Comparative Religion

Greetings,

This letter is to act as my affirmation of completion of the Master of Comparative Religion Course as offered by the Universal Life Church and authored by

the Reverend Kythera Ann.

It is my pleasure to state that this course has opened my eyes to a great deal I wasn’t aware of as it pertained to the interactions and effects different religions and faiths have had upon each other in the history of human development. The appreciation of man’s development as a social animal awakening to his spiritual and collectively religious stance and place in his personal and group consciousness was very specifically pointed out for my better understanding. Specifically I found the understanding of rites and rituals to be of utmost importance.

It was an extreme pleasure to have things explained in a manner to be described as adult and scholarly. At no time was it the author’s stance or need to “talk down” or patronize the reader/student during the presentation of a complex and multi-directional format of instruction. Rev. Kythera Ann’s ability to draw close correlations to a point of understanding allowed for the ability to chronologically map the development of different religions and their interactions leading to the reality of faith as a course of society’s forward movement. This in turn allows the reader/student to better choose their own definitions and parameters when setting boundaries in the course of their worship.

The only matters I found to be of consequence appeared to be mechanical/ programming issues. It was noticed throughout the course that my computer was unable to assimilate and/or process the exact layout of the text offered. There were offsets and occasional placement issues on the page and its construction. This made it difficult to PRINT on my screen or computer. I feel I lost some of the information because of the PC format.

All other matters were of top quality and the selection of graphics was excellent.  It would seem the above stated issue and its correction would be the best format of forward movement. The placement of graphics and the translation was very good though occasionally “off the page”. It was my choice to use the landscape mode to overcome some of my problems but in general the core of the course was beyond reproach and quite worthy of praise.

The Reverend Kythera Ann’s presentation was excellent in its humanistic approach as well as maintaining an organic approach to the subject matter that couldn’t be ignored or failed to be appreciated. It was a masterful presentation allowing me to expand on some already heavily thought out and questioned historical

matters. It’s always been this student’s belief people are the basis of their experiences. Not to rule out the effects of others outside their social group, but the placement of religion and/or faith into the group dynamic as well as the reality of experiential function helps the individual to better blend with all his/her brothers and sisters on the planet. Through all of this it’s possible to develop a better appreciation and respect for other’s belief systems, especially in this time of world conflict showcasing serious socio/religious biases and misperceptions.

Maybe through courses of this sort better understanding could lead to fewer conflicts and wars. It would be with great pleasure and anticipation that I’d welcome the chance to study new offerings from Reverend Kythera Ann. It’s through her excellent research abilities as well as the clarity of her presentation I look forward to future efforts.

I remain your friend and colleague.

Respectfully,

Rev. Richard J. Garwood

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