By Friday, December 11
Read pages 303 (starting with Revelation) through the end of the section on page 310.
You are to answer (in a brief paragraph) questions centered on each of the following concepts Smith introduces:
1.In Judaism, what is the role of revelation?
Smith introduces this section by asking why it seems that the Jewish people were the ones to come up with the most profound meaning in life. The meaning of revelation is not discovery, but disclosure. God revealed the meaning of life through action, not words. This is why deeds and rituals are more important in Judaism than written text. Jewish people believe God was the reason for important historical events. Indeed, many biblical writers have stated that the Jewish people should have died off long ago, according to events and historical data. The Jewish people believed they have survived because of the love God has shown them. This love comes in the form of miracles. God controlled all events in history, and because God let the Jewish people live, it is their duty to act with gratefulness and worship him. God was also gracious in chosing to reveal himself to the Jewish people during Exodus. However, it took sometime for the Jewish people to realize that God's love is extended to all the peoples of the world. This God is different from the previous God's people have had in the past. Ancient peoples used to worship Pagan gods who were concerned with nature, and not human beings. This god is deeply concerned with human affairs, and for this the Jewish people thank him. This is why they must return the favor, and be concerned with what He wants for the human race. This is the root of the discovery
The meaning of life was given to the Jewish people by God himself. God offered a covenant to the Jewish people in that he would protect and watch over them if they promised to obey his voice. This is much like the covenant Abraham entered with God in that if Abraham promised to obey the covenant, all his ancestors would be blessed by the love and kindness of God.
2.What is the concept of the "chosen people" in Judaism?
In Judaism, the belief is that God chose them to be the chosen people, but unlike other religions where this means the religious group was given special privileges by God, in Judaism this means that the Jewish people were the chosen ones to suffer for everyone else. They had to obey all the Lord has spoken and do all He demands of them. However, even after this explanation, one could still argue that the Jews believe they were chosen because of national pride. This idea can be shot down because of the history of the Jewish people. Throughout their past, the Jewish people have been treated as slaves, and their country has been taken over multiple times. Also, something that is inexplicable is why the Jewish god, Yahweh is one of righteousness, instead of one of hatred or anger. This further proves that the Jewish people have an indestructible hope and devotion to their god. The Jewish people don’t know who to give the credit to that they have indestructible hope, so they gave all the credit to God. This shows they are a very selfless people. Also, Smith states that, “…this is a world of particulars…” and that for us to notice and remember something, it must stand out from things around it. This applies to special events, like the ones God made happen, because if they happen once, like miracles, they are more important than if they happen all the time. This concept of standing out also applies to people who God chooses. Throughout history, God has chosen people who stand out in one way or another to represent his task force.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Smith part 2
By Wednesday, December 9
Read pages 293 (starting with Meaning in Suffering) through page 303 (finishing the "Hallowing of Life")
You are to answer (in a brief paragraph) questions centered on each of the following concepts Smith introduces:
1) In Judaism, what is the meaning of suffering?
God used actions to punish rather than words because words do not always prevail in teachings of justice. God used Israel's own enemies to punish it. God uses punishment to teach a lesson. For example, when Israel was being taken over by Assyria and Babylon, the Israeli people were losing hope, and giving up on trying to find a meaning for all this. However, one prophet stated that if they give up searching for meaning, it means the Jewish people are admitting that the Babylonian god, Marduk, was stronger than their god Yaweh. This statement recaptured the determination of the Jewish people, and they knew they needed to learn something from their defeat. They needed to remain faithful to God throughout all their defeats and time of being captives. Since they were being held captive, they learned to appreciate freedom more, since they took it granted before this time. Those who remained faithful to God through these hard times were forgiven, and their suffering ended. The suffering that the Jewish people endured would serve as a lesson to all their future peoples, and would save their future peers from the same suffering. So as the rest of the world looks on to Israel with pity, they must realize that the Israelites spared them from the same level of suffering, and by doing so taught all mankind lessons they would carry on through all future generations.
2) In Judaism, what is the meaning in Messianism?
The meaning in the Judaism climaxed in the idea of Messianism.
Smith begins talking about the idea of improvement, which was invented in the West. Traditionally, views on the quality of life were determined by those who ruled you. For example, the literati in China and brahmins in India. This concept had an exception with the Jewish people in the West. They were an opressed group, but never lost hope. Usually, opressed groups want change because they are not satisfied with their current situation. This hope evolved into something more concrete which became known as the Messiah. The exact ideas of what the Messiah would entail differed between individuals, but the main purpose of it became clear: to give the Jewish people something to hope for. There are two parts of the Messiah, a politico-national side and a spiritual-universal side. The politico-national side represents the triump of the Jewish people over their enemies and the increase of Jewish importance of world affairs, and the spiritual-national side represents a moral advance throughout the world. There were several differing opinions on how exactly this Messiah would come about. One view was that God would bring about a holy being to instigate the Messiah, while another belief was that God would use a human to intervene directly with the happening of the Messiah. This view was called "the messianic expectation". In this scenario life would be perfect in every way for the human race. Another belief was Restorative Messianism, in which things would return to how they were in the old days and the Davidic rulings. However, conditions would improve and morals would be idealized. Yet another facet was whether the Messianic age would continue with the world, or restart the earth completely, bringing it back to its foundations. The main themes of the Messiah change depending on the current situation of the Jewish people. If the Jewish people have a lot of freedom, the themes of ethical perfection and earthly bliss are brought forth. The idea of a Messiah is shown in many forms throughout multitudes of religions and philosophies. In Chrisitianity it is portrayed as the Second Coming of Christ. It is human nature to always hope for something better. There is no better way to illustrate it in religion than through the idea of a Messiah, no matter what form it may take.
3) In Judaism, what is meant by the "hallowing of life"?
Smith begins the chapter by stating that in the Jewish religion, people are united more by what they do than by what they say. In this way, ritual is very important, and there is no official creed that one must agree to before becoming a part of the Jewish religion.
