Comparative Religions – Christianity 4

In a way, Unity is regarded a ‘protestant movement’ because it finds its roots partly in Christianity. Unity’s forefathers, the Fillmores, created the Unity Movement combining the theology of different Christian, Jewish, Arabic and Eastern traditions.

So I started a series on introducing different faiths and traditions to show you how Unity embraces them all in a way that it can provide a home for anyone regardless of beliefs, culture, religion, race, etc.

INTRODUCTION
These are many different approaches to the Oneness with God or the Divine Presence, don’t let words mislead you! Everyone is right! All faith and spiritual movements, religions included, were created by a group who were in search for God following the example of someone inspiring.

We must always remember that everyone is in search for God in their own way. It is because what we call God is an energy source that is pure Love and Compassion amongst many other wonderful qualities.

Everyone wants to be Loved unconditionally, however, that kind of Love only exists in the realm of the Spiritual. No human being can love another person unconditionally. It is because of our own personal limitations and karma (issues to learn or let go of). Our vision is blurred by these therefor we cannot see anyone in their purity of Spirit.

What we can do is to have compassion; compassion for self and others, knowing that regardless how it may look, we are all in search for our best selves and for God’s Living Loving Spark within.

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It is important to mention, that one of the most relevant element of Gnostic Christianity to Unity is that in philosophical thought, logos (“word”) was the principle of rationality that connected the highest god to the material world. In Unity, you will find that we place emphases on the words we use. We create positive affirmations and so-called denials to elevate  our consciousness.

Personally, among all Christian traditions, I feel the closest to Gnostic Christianity. I highlighted parts of the text below that felt meaningful to me.

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Antient Christianity – The Gnostics 

Gnostics: those who embody the highest ethical and spiritual values, such as temperance, diligence, humility, chastity, generosity, etc. and who can at will have personal experience with divinity.

Continue reading Comparative Religions – Christianity 4

Comparative Religions – Christianity 3

In a way, Unity is regarded a ‘protestant movement’ because it finds its roots partly in Christianity. Unity’s forefathers, the Fillmores, created the Unity Movement combining different the theology of different Christian and Eastern traditions. 

So I started  a series on introducing different faiths and traditions to show you how Unity embraces them all in a way that it can provide a home for anyone regardless of beliefs, culture, religion, race, etc.

 

I found this fascinating and rather thorough article on the Protestant Churches. I hope you find it revealing!

 

Christianity was born out of the teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. More specifically, his disciples began to spread The Gospel, or ”good news,” of Jesus after Jesus was crucified and resurrected. After Christianity had spread for centuries, Christians began to disagree on certain minute theological beliefs. These disagreements spawned different denominations or branches of Christianity. Each denomination slightly differs from the next based on each one’s theological beliefs. Such disagreements include different beliefs on baptism, the means of salvation, and God’s sovereignty.

The Protestant Churches

Protestantism was born in response to what many saw as the rigid teachings and traditions of Roman Catholicism. The spark that began the Protestant flame was Martin Luther’s “95 Theses,” critiquing the legalism within the Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther was a monk who had extensively studied the Bible and Christian tradition. In his view, Roman Catholicism was the antithesis of Christ’s teachings of salvation through grace alone because Roman Catholic church leaders were selling indulgences as absolution to sin. In addition, Luther believed that Roman Catholic leaders were abusing their power and that they had lost focus on the gospel of Christ. After Martin Luther tacked his “95 Theses” on the door of the Wittenberg Castle church, Catholicism would be permanently divided.

Source

Continue reading Comparative Religions – Christianity 3

UNITY and Christianity

I created this document as part of my Unity Ministerial training. I read Rev Roach’s book and made notes on my observations on how the 5 Principles of Unity is compared to the theology of the main stream Christian Churches. 

Notes

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31

This chapter seeks to understand Christianity and Jesus through the lens of Unity’s five principles. Rev Roach looks at how each Unity’s principle understands or differs from the traditional Christian perspective.

As part of Christian history, it was interesting to learn that only 4 of the original 45 gospels made it to the final version of the New Testament and by 325 A.C. Jesus was clamed to be fully God and fully human by the Council of Nicaea. After the Great Schism in 1045 which was mostly about the disagreement on the Holy Trinity, the Christian churches shattered into numerous divisions in 1517 when Marin Luther placed the 95 Thesis on the church door of Wittenberg. Part of this thesis was about the nature of Jesus.

Continue reading UNITY and Christianity

Comparative Religions – Christianity 2

INTRODUCTION

These are many different approaches to the Oneness with God or the Divine Presence, don’t let words mislead you! Everyone is right! All faith and spiritual movements, religions included, were created by a group who were in search for God following the example of someone inspiring.

We must always remember that everyone is in search for God in their own way. It is because what we call God is an energy source that is pure Love and Compassion amongst many other wonderful qualities.

