Before Beginning the Eightfold Path: Right Association Since we are influenced by our companions, it is very important to have people around us who are supportive of our spiritual goals and on spiritual paths themselves. They do not need to be doing exactly what we are doing, but they have to...

Buddhism is a religion based on rationality, objectivity, personal experience, and practice. It does not say anything about God. In fact, whether a person believes in any divine power at all is immaterial to Buddhism. What does matter? The mind. Delusions of the mind are what Buddhism seeks to...

Taoism is a faith practiced by more than 20 million people around the world. The name comes from the word "Tao," which means "the Way." In this case, "the Way" means a way of living in balance and at peace with all that is. Taoism is very old. We know that it existed before 550 BCE and that it...

In Iran... Beginning in 653 BCE, the Assyrian Empire to the east conquered part of the region, the Median Empire was overrun by Scythians, and a new Persian ruler took advantage of the mayhem to seize control....

A B C D E Zoroastrianism Jainism Taoism Buddhism Confucianism Founded: 600 BCE Founded: 556 BCE Founded: 550 BCE Founded: 531 BCE Founded: 500 BCE Iran India China India China Founder: Zoroaster (Zarathustra) Founder: Mahavira Founder: Lao Tzu Founder: Siddhartha Gautama Founder: K'ung-fu-tzu...

Adapted from Hebrew scripture, 1 Kings 3:16-28. Narrator: Now the guard brought two women to King Solomon. They stood before him. Guard: These women bring a dispute before you, my Lord. First Woman: My Lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me....

Category: Daniel Was carried off to Babylon at a young age Served as a dream interpreter in the royal court of King Nebuchadnezzar; predicted Armageddon Interpreted the "handwriting on the wall" which foretold the destruction of King Belshazzar's kingdom: "God has numbered the days of your kingdo...

In our previous workshop on Judaism, we learned that Judaism is monotheistic (believes there is one God), covenantal (based on a covenant of faith and practice between its believers and God), varied in its expressions, and geared to raise awareness and gratitude for every aspect of life. We also...

Holy Day/Holiday: Rosh Hashanah Celebrates: New Year (Rosh Hashanah, two days), beginning of High Holy Days period Observed by: Two-day period of worship including sounding the shofar (ram's horn trumpet); dipping apples in honey; abstaining from work; tashlich ceremony, or symbolically casting o...

Although ancient, Judaism is not considered an indigenous religion; it is based on the revelation of religious wisdom and law to the people, not on an understanding that grows from personal experience or intuition. Revelation is believed to be a direct interaction between God and a human being.

The earliest human beings developed the four aspects of human societies: language, music, a social order, and religion. For more than three million years, human beings have practiced religion. Some of the earliest places we know human beings have lived are the southernmost tip of Africa (South...

Speak the text while performing the gestures described in italics. We light this chalice to celebrate Unitarian Universalism. When saying "Unitarian," cup your right hand in a U shape. When saying "Universalism," cup your left hand in a U shape. This is the church of the open mind....

In this workshop, we explore a faith so ancient it is considered indigenous, yet it has grown through the millennia to attain a high level of complexity and sophistication. Furthermore, it is followed by more than 900 million people—nearly a billion human beings—around the world. This religion...

Photos courtesy of Megan Rohrer, Sister Carmen, and members of Faithful Fools. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.

What is a Unitarian Universalist anyway? Why is G-d not spelled out in the Jewish excerpt? I think helping people is a good thing but I don't see why, if you don't have any religion, you would think helping people is important. I don't see why we have to talk about religion....

Activity created by Prerna Abbi. Used by permission.Name Tag Stickers Print a variety of these stickers for participants to wear for others to see. For some stickers, write the accompanying "identity" clearly where others can see it....

1. a. Atheism/Agnosticism 2. True. 3. d. all of the above 4. Which of these is NOT one of the Ten Commandments? c. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you 5. What famous act did David commit? a. killing Goliath with a slingshot 6. Jesus had how many disciples? d. 12 7. True. 8. Which of...

Thich Nhat Hanh In Southeast Asia, the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, used the principles of compassion and nonviolence to campaign against the war in Vietnam. Hanh believed that people of faith, especially youth, couldn't remain silent in the face of social injustice. They must work together to...

Cut apart each name on individual slips of paper. Distribute before the Presente Litany. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Raziq Brown Hunter Jackson and the volunteers with No More Deaths Juliette Hampton Morgan Father Bruno Hussar and the residents of Neve Shalom Ranin Boulos Noam Shuster Juan Elias...

Feelings of uncertainty and hopelessness are understandable in a world with so much injustice. Yet the root causes of injustice did not come into being automatically. They were created by people, and they can be transformed by people, too. That's where you come in....