program.