Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #9: The Incarnation of God

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #9: The Incarnation of God: "After viewing 'The Nativity Story', analyzing your chosen Christmas carol, and reading Philippians 2:1-7, reflect on the meaning of Christma..."

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

The well-known Christmas carol, "Silent Night", is a description of the time of Jesus Christ's birth. It describes Jesus as the 'Saviour' who came from heaven, sent by God, to save the people. In this particular verse, readers can gain a sense that Jesus' birth was miraculous and important, when it emphacizes the fact that, "Shepherds quake at the sight." This shows that the shepherds quaked, or were emotionally moved, at the sight of the birth of Jesus. Secondly, "glories stream from heaven afar" shows that Jesus' birth was a gloried gift sent from heaven. Similar to in Philippians 2:1-7 and in Nativity, in "Silent Night", Jesus is described as being the Saviour of the people, and the Son of God.

Mary's role in Jesus' birth was being the mother. She gave birth to Him, as a virgin.
Joseph's role was to protect and take care of Mary during her pregnancy, and guide her to Bethlehem.
The shepherds were present at the time of Jesus' birth, and adored and praised His presence. One shepherd allowed Joseph and Mary to stay at his stable, the place where Jesus was born.
The Persian astrologers, also known as the three wise men, gave Joseph and Mary the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, when they visited Jesus.

Jesus is described as the Son of God and the child of Mary--who gave birth to Jesus as a virgin, through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is a Saviour for the people, and will eventually die for their sins. In my opinion, I believe God sent Jesus as a baby because this way, he can be portrayed as a humble, innocent person. Also, living the full life of a human being would give Him the full perspective on life, and would allow Him to better relate to God's sons and daughters. This way, He could be a caring and loving God, having close relationships with each and every one of us.

After viewing "The Nativity Story", "Silent Night", and reading Philippians 2:1-7, I believe the meaning of Christmas is to remember, praise, and celebrate God, our Saviour.

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #8 Islam: Two Perspectives

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #8 Islam: Two Perspectives: "Find where Islamic religious beliefs intersect with current events. Research a Western news source on the story and summarize the article fr..."

Western point of view: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/New-Yorkers-Sound-off-about-Mosque-Plans-Near-Ground-Zero-98366594.html

In this article from the Western news source, NBC, the writer seems to hold a very negative impression of the Ground Zero mosque and Islamic cultural center. DeMarco Morgan, the author of this article, claims that people all over New York are "boiling mad at the possibility." This is primarily because the citizens of New York are still emotionally stirred from the effects of 9/11. Barbara Sommer from Brooklyn, challenges, "How can we allow something to eradicated that memory--the pain and suffering." Others, plead that they "are still wounded," and their "hearts are bleeding," demanding that the state should have "tolerance for the 9/11 families. Morgan does address, however, that Muslim Americans are still to this day, feeling pressure for the 9/11 attacks, and challenge that the Muslims behind those attacks were from an small, extreme group of radicals. A vote is to be carried out among the members of the Landmarks Preservation Commission later this summer, to settle this despute.

Islamic country's point of view:
http://www.indonesiafirst.com/2010/08/8780/ground-zero-mosque/

On the other hand, in the article from the Islamic country's point of view, there are no cynical statements on the Ground Zero mosque and Islamic cultural center. Most of the article is informative about Ground Zero, and the World Trade Center's significance in terms of this issue. In addition, it also states that President Obama is strongly supportive of the mosque and Islamic community center. He believes that as Americans, who are committed to a society with religious freedom, Muslims should "have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country." Lastly, this article provides details on the funding, and how money will be raised to build the Ground Zero mosque.

Although both articles were written on the same news story, there were noticeably contrasting themes. First, the article from the Western perspective describes the feelings of the New York natives, who were strongly opposed to this development, while the article from the Islamic country perspective only mentions the opinion of President Obama. Next, the overall tone of the Western article is against the Ground Zero mosque, while the Islamic country article is remains fairly indifferent. Lastly, the Western article includes the fact that there was a hearing held to decide the matter, while the Islamic country article does not mention it at all. Despite the fact that both articles are written about the same issue, interestingly, they are different from each other, because they were written from two different perspectives.

Modern Religious Experience: Personal Commemoration- Reflection #7

Modern Religious Experience: Personal Commemoration- Reflection #7: "Think of an event in your life- past, present or future. You are going to create a commemorative ritual for this event. First, describe the ..."

Two years ago, when I was in 8th grade, my family and I went on a skiing trip to Yongpyong, during winter vacation. This was my third time going, and I was quite excited, because I had a lot of fun the first two ski trips. After a long, snowy four hour drive, with multiple stops at rest stations, we arrived at the High1 Resort. For three days, my family and I skied joyously down the slopes. On the last day however, I mustered up enough courage to attempt one of the "double black diamond" slopes--the second hardest difficulty level at the resort. After much debating and reassuring thoughts, I gritted my teeth, leaned forward, and shot down the slope. Even though I ended up falling several times, this attempt of the double black diamond slope is important to me because I realized that one should always take chances, stray from one's comfort zone, and try new things.

