Religion Analysis

Religion Analysis

Select one alternative religion (e.g., Church of Scientology, Transcendental Meditation, Wicca, Druidry) and one traditional Western religion (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, Islam) to research and compare in this assignment.

Alternative Religion

Transcendental Medication

Western Religion

Christianity

Complete Parts 1 and 2 below.

Part 1: Similarities and Differences

In the table below, list at least two similarities and two differences between the religions you selected. Some categories to consider include holy days, symbols, rituals, core beliefs, ethics, and the role of women.

Similarities

Differences

Christianity and Transcendental Medication stresses on attaining spirituality and inner peace.

The medication process in TM and the prayer rituals in Christianity exhibit similarities.

TM and Christianity encourage people to clear minds.

Christianity teaches the existence of God while Transcendental Medication stresses on pantheism.

TM leads the meditator to the ideal state of self-worship while Christianity only allows God's worship.

Christianity relies on the Bible and its sayings while TM is based on the ideology of loss of personal identity and false pretences of the scientific technique.

TM has promoted a deceptive state of mind while Christianity involves a higher level of consciousness.

Part 2: Analysis

Write a 300-word analysis of the similarities and differences between the two religions you selected. Discuss how the faiths are practised and how they are perceived by that outside of the faiths in terms of the similarities and differences you noted.

Analysis

The comparison of the traditional western religion (Christianity) with the alternative religion (Transcendental Medication) highlights similarities and differences. The primary similarity is the fact that both emphasize on linking humans with spirituality. Both identify ways of finding inner peace such as in TM the techniques are followed for gaining peace. Another similarity is apparent in the procedure of TM and rituals of prayer. In TM the basic posture is followed for 15- 20 minutes with closed eyes and the mantra is repeated. Christians also sit with a certain posture in prayer and repeat a phrase for a few minutes. Both stresses on clearing minds for gaining inner satisfaction.

The first difference between the two religions includes the concept of God. Christianity teaches the existence of God while Transcendental Medication stresses on pantheism CITATION Grr04 \l 1033 (Grroothuis, 2004). TM denies the existence of God and is only based on scientific facts. Christianity is based on the concept that God is the creator of the universe and the followers have to believe in its revelation. The followers of TM have faith in medication God. In TM an individual reaches an ideal state of self- worship that is against the ideology of Christianity. The followers of Christianity believe that God is the creator of the universe and people have a duty to worship him. TM’s concept of meditation is based on loss of personal identity that makes the sayings of Bible least relevant. Compared to that Christianity stresses on following what has been sent by God in the Bible. Higher-level of consciousness is apparent in the case of Christianity because people have faith in God and they are fulfilling their responsibilities. While in TM the people are convinced by the deceptive state of mind because they identify seven levels of consciousness. The states such as deep sleep, dreaming and cosmic consciousness are non-existent in Christianity CITATION Mas08 \l 1033 (Yunesian, Aslani, Vash, & Yazdi, 2008).

Include references formatted according to APA guidelines. You may find helpful resources for formatting citations in the Center for Writing Excellence in the University Library.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Yunesian, M., Aslani, A., Vash, J. H., & Yazdi, A. B. (2008). Effects of Transcendental Meditation on mental health: a before-after study. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health, 4 (25).

Grroothuis, D. (2004). Dangerous Meditations. Retrieved 06 04, 2019, from https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/november/10.78.html

Threlfall, J. (2016). Christians and Transcendental Meditation. Retrieved 06 04, 2019, from https://www.proclaimanddefend.org/2016/03/03/christians-and-transcendental-meditation/