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    Understanding Why We Believe What We Believe
    Understanding Why We Believe What We Believe
    Understanding Why We Believe What We Believe
    Ebook142 pages1 hour

    Understanding Why We Believe What We Believe

    By Ken Kapreilian

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    About this ebook

    This is the collegiate edition for 2019 and has been approved for use in the Emeritus program at College of Marin. Ken is teaching on a topic that is of vital importance in the world today; Exploring the Relationship between Theology and Society. A person’s understanding of why they believe what they believe is directly relate how they see the world. This book has been written to help you explore this very fascinating topic. After reading this book, you will have an excellent understanding of why you believe what you believe.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLulu.com
    Release dateMar 27, 2019
    ISBN9780359220427
    Understanding Why We Believe What We Believe

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      Book preview

      Understanding Why We Believe What We Believe - Ken Kapreilian

      Understanding Why We Believe What We Believe

      Understanding Why We Believe What We Believe

      Ken Kapreilian

      Copyright © 2019 Ken Kapreilian. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced without prior written permission from the author.

      ISBN: 978-0-359-22042-7

      Introduction

      For many people, their religious beliefs are very strongly influenced by the beliefs they were exposed to in their home. So then, by extension, we come to understand that if they were raised in a Catholic home, then they believe the Catholic perspective. If they were raised in an Orthodox home then they believe the Orthodox perspective. If they were raised in a Protestant home, then they believe the Protestant perspective.  If they were raised in a Jewish home, then they believe the Jewish perspective. Also we must dig deeper to really understand their belief regarding God and the Bible. This is done by asking the following questions;

      Do you believe in God?

      What exactly do you believe about God?

      Do you believe in Jesus?

      What exactly do you believe about Jesus?

      Do you believe in the Bible?

      What exactly do you believe about the Bible?

      Do you believe in eternal life?

      What exactly do you believe about eternal life?

      By asking these eight questions and then exploring the answers, we are able to gain an understanding into why a person believes what they believe. I feel these questions can serve as a basis for determining the spiritual level of an individual and then by extension a group of people or a congregation. Here are the biblical responses to questions 2, 4, 6 and 8.

      And God said unto Moses,

      I Am That I Am

      : and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,

      I Am

      hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14)

      Allscriptureisgiven by inspiration of God, andisprofitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16)

      And a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him. (Matthew 3:17)

      That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but haveeternallife. (John 3:15)

      The Biblical responses are listed above as a reference.

      Atë, Goddess of Delusion and Ruin, daughter of Strife and Zeus

      What About Other Perspectives?

      Other perspectives include the possibility that a person was raised in a home that did not have a belief in a monotheistic religion.  As such, they may revert to a belief in Greek mythology and polytheism.

      In Greek dia-ballein, means to cast apart, to scatter. The great sign of the demonic is scattering. God is a gathering force. When community forms, that is a sign of the Holy Spirit. The scattering, that's the darker powers. When families, when communities, when cultures are divided that is the dark power. The other great name is satanas, the accuser. Demonic power is accusation, gossip, slander. The Holy Spirit lifts up with truth. Satan is the father of lies. Robert Barron

      Lytras nikiforos antigone polynices.jpeg

      (Antigone in front of the dead Polynices)

      The gods are deaf when we pray to them, their fire, Recoils from our offering, their birds of omen have no cry of comfort, for they are gorged with the thick blood of the dead.   O my son, these are no trifles!  Think.  All men make mistakes, But a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong,  and repairs the evil.  The only real crime is pride.

      Sophocles, Antigone

      We are warned against sharing in her sins and in her punishment;—against being found, when the end comes, mere children of this world and of its great cities; with tastes, opinions, habits, such as are found in its cities; with a heart dependent on human society, and a reason moulded by it;—against finding ourselves at the last day, before our Judge, with all the low feelings, principles, and aims which the world encourages; with our thoughts wandering, wandering after vanities; with thoughts which rise no higher than the consideration of our own comforts, or our gains; an admiration of the splendor and the fashions of the world, an affectation of refinement, an habitual self-esteem, and an utter ignorance of the number and the heinousness of the sins which lie against us.

      John Henry Newman,  The City of Antichrist

      The following painting is the artist depiction of scripture from Matthew 6:24.

      No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

      Morgan mammon

      In the painting, the woman clutches desperately at the knee of the statue, yearning up into its face, which stares down at her remorselessly. The statue holds out a bag of gold, but the woman ignores the money. She has moved beyond the love of money, to the love of Mammon himself. And so she has cut herself off from the love of God, embracing her own destruction. Museum catalogue, Mammon the God of Worldliness

      Now, do you believe that the one thing you really desire is just on the other side of what you fear? Is your fear related to having to choose which master to serve?  If so, then are you willing to confront your fear? 

      You fear the judgment of men about you. What will you think of it on your deathbed? The hour must come, sooner or later. What will you then think of the esteem of the world? Then how vain will appear the applause or blame of creatures such as we are, all sinners and blind judges, and themselves destined to be judged for their deeds. When, then, you are tempted to dread the ridicule of man, throw your mind forward to the hour of death. You know what you will then think of it. J. H. Newman

      While is understood that you cannot overcome the Devil (the great deceiver),

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