Ritual is highly important because of many reasons. The first being that it helps us avoid akward situations. Smith gives the example of meeting someone new. We wouldn't naturally know what to do when we meet someone new, so traditionally we shake their hand and it helps us avoid an akward situation. Rituals are also used in times of extreme emotion, when we wouldn't know what to do. For example, funerals. We plan a funeral and a service to channel our feelings into form. With death especially, religions help connect our loss with the loss of many others in the past. Another service rituals provide is in times of happiness. Rituals intensify happy feelings, like for example dinner time when the whole family can gather together and say a prayer, which makes the moment even more special.
When Smith starts talking about the actual hallowing of life, he states that in the Jewish religion all living creatures have a holiness like that in God. This is called piety. Piety prepares every living creature for when God comes an holiness reigns on earth. God is responsible for every pleasure we as humans experience on earth, whether it be a quiet stream, the warmth of the sun, or a delicious meal, we owe it to God for experiencing these things. Therefore, praising God is highly important. In the last few paragraphs of this section, Smith restates that of all religions, Judaism holds history the most important. This is because history reaffirms God's meaning in our lives, and this concept carries on throughout eternity.
Read pages 293 (starting with Meaning in Suffering) through page 303 (finishing the "Hallowing of Life")
You are to answer (in a brief paragraph) questions centered on each of the following concepts Smith introduces:
1) In Judaism, what is the meaning of suffering?
God used actions to punish rather than words because words do not always prevail in teachings of justice. God used Israel's own enemies to punish it. God uses punishment to teach a lesson. For example, when Israel was being taken over by Assyria and Babylon, the Israeli people were losing hope, and giving up on trying to find a meaning for all this. However, one prophet stated that if they give up searching for meaning, it means the Jewish people are admitting that the Babylonian god, Marduk, was stronger than their god Yaweh. This statement recaptured the determination of the Jewish people, and they knew they needed to learn something from their defeat. They needed to remain faithful to God throughout all their defeats and time of being captives. Since they were being held captive, they learned to appreciate freedom more, since they took it granted before this time. Those who remained faithful to God through these hard times were forgiven, and their suffering ended. The suffering that the Jewish people endured would serve as a lesson to all their future peoples, and would save their future peers from the same suffering. So as the rest of the world looks on to Israel with pity, they must realize that the Israelites spared them from the same level of suffering, and by doing so taught all mankind lessons they would carry on through all future generations.
2) In Judaism, what is the meaning in Messianism?
The meaning in the Judaism climaxed in the idea of Messianism.
Smith begins talking about the idea of improvement, which was invented in the West. Traditionally, views on the quality of life were determined by those who ruled you. For example, the literati in China and brahmins in India. This concept had an exception with the Jewish people in the West. They were an opressed group, but never lost hope. Usually, opressed groups want change because they are not satisfied with their current situation. This hope evolved into something more concrete which became known as the Messiah. The exact ideas of what the Messiah would entail differed between individuals, but the main purpose of it became clear: to give the Jewish people something to hope for. There are two parts of the Messiah, a politico-national side and a spiritual-universal side. The politico-national side represents the triump of the Jewish people over their enemies and the increase of Jewish importance of world affairs, and the spiritual-national side represents a moral advance throughout the world. There were several differing opinions on how exactly this Messiah would come about. One view was that God would bring about a holy being to instigate the Messiah, while another belief was that God would use a human to intervene directly with the happening of the Messiah. This view was called "the messianic expectation". In this scenario life would be perfect in every way for the human race. Another belief was Restorative Messianism, in which things would return to how they were in the old days and the Davidic rulings. However, conditions would improve and morals would be idealized. Yet another facet was whether the Messianic age would continue with the world, or restart the earth completely, bringing it back to its foundations. The main themes of the Messiah change depending on the current situation of the Jewish people. If the Jewish people have a lot of freedom, the themes of ethical perfection and earthly bliss are brought forth. The idea of a Messiah is shown in many forms throughout multitudes of religions and philosophies. In Chrisitianity it is portrayed as the Second Coming of Christ. It is human nature to always hope for something better. There is no better way to illustrate it in religion than through the idea of a Messiah, no matter what form it may take.
3) In Judaism, what is meant by the "hallowing of life"?
Smith begins the chapter by stating that in the Jewish religion, people are united more by what they do than by what they say. In this way, ritual is very important, and there is no official creed that one must agree to before becoming a part of the Jewish religion.
Ritual is highly important because of many reasons. The first being that it helps us avoid akward situations. Smith gives the example of meeting someone new. We wouldn't naturally know what to do when we meet someone new, so traditionally we shake their hand and it helps us avoid an akward situation. Rituals are also used in times of extreme emotion, when we wouldn't know what to do. For example, funerals. We plan a funeral and a service to channel our feelings into form. With death especially, religions help connect our loss with the loss of many others in the past. Another service rituals provide is in times of happiness. Rituals intensify happy feelings, like for example dinner time when the whole family can gather together and say a prayer, which makes the moment even more special.
When Smith starts talking about the actual hallowing of life, he states that in the Jewish religion all living creatures have a holiness like that in God. This is called piety. Piety prepares every living creature for when God comes an holiness reigns on earth. God is responsible for every pleasure we as humans experience on earth, whether it be a quiet stream, the warmth of the sun, or a delicious meal, we owe it to God for experiencing these things. Therefore, praising God is highly important. In the last few paragraphs of this section, Smith restates that of all religions, Judaism holds history the most important. This is because history reaffirms God's meaning in our lives, and this concept carries on throughout eternity.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
World Religions- Huston Smith
You are to read the chapter on Judaism with specific purpose and focus. For each of Smith's chapters he highlights sections with headings, such as "Meaning in God" or "Meaning in Creation".
By Monday, December 7th:
Read 282 (starting with "Meaning in History") and finishing on page 293 before starting "meaning in suffering".
For each you are not assigned to get everything discussed in each part of the reading but to focus on describing a main aspect of what Smith is presenting.
