I am writing this on Good Friday, the day when people of the Christian faith celebrate the crucifixion of Jesus. My understanding of what Christians believe is that Jesus was crucified on the cross, where he died for all humankind to save us all from our sins. They believe that Jesus rose from the dead three days later as a symbol of the eternal life which all those who believe
Last week my blog was about embracing Islam, and some of the parallels between Islam and modern spiritual teachings. I mentioned that, according to Eren Tatari, who wrote one of the books I was studying, there has been too much emphasis on the practice and jurisprudence of Islam and not enough on the faith. I know that everything happens in divine order, so I knew that it was no coincidence
Like me, you may have only thought of Islam as a religion filled with rituals and rules. Perhaps, like me, you found it hard to understand how a Muslim could have a personal spiritual experience in the midst of so many rigorous practices. Perhaps, instead, you imagined every Muslim to be just like the many extremist “Islamists” we hear about in the media involved in brutality and terrorist activities. It
It is with much trepidation that I start this week’s blog. If you have been reading my blogs for a while, you will know that I often get my inspiration from songs. Two nights ago, my husband was trying out a new MP3 player he bought, when he discovered that it had two songs already recorded on it. He was thrilled to find that one of those songs was a
As I mentioned last week, I have been studying Feminist Theology. I gave some examples of the way in which Christian and Islamic texts have been used to subjugate women, and called for people of all faiths to stand up against oppression of and violence against women wherever they see it. I also said that, together, man and woman can create Heaven on Earth. I found that, shortly after writing
I started a new course this week at AIHT (American Institute of Holistic Theology) called Feminist Theology. I was speaking about it in my French class, and the teacher asked me why I wanted to do that course. I told her, as best I could in my limited French, that my reason was because there are lots of women living under oppression. I explained that the book I am reading
During my studies of other religions, particularly Islam, I have been reading about the history of nations and societies. In the process, I have come to consider the freedoms which we sometimes take for granted in this country, Australia, and without which life could be less than fulfilling, or perhaps even miserable. As I considered all of our freedoms, I wondered firstly how much do we really appreciate
My recent Chaplaincy course caused me to consider the differences between the various religions, which has led me to ponder the differences between all of the cultures of the world, and the billions of individual humans which constitute those cultures. With so many different influences on our lives, it is no surprise that the differences between individuals of one culture or religion, and those of another, appear to be vast. And yet,
As often happens, my blog this week is inspired by a song (Heaven Is A Place On Earth, written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, and recorded by Belinda Carlisle). When I woke up with the song playing in my head, I thought this could be the subject of this week’s blog. When I heard it a little while later on the radio, I knew it was confirmation. I knew
In last week’s blog I wrote about redeveloping our abilities to follow our inner guidance. I would love it if everyone could learn to do this, because I know that it would make for happier and healthier lives for everyone. What we have to understand, though, is that if everyone is following their inner guidance, it doesn’t mean that everyone will automatically start thinking as we think, and believing as