World Religions Final

Philosophy 15 – World Religions
Final
Name: Jessie Genie
Username: jessie_genieEmail Address: jgenie@lausd.net

How many posts did you complete in total for the whole semester and give me the "exact dates" of each?
1) Response to Religious Literature: The Qu’ran (16 October)
2) Response to Religious Literature: The Gospels (16 October)
3) Response to Religious Literature: Bhagavad Gita (15 October)
4) Response to Religious Literature: The Analects of Confucius (10 October)
5) Response to Religious Literature: Tao Te Ching (18 September)
6) Response to Religious Literature: The Wisdom of Buddha (18 September)
7) optional post #14 (15 October)
8) optional post #13 (10 October)
9) post #12 (9 October)
10) post #11 (2 October)
11) post #10 (1 October)
12) post #9 (29 September)
13) post #8 (29 September)
14) post #7 (18 September)
15) post #6 (17 September)
16) post #5 (15 September)
17) post #4 (15 September)
18) post #3 (13 September)
19) post #2 (10 September)
20) post #1 (8 September)

List all visits you made.
Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights

List all of the online videos you watched since the midterm.
I have viewed the documentary explaining Hinduism, History Channel explaining the life of the Prophet, Ben Kingsley on Islam, and History Channel explaining the Bible online since the midterm.

Please list what "grade" you received on your midterm examination. Was there any material you were asked to make up and did you?
I received a B-/C+ on the midterm examination. When the midterm was due I did not view the online documentary explaining Hinduism and I did not complete my field trip. Since then I have done both. Even though
I will not be graded for it, I viewed the Hinduism video for my own benefit and I completed the field trip because it was required.

What reading did you complete in this course? Be Specific. What reading did you not complete? Be very specific.
Completed: Huston Smith (all assigned chapters), When Scholars Study the Sacred, When God’s Decay, The Enchanted Land, Baba Faqir Chand (www.angelfire.com), Bhagavad Gita (1-3, 8, 11), Jainism (www.angelfire.com), http://www.wikipedia.com),Why I Don’t Eat Faces, Lions in the Punjab, The Wisdom of Buddha (1, 7, 11, 14-15), Tao Te Ching (22, 24-25, 32, 37, 49, 53, 56, 77, 79), The Analects of Confucius (Jen, The Superior Man, Li, Yueh, Learning and Teaching, Government, Rectifying the Names), The Gnostic Mystery, Islam (www.religioustolerance.org), The Qu’ran (87, 75, 16, 2, 4), Judaism Outline (www.nvcc.edu), Judaism (www.i-cias.com), False Testament, When Did Hitler Decide on the Final Solution (www.holocaust-history.org), Albert Speers "Edifice of Lies" (www.holocaust-history.org), The Jewishness of the Holocaust (www.holocaust-history.org), Triumph of Christianity, Jesus from Jewish Sources(www.ccat.sas.upenn.edu), Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
Not completed: Jainism Simplified (www.umich.edu), Jainism: Principles, Traditions, Practices (www.colostate.edu), www.islamworld.net, Judaism 101 (www.jewfaq.org), Description of Judaism (www.religioustolerance.org),

Did you complete any extra credit?
Yes, I completed all 6 Response to Religious Literature.

1. Explain in depth what Gnosticism is. Why do you think that it failed and Christianity succeeded?
Gnosticism is a belief system that aspires to have knowledge of the spiritual world, or gnosis. This would include tapping into the divine or having a direct knowledge of God. Gnosis can be broken into two forms of knowledge, that which taps into the Divine and that which reveals techniques to in order for one to be with the Divine. The goal of Gnosticism is to free the spirit from its earthly trap, the human body, in order for it to ascend to the heavens to be with the divine. The divine in the Gnostic sense is "an Unknown, Nameless God who is unchanging and immeasurable, transcending any particularity or imposition one can attribute to it." The Gnostic idea of the Divine or God is in no way related to the biblical god that is known to be the creator of all things, including man. According to the Gnostics, this god of creation is a god of the lower rung because it is creation itself that has entrapped the spirit and keeps it preoccupied from it’s true focus.

There are three reasons why Gnosticism failed and Christianity succeeded. The first of which concerns Christianity’s "broad base appeal." Simply stated, Christianity appealed to more people. Gnosticism was an esoteric movement that drew upon "many mystical philosophies, including neo-Platonism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and possibly Hinduism." It had no code, creed, doctrine, dogma, or code of ethics to follow. The one thing it had going for them, "a god who transcended the material cosmos and stood separate from it," the Christians had as well. Although in Gnosticism, its "Transcendent God" is far more superior to the demiurge that is the God of Creation, it couldn’t convey its message to the masses. Christianity, on the other hand, did attract the attention of the masses and was able to convey its message to the very same masses. It had doctrine. It had creeds and dogma. It had a code of ethics to live by. Unlike Gnosticism, it also had a figure that conquered death in Jesus. Also, Christianity had its own holidays that it can celebrate and Gnosticism did not. The second reason Gnosticism failed and Christianity succeeded is that Christianity was far more inclusive than Gnosticism. The Gnostics had 4 different schools with 4 different philosophies, whereas, all of Christianity was focused on its central figure, Jesus Christ. All one had to do to be a Christian was believe in Jesus Christ. It didn’t matter what race, gender, creed, or socioeconomic class you were from. As long as you believed in Jesus Christ and accepted him as your savior, you were a Christian. Finally, the third reason why Gnosticism failed and Christianity succeeded is because Christianity’s "belief that the Kingdom of God was at hand." Gnosticism was intent on ushering souls into the spiritual world. Christians, on the other hand, believed their souls and bodies would reach heaven as one and heaven was always a heartbeat away. Christian have never doubted the eventuality of Heaven on Earth.

