1. 1. Did Jesus condemn homosexuality? What is the Biblical justification for the Christian dogmatic condemnation of homosexuality?
2.What arguments does Maher put forward for why Christianity's condemnation of homosexuality is flawed?
3.Read the story of Jonah fleeing from the Lord:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=39&chapter=1&version=31
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=39&chapter=2&version=31http://ww
There are many different types of Truth contained in the Bible. Some of these truths are intended to be taken literally; some are intended to be interpreted symbolically. This story you have just read contains a Symbolic Truth. Explain what you think the Symbolic Truth (the moral message) is of the story of Jonah and The Whale.
4.Explain what Nationalism is. How is the message of Jesus incompatible with Nationalism?
5.The Biblical texts were primarily composed during The Bronze Age. Identify three (3) other beliefs from The Bronze Age.
6.What do Christian Fundamentalists believe about Evolution?
7.Father Reginald Foster - a senior Vatican priest - has many criticisms of Catholic dogma. Discuss two (2) criticisms he has of Catholic dogma and its changes.
8.Why do you think that most people - both in the documentary and in real life - become so aggressive when you question their religious beliefs? Why are they so unwilling to have their beliefs challenged when they are perfectly okay with accepting that facts can be interpreted (such as in science or in a Court of Law) in a variety of different ways?
9.Why do you think the holy texts were edited to incorporate so many pre-existing religious beliefs?
10. Do you think that we are all born with "a God-sized" hole? Discuss how people that claim to not be religious or to not believe in God often supplement their lack of Faith with other things? Why do they do this? Why is existence simply not enough for people?
1) There is no biblical evidence for Jesus condemning homosexuality, the source of Christian dogmatic condemnation of homosexuality is the Old Testament.
ReplyDelete2) Maher argued that condemnation of gays is wrong as Jesus did not condemn gays and that he preached love all round.
3) I believe the moral of this story is deal with your problems, to fix them, to sort them out or they will return in the future and cause trouble for you and the people around you.
4) ???
5) Some other religions that were around during the bronze age were Islam, Judaism and Ancient Egyptian Religion.
6) Fundamentalist Christians believe that Evolution is false and that it is a threat to Christianity.
7) ???
8) People can become offended and aggressive if you question their religious beliefs, as they hold it sacred, it is a fundamental part of their everyday lives and it shapes them as a person. Also when a person’s beliefs are questioned by other people, they too will begin questioning their own faith, this is very confronting as if they realize their religion is false they may lose meaning in life. However they accept to facts interpreted in science as law as it does go as deep as person’s spiritual beliefs.
9) Holy texts may be include pre-existing religious beliefs as many religions incorporate beliefs from other religions e.g. Catholicism has incorporate many traditions and beliefs from Paganism e.g. the lighting of candles in churches.
10) All people are all born with a God sized hole as human beings seek meaning in life and the answers to the fundamental question of human existence. People who are not religious may fill the hole with money, belongings, sport, science, friendship, personal endeavours and much more. Existence is simply not enough for human beings, it is in our instinct to know more, to seek answers, to gain more and live life to fullest; just existing does not satisfy these fundamental human desires.
1. Did Jesus condemn homosexuality? What is the Biblical justification for the Christian dogmatic condemnation of homosexuality?
ReplyDeleteJesus didn’t condemn homosexuality, and rarely mentioned it in the Bible. The Biblical justification for the Christian dogmatic condemnation of homosexuality is that the Bible (although not directly) depicts homosexuality as “unnatural”. For example, Romans 1 says that: “…God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another…women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another”.
2. What argument does Maher put forward for why Christianity’s condemnation of homosexuality is flawed?
Maher says that Christianity’s condemnation of homosexuality is flawed because Jesus never said anything about it, so it would be judgemental and wrong for the Church to label homosexuality as “forbidden” if they had no basis to the belief.
3. Explain what the Symbolic Truth of Jonah and the Whale is.
The Symbolic Truth of “Jonah and the Whale” is that you cannot run away from faith because by doing so you “forfeit the grace that could be [yours]”. The story is also saying that having a belief system allows a person to take a “better” path in life, as God will symbolically save you. This is shows through the section of the story where Jonah is thrown overboard as he tried to escape the Lord, but is saved when the Lord forgives him and welcomes Jonah back into the Church as he had realised what it was like to be without faith.
