Religion and Violence and Study Questions: Christianity

Study Questions:

1. Christianity began as a sect of Judaism in the first century C.E. when the Roman Empire was at its peak and Augustus Caesar ruled. Much of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East were under Roman rule and they shared a common language and a common intellectual culture that combined both element of Greek and Roman philosophy and religion. This meant that when Christian missionaries traveled they began to spread the gospel of Christianity and this was made easier by the common language and culture shared by the Roman Empire. 
2. Jesus fulfilled the role of the Messiah by being a rabbi to his followers (always teaching or healing) and participating in other aspects of Judaism such as observing Jewish holidays (new testament). He did not fulfill his role of the Messiah because many people thought that the central message of Jesus was people's superiority over the Jewish law. And they are correct in the sense that Jesus' actions and teachings seem to suggest an attitude of indifference towards the laws of Judaism. Jesus healed on the Sabbath and allowed his disciples to pick grain for example. 
3. The two basic ritual were baptizing and communion.
4. The first part of the New Testament were the letters written by Paul in the 50's and 60's of the first century. The Gospels were written between 90 and 100 C.E. 
5. Constantine was not Christian, but was influenced by his wife and mother, who were. Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which gave Christianity the same privileges as other religions. The official persecution of Christians was over. He also called the Church Council of Nicaea to stop the warring withing Christian factions over the nature of Christ. Asoka is called the Constantine of Buddhism because like Constantine he was a convert to a new religion. 
6. The theological differences were that eastern tend to be more interested in theological formulations and became bitterly divided over certain issues. Western Christians tended to be more practical and were concerned with survival in a hostile , decaying world. Eastern emphasized the divine nature of Christ and Western emphasized his humanity. 
7. Causes include: beginning of European nationalism, the new learning of the Renaissance, and the decline of papacy.
8. Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Eucharist, Extreme, Marriage, Holy Orders
9. After the death of Puis XII, John XXII became the Pope. John was determined to revitalize the church and bring it in line with the 20^th century. He called the Second Vatican Council and it affected  the most dramatic changes ever made in the Catholic Church. One of the most important movements among Christians in the 20^th century was the ecumenical movement.
10. Liberation theology is a movement in Christian theology, developed mainly by Latin American Roman Catholics, that emphasizes liberation from social, political, and economic oppression as an anticipation of ultimate salvation, Fundamental is a branch of Catholic theology that seeks to establish the fact that God has made a supernatural revelation and established the Catholic Church.

Religion and Violence

Between 64 -330 C.E. Christianity went through periods of persecution and acceptance by the Roman Empire. Although the Empire was tolerant to all religions, Christians often found themselves in trouble because of their refusal to accept the official Roman gods and to worship  them on state occasions. The majority of Christians were apart of the salve classes and were excluded from participating in secret officials. Eventually the period of persecution and acceptance were over when Constantine set laws and rules in place to prevent these incidents. 

Religious Experience and Ethics/ Moral Conduct

Religious Experience
1. What is the group or individual experience in the faith?- Group worship is just as important as individual worship in Christianity. When Christians get together and worship with one another, they must remember that the focus is still on God. In cases like marriage, event though people are coming together to celebrate the love between two people, they, must remember that God is the reason that their love worked out in the first place. Individual worship is also very important to Christianity. Worshiping individually allows one to become closer to God and to focus on the personal relationship he/she has with Him. Worshiping  individually has two parts to it, worshiping in spirit and worshiping in truth. Evangelism is a big part in relation to both individual and group experience in Christianity. Evangelism is the spreading of the christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness. Groups or individuals can be influenced by evangelism. If public preaching occurs then more people can be reached and influenced. A personal witness can to the same to an individual.

2. What is the role of meditation/ worship/ prayer?- The role of meditation in Christianity is to align the way things are with God's will. Meditation and any kind of communication with God is crucial and brings us closer to Him. People usually speaking tongues are not in a state of meditation. The bible says "Nor should we repeat words to meaninglessly to induce a trance" (Matt 6:7). Meditation is also a time to reflect on the Word of God and find ways to better apply it to our lives. This is important because the will of God is layed out for humans in the bible. If we don't read it then we can't get closer to God and try to understand what He is communicating to us.

Ethics/ Moral Conduct
What are the core ethical teachings of Christianity and what significant interpretations of them exist?- The core teachings of Christianity in relation to the "just war" theory. The "just war" theory is a Christian theory that tries to reconcile three things: taking human life is very wrong, states have a duty to defend their citizens and their justice, and protecting innocent human life and defending important moral values sometimes requires willingness to use force and violence. This theory is controversial because it attempts to justify the use of violence and extreme force in cases where it is not completely necessary. It also causes moral conflict because it doesn't provide justification for the innocent lives that will be lost because of all the violence. "Just war" theory is a field of critical ethical reflection. There are those people who do not care that innocent lives will be lost in an attempt to solve a conflict and then there are those who believe that an innocent citizen should be protected from the violence around them. This theory is quite contrary to Christian beliefs because if Christians believe that taking human life is wrong, but at the same time believe that it is okay for innocent civilians to be protected using violence and force, which can ultimately lead to innocent people losing their lives. The innocent people that have to be protected are people of the christian faith and the innocent people who are basically used as sacrifices are people of another religion (especially one that might have different views).  Christian pacifism takes on a completely different perspective. Christian pacifism is the belief that any kind of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Christians who practice pacifism justify their beliefs using the fact that Jesus himself was a pacifist and he also taught pacifism to his followers who he said must do likewise.

