Covent

I had not realized what exactly a convent pertained too. I knew that the ten commandments were rules for God's children but not that they were also a convent. I now see that they are both about the same idea. I would also like to say that the video we watched in class was interesting, and in some cases a little graphic. Though I do wander at the people who would take photos of such things. Would they do this to remember how people were killed, or did they take the pictures for some morbid obsession. Just something I was thinking about after the video.

Purgatory

It is funny to me that purgatory is a way staion if you will to have your sins weighed before going to heaven. It is also strange that Limbo is a place for those who have not be baptized. I had heard of both of these terms before, but I allways thought they meant almost the same thing.

Sacraments

Sacraments, as understood by the Roman Catholic Church, are outward signs, perceptible to the senses, instituted by Jesus and entrusted to the Church, as means by which the divine grace indicated by the sign is conferred, helping the individual to advance in holiness, and contributing to the Church' s growth in charity and in giving witness.

Though not every individual receives every sacrament, the sacraments as a whole are seen as necessary means of salvation for the faithful, conferring each sacrament's particular grace, such as incorporation into Christ and the Church, forgiveness of sins, or consecration for a particular service

Virgin and Child

Have you ever notified that in most depictions of the virgin Marry and of Christ that they all in clude the basic structure in the face, as well as skin tone. I allays find this fascinating and I allays find it fascinating all the different colors that are used to depict them. I have to say my favorite works are the ones done in reliefes or scultures.

The Cross

THE CROSS
by: Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600-1681)


REE which heaven has willed to dower
With that true fruit whence we live,
As that other death did give;
Of new Eden loveliest flower;
Bow of light, that in worst hour
Of the worst flood signal true
O'er the world, of mercy threw;
Fair plant, yielding sweetest wine;
Of our David harp divine;
Or our Moses tables new;
Sinner am I, therefore I
Claim upon thy mercies make;
Since alone for sinners' sake
God on thee endured to die.


This English translation by R.C. Trench of Calderón's "The Cross" is reprinted from Hispanic Anthology: Poems Translated from the Spanish by English and North American Poets. Ed. Thomas Walsh. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1920.

Women in the church

Ok in class we had a lot of discussion on women and their roles in the church. John Paul 2nd said that women basically had two choices, they could either be nuns or get married and have children. I find this comment a bit offensive. I mean yes that seems to be the only choices but why can women not be allowed to show their faith in the same extremities as men. Just because we are not men does not mean that we cant have the same feelings about the lord or want to be able to express our devotion the same way. I just find the fact that women cant be ordained to be a bit racist and stupid. I mean if women were allowed to be ordained would it hurt the worlds faith any more than what has happened in some already.

Angels

I allays find the talk of angels glorifying. When we talked about were angels began appearing in the bible. I had to think about it. I know that in the world religion class I took we talked about angels a little. I couldn't remember where the origin of angels in religion came from. I know it did not start in Catholicism and that angels can be found in Judaism and other religions but the origin of the first mentioning of an angel is unclear. I ponder the thought that angels have been talked about since the begging of time. Maybe they were not allays called angels but were allays there to teach, help or to show love to the human race.

Day of the dead field trip

Ok so the field trip was not that bad and there were people who actually were interested in us doing a rubbing of their loved ones tomb stone. This made me feel less disrespectful to these people who were celebrating day of the dead. I saw so many bright flowers and Halloween stuff which in some cases I thought looked out of place. Below are some pics. That I found for day of the dead.

Day of the dead

Tomarow I will be taking a field trip to one of the neighboring cemeteries with my design class. We are going to do rubbings of the tombstones. I wandered at us going on day of the dead and find it a bit disrespecteable. I think it is rude for us to go when there are people there hourning there loved ones and celebrating. Our teacher thinks it would be a good thing for us to see the different aspects of the culture. I just dont know. I will tell more on this experience after i have it.

CAMP

Saturday I went down town to the Magik Theatre with the kids from CAMP. It was alot of fun to walk around down town to find a place to eat and then walk back to the play house. The kids enjoyed the play alot though i found it a bit childish. There where parts of it that where trully funny. I would recomend to any one with small children to look into this theatre. The campers laughed and enjoyed themselves so it was all good. I have come to realize that I am a bit uncomfertable around the campers. I think this is due to me not knowing exactly what I am supposed to do.

poetry in religion

A poet that I am researching for my poetry class is William Blake. I found all of his poems so far to be religious and thought that I would share one.



