1. Your Name: Melissa L. Sanchez
2. Your Username: bytheseagrl
3. Attendance: I have missed 2 classes.
4. Link to the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgmnWbmRdVw
5. Detail of what you read: I have read Not a Genuine Black Man its entirety. As far as the reader goes I have only read a sufficient amount to be able to answer the questions on the midterm and final as best as I can.
6. Midterm Grade: The grade I received on the midterm was an A.
7. The grade that I deserve in this class is an A. I have thoroughly enjoyed this class unlike any other. I believe this class has a lot more meaning. I do not say this because it is a religion class, but because out of all the classes that I have taken it actually makes you think outside the box. The two classes that I missed were not necessarily by choice. I was enrolled in a political science class called Moot Court. This class had practice sessions to get ready for the competition that occurred on November 30th. This was one of the days that I missed. If it were not for that one class, I would have gone to class every Friday. I also deserve an A because I wrote a very insightful and enjoyable midterm that showed that I understood the material that was presented in class and showed that I was participating in blogging on the website and overall participating in class discussion.
8. The blogs are located on my blog spot. I will post them at the end of the final.
9.Religion, Gender, and Ethnicity on my life:
Religion and ethnicity in my life go hand in hand. My family is from Cuba. My dad was born here, but his parents are from Cuba. My mother was born in Cuba. My family came to the United States to escape Communism. When they were in Cuba they were part of the Episcopalian church, but when they arrived to California, they began attending the Catholic Church. I was raised Catholic, baptized, went through Reconciliation, received Holy Communion, and was confirmed my sophomore year in high school. Confirmation was an interesting experience. It was the first time where as a young adult you personally choose to be a follower of Christ. It is not like baptism or Holy Communion where you really do not understand what is going on. When you are fifteen or sixteen and getting ready to be confirmed you have a greater understanding of what is actually taking place. Though I knew what I was admitting to the congregation that I believe in Jesus Christ, it seemed that Confirmation at that age was also a social matter. My friends were in the same class with me, there was a boy I liked in my class, so in a way I was in the class because one my parents wanted me to be confirmed, second because I personally wanted to be confirmed, and third because my friends were doing it. Later in life, I found out that in order to get married in a Catholic Church at least one person had to be confirmed. Because I did not know who I would end up marrying in life, I wanted to make sure that I would be able to get married in a Catholic Church. As a Catholic there are many restrictions of what you can do and when you can do them. This also rings true for a Cuban family.
My family is very protective. We were never really able to sleep over any friend’s house because if an earthquake were to occur we would not be with our parents. It was even tough sometimes to sleep over my cousin’s house. I was not allowed to go out very late. I was to be in bed at least by nine. I would usually watch television with my grandmas. I was raised by my grandma mostly because my mom would be working and would come home late at times. The values that were shown to me as a child, was that every Sunday we must go to church, sexual intercourse is not for dating, but for marriage. It was also improper for boys to sleepover with no parental supervision. There were many rules and regulations that went on in my household. Thus, I guess it is not hard to believe that the religion that my family and I follow is that of the Catholic Church. Most of the belief system and values that my family and I hold dear are those that the Catholic religion holds dear as well.
Both my religion and my Cuban background have not had a negative impact on my life. It is quite the opposite. I believe that my background has made me a wise and responsible person. At times I envy those who have the energy to go out at like ten at night and go clubbing or partying, but since I was not raised with that mentality, I do not even understand how someone has the energy to leave the house at ten at night! I also do not know how someone can wake up Sunday morning and not go to church. When I miss church for some reason or another I feel strange. Sunday is not the same. Sundays are also the days when I spend time with my family. This is why one can see that the two in my household are shared together.
I cherish every moment I get to spend with my grandparents especially now since they are getting older. I have one grandpa who has been recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma Cancer. It is cancer of the blood. It is very hard to watch someone you grew up with suffering from a disease like this. I have a great grandmother who is suffering from dementia. She is not the one who is actually suffering, it is those around her who takes care of her and watches her everyday that get saddened by the fact that she cannot remember people at times, or even function independently. When you look at life in this matter it gets very depressing. My grandmother is the one taking care of her elderly mother, my great-grandmother who has dementia. My grandfather who is suffering from cancer is the husband of my grandma who is taking care of her elderly mother. I have watched my grandma cry many times because she has stressed so much about her mother and taking care of her, and now to get the news that her husband has cancer is not the icing on the cake that she wanted. Being from a Cuban family, everybody always says in times of trouble turn to faith and God, but when this news hit my family, my grandma started to question her very existence in life and that God had disappeared from her side. It is not uncommon to have these feelings I believe. I think at one point people do start to question God’s existence especially in times of trouble. For a family member like my grandma and for a family like my own who go to church religiously who do good deeds, to have this terrible news, it is, I believe okay to question.
But because my family’s ethnicity and culture is religious in itself, the question does not last very long. There are some families and friends that I see who have had some terrible things happen in their lives and they begin to question God’s existence as well. Since my friend’s family was not brought up with a strong religious background, I believe that it is harder for them to get back in line with God. Since the relationship is only a Sunday relationship, and it is not a day to day relationship with God like it is with my family, it is harder for a person to forgive or understand why God has done the things he has. Slowly but surely, my grandma has come to terms with God and has continued to go to church and has looked at the brighter side and not the negative. That is one aspect of my life that I will always remember, the doubt and the fear of what may happen when a love one is near their end.
The impact of religion on my life is good one. Because death is all around us, it really allows me to cope with the reality of death. I still fear it at times, but that is only natural. I am still saddened when I loose a love one close to me, and if I had it my way the ones that I have lost would still be with me. Since this does not happen, because I know that they are in with God I rest easier. I know they are here by my side. In class we have discussed that religion gives a persons life more meaning. I really do believe in this. Without a belief system that there is something greater than you that watches you and protects you, it can be a very lonely life. I do not believe that one has to have a uniform religion in order to fulfill this meaning, there are many people who are spiritual who do not belong to a uniform religion that have plenty meaning and self-worth to their life. In my case, it is my friend Jesus. In the Catholic religion Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are one in the same. I tend to call out to Jesus because it’s more personal for me, like a true friend.
With that said, because my family culturally and spiritually is one in the same, I do not alienate my religion as a religion separately. I try my best to keep them intertwined. Although there are certain aspects of my Catholic faith that I do not agree with, I believe that everyone has likes and dislikes of the actual theology and practices of their religion. That does not necessarily mean that I am not a Catholic. The educations that I have had in college and in high school have opened my eyes to a wider appreciation of life in general, and people. Since the Catholic Church has close minded views in some issues, I do not find it necessary for me to just follow something I do not believe in just because it is taught in the Catholic religion. Overall it is my family who has taught, and instilled the Catholic faith in my life, but it is I who has chosen to continue down that path. And with this path, I know there will be difficulties and conflicts that will arise that will perhaps make me question the path, but I know that because I have my one true friend in the sky to guide, love, and protect me I will be fine.
10. I attended a Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Unlike my own Catholic Church, most Baptist churches do not look like a Church. They almost look like a community center where people go and hangout. Needless to say, Sunday morning came a long and I went with my boyfriend to there morning service. I realized everyone was dressed very formally. They were not dressed as if they were going to a ball, but most of the men were dressed in suits and the women were dressed in dresses. The children were dressed up in suits and dresses as well. To my surprise there was a lot of diversity between the races that appeared Sunday morning. I went to school in Playa Del Rey, and though it was a Catholic high school, the majority of the students were Baptist and of African American descent. I figured that when I arrived at this Baptist church that is what I would find. Yet, to my surprise, there were Caucasians, Latinos, Asians, and African Americans. It was a mix of people which was surprising to see. I am use to seeing a diversified church when I attend my Catholic mass on Sunday because it is a pretty universal religion, but I did not imagine that the Baptist church would be the same. As we walked in, people greeted us immediately saying good morning. We did not feel alienated at all. When I go to church I usually smile and say good morning, but it was different here. People actually seemed genuine. People seemed happy to be there early in the morning, unlike at my church people seem tired and their cell phone go off and some what disconnected from the whole experience. The setup in this church had pews. The pews all faced the where the pastor would begin his preaching. This way it everyone would be able to hear the message of their “preaching.” It would be similar to a sermon or also known as a homily in the Catholic tradition. This setup of the pews I found better because I have been to other Catholic churches where one whole side is facing the side of the altar and of the priest, which alienates that whole side of the congregation. When we sat down music began to start. The choir sang old hymns and sang loud. Harmony filled the ceilings and the songs lasted at least two minutes or three minutes each. I knew some of the songs, but others seemed to be old hymnals that I have never heard before. Before we sat down, people passed out pieces of paper that would let us know what hymnals would be sung and what the message was for that day’s sermon. By doing this, it truly got the congregation engaged in worship and song. People were not clueless of what the readings were or what the meaning of sermon was.