Everyone wants to be Loved unconditionally, however, that kind of Love only exists in the realm of the Spiritual. No human being can love another person unconditionally. It is because of our own personal limitations and karma (issues to learn or let go of). Our vision is blurred by these therefor we cannot see anyone in their purity of Spirit.  

What we can do is to have compassion; compassion for self and others, knowing that regardless how it may look, we are all in search for our best selves and for God’s Living Loving Spark within.

Because the Unity Movement finds its roots in Christianity I decided to start investigating different aspects of Christianity and see how relevant they are to Unity today.

We have just celebrated Orthodox Easter. I have been investigating the differences between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.I found this amazing article. I have copied out some of the article that I found interesting. You can read the entire article HERE (CLICK)

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ORTHODOX AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES

Continue reading Comparative Religions – Christianity 2

Comparative Religions – Christianity 1

These are many different approaches to the Oneness with God or the Divine Presence, don’t let words mislead you! Everyone is right! All faith and spiritual movements, religions included, were created by a group who were in search for God following the example of someone inspiring.

We must always remember that everyone is in search for God in their own way. It is because what we call God is an energy source that is pure Love and Compassion amongst many other wonderful qualities.

Everyone wants to be Loved unconditionally, however, that kind of Love only exists in the realm of the Spiritual. No human being can love another person unconditionally. It is because of our own personal limitations and karma (issues to learn or let go of). Our vision is blurred by these therefor we cannot see anyone in their purity of Spirit.  

What we can do is to have compassion; compassion for self and others, knowing that regardless how it may look, we are all in search for our best selves and for God’s Living Loving Spark within.

Because the Unity Movement finds its roots in Christianity I decided to start investigating different aspects of Christianity and see how relevant they are to Unity today.

Eastern Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic

Modernly, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches remain separated with key doctrinal differences between them. The primary theological difference is that the Catholic Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father to Jesus Christ the Son, and the Orthodox Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds only from God the Father. The second major theological difference is that the Catholic Church believes the Pope has supreme authority over the Christian faith, while the modern Orthodox Church has no doctrinal authority. Aside from these key theological differences, modern religious practices and beliefs vary between the two churches. For example, the Orthodox Church allows for divorce, while the Catholic Church does not.

The primary organizational difference between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches is the question of Papal Primacy. The Catholic Church believes that the Pope is the bishop of Rome and heads the Catholic Church. Papal Primacy is a doctrinal belief concerning the respect and authority that all Catholics and members of the Catholic Church must afford the Pope due to the belief that he has primacy jurisdiction over the governance of the church.

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Continue reading Comparative Religions – Christianity 1

Orthodox vs Catholic Easter

This weekend we are celebrating the Orthodox Easter. It is another Holy Celebration that gives us the opportunity to turn within and connect with the Divine Presence.

Every celebration and rituals regardless of the religion or spiritual path give us the opportunity to lift ourselves higher, release and let go of limitations that do not serve us any longer.  the Orthodox Easter is no exception.

First, I  was interested in finding out more about the differences between the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches. See my findings further below.

The Orthodox Easter

How can you use this celebration for your upliftment and growth?

Known as Pascha, the Greek word for “passover,” Easter in the Orthodox Church celebrates “the eternal Passover from death to life from earth heaven.” Great Lent, the church’s strictest time of fasting, takes place for 40 days, ending eight days before Easter on Lazarus Saturday—when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, according to Eastern orthodoxy. Palm Sunday and Holy Week follow, with continued fasting until Easter. Orthodox Easter always follows the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Raising Lazarus from the dead. I would like to invite you to contemplate on the metaphysical meaning of ‘raising the dead’ or ‘being risen from the dead’. What does it mean to you? How do you see that being applied to your own life? What do you think you can do to ‘raise yourself from dead’?

I am looking forward to your answers! 🙂

What are Orthodox Easter traditions?

Going to church is obviously an important part of the celebrations and important services start from Good Friday.

The most important prayers are in the early hours of Easter Sunday when celebrations begin, church bells ring and fireworks and crackers go off to mark Christ’s resurrection.

After the fasting of Lent, traditions often revolve around food.

In Greece, Orthodox Christians traditionally eat roasted lamb on a barbecue spit and Tsoureki, a sweet Easter bread.

They also break their fast with a traditional soup called Magiritsa, which is made of lamb, rice and dill before the main feasting begins on Sunday.

Serbian Orthodox families traditionally enjoy appetizers of smoked meats and cheeses, boiled eggs and red wine. The Easter meal consists of chicken noodle or lamb and vegetable soup followed by spit-roasted lamb.

In Russia Orthodox Christians break their fast with a traditional Paskha Easter cake.

As in the western Church, eggs are a symbol of Easter and of new life. At Easter, eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for the redemption of all men.