Religious Site Reflection

Overall I had a very good experience visiting all of the religious sites. I learned a lot of information and got a lot of information that really broadened my horizon on the religions and opened my mind to understand their perspective of the world. At the Islamic Center of Raleigh I liked how they provided us with a basic overview of Islam and how we got to hear some of their students recite the Quran. At the Buddhist Center I really liked how colorful the center was and how we got to walk around the stupa even though it didn't really bring me any type of good fortune. I did find it frustrating however that everyone was only really concerned with the Dalai Lama and didn't focus on some of the other beautiful aspects of Buddhism. The Hindu temple was the prettiest by far. The statues of all the gods and goddesses were quite intriguing to look at. The synagogue was also one of my favorites. I really enjoyed the Rabbi's comparison of Judaism to Buddhism. I wish that I would have asked more questions and actually used each of these places to my advantage so I could get a practitioner of the religion to answer the questions revolving around the 3 questions in IB. One thing I would recommend is that for World religions this field trip would be most beneficial if it was taken at the beginning of the year as an introduction to the course. This is definitely a field trip that I would love to go on again.

Doctrines and Beliefs

Different Schools of thought/denomination:

• There are countless numbers of different denomination within Christianity. Some of the larger branches for example include those such as Catholic, Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans, and Baptist. These differences between conservatives and liberals are naturally reflected within Christian denominations. Many Christians now hold diverse beliefs about the nature of sexual orientation, the role of women, and other topics. Some hold traditional gender and theological views; others have adapted their theology to accommodate findings of human sexuality and biblical criticism. Many members want to remain in the denomination in which they were raised. The result is that liberals and conservatives within many denominations have different visions of the future for their faith group. Examples of division between the different denominations would be the Roman Catholic Church. Their dissention is  largely related to sexual matters: female ordination, married clergy, birth control, abortion, pre-marital sex, etc. Here the split is largely between the People of God (the general church membership) and Vatican policy. Protestants are another example of a denomination in which an offset occured. Martin Luther was a German friar in the 15th and 16th century who is responsible for the Protestant reformation. Luther taught that salvation and subsequently eternity in heaven is not earned by good deeds but is received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin and subsequently eternity in hell. His theology challenged the authority and office of the Pope by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge from God and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with these, and all of Luther's wider teachings, are called Lutherans even though Luther insisted on Christian as the only acceptable name for individuals who professed Christ.

Sacred Texts: Christianity

The Bible:

• The Bible's authority is given by God. The Old testament talks about life before Jesus and discusses how humanity was really bad and God destroyed us several times because he was not happy with our worship to Him. The New testament talk about the life of Jesus and all of teh good things He did while he was here on earth. It also talks about the sacrifice Jesus makes to save us from our sins. This is another way to show the authority of the bible. Within the Bible there are many points the writers trying to explain an important aspect to the Word of God and he has to use a metaphor to explain it. Roman ,Protestant, and Catholics use a slightly different version of the Old testament. This can account for the tensions that can be seen among the different denominations in Christianity. Moses, in Exodus 15:5-28; Joshua, in Joshua 3:14-17; Elijah in 2 Kings 2:7-8; and Elisha in 2 Kings 2:13-14 actually called upon God to part the waters. Each time, God responded by physically separating the water with, at least in the first three stories, dry land under foot. These were real, miraculous events which happened at a specific time and location. If we were there with a camera, we could have recorded the miracle. God temporarily suspended normal physical laws, such as gravity, and the ability of the sea/river bed to absorb water. The Bible is recording real miracles. One could also interpret the bible as a historical document or using the Midrash. Jesus is a very important figure in Christianity. His life death and resurrection plays a key role in understanding why God sent him.Jesus was sent to ultimately die for our sins because "the wages of sin is death.." (Romans 6:23). He was sent to teach people about God and lead them back down the right path. His death is crucial because it is the ultimate sacrifice made for our sins. His resurrection shows that there will be a second coming and that God will judge your actions. Interpretation of the text can change when you explore group versus individual worship. In your own private worship you are free to explore and interpret the text so it fits into your life. When you are worshipping with a group a general interpretation is applied and and a different meaning could take place. 

Text Excerpts:

John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

• This excerpts means that God gave His only Son so we would have a chance to reach salvation. This text has a more literal meaning than others because it is so importance to the religion. This excerpt is important because without the sacrifice Jesus made we would still have to pay the price of sinning, which is death.

Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• This excerpt means that the price we had to pay for our sins was death. It is important because it shows that overtime God has shown us great mercy and compassion. 

John 1:1: In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God

• This excerpt helps to explain where the bibles authority comes from. It also explains how God is the word and word is what God wants us to do. This is important because this is the quote that many people use to help explain why the bible is so important and why we should care to read it. 

Taoism review

1. I find the concept of wu wei really interesting.I think that the concept of accomplishing things by basically doing nothing and following nature really plays a role into eliminating stress in ones life. I too found it difficult to understand the life of Lao Tzu. There are so many mysteries that it makes it seem as if the religion could have many starting points.
2. My understanding of Tao is that Tao is the way in which the universe works. It holds the explanation for the reason the way things are. The Tao is similar to God because Tao serves as the explanation for the universe, but it is different because Tao applies to everything, it doesn't necessarily take on a human form. 
3. There really is not a western equivalent to ch'i unless you consider living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle ch'i. Diet, exercise and health practices affect my own spiritual lifestyle because maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps me to focus more on my own spiritual relationship with God.
4. I do not really believe in magic but I do think there can be unexplainable things which can appear to have "magical" qualities. Just because you cannot explain something doesn't make it magic. There might be a logical answer that you just do not know. 
5. My understanding of wu wei is that you follow the path of nature to achieve you goals. Since nature is always perfect if you follow that you will not make any mistakes in following that path.
6. Yin and Yang are the light and dark forces that must be in agreeance for the universe to be in order. I think it is a hinderance to speak in "masculine" and "feminine" spiritual energies because it creates that sense of inequality between genders.
7. i think that some actions are instinctively good and evil because across the globe they are considered bad and looked down upon.
8. I think that life does bend back upon itself but when you come back around you are more experienced and have learned important life lessons and have grown in a way that has prepared you to go back to your origins.
9. I don't think that there are any other religions that can be considered lighthearted because they all are pretty serious when is comes to rituals and traditions and most are not very flexible.