They did pass out communion. I was wondering whether I should receive it or not. I was not aware of the practices of the Baptist church, so I sat their quietly as the people lined up to get their communion. When the pastor went up to give the sermon, I found that it was much easier to understand him than a priest. There was more passion in his voice than some of the priests that I have heard in my life. The pastor did not stay at the podium talking he wandered throughout the church talking making sure to make eye contact with the people sitting in the pews. When I saw this I thought to myself he really wants to get the message across. Rather than saying a phrase once, he would repeat it once, a second, and a third time to make sure we knew what he was saying exactly. When observing people in the pews when the sermon was being spoken, I saw people have their eyes closed, others had their hands up in prayer, and others sat silently, but writing in a notebook that they had brought with them. I leaned over to see what a woman was writing in this small notebook, and they were Bible passages that the pastor was quoting. It seemed she was taking notes on what was happening and what the message was that Sunday morning. Again, people were truly interested in what was being said, and what going on. It made me feel as if I should be doing something more than sitting in my pew at church. I do sing, and they say that by singing you pray twice, but it seemed that these people did a little bit more.
After the mass, people gathered in a community hall that was connected to the place of worship have coffee which is similar to what my church does after mass as well. Overall what I took from this experience is that I should not categorize a particular group of people to one religion it is not fair, and it is not true. Also, I have learned that in order for me to get something out of my religious experience in my church, I should probably get more interactive like the people I observed attending the Baptist service.
11. The miracle story surrounding Our Lady Of Guadalupe is a story when Our Lady of Guadalupe appears to Juan Diego and tells him to let the people know that they are fine and if they did not believe him, to open his robe and there the evidence would be. In his robe there were flowers and when he told the story to the people he opened his robe and there was a painted image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This miracle story of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe informs and impacts the believers because it shows one that we are being watched over. In the reader it states that Guadalupe is an expression and an image of compassion, courageous, warm, strong, and humble. All of these adjectives describe Our Lady of Guadalupe. This story allows for one to believe strongly that she is here amongst us. She is striving to give everyone compassion and hope. Because she is a symbol of God the appearance of her shows that she is watching us as well. This impacts believers of Our Lady of Guadalupe because it strengthens this belief. Because she showed herself to the Mexican people, the Mexican community has revolved its religious foundation on her. When at church, one can hear the Latino sitting next to him or her praying the rosary or saying the Hail Mary. Rarely when watching the Spanish soap operas does one see a character praying specifically to God. One hears them specifically praying for Our Lady of Guadalupe’s guidance. Thus this miracle story has strengthened and given rise to a greater worship and respect for the Virgin Mary, than any other religious group who worships whom we know as the Virgin Mary.
12. The Latino religious experience in North America is different then that of the Asian religious experience. The Latino experience continues the Christian faith. They are devout Catholics, but the Asian American experience, they have brought their Buddhist religion and magical religions like the Native Americans. Unlike the Native Americans, the Chinese and other Asian groups have continued to bring their own religious beliefs and their culture into America. They have not assimilated to the Christian missionaries. The Latinos overall have always been Roman Catholics even in their homeland, thus not much has changed for them. In America the most common religion is Catholicism, thus the Latinos have not really experienced any alienation or discrimination. The Asian experience in North America has experienced this alienation. One can see this alienation and seclusion in cities like Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and Korea town. Because their culture and religion are distinct from what is common in North America, they have made their own communities in which the majority worship and have the same culture. The Latinos since their culture and religious experiences are shared throughout North America it is different. They do not feel as alienated. The similarities of the foundation of these religious experiences can be seen in the Cuban religion. The Santeria aspect of the Latino experience is similar to the magic of the Asian experience. In this they are both superstitious and have different saints or gods for a certain values. In the Latino experience their religious beliefs and persons that they worship are saints as well. This can be similar to those gods that the Asian religious experience worship as well. Both groups are family oriented and involve their religion with their culture. Though both groups view their American experience differently, what they have in common is that they are both free to be in a country which allows them to worship in their way.
13. The role that the Buddhist Church played in the “ethnic adjustment of Japanese Americans,” as place of refuge. When World War II occurred many of the Japanese were placed in internment camps because they were thought to be suspicious. When World War II ended, many of the Japanese people were let out of the camps, but had no place to go because their property, homes, and their belongings were taken away. Their Buddhist temples were vandalized, but those that were still standing acted as shelter for those Japanese’s that were homeless. The temples did not only act as shelter for the people, it also acted as a place of education. English was being taught to the Japanese and Sunday school was also educating the Japanese youth about their culture, and of their Buddhist religion. Thus these temples did not only aid them after the war in hopes that they would be able to regroup and start over in America, but also as a place where they felt comfortable. They would feel comfortable in a familiar way because most of the people in the temple would be of Japanese descent, thus each person had similar backgrounds and similar value and belief system. It is no surprise that groups like the Japanese have migrated into particular communities because they were kicked out of their homes, therefore rather then having relations with those persons who pushed them from their homes; it was wiser to associate themselves with people like themselves.
14. The lessons that we should draw from religious diversity in America is that we are all one in the same. The messages in each religion that we have discussed and read are the same. The message is to love and treat others as you would want to be treated. The message states do well in this life and in your other life you will be rewarded. The messages are the same; the only difference is what a particular group is praying to. I believe that each group is praying to the same God, but that there are a variety of names. Each religious experience is different. The Asian experience had difficult trials especially in how North America treated the Asian people, thus their experience in America is going to be different from that of the Latino people. Each specific experience creates ones religious experience.
The hurdle that Americans have to face in practicing their religions is the mentality that one religion is better than any other one. People seem to think that their religion is the one almighty, and all the other religions are incorrect. One needs to sit down and realize that each person has the right to choose the religious path of their choosing. No religion is better than the other, especially those that preach goodness and love. Once people begin to realize that religion is a matter of personal choice and decision and not a competition, one will be able to worship in peace. Religious groups tend to look down upon other religious practicing groups which go against what is taught especially that of the Christian faith. Therefore in order to overcome this obstacle, people must realize that religion is not a competition and is not a game, it is simply a way to live life in harmony with God in one’s own way.
15. The Scientology movement has transformed American life in unexpected ways. Because the Scientology religion is most popular within the celebrity demographic of the America, it has changed American life. Americans are enthralled and interested in what celebrities and Hollywood is doing. They are interested in what the latest trends are and how to go about doing it. Tom Cruise a very strong Scientologist spoke out against the use of pharmaceuticals in regards to post partum depression. He claimed that people did not need drugs and that the best way to handle depression and illnesses was through natural remedies. This way of life in which the Scientologist preach, had the American public questioning the actual credibility of pharmaceuticals and the credibility of psychiatrists. It has seemed that since this religion has been given recognition, Eastern medicine has been able to introduce itself in a more popular light. More people are beginning to stray away from medications and beginning to go the natural route.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Latino Experience
My religious experience can be identified with that of the Latino experience. I am of Latino descent. My family is from Cuba and we are Catholics. Catholicsm is a very universal and popular religion, but it is most popular I believe in the Latin culture. When reading the reader in the Latin American section, most of the stories and readings were very familiar to me, because they were stories and parables that I have been taught throughout grade school and high school. It has probably been the section that I can honestly relate to the most.
Japanese Experience
In class the other day there was discussion about the Japanese and Chinese religious experience and we learned about how the Asian culture is the only culture that really has not assimilated themselves into the Christian way. In the Native American readings we saw the great influence of the Christian missionaries in their writings, but with the Asian experience it is not the case. It was mentioned that it was because the Chinese believe that the American culture is barbaric, and they do not want to act or be like Americans. They want to preserve their religion and their culture, and solely live in the United States for the economic benefits. I found this very interesting, but true. When I went to Chinatown for a field trip for an anthropology class it was not hard to notice that the people there looked down upon those that were not of Asian descent.
When we walked in stores the store workers would not acknowledge are presence they would go on their way talking in Chinese or their home language. It makes sense now, because in reading, and hearing the discussion in class it has been said that the Asian culture not all, but some do not like our American way.
When we walked in stores the store workers would not acknowledge are presence they would go on their way talking in Chinese or their home language. It makes sense now, because in reading, and hearing the discussion in class it has been said that the Asian culture not all, but some do not like our American way.
