The Last Blog

As this is my last post for this class I would like to initially reflect on a few things that really interested me throughout the term. First and foremost I think that coming into this class I had some misconceptions of religion as a whole and now I better understand how to take a third party, non judgmental stance on different practices so thank you for that. I also want to mention which part of the class was my favorite, it was the Jane Addams story. Not only was it my favorite read considering Jane Addams had a wonderful life story, but the message it gave (to me at least) was of great importance. I truely believe that spirituality and a sense of community can give someone a purpose for life, much like a religion can. I myself take no religious stance and sometimes I wish i could; however, the idea of sharing knowledge and helping others fully prosper makes for a fulfilling life. It is a wonderful concept and I hope that sometime in the near future I can add to someone else's life, it makes me feel like I can see the true meaning of life.

Throughout the term many things have become patterns. The most obvious and important pattern to me is the idea that religion is ever changing. We talked about this in class, the fact that there is a change in time and dynamic in religion and that we are not able at all to place any religion inside a box. I feel as though it means a lot to religions and the study of them that it is so dynamic, that evolution is obvious in all aspects of life, even human culture. I really enjoy what this class has taught me. Thanks!

Chicago's Poorest Community

The first thing I looked at from the pile of sites to read about was the nationality and wage levels of residents of the small area between Halsted and State, Polk and 12th. It seams that generally the weekly income is between $5.00 and $10.00, and the Russians are the poorest of them all. It was extremely interesting to see the mixture of races on each street. It is true that there are some areas with a higher density of Italians and others with the Russians and Polish, however the melting pot of people in Chicago at this time is quite obvious.

Each home had up to 8 people living in a single room at one time, some places didn't even have separate kitchens, but rather communal ones. A man of 21 might be supporting 6 to 8 family members all in one home. The dwelling houses towards Halsted is the most densely populated and poorest area of Chicago, and the Hull house is located in the heart of it all.

Although there are penny arcades and movie theatres, the majority of people are sitting on the sidewalks and visiting the Hull House as often as possible as a public space for mingling. It was said in one of the articles that "Hull House is beyond all bias, beyond all parties, and beyond all races", a large amount of communal mingling occurred in the Hull House. Although there is much interaction between immigrants, they keep their identity through church and through the different areas of the Hull House which relate to different races. It must have been incredibly difficult to immigrate to a new country and be alone in your community, however it seams to me there was plenty of interacting and aid from the Hull House and even between the races. It was said that "Friend gives to Friend: and no house is so poor but it can help an alien in misfortune".

Jane Addams - Motivation

In class we discussed the reasons Jane Addams had for beginning the Hull House in Chicago. One of the main influences for Addams was Abraham Lincoln and American values. Addams describes Lincoln as a Roman eagle, heroically and perfectly protecting and guiding the American people. She describes freedom and equality as essential for the American ideal and Abe Lincoln as a provider of those dreams. To Addams, equality is an important value in everyday life and democracy.

Lincoln's inspiration was one of the main reasons Addams began the Hull House. She believed in equality for all man, even the poorest of them. I gain a sense that Addams had a spiritual awakening the day she visited the capital building in Madison. She describes many feelings of honor and pride when gazing upon the building. These feelings are symbolic and spiritual, much like a religion would make a person feel. We talk a lot about the connection and similarity between nationality and religion and Addams work creating the Hull House is an example of the high spirituality one can feel for their own country.

Addams desire to help people through the Hull House gave her a meaning for life that arose partially from Lincoln's dream for equality and freedom. The meaning for a life is something many religions search for, so in a way Addams social work was a religious act for her. I'm not entirely sure you can claim that the Hull House and its work is religious to all people, however I think it is safe to say it was for Jane Addams.

Rasta Regge and Patois

One of the symbols of Rastafarian religion that we did not necessarily name is one that grabbed my attention, that of the Patios language. It seams to me that this is a very important symbol and should be given some further explanation. The language of Patios arose in Jamaica as a symbol of Rastafarian autonomy. It represents, once again, the freedom from 'Babylon' changing Jamaican English (considered the language of slaves) into their very own form of speaking. Along with other Rastafarian symbols, Patois is free formed and without rules (a recurring theme in the Rastafarian religion).