Hinduism review

First stage: "Brahmacharya"-student stage

• Period of formal education
• Till age 25
• Male leaves to stay with guru to get spiritual/practical knowledge

Second stage: "Grihastha"-householder stage

• Starts when one gets married and has to support family

Third stage: "Vanaprastha"- Hermit stage

• no longer a householder (grandfather now: children established their own lives

Fourth Stage: "Sannyasa"- Wandering Ascetic stage.

• completely devotes to god (virtually merges with god)

Rituals for Christianity

Lifetime Rituals/ Rites of Passage

• Dedicating Children to the Church: In Christianity, children are considered gifts from God. Pastors and parents can express their full gratitude to God by dedicating the baby to God. Some churches perform a ceremony that is very similar to a baptism and others perform a "dry baptism." This ceremony shows that the parents acknowledge that God is almighty and can provide many blessings. Baby dedications are also performed so the parents can ask God for grace and wisdom in helping them carry out their parenting responsibilities. Dedication is linked back to the book of Deuteronomy, specifically chapter six verses 4-7. These verses commands the parents to love God and hold the commandments close to their hearts. In verse 7 it says to "impress them on your children" meaning the word of God and the commandments are to be taught to your children. This ritual shapes communal identity because when the ceremony is performed the pastor involves the whole family and instructs them to always be a part of the child's life and contribute to teaching the child the principles of God. 
• Communion: The purpose of Communion is to reflect on Jesus Christ's sacrifice for our sins and to look forward to his return. Communion is powerfully symbolic and brings to life deeply spiritual truths in very concrete ways. In 1st Corinthians 11:27-36, The apostle Paul gives us many rules and regulations to be mindful of before taking Communion. "This bread represents my body, as often as ye eat it, do it in remembrance of me. This cup represents my blood, as often as ye drink it do it in remembrance of me." These two verses compare the body and blood of Jesus Christ to bread and wine, two simple things in everyday life that are taken without thought just as Jesus' sacrifice was for some people. It also talks about how people who have not been saved should not take part in the Last Supper. Communion service can change depending on what denomination you are in. Some denominations in actually drinking from a large chalice and others pass out individual communion cups. If Communion was not observed than Christians would not have a way to remember the greatest sacrifice of all made by Jesus and they would not have a chance to fellowship with their brothers and sisters of Christ.

Key Concepts for Christianity

1. Trinity: The nature of God- God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit (Christian expression of monotheism)
2. Church: The whole community of the Church and individual congregations
3. Salvation: All who believe in God will be saved and live in God's presence (Heaven)
4. Kingdom of God: Both an earthly and heavenly closeness to God
5. Sin: Actions or beliefs that do not fit in accordance to God's Will
6. Redemption: Jesus is the redeemer because he dies on the cross for all of the sins of humanity. A Christian's sins are redeemed because of this sacrifice.
7. Repentance: Recognizing that one has sinned and asking God to forgive one of one's sins through prayer
8. Grace: God's love for humanity and his endless mercy that leads people to salvation
9. Agape: God's endless love for humanity that cannot be matched by humans in the world
10. Resurrection: Jesus rose from the dead after he died on the cross for humanity's sins.

Huston Smith Part 4

Sufism: What is the Islamic sect Sufism all about?

1. Sufis see the distinction between the the inner and outer as deriving from the Koran itself.
2. Sufis have the mysticism of love, of ecstasy, and of intuition. 
3. The second Sufism approach to the divine presence is ecstatic (literally to "stand outside oneself" 
4. The principal method Sufis employed for penetrating the disguise is symbolism
5. Sufis have their rights, but so have ordinary believers whose faith in unambiguous principles, fully adequate for salvation, could be undermined by teachings that seem to tamper with them. 

Summary: Sufism is more of the mystical side of Islam. They take symbolism to the extreme, believing that everything they do is a symbol for something higher in power. Sufis have the mysticism of love, of ecstasy, and on intuition. Their beliefs can sometimes be considered strange by more exoteric Muslims and in some places Sufism is not allowed.

Whither Islam?

1. Muslims have wandered from the spirit of the Prophet
2. Islam is one of the most remarkable panoramas in all of history.
3. Chapters describing the spread of Muslim ideas would be more important.

Summary: Islam is a religion that contributed to the global society far more than we can think of. It still face problems as do all the religions in the world, but Muslims try to overcome them. Western society has given a negative image to the Islamic religion but that image is wrong.

Learning Goal 3

Sharia Law

1. 5 Hadd crimes: unlawful sexual intercourse (sex outside of marriage and adultery), false accusation of unlawful sexual intercourse, wine drinking (sometimes extended to include all alcohol drinking), theft, and highway robbery.  Punishment for these crimes: flogging, stoning, amputation, exile, or execution.
2. Criminal laws are the most controversial because the punishment for the offenses often receive attention from the media and often result in a negative view of the religion. 
3. The problem with vigilante justice is that it allows innocent people to be punished (often women and often resulting in death) with no true cause. It mainly happens because there is no justice or there is a dissatisfaction with justice. 
4. This section explains that people strongly supported Islam in politics and for harsh punishment for hadd crimes. At the same time however people also agreed that the best form of government is a democracy. This causes debate because the people who disagree with democracy disagree because they feel it is a western idea that has been forced upon Muslims countries. Those who agree feel that Islam and democracy can coexists and work together and they support their reasoning using the Koran. 
5. Dual Legal System: This type of system allows the government tot be secular but Muslims can choose to bring family issues and financial disputes to sharia courts. This idea is also spreading to some Western countries who allow Muslims to apply Islamic law to family and financial issues.  Government Under God: In Muslims countries where Islam is the official religion and is stated in the constitution, sharia is the source of the laws. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, and the UAE derive there laws from Islam. Other countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, etc, forbid any legislation that in antithetical to Islam. Even non-Muslims are expected to obey sharia law and most have jurisdiction of special committees in the government.  Completely Secular: This system is where Islamist parties run for office occasionally and sharia only really influences local customs. Popular Islamist groups are viewed as threats by the existing government.
6. I think that sharia and democracy can exists in the sense that sharia punishments would not necessarily be followed and a democratic state can still be swayed by Islamic views. if the people have more freedom within the government than there is no need to enforce the harsh punishments of sharia law, and at the same time, if certain aspects of sharia law are taken into consideration, than a state does not have to completely follow the Western model for democracy.
7. The section about Modern economics and sharia talks about banking has been modified to fit sharia law. Banks are following rules of Islamic law to be able to provide for more people. Businesses are required to avoid transactions related to forbidden things such as weapons, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, pornography, and pork. Investors are guaranteed that their money will not end up financing any of those industries. 