The LambFrom
Songs of Innocence

Little lamb, who made thee?
Does thou know who made thee,
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little lamb, who made thee?
Does thou know who made thee?
Little lamb, I'll tell thee;
Little lamb, I'll tell thee:
He is called by thy name,
For He calls Himself a Lamb.
He is meek, and He is mild,
He became a little child.
I a child, and thou a lamb,
We are called by His name.
Little lamb, God bless thee!
Little lamb, God bless thee!

According to DeLuback in order to be saved , one has to cooperate with God to take control of our lives and direct it to do only good. I have an theroy on this or rather an idea. In a sence doesn't every human being or creature on earth in some way or other already do this. I mean many people are lead by an iner force even if they dont know about God. Couldn't this force that leads them be God not the subconcious that the percieve it to be.

F.R.O.G.

Have you ever herd of F.R.O.G. it stand for " Fully or Forever Relying on God" I came to the conclusion this weekedn that this is probably why i am so obsessed with drawing frogs in any medium i work with in art.


Fully rely on God. . . He'll accept you, warts and all. His grace is free, so jump for joy!

salvation

I think that as long as you believe in God, and accept that Jesus died for you and your sins then you will be saved. I think This means I would agree with DeLuback, I think no matter what your religion is that you can go to heaven if you fallow the makers path. In other words I see it like this if you believe in God in whatever form he is to you and you fallow his teachings then you will go to heaven.

Manichaeism Mazdaism continued

This information I found on http://en.wikipedia.org.


The most striking principle of Manichee theology is its dualism. Mani postulated two natures that existed from the beginning: light and darkness. The realm of light lived in peace, while the realm of darkness was in constant conflict with itself. The universe is the temporary result of an attack from the realm of darkness on the realm of light, and was created by the Living Spirit, an emanation of the light realm, out of the mixture of light and darkness.A key belief in Manichaeanism is that there is no omnipotent good power. This claim addresses a theoretical part of the problem of evil by denying the infinite perfection of God and postulating the two equal and opposite powers mentioned previously. The human person is seen as a battleground for these powers: the good part is the soul (which is composed of light) and the bad part is the body (composed of dark earth). The soul defines the person and is incorruptible, but it is under the domination of a foreign power, which addressed the practical part of The Problem of Evil. A human is said to be able to be saved from this power (matter) if they come to know who they are and identify themselves with their soul.




Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra, Zartosht). Mazdaism is the religion that acknowledges the divine authority of Ahura Mazda, proclaimed by Zoroaster to be the one uncreated Creator of all (God).
As demonstrated by Zoroastrian creed and articles of faith, the two terms are effectively synonymous. In a declaration of the creed — the Fravarānē — the adherent states: "…I profess myself a devotee of Mazda, a follower of Zarathustra." (Yasna 12.2, 12.8)

Manichaeism and Mazdaism

I understand that these two religions are dualistic meaning to have a good vs evil. With the talk we had today I understand a little more of how there different. I am still a little fuzzy on it but I am trying to remember what was said about Zorastrianism or Mazdaism in intro to World Religion. I find it interesting that these religions focus on the person knowing and choosing what is right and what is wrong. For my next blog I will try to research more of the difference in these two religions.

World religions

I find DeLuback's view on the salvation and the world religions disturbing. Having taken the intro to world religion class last semester I find his view strange. I can see why he thinks the way he does but I don't agree. I believe that all religion is based in some part on community and the well being of others not just on the self. I think that each world religion old or new is related to each other in some way. This makes the world united in one big community and the well being of this so called community must be preserved through some means. Looking at it from De Luback's point of view makes me worried that the world will never be at peace over the pity differences individuals see in their religions. People should wake up and see that we are all connected in spirit and life. What we do today affects those who are born tomorrow so wouldn't every one want their children to live in peace with themselves and their community.

CAMP

My first service learning experience with camp was this past weekend. I enjoyed myself and enjoyed interactions with the kids. For this event we visited the San Antonio Zoo and went through all the exhibits that were wheel chair accessible and even a few that were not. The kids all seemed to enjoy there selves and I got along with the consolers and other volunteers. This experience was not all that new to me. I have a mentally disabled cousin and we love to go shopping and hang out when we can. Some people think that these kids who are in will chairs, are slow or just not completely their are stupid and should be looked at as worthless. At least that is the attitude I have seen some people pay to my cousin. I simply see a person who may be a little different from me but is just as important.

I would recommend CAMP to any one who enjoys hanging out and having fun with teens, young children and adults.

