... that will set you free from worry. Don't chase after the past, Don't seek the future; The past is gone The future hasn't come But see clearly on the spot That object which is now, While finding and living in A still, unmoving state of mind. This focus on the present is the beginning of the path to enlightenment which is comfort through understanding. When you are able to keep your mind focused on the present in a ‘still, unmoving state of mind' you have reached enlightenment, where you will be beyond all emotion including suffering and worry. Jesus: That is not so. A search for the entire true of life can never make you content in your ...

... pilgrimages as a penance" (Campbell p.14). A pilgrimage to the Holy Land was not an easy task to say the least. The road to Jerusalem was jagged. On the way to Jerusalem, pilgrims were often murdered by thieves. They were defenseless and often did not return. Some pilgrims did return from the Holy Land. They came back with tales that planted the seeds for a Crusade. "The pilgrims that returned from the Holy City of Jerusalem recounted tales, often grossly exaggerated, of the horrible pollution of the sacred places at the hands of the Turks" (Campbell p23). Other stories of the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the burial place of Jesus, by the ...

... regions and tribes across North America. Two of these widespread rituals are the ritual of the "sacred pipe," and sweat lodge ceremonials. The sacred pipe ritual is loaded with symbolic meaning, and offers a generous insight into Native American belief systems. This essay will first look at the dynamics of the sacred pipe ritual and offer some explanation into its religious significance, then draw some parallels to the more common sweat lodge ceremony. If a recurring spiritual theme appears in separate rituals, it can be considered evidence of a consistent, structured belief system. The use of smoking pipes in Native American cultures is a popular and very ...

... only itself as recognized by God. Joseph Smith founded the church in New York in 1830. He said that he had visions of God and other heavenly beings that told him to establish the restored Christian Church. He was "directed" to some thin metal plates that he translated into what is now called the book of Mormons. This book describes the history, wars, and religious beliefs of a group of people who migrated from Jerusalem to America. Smith attracted a small group of followers who settled in Kirtland, Ohio, and Jackson County, Missouri. Because of persecution, the church moved to northern Missouri, then to Nauvoo, Illinois. The people of Illinois welcomed the pe ...

... of the African-American and Latino-American is one still being sung in dirge today. The dynamics of North-American Catholicism are still being played out even on a global stage. What does the Roman papacy mean for North American’s Latino and African descended followers? What challenges do they face? What is the sense of groundedness, comfort, and community that bonds them? The end of the fifteenth and start of the sixteenth centuries ushered in the introduction of Christian-Trinitarian-monotheism to the Americans. Preachers and friars of Spain evangelized the scriptures and sacraments to the indigenous peoples. Yet, the central theme of Christ and the Tr ...

... to actually know what God wants from his followers, the Bible is one source that has been used as reference to determine superiority of genders in the church. "Jesus was a man who chose 12 male apostles to carry on his work, therefore only men could be priest" (Connel A1), is a common reference used to the scriptures found in the Bible. This attitude labeled tradition is still around today and is being taught today throughout the world, basically in the Roman Catholic religion. The Bible states "Let your women keep silent in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law" (I Co ...

... regulations. He must practice an attitude in which he is anxious to please women and true to his word. In addition, he must be in good physical condition, have earnest proportions, and be handsome. In regards to his "member," it must be of generous length and girth. Thus, being able to fill the female body completely. The actual length, any less would be inadequate, is the width of twelve fingers, or a hand and a half. Furthermore, the man must know how to hinder his release, and be able to grow stiff again. Consequently, if a man can satisfy all of these rules he will be truly desired by the opposite sex. When it comes to concerning women and their laws, ...

... religion gives its believers comfort that everything will be for the best (even after death), because everything that happens in this world is an expression of the intentions of a higher being. This comfort comes from the belief that if you worship this higher being you will be protected from the evils of this world (or the afterlife). "And God said to him, I am God, the Ruler of all: be fertile, and have increase; a nation, truly a group of nations, will come from you, and kings will be your offspring (Genesis 35:11)." In this verse of the Bible God entices his believers for the comfort of prosperity. Nonetheless, there still lies the question of the ex ...

... system that extends to every aspect of life. The Hindus own definition of their community is "those who believe in Vedas." History/Origin The practices and beliefs of Hinduism cannot be understood without knowing the background. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, it dates back more than 3,000 years. Hinduism is unique in the fact that it has no founder. Its origins are lost in a very distant past. In 1500 BC the Indo-Aryan tribes invaded India and took over the Mahenjo-daro. From the combination of these two tribes came the worship of goddesses. The Hindus started practices such as bathing in temple tanks and the postures of yoga. Soon gods of wa ...

... appeared to Semele and told her to ask Zeus to appear to her in his divine form. When Zeus obliged, Semele was immediately consumed in flames, for no mortal can look upon a god in his natural state. However, Zeus saved the unborn Dionysus by sewing him up in his thigh, thus incubating him. What happened next is different in every story. Some myths say he lived with a king and queen loyal to Zeus until Hera discovered him, and, in a jealous rage, warped their brains. In this version of the story, Dionysus was turned into a goat by his father in an attempt to hide him from Hera; from then on he had small horns on his head. After he was safe, he went to live wi ...