You are to answer (in a brief paragraph) questions centered on each of the following concepts Smith introduces:
1.In Judaism what is the meaning in history
Smith discusses the fact that in religions like Hinduism there is the idea of maya, which is the theory that the world is an illusion and it runs in a circular pattern, and humans are trying to escape into Brahma. Greek philosophers look at the world as a natural process which always recurs, however, a philosopher can escape by focusing on the absolute. In Judaism God is present in events of great importance, which do not repeat. Therefore in Judaism, history is of great importance, since these meaningful events where God is present do not repeat. Hence, since these events hold great significance, there are important lessons to learn from them. Lessons we can apply to our everyday life, and ones God believes are essential for us to learn. In the Hebrew Bible, context is also very important, because events wouldn't make sense if they were out of context. Also, working together is highly emphasized since many events occured because of cooperation on a large scale. Another theme Smith brings up is the concept of the "is" rather than the "ought". This is an idea in the Indian and Middle Eastern religions that is contrasted in Judaism. This is the theory that we need to accept what is rather than what should be. In Judaism, the belief is to focus on the "ought", and try to create a better world.
2.In Judaism what is the meaning in morality
Smith explains that morals are essential for human relations, and that in Judaism 613commandments were written to regulate human behavior. Though this is a lot, there are 4 main categories or "Danger Zones" of the 10 commandments that have influenced the Western world greatly. These four zones are: force, wealth, sex and speech.
For example, force if left unchecked, anger and hatred can destroy a community by spreading from just one act of violence. Revenge and historical feuds continue unless stopped in their tracks. As for wealth, sex and speech, the same thought applies, that one extreme act of any of these categories can spread throughout a community to levels that can not be handled. When a community leaves these for "danger zones" unchecked and lets all their people go free and do as they please, the society will self destruct. The Ten Commandments provide the minimum standards in these four areas, and are a natural written law that was made logically to help communities survive. Therefore, the Ten Commandments are essential to the survival of human kind throughout the ages, because they are a timeless and universal law, followed by all living creatures.
On another notes,Smith compares humans and animals to show that God gave humans an extra challenge of trying to keep all four of these "danger zones" in check, whereas animals have a natural order in which these four "danger zones" are automatically regulated in their behavior.
3.In Judaism what is the meaning in Justice?
To determine the role of justice, we must examine the roles of prophets throughout history as they were God's illustration and demonstration to humans of events that would teach mankind lessons essential for their survival and betterment as a race.
The original meaning of "prophet" is "someone who speaks for others". However, this definition has evolved into meaning "someone who speaks for God". In ancient Israel there was a prophetic movement composed of three stages. The first is the Prophetic Guilds. In this stage, prophecy was seen as a group phenomenon, where bands of prophets would create a large movement that would spur change. The thought was that if they worked together, they would lose their self-consiousness and become one divine force. The second stage was that of Pre-Writing Prophets, where ethics entered the arena. As an individual prophet, one could communicate with God more clearly, and the messages were not just those of emotional feeling, but of actual words and direction. These Pre-Writing prophets challenged individuals on their actions. Smith uses the story of Naboth to explain how a small peasant could tell the King that what he was doing was wrong, and be respected by the King, even though he himself had no official power to stand up. The third stage was that of the Writing Prophets. Writing Prophets challenged societal corruptions, rather than individuals as the Pre-Writing prophets did. This was much more difficult to do because the wrongdoings were concealed within an entire society, and were more subtle.
Danger played another role in the action of morals and justice. For example, when neighboring countries tried to conquer Israel, wars ravaged and it became difficult to stick to morals because the common belief of the time was that whoever fought better had the greater power. This simplistic belief didn't hold much meaning or opportunity for interpretation. The jewish people believed that every event had a meaning and interpreted their takeover as a message from God that they needed to clean up their acts and establish justice in their land, or be destroyed.
The main point here is that the way of nature does not let injustice prevail. God will make sure right and wrong are kept in check on the earth. God rules with a balance of mercy and justice, and this is because of His love. God shows that He loves us all equally through the diverse prophets he chose. The prophets were from all classes, and all held the same significance in the teaching of morals. All men, be they Kings or peasants, must follow the same morals set forth by the Divine Being which is God.
By Monday, December 7th:
Read 282 (starting with "Meaning in History") and finishing on page 293 before starting "meaning in suffering".
For each you are not assigned to get everything discussed in each part of the reading but to focus on describing a main aspect of what Smith is presenting.
You are to answer (in a brief paragraph) questions centered on each of the following concepts Smith introduces:
1.In Judaism what is the meaning in history
Smith discusses the fact that in religions like Hinduism there is the idea of maya, which is the theory that the world is an illusion and it runs in a circular pattern, and humans are trying to escape into Brahma. Greek philosophers look at the world as a natural process which always recurs, however, a philosopher can escape by focusing on the absolute. In Judaism God is present in events of great importance, which do not repeat. Therefore in Judaism, history is of great importance, since these meaningful events where God is present do not repeat. Hence, since these events hold great significance, there are important lessons to learn from them. Lessons we can apply to our everyday life, and ones God believes are essential for us to learn. In the Hebrew Bible, context is also very important, because events wouldn't make sense if they were out of context. Also, working together is highly emphasized since many events occured because of cooperation on a large scale. Another theme Smith brings up is the concept of the "is" rather than the "ought". This is an idea in the Indian and Middle Eastern religions that is contrasted in Judaism. This is the theory that we need to accept what is rather than what should be. In Judaism, the belief is to focus on the "ought", and try to create a better world.
2.In Judaism what is the meaning in morality
Smith explains that morals are essential for human relations, and that in Judaism 613commandments were written to regulate human behavior. Though this is a lot, there are 4 main categories or "Danger Zones" of the 10 commandments that have influenced the Western world greatly. These four zones are: force, wealth, sex and speech.