This commemoration will last one day, to represent the day I attempted the double black diamond slope.

This will be stated during the commemoration:
I will expand my horizons, trying new things.
I will accept challenges, and not be afraid of failure.
If I am courageous and resilient, I will succeed.

On this commemorative day, I will try something new, or something I have been afraid to try before. This can be related to anything from foods, to sports, to even hobbies. If I fail, I will try again, without being discouraged. For all three meals, I will eat foods that I haven't tried before.

The Morality of Greek Myths - Reflection #6

Arachne the Spinner

The story of Arachne is about an overconfident maiden who is conceited about her weaving skills. She is so vain, that she claims that she is better at weaving than the goddess of crafts herself, Athena, and offends her greatly. After Athena hears about this outrageous declaration, she angrily challenges Arachne to a weaving contest, which Athena wins. As punishment for Arachne's vanity, Athena turns Arachne into a spider, forcing her to weave for the rest of her life.

I believe the foremost moral of this story is to never be too cocky about yourself, and there is always room for modesty in one's personality. We, the reader, can see this in the story, when Arachne continuously brags about how talented she is at weaving, and insults the gods by comparing her work to Athena's, thus angering her. This moral is supported by a consequence, which for Arachne is her eternal transformation into a spider.

This story attempts to explain the mystery of how spiders and arachnids came into being. In addition, the fact that they could weave beautiful webs with needle-like threads would've been a compelling mystery for ancient Greeks. In addition, since they had so many questions about nature and they had very few answers, ancient Greeks often created myths and stories to provide explanations for these unknowns. This story is also responsible for creating an English word 'arachnid', which means 'spider' in Greek.

From this story, an important virtue for the Greeks is to be modest. In the tale, the necessity of modesty in one's personality is shown when Arachne gets punished for her vanity. It also tells Greeks that they should always respect the gods, and to never insult them. One should learn that being humble is always the best option, and one can be rewarded by not being arrogant. In addition, having a good personality is the key to maintaining healthy relationships with the people around you.

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #5: Bongwonsa Temple and Nature Walk

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #5: Bongwonsa Temple and Nature Walk: "After visiting the Zen Buddhist Temple, Bongwonsa and attempting to see nature as a Taoist, answer this question: What is it about creation,..."

In today's day and age, scientific discoveries are being made at an incredible rate, like never before. New technologies and theories help fuel the desire to learn more about the world, and this in return, leads to more discoveries. Although the countless advances in science in the last few decades have been influential for many, some people are still unsatisfied with the answers science has given us. Despite the fact that we, humans, have the ability to find out almost anything we wish with a touch of the finger, there are still a few unanswered questions that may or may not be possible to justify scientifically.

Ever since the first cave men were born, humans wondered, "How did we get here? Who created us? What happens after we die?" These mysteries can be quite unsettling for some, not knowing the reason and founder of their existence. Therefore, I believe nature inspires humans to seek out religions because naturally, humans have many unanswered questions when it comes to nature, and we want to learn more. Over the years, as a result of these unanswered mysteries of life, people have provided their own opinions and explanations for these mysteries, which have turned into what we call religions. People devote their lives to these religions, because they want to seek truth about nature and the natural world. Buddhists, for example, believe in reincarnation, which is their explanation for what happens after death. What happens during the post-life stage is a mystery to all living things, until the moment they pass away. Therefore, all religions have their own ideas on the mysteries of life.

During the trip to the Bongwonsa Temple, we got a first-hand experience of Buddhist rituals. At the temple, I noticed how dedicated the Buddhist practitioners were to their prayers. They were extremely quiet and their faces were blank, as if they were unconscious, yet aware. In addition, they remained on task and were focused on one thing and one thing only--their prayers and rituals. Before this trip to the temple, I pondered why billions of people all around the world dedicate their lives to religion. After the visit to the Bongwonsa Temple however, I believe I understand the reason for their religious devotion. Religion is a common method of shunning out the scientific world we live in today, and finding comfort in knowing the "answers" to the unsolved mysteries of life.

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation: "Spend 20 mintues in a silent meditation; a place you won't be disturbed, your own 'fig tree' as was Buddha's inspiration. In those 20 mintue..."

