Sikh simply means "seeker of truth."
"Who am I, and what am I here for?"
'the Sikh way of life offers a down-to-earth spiritual path for every-day people.'
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Scientology
http://www.scientology.org/
Scientology is a twenty-first-century religion.
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by author L. Ron Hubbard (1911–1986), starting in 1952.
Hubbard characterized Scientology as a religion , and in 1953 incorporated the Church of Scientology in New Jersey.
Scientology teaches that people are immortal beings who have forgotten their true nature
Its method of spiritual rehabilitation is a type of counseling known as auditing, in which practitioners aim to consciously re-experience painful or traumatic events in their past in order to free themselves of their limiting effects.
Study materials and auditing courses are made available to members in return for specified donations.
In other countries, notably France, Germany and the United Kingdom, Scientology does not have comparable religious status.
8 Dynamics:
Today, Scientology operates eight churches that are designated Celebrity Centers, the largest of these being the one in Hollywood.
Celebrity Centers are open to the general public, but are primarily designed to minister to celebrity Scientologists.
Entertainers such as John Travolta, Tom Cruise and Kirstie Alley have generated considerable publicity for Scientology.
Top Twenty Religions in the United States, 2001
Scientology is a twenty-first-century religion.
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by author L. Ron Hubbard (1911–1986), starting in 1952.
Hubbard characterized Scientology as a religion , and in 1953 incorporated the Church of Scientology in New Jersey.
Scientology teaches that people are immortal beings who have forgotten their true nature
Its method of spiritual rehabilitation is a type of counseling known as auditing, in which practitioners aim to consciously re-experience painful or traumatic events in their past in order to free themselves of their limiting effects.
Study materials and auditing courses are made available to members in return for specified donations.
In other countries, notably France, Germany and the United Kingdom, Scientology does not have comparable religious status.
8 Dynamics:
- Self - survive as an individual
- Creativity - making things for the future
- Group Survival - survive as a group
- Species - survival through mankind
- Life forms
- Physical Universe - matter, energy, space and time
- Spiritual
- Infinity - is also commonly called God, the supreme, Being or Creator.
Today, Scientology operates eight churches that are designated Celebrity Centers, the largest of these being the one in Hollywood.
Celebrity Centers are open to the general public, but are primarily designed to minister to celebrity Scientologists.
Entertainers such as John Travolta, Tom Cruise and Kirstie Alley have generated considerable publicity for Scientology.
Top Twenty Religions in the United States, 2001
(self-identification, ARIS)
| Religion | 1990 Est. Adult Pop. | 2001 Est. ADULT Pop. | 2004 Est. Total Pop. | % of U.S. Pop., 2000 | % Change 1990 - 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christianity | 151,225,000 | 159,030,000 | 224,437,959 | 76.5% | +5% |
| Nonreligious/Secular | 13,116,000 | 27,539,000 | 38,865,604 | 13.2% | +110% |
| Judaism | 3,137,000 | 2,831,000 | 3,995,371 | 1.3% | -10% |
| Islam | 527,000 | 1,104,000 | 1,558,068 | 0.5% | +109% |
| Buddhism | 401,000 | 1,082,000 | 1,527,019 | 0.5% | +170% |
| Agnostic | 1,186,000 | 991,000 | 1,398,592 | 0.5% | -16% |
| Atheist | 902,000 | 1,272,986 | 0.4% | ||
| Hinduism | 227,000 | 766,000 | 1,081,051 | 0.4% | +237% |
| Unitarian Universalist | 502,000 | 629,000 | 887,703 | 0.3% | +25% |
| Wiccan/Pagan/Druid | 307,000 | 433,267 | 0.1% | ||
| Spiritualist | 116,000 | 163,710 | 0.05% | ||
| Native American Religion | 47,000 | 103,000 | 145,363 | 0.05% | +119% |
| Baha'i | 28,000 | 84,000 | 118,549 | 0.04% | +200% |
| New Age | 20,000 | 68,000 | 95,968 | 0.03% | +240% |
| Sikhism | 13,000 | 57,000 | 80,444 | 0.03% | +338% |
| Scientology | 45,000 | 55,000 | 77,621 | 0.02% | +22% |
| Humanist | 29,000 | 49,000 | 69,153 | 0.02% | +69% |
| Deity (Deist) | 6,000 | 49,000 | 69,153 | 0.02% | +717% |
| Taoist | 23,000 | 40,000 | 56,452 | 0.02% | +74% |
| Eckankar | 18,000 | 26,000 | 36,694 | 0.01% | +44% |
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
