Taoism Questions

1. What is so interesting about taoism is the way that they caused a religion without advocating for their religion. They don't advocate for their religion because that goes against their beliefs, for they belief it is better to not influence life for they believe life will take its course and everything will work out. The thing I find most intriguing about Taoism is the lack of preaching or indoctrinating that it had during its early phase of growth. Every other major religion has some element of spreading its word.
2. My understanding of the Tao is a great cosmic force that works in a way similar to The Holy Spirit in Christianity.
3. I don't think that Chi in the west has the same meaning that it has in the East. In the west, Chi is perceived as more of a a lifestyle factor and not so much in a spiritual sense
4. I do believe in luck. I feel like somethings happen for a reason and that reason as something to do with luck. Luck cannot really be explained but I think it can be felt in certain situations. Luck is something that can be good or bad so it can be related to karma in a way.
5. My understand of Wu Wei is the conservation of vital energy/Chi, and it is a form of prioritizing everything in one's life in order to evaluate if it is worth the effort of doing. An example of Wu Wei for me is not lifting or running excessively the day before a game, because it will tire me out and deplete my energy (as someone who isn't Taoist, I could call this my supply of glycogen in my liver).
6. Yin and Yang are the opposites that create harmony in their constant cycle of balance. Everything the Yin is, Yang is the opposite, and in nature the two are always equal with one another. I see the inclusion of gender as a positive because it shows how there can be aspects of both in an individual, which would have directly opposed the strict code of Confucianism.
7. I think that the values are relative as one's perspective is going to determine what is good and evil, there is no outright code of morality. Just like Yin and Yang, the two concepts can exist within each other.
8. Life is a journey that is almost cyclic. We start off as children, we grow up, become educated, get married, have kids, and then teach your kids everything that you learned.
9. Taoism is different from other religions in that it is more up to personal interpretation and that there is less of an authoritarian structure that may decrease lightheartedness. 

Religion and Violence

Christian Persecution

During the Roman Empire there was a mass persecution of the Christians because their beliefs differed from the typical beliefs of the Roman citizens. Christianity appealed to the lower class citizens of the roman empire for they believed that there was only one god. Ancient Romans were polytheistic so they believed in many gods. The emperor himself was believed to be a divine power. Because Christians only believed in one God, they did not have the proper respect for the emperor and ultimately had to face persecution. Today, this conflict could have been solved if people were more open about religion. In certain parts of the world religion can be practiced freely so in these places this sort of persecution would be unlikely to occur. However, in other parts of the world, religion is practiced more strictly so this sort of major disagreements in important beliefs could led to this sort of conflict. 

1. Christianity began as a sect of Judaism when the Roman Empire was at its peak.  Christianity spread rapidly throughout the entire roman empire, including both the west and east.
2. Jesus was a Jew fulfilled the role of the Messiah by acting as a rabbi. He taught his disciples and performed miracles such as healing people. 
3. The major doctrines of early christianity were baptism and communion.
4. It is most likely that the letters written by Paul was the first section of New Testament written. The Gospels were written between 90 and 100 CE.
5. Constantine brought power to the eastern side of the Roman empire. HE took power away from Rome and created his own city known as Constantinople. Emperor Constantine didn't not convert to christianity until he was on his death bed. Constantine announced Christianity as the official religion of his empire. This ended all persecutions of christians thought the Roman empire. Christianity in the eastern side of the Roman empire began to flourish and eventually broke off from the Roman catholic church to form the Eastern Orthodox church. 
6. The theological differences were that eastern tend to be more interested in theological formulations and became bitterly divided over certain issues. Western Christians tended to be more concerned with survival in a hostile world. Eastern emphasized the divine nature of Christ and Western emphasized his humanity. 
7. Causes include: beginning of European nationalism, the new learning of the Renaissance, and the decline of papacy.
8. Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Eucharist, Extreme, Marriage, Holy Orders
9. John XXII became the Pope after Puis XII died. John was determined to revitalize the church and bring it in line with the 20^th century. The Second Vatican Council called for by Pope John XXII enacted the most dramatic changes ever made by the catholic church. These changes were very important for they set the path that the church would follow during these upcoming revelations.
10. Liberation theology is a movement in Christian theology. It was developed mainly by Latin American Roman Catholics and it emphasizes liberation from social, political, and economic oppression as an anticipation of ultimate salvation. It is a branch of Catholic theology that seeks to establish the fact that God has made a supernatural revelation and established the Catholic Church.
11. Jesus healing on the Sabbath day is an example of how the message that Jesus was delivering can be viewed as higher than Jewish Law. He didn't care that he was going against the law so he must have believed that his message held more importance than Jewish Law.

Field Trip Reflection

5/5/2015

Sorry for the delay I thought I already completed this reflection but evidently not.

The field trip was an interesting experience. I had gone on this same field trip last year and it was a very enlightening experience. My favorite site was the synagogue, I thought the rabbi there was by far the best speaker and I learned a lot about judaism from his speech. Also, I was fascinated by the Hindu temple for its seclusion. The temple was very orthodox and and I thought it was cool how they stayed true to their customs; even though it created a somewhat hostile tone. The islamic center was also very interesting. I thought they were well prepared for our tour there which was nice but it felt a little awkward. The buddhist temple was unique for the people there were really excited for us to be there and you could tell they were excited to share their beliefs. Because I went on this field trip last year it was interesting to see how they presented their information differently this time around and also what they kept the same. All in all it was a good experience and I thought it linked well to what we learned in class.

