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Image of chapel roof, monastery on the beautiful island of Patmos where John wrote the Book of Revelation (Steve)
A symbol of the old religions? Rebekah and Jordan running towards Maen Llia standing stone in the mountains near our home (Steve)Steve writes: As a scientist I have no problem reconciling the existence of God with science, and many of my colleagues - particularly in the physics group - came to faith at least in part through their studies of the natural world. Steve July 2009 OrthodoxyReading the Desert Fathers and other texts from the first few hundred years of Christianity has helped me to understand how early Christians were able to view Yeshua / Isa / Jesus as the living embodiment of God, the 'Logos' made flesh, fusing Judaism with Greek pagan concepts to create Orthodox Christianity, from which all of the other forms descended. The literalism of some Protestant sects is absent, but concepts such as the Trinity and the Divinity of Jesus, and the elevated status of Mary have all arisen from this potent fusion of ideas. INTRODUCTION TO ORTHODOXY - Father Gregory Hallam's excellent introductory site. SWANSEA ORTHODOX CHURCH - The Community Of St Zachariah & St Elizabeth South West Wales. Serving Swansea, Llanelli and South West Wales. An Orthodox Christian community within the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Archdiocese of Thyateira Great Britain - good site with lots of information about Orthodoxy, British Saints, sacrements and faith. BRITISH ORTHODOX CHURCH - The British Orthodox Church is a small communion affiliated to the Coptic Orthodox church. The FRIENDS OF MOUNT ATHOS - Society supporting the work of the Monastic communities of the Holy Mountain in Greece. If they can bring their knowledge to a wider audience the Athonite monks have much to offer our troubled world. It is striking how similar Athonite spirituality is to some forms of Sufism and Buddhism. Over 20 years ago I became a member of the Religious Society of Friends, better known as the Quakers. I've not yet resigned my membership but it's many years since I attended a Meeting. Father Richard Rohr is an inspirational speaker and writer - I enjoy listening to his talks when driving long routes in my car. See http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/
Mosque in Kos, Greece (Steve) Islam Contrary to what the western press tells you, Islam is a beautiful religion that preaches peace, justice, equality of rights and tolerance for non-muslims. You could spend years learning about the various branches and doctrines, but the primary belief is that there is One God, by whom we will one day be judged, and that God (Allah in Arabic) has sent humankind many messengers including Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The last messenger is Muhammad - through him the message to mankind was completed so we have not needed to receive new teaching. Education and scientific understanding is encouraged and we are told that now it's up to us to live in peace, treat each other and the planet well, and vie with each other in good deeds 'as if in a race'. We are stewards of Allah's creation and we will be answerable for what we have done. We must create just and decent societies where the orphan and the widow are looked after, where the elderly are valued and where Allah has the central role in our lives. Muslims reject the concept of God becoming incarnate in the limited form of the man, they would argue that Jesus was a human empowered by God to do the things he did, not God incarnate. They point out that Jesus had limited knowledge, that he prayed to his heavenly Father constantly, and that he taught the One-ness of God, not trinity. Even Peter in the book of Acts refers to Jesus as a Prophet, not a God. Muslims hold Christians as dear partners in the worship of the one God, but who have fallen into the error of making a created being into God. Here are some links to start with.. Fethullah Gulen - Turkish teacher and writer Answering Christianity - Apologetics website that seeks to explain that Islam has better doctrines than Christianity Online Qur'an project The BBC series 'The Retreat' was filmed at Alqueria de Rosales in Andalucia If you're in the Southampton area Brother Anas and friends are available to help you learn more about Islam, see the South Coast New Muslims Project. Steve
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