2. Describe J.D. Crossan’s "research methodology" and then, most importantly, his actual findings on Jesus.
Crossan’s "research methodology" approaches the study of the historical Jesus as follows, "cross-cultural anthropology," "Greco-Roman and especially Jewish history," and "literary or textual." By approaching historical Jesus cross-culturally, Crossan is able to cross reference societies that might have shared similar ecology and technology. By approaching historical Jesus via history, Crossan is able to check the validity of any claims. Finally, by approaching historical Jesus textually, Crossan is able to verify accounts and people’s thoughts on Jesus at the time of his life.

Crossan begins his research by looking into the claim that Jesus was the Son of God who later became God. He compares the story of Jesus with the story of Octavius. Both Jesus and Octavius are said to have "mythical genealogy." Octavius is said to have been conceived by a human father and the goddess, Aphrodite. Jesus is said to have been conceived by a virgin mother and God. In regards to Jesus, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke go out of their way to prove Jesus’ "mythical genealogy." Both Matthew and Luke are insistent upon Jesus gestating within a virgin mother and having a virgin birth and both try in vain to stress the importance of Jesus. In Luke, Jesus is emphasized over John the Baptist, while in Matthew he is equated with Moses. Also, both Matthew and Luke insist that the birth location of Jesus be in Bethlehem because prophecy refers to it as "the anticipated birthplace of a second David." In this instance, Matthew simply grants Bethlehem as Jesus’ birthplace because it had always been the home of Mary and Joseph, whereas Luke invents a story that is factually false. Matthew’s and Luke’s insistence upon Jesus’ birthplace is simply for prophecy’s sake.

Crossan continues his research by looking into the socioeconomic structure of Jesus’ time. History affords us that "the Roman Empire consisted of two classes," the elite and the lower class. Considering Jesus’ humble origins, he would have fallen into the latter. During the Roman era, only kings, like Octavius were able to make bold claims of divinity. Claims of divinity made on behalf of a humble carpenter was simply unheard of during the Roman era. Yet they were made. Crossan guesses that Jesus was a disciple of Apocalyptical John the Baptist and following John’s execution, turned his back on his teacher’s beliefs. This prepared the way for Jesus to question and condemn the Roman power structure and two class system. Jesus encouraged the blurring of social lines and reacted contrary to social customs. He believed in the unity of all humanity. He wanted equality for everybody. "The heart of the original Jesus movement" is " a shared egalitarianism of spiritual (healing) and material (eating) resources." Crossan states that Jesus intended to upset the status quo. Considering his origins, Jesus encourage his disciples to be seen with the bare minimum because the message would be heard clearly. Jesus modeled his movement after the Cynics of the 4th century B.C.E. The "object was to question values and power, particularly among the elite." This put Jesus in the cross-hairs of Roman Authority.
In regards to Jesus’ death, Jesus would have been executed by means of the crucifixion because it was Roman "state terrorism" and used as a deterrence to prevent uprisings from the poor.

Crossan notes that Jesus’ death has fallen under 3 categories: historical, prophetic, and narrative. On account of the historical, Crossan thinks that Jesus’ disciples "knew almost nothing whatsoever about the details of his crucifixion, death, or burial." In reality, Jesus was a prisoner of the state who was tortured, executed, and left for pickings by wild beasts and birds. His body would have been unrecognizable when retrieved. Considering his humble origins, Jesus would have been buried in a "shallow grave." Yet, leave it to Mark, Matthew, and Luke to fabricate a story concerning an alternative story to Jesus’ execution and burial.

Finally, concerning Jesus’ resurrection, Crossan thinks that Paul started it. He suggests that the books following the Gospels in the Bible are politically charged. That they are "deliberate political dramatizations of the priority of one specific leader over another, of this leadership group over that general community." The necessity of the Resurrection is that it stresses a specific leader and a specific group for people to follow.

3. Outline the main argument in False Testament and offer several specific examples of why they call it "False Testament."
Daniel Lazare’s article, False Testament, is an article that points out inaccuracies in Hebrew history. He cites archaeology’s recent finds as proof that Judaism is based on a series of lies.
Lazare cites archaeological discoveries as showing that the patriarch of Judaism, Abraham, never existed, that the mass migration into the Holy Land by Abraham and his people never happened, that there is no proof of an Exodus out of Egypt, that the religion of Judaism formed between the conquests of the northern and southern empires, and that David was never the king of a great kingdom as chronicled in the Bible. From the evidence presented, Lazare states that Judaism is nothing more than a product "of big-power politics in which every nation aspired to the imperial greatness of Babylon or an Egypt."