Meaning
I know this blog does not have anything to do with any readings that have been discussed in class or that we were supposed to read, yet I wanted to blog about what is going on with my family at this point. My great grandmother went to the emergency room this morning. She was having trouble breathing. The doctor says that she has a lung infection. There is alot of fluid build up in her lungs which can lead to pneumonia. She is 92 years old. She has a good life, and now I think her end is near. The doctors say that there is not much they can do for her at this point. They can give her antibiotics, but at this age the antibiotics are not very beneficial. My grandma has been the one taking care of her for the past couple of months. She has moved in with my grandparents so that my great grandmother can be taken care of. When we received the call this morning, about her admittance to the hospital I sat down to pray. I prayed to God to give my grandma the patience and strength to get her through today and the days to come. It is hard on my grandma too because my grandpa has been recently diagnosed with cancer, so in her household she has two sick patients. So I can only imagine the stress and the depression she feels at this very moment. Anyway, I am sad that my great grandma is not doing well and that I may not be able to see her for many years to come, but the one thing that is getting me through this moment, is my faith.
In class we talked about how religion helps us cope and right now I believe that the reason why I am not freaking out at this point, is because I know that where my great grandma goes, she will be taken care of and her suffering will be no more.
In class we talked about how religion helps us cope and right now I believe that the reason why I am not freaking out at this point, is because I know that where my great grandma goes, she will be taken care of and her suffering will be no more.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Religious Diversity Midterm
Religious Diversity Midterm
1. Post: All of the posts that I have completed are listed below in the blog site.
2. I have been absent one time. I have never been late to class.
3. My digital film is called A Day to Remember. It is approximately two minutes long. I used Windows Movie Maker to edit and create it.
4. I have completed Not A Genuine Black Man, and I have read the assigned pages in the Reader that deal with the questions of the midterm.
5. An example of a “consilience,” would be stigmata. A stigmata is where wounds appear on wrists of a person. Usually the people who get stigmata’s are religious persons like nuns, priests, or monks. They are said to be placed in the exact place of where Jesus Christ was crucified. There was this one video depicted a man from Spain who had stigmata. He not only bled from his pierced hands, but he also bled from the rim of his forehead, in which paralleled when Jesus Christ had the crown of thorns placed on his head. Many skeptics believe that stigmata can be explained scientifically, and that is not at all a miracle. Sociologically one could explain the phenomena of stigmata as adapting one’s qualities. It is common that when people build relationships with people be it their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, mother, and father, they start to get similar personality traits. They begin to talk like them, think like them, and act as if they were them. This can explain why most religious people like nuns, monks, and saints like Saint Francis of Assisi have this experience. They have such a strong bond, relationship with God that they begin to feel what he must have felt during the time of the crucifixion which explains what is called the invisible stigmata. Thus they begin to take on the traits of Jesus Christ just like any one usually does when they are in such a close nit relationship. Stigmata psychologically can be explained with that person’s state of mind. Many skeptics believe that stigmata are usually caused by a mental illness such as, Munchausen Syndrome. People who have this type of mental illness inflict injury upon themselves to gain attention (www.wikipedia.com). Back in the days of St. Francis, modern day medicine was not around. Therefore people could have had this mental disorder and no one knew about it. Usually when something is unknown and has no explanation, scientific information to back it up at that specific moment, it always then recognized as a miracle. Stigmata has been a phenomenon that has been called a miracle because people did not know how to explain it. Now that there is modern medicine and more information on mental illnesses, it is easier to draw some conclusions on how stigmata actually work and why it happens. Biologically stigmata can be explained much like that of the psychological aspect of it. There could be a chemical imbalance that ultimately lets a person inflict pain on themselves. These explanations can fit into the stigmata because there is the idea that “you don’t know until you walked a mile in my shoes,” well this can very well apply to those who have stigmata experiences. They socially, and mentally they want to feel what Jesus felt at that time so they can ultimately get even closer. I personally do not know who is right and who is wrong, but I believe that people do things for a reason and that things happen for a reason.
6. Memetics can be explained as the study of memes which is, “a cultural accretion of knowledge, a package of several ideas that can be passed onto others” (Jack Hardy, A Journal of Alternative News and Information, http://www.newdawnmagazine.com/articles/Memetics.html). This theory of memetics can help explain why there are certain religions that are more successful than others in the United States. The Catholic religion is probably the most popular religion in the United States. It has over a million followers. The reason why is because it is the most popular. It is also the easiest to convert to. There are so many different religions and ideas in the United States one can use the example of the reproductive system. The male has a lot of sperm that wants to travel to an egg. Thus ideas, religious ones, are considered the sperm and the people who will most likely be infected with the sperm are considered eggs. Why is it then that the Catholic religion so easily impregnates the eggs? As stated above the Catholic religion is not very complicated. One can be baptized at any time, and nowadays on the television. The Catholic Church is very open to new people who are willing to convert. Other religions like Judaism are more complicated and there is a longer process to convert. Since the memetics theory deals with copying itself and the replication process of it, it is easy for the Catholic religion to copy itself in the minds of people. The notion of you will not go to Heaven if you do not follow the Ten Commandments, sticks in the mind of people more than others. A meme however is different from a gene in that a gene shows what the phenotype is and then pass it on to its host, but a meme does not stay the same it changes unlike the gene it will be copied in a, “phenotypic state which will, for the new host become the genotype of his meme” (Klaas Chielens, Memetics, http://memetics.chielens.net/index.html, 2007.)
7. Evolutionary theory helps in understanding human migration, cultural development, and social identity because it show that how people have evolved gives an insight to understand why the human does certain things like practice a type of religion versus another. It helps explain why religion evolved in the first place. In this class we have discussed that no one is pure in culture, we all are diversified with many cultures. It has been shown that people evolved out of Africa, thus the question than is why did certain people move from on country to another. Evolutionary theory helps us understand this because it shows that people were created differently to sustain different types of climates, food, and overall survival aspects of their life. Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest applies in this understanding of evolutionary theory in that people begin to compete for survival. The types of substances that people are fighting for are food, land, weather, sex, and the desire for adventure. All of these aspects is what people are competing for to survive. In Africa the weather is very warm and can easily damaged the skin of those with a fair complexion which enables those people to move and find other parts of the world that are not as much in the direct sunlight. People know right away that they do not like something whether it be weather, or food. The culture in Africa is very distinct from other culture throughout the world; perhaps a person did not like the food in Africa and wanted to search for another source of survival. Point being is that Dawkins and Darwin rely on the notion that these instinctual notions we have, are innate, but we also inherit them by nature. This can apply itself to religion in that each religion is trying to compete with other religions; however the one that will win depends on the person that it is trying to reach out for. Religious leaders know who is more vulnerable and who needs religion the most, therefore it will target its message to those people. More over, the person like in deciding that the weather is not their “cup of tea,” will be able to decide what religion fits those best. Like finding a place to live and what a person likes, one will be able to decipher what religion is inherited in them.
8. The notion of “race” is biologically obsolete. It is biologically obsolete because it has been researched that everyone derived from Africa there is really biologically no such thing considered race. There is however culture that perhaps identifies oneself. Though race biologically is non-existent, culturally it is still viable. It is viable in that different types of “races” tend to perform differently than others whether it be in sports, education, creativity, and much more. It is pretty obvious that Black athletes in sports like football and basketball make up the majority of the team. Why is that? It has been stated that Black men are better basketball players because they are usually taller than White males. There are plenty of White males, so biologically this explanation does not make sense, but socially people relate basketball to Black males. Therefore race is already an issue when it comes to sports. People begin to divide who is a better player by the color of one’s skin. Also when it comes to education one always hears that Asians are smarter in math. When I was in high school people always got upset when there was an Asian person in our math class because they would most always throw off the curve. Is it because the person is Asian? Do Asians have something biologically innate in them that make them better in understanding mathematics? Probably not, but the Asian culture is typically more strict in terms of education. Thus race is biologically obsolete but culturally it is still present because people still view Asians as geniuses, and Black athletes as the perfect standard for basketball or football. IQ test also determine how high a person’s knowledge is. It determines where they rank in terms of how well they can problem solve. Those that score high on these exams are usually Caucasians and Asians. Hispanics and Blacks are those that score low on the scale. Because of these tests it has tainted the reputation of Hispanics and Blacks as being below average in regards to education. Thus even though race biologically is not present in society, culturally because of the way society is with exams like the IQ test, and the pressure of athletics to have just the best athletes on a team, race is very visible culturally.
9. A religious idea/ritual/practice that has been transformed in American soil is the idea of Kashrut. Kashrut is an Orthodox Jewish tradition that is commonly referred to Kosher. This practice deals with the preparation of food. There are restrictions on what an Orthodox Jew can eat. There are certain animals that cannot be eaten, and if there is meat present at a table there cannot be dairy products at the same table. If a certain utensil was used to prepare a meal containing meat, that utensil must not interfere with the preparation of a meal that contains dairy. Also the preparation of the meat is regulated as well. The animal must not feel any pain when slaughtered. There are certain procedures in which one must take in order for the meat to be considered kosher. The main reasons for this practice are philosophical reasons, ritualistic reasons, and hygiene. This practice has gotten transformed in the American soil because many states have adopted kosher laws. This has created conflict between the separation of church and state, but still states like New York has passed a law called, “McKinney’s Agriculture and Market Law,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher) which shows that the state got around the separation of church and state issue and still managed to create a law that has the same ideals of the Orthodox Jewish practice of being kosher. Rather than kosher being something that is from a religion, the U.S. has adopted this idea for hygiene purposes when it comes to selling and distributing food products. They have changed it to be something that has nothing to do with religion, but has everything to do with cleanliness in the market place or a better environment.