Repentance

Repentance Is Quite Different from Regret

Repentance is quite different from regret.

One can feel regret for many years,

Singing the same song to the same tears,

Having just the grace not to forget.

However, to repent must mean to change.

After the regret must come the will,

So passionate it does all yearning fill,

Having rendered every passion strange.

Actions only can forgiveness gain.

No thought can penetrate the hardened skin

And touch the gentle paradise within.

Hearts can not feel joy but after pain.

By Nicholas Gordon


This poem speaks to me of joy and change.

Cathedrals

I find it very interesting that the idea of the unity of being a group under God was the idea of the Jews. This just goes to show how in some way all religions are connected to one another. I love old gothic Cathedrals and stain glass windows. The beauty in them is remarkable, I imagine all the work that went in them to make them and I know I would not have the patience to do stain glass.

Catholicism

While searching for religious information on Catholicism I found this helpful information.

Catholicism 101
From Jessica Steinmetz,Your Guide to Christianity - Catholicism

1. Basic Catholicism:
Roman Catholicism is a religious denomination of Christianity. The name "the catholic church" started in the year 107 AD when Ignatius of Antioch used the title to describe Jesus's church. The term was old even then so it was probably known in the apostle's time. What is Catholicism?

2. Holy Days of Obligation:
In Roman Catholicism, Holy Days of Obligation are the days other than Sundays when Catholics are obligated to attend Mass. Holy Days of Obligation

3. Basic Beliefs:
The basic beliefs of the Catholic Church are found in the Nicene Creed, the Catholic catechism, The Bible, and the Ten Commandments. Catholic Beliefs

4. Jesus Christ Basics:
Catholicism does believe in Jesus Christ. Most of Catholicism centers around the existence of Jesus Christ and the grace He gives us. Beliefs in Jesus Christ

5. Practicing Catholics Basics:
A practicing Catholic is not a perfect person. They are people who seek the truth and believe in the teachings of Catholicism. They follow the precepts of the Catholic Church. 5 Ways to Know You're a Practicing Catholic

6. Converting to Catholicism:
Almost anyone can convert to Catholicism if they want to become Catholic. There are some steps you can do%

Theology

I wanted to know more about Theology so I ran a search on the net and I found the following information on Wikipedia.


Theology (Greek θεος, theos, "God", + λογος, logos, "word" or "reason") is reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God. Theologians attempt to use rational analysis and argument to discuss, interpret, and teach on any of a myriad a religious topics. Theology might be undertaken simply to help the theologian understand more truly his or her own religious tradition or another religious tradition, or to facilitate comparisons between traditions, or with a view to the preservation or reform of a particular tradition, or to assist in the propagation of a tradition, or to apply the resources of a tradition to some present situation or need, or for a variety of other reasons.


The word 'theology' has classical Greek origins, but was slowly given new senses when it was taken up in both Greek and Latin forms by Christian authors. It is the subsequent history of the term in Christian contexts, particularly in the Latin West, that lies behind most contemporary usage, but the term can now be used to speak of reasoned discourse within and about a variety of different religious traditions. Various aspects both of the process by which the discipline of ‘theology’ emerges in Christianity and the process by which this now Christian term is extended to other religions are highly controversial. Christianan theology practices theology from a Christian viewpoint or studies Christianity theologically. Given the overwhelming influence exercised by Christianity, especially in pre-modern Europe, Christian theolo

Mature Religion

I find it interesting that there is a mature religion consisting of institutional, intellectual and mystical. The instititutional is intriguing and consists of many levels like our society. While the intellectual is mad up of people who reflect on the meaning of their faith mainly through theological study. The next part I had never considered a part of being mature. I have always seen mystical as an aspect of the unreal and sometimes something meant for children. Well children in relation to being very imaginative and in a since enjoying there imagination with a mystical kind odd playing. I see now how mystical can be something more than just the imagination or fantasy order.

This post may not make any since but I am not sure how to get across my view.

The enlightenment

I find it strange that the enlightenment was against religious studies. I have always thought that enlightenment meant to be enlightened or to gain knowledge. For a period to go completely against a subject so versatile as religion is baffling. There are so many different aspects in religion and I can understand why it would be hard to understand how to study it. I do believe that through the study of the various religions as well as the one that a person chooses to fallow gives great insight to ones being and that of our fellow human beings. To be understanding of each religion and its customs is in itself to be wise. For through this knowledge is peace and understanding for all. We may not believe in everything or anything that the other various religions do but they all have connections to each other in some way.