First of all, in Jewish history, Abraham is the patriarch of their religion and the patriarch of them as a people. According to Jewish history, Abraham received his calling from God somewhere around 19th century B.C.E. whence he made covenant with God. Following Abraham was his son, Isaac. Following Isaac was his son, Jacob, who was "renamed ‘Israel." From Jacob, it is believed that the 12 tribes of Israel sprang forth. Lazare, on the other hand, states that recent archaeological finds suggest that the stories behind the patriarchs of Judaism are nothing more than a gathering of local legends. He adds that there is "no evidence that any such figure as Abraham ever lived." Furthermore, Lazare asserts that there is no way possible that Abraham could have possibly existed considering "what we know about ancient Israelite origins."

Second, concerning the claims that Abraham moved his people into the "Promised Land" somewhere around the time of the covenant in the 19th century B.C.E., Lazare insists that this too is fabrication. He calls attention to the fact that there is no evidence of a mass migration at that time and "that several cities mentioned in the Genesis account did not exist" during that time period. Furthermore, when subsequent efforts were made to preserve the biblical account of Abraham’s migration to the "Promised Land," "Genesis failed to mention cities that did dominate the landscape during this period."

Third, the Exodus out of Egypt defines the Jews as a people and offers proof of their being the "Chosen Ones. "From the perspective of the Exodus everything fell into place. From the beginning God has been leading, protecting, and shaping his people for the decisive Exodus event that made of the Israelites a nation." Lazare points out that recent discoveries also prove that the Exodus never occurred. He alludes to the fact that a review of Egyptian written records reveal that there has never been any mention of a mass escape. Ever.

Fourth, Judaism was purportedly established at the moment of covenant and they were expected to abide by God’s Law as passed to Moses by God. Jewish prophecy warns of God’s wrath if they do not live according to his Law as the "Chosen Ones" should. Lazare grants that history acknowledges the conquest of the two Jewish kingdoms of Judah and Israel by the Babylonians and the Assyrians, respectively. On the other hand, Jewish history claims that the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel were conquered because strayed from the Law and did not heed God’s warning to get their act together. Lazare insinuates that the Jewish claim is pure fabrication because Judaism didn’t fully exist as a religion during this time in history. Lazare claims that evidence suggests that monotheism as singular belief was barely coming to fruition during this time in history. In fact, the worship of the one God known as Yahweh "did not fully coalesce until the period between the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. and the Babylonian conquest of the southern kingdom of Judah in 586."

Finally, Jewish history claims that David was king of the great kingdom of Judah. Yet, evidence reveals no such history of a great kingdom. Although, there does exist a piece of evidence that suggests that David established a royal bloodline, it is dated "more than a hundred years" after biblical accounts. Also, the Biblical kingdom of Judah was, in fact, "too poor and backward and sparsely populated" to be an actual kingdom. There is no material evidence to prove that Judah was as great an empire as the Bible claims. Judah was, in fact, "weak and isolated."

4. Outline the history of Christianity, paying special attention to the differing schools of thought/branches within it. Compare and contrast the different schools of thought.
Jesus’ life, as perceived by those who believed in his message, kick started a new religion. From the example of Jesus’ life, a feeling of regard for fellow man and the feeling of joy lived and experienced emerged. Amongst those who heeded the message, an understanding of Agape pervaded and the knowledge of the Holy Spirit dwelt inside. As the example of his life and his message spread, the growth in believers and converts gave rise to the Church. The Church initially promoted three doctrines, "the doctrine of Incarnation," "the doctrine of the Atonement," and "the Trinity." "The doctrine of Incarnation" proclaims that Jesus was God incarnate. This is important because what is stated is that God had such a genuine interest into the affairs of man that he was willing to experience human life and suffer as man suffers. Succinctly stated, God was Jesus and Jesus was man, therefore, Jesus the man was God. "The doctrine of the Atonement" proclaims that Jesus’ life and his crucifixion freed man from original sin. Jesus’ life and his death redeemed all of humanity. Finally, "the Trinity" proclaims that although God is one being, he encompasses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What is intended by this proclamation is that God is still a supernatural being but he was also a living example and as a living, he was touched by the Holy Spirit and compelled to reminded us of God’s love for humanity.