4. Explain what Nationalism is. How is the message of Jesus incompatible with Nationalism?
Nationalism can be defined as the love of an individual’s country, similar to patriotism. It can also be the idea of enforcing the interests of a specific nation of an individual over that of another nation’s or the interests of all nations as a whole. The message of Jesus is incompatible with Nationalism because it is a general message for all people. Jesus never spoke of a specific people with the intent of singling those people out over others; he simply spoke of humans as a whole. For example, Jesus said to “love thy neighbour”. This doesn’t specifically mean for people from England to be respectful towards other nations, it simply means that all people should be respectful to one another.
5. The Biblical texts were primarily composed during the Bronze Age. Identify three other beliefs from the Bronze Age.
Three other beliefs of the Bronze Age were: the Earth was flat rather than round, spitting on a wound would heal it and that the dead should not be buried.
6. What do Christian Fundamentalists believe about evolution?
Christian Fundamentalists believe that the science perspective of evolution and the perspective of evolution portrayed in Genesis are intertwined. For instance, in the Creation Museum in America, they had a display that consisted of both dinosaurs and humans together in the same environment.
7. Discuss two criticisms about Catholic dogma held by Father Reginald Foster and their changes.
Two criticisms held by Father Reginald Foster about Catholic dogma include: the idea that Jesus was born on the 25th of December, and the concept of prayer to saints and angels. In “Religulous”, Father Foster criticises the dogma held by Catholics that Jesus was born at midnight on the 25th of December. In the film Maher comments, “The date of Jesus’ birth really wasn’t established until 349 AD”. Father Foster replies saying, “He might have been born on July third…It’s all nonsense”. Father Foster challenges the idea that everything in religion must be accurate and perfect, saying that it is the significance of the events that really matter. The other criticism of Father Foster is the concept of prayer to saints and angels. Maher comments that this makes Catholicism seem polytheistic rather than monotheistic. Father Foster replies, saying that a survey was taken in Italy to find the most popular holy person individuals pray to when they are in trouble. Surprisingly, Jesus was number 6 on the list. Father Foster is saying through this that current generations don’t recognise the importance of the key figures in the faith, and see the key figures as saints and angels.
8. Why do you think people become aggressive when questioned about their religious beliefs? Why can they accept that facts can be interpreted differently?
I believe that people become aggressive when their beliefs are questioned because they see their faith as a very personal matter. When someone’s faith is questioned, to them their ways of life and personal beliefs are in question. People are unwilling to have their beliefs challenged because they feel someone is saying they are wrong. However, these people are ok with having facts interpreted differently because facts aren’t personal and don’t affect the individuals as deeply as faith and personal beliefs. There is no ‘connection’ between an individual and facts as there is with religious beliefs.
9. Why do you think the holy texts were edited to incorporate so many pre-existing religious beliefs? Holy texts were edited to incorporate pre-existing religious beliefs because without the pre-existing beliefs, the more modern beliefs would not have existed. Therefore, these beliefs provide a structure or framework for the beliefs in the Holy texts, and are the fundamental beliefs of a religion.
10. Do you think that we are all born with "a God-sized" hole? Discuss how people that claim to not be religious or to not believe in God often supplement their lack of Faith with other things? Why do they do this? Why is existence simply not enough for people? I believe that we aren’t all born with a “God sized” hole, but that our lives do need beliefs of some kind. These don’t have to be religious beliefs such as creation, but basic beliefs that help give life meaning. People who claim not to be religious or believe in God supplement their faith with other things to give their life meaning. People are not satisfied with existence because they want to believe that they are meant for something greater, and that somewhere out there could be a better place free of the pain and suffering of this world. They need a belief that something is controlling fate and that there is a reason for everything. For example, an explanation for the unanswerable questions of humanity and society.
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ReplyDeleteBenjamin Plummer
ReplyDelete11 Edwin
Questions:
1) Did Jesus condemn homosexuality? What is the Biblical justification for the Christian dogmatic condemnation of homosexuality?
2) What arguments does Maher put forward for why Christianity's condemnation of homosexuality is flawed?
3) Read the story of Jonah fleeing from the Lord. Explain what you think the Symbolic Truth (the moral message) is of the story of Jonah and The Whale.
4) Explain what Nationalism is. How is the message of Jesus incompatible with Nationalism?
5) The Biblical texts were primarily composed during The Bronze Age. Identify three (3) other beliefs from The Bronze Age.
6) What do Christian Fundamentalists believe about Evolution?
