Science of Religion

I have to admit I was not looking forward to this lesson. I do not like philosophy. To me it is just people who are not afraid to speak their opinion and want to get recognized.

I was impressed with what I learned and did get some answers to questions I had and learned some things about myself.

Let me explain this way. I have always been a person that believes totally in God but have a real bad taste in my mouth for churches. When we were young and living in a house with a father who was an alcoholic, my mom taught us her way of believing and what was best for us. We had a cabin that we built as a family growing up. We did not go to church much, but were members of a church. I remember one time our minister came to the house and accused my mom of not raising us right because we were not in church. My little 5 ft mom kicked him right out the door, saying we believe in God, but the things that keeps us together is being up north. 

During the week my dad spent all his time in the bar after work, spending money we did not have and never being around when we needed him My mom not having a license had to depend on others to get groceries, hospital emergencies and most things, however when we were up north with no electricity or plumbing we were a family. We played family games, rode snowmobiles, fished, spent time with friends. It was a great way to grow up. The cabin was our house of God. That is were we were a family and felt God keeping us together.

When I met my husband and we decided to get married we went to his church, were his family was very active in the church. We wanted to get married in the yard on his family farm, but the Minister said he would not tip toe through the tulips. The minister said it was not a house of God. How much closer to God can you get than under the sky above.

When we had our children I believed it was right to have them in Sunday school and be confirmed so they could make their own choices. During that time I did teach Sunday school. My son never had much to do with the church, my daughter loved it until she got older and was totally turned off by the same Minister that would not tip toe through the tulips.

I really had a hard time with a minister who did not even acknowledge your presents when you went to church and when he sees you on the street he does not know you are there.

Getting back to the coarse, it taught me why some ministers are the way they are and I can forgive them for it. The to are a product of greed, at least some of them. It still amazes me though how people are because of one philosopher. But then I see it every day in the way people listen to the news with politics, (because it is on the news it is true). I believe in 1% of the news, especially when it come to politics. Words or a lack of them can be a very dangerous thing.

I am an Municipal Judge here in Glenwood City. The law is so much like religion. If you have a good attorney that can take one word in the law and change its meaning, he can get you off. It all has to do with interpretation.

This coarse has also taught me to get my ego in check. I had thought I was doing pretty good in that area, but have since learned I have a long way to go. Trying to build my business of Holistic Pet Pampering. Healing Energy, and all Natural Products has been hard. I have groomed for 15 years and working with the animals and the love I have for them is easy. However building this business with finances and wanting to be financially stable is getting in the way of why I started to begin with. It made me realize I have to just focus on helping as many animals and people as possible and try not to dwell on the finances. It will come. My ego also gets in the way of how I look at some people and being jealous of others successes.

The sad part about all of this, God loves us all unconditionally, but it is the interpretation of his love that causes wars and hate among others. There is some definitely wrong with this.

My sister says I should talk about God more in my teachings of Reiki and healing energy. I refer to the Higher Power. I try to explain that even though my Higher Power is God, It is not everyone’s. I have to keep religion out of it. She has a hard time separating the two. I do tell people I am a Minister and proud to be able to say that, but I specify that I am a Minister of the Body, Mind and Spirit, and the Higher Power. not a Minister of Religion. This coarse helped me to figure that out and explain the difference of the two.

Rev. Kimberly Moe

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception

The Four Gospels

The Sermon on the Mount has always been one of my favorite parts of scripture. In the words that Christ uses He explains the benefits of walking with Him. There is so much hope for the believer and His words give so many reasons to follow Him. For example:

“The poor in Spirit are in luck, the kingdom of the skies is theirs”. How many more poor people are there (financially strapped) then there are wealthy? To know that there is a hope that all they have to do is believe in something outside what they see. They can see and feel poverty but because Jesus has given them such an amazing hope, that motivates their faith to continue on. These words were a great help during many a time when we were without because we were actually wealthier then most because we had a hope.

How many of us suffer daily with just the circumstances of life and then we are given a reason to go on because of the words Jesus uses here. We are given a reason for doing what is good and right. There is a reward for all of this and it may not be here on earth but we will receive it and the way I see it is that “The kingdom of the skies” is in fact heaven. Christians have been persecuted in one form or another for believing because you can’t always see things with physical eyes. However; when the eyes of your spirit are opened it’s much easier to see the benefits of being that follower of these words. “You are in luck”. I have personal experience with seeing things with my spiritual eyes and I am grateful for each and every experience. These times are like glue that bonds my faith to the continuance of my walk, a reward here on earth.

Christ gives so much encouragement to the masses. “You are the salt of the earth and you are the light of the world”, I wish my earthly father would have been able to give me such an encouragement! To know that I can do the same things that Jesus did, that I can love, to be capable of forgiveness, then I am like Him. I can do, I will do, and our Father in heaven recognizes each and every act of kindness, each and every move we make is recognized by God and our treasures are stored in heaven waiting for us as a reward for following these words. Encouragement will always make someone want to do what’s right.

