Most religions oral and written have a deity that created the world and the people on it. Some tell of other creatures or beings that used to exist and failed and that is why man is here now. Others say that man sinned and was banished from the garden of eden. Why do they all say that they were created? Why can man not have been around since the beginning of time and had alway been around? Maybe man needs to believe that they are not the highest power. Maybe man needs to believe that it was placed on this planet for a purpose. Each religion has its own purpose for man and what he or she must do. Primal man uses deities to explain why the world is the way it is and why man is around. Having deities explains why man can have a bad harvest or a really plentiful. Could ancient man really handle the fate of them having a good food supply be due to chance? i don't think so. If there was a higher power that determined whether man had a good harvest or not then we could appease them and flatter them to get what we wanted. To honor and make sacrifices and to share what we have with a power greater then us gave man a chance to reap greater rewards. The more you gave to a god the more you should get back. and if there ever was a bad or poor harvest you could probably find an individual that did not do their part so the blame could be placed on him. The harvest deity might had been unimpressed with the actions of one man and thus make the tribe suffer. It would not seem possible that air currents and weather patterns determined whether or not we got the weather required to yield a good harvest. They did realize that rain was needed for their crops but also that too much rain could do just as much damage as no rain.
In Narnia god is represented by a lion named Alsan. He teaches lessons to the people and shows that times may be bad but if you hold true to what you believe then things will work out in the end. Also that there is always a plan and that suffering might have to happen in order for there to have progress. There are temptations from darkness but there is always a catch or some fine print to the deal. Aslan does not work in this fashion and does not lie and lets his subjects know what to do when the time is right. He gives guidence to people but does not directly tell them what to do. The choice is still theirs to make.
I mention this because it shows how in religion their is good and their is evil. both can seem appealing but only one is the write way to go in that scenario. I just find it interesting with all we have learned in class how religions have a similar pattern to them and that worship is required for both oral and literate people.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Suicide Bombings
Ben Moore-Suicide Bombings-
I read an article by Arata Takeda about suicide bombings and how some relate it to devoteness to their culture/religion. Through the research and review the suicide bombings were linked to another cause other than the culture and religion itself. It was found to be a more personal and inside battle through which people decided to take this action. There is now precautions and rules being taken to protect us from suicide bombings. These new regulations allow to keep us safe and still respect the religions of the world. I believe that the bombings are bad, but in a sense give us a look into how we try our hardest to respect everyone's views and beliefs.
I read an article by Arata Takeda about suicide bombings and how some relate it to devoteness to their culture/religion. Through the research and review the suicide bombings were linked to another cause other than the culture and religion itself. It was found to be a more personal and inside battle through which people decided to take this action. There is now precautions and rules being taken to protect us from suicide bombings. These new regulations allow to keep us safe and still respect the religions of the world. I believe that the bombings are bad, but in a sense give us a look into how we try our hardest to respect everyone's views and beliefs.
Atheist
Ben Moore-Atheists-
I read a very interesting article about how Michael Dowd believed that atheists are the wisdom for the religions of the world to succeed. He described how science has proven things throughout time how the world came to be. That God is just a word of reality and for religion to prosper it has to aquire these scientific findings as belief so that the religion can survive. I believ it is all a crock, but that is my opinion. I feel that some stories in Bible are har to relate to modern times as he says in his article, but there are also a lot that we can learn and gain wisedom from. I believe if we as a religion were to take this article into consideration and do it we would fall apart. The foundation would be gone and there would be nothing left to believe in, in regards to God and Jesus.
I read a very interesting article about how Michael Dowd believed that atheists are the wisdom for the religions of the world to succeed. He described how science has proven things throughout time how the world came to be. That God is just a word of reality and for religion to prosper it has to aquire these scientific findings as belief so that the religion can survive. I believ it is all a crock, but that is my opinion. I feel that some stories in Bible are har to relate to modern times as he says in his article, but there are also a lot that we can learn and gain wisedom from. I believe if we as a religion were to take this article into consideration and do it we would fall apart. The foundation would be gone and there would be nothing left to believe in, in regards to God and Jesus.
Survival of the Bemba Oral religion
Ben Moore-Bemba-
I read an article about the Bemba Tribe and their need to continue their oral culutre successfully. The article was by Kevin Maxwell and it was very intriguing because it discussed Walter Ong in the article. Maxwell researched what Bemba tribe had to do so that they would continue on as a oral culture. The culture is carried on primarily by spoken words that as he described give power of presence of the individual. The culture started to see downfall in their oral traditions and they acted upon this by using literate methods to reestablish their orality. The tribe began to switch into Christinatiy and began to use the writing styles as a way to save their culture. I wonder if there are any other cultures that are oral that have had to switch to a literate system just to kep their culture and traditions alive?