7) Father Reginald Foster - a senior Vatican priest - has many criticisms of Catholic dogma. Discuss two (2) criticisms he has of Catholic dogma and its changes.
8) Why do you think that most people - both in the documentary and in real life - become so aggressive when you question their religious beliefs? Why are they so unwilling to have their beliefs challenged when they are perfectly okay with accepting that facts can be interpreted (such as in science or in a Court of Law) in a variety of different ways?
9) Why do you think the holy texts were edited to incorporate so many pre-existing religious beliefs?
10) Do you think that we are all born with "a God-sized" hole? Discuss how people that claim to not be religious or to not believe in God often supplement their lack of Faith with other things? Why do they do this? Why is existence simply not enough for people?
Answers:
1. No, Jesus never condemned homosexuality per se, however, it does allure to homosexuality being ‘unnatural’ in Romans chapter 1.
2. The arguments that Maher puts forward for why Christian’s condemnation of homosexuality is flawed is that it is never mentioned by Jesus in the Bible, therefore when Christians declare that homosexuality is wrong or ‘evil’, they are being judgemental and acting without the support of Jesus’ teachings.
3. The symbolic truth of the Jonah and the whale (no sorry, “great fish”) is that a person cannot escape from God, faith or gods judgement. This can clearly be seen in the story when Jonah, attempting to ignore God, is punished by being thrown overboard by the sailors in the storm for making God angry. This tale attempts to tell us that faith in God cannot be run away from and that wherever you are and whatever you do it is inescapable.
4. Nationalism can be defined as patriotism; proud loyalty and devotion to a nation. It can also be defined as excessive or even fanatical devotion to a nation and its interests, often associated with a belief that one country is superior to all others. This is obviously incompatible with the teachings of Jesus as Jesus preached tolerance to all people regardless of race. Nationalism therefore flies in the face of everything that Jesus is attempting to educate people about.
5. Some other beliefs that were around during the Bronze Age [?] (I’m being a pedantic here but…I’m not certain that the beliefs that Maher mentioned were actually Bronze Age beliefs, maybe medieval but not Bronze Age. Reason; the Bronze Age was much earlier than most of those beliefs). However, the beliefs that Maher mentions are; spitting on a wound to heal it, not burying the dead and the belief that the earth was flat instead of round.
6. Christian fundamentalists believe that evolution is a lie. Some slightly more rational Christian fundamentalists, but I stress the slightly, believe that evolution and creation are intertwined with dinosaurs and humans co0existing peacefully (?) as seen in the creation museum in the documentary.
7. Some criticisms about catholic dogma held by Father Reginald Foster are; the commonly held belief that Jesus Christ was born on the 25th of December and the fact that so many people believe that Christianity or at least Catholicism was the first religion in the world. Father Foster also criticises the Catholic penchant for setting their religious centres (particularly in the Vatican) in grand building and palaces. Father Foster says that if Jesus was to arrive on earth today, he would probably set up shop in a barracks rather than a palace. Father Foster also criticises the people of Italy’s belief in praying to various saints instead of God or Jesus. He supports this statement with the fact that in a survey, Jesus was ranked sixth on a list of people Italians would pray to in a crisis. This goes against the Catholic belief in monotheism.
8. I believe that people become so aggressive when you question their religion because in doing so, you are basically challenging their very soul. By asking these questions, you expose the fragility of humans hold on their lives and challenge long held and secure beliefs that people need for the sake of their own sanity. In my case, I tend to avoid thinking about it.
9. Holy texts were edited to incorporate so many pre-existing religious beliefs so that the new faith of Catholicism would have more believers and so that the faith would gain popularity more quickly. People are more inclined to follow and believe in what they already know, so incorporating already held beliefs into holy text, the creators of the bible provided a nifty marketing tool for the product they were selling.
10. No I do not believe that are born with a “God-sized hole”, I firmly believe that some things humans are born with, others humans are taught and raised with. Religious beliefs such as God, Jesus and the afterlife are definitely things that humans are taught. I believe that people who don’t believe in God still need to supplement their lack of faith with other things because deep down, humans still need answers to those imponderable questions, religion is one way of doing so, a less plausible way, but still a way. People without religion still need a belief in something greater than humans, this can unfortunately lead to some misguided and hopeless cases e.g. scientology…Need I say more?
1. Did Jesus condemn homosexuality? What is the Biblical justification for the Christian dogmatic condemnation of homosexuality?