Regee music takes on its own form of Patios and free thought and turns it into a soothing sound for all to enjoy. Much of Bob Marley's influential music represents this form of communication. In many of Marley's songs he refers to himself as 'I' rather than 'me', which is typical of Patios. Specifically, in the song Redemption Song, Marley says "We've got to fulfil de book" and "cause none of them a can stop a the time a". To the Rastafarian's and dwellers of Jamaica Patios is quite important, although there are many speculations about the illiteracy rate and Patios role in its high percentage. Some say that the two languages cannot coincide while learning to read and write. I feel this might be true however there is only change in schooling necessary, not the need to reform an important symbol to the Rastafarian way of life. One love baby.

Good over Evil

Apon watching the video of the Boboshanti it became clear that there were some similarities and differences between the documentary and the way Rastafarians are portrayed in the book. Initially, the landscape where the Boboshanti live is in correlation with the image portrayed by the book. They live off the land and are commited to the ital way of living having no running water or electricity. Similarly, the colors (red, yellow and green) and symbols (dreadlocks and the Bible) shown in the documentary are things the book mentions as vital to the Rastifarians. Although there are many similarities between the book and the documentary there is one major difference I caught.

The narrator of the video says there are signs posted in the mountian comunity which restate Rastafarian ideas about justice and the right way to live and worship. He also mentions on sign in particular which he says reads "good over evil" when in reality it reads "black over white". The sign displays an idea in opposition to many morals held by Rastafarians according to our book. There are many portions in our book which state, "every ritual that has deveoloped [...] constitute an attempt to escape or deal with the reality of opression"; however, the Boboshanti have a sign posted claiming white to be evil (seams like a bit of opression right?). The book does not prepare for this kind of dislike of white peoples and I'm not sure if I can totally justify white as evil.....

It seems to be a trend that discussions in philosophy correlate quite well with readings from religious studies. This week is no different. In philosophy we are reading Human Nature and Conduct, which begins by talking about habits and will of man. One of Dewey's main points in this section is that "the stimulation of desire and effort is one preliminary in the change of surroundings" and that "reason pure of all influence from prior habit is a fiction". These two points simply state that a change in the habits of man begins with the desire for change and the influence of other stimuli. In correlation with the Emperor Haile Selassie, Dewey's philosophy on the habits of men are clearly shown.

Haile Selassie was the emperor of Ethiopia and an important figure to many in Jamaica and Rastas believing that he was the second messiah to lead the peoples of Africa. The emergence of the Rastafari religion is an example of Dewey's philosophy of habits and will. Taken from past influences (Solomon, and Christianity) and desiring a change (freedom from suppression) the habits of many changed to accept the Rastafari way. This to me is remarkable how Philosophy and Religion can be so closely related and explain each other quite well.

The Lady Finds Wisdom

Upon reading The Queen of Sheba, a wonderful story of wisdom, justice and God's love unfolds. Although the story is centered around the story of Soloman and Sheba, the significance of Ethiopia is hard to miss. The story begins with a manuscript which states, "the whole kingdom of the world [belonged] to the emperor Rom and the Emperor of Ethiopia" and that the first born son of Soloman is the Emperor of Ethiopia. These two bits of information are key to understanding Ethiopia's hierarchical position in the story of the Queen of Sheba.

The story proceeds about the Queen of Ethiopia and her search for the wisdom of Soloman. Soloman is praised as having just judgment, soft and gracious, containing nothing false, and performing all acts with wisdom. More importantly, Solomon gives wisdom of the God of Israel to all who seek it. When the Queen of Ethiopia brings up her worship of the sun, according to her ancestors, Solomon teaches her the wisdom of the Lord and she responds with great admiration and understanding. This is the beginning of Ethiopia's wisdom of God. With newly acquired wisdom and a child on the way, The Queen returns to Ethiopia to raise the son of Solomon in her kingdom.

By the end of the story, Ethiopia is one of the most important states for the spread of the wisdom of God. With all the riches and treasures it desires, Ethiopia is solidified as the rightful owner to half of the holy kingdom. Ethiopia is the second oldest Christian state and it's significance is highly accentuated in the story of the Queen of Sheba.

Dearborn, MI: Islam in America

While watching the documentary on the Islamic population in Dearborn MI, I could not help but appreciate the extent to which the religious and ethnic practices have immersed in the community. I think that the most interesting part is that the museum and the mosque serve two compleatly different functions, although tie together quite well. The Islamic community in the neighborhoods on the east side of Daerborn seamed to be centered around the mosque for advice and aid in practicing traditions of Islamic religion. The museam in the center of the city provides a history of ethnicity in Islamic culture and religion. Each structure is important and provides for cultural diversity in a suburb.