Then, He lets us all know that there are rules we need to follow. We can’t be like those that do evil. We are to set and example of being “Christ like” and that should be our goal in life: to hunger for justice, to be merciful, to see goodness in others and to be those peacemakers. If we were to post these words on our walls and read them over and over everyday would it make it easier to apply them to our daily walk. Maybe we will but if we write them on our hearts and commit ourselves to follow them, then we will see our hope, we will receive our rewards. Yes, it’s a journey but what a journey it is!

Rev. Renee Cormalis

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Four Gospels

This paper is written about a story from Luke Chapter 18. ( Pharisee and tax-collector )

There was once a pharisee and a tax-collector who went to the temple at the same time to pray. This pharisee prayed to God, thanking Him that he was glad to be so much better then the tax-collector who was behind him. Mr. Holier Than Thou Pharisee was telling God how great of a man he was and all the good things he did for the community and his church. While basking in his own glory, he was trashing this guy behind him. In fact, he was probably listing every single reason why he didn't like him and how awful he thought he was ( I've done that before).

In the mean time, this so-called sinner was too ashamed of himself to even come to the front of the sanctuary at the alter to pray (at alone look at God if he could see Him). Yet he was brave enough to go to God's house and pray. This sinner admitted to God all the things he had done wrong and expressed his own remorse for his actions. In turn God forgave him, because He saw that this man was truly repenting of his bad conduct. (REPENT means to "turn away from")

Most Christians who are "TRADITIONAL" in their faith are no different from the pharisees back in Jesus's days on earth. Traditional Christians believe or at least think that if you go to church three or four times a week in your best suit, dump a lot of money in the offering plate each time it passes by you, listen to nothing but "CHRISTIAN MUSIC", send your kids to "CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS", and talk about Jesus ALL DAY LONG in every conversation from the minute they wake up til you go to bed, you're on the way to the beautiful pearly gates of heaven.

In the eyes of most "TRADITIONAL CHRISTIANS", if you do not do everything "CHRISTIAN", you are going to this most awful place called; "HELL!" I call this NONSENSE; "THE CHRISTIAN GHETTO". The "CHRISTIAN GHETTO" HAS ABSOLUTELY NO REAL MEANING TO IT WHATSOEVER! All it means to "TRADITIONAL CHRISTIANS", is that it's a security blanket. They seem to think that when they get to the judgment bar (where God sits) after they die, they can say to Him;

"LOOK! I sent my kids to CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS and only allowed my kids to play with other CHRISTIAN KIDS! Shouldn't that count for anything on my behalf?!"

WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY IN THE PARAGRAPH BELOW MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO SOME, BUT IT'S HOW I FEEL.

Not only do I think this ideology is retarded, but it's the most RIDICULOUS ideology for someone to have. Not only is it RIDICULOUS, but it tells me that people with this type of thinking are VERY INSECURE ABOUT THEMSELVES!

AGAIN, IF WHAT I SAID IN THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH IS OFFENSIVE TO SOME ONE, I APOLOGIZE. THIS IS HOW I FEEL.

People who claim Christianity, but DO NOT claim the traditional thinking, KNOW that God loves each person unconditionally ( including themselves ). God not only loves us unconditionally, but He also forgives us for every sin we commit. They also KNOW that God is not going to condemn them for electing HILLARY CLINTON for President OF THE UNITED STATES instead of John McCain. God does not care how we dress, how often we attend church, how big of a check we drop in the collection plate, or if our kids marry outside their race.

What God cares about, is these two simple things: "Love thy neighbor as you love thyself" and "Love the Lord your God with all thy heart, soul, and mind". By following the "TEN COMMANDMENTS" we are following these two great commandments listed. Even if we fall short in obeying these commandments, God will give us GRACE. This is because, God KNOW's that sooner or later we're going to break one, two, or more of these commandments. After all, He KNOW's that we're not perfect! This is why He sent His son Jesus Christ to earth as a human being just like us. Except Jesus Christ came in a different time era before you and I did. However, it still applies to US!

Whether we obey His teachings or not, is our choice. If we decide to worship in a one-million dollar church building wearing our best suit on Sunday morning is our choice. If we decide to worship on Friday evening in the forest, wearing cut-off blue jean shorts and a tank top while holding a can of bud-light in our hand ( I prefer Budweiser Select ), that's our choice. What we wear and who we hang out with is our choice.

Following Jesus Christ does not mean that I have to follow all these RIDICULOUS rituals and dogmas. It means that I have a relationship with my creator, and what I do ( as long as it's legal and not breaking "Choose that which is right" ) is between me and Him/Her.

People with "TRADITIONAL CHRISTIAN" beliefs make me wonder if they even have an idea of what the true gospel of Jesus Christ teaches.

This concludes my paper on THE FOUR GOSPELS course.

