Comparative Religion

COMPARATIVE RELIGION

The Comparative Religion Course gave me a better understanding of the various religions and beliefs practiced by many of diverse cultures in the world and now being practiced here at home In the United States.  Coming myself from a family of mixed religious backgrounds, beliefs and traditions; we lived in a kind of harmony because we each held in our hearts that there is a common thread that binds us as human beings and not just family. We respected each other's beliefs and faith never puffing one belief over the other. This course explained the commonalty that all religions and beliefs have in worship, prayer, how they view life and that all men are spiritual from ancient times to present. In addition, this course has shown that all religions of today have a common source that you will find when one looks far enough. And that each religion has borrowed from the other. I remember talking to my late cousin who was a practicing and ordained follower of Krishna. I remember saying to him “that there are many paths and each in the end leads to what all humans seek that is a union with God “he said “so true.” This course confirms this believe which I have held for long time. Now I feel that I have a working  knowledge base and the confidence that will enable me minister to those who are not of my faith when approached by them for help and through this knowledge base there will be no misunderstanding but understanding between us.

I liked the way the course was setup. Many years ago I took a course similar to this. But it was not the same. I was given a few books to read and told to write a paper and that was that. Here the instructor takes the student from what is known and then brings the student to what was not known. I liked how Rev. Kythera Ann explains the vocabulary that is part of the study of religion. The examples that she used in the discourses such as the flood showed a common thread among the religions used in one example names may have been different but the story was the same, and even the photographs and pictures helped enforce the topic at hand. I liked how each discourse built upon the other keeping with what I said before known to unknown.  The internet activities were great reinforcements to the end of each of the discourses.

There wasn’t anything about the course that I disliked except for the last discourse and then only one section of it. When it came to cults a lot of time was spent on the Baha’i Faith how Islam views it as cult and how Iran is persecuting it followers today. Then it goes to Mormonism with a small paragraph and one small sentence taken from Wikipedia about them, calling Mormonism a cult. The Mormons too were persecuted by main stream Christianity in its beginnings with their leader Joseph Smith being killed with many other of his followers. I am aware that she also said that it was a new religion but using Mormonism as a cult example did not follow the final statement that when the leader dies so does the cult which never happened to both the Baha’I and Mormon religion. However, I was expecting to see The Reunification Church a.k.a MOONIES, Scientology, Christian Science, and The Jehovah Witness mentioned as cults these too being out of the mainstream of recognized religion with Scientology being a newer religion of modern times. Instead The Branch Dravidians, Heaven’s Gate and Aum Shinri-kyo  were mentioned at the beginning  of section as new age cults that had made the news.

I think these discourses could be improved by using the PDF format. This may cut down on how many times a discourse been resent because of being received incomplete.  Also, it would allow for better printing of the discourses. I had one discourse which needed to be reformatted before reprinting because there were no margins in the discourse. 

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TheUniversal 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 Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training.

Spirit Quest Course

Hi Amy,

Working towards my Masters in Metaphysics has been a very rewarding journey. I have learned how something as simple as grounding can pull you through just about anything.

I lost my daughter to unexpected death a few months ago.  It has really been difficult to deal with many aspects of my life.  However this course has helped me be able to move through many of the pitfalls that come with grief and what if’s, fairly well.

Prior to this I was in a particularly stressful job, which did not bring out the best in me.  This course taught me how to ground myself, and use the roses to protect myself from and get rid of all the negative energy that was coming to me.  To let all the bad run right out of me.  It was amazing how it would instantly ease my burden and give me a new perspective.  This course also taught me how to create my own reality.  To forgive, and move on, to not let bad energy stay in my space.  

Even now, if a bad situation arises,  I catch myself coming out of my protection mode as I call it.  Others have noticed it too. And I am not angry.  I am better equipped to handle my life and all the aspects of it.  Now that I have grown spiritually, I realize that other people’s problems are not mine. Not saying that I don’t help others. I am huge in community service.  I am saying that their problems are not my cross to bear.  I cannot fix them. I am responsible for me.  If we each take care of ourselves, I feel that we will be better grounded to mother earth and able to help out in situations where people may really need a hand, ear or shoulder. 

Terrie Hawkins

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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 Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training. 
 