ReplyDeleteJesus did not discuss his views on homosexuality. People have created their own views on homosexuality based on the church’s stance against homosexuality.
2.What arguments does Maher put forward for why Christianity's condemnation of homosexuality is flawed?
He suggests it is flawed because Jesus never stated anything about homosexuality and when you listen to peoples’ opinions on the matter they have no legit reason as to why homosexuality is wrong. They only agree with the Pope.
3.Read the story of Jonah fleeing from the Lord:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=39&chapter=1&version=31
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=39&chapter=2&version=31http://ww
There are many different types of Truth contained in the Bible. Some of these truths are intended to be taken literally; some are intended to be interpreted symbolically. This story you have just read contains a Symbolic Truth. Explain what you think the Symbolic Truth (the moral message) is of the story of Jonah and The Whale. The moral of this story is that if you have true faith and belief in Jesus Christ then you will be saved from all of salvation.
It is also telling us that you have hard times that you must endure to make you a stronger person but the Lord will save us if we just believe and get through the tough times.
4.Explain what Nationalism is. How is the message of Jesus incompatible with Nationalism?
Nationalism is the pride one has for their country, and is expressed in many different forms. The message of Jesus is incompatible to Nationalism because different nations find it hard to compare with various ideas and it will be different for every person.
5.The Biblical texts were primarily composed during The Bronze Age. Identify three (3) other beliefs from The Bronze Age.
The world was flat
To heal a wound you spit on it
...
6.What do Christian Fundamentalists believe about Evolution?
Christian fundamentalists believe that evolution is a threat to their set of key beliefs and values. They do not support it and they do not like the aspect that everything is changing. All religions try to keep up with evolution and are constantly adapting their values systems to match with what Jesus said in the past and how our lives are structured today. Also the further we move on in life, the further we travel from religion and the further we are from understanding the concept of the times in which Jesus lived.
7.Father Reginald Foster - a senior Vatican priest - has many criticisms of Catholic dogma. Discuss two (2) criticisms he has of Catholic dogma and its changes.
We have an unbermensch figure but yet we all pray to the other saints and Mary, so it is not exactly a “monotheistic” religion.
He also criticizes the
8.Why do you think that most people - both in the documentary and in real life - become so aggressive when you question their religious beliefs? Why are they so unwilling to have their beliefs challenged when they are perfectly okay with accepting that facts can be interpreted (such as in science or in a Court of Law) in a variety of different ways?
Because there is no proof in religion and because a lot of Religions have a “jealous” God so people are brought up into thinking that they are right and everybody must follow their preachings
9.Why do you think the holy texts were edited to incorporate so many pre-existing religious beliefs?
The church has had to change to adapt to changing times and modern beliefs. Many people turn to the church for whether or not they are allowed to do certain things. If the church does not have an opinion on these actions then people may create a judgement and consider the church to be “outdated”.
By making a judgement and taking a stand they are still competitive with all the other religions and their believers can still have their set of morals and beliefs to stand by.
10. Do you think that we are all born with "a God-sized" hole? Discuss how people that claim to not be religious or to not believe in God often supplement their lack of Faith with other things? Why do they do this? Why is existence simply not enough for people?
No, I personally do not believe that we were because whilst our spiritual health does overcome a large part of our lives, we all come from different religions and there is no such thing as a “right” religion. Also, some religions have a polytheistic belief, a belief in more than one God so how is it possible that they have a God sized hole? This does not match all religions or all people. I believe that people who are not religious supplement their lack of faith with something else, whether it is a faith in themselves or their friends/family. Existence is not enough for people because with science and modern technologies constantly improving we expect to know all the answers and have everything at the click of a button. We do not like things that we do not understand, it scares us that we cannot have control over every aspect of our lives.
1.Did Jesus condemn homosexuality? What is the Biblical justification for the Christian dogmatic condemnation of homosexuality?
ReplyDeleteNo, Jesus never condemned homosexuality in the bible, however in the Old Testament the idea of homosexuality is portrayed as unnatural. The church is the main group that started the ideal of the condemning of homosexuality.
2.What arguments does Maher put forward for why Christianity's condemnation of homosexuality is flawed?
Maher’s puts forward the argument that the bible never states anything against homosexuality hence the church cannot condemn it as that would not be continuing in Jesus’ teachings.
