DAY 3 The Religious Impulse and What Dreams May Come?

Throughout human history there has been an impulse, very widespread, to worship something.

Features (what does the impulse look like):

·      Belief in the supernatural (“beyond natural”) and spiritual world beyond the material world.

·      Belief in the existence of a soul.

·      Collection of sacred writings (“scriptures”).

·      Strong sense of family and community based on rituals and festivals that celebrate shared beliefs and practices.

·      Set of answers to the most pressing human questions (e.g. meaning of life, meaning of suffering, what happens after you die, etc.)

·      Rules of Conduct – designed to help followers lead honourable lives and to provide purpose to individual and community life.

·      System of ethics guiding morals.

·      Significant founders or inspired leaders who introduced or spurred the development of the faith (usually).

·      Search for salvation, even perfection.

·      A lifestyle of faith and worship.

·      Techniques for focusing one’s awareness.

·      An enriching impact on the lives of adherents.

++
In order to get everyone's head really into the course we began watching What Dreams May Come today.  It's a great film that deals with many issues in an enjoyable way.

Some of the issues include:

• The meaning of one's life.
• What happens after you die?
• Is this world full of fate or do we have free will?
• What do you do in troubled times?
• Does what you do in this life affect what happens in the next?

What Dreams May Come