Christianity has 3 factions, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism, and Roman Catholicism. All three centrally focused on Jesus Christ. According to the Roman Catholics, Christianity is based on the concepts of "Teaching Authority and Sacramental Agent." Teaching Authority to the Roman Catholics is the belief that Jesus was God incarnate and he came to earth to give life lessons that better prepare us for the afterlife. This, in turn, leads to the idea that the Pope is God’s voice on earth and because he is speaking on behalf of God concerning matters of the human soul, he is free of error. In regards to the Sacramental Agent, the Roman Catholic Church piggybacks Teaching Authority in that the Church acts as an agent of God. It’s sole purpose is to help us do what the Pope thinks is best for our soul and salvation. The Roman Catholic Church promotes the seven sacraments of life which are Baptism, Confirmed (confirmation), Holy Matrimony (marriage), Holy Orders, Sacrament of the Sick, Reconciliation (confession), and Mass. Also, the Roman Catholic Church believes that the "Trinity dwells in every Christian soul" and it is only through prayer and confession that one can possibly experience God’s grace.

Although the Eastern Orthodoxy shares quite a bit with Roman Catholicism, such as the Sacraments and "intent regarding the Teaching Authority", it differs in regards to interpreting scripture and how those interpretations come about. In the Orthodoxy, the "developments’ of doctrine" conducted by the Roman Catholic Church are viewed as "additions" which are not entirely necessary. Also, since the Orthodoxy does not have a Pope to lead their church, any decisions that are made, anything resembling a final word concerning the human soul, the faith of man, and his salvation is left to "the conscience of the Church," or the people of the church. The people are the conscience of the Church because, as Christians, they are a part of God and Christ and, as a result of this holy unity, are a part of one another. Within the Orthodoxy, salvation is a team effort; the Church and it parishioners are completely bound by faith. This extends beyond the pews and into pulpit. The holy unity is so great within the Orthodoxy that church officials are elected, not appointed as in the Roman Catholic Church and they also have a voice in its dogma. Also, contrary to the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodoxy encourages the active pursuit of God’s grace.

As for Protestantism, Christianity differs from the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy because of its concepts, "Justification by Faith and the Protestant Principle." Justification by Faith is simply believing with your entire being. It is believing with your body, with your heart, and with your mind. The Protestants believe that unless you are moved to the core by what is being sermonized, the church is useless. That is, unless the sermon touches you mind, body, heart, and soul, the sermons are nothing more than "mere mouthings." Believing mind, body, heart, and soul convinces one that they are experiencing "God’s love" and in turn, when one experiences "God’s love" they are compelled to act from the good with genuine volition. In regards to the Protestant Principle, "it warns against idolatry" of any form or nature, including idolatry that is considered bibliolatry and the "deification of private religious experience."

Yet, who was this man, Jesus? To answer this, one would have to review the Jesus of history and the Jesus of faith. The Jesus of history, was born at or about 4 B.C.E. in Palestine and raised in Nazareth. He was baptized by John the Baptist. While in his thirties, Jesus developed a following of disciples due to his abilities to teach and heal. Soon he upset the majority, which included Jews and Romans. He was crucified as a result of his teachings and the message he was spreading. Jesus used the idea of God and the promise of a coming Messiah to "alleviate suffering and seek a new social order." He was able to so by three proclamations, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me," "By the Spirit of God I cast out demons," and "Thy kingdom come, on earth." By proclaiming that the "Spirit of the Lord is upon me," Jesus is stating that he is the fulfillment of a prophecy. He is here to give monotheism a facelift. Man and God, man and the spirit world, would no longer be separated. Jesus is stating that he has the power to affect change because he has the Spirit of God within him. By proclaiming "By the Spirit of God I cast out demons," Jesus is stating that he is here to exorcize not just the Jews but all of humanity of its wickedness. This was intended to promote community amongst the inhabitants of earth. Finally, by proclaiming "Thy kingdom come, on earth," Jesus is stating that change can come about via civil disobedience. This started by challenging traditional customs and practice amongst the Jews. Jesus did not believe that God was strictly for the "Chosen Ones." He believed that God was accessible to everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike. It must be noted that the historical Jesus was strictly a challenging of the social order and reaffirmation of God’s role in the lives of every human being.

On the other hand, the Jesus of Faith is arrived at via three descriptions, "He went about doing good," "Never spoke man thus," and "We have seen his glory." Jesus is described as going about doing good because he never placed much emphasis on his miraculous deeds. His intentions were to make God accessible to everyone and to change the social order. This allowed for him to travel in many circles with relative ease. Because he was completely unaffected by the social rules of his time, many believed that this is how God would act if he were human. When Jesus is described as speaking unlike any other man, it was because he was an excellent orator. Jesus was urgent, quick, vivid, and raw. Most importantly, it was his message that resonated most. Jesus was teaching that God still matters and that God loved all of humanity, not just the "Chosen Ones." Via his teachings and sermons, Jesus was implicitly encouraging revolution, not just of the social order but of the spiritual order, as well. Finally, to those who were fortunate to have witnessed Jesus in action, they believed they had seen God in the flesh. Simply stated, Jesus walked the walk and talked the talk. He lived as he taught. "From the accounts that we have, his entire life was one of humility, self-giving, and love that sought not its own." Jesus saw himself as the living embodiment of God. The example he lived would be a reflection of God to those of the immediate time frame and to future generations. Jesus was "concerned with what people thought of God." Jesus truly lived according to God’s will.

