1. Confirmation ceremonies come at a critical time in the individual’s life, representing the beginning of the transition from childhood to the responsibilities of adulthood. While in some ways childhood seems more “free” than adulthood because maturity brings with it responsibility to others, in fact, most teenagers will feel an increasing sense of independence and personal freedom as they get older. Therefore, it is important to convey a strong Christian message about what freedom means, the different types of freedom, and the pitfalls of too much (or the wrong kind of) freedom.Galatians 5:1, 13-18 encapsulates the Christian concept of freedom. In fact, Paul states, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Therefore, we can focus our attention on the core Christian value of freedom. Christ wants us to be free and urges us to always consider freedom as a fundamental goal. Freedom does not mean doing whatever we want, when we want it. On the contrary, what is often mistaken for freedom is really a form of spiritual or psychic slavery to desires, temptations, and sins.
Paul illustrates how there are many different types of freedom: there is the freedom from bondage to other human beings in any form:...
Judaism is a religion of ethical monotheism, centered on the belief in an all-powerful and all-knowing God who created the universe and revealed his plan in the Tanakh (Bible), starting with the Torah (Pentateuch or first five books that are still attributed to Moses). In addition to the Written Torah, the Oral Torah of the rabbis, compiled in the first to sixth centuries AD, is also a vital part of
Western Religion In his book, "Western Ways of Being Religious," (Kessler, 1999) the author Gary E. Kessler identifies the theological, philosophical and societal ramifications of the evolution of religion in the West. Christianity, Judaism and Islam can be traced to a single origin but their divergence has been very marked. Kessler sets his thesis very early in the book. He avers that there are two approaches to religion. One is to
Much literary criticism assumes that the gospels are not necessarily historical or else it plays down theological or religious context. However, these assumptions are not inherent in the method; a well-crafted piece of historical writing also promotes certain ideological concerns in an artistic and aesthetically pleasing (Bloomberg)." Now that we have garnered a greater understanding of the climate of Israel at the time of Jesus Christ and the criticisms that
Justification by Faith in Romans Paul's Epistle to the Romans is not the only treatment of the concept of justification in the New Testament -- Paul discusses the concept in other letters as well -- but it is perhaps the most extensive. That is because the concept of justification by faith is central to Paul's overall argument in the Epistle to the Romans, and is thus introduced early in the letter,
Nor could a man repudiate the oath made by any of his female relatives." (Azeem, 1995) VI. The ROLE of the MOTHER Part two of the work entitled: "Women in Islam vs. Women in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition: The Myth and the Reality" states that in relation to 'mothers' from the viewpoint of the Old Testament, there are several commandments concerning the necessity for kind and considerate treatment of parents and a
, pp.69-70.] [5: Ibid., p.85.] The rather stern critique offered of Fee and Stuart herein should not indicate that this book is entirely without value, merely that its presentation in title and chapter headings is somewhat misleading. There is plenty of common sense in what Fee and Stuart are doing here, but the difficulty is that very often an intelligent decision on their part is mingled with an overall failure to
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