Summative Study 5/1/2015

Summative Study

1       1. Catholic Christian views on abortion

From the standpoint of the Catholic Church, abortion is strictly prohibited and it believes that abortion is immoral. By determining who lives and who dies you are playing the role of God which defies the Ten Commandments. The church sees all life, whether born or unborn as vital and that it deserves to live a full life and die a natural death. The church believes that life begins the moment the egg is fertilized.

Saunders, William. “The Catholic Church and Abortion” www.catholicnewsagency.com

Part 2:

     a.) The meaning in this passage is that Catholicism is the true religion and in order to be saved, you must hold the catholic faith. He goes on to say if you do not hold the catholic faith, you will perish. In addition he goes on to describe what it takes to be catholic. In order to practice Catholicism righteously, you must worship the whole trinity, the trinity in unity, and never confound the trinity, meaning never question it or not believe it.

   b.) In order for a Christian to attain salvation first he must accept Christ into his life. He must live his life in such a way that is pleasing to God and that follows the Ten Commandments. If one does this and lives a holy live full of prayer and relief from sins he will be on track to reaching salvation. A key factor that decides if you will reach salvation is if you truly allow God into your life. As described in the quote from the Athanasian Creed, in order to fully let God in your life you must worship him as a trinity. The implications of this are that the trinity itself is hard to comprehend but you must have faith and not confound the meaning of the trinity if you want to truly let God into your life and ultimately reach salvation.

Three Selections from the New Testament

4/17/2015

Three selections of the New Testament

Feeding the 5000 – Matthew 14:14-21; Mark 6:33-44; John 6:1-14

In this section, Jesus is described as a great teacher. He is not portrayed as adivine power. It says that he was able to feed 5000 men ith just a few loafs of bread and a couple fish, he even has some food left over. This is extraordinary. What is is fascinating about this section is the mannor of which Jesus is described. He is not described as this all healing being. He is perceived as one of them. I belive this aspect has a great significance. For one thing, it makes the story seem more believable. The reason is that it is not overdone. The way it is described is very nonchalant and I think that makes the story seem more reasonable.

Jesus Walking on the Water – Matthew 14:23-34; Mark 6:45-53; John 6:15-25

 In this selection, Jesus appears able to walk on water and rescue a boat from the perils of a storm. What is fascinating about this section is that it makes Jesus seem like a divine individual. I believe this is important because at that moment Jesus could no longer be considered a normal individual. The reason for this is that he had exposed his divine power. This is very important to faith because it shows Jesus as a divine power. I think this is important because it asks the question of whether or not you believe this event actually happened, which is a test of your faith.

 

Zacchaeus – Luke 19:1-10

In this selection, Jesus meets a rich man who has the occupation of collecting tax money. This man keeps a large amount of money for himself and that is how he became so wealthy. He is a thief. No one liked him in his community. During a sermon, Jesus walked up to this thief for he was Jesus’ center of attention. Jesus sets the precedent that he is here to fix the sinners. This is a testimony of faith because it shows the importance of Jesus in the lives of his followers.

 

 

Christianity Rituals

Rituals

                There are five main rites of passage in Christianity. They include: Baptism, Fist Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Death.

Baptism is the physical act of cleansing the body in order to receive Christ into your life. During this time Godparents are assigned to the child and the child is given a saint name in hope that the child will adopt characteristics of that saint.

After baptism is the first communion, at this time the child will perform his first confession and will also receive his first holy Eucharist.

After Communion is Confirmation. Confirmation occurs during the teenage years and is the act of confirming ones oneness with God.

Christians believe in a monogamous marriage that lasts a lifetime. Marriage ceremonies occur in a church and it is the holy matrimony of a man and a woman in the name of Christ.

Death is the final passage of life. Christians believe life is eternal so because life on earth has ended there is still an afterlife. In order to give the deceased a proper sending away a funeral is performed. A funeral consists of prayers and mourning.

Perhaps the most important of all the rituals is Baptism. Baptism is so important because it is the initial connection or acceptance of Christ into your life. By being Baptized you also gain an identity, for  from that moment on you are considered as Christian and you join the whole Christian community. Baptisms can occur at any age and to any gender. During a baptism Godparents are assigned. God parents consist of one man and one woman so although there are no gender issues involved there may be some sexuality complications. 

Christianity Focused Study Part1.1

Christianity Key Concepts

God: Christianity is a monotheistic religion. Christians believe there is only one true God.

Jesus: Jesus is believed to be the son of God. He is believed to be sent to Earth to guide humans to fulfill God’s wishes.

Trinity: Christians believe in The Father (God) The Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that God took human form as Jesus Christ and that God is present today through the Holy Spirit.

Justification by faith: Christians believe that by following Jesus Christ and accepting God, the relationship with God will improve and there will be a heaven after death.

Life after death: Christians believe there is a life after death. Based on ones earthly action you either go to heaven or hell.

Saints: A saint is considered a Christian who has lived a holy life. In order to gain sainthood, that individual must perform three miracles.

Prayer: Prayer is the way to communicate with God. Prayers can be said to God, Jesus, or even Mary. Prayer is not required a certain number of times a day.

Church: The Christian place of worship is the Church. Church services are most commonly held on Sundays.

Eucharist: The Eucharist is believed to represent the body and blood of Christ. The Eucharist is consumed every Sunday at church.

Baptism: A baptism is an annunciation of the inward commitment to God. Baptisms can be held at any age however most occur during childhood. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/beliefs/basics_1.shtml