3.Read the story of Jonah fleeing from the Lord:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=39&chapter=1&version=31
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=39&chapter=2&version=31http://ww
There are many different types of Truth contained in the Bible. Some of these truths are intended to be taken literally; some are intended to be interpreted symbolically. This story you have just read contains a Symbolic Truth. Explain what you think the Symbolic Truth (the moral message) is of the story of Jonah and The Whale.
The symbolic truth of the Jonah and the whale is that a person cannot escape from God, faith or gods judgement. The more Jonah tries to ignore God the more he was punished, hence the underlying message that you cannot run away from God and also your faith, this is also highlighted though the forgiveness God gave Jonah.
4.Explain what Nationalism is. How is the message of Jesus incompatible with Nationalism?
Nationalism is a love and strong pride that one has for his/her country, Jesus’ message is incompatible with the overall view of nationalism as every single person have very different views and ideas that they have been brought up with.sm can
5.The Biblical texts were primarily composed during The Bronze Age. Identify three (3) other beliefs from The Bronze Age.
The three other beliefs were that spiting on a wound would heal it, the earth was flat and that the dead should not be buried.
6.What do Christian Fundamentalists believe about Evolution?
Christian fundamentalists believe that their views about creation in Genesis and the scientific views are slightly intertwined.
7.Father Reginald Foster - a senior Vatican priest - has many criticisms of Catholic dogma. Discuss two (2) criticisms he has of Catholic dogma and its changes.
He talks about how all religions believe that Jesus was born on the 25th of December even though they all know that, that wasn’t the case, but also how every religion believes that theirs is right and the ‘first’ religion. He also criticise how we are so called monotheistic but we also pray to saints which would therefore mean we are polytheistic.
8.Why do you think that most people - both in the documentary and in real life - become so aggressive when you question their religious beliefs? Why are they so unwilling to have their beliefs challenged when they are perfectly okay with accepting that facts can be interpreted (such as in science or in a Court of Law) in a variety of different ways?
I believe that people become increasingly aggressive when you question their religion because you are showing them doubt when you ask them questions and they are unable to answer. People like to think they have very strong beliefs and faith but by asking questions they question their so called ‘strong’ faith and they then have no longer the hope they use to have and someone of thing to turn to.
9.Why do you think the holy texts were edited to incorporate so many pre-existing religious beliefs?
Holy texts have been edited throughout time to incorporate many pre-existing religious beliefs so that the religion can appeal to modern people and increase popularity.
10. Do you think that we are all born with "a God-sized" hole? Discuss how people that claim to not be religious or to not believe in God often supplement their lack of Faith with other things? Why do they do this? Why is existence simply not enough for people?
No, i dont think we are born with a god-sized hole, this so called god sized hole only appears when we need it and when it seems that there is nothing else we can turn to.
For some people because people believe that they know all the answers and with science constantly improving they are non longer conviencest by the things that cannot be proven.
1)Jesus did not condemn homosexuality. It was indirectly touched on in the Bible as being unnatural. The Church has created their own views on the subject and therefore people who practice Christianity feel accustomed to follow the higher authorities of their religion.
ReplyDelete2)Maher states that Christianity’s condemnation of homosexuality was flawed as it was not one of Jesus’ teachings and that people are following a dogmatic condemnation.
3)In the story of Jonah and the whale the moral message was that no one can run away from their faith, if they do they will only be doing so temporarily as in times of hardship people need someone to turn to. Also it is saying that God is our protector and is a forgiving God as long as we hold true to our faith.
4)Nationalism is the love and loyalty to one’s own nation. This is incompatible with Jesus’ message because Jesus did not single out any specific nation or individuals; he treated everyone as equals in his teachings.
5)Three other beliefs from the bronze age that were mentioned by Maher were; to heal a wound by spitting on it, the world was not round but flat and the dead should not be buried.
6)Christian fundamentalists believe that Evolution as shown in a scientific perspective and the version in genesis are linked. In the video they go to the creation museum where they show dinosaurs and human beings living together in the same space.
7)Two criticisms that Father Reginald Foster has of Catholic dogma were; the date of Jesus’ birth, the 25th of December. Maher says it was only established in 349CE and then the priest agrees by saying “he might have been born on the 3rd of July… its all nonsense”. Another criticism was that of the prestigious looking buildings in which the pope and other high authorities accommodate in. They discussed how Jesus never had a palace like building and if they were following the teachings of the Bible places such as the Vatican would not exist.