For example, force if left unchecked, anger and hatred can destroy a community by spreading from just one act of violence. Revenge and historical feuds continue unless stopped in their tracks. As for wealth, sex and speech, the same thought applies, that one extreme act of any of these categories can spread throughout a community to levels that can not be handled. When a community leaves these for "danger zones" unchecked and lets all their people go free and do as they please, the society will self destruct. The Ten Commandments provide the minimum standards in these four areas, and are a natural written law that was made logically to help communities survive. Therefore, the Ten Commandments are essential to the survival of human kind throughout the ages, because they are a timeless and universal law, followed by all living creatures.
On another notes,Smith compares humans and animals to show that God gave humans an extra challenge of trying to keep all four of these "danger zones" in check, whereas animals have a natural order in which these four "danger zones" are automatically regulated in their behavior.
3.In Judaism what is the meaning in Justice?
To determine the role of justice, we must examine the roles of prophets throughout history as they were God's illustration and demonstration to humans of events that would teach mankind lessons essential for their survival and betterment as a race.
The original meaning of "prophet" is "someone who speaks for others". However, this definition has evolved into meaning "someone who speaks for God". In ancient Israel there was a prophetic movement composed of three stages. The first is the Prophetic Guilds. In this stage, prophecy was seen as a group phenomenon, where bands of prophets would create a large movement that would spur change. The thought was that if they worked together, they would lose their self-consiousness and become one divine force. The second stage was that of Pre-Writing Prophets, where ethics entered the arena. As an individual prophet, one could communicate with God more clearly, and the messages were not just those of emotional feeling, but of actual words and direction. These Pre-Writing prophets challenged individuals on their actions. Smith uses the story of Naboth to explain how a small peasant could tell the King that what he was doing was wrong, and be respected by the King, even though he himself had no official power to stand up. The third stage was that of the Writing Prophets. Writing Prophets challenged societal corruptions, rather than individuals as the Pre-Writing prophets did. This was much more difficult to do because the wrongdoings were concealed within an entire society, and were more subtle.
Danger played another role in the action of morals and justice. For example, when neighboring countries tried to conquer Israel, wars ravaged and it became difficult to stick to morals because the common belief of the time was that whoever fought better had the greater power. This simplistic belief didn't hold much meaning or opportunity for interpretation. The jewish people believed that every event had a meaning and interpreted their takeover as a message from God that they needed to clean up their acts and establish justice in their land, or be destroyed.
The main point here is that the way of nature does not let injustice prevail. God will make sure right and wrong are kept in check on the earth. God rules with a balance of mercy and justice, and this is because of His love. God shows that He loves us all equally through the diverse prophets he chose. The prophets were from all classes, and all held the same significance in the teaching of morals. All men, be they Kings or peasants, must follow the same morals set forth by the Divine Being which is God.
YOLB-Month 7
Answer the following questions on the blog or hand in a hardcopy by Friday, December 4th.
1.On Page 208 Jacobs is told to stop using the Bible as a "self help" book. Based on the the information given by his adviser Yossi what is the role of religion and why is Jacobs on "thin ice?"
The Bible is meant to help people worship God, not help themselves. People would be selfish if they believed the Bible was created only to help them. However, many people look at it as a "self help" book to find out how to be a better person, be happier and feel better about themselves. But Yossi says religion is about serving God, and not worrying about yourself. However, the nature of humankind is to be selfish, since everything we do is to help ourselves. Even if for example, we might be going to a homeless shelter to serve Thanksgiving dinner, we are doing it subconsciously because helping others makes us feel better inside. As much as we might try, we can not escape our selfish ways.
Yossi says Jacobs is on thin ice because he is almost heading in the wrong direction with religion. He is looking at the Bible as a self help book, on how to become a better person. And he has trouble with glorifying God. Yossi believes this situation should be flipped. Jacobs should not read the Bible to help himself, and he should glorify God because God wanted to help humans become less selfish. But in a way...this brings this whole topic back to selfishness because then, according to Yossi, people would glorify God to become less selfish, and become a better person. It just goes in circles.
2.On page 219 - 220 Jacobs describes his experience of being "hit" with a realization like a punch in the stomach and then he "praises the Lord." What was his realization and how does this reconcile a problem he previously had in his search of religion?
Jacob realizes that when he is proud of an article he wrote for Esquire, God should be proud for a lot more. God created the entire world, all the animals, plants and landforms, and all Jacobs did was write an article for a magazine. Jacob's previous problem was not being able to praise God because he thought worshiping and saying things like "...He who has greatness beyond our comprehension (220)." was way over the top and cheesy. He also didn't understand why God needed praising because God shouldn't be insecure about himself if he is the ultimate being. Jacob's realizes that the reason people praise God is they appreciate all he created in the world, and all he did for humankind. But, the praise isn't for God to feel better about himself, it is to help us as humans. It is to take us out of our selfish minds, and thank someone else.
Personally, I am the same way. I believe praising the Lord with fancy words is a bit over the top, but now reading his take on it, it makes more sense why people would worship the Lord. However, I still believe that many people don't understand this and don't have as much excitement to worship the Lord, as they would if they read this passage. However, after reading this I still wonder, if God wanted us to worship something/someone to take us out of our selfish minds, why would he choose himself? Is that not selfish in itself?
1.On Page 208 Jacobs is told to stop using the Bible as a "self help" book. Based on the the information given by his adviser Yossi what is the role of religion and why is Jacobs on "thin ice?"
The Bible is meant to help people worship God, not help themselves. People would be selfish if they believed the Bible was created only to help them. However, many people look at it as a "self help" book to find out how to be a better person, be happier and feel better about themselves. But Yossi says religion is about serving God, and not worrying about yourself. However, the nature of humankind is to be selfish, since everything we do is to help ourselves. Even if for example, we might be going to a homeless shelter to serve Thanksgiving dinner, we are doing it subconsciously because helping others makes us feel better inside. As much as we might try, we can not escape our selfish ways.