Adventure

This will be a blog for the adventure of studying Catholicism . . . More to come latter

Islam

The Islamic Religion is in its own a confusing religion with different class or branches. These branches fall under three main areas the Shiites, the Sunnis, and the Sufi. These different branches can have branches beneath them. It makes me think about all the denominations of Christianity and how there can be racial issues among them. The goal that I see in the name of our lord is that all people no matter what nationality or religious belief should be at peace and work in harmony. If we all did this the world would be a much better place. I know this is only a dream but in reality it was going on in the Islamic rein. The people of all religious backgrounds worked together for the good of the communities they where apart of. In today's society some areas work together but others are still seen as outcast and strange.

Muhammad

For the past few classes we have watched a movie on Muhammad's life and the Islam religion. The fascinating thing about this movie was it shows not only the views of Muhammad as a profit but also the view of him as a everyday man. This showed how he doughted himself and sought information telling him he had achieved the goals he set out to do. In a since he was a humble man that was reserved and gracious to be doing the lords work. The movie helped me to understand more of the Islamic religion and their culture. I had allays wandered about there views of what happened at 911. The movie gave good information on how they could not believe any one saying they were Muslim or Islamic could do this. They were appalled because above all else the Islam religion believes in helping others first and not killing the women and children of other tribes. A question I had was what are there marriage practices? Also do the women make there head scarves or are they bought at stores? Religiously what kind of material do they have to be made of. The movie talks about how Muhammad destroys all 360 religious statues that where in the Kabah in Mecca. I still am not clear on what the one stone that Muhammad left represented.

Movie on Islam

The movie about Muhammed's life was interesting and is crafted very well. I like the information that was given to us. It raised questions on the society of the Arabic people. I enjoyed the beauty of the how the Quran is written. The Islam people seem to have a sing song voice when they speaks the scriptures. It is honorable I think that Muhammed wanted no art work to depict him in portrait style. The way he is described in Arabic is more beautiful than any painting could be.

Christianity in art

Having the world religion class and the first half of Art History in the same semester is interesting because they coincide with each other in terms of what is being studied. A lot of the things we have talked about in Christianity we have just talked about in Art History in the Christian period of art. Though I personally enjoy the Gothic Cathedrals more than some of the early Christian churches. I like the jagged eges of Reims Cathedral. The giant towers are gorgeous and the rose window is breath taking. The other works we have been talking about are beautiful too and deal with the Holy mother and Christ.

Deferent teachings

In class Friday we learned the different teachings of Paul of Tarsus and that of Jesus. Paul taught that faith in the fact that Jesus rose from the dead and through his salvation you would be saved. Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God was now. These two different teachings are still kind of confusing but I can see why scholars want to call Paul the corrupter of Christianity. I had never heard these two views before.

Christianity

I found the information about why the books started to be written interesting. I had always wandered when the books were written. I also now realize all the different views of Christianity that are in our world. I have always wandered when someone says there a christen what it actually means. I have come up with this It means that they believe in Jesus and the resurrection as well as the second coming. Other than that I am not sure what it means.

passover gifts

Today we talked about passover and other holidays in the Jewish culture. I was curious to know if there were gifts for passover and what they could be. Here is a list of what i found that was interesting gifts:

Passover Bag of Frogs: Frogs here, frogs there, frogs were jumping EVERYWHERE! This bag of 12 frogs will be an educational and enjoyable feature at the seder table!

Passover Bag of Plagues

Glass matzah Plate

This is another plate set and a movie. I found the giftsto be interesting and the bag of frogs is kind of funny. I included the pics so you could see how beutiful the plates are. The artistry that goes into making these is extrodinary.

Kosher

I have always wandered what the circle with the k in it stood for. I guess now I know. To think that it has something to do with religion blows my mind a little. I am not saying there is anything bad about it I am just saying it is a little weird.

What is this?

The Great Buddha of Bāmiān was the worldÂ’s largest statue of Buddha, standing 55 m (180 ft) tall in AfghanistanÂ’s Bāmiān Valley, before Taliban militants destroyed it with explosives in March 2001. The colossal statue and a smaller one of a seated Buddha nearby, also destroyed, were carved in about the 6th century by Buddhist monks. The statue had withstood centuries of erosion, although some of its features had been diminished by windstorms.



Thiappeareded in my What is thicolumnum on msn anI i just had to share the information so enjoy.

What are the three traditional pillars of Lent

To day in one of my other classes some one was talking about the three pillars of Lent and since I am not Catholic I wanted to know what they were talking about. The fallowing is what I found.

