1, How long have you been Christian/Muslim? I am a Christian, since March 11, 1973.
2, (For Christian) When did you start saying grace?
(For Muslim) When did you start ramadan rituals?
I don't say grace per se, I just talk to God thanking hi for meals, his provision for my new life in Christ, for His forgiveness for my sins, and enjoy my personal relationship with God, who created all things through Jesus Christ His son, who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. And through all that promises us new life in Christ. Galatians 2:20,21 summarize my Christian faith very well.
3, What is your affiliation to this tradition? I am a protestant evangelical Christian
4, How long have you been practicing this tradition? Since 1973
5, How did you start practicing this tradition?
Not applicable, it is not about rituals to impress God, it is a personal relationship with Him.
6, How do you practice this tradition?
Not applicable, it is not about rituals to impress God, it is a personal relationship with Him.
7, Why is this tradition important to you?
Not applicable, it is not about rituals to impress God, it is a personal relationship with Him.
8, How has the COVID pandemic affected the way that you practice your tradition? Are there limitations? What accommodations have you had to make if any?
None at all, I can worship anywhere and watch sermons on Youtube
9, Could you describe the step by step process of performing your ritual?
Not applicable, it is not about rituals to impress God, it is a personal relationship with Him.
10, Does this ritual reinforce your beliefs in any way?/What beliefs does this ritual reflect upon?/How does Iftar play a role in your beliefs?
Not applicable, it is not about rituals to impress God, it is a personal relationship with Him.
11, What is most important to you when performing this ritual? Are there specific thoughts that cross your mind when performing this ritual?
Not applicable, it is not about rituals to impress God, it is a personal relationship with Him.
12, Is this ritual performed by the individual or by a community?
If so, what are some of the roles that community-members might play when participating in this ritual? Family? What role do you play in participating in this ritual? Are roles separated by gender, age?
Not applicable, it is not about rituals to impress God, it is a personal relationship with Him.
13, Describe your favorite (ritual) meal and explain what made it special. In what ways did you participate?
Not applicable, it is not about rituals to impress God, it is a personal relationship with Him.
There are no special meals. Every meal with my family is special as God provided it.
14, Are there parts of your ritual practice that are unique to you/ that strays from tradition?/Are there ways in which your ritual practice differentiates from tradition? Is there something unique in the way you practice this ritual compared to others?
Not applicable, it is not about rituals to impress God, it is a personal relationship with Him.
15, What else should others know about performing this ritual? Are there any historical traditions passed down, any personal anecdotes?
I grew up in a nonchristian religious family (mother Quaker, father Unitarian) that essentially made me an angry agnostic, that had no interest in getting to know my parent's god that did not positively affect how they treated one another. I had no interest in their phony religion, and yet knew I needed something. In 1972 my mother started listening to Christian radio, and she responded to the message positively, and I began to see changes in her life, but not enough to get any changes in my way of thinking. In December of 1972 my parents separated and my world fell apart, I could not deal with all the hurt, the anger, and the bitterness that welled up inside me, I was 15 at the time. On March 11, 1973 I went to see a Billy Graham film "Time to Run", and through that film God reached out to me and told me, that He died on the cross to pay for my sin, that He wanted me to have new life and be free from all that was tearing me apart inside and that He would NEVER leave me or forsake me, but would provide me with a real Christian family for his purposes. I responded to Him reaching out to me and became a Christian. My mother attended a nondenominational church in Philadelphia, PA and I started going there, I then was baptized by immersion for my first really public confession of faith on April 14, 1973. On March 13th or 20th I had my first dose of Christian life theology in a conference that came to Philadelphia, The Institute for Basic Youth Conflicts, that was very helpful in my early Christian Education. I attended church regularly and youth group but always felt out of place because of all my family problems, that it seemed no one else could relate to.
I read the Bible and Christian Books voraciously, and in the summer before my senior year in High School I decided to go to a Christian College in New York, The King's College in Briarcliff Manor. I liked his radio program "The King's Hour" and felt that I could get a lot out of going there because I would learn the Bible along with my other science and math interests. I ended up majoring in Chemistry and Math. I entered a sermon contest because of a longing to preach/teach and did well on my content but my presentation was lousy, so I ruled out any real full time Christian work, I also had struggles in my personal life that made me feel inadequate and not qualified for any real Christian service. Over the years there I learned a lot and was freed from a lot of my old life as a angry agnostic. During college I was involved with a coffee house ministry, Jews for Jesus in Manhattan, and visitation ministries, and enjoyed that too.
I then went onto graduate school in Chemistry where I was involved with Intervarsity and then Campus Crusade for Christ, I graduated from graduate school with my MS in Polymer Science and went on to work in Industry, I was involved in local churches where I lived both in Sunday School and in youth group.
Sorita D.
