Church and Cathederal

Was roaming around in Bangalore sometime back and I was trying to figure out the name of the church. Whcih is when I stumbled on a church and a cathederal almost adjacent to each other, which made me wonder, what is a cathederal and how is it different from Church. From a lay mans point of view, a cathedral is much bigger than church. Lets find out the difference, if one exists.

Wiki Answers says

A church can be of any Christian religion, whether it be non-denomiational, Protosant, Catholic, etc.
A church is basically, no matter the religion, is a general place of worship where sacrements can be proformed and where (atleast in Roman Catholicism) the bread and wine become flesh and blood.
A cathedral, on the other hand is the (usually) the biggest church in the diocese. It is the seat of the bishop of that diocese, and usually in the biggest city or part of that diocese.

So definitely, a Cathedral is bigger than the church and probably holds more powers.

Kabbalah

Kabbalah is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that is meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator with the finite and mortal universe of His creation. In solving this paradox, Kabbalah seeks to define the nature of the universe and the human being, the nature and purpose of existence, and various other ontological questions. Kabbalah originally developed entirely within the realm of Jewish thought and constantly uses classical Jewish sources to explain and demonstrate its esoteric teachings.

According to the traditional understanding, Kabbalah dates from Eden. It came down from a remote past as a revelation to elect Tzadikim (righteous people), and, for the most part, was preserved only by a privileged few. Talmudic Judaism records its view of the proper protocol for teaching this wisdom, as well as many of its concepts, in the Talmud, Tractate Hagigah, Ch.2.

The Sefirot are the ten emanations and attributes of God with which He continually substains the universe in existence. The Sephirot are considered revelations of the Creator’s will (ratzon), and they should not be understood as ten different “gods” but as ten different ways the one God reveals his will through the Emanations.

Altogether 11 sephirot are named. However Keter and Daat are unconscious and conscious dimensions of one principle, conserving 10 forces. The names of the Sephirot in descending order are:

• Keter (supernal crown, representing above-conscious will)
• Chochmah (intellect of wisdom)
• Binah (intellect of understanding)
• Daat (intellect of knowledge)
• Chesed (sometimes referred to as Gedolah-greatness) (emotion of lovingkindness)
• Gevurah (sometimes referred to as Din-justice or Pachad-fear) (emotion of severity/strength)
• Tiferet (emotional balance of harmony/beauty-Representing compassion)
• Netzach (emotion of victory/eternity)
• Hod (emotion of glory/splendour)
• Yesod (emotion of foundation)
• Malkuth (emotion of kingship)

Taoism

Taoism (or Daoism) refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions and concepts that have influenced East Asia for over two millennia and the West for over two centuries. The word Tao (or Dao), means “path” or “way”, although in Chinese folk religion and philosophy it has taken on more abstract meanings. Taoist propriety and ethics emphasize the Three Jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility. Taoist thought generally focuses on nature, men-cosmos correspondence , health, longevity, wu wei (action through inaction), liberty, and spontaneity.

The Tao Te Ching, or Daodejing, is widely considered to be the most influential Taoist text. It is a foundational scripture of central importance in Taoism purportedly written by Lao Tzu sometime in the 3rd or 4th centuries BCE.

Some forms of Taoism may be traced to prehistoric folk religions in China that later coalesced into a Taoist tradition. Laozi is traditionally regarded as the founder of Taoism and is closely associated in this context with “original”, or “primordial”, Taoism. Laozi received imperial recognition as a divinity in the mid second century AD. Taoism gained official status in China during the Tang Dynasty.

At certain dates, food may be set out as a sacrifice to the spirits of the deceased and/or the gods, such as during the Qingming Festival. This may include slaughtered animals, such as pigs and ducks, or fruit. Also on particular holidays, street parades take place. These are lively affairs which invariably involve firecrackers and flower-covered floats broadcasting traditional music.

Read more here.