10. Peter Berger’s “heretical imperative,” this idea is that all religions are somehow related to each other. The idea is that some religions have branched off each other in a reaction against something that the person did not like. King Henry the 8th is one example that comes to mind with the Anglican Church. The former religion he was in, did not allow for one to get a divorce. He reacted against this notion and formed his own religion known as the Anglican Church, but there were still aspects of his old religion that had been transferred on to his new found religion. Therefore there are three ways of thinking, deductive, inductive, and reductive. Deductive is to base a claim or idea based on logic. Inductive is coming to a conclusion after an observation, and finally reductive is explaining something that is complicated using simple language. Berger explains that using inductive reasoning applies to religious pluralism. It applies in that word pluralism is defined as a diversified group in religion, culture, ethnicity, and overall background of the person that remains in one society. Therefore religion pluralism applies to these diversified groups of people. Therefore religion is inductive because since religions usually branch off from another, they take qualities from each other. Since the Judaism is the foundation of Christianity, Christian religions will have similarities to the Jewish tradition; however they will not be identical. Thus the Christian religions like Catholicism used inductive reasoning to come to a conclusion of how they wanted their religion to be formed. This would then attract those diversified groups in the society that did not relate to the Jewish tradition, therefore giving them the option to explore more of the Catholic faith. The point being is that religions are inclusive because they gather information from other previous religions and then make their final adjustments to the religion the religious leaders want to profess.
13. Scientology is one new religion that has influenced North America. It has influenced mostly the Hollywood celebrities. Scientology was created by L. Ron Hubbard it is described as an, “applied religious philosophy,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology). It is a religion based on rehabilitation, ethics, and morals. It has influenced North America in that it has such strict practices when it comes to pharmaceutical drugs, child delivery, and psychiatry. Since Scientology followers are well-known actors and actresses who have a greater voice in the media than the average person, their religious beliefs when it comes to their Scientology practices, are put out for the world to hear. It has influenced the way people think about pharmaceutical drugs. A lot of Americans are trying to stay off drugs and be natural, which can be seen as an influence from this popular culture.
14. Nietzsche would describe the “death” of God and the rise of new religions as hand in hand. He explains that people are the ones who kill God. He claims that if you kill God than people begin to deconstruct everything about their life, and people see no meaning to life which can become a dangerous point in one’s life. The reality is when God dies; people begin to seek him more. They miss the spiritual feeling of life, and the truth of life and this is when new religions start to emerge. This is how God resurrects. He resurrects in different ways through new religions. Perhaps Hubbard, the creator Scientology, lost faith at one point in his life. God died for him and he needed to find something to console him. Rather than reject God and his presence altogether Scientology was created to fill that missing spiritual void. Thus this new religion of Scientology emerged. I am not stating that this is accurate, but it could be an example of why new religions come into light.
15. Stephen Wolfram’s “new kind of science” support Stephen Jay Gould’s notion of spandrels or unintended consequences/complexities because Wolfram discovered that Rule 110 discovers complexities. He states that from a computer program you can produce any complex system that will have unintended consequences. He claims that one does not need an intelligent designer to create complexities. He rationalizes that the universe was not created by an intelligent designer however it was actually very simple. This discovery supports Gould’s theory in that he believes that the body is probably an unintended consequence a secondary effect of something else. Therefore it supports Wolfram’s idea because he claims that complexity is the result of simpler computational like programs, thus as an unintended consequence of this complexity, arose other substances that perhaps created human life. Thus this then brings into question what religion is. Is religion just an unintended consequence of the brain? Is it a response of the brain that people have in order to go through life day to day? It really is an interesting theory; however I wonder if actually that is simple.
16. Religious “diversity” almost always starts with its founders because like the previous question in regards to Berger’s “heretical imperative,” religions start from one place and branch out. The fundamentals of one religion are its fundamentals because of other religions. Judaism is a perfect example because it is the foundation of the Christian religions. Therefore though there are many different religions that believe in different things, there are many aspects that have derived from the founding religion that is based off of.
17. The tipping point in Brian Copeland’s life which prompted him to want to commit suicide was most likely when he had taken his son Adam to a store to buy some finger paints. During that shopping experience with his son, Adam has asked Brian to get the doll house with a White family. When Brian asked why, Adam replied that because he was told that Black people are bad. The conversation ended with Adam screaming that he did not want to be brown. This is the point where Brian felt sick to his stomach. He did not know that his life as a child would repeat itself in the life of his child. It was at this point where Brian felt the urge to end his life. This was not the only occasion that in which Brian felt the urge to commit suicide. Earlier at his 35th birthday party celebration he overheard a patron at the bar say that he was still, “just a nigger,” (Copeland, 113). By this person calling him a nigger it made him think for a minute that he had done nothing. All of the work that he had accomplished meant nothing, therefore for his child to scream and yell about not wanting to be Black hurt him. All of that work, all of the accomplishments that he had done meant nothing; it didn’t even make his son want to be like his dad.
18. Some of the subtle forms of racism that Brian encountered when growing up in San Leandro was when he was accused of stealing at a store. He wanted to buy a present for his sister and the manager of the store took him in the back room and had him empty out his pockets. He was accusing Brian of stealing, but Brian had earned his money and was not stealing merchandise. His first day in San Leandro as he walked to the park with his baseball bat, and White children were heckling him telling him he could not go to the park, and how he was being followed by the group of children he got scared and ran. When he ran he ran into a police officer and told him what was going on. Rather than the police officer taking him into consideration and showing any type of concern for what this eight year old child had just gone through, the police officer has him searched and places him in the police car as a criminal. Even authorities like police officers who are seen as people who help citizens in need and who protect citizens, was treating Brian as a criminal solely because he was Black in a White neighborhood. The incident when a little girl accused Brian of killing her cat is also another way in which Brian encountered racism. Since Brian and his family were the only Black people in the neighborhood, it was very easy for people to accuse them of a crime.
19. Brian’s experience of racism dovetails with the experiences of Malcolm X in that both their parents desired to be White. Brian’s mother wanted to be White. She would act as the White people because she wanted to gain the respect that White people gave each other. Malcolm X childhood was similar in that his parents wanted to be White as well. When they would sing hymns at church, he would look at them as if they were trying to assimilate to the White way of life. The difference is that Brian did not seem to hate White people. He was sad that he and his family were treated differently, but never once did Brian claim that White people are the devil. Malcolm X is a little more aggressive and extreme when he claims that White people are the, “devils race” (Stone, Piar, 275). Brian seems to accept the fact that for some people race will always be an issue, but Malcolm X is more of to get revenge on what the White people have caused the Black community. Malcolm X believes that Black people are treated the way they are treated because they do not know their history, where as Brian did not know why Black people were treated the way they were. Thus, Malcolm X believes that if the Black people would take an interest in their actual history, they would be able to be superior.
20. The North American Indian religions absorbed and integrated Christianity into their own religious ideas and rituals. It can be seen in the early stories of the Native American Indians because they used the number four when describing spirits. Things that were holy or people that were holy like the gods came in four. Later in the stories from Black Elk, one can see that the number four has changed to number three. In the story titled Visions of the Other World from Black Elk, a man that was not a Wasichu but he held arms open in front of him and his hair was described as long and loose. It was as almost as Black Elk was describing an apparition that was coming to tell the people that the Great Spirit, “God,” was advising the people that they should honor and worship the Great Spirit because all of the earthly things that belong to him. This parallels the image that the Christians give when describing Jesus. Jesus in the Bible was always seen with his arms wide open and described with having long flowing hair. He would also let his followers know that his Father, God, is the creator of all living things. Therefore the stories that the Black Elk tells is very similar to the parables and stories that the Christian missionaries tell about Jesus. Thus it is obvious the connection between the influence and integration of the two religions.