This morning, I meditated for 20 minutes. It was difficult to find my own "fig tree" at first, because there were so many distractions in my apartment. I then decided to walk to the local park, and I began my meditation on a sheltered wooden bench. For the first half of the meditation session, I found it easy to concentrate, because it had started to rain, and I found myself listening to the water beating on the shimmering grass. My mind was completely blank, and it felt as if I were sleeping while still being conscious, without having a dream. The second half of the session however, was almost the exact opposite. I couldn't reattain right thoughts, right mindfulness, and right concentration. My mind drifted off to other things, like how much homework I still had left to finish, the new episode of "The Office" I wanted to watch, and how long 20 minutes really felt like. For the ten minutes I was focused on meditating however, I felt very peaceful and my mind was at ease. Although it was hard for me to concentrate while sitting on the bench, I believe it is possible for one to be in a complete state of meditation, but the time that one is able to stay in that state varies from person to person.

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #3- Gandhi: Hindu and Activist

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #3- Gandhi: Hindu and Activist: "In class, your small groups went over movie questions about the content in Gandhi. You should know who each of the main characters are and t..."

Mahatma Gandhi played a major part in the independence of India, primarily through his Hindu beliefs. Even though most of his followers often tried to persuade him to fight back against the British Empire, he stood by his values. Gandhi's idea of Hinduism included the idea of non-violence and simplicity. For example, in the movie on multiple accounts, he is beat viciously by the British policemen. However, unlike what most human beings would do--fight back, Gandhi chooses to take the blows. "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also", he stated. This shows how strong Gandhi was mentally, to have the discipline to not strike back, and that non-violence was one of Gandhi's most important ideals. In addition, Mahatma Gandhi also stressed being simple. For example, he gave up wearing western-style clothing, and always wore plain, cotton clothes, that he spun himself. In the movie, there were multiple scenes where Gandhi is shown spinning his own clothes. He believed that leading a simple life was important.

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind," Mahatma Gandhi once said. This quote shows how important non-violence was to him. His understanding of violence was that it can only cause harm, and cannot do good in any circumstances. For example, many times throughout the movie, whenever the Indians fought or rioted against the British, Gandhi would fast himself and threaten to die if they did not stop. Non-violence was so important to him that he was prepared to die for the cause. In the end, because of Mahatma Gandhi's bravery, India became an independent nation.

Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry

Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry: "Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry • Add a picture of an ancient religious symbol to your Online Portfolio (it can be one of those from the notes..."

Assignment #3: Sacred Poetry - Symbol of Jainism

Jain Symbol

Oh, unparalleled, intricate emblem of Jain,

You bare the crescent, three dots, and the Chakra hand.

Since 75' you represented the values of the religion,

And showed the world the path to enlightenment through non-violence.

Your top indicates Urdhava Lok, also known as heaven,

Your middle embodies Madhyalok, the material world.

Your bottom is Adholok, where the devil dwells,

These are the realms of the symbol of Jain.

The four limbs of the swastika symbolize

Angels, demons, animals, and humans.

The four columns of the Jain Sangh,

and the outcomes of one's reincarnation.

Oh, unparalleled, intricate emblem of Jain,

Your hand exemplifies the stop sign against violence.

You display the dedication and trust among Jains,

Oh, unparalleled, intricate emblem of Jain.

Modern Religious Experience: Modern Religious Experience: Reflection Question #...

Modern Religious Experience: Modern Religious Experience: Reflection Question #...: "Modern Religious Experience: Reflection Question #1: 'According to Mircea Eliade religion has 'not vanished without a trace; [it] has contri..."

Religion, or a person's response to the mystery of life that is organized and agreed upon by a group of people, plays a crucial life in many people's lives. It influences common, everyday decisions that people make, and "forms part of our own history". More specifically, in my life, religion has contributed in a huge way toward my personal history. For example, when I was young, I used to live with my grandparents and my aunt on weekdays, while my parents went to graduate school. During this time, I got to know my grandparents very well. My grandmother in particular, who is extremely religious, always prayed before meals, and often in different times throughout the day. When I asked her why she was so dedicated to Christianity, she responded by telling me about the car accident she was involved in when she was younger, and how that experience brought her closer to God. She also talked about how believing in Christianity gave her peace of mind, and made her more comfortable, knowing that someone is always with her, through all the hardships.

It was this experience with my grandmother that ultimately led me to believe in God. Because of her, I began to think about the mysteries of life. Why is it that we live on the only planet that supports life? How is the human body so intricate and complex? Why do all humans look different? Where do people go after death? Thinking about these questions compelled me to believe that there is a stronger being watching over us, and that he is the creator of life. As a result, I turn to God for support when I go through the hardships in life. I try to go to church as often as I can, and on holidays. However, as a result of my busy schedule, I often do not have the chance to go to church on Sunday mornings. In retrospect, even though I don't go to church every Sunday, I believe I can still express the Christian beliefs and morals through my actions. For example, I can accept others as who they are, and appreciate their individuality, as God made them. All in all, I even though I am not the strongest of believers in Christianity, I can truly say that religion, or more specifically Christianity, has shaped me into who I am today.