Introduction to Religious Studies (REL-103), taught this term by Professor Kirk Wegter-McNelly, is a class I am currently taking here at Union that I have been enjoying very much. I feel that the class feeds very openly into our own world today and is very relevant. The knowledge and lessons accumulated from the class have advanced my understanding of the world around me and my presence in where I am.
The class so far has taught me much about many different religions practiced by many throughout the world, ranging from Christianity to the ancient Aboriginal religion of the native Australian peoples. The ability to connect a wide set of religions to a common set of beliefs of thinking has proven incredibly formative and invaluable in how I am able to connect to the world around me. This has aided me in my aptitude to see the world through a different lens and reach a common understanding of what it means to be religious and spiritual.The ability to connect with religion allows me to have a broader network of understanding of both current and past times, as well as a framework for our potential future.
Through taking the time to see the world in this important way, I am able to better grasp the world around me and connect with my surrounding peers—whether we share in religious beliefs or not. Even for those who do not believe in or are skeptical of religion, this type of class grants students the framework to see the world in a new, curious, and intriguing light. The way Intro to Religious Studies centers the world and establishes global context for its students allows for one to feel and connect to the concepts of the religious class in the world around them.
I may have been taking the class for an LCC (Languages and Cultures) credit initially, but I now see that the class holds the ability to guide me to what is true in my life. No matter where one stands on religion, it can prove vital to take a class that is able to capture an important aspect of your mind in a way that harnesses new truths about yourself and the world around you.
Science and religion complement each other—you cannot use one discipline without being informed of the other. In order to reach a practical and well-functioning society, I believe it is important to hold a religious foundation as to how matter exists and how we have arrived at the world we have today. We need religion to understand science and bridge the basis of understanding for why we exist in the way we do today.
Of course, skeptics of religion and religious classes may not completely change their view on this, but they will gain a basis for understanding how people have thought over the centuries. Thus, religion in general connects to a world greater than science itself can explain and allows us to think in new and engaging ways, and Intro to Religious Studies (REL-103) class helps me achieve that. REL-103 is offered at Union many terms, and is a popular class among many.