Next, discuss the online film. What did you get out of it and find interesting or challenging?
The film was concerned with who wrote the Bible. It is widely accepted that Moses is the author of the first 5 books of the Torah. That is, Moses wrote it but God dictated it. As for the remaining books, they were written by 40 different people. Each imparting part of their personality into the writings. The Old Testament contains the Law, history, and writings. The New Testament contains the Gospels, Apostles & Letters, and Revelations. Prior to the Christian Era, the book of Apocrypha was used as an addendum to the Bible. It contained prophecy, poems, and history.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a 1000 years older than the Hebrew script. It contains all holy books written except Esther. It chronicles the last 300 years of Judaism. The scrolls spoke of a schism in the religion. The scrolls contain 127 canonized documents. The Assienes are believed to have hidden the scrolls.

In the Old Testament, there are contradictory passages. The contradictions come in the way of how God is referred to. God is either referred to as Elohim which means God or Yahweh which means Lord. The contradiction gives pause to whether or not Moses really wrote the first 5 books of the Torah. It is speculated that there are 3, possibly 4, authors. The authors are simply referred to as "J" (Yahweh, Jehova), "E" (Elohim), "P" (priesthood), and "D" (Deuteronomist). This is referred to as the Documentary Hypothesis.

In 1943, Pope Pious XII encouraged the investigation into who wrote the Bible.

King David had 2 priests and 2 sons. When he appointed a successor, 1 priest and 1 son were exiled from the kingdom. David chose Solomon and Solomon chose the priest that was loyal to him. The exile son and priest would form their own kingdom in 922 B.C.E. This is how there became the 2 kingdoms, Judah and Israel.

Barook the Scribe is believed to be the author of "D." Ezra is considered the Great Redactor, or the Final Editor, of Moses’ books.

It is thought that Solomon wrote Song of Solomon when he was young, Proverbs when he was middle aged, and Eccliasties when he was old.

I found the entire movie very interesting, in particular the formation of the 2 kingdoms.

5. Discuss Judaism’s quest for "meaning." What does Smith mean by this and give numerous examples /details/specifics from the text to illustrate it.
According to Huston Smith, Judaism is a religion that sought meaning and whilst on that search they ultimately found meaning in God, creation, human existence, history, morality, justice, suffering, and messianism.

Judaism found meaning in God in that the Hebrews understood God to be the "Supreme Being." The Hebrew God proved to be meaningful because it was not "prosaic, chaotic, amoral, or hostile." The Hebrew God proved not to be prosaic because the Jews viewed it as a person, it was personified. The Hebrew God proved not to be chaotic because the Jews believed that their God transcended nature, which was chaotic. The Jews believed nature was created by their God, therefore, their God ruled nature. Also, the Hebrew God gave meaning to their life. It was a constant and this provided stability during the most turbulent of times. The Hebrew God proved not to be amoral and hostile because it did not pursue mortal women for sport as the gods of Greece had done and it did not distance itself from humans or act as if humans didn’t matter as the gods of Mesopotamia had done. The Hebrew God was moral and just and very much interested in the lives of humans, to which they would exult, "Who is like you among the gods, O Yahweh?"

Judaism found meaning in creation in that where others thought life to be a curse, the Jews believed it to be a blessing. The Jews accepted all of life’s obstacles, all of life’s trials and tribulations because they believed it to be part of God’s will and if God willed it, then it couldn’t be bad. God knew better than they so whatever they had to endure must be for the good of the people. Life and all that it had to offer were not just good, it was "very" good and it was there for the taking. Their thoughts on creation would also carry over to the afterlife. If God created everything, including the human body which houses the soul, then, the human body must be good, therefore, it must have a purpose here and the hereafter. Thus, even in death the creation continues in that the body is resurrected in the hereafter.
Judaism found meaning in human existence in that they never lost sight of man’s capabilities. They were well aware of the eternal struggle man would endure. The potential for moral weakness and transgression was always there but the potential for moral strength and affirmation was always there, as well. But for the Jews, the struggle appeared to weigh heavy because of they understood that man has failed in his freedom. Man has failed in that his choices were not the choices in which God had intended and hoped for and in turn, those choices distanced man from God due to guilt. Yet, in spite of man’s missteps, God never turned his back on his creation. The Hebrew God, therefore, was a loving God and they were his children.

Judaism found meaning in history in that it gave meaning to their life as people. History is important because the Jews believed that an understanding of how one lives their life, gives one the knowledge as to why certain problems arose or how certain opportunities were made available, and why one is where one is at in this stage in life. They saw the importance of taking meaning from one’s life. Second, the Jews believed the understanding of one’s personal history gives way to the fact that one person cannot always go at it alone, they will need help at some point; that the world is what it is because of the collective action of people, not a single person Third, the Jews believed everything happens for a reason, that there is no such thing as an accident in this world. God was the one who presented the problems and opened the doors of opportunity for all. God fashioned obstacles to be overcome. God fashioned all trails and tribulations as a way for spiritual growth. Whatever one encountered, it was purposely put there by God as a way to learn a lesson God intended you to learn. Finally, the Jews understood that there are instances in life that can never be relived. That when opportunity presents itself, one must act decisively. It is decisive action is what can make or break a man and a people. It is decisive action that will resonate throughout the ages. For the Jews, God was decisive when he acted on there behalf during critical points in their history and they were decisive as a people when they heeded God’s calling to be the "chosen people." Which is why they, more than any other peoples, have"singled themselves out for responsibilities rather than privileges." He chose them "to serve , and to suffer the trials that service would often exact." God chose the Jews for a reason.