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What do you think about trying some of the traditions? I find that practicing rituals offered by different faith help me stay open and accepting towards others’ ideas, thinking, beliefs or even ideology. What do you think? 

Eastern or Orthodox Church traditions revolve around food and feeding so I will check out and see if I can make a Paskha Easter cake 🙂

 

 

Some interesting information

Major Differences in the Orthodox vs. Catholic Churches

Modernly, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches remain separated with key doctrinal differences between them. The primary theological difference is that the Catholic Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father to Jesus Christ the Son, and the Orthodox Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds only from God the Father. The second major theological difference is that the Catholic Church believes the Pope has supreme authority over the Christian faith, while the modern Orthodox Church has no doctrinal authority. Aside from these key theological differences, modern religious practices and beliefs vary between the two churches. For example, the Orthodox Church allows for divorce, while the Catholic Church does not.

source

Easter

According to the Bible’s New Testament, Jesus Christ was crucified by the Romans around A.D. 30, died on the cross on a Friday and was buried in a tomb outside of Jerusalem. Three days later, on Sunday, Christ rose from the dead, according to Matthew 28: 1–10

Non-Orthodox Christians celebrate the resurrection each year on Easter Sunday, the culmination of the 40-day season of Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Holy Week, which includes Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus’ humble entry into Jerusalem, Maundy Thursday, honoring the Last Supper, Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified and Holy Saturday, the time of transition between the crucifixion and resurrection.

Why Orthodox Easter and Easter Are on Different Days

Known as Pascha, the Greek word for “passover,” Easter in the Orthodox Church celebrates “the eternal Passover from death to life from earth heaven.” Great Lent, the church’s strictest time of fasting, takes place for 40 days, ending eight days before Easter on Lazarus Saturday—when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, according to Eastern orthodoxy. Palm Sunday and Holy Week follow, with continued fasting until Easter. Orthodox Easter always follows the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Many historians, citing 8th-century monk and Anglo-Saxon scholar the Venerable Bede in his “The Reckoning of Time,” believe Easter’s etymological name comes from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility, who was often portrayed in drawings surrounded by hares and was believed to be worshiped during pagan festivals. Anglo-Saxons also reportedly referred to the month of April as Eostre-monath.

Orthodox Christians, who believe faith is inseparable from the church, follow the Julian calendar when it comes to celebrating Easter Sunday. The Julian calendar was established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. and is based it on the solar cycle—Earth’s revolutions around the sun.

Orthodox Easter takes place between April 4 and May 8, following the first full moon after Passover. Orthodox Easter always falls after the Jewish celebration of Passover, because, according to the New Testament, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ took place after he entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. In 2024, Orthodox Easter occurs on May 5.

Georgian vs Julian Calendar

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII instituted the Gregorian calendar to correct inaccuracies in the Julian Calendar. The new calendar added leap years to correct an 11-minute miscalculation that caused seasons to become out of sync with the calendar, thus pushing Easter away from the spring equinox. Under the Gregorian calendar, churches established Easter to be held on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. In 2024, Easter is celebrated on March 31.

Much of the world came to officially recognize the Gregorian calendar, but Orthodox churches, primarily in Greece, Cyprus, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and others, continue to observe Easter according to the Julian calendar.

Source

To better understand this, one needs to go back to 325, the year in which the first Ecumenical council, was held in Nicaea and convened by Emperor Constantine. It was intended to unify the Eastern Churches and find points of agreement between the different rites. Convergences were found, but each community insisted on its calendar.

“The first thing that the council decided was not to align our celebration with the Jewish Passover,”

“The Jews follow the lunar calendar for their Passover. The idea is not to celebrate it simultaneously,” he added.

This principle is also applied by the Orthodox, with one key nuance: The celebration must always fall after the Jewish Passover, never before it. “In the Gospel, Christ is crucified at Passover and resurrected three days later. So it makes sense,”

The second rule that the Council established 1700 years ago is for all Christians not to celebrate Easter before March 22. That’s where the problem lies for Orthodox Christians this year: March 31, the date on which Catholic Easter falls, is March 18 in the Julian calendar. That means it falls before March 22. Hence, the Orthodox cannot celebrate Easter on that date, unless they break the rule decided at Nicaea (now Iznik, in Turkey).

Father Ibrahim Saad, representative of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Saida, Elias Kfoury, explained that “in this case, we move it for one month, using the following full moon as a basis.”

For 2024, Orthodox Easter is supposed to be set on April 28. So why is it on May 5 instead? Father Saad explained “We moved it because the Jewish Passover is celebrated until April 30,” recalling the first rule set by the Council.

“Several popes have called for Easter to be unified, and more and more people are in favor of that,” he said. To make such a change, many more ecumenical councils will be needed.

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