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge selection of Universal Life Church  minister supplies. Since being ordained with the Universal Life Church for so many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've watch the huge change and growth that has continued to happen.

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Spiritual Development

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I would not rate this course on the same level as some of the other courses I have or am currently taking. For example the idea of multiple universes where we exist in different worlds playing out different scenarios is good for science fiction but does not jibe with my Christian background or upbringing. How can one soul live out so many different destinies?? Basically in this scenario we are able to pick the best outcome and ignore the rest???  The other idea that we can "will" things to happen, if we think hard enough we can make things happen, picture it....and it becomes real. A lot of books have been written about this, but in my experience, life is not that easy. We are asked to pray for things and whatever is the highest good for one and all will happen. 

Sometimes what we think we want or need, is the worst thing that can happen to us, so willing it and producing it...may not be a good thing. "changing our mind...can change our reality.....I wish we had this much control of our lives.....changing our minds...can change our course in life...but my sense is..the reality stays the same.....our perception of things can change...but not the things themselves.........I try and be open to new ideas and concepts...but I find this course very simplistic and contrary to my christian beliefs and upbringing and actual experiences. The concept of "outcomes" to be is very controlling, like we have the power to change outcomes which means we can change our destiny??? If our destiny is for us to be at 'x', all the positive thinking in the world will not get us to 'y'. Yes we can influence our friends and family and coworkers with a positive attitude and mindset, but can we really change outcomes that have been set in motion?? by others....suppose we have a group of people all together, with different "outcomes" in mind for the group..which "outcome" will prevail???  the strongest desire?  the strongest will?? what happened to all the other "outcomes"? 

The author mentions "referencial" information we take in, influences our lives......that is true to a degree....but to the degree he seems to indicate.......if I inherited "high blood pressure" thru genetics...no matter what i think or do...i still have high blood pressure....if someone kills another human being in cold blood...the fact remains..they were killed....yes..it could be in self defense....protecting oneself and family members....but it is still murder...killing of someone...that is not going to change..how we deal with this situation as a society..is a different issue.....the reality remains the same...how we deal with the reality..is what changes............The concept of NLP and communicating with the unconscious is dealing with reality as if...Deity..God does not exist....if mankind was the only creation and we all were individual islands of our own...we were all individual "gods" that we could tap into our deepest most mind, unconscious mind...higher self..and change things.........again...this goes against everything the Bible has to say...we are to pray to God...for help...we are to reach out to Him...the power of prayer and Divine Guidance..the working of the Holy Spirit is more powerful than anything mankind can think of. 

Sorry to be so negative...I read all the lessons with an open mind....and I know this course is required reading for the Chaplain Program...and it did explain what the author was trying to get at....it just did not resonate with me and I basically disagree with the basic concept.

Rev. Andy

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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 Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training. 
 

Comparative Religion

Identity

In order to understand our present we must first understand our past. This is a saying that is particularly true in today's world; and more, particularly, in the world of the ancient Israelites. The ancient people's who became the Israelites were a people in search of an identity. They were disjointed groups of Semitics attempting to find their place in the world.

 

In Lesson Nine the topics of the Hyksos and Habiru were introduced . I was immediately intrigued with the etymology of the word Habiru in relation to the ancient term of Hebrew. Did the word Hebrew evolve from Habiru? Were the Habiru/Hebrews separate groups of people or one and the same? Did one of these groups evolve into the Israelites? This essay is a brief attempt to answer these questions and restore some of the Israelites history.

 

First, let us look at who the Hyksos people were (as they were also introduced in Lesson Nine). The Hyksos were Semitics who came out of Syria and Arabia in 1700b.c.e. They then proceeded to invade Egypt. Josephus, an early Jewish historian, quoting Manetho (an even earlier Egyptian historian/priest) noted that they were “cruel and destructive invaders”. (1) One important reason the Hyksos were so successful at this invasion was due to their use of horses. (2) The Egyptians began to use horses in warfare following the Hyksos invasion. The Hyksos were eventually expelled from Egypt; not just one time but twice! It has been theorized that one of these expulsions could have been the Biblical Exodus. However, that conclusion would rely upon an as yet to be proven fact; that the Hyksos were the ancient Israelites.