Yossi says Jacobs is on thin ice because he is almost heading in the wrong direction with religion. He is looking at the Bible as a self help book, on how to become a better person. And he has trouble with glorifying God. Yossi believes this situation should be flipped. Jacobs should not read the Bible to help himself, and he should glorify God because God wanted to help humans become less selfish. But in a way...this brings this whole topic back to selfishness because then, according to Yossi, people would glorify God to become less selfish, and become a better person. It just goes in circles.
2.On page 219 - 220 Jacobs describes his experience of being "hit" with a realization like a punch in the stomach and then he "praises the Lord." What was his realization and how does this reconcile a problem he previously had in his search of religion?
Jacob realizes that when he is proud of an article he wrote for Esquire, God should be proud for a lot more. God created the entire world, all the animals, plants and landforms, and all Jacobs did was write an article for a magazine. Jacob's previous problem was not being able to praise God because he thought worshiping and saying things like "...He who has greatness beyond our comprehension (220)." was way over the top and cheesy. He also didn't understand why God needed praising because God shouldn't be insecure about himself if he is the ultimate being. Jacob's realizes that the reason people praise God is they appreciate all he created in the world, and all he did for humankind. But, the praise isn't for God to feel better about himself, it is to help us as humans. It is to take us out of our selfish minds, and thank someone else.
Personally, I am the same way. I believe praising the Lord with fancy words is a bit over the top, but now reading his take on it, it makes more sense why people would worship the Lord. However, I still believe that many people don't understand this and don't have as much excitement to worship the Lord, as they would if they read this passage. However, after reading this I still wonder, if God wanted us to worship something/someone to take us out of our selfish minds, why would he choose himself? Is that not selfish in itself?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
YOLB- Month 6
Answer each of the following points on the blog or in a hardcopy version.
1) On page 191, why does Jacobs refer to the red heifer as not just "zany" but also "potentially dangerous"? What is his hang up with this particular idea of the bible?
There is a section of the Bible that talks about a red heifer, and a ceremony involving the sacrificing and burning of the cow. This represents cleansing oneself of all sins. Jews believe that once this ritual is performed, they will be cleansed and then they can build the Third Temple. Once the Third Temple is built, the Messiah will come. However, the problem is that if this Third Temple were to be built, it would be centered on the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, holy places of the Muslim religion. This would cause major controversy and probably wars. Jacobs remarks, "Then it really might be the end of the world (191)."
The reason this all hasn't happened is that breedng a red heifer is extremely difficult, especially since it can't have one white hair. It must be purely red.
2) How does the following verse describe the author's dilemma as he is half way through his "spiritual journey"?
Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment of men by rote.
This quote is about people distancing themselves from religion and losing faith. This is how Jacobs feels right now in his spiritual journey. He is still performing all the right actions, but with no gumption or belief. He states, "I'm still praying several times a day, but when I do, I'm saying the words with as much feeling as I give to a Taco Bell drive-through order (193)."
Jacobs has been thinking a lot about the cons of religion such as the extremists, the pointless rituals, Newspaper articles etc. He is wondering if he wanted to try living the Bible literally because he gets bored with his state of life very quickly, so maybe he just wanted to try something new.
3) How does the author compare the Bible to wikipedia? Do you agree? Explain.
"The passages have been chopped and pieced together by various editors...Like a Wikipedia entry (200)." Jacobs states here that the Bible is like Wikipedia because it is a compilation of many sources, not just one. However, many religious people disagree and believe it is simply a compilation of the work of a few key writers. I agree with Jacobs that it was written by many different authors because throughout history it has constantly been edited, translated, things taken out and added etc. So, even if a few main people wrote parts, those parts have been translated and changed a multitude of times throughout history.
1) On page 191, why does Jacobs refer to the red heifer as not just "zany" but also "potentially dangerous"? What is his hang up with this particular idea of the bible?
There is a section of the Bible that talks about a red heifer, and a ceremony involving the sacrificing and burning of the cow. This represents cleansing oneself of all sins. Jews believe that once this ritual is performed, they will be cleansed and then they can build the Third Temple. Once the Third Temple is built, the Messiah will come. However, the problem is that if this Third Temple were to be built, it would be centered on the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, holy places of the Muslim religion. This would cause major controversy and probably wars. Jacobs remarks, "Then it really might be the end of the world (191)."
The reason this all hasn't happened is that breedng a red heifer is extremely difficult, especially since it can't have one white hair. It must be purely red.
2) How does the following verse describe the author's dilemma as he is half way through his "spiritual journey"?
Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment of men by rote.
This quote is about people distancing themselves from religion and losing faith. This is how Jacobs feels right now in his spiritual journey. He is still performing all the right actions, but with no gumption or belief. He states, "I'm still praying several times a day, but when I do, I'm saying the words with as much feeling as I give to a Taco Bell drive-through order (193)."
Jacobs has been thinking a lot about the cons of religion such as the extremists, the pointless rituals, Newspaper articles etc. He is wondering if he wanted to try living the Bible literally because he gets bored with his state of life very quickly, so maybe he just wanted to try something new.
3) How does the author compare the Bible to wikipedia? Do you agree? Explain.
"The passages have been chopped and pieced together by various editors...Like a Wikipedia entry (200)." Jacobs states here that the Bible is like Wikipedia because it is a compilation of many sources, not just one. However, many religious people disagree and believe it is simply a compilation of the work of a few key writers. I agree with Jacobs that it was written by many different authors because throughout history it has constantly been edited, translated, things taken out and added etc. So, even if a few main people wrote parts, those parts have been translated and changed a multitude of times throughout history.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Psalms 8,19,23 and 137
Follow the directions below for each of the Psalms:
Psalm 8:
•Write a summary:
This Psalm worships God and says how God brings justice and love to the earth. It is basically a reflection on Genesis. It thanks God for making humans, and how humans are a little less holy than angels. The Psalm states how God allowed people to rule over the dominion of their earth.