8)Most people are defensive of their religion as they believe and have faith. One main reason is in accordance to the belief that God is their protector as long as they have faith, as discussed in question 3. Faith, to them is personal and is not an open conversation topic for this reason. People would take offense if someone were to touch on a personal subject. Commonly known facts are not personal to people and therefore can be openly discussed.
9)The Holy texts were edited to incorporate pre-existing religious beliefs because people were accustomed to these beliefs already and therefore they became the basis of the religion. New beliefs are added to holy texts with the changes that occur in the world; otherwise people may turn to their Holy text and be unsatisfied as it doesn’t refer to modern situations/beliefs.
10)Yes I do believe everyone is born with a God sized hole in them, in a metaphorical way. I believe that the God sized hole represents the answers to the basic questions of existence and everyone does ask these questions during some period of their life. All people fill this hole with answers, some in the form of having found God(s) in a religion and others in the form of pure faith in something they hold dear to them. People often do not have a religion because they are dissatisfied with the answers and limitations the religion provides. Simply existing is not an option because then the lack of knowledge would tear the edges of the God sized hole, making their search for answers more prominent and in the end they would find a way to fill it. The size of the God sized hole is irrelevant as God’s figure is unmeasurable but I believe that the hole starts out small and as we grow it starts to tear up and become bigger until we find answers to fill it with.
1. Jesus did not condemn (or mention) homosexuality (gay), and it is hardly mentioned in the bible it self. The Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality is not direct (within the bible), but is seen as ‘unnatural’
ReplyDelete2. Christianity’s condemnation of homosexuality is flawed because Jesus himself did not mention anything about homosexuality (during his life time), but the church has labelled homosexuality as wrong and forbidden. They also believe it is a sin but they have no basis to the belief.
3. The main truth of this story (Jonah and the whale) is you can not deny your faith or it may be lost. The story also states that if you have a belief system in something you will be able to take a better path in life.
4. Nationalism can simply be defined as the love of an individual to its country (similar to patriotism). This can be seen as incompatible with the term nationalism because Jesus never spoke of specific people, he simply spoke of humans as wholes. For example his teachings were preached to all the people regardless of specific race/gender.
5. The main belief during the Bronze Age was the Earth was flat not round. Another belief includes the dead should not be buried. The
6. The fundamental belief was show in the documentary (in the creation museum) when they displayed dinosaurs and humans together in the same environment.
7. Two criticisms that are mentioned is the idea that Jesus was born on the 25th of December. He criticises the dogma (father Foster) by stating that Jesus was born at midnight on the 25th of December. The second criticism that father Foster states is the concept of praying to saints and angles. Maher then makes the comment that Catholicism is seen as polytheistic rather than monotheistic.
8. I believe that people may become aggressive when questioned about their faith because it is seen as personal (to them) and people may not like to share there thoughts because their thoughts make them believe they have a connection with God (building a bridge between the immanent and transcendent dimension) bel
9. Holy text was edited to ‘fit in’ pre existing beliefs because modern beliefs would not have been existing (at that time). They also provided a structure for the beliefs.
1. Did Jesus condemn homosexuality? What is the Biblical justification for the Christian dogmatic condemnation of homosexuality?
ReplyDeleteJesus didn’t mention homosexually much but it has been seen as wrong by the church over the years because it is ‘Unnatural’.
2. What arguments does Maher put forward for why Christianity's condemnation of homosexuality is flawed?
It is flawed as Jesus never spoke about homosexuality, and the church has forbidden it without the aid of Jesus.
3. Read the story of Jonah fleeing from the Lord:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=39&chapter=1&version=31
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=39&chapter=2&version=31http://ww
There are many different types of Truth contained in the Bible. Some of these truths are intended to be taken literally; some are intended to be interpreted symbolically. This story you have just read contains a Symbolic Truth. Explain what you think the Symbolic Truth (the moral message) is of the story of Jonah and the whale There is a great symbolic meaning as it shows if you run away from your God and neglect to notice him you will be punished and you will get what is coming to you.
4.Explain what Nationalism is. How is the message of Jesus incompatible with Nationalism?
Nationalism is the love for ones country sort of like Patriotism. The message of Jesus is incompatible as Jesus’ message is taught over many different countries and each country has their own beliefs and rules.
5.The Biblical texts were primarily composed during The Bronze Age. Identify three (3) other beliefs from The Bronze Age.
The Earth Was Flat
Spitting On Wounds Would Heal It
The Dead Should Not Be Buried
6.What do Christian Fundamentalists believe about Evolution?