Judaism found meaning in morality in that it determined how one should interact with others. Considering that man is a social animal in that he needs others to be human, he also acts out like an animal while around others. Morality bridges this divide. The Jews compiled 613 commandments that they thought were necessary to live an orderly and social existence. The Ten Commandments targeted "four principal danger zones..., which are force, wealth, sex, and speech." In regards to force, killing within the group will only promote blood feuds which in turn divides the community, therefore, "thou shalt not murder." In regards to wealth, to accumulate and amass wealth is fine, so long as you do not steal. Stealing from others will only generate resentment and ill-feelings that potentially can spin out of control, therefore, "thou shalt not steal." In regards to sex, any sex is fine so long as you don’t have sex with someone else’s husband or wife. Having sex with someone whom is married is taboo and strictly forbidden, therefore, "thou shalt not commit adultery." Finally, in regards to speech, say what you must but never lie while under oath, therefore, "thou shalt not bear false witness."

Judaism found meaning in justice in that their prophets understood that responsibility was not just on the individual but more so on society and that society will be judged "on the justice of its social order." Justice arrived via three stages of prophethood: the Prophetic Guilds, the Individual Pre-Writing Prophets, and the Writing Prophets. In regards to the Prophetic Guilds, prophecy was a group venture. Groups of individuals would "lose their self-consciousness in a collective sea of divine intoxication." The loss of self-consciousness convinced both the practitioner and spectator that they were tapping into the divine. In regards to the Individual Pre-Writing Prophets, individual personalities emerged. It is during this stage of prophethood that prophecy became an individual act and God used the individual as a conduit to share his concerns and revelations. In regards to the Writing Prophets, God now spoke out on "injustices that were embedded in the social fabric." The injustices God spoke of were of the sort that would cast a negative light on the nation of Israel and thus, justify God’s wrath onto Israel. In other words, Israel was not meeting God’s standards and would have to be punished. Injustice of any sort will not be tolerated by God and should not be tolerated by man

Judaism found meaning in suffering in that they came to understand their predicament as God having high expectations of them. This belief required a high degree of belief. They never stopped believing in their God, they never stopped believing that everything happened for a reason, and most importantly, they never stopped believing that they were God’s chosen people. This allowed for them to never give up in the face of crisis and to continuously move forward in spite of overwhelming odds. Whatever they had to endure, God intended it to be. Each lesson learned in the face of trial and tribulation was an experience to later be of value to the world.

Finally, Judaism found meaning in messianism because the symbol of the messiah gave the Jews hope of a better tomorrow. Yet there was some disagreement about the actual messiah. For some the messiah would be politically charged, while for others the messiah would focus on the spirituality of man. For some the messiah would be "an actual Messiah," while for others the messiah would be an agent of God. For some the messiah would restore Israel to its past glory, while for others the messiah would make Israel a utopian society. Finally, for some the messiah would continue with Hebrew history, while for others the world would be presided over by a supernatural force.

All of the aforementioned allowed the Jews to put into practice rituals that have brought more meaning to their life. The importance of the ritual, not just as a religious practice, but also as a life practice, cannot be underestimated. "Ritual scripts our actions and directs our responses." Rituals help in times of death. Rituals help when courage is needed. Rituals even help during times of celebration. For the Jew, rituals are "The Hallowing of Life".

6. Detail the life and teachings of Muhammad. Give an outline of Islam as "he presents it."
The religion and word Islam have two meanings. The first meaning means "peace" and the second meaning means "surrender." It is the religion that brings peace to the practitioner’s life once he has surrendered it over to God. Islam is a religion that continues with the revelations of Abraham and Jesus but ends with Muhammad, The Prophet.

