*This article is for educational purposes only.  Relate does not promote involvement in this religion.

When you walk in a church, and you see a Catholic Cross next to star of David, you have to ask yourself where you are.

You are probably standing in a Unitarian Universalist church, one of the freest religious institutions found in the world today.

In this church, you may have a devoted follower of Jesus on your right, and an atheist on your left, each freely worshiping what they believe in, yet still part of the same church.

How is this possible?

It’s simple; the concept of Unitarian Universalism is based on freedom. Each member of the church, no matter their background, past creed, or beliefs, has the freedom to find their personal truth and faith. The church does not advocate or condemn any belief on the matter of faith, and it’s simply unified by a committed search for spiritual growth. These liberal ideas have caused the church to become a center of cultural, and theological variety in each of its meetings.

Unitarian Church

The Unitarian Universalist churches hold Mass every Sunday. Worship usually begins with the lighting of the Flaming Chalice, the religious symbol of the church. The ritual is followed by vocal or instrumental music, meditation time, and a sermon about theology, holidays, or social issues.

What called my attention to this religion is its history of humanist effort. Ranging from the 1500′s with freedom of speech and religion, to the 1800′s with women’s rights, they have always promoted and fought for equality. Even today, the church does its best to support the acceptance of individuals into society, no matter what their race, background, or sexual inclination.

The members of the church voice their principles through parades, and ceremonies. Weddings, for instance, can be heterosexual or same-sex, even in states in which they are not legally recognized.

Furthermore, the church promotes environmental improvement through ecology-based worship and religious education. Since 2002, fifty-nine Unitarian Universalist congregations have been accredited as Green Sanctuaries in recognition of their environmental achievements.

While many people appreciate the achievements of the church, some dislike its lack of structure. Many criticize the church’s lack of formal creed, and its need to borrow rituals from other religions. In spite of this, I value this religion for nurturing a place of liberty and equality in such an exclusive world as ours. Through all of its work, Unitarian Universalism has shown to be a religion that celebrates the earth, freedom, and the united journey to the truth.

Picture Credits:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://changemyworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/coexist-1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://changemyworld.wordpress.com/2009/01/&usg=__jPlvQLtwVeFZW-QytL6JusvzE1A=&h=393&w=1355&sz=51&hl=en&start=117&tbnid=N0eBMPsToyDvRM:&tbnh=52&tbnw=181&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dunitarian%2Buniversalism%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1249%26bih%3D590%26tbs%3Disch:10,2990&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=240&vpy=150&dur=44&hovh=121&hovw=417&tx=248&ty=85&ei=GA1KTMz2FsfLnAet7LXkDQ&page=7&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:117&biw=1249&bih=590

http://www.uua.org/visitors/worship/index.shtml

** This is for informational purposes only.  Relate is a Christian based site**

By: DeAnna Britton

Buddha Statue

http://sribuddha.magnify.net

I never had a religion. My parents decided it was best if I chose my own. I didn’t grow up knowing anything about the Bible except that there was a Bible and it held the teachings of God and the story of Jesus Christ. I never even thought of looking into a religion either, I figured I made it this far without it, why would I need it? Then I reached a point in my life where I felt lost and disconnected. In the mist of confusion and feeling ignorant about the world, I decided to research and learn a few things about religion.

The religion I chose to study is far different from anything my friends around me are affiliated with. I chose to study Buddhism. When I was little, I used to love collecting figures of Buddha so now that I’m old enough to understand the theories behind the man who hangs out on my desk, I decided to learn about Buddha’s life and his teachings.

What surprised me wasn’t what he taught but the way it affected me. I would be reading about the eightfold path to enlightenment and be thinking to myself, wow, I really want to practice this. Even when I read about the different ways you can meditate, I was so inspired to just take one of my couch cushions and sit in silence for an hour or so. I wanted to get into it, to experience the life of a Buddhist.

Now, I am new to all of this but here’s what I’ve learned so far. This may not be word for word of Buddha or a teacher of Buddhism but it’s how I relate it to my life.

I’ve learned to be calmer and more observant of what is going on in the situation.

I learned I must live in the moment because that is truly all we have.

It is important to meditate just to learn how your emotions and mind work.

The center of suffering comes from desire.

Have no expectations, it will only lead to disappointment.

Go with the flow of life, and be open to change.

We are changing every second. Everything is constantly changing.

Those are the main points that I incorporate into my life. Studying Buddhism has made me open my eyes to what creates our pain and suffering in life. Why do we choose to focus on the bad and obsess over our actions and reactions we have performed in the past? They’re done and although there are things to be learned from them, it is more important to focus on how you react to things happening right now. So sit alone in the quiet and focus on the thoughts going through your head. Learn about yourself and see what you can change to make yourself see from a different perspective.

If you’re interested in Buddhism, I encourage you to look up more information about it.

By Dana Ford

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1120376

When we think of magic, we think of black top hats, black wands, doves, scarves, bunnies and mysterious boxes, right? Magic tricks. Card tricks. But to the Shamans, magic is reality. It’s their way of life.

A Shaman is a person who believes he or she can use magic in order to cure sicknesses, divine the unknown or control certain events.

Shamanism is an analogous religion which is associated with most Central Asian and Arctic people.

A Shaman, also known as the “Medicine Man” is said to cure illness, direct communal sacrifices and escort the souls of the dead to another world.

The magic which is used to perform these things are with a drug called ecstasy. This drug allows for the Shaman to transform his body into a trancelike state.

According to encylopedia.com, “The trance state may be brought on by dancing, singing, drumming, or other methods. The trance brings the Shaman into the spiritual world, where a spirit teacher provides guidance on how to cure an illness or solve a problem. Shamanic healing practices include the use of gongs, rattles, finger bells, dancing rituals, purification ceremonies, physical manipulation, prayer, healing herbs, or removal of something inside a sick person, such as a stone, feather, piece of bone, or other material.”

This Shamanic type of healing was said to be developed in order for these people to have a sense of control over the world they lived in.

Many of the rituals shamans perform are done to ensure good crops, health and other important basic essentials.

A person becomes a Shaman through self-election or inheritance.