Christian Fundamentalists believe that the theory of evolution may be knotted together and there is not just a belief in one or the other.
7.Father Reginald Foster – a senior Vatican priest – has many criticisms of Catholic dogma. Discuss two (2) criticisms he has of Catholic dogma and its changes.
Jesus birth on the 25th of December. Everyone knows that this is not true as Jesus could have been born in July, no one really knows.
Christianity is said to be a Monotheistic religion while we often pray to saints and the Vatican priest said that Jesus is the 6th most prayed to person. Surely this should mean that we are a polytheistic religion.
8.Why do you think that most people - both in the documentary and in real life - become so aggressive when you question their religious beliefs? Why are they so unwilling to have their beliefs challenged when they are perfectly okay with accepting that facts can be interpreted (such as in science or in a Court of Law) in a variety of different ways?
You have been brought up with these beliefs and you truly believe in them and when someone comes up and begins to question you without truly understanding what you believe in it can often anger people. Most people do not wish to be challenged and want to go on living life thinking that they are right.
9.Why do you think the holy texts were edited to incorporate so many pre-existing religious beliefs?
The holy texts were edited to fit in with modern society and if there are already pre-existing beliefs then it makes it easier on the church if there is already a background in what they are writing about.
10. Do you think that we are all born with "a God-sized" hole? Discuss how people that claim to not be religious or to not believe in God often supplement their lack of Faith with other things? Why do they do this? Why is existence simply not enough for people?
We are not born with a God-Sized hole but while growing up we adopt different beliefs and religions that is when a hole may develop as you follow the religion to answer the basic questions of life. People that lack faith are still humans and humans are a curious being and are often pondering different things, because they do not have this ‘religion’ or belief they have nothing there to give them the answers to life’s questions.
Kim
ReplyDelete1. Did Jesus condemn homosexuality? What is the Biblical justification for the Christian dogmatic condemnation of homosexuality?
No, Jesus did not condemn homosexuality. In fact, Jesus promoted the idea of being accepting toward all walks of life. However, the condemnation of homosexuality came from The Old Testament.
2.What arguments does Maher put forward for why Christianity's condemnation of homosexuality is flawed?
Due to the fact that Jesus wanted his people to treat others as they wished to be treated, and endorsed the equality of mankind, Maher states that the condemnation of homosexuality is indeed flawed, as this is definitely not treating others with equality.
3.Read the story of Jonah fleeing from the Lord:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=39&chapter=1&version=31
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=39&chapter=2&version=31http://ww
There are many different types of Truth contained in the Bible. Some of these truths are intended to be taken literally; some are intended to be interpreted symbolically. This story you have just read contains a Symbolic Truth. Explain what you think the Symbolic Truth (the moral message) is of the story of Jonah and The Whale.
“Jonah and the Whale” contains the symbolic truth of the inability to “run away” from one’s faith. This is because in running away from your faith, you are giving up “the grace that could be yours”.
Also, “Jonah and the Whale” explains to the audience that by holding a system of beliefs throughout life, God will save you. This is said to give you a better life and is shown through the symbolism of Jonah being thrown overboard as he attempts to escape his faith, but is forgiven as the Lord saves him.
4.Explain what Nationalism is. How is the message of Jesus incompatible with Nationalism?
Nationalism is the idea of the love and pride felt for one’s country. This however, clashes with Jesus’ teachings, as Jesus only ever spoke about the human race as a whole, not divided segments or clans. Nationalism however, is comprised of the idea of the superiority of particular nations over others, and this opposes what Jesus taught about equality.
5.The Biblical texts were primarily composed during The Bronze Age. Identify three (3) other beliefs from The Bronze Age.
One belief from the bronze age was that the world was flat. Another belief was that spitting on people cured illness. I’m really sorry but I can’t remember the third one..
6.What do Christian Fundamentalists believe about Evolution?
Christian fundamentalists believe that evolution and the genesis creation story are combined, and interact with each other. For instance, the Creation Museum in the United States allows the public to experience the Christian fundamentalist beliefs of evolution through plays, tours and first-hand experiences.
7.Father Reginald Foster - a senior Vatican priest - has many criticisms of Catholic dogma. Discuss two (2) criticisms he has of Catholic dogma and its changes.