Although the structures in Dearborn are groundbreaking and historically important to the Islamic culture in the United States, they are not given the proper recognition. When the site map of Dearborn was shown, I was startled when there was no mention of the Islamic culture. It is a modern application of "perceptions of convienence". I'm not exactlly sure where the site of Dearborn was written (or by whom), although it seams to me that the reasoning behind ignoring a large portion of a community is for the sake of convienice. The people of Dearborn might not want to be thought of as a center for terrorists (?) and thus simply left the Islamic community out of the website.

I truely enjoyed the documentary and questions after. It makes me very happy to see that Islamic culture is integrating into the United States.

Prelude to Rastafari

http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif

The image of the Lion of Judah is an important symbol for the Rastafarian religion. It represents the Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, who is rumored to be a messiah to lead the peoples of Africa to freedom. You can find this symbol on flags, stamps, shirts and as tattoos.

Augustine's True Form

This week in class we discussed Augustine's discourse on how to interpret Christian doctrine, namely the Bible. In particular, the idea that there is a correct way to interpret the Bible, a way that is more accurate than any other. This specific perspective is that the Bible has only one voice, and that is of love, kindness, justice and self-fulfillment. This, Augustine might say, is the highest form of understanding of the Bible.

In reading Augustine's On Christian Teaching, this concept struck me in its close relationship to the Platonic idea of forms, specifically the form of Truth. According to Plato, there is one meaning for each form of every word, it is the "One over the Many." Augustine asserts that the one Truth to the meaning of the Bible is based, primarily, in love; the love of God, the love of one's fellow human beings. Any other meanings are those that Plato would call opinion rather than knowledge; an illusion or appearance of knowledge rather than the true form, or the one moral standard. It makes sense to me to have a single interpretation of the Bible, whereby all moral questions can be resolved because there is no ambiguity within the answer (in this case, answer meaning the text of the Bible). When there is only one interpretation, opinion and falsehood are nullified and, in this case, love is the ultimate understanding.

Augustine and the Psalms

In Book II of On Christian Teaching Augustine describes the difference between ‘natural’ and ‘given’ signs, signs people use to communicate, and the interpretations of these signs. Augustine claims that people are often mislead by ambiguities and misunderstanding leading to a false interpretation of certain texts, such as the Bible. The difficult nature of the Bible, according to Augustine, is ‘divinely predetermined’ so that only hard work and intellect may lead to the correct interpretation of the text. He gives an example from the passage of Song of Songs where a church is addressed as a beautiful woman (a metaphorical sign). He claims that any other interpretation rather than one supported by imagery gives him much less pleasure.

This fact alone is quite helpful in the process of interpretation of the psalms. It’s easy to see why beautiful metaphors and strong language are so enticing, thanks to the text by Augustine. Interpreting the psalms as metaphors helps to understand the full meaning of the songs. The knowledge needed to understand these difficult passages comes in 6 stages according to Augustine, beginning with the fear of God and ending in wisdom. Within the process to wisdom one must comprehend the literal and metaphorical signs and the knowledge of language. These compiled together help to fully understand the psalms and many other difficult texts.

Reincarnation Within the Psalms

While an overwhelming majority of Christians reject the idea of reincarnation, the Jewish religion accepts at least some form of being reborn. Within Yiddish literature, you will find talk of human souls being reincarnated into other forms, which might not even be humans, there also is mention of Prophets being reborn. Some say that to believe in reincarnation is to have a non Jewish belief; although many Orthodox Jews believe and even pray about reincarnation. One prayer in particular asks God for forgiveness for sins they might have committed in a past life.

Just as we read in psalm 104, God is constantly renewing the earth and its inhabitants. The idea of reincarnation (whether it exist only in animals, or if humans too can be reborn) is prevalent within the psalms. Psalm 51 states, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit.". While not explicitly stated, the idea of being reborn is obvious.

The idea of a soul living on forever is a spiritually enlightening idea. It helps give meaning, and belief in religion and life. In religion there is a need to create self awarenes of the past and death and reincarnation encompases a form of religion that many practice today. It is outstandingly interesting that the Jewish religion, in the Old Testement, even bring to mind the idea of being reborn because the New Tesetment so harshly rejects the idea.

