Intro to the New Church Doctrines Journal #10
[Image Description: A small fake gold crucifix (cross of Jesus) necklace. The crucifix is hanging from a fake gold chain and the necklace is laying on something white.]
CONTENT WARNING: The religious/spiritual opinions on this blog post are mine based on my own experiences and do not reflect the opinions and experiences of everyone. Commentaries published on my First Former Buddy Club President influencer page represent diverse viewpoints. If you would like to submit a commentary, please contact me for more information. All perspectives and experiences are welcome here.
In my first trimester at Bryn Athyn College, I was required to take a religion course along with eventually some other religion courses since it is a religious school. Bryn Athyn practices the New Church religion of Swedenborg so the required religion course that I took this trimester was Intro to the New Church Doctrines. For the class, one of the required assignments was to write daily journals based on readings from "You Can Believe!: An Introduction to the New Christianity" written by Grant Schnarr (The author was actually my professor for the class! He is a minister in the church!) and we students had to apply what we read to our lives. So, since some of the content mentioned in this short essay that I wrote is related to the content that I post on my disability advocacy influencer page, I have decided to upload it is a blog post.
Prompt: "Read "You Can Believe! Chapter 5 What is the bible telling us?". Journal Entry on YCB Chapter 5. Show me you read, thought deeply about what you read, and apply it to your life."
In the beginning of the fifth chapter of You Can Believe! written by Grant Schnarr, the following is stated: "We all experience intuitions about what God or Heaven might be like or have some perception about how to live spiritually" (pg. 43, Schnarr 2006). This is definitely very true because everyone has different beliefs when it comes to religion and spirituality. Everyone practices different religions and/or lifestyles and has an individualized, unique perception about what the afterlife and eternality may be like. Despite views about anything causing controversial debates, everyone is entitled to their own perspectives.
Related Links:
From my experiences with religion and spirituality and in my opinion, God's point of views along with many parts of Christianity are very inspirational, uplifting, and interesting. While it is important and valid to have healthy debates, "Learning from others, especially from what God has told us in revelation, gives us a higher perspective, a way of looking at life from God's point of view rather than our own. Turning to a higher source for knowledge helps us move out of our limited and often closed worldview to a new, aware, and growing understanding of all things" (pg. 43, Schnarr 2006). This means that people should be willing to listen to and be inclusive of all views, especially God's, instead of insisting that our views are factual and the only right way to think.
How inspiring the spirituality and religious inspiration that I have been learning a little bit about has been a big contributor to my healing process lately. Schnarr additionally states in You Can Believe! that, "Anyone who is serious about spiritual growth will be reading a lot of material about it, sifting through to what it means to ring true and what might be incorporated into their life and belief system" (pg. 43, Schnarr 2006). I can definitely relate to this as well because one of the types of self-care that I practice for my healing and enjoy doing is reading about self-growth and applying from it what interests me into my lifestyle. Along my healing journey, I have learned that healing takes time and even though my story is not over yet, I have definitely come a long way.
Related Links:
1. Schnarr, Grant. You Can Believe!: An Introduction to the New Christianity. 2006.
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