Link to study guide

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxUVOXdDl-e9Vmplc0hrc0pXczg/view?usp=sharing

Check In 3/11/15

1. I have finished learning goal 1 and half of learning goal 2 and learning goal 4
2. Today I want to finish learning goals  and 3
3.My work effort will hopefully be a 9-10 today
4. I almost completed the goal 2 but the connection was very poor. have to post the answers to the Sharia Law reading and then I will be done.

Huston Smith Part 3

The Five Pillars: Why are the Five Pillars so important?

1. The Five Pillars of Islam are the principles the regulate the private life of Muslims in their dealings with God.
2. The Five Pillars are: creed, canonical prayer, charity, observance of Ramadan, pilgrimage.
3. The Shahadah is a confession of faith that means "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is His Prophet". At least once during his or her lifetime a Muslims must recite the Shahadah correctly, slowly, thoughtfully, aloud, wit full understanding and with heartfelt conviction. 
4. The basic purpose of the pilgrimage is to heighten the pilgrim's devotion to God and his revealed will, but it also has fringe benefits as well.
5. "The Five Pillars of Islam consist of thing Muslims should do to keep the house of Islam erect.

Summary: The Five Pillars of Islam serve to regulate a Muslims life in their dealings with God. Obligations such as prayer and charity have been laid out so one knows how they are to go about those actions.  It also sets holidays in place such as Ramadan, and they tell Muslims how to go about fasting during the day. The pilgrimage is one of the pillars and it declares that at least once during his or her lifetime a Muslim (if they are economically and physically able) should make the journey to Mecca to become closer to God and to get closer to international Muslims community. Observing the Five Pillars of Islam keep a Muslims life in order with the will of God.

Social Teachings: What social expectations must  Muslim observe?

1. Islam is aware of the physical foundations of life. Meaning that until bodily needs are met, higher concerns cannot flower. 
2. Society's health requires that material goods be widely and appropriately distributed.
3. The Koranic reforms drastically improved the status of women.
4. Islam stresses racial equality and "has achieved a remarkable degree of coexistence. 
5. Islam's record of the use of force is no darker than that of Christianity. 

Summary: The social expectations in which Muslims are to observe are set out in the Koran. Wealth must be distributed equally in order for society to be healthy and not get " clogged arteries." Islamic law does not degrade women nor does it view them as property. And while it is legal for a man to have more than one wife, if he cannot provide equal love to them both than he does not deserve to have more than one. Women also have an endless have a lot of opportunities under Islamic law. Islam stresses the importance of racial equality, something that is not really common in other religions. Islams use of force in relation to growing the Islamic empire is no darker than that of Christianity's.

Huston Smith Part 2

The Standing Miracle: What miracles were the prophet responsible for?

1. Muhammad himself could not read or write (ummi), yet he produced a book that is the ground plan for all knowledge and at the same time is grammatically perfect without editing. 
2. Muslims read the Koran literally; the Koran is a miracle because of the presence of the Uncreated Koran within the letters and sounds of its created.
3. The words of the Koran cam to Muhammad in segments over twenty three years through voices that at first sounded  like bells but over time became a clear single voice that was identified as Gabriel's.
4. Jewish and Christian bibles were partially corrupted in transmission,a fact that explains the occasional discrepancies that occur their accounts, and parallel to ones in the Koran. Exemptions from these limitations makes the Koran the infallible revelation of God's will. 
5. In the Koran God speaks in the first person. Allah describes himself and makes his own laws. Muslims consider each sentence in the Koran as a separate revelation.

Summary: Muhammad performed the greatest miracle in the Islam religion. He is responsible for reciting the word of God as it was revealed to him. Even though he could no tread or write, he was able to recite these revelations without grammatical error. People would write them down on anything they could and over time a collection of these revelations developed and Koran was in its early stages. Muslims learn and teach others about the Koran in the language in which it is was revealed. They believe that this limits human errors and thus declares the Koran as the infallible revelation of God's will.

Basic Theological Concepts: What theories were expressed in God's revelations to Muhammad?

1. The Koran's innovation was to remove idols from the religious scene and focus the divine in a single invisible God for everyone.
2. Muslims see monotheism as Islam's contribution not simply to the Arabs but to religion in its entirety.  
3. Muslims argue that fear is the only appropriate emotion because any other involves denial in the technical, psychological sense of the word..
4. Though the human and the divine are infinitely different, no barriers separate them. 
5. God, creation, the human self,and the Day of Judgement are the chief ideological pegs on which the Koran's teachings hang.

Summary: Through Muhammad, God revealed the theological concepts of Himself, the human self, and the Day of Judgement. Through revealing these ideals the Koran was able to remove idols from the religious scene and get society to focus on one divine God. God is so powerful that the only appropriate emotion to express in his presence is fear. This is only because any other emotion or type of fear involves denial in the technical, psychological, sense of the word fear. Through the Koran one can also get that although there are an infinite amount of differences between humans and the divine, there are no barriers which separate them.