The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The key to renewed appropriation of these practices is to see their link to baptismal renewal.

Prayer: More time given to prayer during Lent should draw us closer to the Lord. We might pray especially for the grace to live out our baptismal promises more fully. We might pray for the elect who will be baptized at Easter and support their conversion journey by our prayer. We might pray for all those who will celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with us during Lent that they will be truly renewed in their baptismal commitment.

Fasting: Fasting is one of the most ancient practices linked to Lent. In fact, the paschal fast predates Lent as we know it. The early Church fasted intensely for two days before the celebration of the Easter Vigil. This fast was later extended and became a 40-day period of fasting leading up to Easter. Vatican II called us to renew the observance of the ancient paschal fast: "...let the paschal fast be kept sacred. Let it be celebrated everywhere on Good Friday and, where possible, prolonged throughout Holy Saturday, so that the joys of the Sunday of the Resurrection may be attained with uplifted and clear mind" (Liturgy, # 110).

Almsgiving: It should be obvious at this point that almsgiving, the third traditional pillar, is linked to our baptismal commitment in the same way. It is a sign of our care for those in need and an expression of our gratitude for all that God has given to us. Works of charity and the promotion of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life we began when we were baptized.

Judaism

What I found fascinating in today's lecture was the fact that some believed in the hurt method of showing there understanding and love for god. I find this strange but not to strange since in some cases people love the feeling of pain and are addicted to it. Some people are addicted to piercing, tattoos or other things to show their religious views. The only thing I want to know is why there is any question of where God was when the Jews were being persecuted. My thought is that God was with them he was carrying them. My favorite poem about god is Footprints in the Sand by Mary Stevenson.

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many Scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life, there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?"
The Lord Replied, "The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you."

Zorastrian

I find their burial practices interesting but I am strongly against them it seems inhumane to starve dogs just so they can eat human flesh. I do see that the vulturers should be repopoulated in any case if they are going extinct simply because they help maintain a balance in the world.

Judiasm is the one religion that I can say I know a little about but not a lot. I know a few of the stories of the bible but I have never fully read the bible. I think studying Judiasm will help me better understand the bible and what exactly happened.

Chinese astrology and Zoroastrianism

Looking at the Chinese zodiac in class was very interesting. It says that I am a pig. Well I can think of worse things to be. This is what it says about being a pig:

Pigs are talented information gatherers. You may not notice them doing it, but they absorb everything that is going on around them, from the atmosphere to what is said, what people are wearing and what everyone is doing. In other words, Pigs are always learning, about life and about people. They also have astounding memories, so if you are dealing with a Pig, try not to change your mind, as they will remember your previous opinion and knowing Pig honesty, they will remind you of it! Pigs love to gather facts from radio, TV, the internet, books, and anywhere it is available.

In the Zoroastrianism reIigion I find the seven ritual items to be interesting. These being of any followingllowing: new green shoots of wheat, colored hardboiled eggs, garlic, wine or vinegar, candles, a mirror, and a bowl of gold fish. I wander exactly what they mean by a bowl of gold fish and do they eat them or are they alive? I also thinkoI hinkI could jump over fire no matter how much it was a custom or how badI thoughtI would get sick. MaIbe ifI was raised to see nothing wrong with it or the thought of getting burned was not installed in my head since a young age then it would be ok.

Confucius

I find that the five relationships are a bit strange. I can see the way of thinking behind it but I guess to me it seems a little backwards. That could also be from a female point of view. I am not sure if I would like being told that I was going to marry someone and not even know that person. On the other hand though I could see that if that where the case than I would not half to go on dates or be searching for the right man to marry.

Taoism

I find this to be an intriguing religion one that I enjoy learning about more than any other. I guess because I could see myself using many of their beliefs in everyday life. It seems that all people are in a since quiet though in many ways I am more quiet and shy than others. I enjoy the peace and tranquility of the country and outdoors. I like going to school and learning but I am learning that it is not the most important thing in life. I am best when I am in nature and not trying to learn or teach others; in many ways I am best when all I have is a sketchpad informs of me, a pencil in one hand and thou outdoors all around me. Only at these times do I find complete and utter tranquility. I think learning about Taoism has made me think a lot about how many people view their fast passed lives here in San Antonio. I like San Antonio but for me I know it is too fast pace and I find myself getting caught up in all of it not knowing what way to go sometimes. It is like being asked what I am going to do after I finish school here and I only say I don't know. The only reason I don't get stressed about this is I know in my soul and heart that God will provide no matter what I need all I have to do is let go and be free.

