This short post aims to update, or to better help understand the “mission”, i.e. the goal of ASH’s Study Hall (Abrahamic Study Hall).
ASH has been on-line for five years now, and many are the people who subscribe to the newsletter to stay updated and connected with Abrahamic Study Hall articles, so it seemed necessary to update the introduction page, and in this post we will report some fundamental concepts contained therein.

A Study Hall by definition is a schoolroom used for study, but also to meet with other students and be able to have a discussion, so a place where you can search or ask what you looking for. At the beginning ASH was born mainly as a “cloud” space to store informations and researches, sometimes even from other honorable websites, but later on it was used more and more to share researches, studies, thoughts and connect people who are interested in a primary main topic: spirituality. A search for spiritual growth intended as being able to understand how to improve the relationship with one’s inner being, recognizing yourselves as a sons of a Supreme Being. Abrahamic Study Hall deliberately does not include banners or advertisements mainly because the purpose is not to earn material income, but rather to invest in knowledge, but also not to distract the reader’s attention. Of course the production of posts, pages and translations is expensive, but ASH counts on external donations by anyone who wants to get in touch and better understand how this world works and the next Abrahamic Study Hall’s goals. An appreciated contribution can also be simply a greeting email, sharing an interesting e-book, paper or a positive thought.

ASH’s Mission

In primis Abrahamic Study Hall believes that GOD is One, but His reflection is visible everywhere and in every moment. We are all reflections of GOD, which means that we are all reflections of His image, His Light. There is only one GOD and this is the center and origin of the cosmic universe, whatever name you choose to give Him, and in fact to Moses’ question, the LORD answers:

¹³ “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them: The GOD of your fathers has sent me to you, and they will ask me: What is His Name? Then what shall I tell them?”
¹⁴ GOD said to Moses: “I Am who I Am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I-AM has sent me to you.”

The soul and the heart that are within us, allow us to connect with the CREATOR, and therefore with the Creation. Only by filling ourselves with His Light will permit to our souls and bodies to make us feel truly fulfilled. We cannot describe GOD with human attributes, but today we are closer and closer to understand which human attributes make us truly children of the living GOD and therefore close to the divinity. The concept of GOD is not so difficult to understand, it must be researched and then constantly pursued as a healthy and balanced lifestyle. He is in everything, when the wind blows on our faces, we breathe GOD, when we feel the warmth of an hug from a person who loves us, we feel GOD, and when we read the Holy Scriptures, we are listening to GOD.

The posts and pages in this Study Hall are not only addressed to Abrahamic religions’s believers, but also to those who follow other faiths, or simply to whom wishes to expand their knowledge about spirituality, in the conviction that one Day all the different human philosophies and doctrines can join forces, cooperating to achieve the one and only true goal of life: an era of peace and brotherhood for all. The total prosperity of humanity will be unreachable unless, and until, a true unity will be firmly established.
At the end of our days we will not be judged for our religion, but for our actions, for what we have left good in the Spirit of those who remain after us. We must repair what was doing wrong by our ancestors, who are within us today, we must seek our personal Truth, free from the impediments of traditions and superstitions. The only way to achieve this is through knowledge, putting aside all forms of religious, social and racial prejudice, because we are all so magnificently different and so incredibly important to achieve this goal. No one will be left behind, the extremes of wealth and poverty will more and more reducing, the rich by his own free desire will understand that that excess, “beyond need”, although initially it may seem good, in the long run it will mainly damage him and his descendants. Wiser instead will invest one’s excess assets in people, and not in things, to help those most in need who, by their side, will work conscientiously to pay off their debt, without being burdened by interest. The only interest must be to ensure everyone’s happiness, to live in a healthy, eco-sustainable world, to consider every creature indispensable for our own happy existence in this short passage that is life. All this seems like a dream and simple utopia, but if we see the progress made in recent decades we understand that all this is really possible, we just have to believe in it, engage in the study of whatever is constructive for us, put aside more and more the vices that ruin our body and our spirit, and engage in helping to build a society based on an economy that is not based on growth (GDP), but a socially balanced one. An economy can only benefit society when all these twelve social foundations (inspired by the social objectives of sustainable development of the United Nations) are reached without exceeding one of the nine ecological limits (planetary limits proposed by a group of scientists led by Johan Rockström and Will Steffen). The twelve social foundations are:

• Food safety
• Health
• Education
• Income and work (the latter is not limited to employment, but also includes categories such as housewives, those who care for the elderly of their family, etc.)
• Peace and justice
• Political voice
• Social equity
• Gender equality
• Housing
• Networks/Connectivity
• Energy
• Water

While the nine ecological limits are:

• Climate change: man-made greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane that cause the Earth to overheat.
• Ocean acidification: when the carbon dioxide emitted by man is absorbed by the oceans, making water more acidic. This reduces the capacity of marine life, for example.
• Chemical pollution: the release of toxic materials in nature reduces biodiversity and lowers the fertility of animals (including humans).
• Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution: the inefficient or excessive use of fertilizers leads the fertilizer to flow into water bodies, where it causes algae blooms that kill underwater life.
• Freshwater withdrawals: the use of too much fresh water drains the source, which can damage the ecosystem and then be unusable.
• Land conversion: Converting land into economic activities (such as creating roads and farmland) damages or removes habitat for wildlife.
• Loss of biodiversity: economic activity can cause a reduction in the number and variety of species. This makes ecosystems more vulnerable and can reduce their ability to sustain life.
• Air pollution: the emission of aerosols (small particles) has a negative impact on the health of the species, and can also affect precipitation and cloud formation.
• Ozone layer depletion: some economic activities emit gases that damage the Earth’s ozone layer. Since the ozone layer protects the Earth from harmful radiation, its depletion causes, for example, animal skin cancer.

We must show love towards GOD and His Creation, we must imitate Him because He is Love in His purest form, otherwise He would not have created us if not out of pure and simple love. Love is the most sublime of feelings that a human being can perceive, and it must therefore be directed primarily towards GOD: the CREATOR, His Laws handed down through the tradition of the Holy Scriptures. This consequently will also lead us to have more love for ourselves and our Spirit, increasing our empathy towards the rest of Creation. Our “neighbors” are the human beings closest to us: our family, friends, the people we socialize with, our community, and the rest of the world around us, including the whole nature and animals.
If you really want to change the World you have to change yourself first. Following the Golden Rule helps us unconsciously to support ourselves, our health, our happiness, our life and the lives that surrounding us during our journey on Earth:

What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah [Law]; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.
(Babylonian Talmud, Shabbath folio:31a)

You can do things I cannot
and also I can do things you cannot,
but together we can do great things.