21. Laverne Jacobs felt very confused studying in the seminary to become a priest and then as a priest because his foundation, his beliefs before Christianity was that of the Native American religious experience. His previous cultural background of being a Native American still remained present mind, body, and soul. He still had the urges to participate in pagan worships, and participate in rituals and craft projects of the Natives, but this would mean he would deny his new found Christian lifestyle as a priest. His home community included many Native Americans with the same ritualistic practices that the Christian church forbids; therefore it was difficult for Laverne to coexist in a community like this without feeling that he is betraying his Christian faith. The way he was able to accomplish this desire to be both one with the Native culture and one with his Christian faith, was by attending a United Church for the Native people. During his time there in the convention he was asked to share the Pipe with the Medicine Priest. At this point he was very confused because he did not know if he was to share in this holy experience with the Natives if it would be jeopardizing his Christian faith. He decided to participate in it and prayed to God that he would be protected. When attending the World Council of Churches in Korea, he was surrounded by people from Europe and he felt very alone. Finally Natives came up to him and asked him to participate in prayer. As he prayed, he prayed to God and Jesus. Therefore he did not pray to the pagan gods when participating in Native traditions, he prayed to the God he knew and it made him feel as if his difficulty and conflict between the two religions was going away. He was able to find peace with himself because he considered that everyone has rituals and traditions that are given up for the, “God the creator and Jesus the son in on great symphony of creation” (Stone & Piar, 141).
22. The Native American Church of Jesus Christ practices Peyotism which evolved in the state of Oklahoma. The symbol for this religion is the cactus. A man named Quannah Parker is the founder of this religion. He created this religion because he claimed that he saw a vision of Jesus Christ in a battle with federal troops. The Peyote itself is an ointment that is taken with water along with communion. This religion is different from other Native American religions because they too are talking about Jesus.
23. Frederick Douglass’ described slavery as deception. They were granted holidays like Christmas and were able to spend time with their family. The slave owners would encourage their slaves to get drunk and make bets with other slave owners of which slave would drink the most without getting drunk. The slaves were then to choose between liberty and slavery if they had won, but they were deceived. Rather then enjoying their drinks, they were also pressured to drink from their slave owners as well. The slave owners would take charge of their private life as well as their work life. Some other slave owners like Mr. Hopkins were worse in that he would beat his slaves for the most minor mistakes or occurrences. Overall the slaves were just subjects to be used to create a reputation for the slave owner. It was a selfish act. Mr. Covey did not beat Douglass because he would then be seen as an insensitive man for whipping a sixteen year old boy, whereas Mr. Hopkins is seen as a tough man. It all boiled down to the slave owner. Nothing the slaves ever did was good enough for the slave owner. It is specific in critiquing conventional religion in that if one does not follow a religion to a “T” they will be punished. The Catholic Church has many rules or guidelines to follow in order to get to Heaven. If for some reason you do not follow these Ten Commandments, it is almost as if you have just been whipped. The more times you have been whipped the less of a chance you will have to get into Heaven. Like the slave owners, they did grant a grace period in which they were able to have fun with their families to show that they are not all that bad. This parallels the idea of forgiveness or confession in the Catholic religion. If you did something that would damper your chances of getting into Heaven, one could be forgiven and confess their sins, and then things would be okay, but then they are waiting for the next time that one messes up to, “whip,” them in fear of not being able to get into heaven. Though religion does not physically damage oneself, they do sometime damage someone mentally in fear. People will fear what they do because they will constantly think if they do something bad, they will not get into heaven.
24. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King differ in their actions to liberate Blacks from oppression. Malcolm X has a very military style of liberating Blacks from oppression. He encourages a violent way to get rid of oppression. He seems like a very angry man when reading his excerpts, and feels that the White people are the Devil. This attitude increases more anger within the Black community, in which the Black community will then act in an aggressive manner and violent manner to liberate themselves. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the exact opposite. His way of liberating Blacks from oppression is a much peaceful strategy. He uses non violent actions to make his point. Why should Blacks act in a violent way and express anger in the way the Whites express anger to the Blacks by showing violence? Nothing gets accomplished this way. Martin Luther King, Jr. has an attitude of togetherness of unifying everyone. Malcolm X seems to be dividing people more so when it comes to the White and Black community.
25. Genealogical disassociation is a key factor in understanding the emergence of new religions in America because many of the new religions that emerge have broken off from a previous existing religion. They shy away from the former religion so that they can deny any connection to the former religion and make the new religion seem new in every sense. The real reason this is key for new religions is that it allows them to be autonomous. This is key because if they did not deny their former relations with previous religion, there would not be much of a difference or reason why they branched out from their former religion.
1. Post: All of the posts that I have completed are listed below in the blog site.
2. I have been absent one time. I have never been late to class.
3. My digital film is called A Day to Remember. It is approximately two minutes long. I used Windows Movie Maker to edit and create it.
4. I have completed Not A Genuine Black Man, and I have read the assigned pages in the Reader that deal with the questions of the midterm.
5. An example of a “consilience,” would be stigmata. A stigmata is where wounds appear on wrists of a person. Usually the people who get stigmata’s are religious persons like nuns, priests, or monks. They are said to be placed in the exact place of where Jesus Christ was crucified. There was this one video depicted a man from Spain who had stigmata. He not only bled from his pierced hands, but he also bled from the rim of his forehead, in which paralleled when Jesus Christ had the crown of thorns placed on his head. Many skeptics believe that stigmata can be explained scientifically, and that is not at all a miracle. Sociologically one could explain the phenomena of stigmata as adapting one’s qualities. It is common that when people build relationships with people be it their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, mother, and father, they start to get similar personality traits. They begin to talk like them, think like them, and act as if they were them. This can explain why most religious people like nuns, monks, and saints like Saint Francis of Assisi have this experience. They have such a strong bond, relationship with God that they begin to feel what he must have felt during the time of the crucifixion which explains what is called the invisible stigmata. Thus they begin to take on the traits of Jesus Christ just like any one usually does when they are in such a close nit relationship. Stigmata psychologically can be explained with that person’s state of mind. Many skeptics believe that stigmata are usually caused by a mental illness such as, Munchausen Syndrome. People who have this type of mental illness inflict injury upon themselves to gain attention (www.wikipedia.com). Back in the days of St. Francis, modern day medicine was not around. Therefore people could have had this mental disorder and no one knew about it. Usually when something is unknown and has no explanation, scientific information to back it up at that specific moment, it always then recognized as a miracle. Stigmata has been a phenomenon that has been called a miracle because people did not know how to explain it. Now that there is modern medicine and more information on mental illnesses, it is easier to draw some conclusions on how stigmata actually work and why it happens. Biologically stigmata can be explained much like that of the psychological aspect of it. There could be a chemical imbalance that ultimately lets a person inflict pain on themselves. These explanations can fit into the stigmata because there is the idea that “you don’t know until you walked a mile in my shoes,” well this can very well apply to those who have stigmata experiences. They socially, and mentally they want to feel what Jesus felt at that time so they can ultimately get even closer. I personally do not know who is right and who is wrong, but I believe that people do things for a reason and that things happen for a reason.
6. Memetics can be explained as the study of memes which is, “a cultural accretion of knowledge, a package of several ideas that can be passed onto others” (Jack Hardy, A Journal of Alternative News and Information, http://www.newdawnmagazine.com/articles/Memetics.html). This theory of memetics can help explain why there are certain religions that are more successful than others in the United States. The Catholic religion is probably the most popular religion in the United States. It has over a million followers. The reason why is because it is the most popular. It is also the easiest to convert to. There are so many different religions and ideas in the United States one can use the example of the reproductive system. The male has a lot of sperm that wants to travel to an egg. Thus ideas, religious ones, are considered the sperm and the people who will most likely be infected with the sperm are considered eggs. Why is it then that the Catholic religion so easily impregnates the eggs? As stated above the Catholic religion is not very complicated. One can be baptized at any time, and nowadays on the television. The Catholic Church is very open to new people who are willing to convert. Other religions like Judaism are more complicated and there is a longer process to convert. Since the memetics theory deals with copying itself and the replication process of it, it is easy for the Catholic religion to copy itself in the minds of people. The notion of you will not go to Heaven if you do not follow the Ten Commandments, sticks in the mind of people more than others. A meme however is different from a gene in that a gene shows what the phenotype is and then pass it on to its host, but a meme does not stay the same it changes unlike the gene it will be copied in a, “phenotypic state which will, for the new host become the genotype of his meme” (Klaas Chielens, Memetics, http://memetics.chielens.net/index.html, 2007.)
7. Evolutionary theory helps in understanding human migration, cultural development, and social identity because it show that how people have evolved gives an insight to understand why the human does certain things like practice a type of religion versus another. It helps explain why religion evolved in the first place. In this class we have discussed that no one is pure in culture, we all are diversified with many cultures. It has been shown that people evolved out of Africa, thus the question than is why did certain people move from on country to another. Evolutionary theory helps us understand this because it shows that people were created differently to sustain different types of climates, food, and overall survival aspects of their life. Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest applies in this understanding of evolutionary theory in that people begin to compete for survival. The types of substances that people are fighting for are food, land, weather, sex, and the desire for adventure. All of these aspects is what people are competing for to survive. In Africa the weather is very warm and can easily damaged the skin of those with a fair complexion which enables those people to move and find other parts of the world that are not as much in the direct sunlight. People know right away that they do not like something whether it be weather, or food. The culture in Africa is very distinct from other culture throughout the world; perhaps a person did not like the food in Africa and wanted to search for another source of survival. Point being is that Dawkins and Darwin rely on the notion that these instinctual notions we have, are innate, but we also inherit them by nature. This can apply itself to religion in that each religion is trying to compete with other religions; however the one that will win depends on the person that it is trying to reach out for. Religious leaders know who is more vulnerable and who needs religion the most, therefore it will target its message to those people. More over, the person like in deciding that the weather is not their “cup of tea,” will be able to decide what religion fits those best. Like finding a place to live and what a person likes, one will be able to decipher what religion is inherited in them.