Yin and Yang

I always new that this was called a yin yang but I never new what it meant. I can remember asking friends in junior high what there yin yang necklace meant and them having no idea. They always said they wore it because they thought it was cool. These images I found on the net in a search I did when I was searching for a yin yang with dragon's on either side to put in a piece of digital work I was doing.

The last Samurai

This movie is so good. I did not know that the historically content of the movie was so accurate. I thought like all Hollywood movies that it was mostly fiction. I especially like the part about the sword being the Samurai soul. I did want to know if they still had the swords from that era or what happened to them. I have seen some exhibits on TV in Museums with the armor and swords.

Shintoism

Going over the history of Shinto today we talked about how Buddhism became part of Shinto. I found it interesting that these two religions coexisted together. I thought it was strange when we talked about the funerals and how they would not touch the body's of the dead, but left them instead for the Buddhist monks to deal with. To know that their where still bodies uncovered and decaying in the jungle as Denise told us is fascinating. It makes me wonder how bad it got to smelling in the area. I also think it is fascinating that the government made Shintoism the only religion there could be at one time forcing all other religions out of Japan. Then in later years revoking that and making all religion equal and welcome. I wander at that, if the United States will ever do that and if so what will happen to all of us.

Shintoism

Shintoism sounds like it will be an interesting religion to look at. I like the idea of Animism and I do believe that certain things have spirits. I however did not know that the cartoon anemia Pokemon was based on this religion. I don't think I watched it as a kid but my little brother watched it and in so doing I have seen a few episodes. I do however love anemia though I don't know many of the characters or series that are out there. Japan is the top leading animation area in any case and I would love to do animation as a career. I think learning of the religion that goes on there would help me better understand why some of there animation is so vibrant with life and so interesting to Americans.

Ahimsa

I kind of like the aspect of not harming a living thing. There is a Kleenex commercial that comes to mind when we talked about this in class. The commercial starts off with a Buddhist monk and he goes out doors and finds a baby turtle on its back that he turns over. Then he finds a spider in doors and takes it out doors to a tree. I think there is one more thing he does before he gets a Kleenex and blows his nose but I can't remember. The announcer comes on and says that the Kleenex kills so many bacteria, Yes I said kills. It ends with an astonished faced monk and then shows him praying. I could not get this out of my mind all day today.

An empty circle

I never thought about having a empty circle in side of me. I kind of like the idea of being made of nothing or rather having the very soul of my exsistance defined in one area. I liked the part of the movie about the man saying that All is Budha, ourselves, heaven, earth, trees, and even a dog. This just made me think about some devine beings soul being in a dog. I dont know it was just something that poped in my head and now I cant get it out. I know that is not what he meant.

Talking about deferent ways to meditate day to day in ordinary life was interesting. I never thought about what a half smile was nor had I thought about washing dishes as something that could be a peaceful thing. Thinking about a half smile makes me want to laugh. I have tried to do a half smile when seeing people around campus but I cant do it with out laughing. Maybe I would have better luck with the dishes.

The four Noble truths

I found the four noble truths to be strange in a since but then it started making since. I got to thinking about friends and there hart ache over guys or the desire for one. I found that the noble truths in could be applied to these situations for one's they started thinking of some one else or something else there heat was mended. The idea of letting go of everything that is important to you is scary but I know that in the long run I could do it.

Having no God

I wonder at this. I understand the thoughts of how people are enlightened but having no God puzzles me. I am puzzled at the thought of how they came about this and if there is no God than How did we get here?. On another note I enjoyed the story about Siddartha Gautama today in class.

Life stages

The life stages of Hinduism are fascinating. I think there much like are system to day in the begging. Though are marriages are not arranged and we don't stop going to school at age twenty. They seem to have a simpler life than Americans. Americans are always on the go and never really slow down.

Karma

In class we continued our discussion on Hinduism. While we talked about the interior we discussed Karma. I wanted to know a little more about it so I looked up more meanings of the word. I found out that Karma in Hindu also means the same in Buddhist philosophy. I also found that it could mean destiny or fate. I like the meaning the Hindu and the Buddhist use that the quality of somebody's current and future lives are determined by that person's behavior in this and in previous lives. This makes me wander how many lives can your soul have. It also made me wander who or what I was in a past life. My best friend had a reading done once and found out why he cant put his head beneath water. It all had to do with a past life; in that life he was a young boy in Egypt who was told not to run his pony in the Nile and he disobeyed and was killed by a crocodiles.