Muhammad was born in 570 A.D. in the city of Mecca in Arabia. His family was from the leading tribe, the Koreish. When he was a young boy, Muhammad was orphaned and
later adopted by his uncle. When Muhammad was a young man he ventured into the caravan business. When he was 25 years old he would meet a 40 year old woman named Khadija, whom would become his wife. Fifteen years of marriage and life would pass before Muhammad’s life and the world would change. Muhammad would frequently seek quiet and alone time in a cave outside of Mecca to contemplate life’s eternal struggle since the polytheism and superstitions of his day provided no answer. Muhammad was reaching out to the one that the Meccans called Allah. It would be in this cave, during one of his vigils that he would receive his first revelation from the angel, Gabriel, "La ilaha illa ‘llah! There is no god but God!" Muhammad’s first convert was his wife, Khadija. She would be the one to convince Muhammad that what he was hearing were divine messages from God. Muhammad would continue to receive these divine messages for the next 23 years. Once Muhammad commenced to sharing his revelations with the populace of Arabia, he was met with much hostility from the leaders of Mecca. "The reasons for the hostility can be reduced to three: its uncompromising monotheism threatened polytheistic beliefs and the considerable revenue that was coming to Mecca from pilgrimages to its 360 shrines; its moral teachings demanded and end to the licentiousness that citizens clung to; and it social content challenged an unjust order." Despite the onslaught of hostility, Muhammad continued to share his revelations. In time, Muhammad would start to win over the hearts and minds of the people of Mecca, as well as the people of Yathrib, a city that was 280 miles away from Mecca. In 622 A.D., Muhammad and his followers would leave Mecca for Yathrib in what would be known as the hijra. Once in Yathrib, Muhammad would soon be given charge of the city. The city would soon be known as Medina, "the City of the Prophet." While proving to be a man capable of wearing many hats while leading Medina, Muhammad’s greatest success would be in his continuing to win over the hearts and minds of the people of Arabia. Again, this would lead to more hostility from the leaders of Mecca. Eight years after the hijra, Muhammad would march on Mecca in order to stem hostilities and to make Mecca the center of Islam. In 632 A.D., Muhammad would die as leader of all of Arabia.

According to Muhammad, the only miracle bestowed to the upon him for humanity was the Qur’an. He referred to the Qur’an as the "standing miracle." The Qur’an is the culmination of God’s revelations to humanity. The Qur’an is the "earthly center" of Islam.

The main philosophical teachings of Islam focus on four things: "God, Creation, the Human Self, and the Day of Judgement." Concerning God, Islam stresses God’s awesome power. It is God’s power that forces the believer to consider the reality that there is a right and wrong way to live one’s life; our choices have consequences in this world and the hereafter. It is God’s power that should be the deciding factor as to the kind of life we want to live. Concerning Creation, Islam stresses that God created the world and humankind deliberately. Due to God’s deliberate intentions, two things are revealed, the material world is real and that which was created is good. Concerning the Human Self, Islam stresses that humanity is innately good. If anything, humanity is guilty of forgetting its "divine origin." The Human Self has two obligations to God for his human existence, being thankful for his life and surrendering that life over to God. Finally, concerning the Day of the Judgement, Islam stresses a soul is either destined for "the Heavens or the Hells." When the day of "Reckoning" is afoot, an individual is left to judge himself before God.

The main practices of Islam are best captured in the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars teaches a Muslim to "walk the straight path." The first Pillar is the shahadah. The shahadah simply is a confession of faith in which a Muslim proclaims, "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet." The second Pillars is the canonical prayer. Muslims are expected to pray 5x’s a day. The prayer is intended to put perspective back into everyday life and to express gratitude for that life. The third Pillars is the practice of charity. Those who are comfortable in life and well-off are expected to share the wealth with those that are in need. The fourth Pillars is that every Muslim is expected to observe the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the month in which Muhammad started to receive his revelations from God and when he went on the hijra. During Ramadan, every Muslim is expected to fast from sun-up to sun-down. The fast is intended to teach "self-discipline. It reminds one of one’s frailty and dependence. And if fosters compassion, for only the hungry know what hunger means." Finally, the fifth Pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca. At least once in their lifetime every Muslim is expected to visit Mecca. The pilgrimage is intended to "heighten the pilgrim’s commitment to God" and to remind the Muslim that all of humanity is a brotherhood.

In regards to the social practices of Islam, Muslims refer to the Qu’ran, which discusses four areas of life: economics, the status of women, race relations, and the use of force. Concerning economics, the Qu’ran stresses against classism and injustices against those without means to defend themselves. Capitalism is encouraged so long as compassion overrides greed and Muslims do not forget the third Pillar of faith. Concerning the status of women, the Qu’ran "improved woman’s status incalculably. They forbade infanticide. They required that daughters be included in inheritance." Also, the Qu’ran "leaves open the possibility of woman’s full equality with man, an equality this is being approximated as the customs of Muslim nations become modernized." Most importantly, it was the idea of marriage that the Qu’ran contributed to the status of women. First, marriage is a done deal once the couple has intercourse. Second, women had a say as to whether or not they wanted to marry. Thirdly, the Qu’ran allows for divorce only as a last resort and they are allowed to keep the money provided to them by their husband before the marriage. Concerning race relations, Islam does not accept any racial injustice or bigotry whatsoever. Racial equality is a fundamental practice in Islam. Finally, concerning the use of force, Islam allows for the use of force if need be. "It must be either defensive or to right an horrendous wrong," yet, stresses that forgiveness is better.

Next, discuss the videos assigned on the website. What did you learn from the films?
In regards to the film, Muhammad, The Prophet, I learned that there was an attempt on Muhammad’s life by the leaders of Mecca. I also learned that Muhammad married 11 different women from 11 different tribes. I didn’t know that woman’s rights in Islam were centuries ahead of their Christian counterparts. These rights included the right to life, the right to an education, to inherit, and the right to undertake business transactions. I also didn’t know that the use of veils was a practice picked well after the death of Muhammad.

