My Midterm

Question #8 – Which Religion did I find most appealing this semester.

Of all the religions we studied this semester (Eastern and Western) which one do you find most appealing to you (outside of your own religious tradition)?

Answer:

After reflecting on each of the religions we have studied thus far, outside of my own religious tradition, I like Judaism best. The most appealing aspect of their faith has to be in their constant quest for meaning. They found meaning in all sorts of components of life, from their current existence, to their past history, even within the events of life that they were currently going through (happiness, joy, suffering and even exile) thus encompassing all of life. Life is way too complicated to not have any significance. It was this significance and the mission they were tasked with that helped make sense out of life. When I reflect on it, I too have hope for what life is communicating to me.

One of the key to the Jewish people was their acceptance of a Supreme God. Without this single supreme God, focus would be significantly reduced. The character of God described by the Jewish people was one that appeals me as well Here we have a God who loves them enough to guide them, allow them to choose, allow them to fail and still welcome them back. I myself fail quite often and would certainly like this form of undeserved favor as well.

God’s mandate to take “dominion” also makes sense to me. I see “dominion” as written in the Bible as the task of stewarding what he gave us responsibly. Too often we as humans fail in our stewardship rolls. Often all we do is just take over things, like natural resources (air, water, soil, natural substances.) We often fail to properly steward things, instead we destroy what we were to be responsible for (i.e. polluting the air, water, etc...) If only we could re-focus ourselves on the responsibilities of proper stewardship (“dominion”) then we may be able to leave a world in a better place than when we started.

The concept of learning from the past and seeing how God’s hand was at work all along even though it may not have been something we wanted (for instance the long periods of suffering and exile for the Jews), was something we needed to train or prepare us. To further this concept and add that God in control of everything, even though we have free choice is mind boggling. This ties back to God training and preparing us for something in the future and not wasting anything we do.
Most impressive are the ten commandments God handed down to Moses. These simple ten rules, when put into practice really show how we should interact with each other. When I follow them, I can be assured to not pass beyond any ethical boundaries. It is surprising that there are many who wish to see images / objects / pictures of these removed from United States Courtrooms.

Rituals are very interesting and if one is not careful they can be very meaningless or boring and uneventful. Rituals however, when practiced with a spirit of hallowing life or hallowing its creator can help shift ones focus and become instead a form of worship.

Finally I liked their humility the Jews showed in accepting the responsibility that God had bestowed upon them, to be his chosen people, an example of interaction with God for others to see and become interested in. Because of this they imposed a far more demanding morality on themselves than that of any of their peers. They felt their experiences brought them a better understanding of God’s elevated place among them and their neighbors, and brought about standards of justice and morality. The lasting impact on this still continues to challenge our world today.