1.I have been a Christian for over 20 years of my life and I love the Worship of my Father, Jehovah. 2.Ever since I have known of God I have given him Praise and Grace in accordance with the gospel of the grace of the blessed God which was entrusted to me and our Lord’s grace overtopped, with faith and hope in Christ Jesus.3.‘DIFFERENT religions are simply different roads leading to the same goal. After all, there is only one God, is there not?’ That sentiment is shared by many who feel that although religious affiliation is important, it does not really matter which religion one chooses to follow.How We Came to Be Known as Jehovah’s Witnesses.“‘You are my witnesses,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘even my servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and have faith in me, and that you may understand that I am the same One.’” (Isaiah 43:10) 4. I have been a Minister of Jehovah's Witnesses for over 20 years. By giving this witness work our priority, we prove true to our God-given name, as stated at Isaiah 43:10: “‘You are my witnesses,’ declares Jehovah, ‘yes, my servant whom I have chosen.’” 5.I have studied with witnesses since I was young because my Aunt Catherine was a Witness and we would sit down and study books and magazines..I realized the sayings to be True and Honest based on the scriptures. When I turned 22 I picked my study of the Bible back up again and I learned even more Bible Truths but I needed to make changes in my personality.“Clothe yourselves with the new personality.”—COL. 3:10. I had to “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the person of Jehovah and that he may send forth the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven, indeed, must contain within itself until the times of restoration of all things of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets of old time.The Bible showed that I needed baptism, immersion, to be an initial step of obedience required by the Scriptures of each one who makes a dedication to Jehovah.Soon I met all steps and requirements and was a Minister for Jehovah.6.By coming to know Jehovah God and Jesus Christ, perhaps by means of a systematic study of the Bible. (Read John 17:3.)As faith grows in your heart, you will find it hard to keep what you have learned to yourself. (Jeremiah 20:9) You will be strongly motivated to speak to others about God and his purposes.—Read 2 Corinthians 4:13.You must dedicate yourself to Jehovah God.Your dedication and baptism are the beginning of a very close friendship with God—an intimate relationship with him.—Psalm 25:14. Attended meetings regularly and applied the things learned in field service so as to become a well-qualified Minister.Since most of our speaking is done in the field ministry, this should help you to become aware of the need to speak simply, on a level that most persons met in the field service could understand by using the Bible.7.JEHOVAH wants us to enjoy the best way of life. We can do nothing better with our life than conform to God’s Word and learn from his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus taught his followers to worship God with spirit and truth, and he commissioned them to make disciples. (Matt. 28:19, 20; John 4:24) By living in harmony with Jesus’ instructions, we please Jehovah and enjoy His blessing.8.We are on Zoom Meetings each week for our theocratic activities and Watchtower study and We accomplish our Ministry by letter writing and phone witnessing , speaking to relatives on the internet or phone and also others.That way our God protects us from Covid 19. We obey and wear our masks and we are a clean people who continue quarantining our homes and ourselves. we have JW LIBRARY ONLINE and JW.ORG for meeting materials on the websites.We see our brotherhood world wide on our sites and we are constantly taught on JW BROADCASTING .We have videos and maps that show were all Congregations are Worldwide and we are in Unity.9.We do not put ourselves in line for demonic attacks with so called rituals or Satanism . The most important reason why we preach is that we want to glorify Jehovah and sanctify his name. (Read John 15:1, 8.)Read John 15:9, 10. A second reason why we preach the message about the Kingdom is that we love Jehovah and Jesus. (Mark 12:30; John 14:15) A third reason why we preach is that we want to warn others about Jehovah’s coming day. A fourth reason why we continue preaching is that we love people. (Matthew 22:39) This love helps us to keep preaching because we know that people may change their attitude when their circumstances change.10. Prayers offered to gods that exist only in the minds of men will never be heard.One lesson is that if God’s perfect Son needed to pray regularly, his imperfect disciples have a much greater need to look to God continually for guidance, comfort, and spiritual sustenance. Therefore, we should “pray incessantly.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) “True worshipers [“real worshippers,” New English Bible] . . . must worship with spirit and truth. This what we do . So that I* may sing your praise and not keep silent. O Jehovah my God, I will praise you forever.11. apostle Paul urged: “Become imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Eph. 5:1) A person, though imperfect, can imitate God by accepting the guidance provided in Jehovah’s Word and by yielding to the influence of God’s holy spirit, or active force.12.Today, there are some 8.5 million publishers in 240 lands! Even so, our work is not yet over. We must keep proclaiming God’s Kingdom as the only solution to all mankind’s problems.—Ps. 145:11-13. 13.We do not have rituals. I eat vegetables ,meat, and fruit that god has given.All eyes look hopefully to you:You give them their food in its season. And to every wild animal of the earth and to every flying creature of the heavens and to everything moving on the earth in which there is life,* I have given all green vegetation for food.”+ And it was so.14.The Hindu religion alone has millions of gods. Buddhists, Catholics, Confucianists, Jews, Protestants, Shintoists, Taoists, and many others have their own gods. In Africa, Asia, and elsewhere, the forces of nature, animals, and objects are worshiped as gods. Nationalism and materialism, and even a person’s self, have become gods, in that many people give them their main devotion. “I am Jehovah, and there is no one else. With the exception of me there is no God”?—Isaiah 45:5“Do not turn yourselves to valueless gods.”—Leviticus 19:4 15.Jesus is “a model,” the Bible says, “for [us] to follow his steps closely.” (1 Peter 2:21) As to a traditional “custom,” it is interesting to note that Jesus, “according to his custom,” preached in the synagogue at Nazareth on the sabbath day. The apostle Paul, no doubt with this example in mind, had the same “custom.” (Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2) Also, viewing tradition in the basic sense of “information handed down by word of mouth or by example,” the information that Paul had received directly from the Lord Jesus Christ could be handed on to the congregations as “tradition.” Note these expressions of the apostle: “You are holding fast the traditions just as I handed them on to you.” “For I received from the Lord that which I also handed on to you,” relative to celebrating the memorial of Christ’s death. “For I handed on to you, among the first things, that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” “Maintain your hold on the traditions that you were taught, whether it was through a verbal message or through a letter of ours.”—1 Cor. 11:2, 23; 15:3; 2 Thess. 2:15.07/18/20