Rev. Troy Graham

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

Four Gospels

I've never been very good at writing, but here goes. Before I begin I'd like a few moments for some background. I initially heard about the ULC on some TV show where the host got himself ordained online and performed a wedding ceremony for some of his production staff. I decided to do the same, however the certificate that spat out of my printer looked kind of cheesy and I didn't do much with my new status as Reverend, until recently. I had a chance to perform my first wedding so I ordered a wall credential to show the county. I must be a shallow person because seeing my name on a fancier document suddenly triggered a change in me, the ordination suddenly stopped being a joke and that's when I decided to start taking some seminary courses.

To get some "street cred". I hope to start my own ministry some day, but until I get some more classes under my belt I have no business occupying a pulpit.

As for the course, kudos to who ever chose the text, it was an easy read. It was much like a novel. I didn't get any particular trouble or comfort from the course, instead I got perspective. This was a particularly difficult time to pursue studies. My father-in-law became very ill and succumbed to the illness and passed away. It was difficult for us to watch him suffer and we frequently asked God why? This may seem like a cold response but why not? In John 3:16 it is said that God sent his only begotten Son for our salvation, and roughly 33 years later he died for all of our sins for now and forever. Where does the perspective come in? I've always been confused why if Jesus suffered and died for our sins then why do we centuries later have suffering? My only answer is this, God has a reason for everything he does, perhaps the suffering he allows is as a reminder of what his Son went thru for us. After all any discomfort we "mere mortals" go thru is but a small fraction of the humiliation and suffering that Jesus went thru for our salvation.

I enjoyed the course and can't wait till the next one which will likely be the Comparative Religion Course.

by Rev. Taras Bobiwsky

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

St. Paul

"Master of St. Paul". The subject and title seems a bit ironic because of St. Paul's service and dedication to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Non the less I found this course to be informative and I enjoyed the weekly assignments. The teaching techniques used are effective in that they make the student research the course material. I do find however that Lesson 16 "Admitting that you are a Sinner", to be more of a sermon and less of a lesson. It seems to be a bit more personal to the instructor than to the student. The lesson would be better served in my opinion if the focus on sin was from various perspectives using more study on actual transgression as in the Old Testament on the transgression of law.

However when studying the life of arguably the greatest missionary, theologian and writer of the early church this course does a good job of covering Paul as one of the most important figures in the New Testament. Paul's gospel indicted all of humanity for the crime of rejecting God and His rightful authority. Under the influence of Adam's sin, mankind plunged into the depths of depravity so that they were utterly unable to the righteous demands of God and deserved only the wrath of God. Consequently, the sinners only hope was the gospel which embodied God's power to save those who had faith in Christ which was the focus of Paul's gospel. Paul affirmed Jesus' humanity and His deity and the fact the Jesus was a physical descendant from the from the line of David.

In his years as a Pharisee, Paul's initial and adamant rejection of Jesus as the Messiah may largely have been motivated by Jesus' ignorable death. Death by crucifixion was indicative of divine curse. Certainly the Messiah could not have died under the curse of God. But when Paul wrote his first epistle, this death curse was recognized as the grounds for substitutionary atonement. (Gal.3:10-14) Paul explained that the idea of a crucified Messiah was a stumbling block to the Jews. This gospel would later lead to plotting his death and several attempts on his life. Yet through all of his life's challenges after his conversion he never spoke in anger or arrogance but always in love and patience. But he knew that he would suffer after his vision from God, "This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before Gentiles, kings and the sons of Israel. I will certainly show him how much he must suffer for MY name !".

Paul's missions were initially met with suspicion from Church leaders but Barnabas intervened in is behalf and when meeting with Peter and James, the Lord's brother, and he is on his way to teach for several years. The pillars of the Church Peter, John, and James approved the no-Law gospel preached by Paul and his focus on Gentile evangelism. "No-law" of course referring to Paul and Branabas' journey to Jerusalem to settle the circumcision matter. Still as a result of this matter, the Law-free gospel does not encourage unrighteous behavior in believers.

History tells us that Paul was probably a man of above intelligence considering his years of Rabbinic training and by his own words in Gal.1:14, "I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors". Though zealous, his knowledge would have taken a great deal of reading, work and study. Yet after Christ appeared to him as the resurrected and glorified Christ in blinding radiance on his way to Damascus, Saul immediately surrendered to His authority and went into the city to await further orders. There his blindness was healed and he received the Holy Spirit and accepted believers baptism.

I take great solace and comfort in the example set by Paul. His amazing display of courage and faith to endure the prison's, the death threats, ship wrecks and other situations that may have never been recorded in the annals of history are truly are a testament of his never ending faith and belief in God's work. His gospel of salvation that is so freely given to humankind through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and our union with Jesus through faith is our liberation from sin, death, and allows us to help one another mature, to serve Christ, and glorify Him, which is the highest purpose.

I thank you once again for offering this course.

Gods blessings upon you all.

Rev. Dennis Zerull

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.