Mabon is the pagan holiday of the autumnal equinox, a time both to celebrate and to stop and reflect. It’s a time to be thankful for the present, and also to take stock of it.
Mabon is a harvest festival that dates back to the ancient Celts. Their Druids hono…
Members of Jainism emphasize the importance of all life, including plants and micro-organisms. This informs their beliefs of non-violence and self-control. While older members embrace the importance of spiritual traditions such as prayer to idols and honoring of mo…
Read More
The Islamic observance of Ramadan is a time of sacrifice, devotional activities, worship, and reflection for Muslims worldwide. The lunar month of Ramadan is an annual marking of when Mohammed received revelations that would become the Qur’an. During the mont…
Read More
As an interfaith minister in the Universal Life Church, it’s important to have a basic fluency in the holidays and traditions of the major world religions. Such fluency is necessary to fulfill the Universal Life Church’s mission of providing spiritual s…
Read More
It is a time-honored practice for one religion to “borrow” practices from another in order to make their practice more palatable to practitioners of said religion. This may be for purposes of conversion or interfaith relations or simply because one grou…
Read More
This is the first in a new series of interfaith minister training to introduce readers to different religious denominations. Many of our ministers are interested in attaining at least a general understanding of the differences in people’s beliefs and this ser…
Read More
An interfaith minister, ordained through the Universal Life Church, might be interested to learn of the different holidays celebrated throughout spring by different religions. It is a joyous time of year where each faith adds its own unique celebratory ritual. Thos…
Read More
Interfaith ministers recognize the significance of Biblical events and the traditions for peoples of all faiths and backgrounds. An interfaith minister must use this understanding to bring together people of different religions that may have contrasting views on ce…
Read More
Shiva is one of the primary gods in the Hindu religion
Hinduism is a religion of thousands of gods, or manifestations of gods. One of the most important is Shiva, the lord of destruction. The god represents the destruction of the world, after which it is born again…
Unfortunately, some traditional religions still cling to the last vestiges of the belief that physical illness is God’s punishment for those who have sinned, even though few religious leaders actually come out and openly express that sentiment. However, it…
Read More