God's Might (smite?)

Ethics are defined as "the principals of right and wrong that are accepted by an individual or group". Within the psalms the ethical stance takes on a uneasy, harsh tone. Many passages ask God to use his power against the enemies of His followers. For example, psalm 69 states "May their eyes grow too dark to see, make their lions perpetually shake. Pour out upon them Your wrath, and Your blazing fury overtake them." The consistent call to God to invoke punishment on ones enemies and forgive His followers is in clear contradiction to many parts of the Bible, from which the psalms came.

Jesus is depicted as a peaceful man who would never think of hurting an enemy, even after one had struck him directly. He says in that situation to simply turn your cheek and allow for another punch. A large majority of the psalms directly apposes this ethic and rather than being peaceful, asks God to smite their enemies so that they may prevail. There is a definite distinction between those God will save and those he will condemn, and the psalms describe the right ethics as those of the followers of God.

Living by these ethical standards makes for chaos. If your enemies were bothering you, all you had to do is call upon God and he would punish them accordingly. One must wonder, if you are taught in Sunday School to love thy neighbor, then why ask for things such as in psalm 55 where the author pleas to God "May death come upon them. May they go down to Sheol alive."?

It is difficult to understand why so much anger and punishment are embedded in the psalms when in comparison to ethics associated with Christianity or Judaism. One would think that these religions were peaceful but the psalms shows desires of individuals for warth and punishment. I feel as though there should have been more psalms on the harmony of enemies, and not the distruction of those who do not follow in Gods path.

David's Psalms

As we began to talk about how the psalms fit into religion, and reflected on David's psalms, I was immediately intrigued. I think the psalms are a wonderful read because they are poetic and meaningful and I truely appreciate the background stories on David that we discussed. Also, here is a clip of Robert Alter talking about his translation of the psalms:

http://audio.nextbook.org/podcast_feature688.mp3

David was a messiah in the eyes of God, or literally translated he was "the chose one". Upon reading Samuel 16.14-23 and Chronicles 16, the story behind David's psalms gave the songs meaning and helped me to better understand the moral implications of the Bible. I went back and re-read psalm 51 and 18, both of which are David's Psalms. In psalm 51 the adultery David commits with Bathsheba, is announced in the beginning. An individual asks for forgiveness and is granted it, just as David was for his adultery. The psalm ends with David as a role model for repentance. He helps others to find a way to be free of their sin by asking God for forgiveness. David is an important figure in God's eyes and in the eyes of those who read the psalms.

Psalm 18 is named A Song for David and some suggest he might have been the author of this particular psalm. It is a song about the celebration of God's power because he has saved the author in military battle and in life. God provides comfort here for enemies in battle and presumably off the battle field.

David has written many psalms to commemorate an event in his life for the pleasure and comfort of God's followers. He has powerful experiences to show the goodness of God when he is on your side. He also helps to bring people back after sin. This ties in very well with our definition of religion as a spiritual finding and a group feeling. It also provides an ethic in which God rewards those who follow and punishes others.

Psalm II Comparisson

After reading Psalm II from The Bay of Psalms book, it is clear that there are many changes to the original Hebrew Psalm text. The word which stands out the most is Heathen, from the Bay of Psalms. Heathen is a term defined by the dictionary as a person who does not believe in your god, or a non-christian. The puritans were said to disapprove of the Hebrew translation of some of the psalms and hired some thirty poets to rewrite them for their own pleasure. Here, the translation of the word "peoples" to "heathen" seams directed towards the Jewish religion in a demeaning tone; however the puritans have not been recorded as disliking the Jewish religion. In fact, puritans are direct descendants of Judaism.

None the less, the Bay of Psalms book changes the meaning of the original Psalm compleatly. In the original text, the word Lord is all capitals and in the Puritan Psalm Lord is in all lower case lettering. The word Lord in capitals is a refrence to the Jewish religion and the Puritans did not keep the same meaning in the Psalm. Another difference is that the original text has much stronger venacular. Instead of saying "Master derides them", as it says in the original, the Puritans say "the lord will mock them". The original text implies a worse implication for conspireing against the lord and his annoited.