•Choose TWO of the following questions to answer: 1, 2, 3, 4
3. In what ways does this Psalm draw upon the first chapter of Genesis?
I kind of answered this above without knowing... but to reflect more.... In Genesis it states how God created humans as the last living creature on earth. God created humans to subdue the earth and control the other living creatures. It was also their responsibilty to take care of plants and animals. God is all good, and he made humans in his image, but Humans are both good and evil. This Psalm reflects on Genesis by thanking God for what he did in Genesis, and thanking him for how He created the earth. It praises God with glory.
4. This and many other psalms praise God for his mercy and goodness. Why is poetry an especially effective means of expressing praise?
Poetry is an especially effective way of prasing God because poetry in itself is almost holy in that the complicated rhymes and words make it difficult to understand at times, just as God is. It mimics the characteristics of God in that poetry can be confusing, but still beautiful in the way the words flow together. Poetry also uses metaphors, just as the Bible does to get points across. When people use poetry to praise God, it is like they are dedicating the beauty of the poems to God because God is beautiful. Overall, poetry is a mystery, just like God.
Psalm 19:
•Write a brief summary
Psalm 19 is about how God reigns everywhere, there is no where that his rule can not reach. There is good and bad throughout everything. God is always right and his law is just. It also states that if you follow God's laws, you will be rewarded. It also says that if you mess up and commit a sin, God will forgive you.
•Answer the following questions: 1 and 4
1. Poem 1-6 states that God's reign covers everything on earth. There is nothing it can't reach. No one or no thing is exempt from God's praise or God's wrath. Line 6 says, "His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heath thereof."
Poem 7-14 states that God has a reign of reward and punishment, and all he decides to reward or punish is for good reason. All he does is righteous and good. In line 10 the Psalm states that God's judgments are "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold..." It also states in passage 11 that there are rewards for those who follow God's rules. In whole, this Psalm is about God's judgments and how He carries them out.
4. a) Passage 13 is a prayer at the end of the Psalm, and then Psalm 14 is a prayer about this prayer.
Passage 13: Keep back thy servant also from presumtuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
The prayer about this prayer:
Passage 14: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
b) In Prayer 13, the author refers to humans as the servants of God. The author asks God to keep sin from entering the actions of humans and to not let sin rule over them. If God protects His servants from sin, they will be saved from becoming evil. In the Jewish religion, people have a clean slate when they start out life, and are neither good nor bad. All their future actions from that point on determine what kind of person they will become, be it bad or good. Therefore, this prayer asks God to help humans choose the right path, and become good through their actions.
The author of Passage 14 asks God to graciously accept and act on the previous prayer of keeping humans from evil. The purpose of Passage 14 is to make sure that the humans are not offending God in any way possible.
Psalm 23:
•Write a brief summary:
Pslam 23 is about all the things God gives humans, and everything He does for humans. It goes from not wanting, since that would be selfish, since God gives one everything he/she needs, and all these things are listed in the next phrases. After this list, the author writes that God will protect humans in times of danger. The Psalm talks about the graciousness of God. In the last passage, the author states: "...and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." This means that the author will always be faithful to God, and he feels it is his duty because of everything God has done and given to him.
•Choose TWO of the following questions to answer: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6
1. (extended metaphor) In this Psalm, the extended metaphor is the first verse, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
b) The metaphor of God being a shepherd is used to show that God "herds" humans and leads them in the right direction, to green pastures, still waters, etc. The metaphor uses sheep to represent humans since humans are much more simple than God, and they need God/shepherd to show them the right way to "green pastures" or heaven, or goodness etc. This metaphor suggests that without God, humans would be lost, and that humans need God. Also in the passage that states, " Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." the relationship between God and humans is also shown as one of protection. God/shepherd's staff/power are used to protect humans from evil. Sheep are seen as innocent and vulnerable to other creatures. Therefore they need someone to protect them. This represents humans because humans are easily persuaded to evil, or can easily become evil. Evil would therefore be a wolf or another predator that would eat sheep.
4. The first verse summarizes the Psalm the best because it states that, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." meaning the Lord is my God and he has given so much to me, therefore I will be faithful to him, as it is my duty, or mitzvah. "I shall not want." means it would be selfish of me to ask for more on top of everything the Lord has already done and given. The rest of the Psalm takes this verse and goes into detail about some of the things God has provided for humans, and what God will do for humans if they come across evil. This Psalm goes a bit into the Jewish idea of being faithful to only one God, and how it is a sin to worship other false idols. This passage justifies that commandment by asking the reader, why would you want another God when this God has given you so much already? It would be extremely ungrateful and unfair to not return the favor to God.
Psalm 137:
•Write a brief summary:
This Psalm was written to describe the event when the Jewish people were exiled from Jerusalem, their homeland, and had to remember their culture and religion while away from home, so they did not forget it. They did this by singing songs and reciting poems, and other means of worship. It would be a devestation for them and all their future and past generations if they forgot their religion, and in the Psalm the author states that "If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."
In verse 1-3 the author tells about how the people who captured the Jews told them to sing a song from Zion, and the Jews felt insulted because they were away from their homeland, and asked to sing a song about their God.
Near the end of the Psalm, the author asks God to remember and punish those who razed Jerusalem to its foundations.
•Choose TWO of the following questions to answer: 1, 2 or 3
1. The situation of this psalmist is different from that of others because he is in a time of turmoil and anger and saddness. He feels he wants revenge and punishment to those who exiled the Jews from their homeland. He doesn't feel a sense of wonder and praise like the other authors did when they were in good times.
b) This situation presents new problems such as a feeling of revenge, anger and grudges. The saying, "an eye for an eye" comes to mind here... These feelings of anger and revenge, are not ones God discourages, and would not honor through punishment. God might even punish those who wish these punishments upon others, no matter how badly they have been treated. The captives must look at their situation of one with a possibility of moral cleansing, or helping make their capturers better people instead of wishing evil upon them. So in summary, the problem this Psalm could bring up is God becoming angry towards those, or the Jewish people who wish evil upon others. God will be the one to determine pushishment, and he doesn't need the help or input of humans, who are controlled by their emotions and egos.
