We started today having a look at this information on the discovery (it was theorized in the 1960's but only proven last summer at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland) of the Higgs Boson - a particle that existed in abundance at the creation of the universe and, so the theory goes, the particle that gives mass to energy, in other words creating "something from nothing", a rather novel thing indeed! And an appropriate point to interject into conversations about our origins in a religious context. This little video explains how the Large Hadron Collider works.
Brief introduction to Christianity including the birth of Jesus Christ in around 4-3 BCE and his subsequent crucifixion about 30 years later. Notice some strong parallels between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The main area of focus is on the human needs that we all have and how Christianity (and any other religion) addresses those needs. The need we focused on today was the need to have rules to govern our lives and the need to live a meaningful life.
Then we had a look at the Nicene Creed - in the first three centuries after Christ died, the church found itself in a hostile environment. The Roman Empire was starting to crumble and in A.D. 312 Emperor Constantine won control of the Roman Empire in the battle of Milvian Bridge. Attributing his victory to the intervention of Jesus Christ, he elevated Christianity to favored status in the empire. "One God, one Lord, one faith, one church, one empire, one emperor" became his motto.
The new emperor soon discovered that "one faith and one church" were fractured by theological disputes, especially conflicting understandings of the nature of Christ, long a point of controversy. To counter a widening rift within the church, Constantine convened a council in Nicaea in A.D. 325. A creed reflecting the position of Alexander and Athanasius was written and signed by a majority of the bishops. Nevertheless, the two parties continued to battle each other. In A.D. 381, a second council met in Constantinople. It adopted a revised and expanded form of the A.D. 325 creed, now known as the Nicene Creed.
The Nicene Creed is the most ecumenical of creeds. The Presbyterian Church joins with Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant churches in affirming it.
The Nicene Creed is the most ecumenical of creeds. The Presbyterian Church joins with Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant churches in affirming it.
Brief introduction to Christianity including the birth of Jesus Christ in around 4-3 BCE and his subsequent crucifixion about 30 years later. Notice some strong parallels between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The main area of focus is on the human needs that we all have and how Christianity (and any other religion) addresses those needs. The need we focused on today was the need to have rules to govern our lives and the need to live a meaningful life.
Then we had a look at the Nicene Creed - in the first three centuries after Christ died, the church found itself in a hostile environment. The Roman Empire was starting to crumble and in A.D. 312 Emperor Constantine won control of the Roman Empire in the battle of Milvian Bridge. Attributing his victory to the intervention of Jesus Christ, he elevated Christianity to favored status in the empire. "One God, one Lord, one faith, one church, one empire, one emperor" became his motto.
The new emperor soon discovered that "one faith and one church" were fractured by theological disputes, especially conflicting understandings of the nature of Christ, long a point of controversy. To counter a widening rift within the church, Constantine convened a council in Nicaea in A.D. 325. A creed reflecting the position of Alexander and Athanasius was written and signed by a majority of the bishops. Nevertheless, the two parties continued to battle each other. In A.D. 381, a second council met in Constantinople. It adopted a revised and expanded form of the A.D. 325 creed, now known as the Nicene Creed.
The Nicene Creed is the most ecumenical of creeds. The Presbyterian Church joins with Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant churches in affirming it.
The Nicene Creed is the most ecumenical of creeds. The Presbyterian Church joins with Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant churches in affirming it.
We listened to Bruce Cockburn's "Shipwrecked at the Stable Door" and examined the meaning of the lyrics to that song. There are many references to capitalist, materialistic society and there are biblical references too. We then began to work through Rick Warren's TED Talks lecture on bringing meaning to one's life.
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