Hinduism

I found today's lecture on Hinduism to be fascinating. I especially find it interesting that it is the oldest of the major world religions. The class system is also fascinating. I like to look at old class systems like the ones in the renaissance era.

Nazca civilization

I found the movie to have interesting points on the Nazca people and I wanted to know more about what things had been found. I love Egyptian hieroglyphic so the mummies and art that where found in the burial tombs are also of interest to me. I found this information to be interesting:

Cahuachi was a major ceremonial center of the Nazca culture and overlooked some of the Nazca lines from 1 CE to about 500 CE. Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Orefici has been excavating the site for the past few decades, bringing a team down every year. The site contains over 40 mounds topped with adobe structures. The permanent population was quite small, but it was apparently a pilgrimage center that grew greatly in population for major ceremonial events. These events probably involved the Nazca lines and the giant sand dune of Nazca.

Most of the burial sites surrounding Cahuachi were not known until recently and so present a very tempting target for archaeologists. Their ancient technique of weaving, that the Nazca people developed, has given an insight into how the lines may have been made, and what they might have been used for more than 1,500 years ago.

Class Movie

I found the movie to have helpful and interesting information. However I did find it a bit cheesy. I thought it could have been better outlined and constructed. The movie portrayed things well but I think they could have been more to the events that took place.

Oral Religion

Today in class we further talked about Oral Religions and some of there traditions. I found it interesting that in some cultures women who are married sacrifice themselves when there husband dies. I understand they do this to journey with him to the next life, what I wondered about though was what if they had very young children. What would happen to the children? Can anyone answer this for me.

Literature and Religion

One of the presentations was done on Religion in art and literature. This made me think of William Blake who was a poet as well as an illustrator. I love his illustrations and some of his poetry. Many of his works deal with Religion and his view of it. My favorite poem as well as illustration is The Tiger.

Today we talked a little about Oral Religions. I am fasinated by the Native American Religion. My aunt and uncle go to alot of powwows and they are both adopted members of a tribe. I have been to Oklahoma City once with my aunt to a powwow. There alot of fun and the outfits of the dancers are beutiful. My grandmother has even made ribbon shirts for some of the dancers who are my aunts friends.

I took another quiz this one was titled What's Your Path to Peace? I scored a 25. This is what it told me about myself. I thought it ineresting.

You take the non-violent path. Like famed Indian pacifist, Mahatma Gandhi, you believe that peaceful civil disobedience is the best route to social change. There are rare moments when violent resistance may be considered as a better option. Nonviolence, you emphatically believe, is not to be confused with cowardice, but rather the highest expression of bravery.

I was given a choice to see prayers for peace and when i looked at them there where all these choices for which denomination to chose from. I placed them below it is neat to see how each denomination says the same prayer.

Christian
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures;he leads me beside still waters…
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Catholic
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures;he leads me beside still waters…
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Eastern Orthodox
Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbour, where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict...
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Protestant
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures;he leads me beside still waters…
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Judaism
HaShem is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters...
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Buddhism
I take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha Until I attain Enlightenment…
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Hinduism
May all the beings in all the worlds be happy.May all the beings in all the worlds be happy.May all the beings in all the worlds be happy…
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Islam
Oh God,You are Peace.From You comes Peace…
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Pagan
Surround us with calm, let us rest in the glow of peace…
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Native American
O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you. To your messengers the four winds, and to Mother Earth…
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Other Faiths
Send Thy peace O Lord, which isperfect and everlasting,that our souls may radiate peace…
Click here to read rest of prayer »

New Age
May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are meant to be...
Click here to read rest of prayer »

Multifaith
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love, Where there is injury, pardon…

In hounor of us celebrating the Chinese New Year today. I love dragons.

What is an Orthodox Quaker

When i took the Belief-o-Matic quiz it said that i was a Orthodox Quaker. I wanted to know more about this religion since i have always simply said i am a Christian when asked what religion i am. I do this partly because i went to a youth group at a Baptist Church but i know that my grandparents were not raised Baptist. I went to the site on Orthodox Quakers and these are the parts that i thought were important to being one.

