Comparing an ancient religion with a contemporary group

Solution Preview

Coming to your question, I wish to discuss Jainism (ancient religion) and the Church of Christ, Scientist (contemporary group) with you and then make a comparison of the mentioned religion and group to mainstream Christianity.

A. Jainism follows the path of peace, a way of non-violence towards all living things including the vegetables. The philosophy behind their practice is the necessity of self discipline, self effort to urge the soul in moving towards divine consciousness and freedom/liberation.

Jiva is an individual living being i.e. the immortal essence of a living entity. Jivas are eternal and infinite in number and are not the same as the bodies that they inhabit. A Jiva is formless and genderless. It is a soul attached to a body. Since a soul is of flexible size, it can fit into an ant's body as well as a human's body. According to the Jain scriptures, there are 8.4 million species of Jivas. They are classified into two main categories: immobile single-sensed and mobile and multi-sensed. And within these categories are subcategories. When a body dies the Jiva in it contracts into a tiny seed and then it becomes ready to start once again a new life in another body. This goes on until it reaches a pure state. When a Jiva reaches a pure state, it rises to the top of the universe, where it resides with other perfected beings and is never reborn. Most Jivas are bound to rebirth in mundane earthly existence, because they are covered with karmas on account of both actions and emotions.

Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and obstacles (love and hate, pleasure and pain, attachment and aversion) and has freed his soul from the karmas obscuring knowledge, perception, truth and ability, thereby achieving the state of supreme being is called Jina = Conqueror.
The Jinas are venerated because they have achieved a state of perfection and are liberated from the cycle of birth, ...