One criticism made by Father Foster was the widely held belief that Jesus Christ was born on December 25th. There is no proof that Jesus was born o December 25th, in fact, the date of Jesus’ birth wasn’t established until 349 AD. Also, the fact that Jesus was the sixth most prayed-to saint was made fun of. This is because the current generation look more to saints and angels than they do their own Lord.
8.Why do you think that most people - both in the documentary and in real life - become so aggressive when you question their religious beliefs? Why are they so unwilling to have their beliefs challenged when they are perfectly okay with accepting that facts can be interpreted (such as in science or in a Court of Law) in a variety of different ways?
Religion is a very personal topic which is interpreted differently by every single believer. Religion also provides each individual with answers and guidelines to seemingly impossible situations. These situations are personal and close to the heart of all believers, and the dispute of one’s religion may cause upset that the solution to their hard times is seen as wrong. Religion is a very personal belief and the thought that their beliefs, which may have taken a lifetime to accumulate, can really affect strictly religious people.
9.Why do you think the holy texts were edited to incorporate so many pre-existing religious beliefs?
The holy texts needed to be edited because there were already many beliefs in place at the time of the development of the holy texts. This meant that the majority of people already followed a faith in which they were content with, so the development of holy texts needed to incorporate already existent beliefs and morals because this will give the people something that they agree with and therefore allow people to relate better to the holy texts.
10. Do you think that we are all born with "a God-sized" hole? Discuss how people that claim to not be religious or to not believe in God often supplement their lack of Faith with other things? Why do they do this? Why is existence simply not enough for people?
I personally do not believe that we are born with a “god-sized hole” or any kind of hole for that matter. I believe that we are all born complete but it is our life and lifestyle that drills this hole into us, thus bringing the need for a higher power to give hope to otherwise seemingly hopeless lives. I believe that people who claim to not believe in god fill this hole by the idea that there is no God. By this, I mean, those who believe that there is no God, will therefore accept that all they have is what is on earth, and this will cause them to appreciate what they already have far more than those who hold out hope for something better through God. However, in saying that, those who believe in God fill their hole with God, so it’s even either way. Existence is enough for some, but for those who have been through significant trauma, where a hole has been created, then the belief in God can potentially “save” their lives.
Phoebe Yang
ReplyDelete1. No, the story of Gomorrah and Sodom in Old Testament and Apostle Paul caused Christians to condemn homosexuality.
2. He stated that Jesus loves everyone and did not condemn homosexuality.
3. The moral of the story is to obey God and do things according to his will or you will be finding trouble for yourself.
4. Nationalism is love and loyalty for one’s country. Jesus’ teachings is incompatible with nationalism as Jesus’ salvation is teachings are for everyone, instead of favouring his own country.
5. The Earth is flat, spitting on the wound to heal it and dead should not be buried.
6. They believe that theory of evolution contradicts their faith and are against it.
7. He criticises the grand palace, which he believe is against Jesus’ teachings. Also, he is against the belief of Jesus being born on 25th December.
8. I think that it’s human nature to be unhappy to be told that you are wrong or to make you seem wrong. Also, for some people, beliefs can be as dear as their lives; they live for what they believe in, that’s why they have such strong reactions.
9. I think that it is edited to fit into more modern contexts to make it easier to relate to, more popular or applicable to people.
10. I think people are born with a God-sized hole as we can feel that some things are lacking in our lives. Some people fill it up with religion while others try to fulfill their emotional wants and needs by getting materialistic things or having idols (eg. Football stars).
Excellent, ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased with how well you have appreciated the Symbolic Truth contained in the story of Jonah.
ReplyDeleteI am also particularly pleased with how well you have responded to Q10. I am in awe of the insight with which you have responded to this question and how deeply you have considered it.
People do need something in their lives. The reason being that life is simply too hard and unpleasant and too meaningless with it. Life presents us with all sorts of challenges and gives us the opportunity for all sorts of achievements. But without a moral compass, some set of rules and guidelines upon which we found our personality and beliefs, it is all LITERALLY meaningless. Because nothing in life has innate meaning - we, as human beings, impose meaning upon things. There is nothing "good" about marriage or "bad" about death, we have come to view them this way over the course of time because of how they affect us. And so this belief has become surgically transplanted upon this thing to the point that we can no longer see the seams. The two have become seemingly inseparable. But without a set of beliefs, which need to stem from the existence of something greater than ourselves that humbles us, all of the surgical transplants come off and we are confronted with the horrific truth - that everything in life is ugly. Not ugly because it is evil, but ugly because it has no naturally occuring value.