3. Many psalms appeal to God's mercy and goodness, but this specific one appeals to God's sense of punishment or judgment. God witnessed the event of the Jewish people being taken from Jerusalem, their homeland. It is now God's turn to decide what he will do to these capturers. He may chose to do nothing, or he may chose to punish them, but whatever he choses is law. One cannot change or try to decide God's punishment, because they would be acting as God, and breaking one of the commandments, which is to not worship false idols, therefore acting in the place of God. The reason this psalm appeals to God's sense of punishment is that there are two sides of people who are now angry at each other. God can determine if there will be a war, punishment on one side, or whatever he decides the outcome to be.
Psalm 8:
•Write a summary:
This Psalm worships God and says how God brings justice and love to the earth. It is basically a reflection on Genesis. It thanks God for making humans, and how humans are a little less holy than angels. The Psalm states how God allowed people to rule over the dominion of their earth.
•Choose TWO of the following questions to answer: 1, 2, 3, 4
3. In what ways does this Psalm draw upon the first chapter of Genesis?
I kind of answered this above without knowing... but to reflect more.... In Genesis it states how God created humans as the last living creature on earth. God created humans to subdue the earth and control the other living creatures. It was also their responsibilty to take care of plants and animals. God is all good, and he made humans in his image, but Humans are both good and evil. This Psalm reflects on Genesis by thanking God for what he did in Genesis, and thanking him for how He created the earth. It praises God with glory.
4. This and many other psalms praise God for his mercy and goodness. Why is poetry an especially effective means of expressing praise?
Poetry is an especially effective way of prasing God because poetry in itself is almost holy in that the complicated rhymes and words make it difficult to understand at times, just as God is. It mimics the characteristics of God in that poetry can be confusing, but still beautiful in the way the words flow together. Poetry also uses metaphors, just as the Bible does to get points across. When people use poetry to praise God, it is like they are dedicating the beauty of the poems to God because God is beautiful. Overall, poetry is a mystery, just like God.
Psalm 19:
•Write a brief summary
Psalm 19 is about how God reigns everywhere, there is no where that his rule can not reach. There is good and bad throughout everything. God is always right and his law is just. It also states that if you follow God's laws, you will be rewarded. It also says that if you mess up and commit a sin, God will forgive you.
•Answer the following questions: 1 and 4
1. Poem 1-6 states that God's reign covers everything on earth. There is nothing it can't reach. No one or no thing is exempt from God's praise or God's wrath. Line 6 says, "His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heath thereof."
Poem 7-14 states that God has a reign of reward and punishment, and all he decides to reward or punish is for good reason. All he does is righteous and good. In line 10 the Psalm states that God's judgments are "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold..." It also states in passage 11 that there are rewards for those who follow God's rules. In whole, this Psalm is about God's judgments and how He carries them out.
4. a) Passage 13 is a prayer at the end of the Psalm, and then Psalm 14 is a prayer about this prayer.
Passage 13: Keep back thy servant also from presumtuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
The prayer about this prayer:
Passage 14: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
b) In Prayer 13, the author refers to humans as the servants of God. The author asks God to keep sin from entering the actions of humans and to not let sin rule over them. If God protects His servants from sin, they will be saved from becoming evil. In the Jewish religion, people have a clean slate when they start out life, and are neither good nor bad. All their future actions from that point on determine what kind of person they will become, be it bad or good. Therefore, this prayer asks God to help humans choose the right path, and become good through their actions.
The author of Passage 14 asks God to graciously accept and act on the previous prayer of keeping humans from evil. The purpose of Passage 14 is to make sure that the humans are not offending God in any way possible.
Psalm 23:
•Write a brief summary:
Pslam 23 is about all the things God gives humans, and everything He does for humans. It goes from not wanting, since that would be selfish, since God gives one everything he/she needs, and all these things are listed in the next phrases. After this list, the author writes that God will protect humans in times of danger. The Psalm talks about the graciousness of God. In the last passage, the author states: "...and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." This means that the author will always be faithful to God, and he feels it is his duty because of everything God has done and given to him.
•Choose TWO of the following questions to answer: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6
1. (extended metaphor) In this Psalm, the extended metaphor is the first verse, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
b) The metaphor of God being a shepherd is used to show that God "herds" humans and leads them in the right direction, to green pastures, still waters, etc. The metaphor uses sheep to represent humans since humans are much more simple than God, and they need God/shepherd to show them the right way to "green pastures" or heaven, or goodness etc. This metaphor suggests that without God, humans would be lost, and that humans need God. Also in the passage that states, " Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." the relationship between God and humans is also shown as one of protection. God/shepherd's staff/power are used to protect humans from evil. Sheep are seen as innocent and vulnerable to other creatures. Therefore they need someone to protect them. This represents humans because humans are easily persuaded to evil, or can easily become evil. Evil would therefore be a wolf or another predator that would eat sheep.
4. The first verse summarizes the Psalm the best because it states that, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." meaning the Lord is my God and he has given so much to me, therefore I will be faithful to him, as it is my duty, or mitzvah. "I shall not want." means it would be selfish of me to ask for more on top of everything the Lord has already done and given. The rest of the Psalm takes this verse and goes into detail about some of the things God has provided for humans, and what God will do for humans if they come across evil. This Psalm goes a bit into the Jewish idea of being faithful to only one God, and how it is a sin to worship other false idols. This passage justifies that commandment by asking the reader, why would you want another God when this God has given you so much already? It would be extremely ungrateful and unfair to not return the favor to God.
Psalm 137:
•Write a brief summary:
This Psalm was written to describe the event when the Jewish people were exiled from Jerusalem, their homeland, and had to remember their culture and religion while away from home, so they did not forget it. They did this by singing songs and reciting poems, and other means of worship. It would be a devestation for them and all their future and past generations if they forgot their religion, and in the Psalm the author states that "If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."
In verse 1-3 the author tells about how the people who captured the Jews told them to sing a song from Zion, and the Jews felt insulted because they were away from their homeland, and asked to sing a song about their God.