8. The notion of “race” is biologically obsolete. It is biologically obsolete because it has been researched that everyone derived from Africa there is really biologically no such thing considered race. There is however culture that perhaps identifies oneself. Though race biologically is non-existent, culturally it is still viable. It is viable in that different types of “races” tend to perform differently than others whether it be in sports, education, creativity, and much more. It is pretty obvious that Black athletes in sports like football and basketball make up the majority of the team. Why is that? It has been stated that Black men are better basketball players because they are usually taller than White males. There are plenty of White males, so biologically this explanation does not make sense, but socially people relate basketball to Black males. Therefore race is already an issue when it comes to sports. People begin to divide who is a better player by the color of one’s skin. Also when it comes to education one always hears that Asians are smarter in math. When I was in high school people always got upset when there was an Asian person in our math class because they would most always throw off the curve. Is it because the person is Asian? Do Asians have something biologically innate in them that make them better in understanding mathematics? Probably not, but the Asian culture is typically more strict in terms of education. Thus race is biologically obsolete but culturally it is still present because people still view Asians as geniuses, and Black athletes as the perfect standard for basketball or football. IQ test also determine how high a person’s knowledge is. It determines where they rank in terms of how well they can problem solve. Those that score high on these exams are usually Caucasians and Asians. Hispanics and Blacks are those that score low on the scale. Because of these tests it has tainted the reputation of Hispanics and Blacks as being below average in regards to education. Thus even though race biologically is not present in society, culturally because of the way society is with exams like the IQ test, and the pressure of athletics to have just the best athletes on a team, race is very visible culturally.
9. A religious idea/ritual/practice that has been transformed in American soil is the idea of Kashrut. Kashrut is an Orthodox Jewish tradition that is commonly referred to Kosher. This practice deals with the preparation of food. There are restrictions on what an Orthodox Jew can eat. There are certain animals that cannot be eaten, and if there is meat present at a table there cannot be dairy products at the same table. If a certain utensil was used to prepare a meal containing meat, that utensil must not interfere with the preparation of a meal that contains dairy. Also the preparation of the meat is regulated as well. The animal must not feel any pain when slaughtered. There are certain procedures in which one must take in order for the meat to be considered kosher. The main reasons for this practice are philosophical reasons, ritualistic reasons, and hygiene. This practice has gotten transformed in the American soil because many states have adopted kosher laws. This has created conflict between the separation of church and state, but still states like New York has passed a law called, “McKinney’s Agriculture and Market Law,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher) which shows that the state got around the separation of church and state issue and still managed to create a law that has the same ideals of the Orthodox Jewish practice of being kosher. Rather than kosher being something that is from a religion, the U.S. has adopted this idea for hygiene purposes when it comes to selling and distributing food products. They have changed it to be something that has nothing to do with religion, but has everything to do with cleanliness in the market place or a better environment.
10. Peter Berger’s “heretical imperative,” this idea is that all religions are somehow related to each other. The idea is that some religions have branched off each other in a reaction against something that the person did not like. King Henry the 8th is one example that comes to mind with the Anglican Church. The former religion he was in, did not allow for one to get a divorce. He reacted against this notion and formed his own religion known as the Anglican Church, but there were still aspects of his old religion that had been transferred on to his new found religion. Therefore there are three ways of thinking, deductive, inductive, and reductive. Deductive is to base a claim or idea based on logic. Inductive is coming to a conclusion after an observation, and finally reductive is explaining something that is complicated using simple language. Berger explains that using inductive reasoning applies to religious pluralism. It applies in that word pluralism is defined as a diversified group in religion, culture, ethnicity, and overall background of the person that remains in one society. Therefore religion pluralism applies to these diversified groups of people. Therefore religion is inductive because since religions usually branch off from another, they take qualities from each other. Since the Judaism is the foundation of Christianity, Christian religions will have similarities to the Jewish tradition; however they will not be identical. Thus the Christian religions like Catholicism used inductive reasoning to come to a conclusion of how they wanted their religion to be formed. This would then attract those diversified groups in the society that did not relate to the Jewish tradition, therefore giving them the option to explore more of the Catholic faith. The point being is that religions are inclusive because they gather information from other previous religions and then make their final adjustments to the religion the religious leaders want to profess.
13. Scientology is one new religion that has influenced North America. It has influenced mostly the Hollywood celebrities. Scientology was created by L. Ron Hubbard it is described as an, “applied religious philosophy,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology). It is a religion based on rehabilitation, ethics, and morals. It has influenced North America in that it has such strict practices when it comes to pharmaceutical drugs, child delivery, and psychiatry. Since Scientology followers are well-known actors and actresses who have a greater voice in the media than the average person, their religious beliefs when it comes to their Scientology practices, are put out for the world to hear. It has influenced the way people think about pharmaceutical drugs. A lot of Americans are trying to stay off drugs and be natural, which can be seen as an influence from this popular culture.
14. Nietzsche would describe the “death” of God and the rise of new religions as hand in hand. He explains that people are the ones who kill God. He claims that if you kill God than people begin to deconstruct everything about their life, and people see no meaning to life which can become a dangerous point in one’s life. The reality is when God dies; people begin to seek him more. They miss the spiritual feeling of life, and the truth of life and this is when new religions start to emerge. This is how God resurrects. He resurrects in different ways through new religions. Perhaps Hubbard, the creator Scientology, lost faith at one point in his life. God died for him and he needed to find something to console him. Rather than reject God and his presence altogether Scientology was created to fill that missing spiritual void. Thus this new religion of Scientology emerged. I am not stating that this is accurate, but it could be an example of why new religions come into light.
15. Stephen Wolfram’s “new kind of science” support Stephen Jay Gould’s notion of spandrels or unintended consequences/complexities because Wolfram discovered that Rule 110 discovers complexities. He states that from a computer program you can produce any complex system that will have unintended consequences. He claims that one does not need an intelligent designer to create complexities. He rationalizes that the universe was not created by an intelligent designer however it was actually very simple. This discovery supports Gould’s theory in that he believes that the body is probably an unintended consequence a secondary effect of something else. Therefore it supports Wolfram’s idea because he claims that complexity is the result of simpler computational like programs, thus as an unintended consequence of this complexity, arose other substances that perhaps created human life. Thus this then brings into question what religion is. Is religion just an unintended consequence of the brain? Is it a response of the brain that people have in order to go through life day to day? It really is an interesting theory; however I wonder if actually that is simple.
16. Religious “diversity” almost always starts with its founders because like the previous question in regards to Berger’s “heretical imperative,” religions start from one place and branch out. The fundamentals of one religion are its fundamentals because of other religions. Judaism is a perfect example because it is the foundation of the Christian religions. Therefore though there are many different religions that believe in different things, there are many aspects that have derived from the founding religion that is based off of.
17. The tipping point in Brian Copeland’s life which prompted him to want to commit suicide was most likely when he had taken his son Adam to a store to buy some finger paints. During that shopping experience with his son, Adam has asked Brian to get the doll house with a White family. When Brian asked why, Adam replied that because he was told that Black people are bad. The conversation ended with Adam screaming that he did not want to be brown. This is the point where Brian felt sick to his stomach. He did not know that his life as a child would repeat itself in the life of his child. It was at this point where Brian felt the urge to end his life. This was not the only occasion that in which Brian felt the urge to commit suicide. Earlier at his 35th birthday party celebration he overheard a patron at the bar say that he was still, “just a nigger,” (Copeland, 113). By this person calling him a nigger it made him think for a minute that he had done nothing. All of the work that he had accomplished meant nothing, therefore for his child to scream and yell about not wanting to be Black hurt him. All of that work, all of the accomplishments that he had done meant nothing; it didn’t even make his son want to be like his dad.
