Religion: A Personal Perspective

Conversations at the dinner table, over social media, and posts in my other classes have profoundly changed since enrolling in this Religion course. Conversations during this course with focuses such as; what is religion? ; are all religions the same deep down? ; What is real? ; What is the role of escape in religion? How does the physical impact religion? , have all raised cognizance of the immense differences and commonalities in beliefs across major religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. I have become more comfortable, since I have gained basic awareness of the foundations of each of these religions and have found that my chats are more in depth in regards to other religions, and I have even marveled at myself during conversations because of the knowledge that I have gained. My life and discussion topics and furthermore, my input on other peoples discussions will never be the same again.

The question “What is religion” was the first eye opener for me. I automatically gravitated toward a textbook definition, almost fearful of having an opinion or thought of my own of this subject. I searched Google for many definitions, and others opinions to reference. At the time, I was not fully aware of the journey my mind was about to take. My answer to this question and the “link back” reference has come up in recent talks that I have had over Facebook. There is a saying that I have heard a lot over the past year or so, since a popular you tube video was released about Hating religion and loving Jesus. This topic seemed to take widespread over social media, and I had been guilty of saying the same thing. This was my view when I enrolled in this class; however since then I have changed my opinion. I no l...

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... since the beginning of this class. My ability to discuss what I believe, and understanding of what others believe, on the other hand, has. I now have a broader perspective of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. I now have the basic knowledge, to understand current events in other countries where religion is involved, have a tender heart towards others belief while not thinking my way is superior, rather we all have important input, and all points are valid. My conversations have elevated. Talks have gone from ones of preconception to ones of facts. This has opened doors of friendship, and understanding that I would have never experienced if I hadn’t chosen to take this course. The benefits outweigh the out of the box thinking this class requires. I have learned to form my words in a way that is not offensive to anyone regardless of their belief.