Near the end of the Psalm, the author asks God to remember and punish those who razed Jerusalem to its foundations.
•Choose TWO of the following questions to answer: 1, 2 or 3
1. The situation of this psalmist is different from that of others because he is in a time of turmoil and anger and saddness. He feels he wants revenge and punishment to those who exiled the Jews from their homeland. He doesn't feel a sense of wonder and praise like the other authors did when they were in good times.
b) This situation presents new problems such as a feeling of revenge, anger and grudges. The saying, "an eye for an eye" comes to mind here... These feelings of anger and revenge, are not ones God discourages, and would not honor through punishment. God might even punish those who wish these punishments upon others, no matter how badly they have been treated. The captives must look at their situation of one with a possibility of moral cleansing, or helping make their capturers better people instead of wishing evil upon them. So in summary, the problem this Psalm could bring up is God becoming angry towards those, or the Jewish people who wish evil upon others. God will be the one to determine pushishment, and he doesn't need the help or input of humans, who are controlled by their emotions and egos.
3. Many psalms appeal to God's mercy and goodness, but this specific one appeals to God's sense of punishment or judgment. God witnessed the event of the Jewish people being taken from Jerusalem, their homeland. It is now God's turn to decide what he will do to these capturers. He may chose to do nothing, or he may chose to punish them, but whatever he choses is law. One cannot change or try to decide God's punishment, because they would be acting as God, and breaking one of the commandments, which is to not worship false idols, therefore acting in the place of God. The reason this psalm appeals to God's sense of punishment is that there are two sides of people who are now angry at each other. God can determine if there will be a war, punishment on one side, or whatever he decides the outcome to be.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
YOLB Month 5
Due Date: Friday November 20
For this week your task is to take two of the Bible verses Jacobs uses at the beginning of each day he writes about and analyze both the meaning behind the quote and how this applies to life / how it is interpreted by Jacobs. So for both:
Write the quote, describe what it means and apply it to either Jacobs journey in literalism and/or what it means, metaphorically, in the modern world.
You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged...
-Leviticus 19:32 (NASB)
Jacobs uses this quote to show the Bible's longstanding tradition of respecting the elderly. Throughout history the elderly have been thought of as being the wisest members of society because they have lived the longest and learned many lessons most of us have yet to learn. They have come up with solutions to their problems, and have learned how to get through difficult situations. Jacobs also remembers one Bible verse that states one should stand for the elderly, so Jacobs practices this when he goes out for dinner. Jacobs includes one experience in particular in which he, his wife and his son go to a restaurant and see an elderly man with his family. The man gets up to use the restroom, and when he returns he sits at the wrong table. Jacobs wife looks like she is about to cry, and commends Jacob's respect for the elderly. This longstanding tradition of respecting the elderly throughout many cultures around the world is promoted in the Bible, and is thankfully one that is not difficult to interpret.
But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear.
-Deuteronomy 29:4
After Jacobs mentions this quote, he talks about how he will never be able to fully understand the Bible or meaning of God. There are so many interpretations and so many pieces that don't make sense that he must just trust that God knows what he is doing, even if we don't. It is an ultimate test of faith to blindly believe something in a holy text, or a religion without reason or understanding. Jacobs mentions the term 'bedrock' to mean the deep underlying meaning of the Bible and religion. Jacobs quotes Yossi, one of his spiritual leaders, saying "The ancient rabbis themselves don't even claim to have struck the bedrock (182)." This goes back to the puzzle quote in that a puzzle is meant to be difficult to figure out, and that is the point of it. Just like religion, if it were easy, it would not be considered holy and many people would not spend a lot of time interpreting the Bible. The reason there is such a large culture around religion is that the Bible is difficult to understand, and each sect of religion tries to come up with their own unique meaning. Jacobs is discovering this very point as he explores one year of living biblically.
For this week your task is to take two of the Bible verses Jacobs uses at the beginning of each day he writes about and analyze both the meaning behind the quote and how this applies to life / how it is interpreted by Jacobs. So for both:
Write the quote, describe what it means and apply it to either Jacobs journey in literalism and/or what it means, metaphorically, in the modern world.
You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged...
-Leviticus 19:32 (NASB)
Jacobs uses this quote to show the Bible's longstanding tradition of respecting the elderly. Throughout history the elderly have been thought of as being the wisest members of society because they have lived the longest and learned many lessons most of us have yet to learn. They have come up with solutions to their problems, and have learned how to get through difficult situations. Jacobs also remembers one Bible verse that states one should stand for the elderly, so Jacobs practices this when he goes out for dinner. Jacobs includes one experience in particular in which he, his wife and his son go to a restaurant and see an elderly man with his family. The man gets up to use the restroom, and when he returns he sits at the wrong table. Jacobs wife looks like she is about to cry, and commends Jacob's respect for the elderly. This longstanding tradition of respecting the elderly throughout many cultures around the world is promoted in the Bible, and is thankfully one that is not difficult to interpret.
But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear.
-Deuteronomy 29:4
After Jacobs mentions this quote, he talks about how he will never be able to fully understand the Bible or meaning of God. There are so many interpretations and so many pieces that don't make sense that he must just trust that God knows what he is doing, even if we don't. It is an ultimate test of faith to blindly believe something in a holy text, or a religion without reason or understanding. Jacobs mentions the term 'bedrock' to mean the deep underlying meaning of the Bible and religion. Jacobs quotes Yossi, one of his spiritual leaders, saying "The ancient rabbis themselves don't even claim to have struck the bedrock (182)." This goes back to the puzzle quote in that a puzzle is meant to be difficult to figure out, and that is the point of it. Just like religion, if it were easy, it would not be considered holy and many people would not spend a lot of time interpreting the Bible. The reason there is such a large culture around religion is that the Bible is difficult to understand, and each sect of religion tries to come up with their own unique meaning. Jacobs is discovering this very point as he explores one year of living biblically.
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