Another group who also meets the criteria for being the precursor to the Israelites were the people known as the Habiru's. The Habiru's were not a nation and could not describe themselves as a tribe unless necessity called for it. The Habiru's were people who lived outside of society for one reason or another (debt, escaping slavery, military deserter and so on). They would come together in loosely organized “tribes” to follow a leader as need demanded; conquest, famine, etc. They were known to sell their services in exchange for food. They entered Egypt at a time of famine and, as their custom was, sold themselves to the Egyptians as slaves in order to procure food. It's a possibility that their descendents were not able to break the cycle of poverty and thus remained as slaves in Egypt for generations. During a time of plagues and chaos they escaped.

The earliest known reference to the Habiru are from Sumer and date from the Third Dynasty of Ur; about 2000b.c.e.. The Semitic people's were expanding at that time and, in this reference written in cuneiform, the Sumerian's judicial system was having difficulty defining their legal status. Other written documents, from the 20^th through the 11^th centuries, note that the Habiru were scattered throughout the Near East in every level of society. It should be noted that the name Habiru means “wanderer.” The name Hebrew, in its root meaning, means “to go across.” A Hebrew is one who went from place to place.

 

The El Armana tablets (discovered by an Egyptian woman in 1877) refer to invaders of Palestine as 'Apiru. Lest the reader become confused, 'Apiru bears a close relationship to the terms Habiru and Hebrew. Extensive research has led many scholars to the conclusion that the term Habiru was first

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used to describe people who journey into settled areas and did not refer to a specific group but to a social caste. (3) A caste, it should be noted, that, at times, was viewed as low in worth. The term Habiru was often used as an insult. However, the word Habiru was a term that was transformed from a social designation into the ethnic word Hebrew. This would have occurred when the Habiru formed tribes and developed a unique identity. Hebrew eventually became a term used interchangeably with Israelite. Abraham is the first person in the Bible to be referred to as a Hebrew.

Evidence from archaeological discoveries (both cuneiform and heiroglyphic) seem to point to the conclusion that sociologically the Hebrews were the Habiru, although not all Habiru were Hebrews. (4) It could be postulated that those who became the groups called Hebrews may have shared a common heritage (Abraham) and followed a common leader (Moses).

There is much more information available concerning the Habirus, Hebrews and 'Apiru's if the reader should wish to further study this subject.

The finding of an ethnic identity and, eventually, a homeland was a central theme for the ancient Israelites; as it is for todays Israelites. To understand one's past in order to understand one's present is a continuing quest for modern day Hebrews. How this quest is interpreted can influence many the world over.

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Footnotes

1. Josephus, “Against Apion,” I, Sec. 14, p. 611.
2. Nabaataea.net: “Hyksos and Edom”, Chap. Six,”The Hyksos Horses”.
3. www.infidels.org.: “Old Testament Life and Literature (1968), Gerald A. Larue”.
4. www.ericlevy.com: “The Habiru And The Hebrews: From A Social Class To An Ethnic Group,
   by Stuart A. West”.

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Bibliography

1. Josephus, “Against Apion”, I, Sec. 14, p. 611.
2. Nabataia.net: “Hyksos and Edom, Chap. Six, The Hyksos Horses”.
3. www.infidels.org: “Old Testament Life and Literature (1968), Gerald A. Larue”.
4. www.ericlevy.com: “The Habiru And The Hebrews: From A Social Class To An Ethnic Group, by Stuart A. West”.
5. www.W.G.Waddell.mht: Manetho: “The Aegyptiaca of Manetho: Manetho's History of Egypt,” translated by W.G. Waddell.
6. www.translation.mht: Eusebius Chronicle (5).
7. www.ancienthebrew.org
8. www.unexplained-mysteries.com
9. www.imninalu.net/Habiru.htm
10. www.bibleorigins.net/Hebrewhabiruslaves.html
11. www.oldtestamentstudies.net
12. www.israel-a-history-of.com/habiru,html
13. www.mailstar.net/four-room-house-html
14. www.jewishhistory.org/hyksos-or-hebrews
15. www.orvillejenkins.com/peoples/hyksosandhebrews.html
16. www.wikipedia.org
17. www.newenglishreview.org/RobertWolfe

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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 Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training.