Koran by Heart Reflecton

From the perspective of Rifdha:
        I was very excited to find out that I qualified to attend the competition. I was also nervous. I had never been so far away from home or my mom. I knew that by trying my best at the competition, I would not only make my family proud, but I knew that Allah would be proud as well. the first day of competition was hard. I did not actually recite the Koran until very late that day. I was tired and didn't think that I would very well. I was very shocked that the judges approved of my performance and that I was able to move forward to the next round. The second part of the competition was harder. There were less people I was one of the few girls who a made to the second part. I knew that i could do very well and possibly win if I believed in myself and trusted Allah to guide me.
        At school i am a very good student. I study very hard so I can make my parents proud. When I grow up I want to become an explorer and travel all around the world. The school where I live isn't all that great and so my parents want me to go study abroad so i can get a better education.
        The end of the competition came around and the judges were deciding who would get to be the top three competitors. I was really nervous at this point because event though i thought that I did very well, the judges might have thought that I did a poor job. When the announcer came on and told everyone who the winners were, I was very shocked to see that I had placed second overall! I was the only girl in the top three, and I was one of the youngest competitors at the competition. I knew that my parents would be very proud of me an I couldn't wait to get back home to my mom and tell her how well I did. I really hope that if I get to compete again, I will win first place and make my parents even prouder than they are now!

Learning Goal 2

Objective 1.4:
  Part 1: Origins

• Separation is due to violence on both Iran and Iraq
• Shiite are dominant in Iran
• Shiites mainly control the oil in places like Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
• The conflicts between the Sunni and Shiites started shortly after the death of the prophet of Muhammad.
• Violence broke out when the Sunni Muslims picked a successor of Muhammad instead of a family member, which is what the Shiites wanted.

Part 2: Mideast Turmoil/ Rise of Shiites

• The two were able to lived together peacefully by practicing  quietism
• All changed after WWI
• In 1953 political turmoil broken out and the Shaw had to flee the country
• Shaw created a secret police to punch and control people
• Khomany was exiled and began to wrote about what a real Islamic state should look like 
• The Shaw could not control the mosque
• In 1978 a riot broke out and people were trying to overthrow the  government
• US embassy was broken into and diplomats were taken as hostages
• Wanted both Sunni and Shiites to follow his way
• Most Sunni rejected the ideas especially Saddam Hussein

Part 3: Sunni Reaction

• Sunni Muslims ceased the grand Mosque in Mecca
• Some Sunni began to resist the leader because they saw him favoring the Shiites
• Some Sunni sought to further developed the differences and the rise of Sunni fundamentalist began
• Objective to over throw government and more specifically anti- Shiites
• They wanted to seize control of the Shiites oil
• This cause the war between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, in Iran and Iraq
• the end of the Iraq -Iran war brought no relief for the Shiite Muslims and further divided the Shiite and Sunni Muslims 

Part 4: Iraq War Deepens the Divide

• US invasion in Iraq played a part in deepening the divide
• Sunni targeted Shiites citizens and US soldiers through suicide bombings
• In 2006 Shia fought back 
• US is responsible for most of the violence in Iraq
• The main threat is the war against  Shiites and Sunnis
• Sunnis did not at first Hezbollah because they thought it promoted Iranian views

Part 5: US Policies and the Shia-Sunni Conflict

• When the US invaded Iraq in 2003, President Bush declared that the aim was to overthrow Saddam Hussein and bring democracy to Iraq
• Over time that aim changed and now the goal is to bring stability to Iraq and prevent the Shiites in Iraq from regaining power
• There were many contradictions, such as the US, while trying to establish stability in Iraq again was also backing a Shiite government in Iraq that has close and cordial relations with Iran
• Us is building an alliance in the Arab world against Shii Iran
• The danger is that they might not realize the intensity with which some people in the Middle East do think in these sectarian terms
• Iraq has to be a barrier to Iranian expansionism 

Description of Sufism:

    -Sufi Islam is more the mystical sect of Islam. Many Sufi's believe that Sufism is full of "good" Muslims. Its literal meaning is the journey of the slave to the king. A Sufi is someone who is a traveler on "the" path. While they appear to be walking on the ground, they are actually walking on the land of their heart and making a journey through their heart. Most Sufi's do not believe that life ends in death. Some say that Sufism has no real connection to Islam.

Description of Salafism:
   -Salafism is an ideology that suggests that Islam has strayed from its roots. Salafists call for the restoration of authentic Islam as expressed by an adherence to its original teachings and texts. Salafists who embrace the jihad, felt that violence and terrorism were justified to realize their political objectives. The origins of Salafi jhadism can be traced to the Muslims Brotherhood, a seminal organization for Islamic terrorism. It was founded in Egypt in 1928 and had the goal of creating an Islamic state. Many Salafists blame Judaism and Christianity for Muslims losing their way because they believe that these religion themselves have strayed form God's true path. Believers may deviate form strict Muslim practices in order to blend in and avoid detection while plotting attacks.

Paper 2 Question: To what extent can it be said that certain sects of Islam reflect the true lessons in the Koran and others do not?

Learning Goal #1

What is the focus of the article?
        -The focus of the article is to give account of the positive and negative aspects of a woman's choice to unveil. Most of the women who were interviewed found relief in unveiling. There was one instance when the interviewee was the opposite. She choseo wear the veil because it protected her from being teased because of her body. She did it so men couldn't have a say on what she looked and and asexually harass her.
What are the women's general thoughts and feelings on the hijab?
          -Most women mentioned felt that when they first started eating the hijab it was for safety and made them feel safe. Later on they began to understand that it was really a flawed, dehumanizing analogy of comparing women to objects. Some women who started wearing the hijab later saw that our protected them from being sexually harassed and they wore more for feministic reasons.


