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.