18. Some of the subtle forms of racism that Brian encountered when growing up in San Leandro was when he was accused of stealing at a store. He wanted to buy a present for his sister and the manager of the store took him in the back room and had him empty out his pockets. He was accusing Brian of stealing, but Brian had earned his money and was not stealing merchandise. His first day in San Leandro as he walked to the park with his baseball bat, and White children were heckling him telling him he could not go to the park, and how he was being followed by the group of children he got scared and ran. When he ran he ran into a police officer and told him what was going on. Rather than the police officer taking him into consideration and showing any type of concern for what this eight year old child had just gone through, the police officer has him searched and places him in the police car as a criminal. Even authorities like police officers who are seen as people who help citizens in need and who protect citizens, was treating Brian as a criminal solely because he was Black in a White neighborhood. The incident when a little girl accused Brian of killing her cat is also another way in which Brian encountered racism. Since Brian and his family were the only Black people in the neighborhood, it was very easy for people to accuse them of a crime.
19. Brian’s experience of racism dovetails with the experiences of Malcolm X in that both their parents desired to be White. Brian’s mother wanted to be White. She would act as the White people because she wanted to gain the respect that White people gave each other. Malcolm X childhood was similar in that his parents wanted to be White as well. When they would sing hymns at church, he would look at them as if they were trying to assimilate to the White way of life. The difference is that Brian did not seem to hate White people. He was sad that he and his family were treated differently, but never once did Brian claim that White people are the devil. Malcolm X is a little more aggressive and extreme when he claims that White people are the, “devils race” (Stone, Piar, 275). Brian seems to accept the fact that for some people race will always be an issue, but Malcolm X is more of to get revenge on what the White people have caused the Black community. Malcolm X believes that Black people are treated the way they are treated because they do not know their history, where as Brian did not know why Black people were treated the way they were. Thus, Malcolm X believes that if the Black people would take an interest in their actual history, they would be able to be superior.
20. The North American Indian religions absorbed and integrated Christianity into their own religious ideas and rituals. It can be seen in the early stories of the Native American Indians because they used the number four when describing spirits. Things that were holy or people that were holy like the gods came in four. Later in the stories from Black Elk, one can see that the number four has changed to number three. In the story titled Visions of the Other World from Black Elk, a man that was not a Wasichu but he held arms open in front of him and his hair was described as long and loose. It was as almost as Black Elk was describing an apparition that was coming to tell the people that the Great Spirit, “God,” was advising the people that they should honor and worship the Great Spirit because all of the earthly things that belong to him. This parallels the image that the Christians give when describing Jesus. Jesus in the Bible was always seen with his arms wide open and described with having long flowing hair. He would also let his followers know that his Father, God, is the creator of all living things. Therefore the stories that the Black Elk tells is very similar to the parables and stories that the Christian missionaries tell about Jesus. Thus it is obvious the connection between the influence and integration of the two religions.
21. Laverne Jacobs felt very confused studying in the seminary to become a priest and then as a priest because his foundation, his beliefs before Christianity was that of the Native American religious experience. His previous cultural background of being a Native American still remained present mind, body, and soul. He still had the urges to participate in pagan worships, and participate in rituals and craft projects of the Natives, but this would mean he would deny his new found Christian lifestyle as a priest. His home community included many Native Americans with the same ritualistic practices that the Christian church forbids; therefore it was difficult for Laverne to coexist in a community like this without feeling that he is betraying his Christian faith. The way he was able to accomplish this desire to be both one with the Native culture and one with his Christian faith, was by attending a United Church for the Native people. During his time there in the convention he was asked to share the Pipe with the Medicine Priest. At this point he was very confused because he did not know if he was to share in this holy experience with the Natives if it would be jeopardizing his Christian faith. He decided to participate in it and prayed to God that he would be protected. When attending the World Council of Churches in Korea, he was surrounded by people from Europe and he felt very alone. Finally Natives came up to him and asked him to participate in prayer. As he prayed, he prayed to God and Jesus. Therefore he did not pray to the pagan gods when participating in Native traditions, he prayed to the God he knew and it made him feel as if his difficulty and conflict between the two religions was going away. He was able to find peace with himself because he considered that everyone has rituals and traditions that are given up for the, “God the creator and Jesus the son in on great symphony of creation” (Stone & Piar, 141).
22. The Native American Church of Jesus Christ practices Peyotism which evolved in the state of Oklahoma. The symbol for this religion is the cactus. A man named Quannah Parker is the founder of this religion. He created this religion because he claimed that he saw a vision of Jesus Christ in a battle with federal troops. The Peyote itself is an ointment that is taken with water along with communion. This religion is different from other Native American religions because they too are talking about Jesus.
23. Frederick Douglass’ described slavery as deception. They were granted holidays like Christmas and were able to spend time with their family. The slave owners would encourage their slaves to get drunk and make bets with other slave owners of which slave would drink the most without getting drunk. The slaves were then to choose between liberty and slavery if they had won, but they were deceived. Rather then enjoying their drinks, they were also pressured to drink from their slave owners as well. The slave owners would take charge of their private life as well as their work life. Some other slave owners like Mr. Hopkins were worse in that he would beat his slaves for the most minor mistakes or occurrences. Overall the slaves were just subjects to be used to create a reputation for the slave owner. It was a selfish act. Mr. Covey did not beat Douglass because he would then be seen as an insensitive man for whipping a sixteen year old boy, whereas Mr. Hopkins is seen as a tough man. It all boiled down to the slave owner. Nothing the slaves ever did was good enough for the slave owner. It is specific in critiquing conventional religion in that if one does not follow a religion to a “T” they will be punished. The Catholic Church has many rules or guidelines to follow in order to get to Heaven. If for some reason you do not follow these Ten Commandments, it is almost as if you have just been whipped. The more times you have been whipped the less of a chance you will have to get into Heaven. Like the slave owners, they did grant a grace period in which they were able to have fun with their families to show that they are not all that bad. This parallels the idea of forgiveness or confession in the Catholic religion. If you did something that would damper your chances of getting into Heaven, one could be forgiven and confess their sins, and then things would be okay, but then they are waiting for the next time that one messes up to, “whip,” them in fear of not being able to get into heaven. Though religion does not physically damage oneself, they do sometime damage someone mentally in fear. People will fear what they do because they will constantly think if they do something bad, they will not get into heaven.
24. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King differ in their actions to liberate Blacks from oppression. Malcolm X has a very military style of liberating Blacks from oppression. He encourages a violent way to get rid of oppression. He seems like a very angry man when reading his excerpts, and feels that the White people are the Devil. This attitude increases more anger within the Black community, in which the Black community will then act in an aggressive manner and violent manner to liberate themselves. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the exact opposite. His way of liberating Blacks from oppression is a much peaceful strategy. He uses non violent actions to make his point. Why should Blacks act in a violent way and express anger in the way the Whites express anger to the Blacks by showing violence? Nothing gets accomplished this way. Martin Luther King, Jr. has an attitude of togetherness of unifying everyone. Malcolm X seems to be dividing people more so when it comes to the White and Black community.
25. Genealogical disassociation is a key factor in understanding the emergence of new religions in America because many of the new religions that emerge have broken off from a previous existing religion. They shy away from the former religion so that they can deny any connection to the former religion and make the new religion seem new in every sense. The real reason this is key for new religions is that it allows them to be autonomous. This is key because if they did not deny their former relations with previous religion, there would not be much of a difference or reason why they branched out from their former religion.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Memetics Theory
Hey everyone found these two good websites that talk about memetics
theory. I found the whole theory pretty confusing, so I went and did
some research and I found a thesis paper that talks about the theory
of memetics, and then this generic website as well. It talks about the
difference between a gene and a meme. It also gives examples different
types of memes as well. Enjoy!
http://memetics. chielens. net/
http://pespmc1. vub.ac.be/ MEMES.html
Thursday, October 18, 2007
African American Experience
Here is a supplementary website that deals with the conversions of the African American religious experiences.
http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/conversion.htm
I am still reading Not A Genuine Black Man and it is pretty good so far. It is sad how even on his 35th birthday the people in town still considered him just a black man. Also, I found it interesting when there were two black young males in the car in the neighborhood and Brian thought it was suspicous. All of those years that he was told that black was bad, and that balck people are up to no good, he started to believe it for that one second. When he found out that the young black males were up to no good, it was almost as if his "people" failed him. He wanted to believe that those young teenagers were not doing anything bad, but they were. So it was as if everything the white people had told Brian as a child were true. I cannot imagine how it would feel to be Brian in a community where he is the only one of color, and to think that other people of color like the two young males, were foreign. It was almost as for a moment he forgot about his own complexion, because he considered himself white.
In Los Angeles the population is so diverse that it is difficult to understand this.
http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/conversion.htm
I am still reading Not A Genuine Black Man and it is pretty good so far. It is sad how even on his 35th birthday the people in town still considered him just a black man. Also, I found it interesting when there were two black young males in the car in the neighborhood and Brian thought it was suspicous. All of those years that he was told that black was bad, and that balck people are up to no good, he started to believe it for that one second. When he found out that the young black males were up to no good, it was almost as if his "people" failed him. He wanted to believe that those young teenagers were not doing anything bad, but they were. So it was as if everything the white people had told Brian as a child were true. I cannot imagine how it would feel to be Brian in a community where he is the only one of color, and to think that other people of color like the two young males, were foreign. It was almost as for a moment he forgot about his own complexion, because he considered himself white.