Essential question: To what extent do rules on dress reflect our inform communal identity?
       - Rules on dress not only affect Muslim women but also Muslim men. To some extent the rules regarding women are enforced more so then the rules regarding men. These rules do reflect a community and a religion however, because it is suppose to draw attention away from our physical appearance and allow people to judge others based on their personality and spirituality.
          Muslim women have two thoughts regarding the rules on dress and more specifically the rules regarding the hijab. Some women believe that it allows people to look at something other than your physical appearance. That they have to get to know you based on your personality. These women also found comfort in wearing the hijab because it drew attention away from them and they were not sexually harassed as much.
          Other women feel that at first the hijab is a comforting thing, something that keeps you protected and brings you closet to Allah. Later these women thought that the hijab represented a flawed and dehumanizing analogy that compared women to objects. That believed that you didn't have to wear hijab to be closer to Allah.
          In relation to community, the hijab represents a strong Muslim  community unified by religion. After the 9/11 attacks however,  it became a burden to wear because society grouped all Muslims as being extremists. This heavy burden brought on by a free bad people affected and entire global community. Thee actions of a few do not reflect the majority and so many Muslims (especially women who wore the hijab) saw that continuing to dress according to the dress rules for them marginalized and harassed in public.
         The dress rules have positive and negative effects on the global Muslim community. The actions of the few bad people have left the community feeling marginalized by everyone else. Following the dress rules escalated the problem because everyday citizens now became targets for harassment.

check in 3/6/15

So far I have completed most of learning goal 1. I hope to be able to finish goal 1 and start one goal 2 our at least read the articles. My work effort today will be about a 8-9. Today I finished goal 1 and posted it to the blog. I also began listening to the 5 part NPR series and making my outline.

Warmup

1. Progress: 0 out of 9
2. Goal: learning goal/s 1 and 2
3. Reflection: I doodle get through all of what I wanted to accomplish today but I did get through a good portion of it and will be able to finish it at home. I give my work efforts about an 8. I didn't get through everything but what I did do I put a lot of effort into

Huston Smith Reading Part I

Islamic Background: What aspects of Islam are important for us to understand?

1. The Arabian empire was one that was greater that the Roman empire
2. The empire expanded exponentially greatly because of their religion Islam
3. Allah comes from the definite "al" meaning the and the word "Ilah" meaning God
4. God created the world and after it human beings. (Adam then Noah then Shem then Abraham...)
5. Divergence between Christianity Judaism and Islam begins with the Koranic and biblical accounts of what happened with Issac and Ishmael 

Summary: The Arabian empire was a great empire larger than the Roman empire. It was so successful in expanding because of Islam. This religion really has a lot in common with Christianity and Judaism, so followers of those religions were greatly accepted. Allah is The God and there is only him and he does not need any help.

The Seal of the Prophets: How did Muhammad come to be the Prophet?

1. There were prophets before Muhammad but he was their culmination, which is why he is called "The Seal of the Prophets". No valid prophets will follow him
2. Mecca desperately needed a deliverer because it was a very chaotic place and  they had a lot of wars and disagreements. This is because they were living in a world full of ignorance. 
3. Muhammad understood human suffering forma very early age because he experienced death at such a young age.
4. Muhammad's revelation came to him in Mount Hira. He proclaimed as the angel had to him to and that began his life spreading the word of God. 
5. While he did gain many followers, there were also people who wanted him out because he threatened their polytheistic way of life. These people tried everything to drive Muhammad and his followers out of the city from petty insults to trying to persecute them. 

Summary: Muhammad's life started out with tragedy, but this only helped him to understand human suffering. Living in a world full of ignorance caused him to frequently seek to be alone and this led to his revelation on Mount Hira. This started his life as a prophet and earned him the name "The Seal of the Prophets"

The Migration that Led to Victory: How did Muhammad's banishment ultimately lead to their victory?

1. With Muhammad's life in danger, he and some of his followers migrated to the city of Yathrib, a city that was in need of someone who could unify them. 
2. The migration to Yathrib became known as the Hijira. 
3. Muhammad became more than just  spiritual leader, he became a statesman.
4. The Meccan's did not give up on trying to persecute Muhammad and the Muslims. The two went back and forth several times. Ultimately, the Muslims won because they believed that the angels were fighting on their side. 
5. Muhammad, who left Mecca and a fugitive, now returned as a conqueror and showed mercy to the city and his persecutors. 

Summary: With Muhammad forced to leave Mecca, he traveled to Yathrib, where he was welcomed as not only a spiritual leader but also a statesman. he ruled over these people for several years and gained countless followers. He was forced to face the Meccan's several times but in the end the Muslims came out on top an his great compassion and mercy that he showed towards his persecutors only allowed him to gain more followers.

Commentary: Brandon and Sydney

 Khalifah: is steward of the world of Allah. The idea of taking care of the world is very important to Muslims. Their surrounding environment helps them to create a better understanding of the universe and that humans are second to Allah in creation. It also remind them that Allah is the creator of the universe and he is in charge of everything so humans are only responsible for the earth. It also shows that Muslims have to remember that they are accountable to Allah on Yawm al-din.

 Imam: is faith in God. It is also the term for a religious leader.The Imam leads islamic prayer ad services and they also provide community support and spiritual advice.Imams relate to Umma, the Muslim community. For each of the five daily prayers, the Imam is present at the mosque to lead the prayers. Among Shia Muslims, the concept of Imam takes on a more central clerical position.

 Ulama: is a body of Muslims scholars or religious leaders. This body helps people interpret the Qur'an. This means they are getting perspectives forma  bunch of different people rather than just one person. Their knowledge is respected and people seek their help and expertise.

A Muslims ultimate goal is to get to Paradise. Their daily lives are affected by them striving for this goal. For example Khalifah has the idea of taking care of the world so it can be a better place for other people. They confess their sins daily and devote themselves to prayer 5 times a day.Muslims seek to avoid sin to insure that they make it to Paradise. This is because they believe that no one is truly guaranteed a spot in Paradise and when Yawm al-din, or judgement day, is upon us that no one can know for sure if they will enter Paradise or not. What is done on earth is what ultimately determines who is accepted into Paradise with Allah and who is not. In order to be as sure as possible that they will be able to achieve entrance to Paradise, Muslims worship (salah) Allah and acknowledge him as the only God.

Explicit rules contribute to building a relationship with Allah. Rituals such as the required prayer five times a day in a way force Muslims to have some sort of relationship with God through the communication to him through prayer. Also Ramadan helps to build Muslims' relationship with Allah.During this ritual Muslims are required to fast from dawn till dusk to cleanse the body of food which is viewed as a distraction. In turn this is suppose to make them closer spiritually to Allah than they were before. The lack of food is to show Allah that Muslims can separate themselves form the attachments that humans develop with the things of the world and that they can give all of their focus to him.

