Religious Philosophy

Master of Religious Philosophy, Lesson 15 - Religious Functionality - Religious Nature Rev. Andrew Manley Q.) 1)      What is your perspective on this "great problem"?  How do you view your relationship with Reality?  Are you entirely material, entirely spiritual, a mixture of the two, or a spiritual being trapped in a material prison? A.)  My perspective on this "great problem" is along the lines of John O'Riordain who comments that "For the Christian, even more than for the pre-Christian Celt, there is no impassable boundary between the material world and the spirit world. They overlap. It is simply that one is visible and the other normally invisible.....Love of nature and harmony with the environment are strong elements in the Celtic tradition emanating from this sense of the unity and connectedness of all things. At times the Christian Celts have been accused of pantheism...This line of argument fails to appreciate the refinement of Celtic thought and theology. For the Celts, God was certainly in all things but not identified or interchangeable with all things." Also, Ian Bradley agrees with Mr. O'Riordain that: "There was nothing remotely unorthodox about the Celts' sense of God's presence in their lives and in the world about them. It sprang from a real understanding of the central Christian doctrine of the Incarnation with its revelation of Immanuel, the God who is with us, and from a burning faith in the real presence of Jesus not just in the consecrated elements of the communion service but throughout his creation." When I think about my relationship with reality my view is simple, Life is short, life is around and in everything, and that the motto of America "in God we trust" should not be taken for granted, but mostly that as it has been said many times in our history life for me is "God, Country, Family. Looking at reality in this manor helps me to stay grounded and focused on things around me and the perspective involved to understand what is going on around me. At times because of the times we live in, I find myself a mix of spiritual and material, I believe that God gave mankind the gift of intelligence and creativity.  As Christ and the Apostles used what technology was available to them to spread the message of the gospels, I find myself using modern forms of communication to carry Gods word to others and I find nothing personally or biblically wrong in doing so. Q.) 2)      How do you think that your view of your relationship with Reality impacts the way that you approach spirituality?  Does it make you more submissive, studious, prayerful, resigned, contemplative? A. ) I would have to say it would be different for each individual because of life experiences, for me it would be three of these. Contemplative, Prayerful, and Studious would most best describe my outlook on the reality by these choices as for how I look at the world around me. Q. )3)      Finally, how do you think that your view of your relationship with Reality impacts the way that you live your life? Does it make you more moral, immoral, ethical, unethical, logical, independent, determined?  Does it impact your views on medicine, charity, politics, employment, vegetarianism, taking risks? A. ) Moral, Ethical, Logical, Independent and Determined. Different circumstances require different tactic's in perspective to the impact a situation impacts what I perceive and what I do to change the environment around me. It does not matter if it is a small issue or one that could in effect change the course of mankind. Because, isn't it that very thing that we do in our lives with regards to spreading the word of God around the world. We are supposed to make a difference in our world and grow from our experiences we live. Rev.Fr.Andrew Manley ******************************************** 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. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar