Comparative Religions Class
Ambassador Bible College
Date: August 2019 – May 2020
Competencies: Self-Awareness lv. 2,3&4, Knowledge & Understanding lv. 2,3&4
Competencies: Self-Awareness lv. 2,3&4, Knowledge & Understanding lv. 2,3&4
Summary
During the year I attended Ambassador Bible College, I took a Comparative Religions class. Throughout the year, we studied many different religions, starting with non-Christian religions in the first semester, and going through sects of Christianity in the second semester. Each class would consist of a lecture that included the religion’s origin, main beliefs, and similarities and differences it has with the Bible.
During the year I attended Ambassador Bible College, I took a Comparative Religions class. Throughout the year, we studied many different religions, starting with non-Christian religions in the first semester, and going through sects of Christianity in the second semester. Each class would consist of a lecture that included the religion’s origin, main beliefs, and similarities and differences it has with the Bible.
Reflection
When my class began our Comparative Religions class at ABC, I was ecstatic! I have always had an interest in other religions, and the ways they are similar and different, and I would finally be able to fulfill this interest.
In our first couple classes, we had an introduction to the class and discussed animism, tribal religions, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Something that really struck me was the similarities of religions, which included many things that I had originally thought were unique to the Christian faith (Knowledge lv. 2). That was very eye-opening to me, and helped me realize just how similar most major faiths were once you looked past what beings they believed in or how they each went about their unique salvation process (Awareness lv. 2&3). It also allowed me to see many of these faiths in a different light: through the eyes of the worshipper, in some cases.
While we were going through the beliefs of Islam, we read a scripture from the Qu’ran, Sura 2:62: it mentioned that “People of the Book” and “any who believe in God and the Last Day, and act righteously – will have their reward with their Lord.” I was very surprised when I read this because I am so used to a vehemently anti-Christian Islam that I see and hear in the media. It made me reflect that even if I don’t think the direction somebody is going towards attaining personal salvation is correct, I can give honor to and respect their piety and devotion to their faith (Awareness lv. 4).
In our second semester, we covered Christian faiths. It was personally very interesting to see the minute differences between some of the different sects of Christianity, as well as the sometimes ridiculous reasons they split off from another sect in the first place (Knowledge lv. 3). As a final project for the class, I was given the opportunity to write an overview of a religion and compare & contrast it to my faith. I chose to study the Roman Catholic Church and found that my deep dive into the history and beliefs of that faith gave me greater insight and respect for its followers’ devotion and great faith (Knowledge lv. 4).
Taking the Comparative Religions class has helped me be more open to learning about different faiths, as well as making me more secure in my individual beliefs. It has helped me drop some of the prejudices I had against different faiths due to my lack of knowledge, and made me want to learn more about the similarities and connections between religions in the future.
When my class began our Comparative Religions class at ABC, I was ecstatic! I have always had an interest in other religions, and the ways they are similar and different, and I would finally be able to fulfill this interest.
In our first couple classes, we had an introduction to the class and discussed animism, tribal religions, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Something that really struck me was the similarities of religions, which included many things that I had originally thought were unique to the Christian faith (Knowledge lv. 2). That was very eye-opening to me, and helped me realize just how similar most major faiths were once you looked past what beings they believed in or how they each went about their unique salvation process (Awareness lv. 2&3). It also allowed me to see many of these faiths in a different light: through the eyes of the worshipper, in some cases.
While we were going through the beliefs of Islam, we read a scripture from the Qu’ran, Sura 2:62: it mentioned that “People of the Book” and “any who believe in God and the Last Day, and act righteously – will have their reward with their Lord.” I was very surprised when I read this because I am so used to a vehemently anti-Christian Islam that I see and hear in the media. It made me reflect that even if I don’t think the direction somebody is going towards attaining personal salvation is correct, I can give honor to and respect their piety and devotion to their faith (Awareness lv. 4).
In our second semester, we covered Christian faiths. It was personally very interesting to see the minute differences between some of the different sects of Christianity, as well as the sometimes ridiculous reasons they split off from another sect in the first place (Knowledge lv. 3). As a final project for the class, I was given the opportunity to write an overview of a religion and compare & contrast it to my faith. I chose to study the Roman Catholic Church and found that my deep dive into the history and beliefs of that faith gave me greater insight and respect for its followers’ devotion and great faith (Knowledge lv. 4).
Taking the Comparative Religions class has helped me be more open to learning about different faiths, as well as making me more secure in my individual beliefs. It has helped me drop some of the prejudices I had against different faiths due to my lack of knowledge, and made me want to learn more about the similarities and connections between religions in the future.
Artifact
Attached is the essay I wrote about the Roman Catholic church for my Comparative Religions class.
Attached is the essay I wrote about the Roman Catholic church for my Comparative Religions class.