Part II: Doctrines and Beliefs Quiz

Moody's Group:

• Statement: "All of the above terms symbolize the different levels of leadership in the Islam faith."
• Why did you focus on the leader aspect of these terms? Answer: They represent the religion because in terms of Islam the Qur'an is not translated so that can create a loose understanding so leaders influence practice of the religion. 
• Why is the Qur'an not translated? Answer: There are benefits on both sides (+/-). If it is translated it could be practiced by more people and the word of God would be spread. Other might argue that the meaning of the words will be altered if it is translated by man. 
• Why do different interpretations matter? Answer: Everyone of the same religion generally has a common belief. Different interpretations can lead to branches of that religion or a different religion altogether.
• Why does it matter that a new religion could be formed from an old one? Answer: It is ok because there will always be people who don't like certain aspects of a religion seek to create something that works for them. Conflict will also impact this because different religions will think that they are right but its how they handle these conflicts that shows maturity and devotion to that religion. 
• Conclusion: Leaders help to provide a universal front for a religion and are suppose to unify the purpose for everyone. Altering that purpose can cause conflict bu they way it is handled is what shows true devotion to a religion. 

Chapter 4: Islam for Idiots

Question Answers:
1. I think that it is interesting that Muslims are content with not personifying God into different shapes or genders. Their belief is that how can you paint something that you have not seen.
2. God of Islam is similar to the Hindu concept of Brahma because Muslims believe that there is only one God and that we are not all a part of God because we are not all creators of the universe because there can only be one.
3. "La ilaha ill Allah" translates into: "There is no god other than God" and it implies that He is the only god without any divisions, partners, or children. It also implies that He is strong enough to help himself and does not need anyone else to help him to divide himself into different parts and perform different tasks. Another implication is that He is not the God of a chosen people and a specific racial or ethnic group cannot claim Him as their own.
4. Muslims cannot blame anyone or anything else for during their time of judgement because the Qur'an says that during this time the false idols that they were worshiping will reject them and say that they were fools in believing in gods of their own making. It also says that they cannot blame Shaytan because he merely suggested the idea, he didn't make them worship the false gods.
5. Islam considers Jesus to be a prophet of God, born of the Virgin Mary,  but the lack of a father during Jesus' creation puts him at the same level as Adam. Muslims do not take Jesus' birth as a sign of godhood or a sign that Jesus was the son of God. Muslims disregard Jesus as the redeemer of sin because they do not believe that he died on the cross, but that God "took Him to himself" and is keeping him in paradise until he is to defeat the anti- christ and because they believe that our faith and actions determine our salvation.
6. The Muslim approach is not to passively look at pictures but to actively participate in knowing the Divine. They use adjectives to describe the nature of God and by studying them they gain a better understanding of who He really is.
7. "He" is used to describe Allah because in the Arabic language there is no word for "it" and so "He" is used instead with a full understanding that Allah is neither male nor female.

Chapter 3: Islam for Idiots

Answers to Questions:
1. It says that we were all born basically good but we have natural weaknesses due to our physical nature. This causes us to desire pleasure and aversion of pain and this is what causes us to fall into sin.
2. The purpose of these stages is to help us come to a realization that God is in fact real and that we ought to move closer to him.
3. It accepts them all because they all point to one goal to achieve harmony and an even higher understanding of God's nature but the Qur'an points out that no previous revelation of God has survived without human alteration or editing.
4. I think the purpose of tawba is to repent for your sins and to ultimately give you a higher understanding of God's power. The sins that you commit in this life must be paid for in this life. This is very similar to other religions, especially Christianity, where Christians repent for their sins.
5. Islam is not a faith of good deeds because living a morally right life and doing good deeds is just a mere sign of your faith. Good deeds are viewed more as an incentive.
6. This sentence means that making the choice to accept Allah while you are alive, promotes living a morally sound life and you can be guided and molded by Allah and not corrupting your soul.
7. Further expanding on fitrah, it can have a lot of meaning in your life if you do not waste it and fill it with meaningless pleasures. Also overtime fitrah develops even more and helps you move through different stages in your life

Ritual Assignment

1. How does ritual shape daily life?
     Rituals are very important to the life of a Muslim. For example, prayer is a daily action in a Muslims life. They pray five times a day and this helps to submit to the will of Allah (Islam). These prayers provide an opportunity for Muslims to glorify and thank God for everything that he has done for them. Praying daily allows you to ask for hope and forgiveness and help to get through your struggles in life (jihad). Prayer can be related to anything in relation to Islam, for example people can pray to Allah to get help in getting a job or having a child or getting married. Because of the required 5 daily prayers, prayer can be considered to be a focal point in their relationship with Allah.

2. How are specific rituals linked to a foundational figure?
     Rituals revolving around Muhammad's life are observed because it is a way for Muslims to remember how important Muhammad's life as a prophet was to them. Eid al- Ghadeer is the celebration of the appointment of Ali ibn  Abi Talib as Muhammad's successor. This celebration also marks the anniversary of Muhammad's sermon about maula. This holiday is typically celebrated by shia Muslims and they usually follow the tradition of a mass oath reasserting the commitment to Islam. This festival observes the message to God as revealed to the Prophet (Risalah).

3. What gender issues might be raised by the way rituals are performed?
     The rules in relation to marriage differ by gender in the Islamic religion. A woman's family must pay a certain fee before she can become engaged to her husband. This draws up the concern that women are viewed more as property than  as human beings in Muslim culture. This is not true as these assumptions are usually made by people who don;t understand the religion. Also the men must follow strict rules as in they must get married or they will fall into sin. I think that dowries bring up a lot of issues because in poorer parts of countries, many families cannot afford their daughters dowry and as a result she cannot get married. This makes women look inferior to men in society and it makes them look as if they can't do anything on their own. The Qur'an does place one gender before the other, but I think a key factor is how society (especially people who may not understand the background of Islam) may interpret the Qur'an.