Belief in DeityThere is a Trinity of the Father (God), the Son (Christ), and the Holy Spirit that comprises one God Almighty.
•
Incarnations Jesus Christ is God's only incarnation. God is manifest within all as the light.
•
Origin of Universe and Life The most orthodox Quakers hold that God created all in less than seven days and less that 10,000 years ago. But many would maintain that a biblical "day" is not a literal 24 hours.
•
After DeathMost orthodox Quakers believe in direct reward and punishment, heaven and hell, the second coming of Christ, and resurrection of the dead

•
SalvationSome Friends (the formal name of the group) churches include rites of baptism and communion, but sacraments to God are most often considered to arise from inward experiences, a personal encounter with God, rather than church ritual. Salvation is found internally through union with Christ, the divine Light within all. Many Quaker churches, e.g. evangelical, believe similarly to Conservative Protestant, that salvation is a free gift from God, with faith, independent of good works. Yet moral behavior and good works are viewed as essential to showing faith and obedience to God. Good works, such as humanitarian service, social justice, and peace efforts, are an expression of Christian love. Simplicity and humility are viewed as essential to living a Christian life.

How many defintions of religion are there?

Doing the presentations in class made me wander how many defintions i could find about religion so i began to search on the internet for definitions and these are a few i found.

Definitions:
1. beliefs and worship: people's beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life
2. system: an institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices relating to the divine
3. personal beliefs or values: a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by
4. obsession: an object, practice, cause, or activity that somebody is completely devoted to or obsessed byThe danger is that you start to make fitness a religion.
5. christianity monk's or nun's life: life as a monk or a nun, especially in the Roman Catholic Church
This is from encarta.com
These definitions are ineresting and relate to many of the ones that are being descussed in class presentations. I still believe that religion is what a person makes it. It is how one person or many believe things happen. How they make up for what is going on around them. This is also one way to reflect what maters to them as far as hopes and dreams. It gives them the ability to believe in something that will help them have or achieve these hopes and dreams.

Cave paintings

The cave paintings are in France and are called Lascaux. This is a picture of the Great hall of the Bulls. This may not be the one we talked about in class. I have included the website so any one who wants can see the art work.
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en/

Enlightenment

Today we talked about the science of religion dealing with enlightenment. I found it interesting in the respect that in art you would refer to the Rococo period if you talked about the Enlightenment time. In religion the enlightenment was seeking the truth about all things. In Rococo it was the time of fantasy. It was stunning the two viewpoints of enlightenment. To me enlightenment is being informed or educated about something new and unknown.

Mystical Experience what is it.

When the topic of mystical experience was mentioned in class today I wanted to know more. I went on the internet and did a simple search for information and found a list of many cites. I chose one and this is what information I found on the cite. (www.bodysoulandspirit.net This is the cite.)

Mysticism is usually defined in dictionaries and encyclopedias as a spiritual discipline used to make contact with the divine.

It also gives the following as a guide to help you know if you are having or have had a mystical experience.

General Characteristics of Mystical Experience

Mystical experiences are marked by all or some of the following feelings/insights.
A sense of unity or totality
A sense of timelessness
A sense of having encountered ultimate reality
A sense of sacredness
A sense that one can not adequately describe the richness of this experience

Most experiences can last as short as a few seconds or up to a few days.

I can see that this information would help some one but it did not help me to completely understand how you would tell if you had a mystical experience.

I think though that the quote below from Albert Einstein says it best. That in truth a mystical experience is an event that in a since startles the human mind, and acknowledges the existence of other forces may they be God or spirits or mother earth.
"The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive forms - this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religion." - Albert Einstein

This cite also has some stories of other peoples mystical experiences.

Belief-o-Matic quiz results

Your Results:
The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa.Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking.

1.
Orthodox Quaker (100%)
2.
Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (86%)
3.
Liberal Quakers (79%)
4.
Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (78%)
5.
Seventh Day Adventist (75%)
6.
Unitarian Universalism (74%)
7.
Bahá'í Faith (66%)
8.
Eastern Orthodox (65%)
9.
Roman Catholic (65%)
10.
Hinduism (62%)
11.
Orthodox Judaism (62%)
12.
Reform Judaism (61%)
13.
Mahayana Buddhism (60%)
14.
Neo-Pagan (59%)
15.
Theravada Buddhism (59%)
16.
New Age (58%)
17.
Sikhism (57%)
18.
Islam (54%)
19.
Jainism (52%)
20.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (50%)
21.
New Thought (49%)
22.
Scientology (48%)
23.
Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (46%)
24.
Secular Humanism (42%)
25.
Jehovah's Witness (40%)
26.
Taoism (38%)
27.
Nontheist (27%)


This quiz was indeed very interesting to take. I am now wandering what kind of results my family would get as well as some of my friends. I am going to send them the quiz to take so we can all compare.