Religion   

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, was a carpenter, and made a triumphant entry Jerusalem just before he was executed. Or did he? Surely non-biblical historians recorded these vents, right? What we know is that most of what New Testament readers think they know is wrong. We shall discuss the efforts of Biblical scholars to construct a life of Jesus, consider conflicting reports of the Gospels, and examine what the records of other historians from Jesus’ time.

Churches are rich with history, and Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist is no different. This nearly 150-year-old church still meets today under granddaddy live oak trees and shares a connection in Ocala history that includes the Seminoles, an impactful black history as an early school, a place using natural landmarks including Nellie's pond, and is even connected to famed thoroughbred farms. Join us for a tour and history lesson. This class will meet at the church at 5000 SW College Rd.

A horse industry professional, Tammy Gantt also has another passion of sharing her knowledge of history to promote inclusivity and diversity. At university, she served as advisor for chapters in the National Black Pan-Hellenic Council; won numerous awards for her diversity-inspired programming and created student trips to significant black historical landmarks. She is an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta, an organization committed to public service with a primary focus on the Black community.

Angels have been written about for centuries, in the Bible and other Holy books. Do you believe in them? Have you experienced their presence? We will explore historical and anecdotal stories about their existence and interventions during time of need. We will also learn how to get in touch with our own Guardian Angels.

Some people still assert that our Establishment Clause only prohibits the government from establishing an official state religion. This is not the case and the speaker will discuss why, as well as what you need to know to counter that argument. David Williamson is co-founder of the Central Florida Freethought Community (CFFC), an organization of atheists and Humanists fighting for the separation of religion and government. David serves locally on the Central Florida Commission on Religious Freedom, the Board of Directors of the Interfaith and Council of Central Florida.

This class includes the fundamentals of Buddhism with a history of the founder, Siddharta Gautama, Buddhist cultural aspects, Buddhist schools (denominations), Buddhism geographic distribution, and Buddhist noetic qualities. The presentation includes PowerPoint slides with pictures of Buddhist temples in China, Thailand and the USA; Buddhist monks; the Dalai Lama; important Buddhist facts; and references for continued study of Buddhism.