In Los Angeles the population is so diverse that it is difficult to understand this.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Not A Genuine Black Man
I have begun reading "Not A Genuine Black Man," by Brian Copeland. I am in the first couple chapters and it already is a moving piece of literature. I like the section where his mother called him, "black," but his grandmother called him, "colored," and as he went through life he was identified using different names. Another name he was told to identify himself as was, "a person of color," and finally a lady in college told him he was, "African American." I think this is interesting because many people have ethnic backgrounds and either identify themselves as either American or from the place their parents or grandparents are from. It is funny because living in America, I guess you have to specify what your ethnic background is considering we are the melting pot. I am American, but when an American asks me that question, I assume they are asking me about my ethnicity. So I let them know that I am Cuban.
Whenever I say that I am Cuban, I feel a little more cultured and feel a different way. The attitude changes to be more like my grandma. Some times I'll break out in a Cuban accent, when I do not have one. When someone from another country asks me where I am from, I say California which lets them know I am American. The same thing happens ---I act like an American from California with the laid back attitude and beach style wear. When Brian Copeland explained the different names he was called, each of the names had some type of meaning. People may have perceived him in a different way when he stated he was, "Black," or "a person of color." Each of these identifiers, probably made someone react in a different manner. Thus, I found it interesting because I do believe when someone introduces themselves as Jewish, Mexican, African American, or Asian, people automatically think of how they perceive the group as a whole. I thought of this when I was reading that passage because the mother was very adamant about how Brian should identify himself.
Whenever I say that I am Cuban, I feel a little more cultured and feel a different way. The attitude changes to be more like my grandma. Some times I'll break out in a Cuban accent, when I do not have one. When someone from another country asks me where I am from, I say California which lets them know I am American. The same thing happens ---I act like an American from California with the laid back attitude and beach style wear. When Brian Copeland explained the different names he was called, each of the names had some type of meaning. People may have perceived him in a different way when he stated he was, "Black," or "a person of color." Each of these identifiers, probably made someone react in a different manner. Thus, I found it interesting because I do believe when someone introduces themselves as Jewish, Mexican, African American, or Asian, people automatically think of how they perceive the group as a whole. I thought of this when I was reading that passage because the mother was very adamant about how Brian should identify himself.
Video
Hey I have a video idea and I wanted to know if I can get some feedback on it. I was thinking about taking the four groups of religious experiences and seeing how each of the groups and their religions conduct a marriage ceremony. I think it would be interesting to see how the Native Americans got married, and how the the Latinos and African American experiences differ or how they are similar when it comes to this ceremony. I also wanted to include maybe more modern ideas of marriage like the unity ceremonies that the homosexual community participates in, and how the Scientologist or Mormons conduct their ceremony. I am thinking about either using love songs as the background, or perhaps music that applies to each religious group. Let me know what you all think of this idea.
Thanks,
Melissa
Thanks,
Melissa
Friday, September 28, 2007
Visions of the Other World
In this section of the text, I have noticed that Black Elk when having his dream saw a man that was not an Indian, but had his arms open wide and told him, "My life is such that all earthly beings and growing things belong to me. Your father, the Great Spirit, has said this to me. You too must say this" (73). This sounds a lot like the Christianity stories in the Bible, where Jesus appeared to his 12 disciples and said that they must spread the word of God. Also, the people who saw Black Elk have this vision were 12 men. This is like the 12 disciples who saw Jesus. I found this pretty interesting, because 12 is not just a random number.
Since a few of the stories are narrated from Black Elk, I thought that it was important to know who he actually was. Black Elk was a medicine man, when he married his wife converted to Catholicism, and he baptized his three children as Catholics as well. When he died he was also baptized. This is interesting because perhaps the missionaries of Catholicism were influencing Black Elk's dreams, which would explain why he saw a man that was not an Indian, and in which he claimed 12 men were with him at the time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Elk
Melissa 11:00pm Friday CSULB
Since a few of the stories are narrated from Black Elk, I thought that it was important to know who he actually was. Black Elk was a medicine man, when he married his wife converted to Catholicism, and he baptized his three children as Catholics as well. When he died he was also baptized. This is interesting because perhaps the missionaries of Catholicism were influencing Black Elk's dreams, which would explain why he saw a man that was not an Indian, and in which he claimed 12 men were with him at the time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Elk
Melissa 11:00pm Friday CSULB
Sun Dance Rituals
The first readings in "American Religious Diveristy," talks about the
Native American tribes and their religious rituals. Stories of how
winter, death, and giving have been created were also stories that the
Native Americans would tell their tribe orally. One of the religious
rituals that Native American tribes used was the "Sun Dance." This
website allows one to learn more about that sacred religious ritual
and shows pictures of the movements that the Native Americans would
do. It also shows the particpation of the other tribe members bringing
their sacrifices to the dance.
http://www.crystalinks.com/sundance.html
The next website that I thought was appropriate for our readings for
the first three weeks of class gives a historical background on Native
American religious rituals and identitifies each specific term that is
used in their rituals. Many of the religious rituals focused on nature
and the revival of death. They were also hunter-gatherers so their
rituals primarily focused on those important aspects like the Sun and
the Moon that would allow their food to grow. The pros about this
website is it also gives you a description on what happened to the way
of life of the Native Americans when the Europeans took over and
spread the Christian missionary rituals.
http://encarta.msn.com/text_761580498__1/Native_American_Religions.html
Native American tribes and their religious rituals. Stories of how
winter, death, and giving have been created were also stories that the
Native Americans would tell their tribe orally. One of the religious
rituals that Native American tribes used was the "Sun Dance." This
website allows one to learn more about that sacred religious ritual
and shows pictures of the movements that the Native Americans would
do. It also shows the particpation of the other tribe members bringing
their sacrifices to the dance.
http://www.crystalinks.com/sundance.html
The next website that I thought was appropriate for our readings for
the first three weeks of class gives a historical background on Native
American religious rituals and identitifies each specific term that is
used in their rituals. Many of the religious rituals focused on nature
and the revival of death. They were also hunter-gatherers so their
rituals primarily focused on those important aspects like the Sun and
the Moon that would allow their food to grow. The pros about this
website is it also gives you a description on what happened to the way
of life of the Native Americans when the Europeans took over and
spread the Christian missionary rituals.
http://encarta.msn.com/text_761580498__1/Native_American_Religions.html
The Manito World
In this section of the textbook we learn about the Manito World, and
"the dream," (49) that people dream about that tells them what their
purpose in life really is. I thought this concept was interesting
because it says that a person must go out into the wilderness and fast
until the dream comes to them. I figured that when the dream comes to
them they must be so hungry that their mind starts to imagine things.
whether they imagine things or not does not say whether it is true or
false. they can really be seeing a message that is sent to them from
another dimension. i looked up this website that talks about the
Midewewin life. it tells people how to live their life to enter the
land of souls. when reading the entry, i thought a lot about
christianity. it lists things that one must do to live a peaceful
existence in order to get into the land of souls. this is much like
the christian belief of heaven. the bible also lists ten commandments
that one should follow to enter into heaven. therefore with these
Midewewin stories, one sees the influence of christianity.
http://members.tripod.com/h-dan/WayofLife.htm
I hope you find this website interesting.
Melissa
"the dream," (49) that people dream about that tells them what their
purpose in life really is. I thought this concept was interesting
because it says that a person must go out into the wilderness and fast
until the dream comes to them. I figured that when the dream comes to
them they must be so hungry that their mind starts to imagine things.
whether they imagine things or not does not say whether it is true or
false. they can really be seeing a message that is sent to them from
another dimension. i looked up this website that talks about the
Midewewin life. it tells people how to live their life to enter the
land of souls. when reading the entry, i thought a lot about
christianity. it lists things that one must do to live a peaceful
existence in order to get into the land of souls. this is much like
the christian belief of heaven. the bible also lists ten commandments
that one should follow to enter into heaven. therefore with these
Midewewin stories, one sees the influence of christianity.
http://members.tripod.com/h-dan/WayofLife.htm
I hope you find this website interesting.
Melissa
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Hey
Hey Everyone!
I started this blog for a religious diveristy class so on this blog you will see all of my work that I will do for the class. I hope everyone enjoys it. I have never really used a blog before except for the occasional myspace blogs, but I delete my myspace so I don't have one anymore. All right well I am off to do some homework.
I started this blog for a religious diveristy class so on this blog you will see all of my work that I will do for the class. I hope everyone enjoys it. I have never really used a blog before except for the occasional myspace blogs, but I delete my myspace so I don't have one anymore. All right well I am off to do some homework.
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