Lutherans come from European followers of Martin Luther, a German theologian who taught closer following of the bible than the Roman Catholic church was doing back in the 1500's. Coming from many different, predominantly Scandinavian, countries when they first settled in America there were many different branches seperated by language. Over time as they became 3rd and 4th generation immigrants English became the language of worship and so different congregations would gather and form 'synods' or church bodies and eventually all come together under three main bodies, Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The later is the largest and made up of a combination of The American Lutheran Church, The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and The Lutheran Church in America. In this way Lutherans seem to be working counter to most other Christian groups in that they are joining forces and solidifying whereas most others splinter off into multiple sects.
Lutherans have three core beliefs at the centre of their faith, these are:
We are saved by the grace of God alone -- not by anything we do;
Our salvation is through faith alone -- a confident trust in God, who in Christ promises us forgiveness, life and salvation; and
The Bible is the norm for faith and life -- the true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged.
So they are a mainline Protestant denomination that adhere to the Bible and its teachings but their focus is very much on helping their neighbor and not judging other peoples views. Though they discourage it they accept that in certain circumstances abortion can be morally responsible and they have a positive stance on openly gay clergymen. This gives them a very moderate-liberal stance which is not something other Lutheran groups share being as they are reasonably conservative.
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Mormons
http://mormon.org/
The religious group i chose to focus on are the Mormons. This is because the majority of settled European Americans would have been Protestant, Catholic, Jewish etc hence religions which were brought over and carried on in America and not started there. The Mormon religion or Latter Day Saint movement was founded by an American named Joseph Smith Jr. in the 1820's, in western New York.
Although the roots of this religion are rather strange as are most religions in my opinion what makes it kep to America is the fact that the 'visions' which Smith recalled were of Jesus in the America's and also portrays the indigenous peoples of the Americas as Israelites. He also claims to have translated these stories from golden plates.
The headquarters are in Salt lake City, Utah.
This religion was able to flourish to gain over 14 million worldwide followers and this may be due in part because it was started in America, a place where any religion is free to be practiced. It may not have been as prosperous in a Christian dominated Europe.
This church also pratices plural marriage which is not legal in America but is a part of their faith. Another factor is that 10% of a followers income goes straight to the church much like how taxes go to the government. This is not only true of the Mormons but also other new fledgling religions such as Scientology.
The religious group i chose to focus on are the Mormons. This is because the majority of settled European Americans would have been Protestant, Catholic, Jewish etc hence religions which were brought over and carried on in America and not started there. The Mormon religion or Latter Day Saint movement was founded by an American named Joseph Smith Jr. in the 1820's, in western New York.
Although the roots of this religion are rather strange as are most religions in my opinion what makes it kep to America is the fact that the 'visions' which Smith recalled were of Jesus in the America's and also portrays the indigenous peoples of the Americas as Israelites. He also claims to have translated these stories from golden plates.
The headquarters are in Salt lake City, Utah.
This religion was able to flourish to gain over 14 million worldwide followers and this may be due in part because it was started in America, a place where any religion is free to be practiced. It may not have been as prosperous in a Christian dominated Europe.
This church also pratices plural marriage which is not legal in America but is a part of their faith. Another factor is that 10% of a followers income goes straight to the church much like how taxes go to the government. This is not only true of the Mormons but also other new fledgling religions such as Scientology.
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