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Differences between religions In all of the modern western theological beliefs there are unique rituals involved. Some of these rituals make take place every day of our lives and be as trivial as saying a prayer before going to bed, or they can be as extreme as the North American Plains Indian's Sun Dance. These rituals are a manner in which one has an opportunity to express how devoted they really are to their own beliefs. In this research paper I am going to discuss the rituals of Christianity and a few Primal Religious Traditions.
In Christianity there are some sacred rituals that one can participate in to promote their faith. These sacred rituals, or sacraments, are rituals through which God's saving power comes to believers. The Eucharist, also called Communion, Lord's Supper, Divine Liturgy, or Catholic Mass, usually takes place on the first Sunday of each month. Communion is the act of sharing bread and wine as the body and blood of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 11: 26 states: For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Communion is not a ritual to take lightly as 1 Cor. 11: 27 goes on to share: Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. It is crucial that one is of right mind when they partake in this sacred ritual.
Another common sacrament is Baptism, a ritual that many Christian churches utilize. (Hopfre 29) It involves the actual immersion or pouring of water on the head of the participant. The idea behind a baptism is repentance. When you repent it means that you feel sorry for and turn away from sins. This is made quite clear in Matthew 3: 11 when John the Baptist says "I baptize you in water for repentance.
But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. " John is of course referring to the coming of Jesus. When a person participates in a baptism they are making a public pledge to follow in God's ways. In most all theologies, including Christianity, marriage is considered a sacred ritual.
Even in the beginning Adam realized the need for a suitable helper, thus God provided. Almost anybody you ask would tell you that they regard marriage as a sacred thing, no matter what their religious background may be. In eastern religions throughout the centuries mankind has displayed the Western attitude that nature must be conquered. In attempting to vanquish nature, our natural environment has been gradually destroyed. Because of mans attitude toward our planet, the earths capacity to sustain life is jeopardized.
In the process of attempting to dominate nature, man has placed himself in danger of losing his humanity. However, Eastern religions and philosophies can provide the West with ways to peacefully coexist with the world. One of the biggest lessons learned from both Hinduism and Buddhism is that man is not separate from nature; he is a part of nature and no clear distinction can be extracted between himself and his surroundings. (Hopfe 41) Buddha stated that the world is led by the mind. The three sources of suffering, greed, hatred, and delusion produce pollution within our surroundings and our bodies. However, generosity, compassion and wisdom have the opposite affect by producing purity. This concept is best confirmed in Buddhisms five natural laws, pack niyama dhamma. (Hopfe 44) According to the five natural laws, the type of moral force at work shapes the world.
If immorality grips society, humankind and nature deteriorate, if morality reigns, the quality of life and nature improve. The five natural laws consist of: physical laws, biological laws, psychological laws, moral laws, and casual laws. In essence, the five natural laws state that, the physical environment of any given area conditions the growth and development of its biological component. (Carmody 23) In turn, the five natural laws affect the thought pattern of the people interacting with the physical environment. Therefore, these five laws articulate that mankind and nature are bound together in a reciprocal fundamental relationship; a change in one brings about a change in the other. The rain metaphor for the teachings of the Buddha is a powerful metaphor for the equanimity of life in all its forms. All conscious beings in the fragile balance of nature profit from the life-giving power of rain, each only taking what is needed and sharing the surplus.
Buddhist doctrine provokes a strong feeling of humility towards nature. It states the difference between unselfish love and the kind of love that is linked to attachment and the urge to possess. The cultivation of detachment encourages an unselfish appreciation and enjoyment of nature without thought to its profit and exploitation. Buddhist views of nature can best be described in the words of Lily de Silva. She states that, he Buddhist admonition is to utilize nature in the same way as a bee collects pollen from a flower, neither polluting its beauty nor depleting its fragrance. Just as the bee manufactures honey out of pollen, so man should be able to find happiness without harming the natural world in which he lives.
Hinduism, like Buddhism, is also an environmentally sensitive philosophy. The Mahabharata, Ramayana, Vedas, and Upanishads contain the earliest messages for preservation of environment and ecological balance. Hopfre, Lewis M. (1994). Religions of the World (sixth edition). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Anderson, J. N. D. (1971). Christianity and Comparative Religion.
Dopwners Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press. Campbell, Joseph (1949 / 1968). The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Carmody, Denise Lardner and John Tully Eds. (1992).
The Range of Religion: An Introductory Reader. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.
Free research essays on topics related to: natural laws, eastern religions, physical environment, rituals, sacred
Research essay sample on Eastern Religions Natural Laws