4. How are specific doctrines and rituals linked?
     The Qur'an has a very big impact on certain rituals especially prayer. Salat is one of the Islamic pillars and it is ritual prayer. People recite the Qur'an during prayer and these people are called hafiz. Muslims typically complete the recitation of the whole Quran during tarawih prayers. In order to extrapolate the meaning of a particular Quranic verse, most Muslims rely on the tafsir. Muslims regard the most reliable Qur'anic commentary as being contained in the Qur'an itself. In other words, the ways in which certain ayat clarify other ayat are regarded as being the most significant form of commentary. A second form of Qur'anic commentary is how the Prophet interpreted the Qur'an. And his comments on the Qur'an (as well as everything he ever said or did) are recorded in the hadith collections. After these two forms of commentary, knowledgeable companions and later generations of pious and learned Muslims expressed their view of the meaning of various ayat. It was on this foundation that the science of Qur'anic commentary was built.

5. What are the purposes of specific rituals?
     Almsgiving is a central activity in Islam. The Quran explicitly requires it and often places it alongside prayer when discussing a Muslim's duties. Zakat means purifying your wealth for the will of Allah; to acknowledge that everything we own belongs to Allah and to work towards the betterment of the Muslim Ummah. Zakat is not only a means to purify one’s wealth but it is also a spiritual purification which serves as a means to draw an individual closer to the Creator, Allah. 

Muhammad Timeline

This is a timeline of Muhammad's life, compiled of events from the article "The Glorious Qur'an " and the TV documentary " Islam: Empire of Faith"

• Born 570AD in the Arabian Peninsula (in Mecca)
• From Mecca he was sent to live with the Bowdoin tribe in the desert
• Parents died at age six- orphaned
• taken in by his grandfather and later his uncle Abu Talib
• Very adaptable (child to everybody)
• Wars began to be waged over water
• The Caba was in Mecca; sacred stone that was worshipped and provided peace. Also they were economically important (place for trade)
• Muhammad traveled with his uncle who was a merchant and soon made the same journey in the service of a wealthy widow named Khadijah
• Khadijah became a mentor to Muhammad and soon afterward she married him.
• Disputes over the Caba began to occur.
• After settling disputes between the four leaders and the sacred black stone, Muhammad became known as Al-Amin
• In a cave above Mecca in a place called Hira, an angel in the form of a man cam to him and required him to recite to the Lord God almighty.
• This experience was the start of Muhammad's prophetic phase in 610AD
• Delivered message that there is only one God (one God meant one people; Muhammad delivered social justice)
• The Qur'an showed itself through Muhammad's followers recording his sermons/messages
• Muhammad's wife and uncle dies in 619AD
• A refuge opened to Muhammad (Yathrib) because he had no protection from the people who were trying to kill him
• Journey from Mecca to Yathrib became known as the Hirjah. 622 in Christian calendar; marks Muslim year 1
• When Muhammad was ruler over Yathrib, he did not challenge others faith
• Muhammad's house is considered the 1st mosque
• War (tried to wipe out the Muslims) between the Meccans
• 3 very bloody battles over 3 years
• When people heard about the war and that the Muslims had god on their side, they began to join the very small army.
• Muslims win the war; Muhammad embraces the Meccans instead of killing them
• When Muhammad entered Mecca, he destroyed all idols
•  After this, Islam quickly spread across North Africa and Eastern Asia and some parts of Southern Europe
• In 632AD Muhammad died (before he could see his empire flourish)

In my opinion I think that the wars greatly influenced Muhammad's life and the spread of Islam. During the beginning of the war, the Muslim army was very small and they didn't really have a chance of winning the war. But they did have something in common: faith in a higher power who could give them the strength to win. This faith was seen by other tribes and in no time the army grew exponentially. This allowed the to win the war and gain Mecca back. The wars also contributed to the spread of Islam because after Muhammad and his army conquered Mecca, they did not kill the citizens there as another leader might have done. Instead he embraced them and his compassion convinced them that whatever power is over this man can have a positive effect on us as well.

Chapter 2: Islam for Idiots

Question Answers:
1. The Ayatul Kursi gives and introduction to the way in which Muslims view God
2. 1) The natural world with all its complexity and beauty. This is a sign of an intelligence in the Universe because only a designing mind could have constructed it.
    2)Our human abilities and capacities for thought, belief, invention, creativity, and moral choices. No animal or plant can do what we do.
    3) The revelation of God's guidance and the existence of religion. They show that there is a right way and a wrong way to live life. Prophets, Holy Books, flashes of insight- all these serve as proof that guidance is real and purposefully directed.
    4) Our inner feelings. These propel us to seek the meaning in things and show that we have a soul that seeks harmony with nature, the universe and a higher power. Why should we all want to know the answer to the big question "why" is there is no "because"? The existence of a question necessitates the existence of an answer.
3. To surrender to Allah means to follow Islam and to be Muslim. Muslim can be applied to both living and nonliving things .
4. The role of free will is to guide you to accept "the trust" and transcend nature and to be able to conceive of itself and make decisions using an intellect and the power of reason. It established right, wrong, good and evil.
5. Fitrah is important because it provides moral guidance. We all have fitrah because we can choose to become Muslims and surrender to God/Allah.
6. Fitrah is your moral view that are influenced by your environment.

What Went Wrong?

This article written by Bernard Lewis explores present day issues involving Muslims and his perspective of what he thinks went wrong. As I was reading this article the tensions between Muslims and Jews was really put into perspective for me. One question I have is: is Muslims and Christians worked cohesively to oppress the Jews, than why do we often see them battling heads? I feel that all three of the religions mentioned in this article have more in common than they think. Not to say that they are the same, but some aspects are similar. Another thought that comes to mind is: Is the US fueling the fire in the conflict between Palestine and Israel?

Welcome

This blog is for my IB World Religions Class. Our current religion that we are studying is Islam!