In early colonial America it is understandable that the Puritans would change the meaning of some Psalms to fit their own interpretation of the Jewish Psalm text. Just as we talked about when the early residents of America changed the meaning of effigy munds to fit their own world view, the same seams to have happened here. The Jewish text was not too far off from what they wanted to sing about; however the Puritans wanted their own religion to be preached the way they thought it should be.

The Last of the Mounds

As we talked about the effigy mounds, I think the most interesting point to be made was the initial disbelief that the Native Americans were the builders of these monumental structures. The first settlers of the United States drove the Native Americans from their land and named them 'savages', so naturally they did not believe the Native Americans had the ability to create such meaningful mounds. I think it is awful that only because the mounds did not fit their Christian world view the first settlers denied all Native Americans of any credibility for their wonderful creations.

I suppose I understand that religions tend to fit ideas into their stories for their own favor, but I must be honest, I am not looking forward to reading Psalms because the Christian world view is much too skewed. I am a nanny for a woman in town and they are a good Christian family, sometimes the little girl I babysit asks me if I have taken Jesus as my Lord and Savior. To be frank, its hard to keep my thoughts down. The reaction to the effigy mounds is just one more reason why religions should be less harsh and more peaceful.

Effigy Mounds and Lasaux Cave

Upon reading the blog question for this week, I decided to look up some photos of effigy mounds. I came across a web page that quotes Robert Birmingham the author of our book, Indian Mounds of Wisconsin. It may be helpful for those of you who read this blog so here is the link:

http://whyfiles.org/135salv_arch/3.html

In the question we are asked to talk about the 'form' of the mounds, a confusing word choice I must admit so I am going to talk about forms in the sense of an artistic media. The effigy mounds are burial sites in the form of important animal figures where as Lascaux Cave contains paintings of large animals in a seemingly personal cave. The two medias are different forms of representations of related ideas, although to create the effigy mounds a group of people are needed. The simple fact that the effigy mounds have been thought to bring different tribes of people together suggests a ritualistic and spiritual gathering. This, combined with the burial of humans and materials, is (in my mind) undoubtedly religious. There was confusion and ambiguity in the Lascaux cave on whether the paintings were religious; contrastingly, the effigy mounds strongly suggest religious gatherings to create forms (or symbols) which are worshiped.

The mounds are absolutely different than the use of animals in sports teams today. We do not worship the Chicago Bear and expect to gain something in the afterlife. The suggested religious significance of the mounds as a symbol which establishes a conception of death and purpose cannot be compared to a sports team.

Grizzly Man - Crazy or Spiritual?

Some say Timothy Treadwell was insane, others call him a martyr. None the less, his eccentric nature and love for grizzly bears provides for an entertaining documentary. To me, it is clear that Treadwell was searching for a sense of self, his worth, and what he could do while on Earth to live out his purpose. In this search he found his love for animals, in particular Grizzly Bears and began what he thought was his life long goal. Living 13 summers with the Grizzlies of Alaska, Treadwell's connection with the bears became a dangerous disrespect for the boundary between human and animal (in particular an animal that can rip human flesh apart with ease).

Treadwell's child like nature lead him to 'play' with bears, rather than protect them, as he had set out to do. His argument when people told him he was crazy was that bears are misunderstood, although his point was refuted in the end of his life. The simple fact of the matter is that Treadwell had mental illnesses throughout his life, and even though he traveled around the country educating people on the protection of his beloved Grizzlies, he was not mentally stable. I believe whole heartedly in protection and admiration for all types of animals. Each animal has a spirit and every human has a spirit animal, Treadwell's was a Grizzly Bear; he just did not understand the invisible boundary between the two worlds. As Ziggy Marley says "Hey miss butterfly I see you look at me with your beautiful eyes, you must be wondering what type of creature am I".

Definition of Religion According to Geertz

Religion according to Geertz is a compilation of texts and symbols which convince man into a particular mind frame by forming an idea of their existence which is motivated by its realistic nature.

To me, religion is a practice of faith binded with customs and devotion passed down from generation to generation. Geertz suggests a mathematical approach to his idea of religion. He claims religion as a system of symbols, much like a mathematical concept. However, to the faithful, religion is beyond having to be proved. Formulating concepts and symbols along with practicing traditions merely scratches the surface of the blind faith that is necessary to believe and follow a religion. Religion is an innate human characteristic and to categorize it into simply a compilation of texts which persuade a certain mood is far to simple a definition.