In regards to the film narrated by Ben Kingsley, The documentary describes the beginning of Muslim Faith. Islam, as it turns out, is vastly is understood. Islam is interwoven with western ideals. The documentary depicts how Islam has greatly influenced the world. Islam’s driving force is faith. Islam has influenced three continents. Islam introduced medicine and the numeric system. To the west, Islam has been distorted and feared throughout history, including present day. Islam spread to the four winds. The pilgrimage, or haj, to Mecca had become a tradition in a young mans life. Baghdad was able to capitalize on its centrality. It had become a city of wealth, and home to great thinkers. It became the pride of Islam. It had beautiful architecture and it was landscaped with mosques and parks. The finest citizens and greatest thinkers gathered at "the house of wisdom." The Muslims sought knowledge throughout the world. Islam spread out throughout the world. In Cordova, Spain a great Mosque was more technologically advanced than anything Europe. In the 11th century, Christianity and Islam came to head. The Crusades would last close to 200 years. Islam proved to be resilient and flourished despite oppression and aggression.

I found both movies very interesting and learned that Islam has influence western culture more than western culture has influenced Islam.

7. Compare and contrast Islam with Judaism and then compare it with Christianity.
The main philosophical teachings of Islam focus on four things: "God, Creation, the Human Self, and the Day of Judgement." Concerning God, Islam stresses God’s awesome power. It is God’s power that forces the believer to consider the reality that there is a right and wrong way to live one’s life; our choices have consequences in this world and the hereafter. It is God’s power that should be the deciding factor as to the kind of life we want to live. As for Judaism, it stresses that God is the "Supreme Being." The Jews view God as a person, he is personified. God is not chaotic because the Jews believe that God transcends chaotic nature. The Jews believe nature was created by God, therefore, God rules nature.

Concerning Creation, Islam stresses that God created the world and humankind deliberately. Due to God’s deliberate intentions, two things are revealed, the material world is real and that which was created is good. Judaism, on the other hand, found meaning in creation when others thought life to be a curse, the Jews believed it to be a blessing. The Jews accepted all of life’s obstacles and trials and tribulations because they believed it to be part of God’s will and if God willed it, then it couldn’t be bad. The Jews believed that life and all that it had to offer were not just good, it was "very" good and it was there for the taking. Their thoughts on creation also carry over to the afterlife. If God created everything, including the human body which houses the soul, then, the human body must be good, therefore, it must have a purpose here on Earth and the hereafter.

Concerning the Human Self, Islam stresses that humanity is innately good. If anything, humanity is guilty of forgetting its "divine origin." The Human Self has two obligations to God, he must be thankful for his life and he must surrender his life over to God. As for Judaism, they never lost sight of man’s true capabilities. They are well aware of the eternal struggle man endures and his potential for moral weakness and transgression. But on the other hand, there is always potential for moral strength and affirmation as well. But for the Jews, the struggle appears to weigh heavy because of they understand that man has continuously fails in his freedom. Yet, in spite of man’s missteps, God has never turned his back on his creation.

Finally, concerning the Day of the Judgement, Islam stresses a soul is either destined for "the Heavens or the Hells." When the day of "Reckoning" is afoot, an individual is left to judge himself before God. Judaism, on the other hand, believe that God will never turn his back on them and that as long as they follow the Law they are assured a spot in heaven.

In Christianity, God is Jesus and Jesus was man, therefore, Jesus the man is God. Islam has issue with this decree because the believe that God is One not three. "The doctrine of the Atonement" proclaims that Jesus’ life and his crucifixion freed man from original sin. Jesus’ life and his death redeemed all of humanity. Islam does not deny that Jesus was a great teacher or a prophet, but they do deny that he was God incarnate. Also, they believe that God would not have allowed Jesus to suffer as much as he did and that he didn’t die on the cross. They claim that God took him to heaven before his death. Finally, "the Trinity" proclaims that although God is one being, he encompasses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What is intended by this proclamation is that God is still a supernatural being but he was also a living example and as a living, he was touched by the Holy Spirit and compelled to reminded us of God’s love for humanity. Again, Islam has issue with God being three different things. Also, according to Islam, Muhammad was the last prophet and greatest example for humanity.

8. Of all the religions we studied this semester, which one do you find most appealing? Explain.
There are 2 religions that appeal to me, Islam and Buddhism. As an organized religion, I am attracted to Islam not only because it is a very beautiful religion but also because it appears to be the religion in which God finally got it right. I think Judaism was intended as an introductory course of God with strict observation of the Law. I think Christianity is God’s way of loosening up the reigns after boot camp. A way of softening things up for humanity. I think Islam is what God had in store for humanity from the get go. I think Islam is living embodiment of the Law; Islam works in accordance to the Law. As a philosophy, I am attracted to Buddhism. I like the notion that it is strictly me who is responsible for my life and soul’s salvation.