I read an article about the Bemba Tribe and their need to continue their oral culutre successfully. The article was by Kevin Maxwell and it was very intriguing because it discussed Walter Ong in the article. Maxwell researched what Bemba tribe had to do so that they would continue on as a oral culture. The culture is carried on primarily by spoken words that as he described give power of presence of the individual. The culture started to see downfall in their oral traditions and they acted upon this by using literate methods to reestablish their orality. The tribe began to switch into Christinatiy and began to use the writing styles as a way to save their culture. I wonder if there are any other cultures that are oral that have had to switch to a literate system just to kep their culture and traditions alive?
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Linking to Myths
Ben Moore-Linking-
I read an article by Frances Harwood that dealt with how certain literate and nonliterate groups spaced themseleves concerning the location to where certain myths take place. She researched the matter because the difference between the groups concerning how far they lived from these special places was incredible. She found that the nonliterate cultures were temporal to the places where myths had taken place, whereas literate cultures were spatial to the locations. I and she both arose the question whether the location of the culture in realtion to where myths in their culture took place actually influeneced the social life of the culture. I found the article interesting and informative because I never really wondered if being to close proximity of where Jesus had died really had any effect on the churches around them.
I read an article by Frances Harwood that dealt with how certain literate and nonliterate groups spaced themseleves concerning the location to where certain myths take place. She researched the matter because the difference between the groups concerning how far they lived from these special places was incredible. She found that the nonliterate cultures were temporal to the places where myths had taken place, whereas literate cultures were spatial to the locations. I and she both arose the question whether the location of the culture in realtion to where myths in their culture took place actually influeneced the social life of the culture. I found the article interesting and informative because I never really wondered if being to close proximity of where Jesus had died really had any effect on the churches around them.
Hinduism
Ben Moore-Hinduism-
I read a article today by Amy Galla that was concerned on how orality in religion was realted to hinduism. It amazed me how the vedas came to be for their religion. The vedas were just chants that were memorized by the priests of the religion. These chants were passed onto their sons that presented a way of preserving the messege and meaning of these chants. The orality of this religion enabled it to transform itself into a written relgion. Those chants had been memorized for generations and because of the successfulness it was able to produce the four books of the vedas that declare how the earth was began and what life is like. If the orality of this religion had failed would it be as stong as it is today and I believe it wouldn't because the story would have varitaions. It amazes how this religion survived throught the transition.
I read a article today by Amy Galla that was concerned on how orality in religion was realted to hinduism. It amazed me how the vedas came to be for their religion. The vedas were just chants that were memorized by the priests of the religion. These chants were passed onto their sons that presented a way of preserving the messege and meaning of these chants. The orality of this religion enabled it to transform itself into a written relgion. Those chants had been memorized for generations and because of the successfulness it was able to produce the four books of the vedas that declare how the earth was began and what life is like. If the orality of this religion had failed would it be as stong as it is today and I believe it wouldn't because the story would have varitaions. It amazes how this religion survived throught the transition.
Homosexuality
Ben Moore-Homosexuality-
Is being a homosexual a sin? This week in my diversity class we touched based on homosexuality and if there was anything in the Bible that stated it was wrong. I was the first to respond yes to the question. There is so much debate as to whether as being"gay" or "lesbian" is a sin. It angers me when people plead that it is socially acceptable and is acceptable by God. I try not to get heated, but when the Bible states as it did on this matter how can one try to change the meaning of that text in the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 it states that practicing homosexuals among others will not inherit the kingdom of God. So I ask, How can one debate on the meaning of the Bible inregards to homosexuality when it is black and white presented to them in the text?
Is being a homosexual a sin? This week in my diversity class we touched based on homosexuality and if there was anything in the Bible that stated it was wrong. I was the first to respond yes to the question. There is so much debate as to whether as being"gay" or "lesbian" is a sin. It angers me when people plead that it is socially acceptable and is acceptable by God. I try not to get heated, but when the Bible states as it did on this matter how can one try to change the meaning of that text in the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 it states that practicing homosexuals among others will not inherit the kingdom of God. So I ask, How can one debate on the meaning of the Bible inregards to homosexuality when it is black and white presented to them in the text?
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