Lory Ice Religions of the WorldJournal 1 DATE @ & Essays - Religion

Lory Ice Religions of the WorldJournal 1 DATE \@ MMMM d, y January 15, 2017 I, Lory Ice, have read and understand the Religions of the World syllabus for this course. I understand that I am responsible for abiding by all policies outlined and described in the document. I understand that I am responsible for abiding by any and all policies for attendance, participation, and grading as outlined in the syllabus.I decided to take Religions of the World because I believe every student should be required to take some sort of a religion course during their undergraduate career. I feel like the skills that you would learn from studying religion could be valuable in everyday life. When taking a class like Religions of the World, one will not only gain a deeper understanding of their own religion, but also learn how to set aside their own beliefs and open themselves up to studying religions that are not their own, allowing you to relate to various people and cultures from a purely objective point of view. I believe this will be a facilitating and very enlightening course to study.As for myself, I grew up without being raised in church. I did however have a vague belief in God from growing up hearing bits and pieces about Him, and Jesus Christ. My mother had more of a religious view on life, where as my father had more of an agnostic view. We never really spoke about religion, but my mother would say things from time like, " Look at how beautiful God has made the world around us." I would just get this warm feeling when she spoke of these things, but I never really investigated or searched for God. I guess I just never really thought about that sort of thing. I was young and caught up in things like, the newest hairstyles and fashion trends.It wasn't until I became pregnant with my first child that I would feel Gods presence for the first time. I was nineteen years old, pregnant with my first child, and having to raise him on my own with no help from t he father. It was the scariest and most stressful thing I had ever had to deal with in my life. While I was trying to get a handle on the stress and emotions of my pregnancy, I felt this overwhelming urge to draw closer to God. Something about motherhood makes a woman really reflect on who she is and who she wants to be. I knew my future child would need a Godly mother, I also knew I fell far from that mark. This caused me to spend a lot of time reflecting on the characteristics of a Godly woman and how to become one. So I turned to church and tried to find answers to my many questions. I went to a few different churches, but was unsure of which church was the right church for me. I didn't want to end up going to the "wrong one." The thought of studying the wrong religion scared me, so I began to read about various religions, and leaders. All which claimed to have the "right" answers. The story, or rather myth, of Jesus Christ spoke to me in a way that the others did not. I was stil l, and to this day am still, wary of attending church. So I decided to buy a NIV Bible. I just read it myself, and tried to gain a better understanding of how to become a Godly woman. I am still to this day on my spiritual journey, and trying to figure it all out, by it I mean the truth. I'm taking it all one day at a time. Hence what sparked my interest in taking this class. I suppose however if someone asked me what religious group I belonged to, I would identify as a Christian. After reading the assigned chapters, I learned about two different groups and theories of religion. One group of people focused on the unique aspects of human culture to relate to supernatural beings, dentists, and forces. The other group focused on how religion functioned in its surrounding society. I also learned