BLOG PARTY INQUIRY QUESTION!!!!!!!

Have you ever wondered why religious text is considered to be so sacred? Why so many people follow what is written and never seem to question the words? I have wondered this for so many years. So my question is simply this: What is it about the religious text that automatically means that is is holy or sacred? Do people take this as an exact account for their specific deity? Does anyone stop to question any of the words written, or wonder why they were written in the first place? This interested me so much that I decided to look for some answers.

We can all think of many sacred texts like The Holy Bible, The Qur'an, Mahayana Sutras, and even The Torah. Each of the religions that worship these texts all have reasons for doing so. Many people believe that these texts were written through someone as a message from that deity. But does anyone ever stop and wonder if what was written is the truth, or has it gotten a little diluted throughout the years? We can see how many people will object entirely, and wonder why I would ever pose this question. Many people have unwavering faith and would never question that, and I'm not saying that they should; however I do find it so intriguing that these questions don't come up more often. In our text for this class I came across a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson called Flower in the Crannied Wall (Kennedy, Tennyson, 503). This is the poem:
Flower in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies,
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower--but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, an all in all,
I should know what God and man is.
This poem poses the question about God, not the scripture or text, and I find that with the author wanting to know "what God and man is" shows that even with these sacred texts in hand there are still people who wonder. We begin to wonder who is God, or whomever your deity is, and that we want to know them personally, not just through text and lectures.

With all the hype about needing to read the scriptures and follow what the sacred texts say, what about God himself? Do people get so caught up in following their texts, that in turn they forget what it is that encourages their faith? I personally think that this happens all too often, and more so than people want to admit. It is easy to get caught up in written words, and forget the purpose behind them, or whom you really worship. An article I recently read proved this exact point. It was entitled "Biblicism: Protestantims's Distinctive Form of Idolatry" by Paul E. Capetz. Capetz shared his story as a Reverend in a Protestant church whom happened to also be a gay man. After his fellow ministers found out his sexual orientation they decided to take away his leadership and have a sort of vote on whether or not he should stay ordained. The people involved in the vote consisted of both women and men, and each of these people consistently said, "But the Bible says..." and "the clear teaching of scripture." Capetz tried to make his point that at one time women did not have a say, but yet they kept on fighting for their rights as equal individuals and now they are treated as such, so therefore being gay is no different a situation. As I read on, I realized just how easy it is to get caught up in the sacred text and forget the person who you truly worship. Capetz makes a great argument for this, "God alone is to be worshipped, not the Bible." This is why I wonder why people put so much stock into scripture and sacred text, wouldn't the protestant God still love Capetz regardless of his sexual orientation? This question may be up to your own personal views, but being as I am a former Christian, I don't think God would condemn him for that.

One thing I have found in my research is that many religious texts are regarded as teachings and ways to stick with traditions from long ago. Yes, I do agree that sacred texts are a way to teach people and to learn from. But sometimes, it can go too far...at least in my opinion. I found an article that gave some insight as to sacred texts as a teaching instrument and thought it was quite interesting. The article "What is Scripture" by Steven G. Smith, argues that sacred texts teach young children the ways of life in their culture and also the traditions that come along. Smith says, "A scripture is not merely a record to be consulted at need; a community maintains a scripture in force as a teaching, an obligatory touchstone for religious thinking, whether or not customs, decisions, or experiences enjoy this status in the community also." Here is where I feel that things tend to get taken too far, if it is not enjoyed to believe in the sacred text, would your deity truly want you to regard them so highly? I understand teaching people how to act, and how to maintain their faiths, but is the scripture becoming too much? Smith again, only proves my point of scripture being taken way too far, "acknowledging scripture as a supreme authority rules out ignoring it or flatly disagreeing with it." I am not saying that scriptures or sacred texts are wrong or even bad, but I do think that many people lose sight of what it is that they worship or truly believe.

As we can see there are many reasons that people put such stock into religious text, and there is nothing wrong with valuing those beliefs. I, however, must say that I think it gets to a point where people begin to forget what they believe or whom they do worship. I think that many people do question what is written, but cannot say that due to the fear of punishment or becoming an outcast. I am glad I was able to get some of my questions answered, but I realize that most of them are personal and many people do not want to share their beliefs or criticism towards other religious texts.

But....for those of you who would like to share, here is a question for you:
Do you think that religious or sacred texts end up being the object of worship, instead of the God or deity? Do you think people stop to ponder what is written, or do they take those words as truth without any question or unwavering faith?

Freestyle #5

A few months back I had the pleasure of reading, for the second time, New Moon. (I figured I hadn't written a blog yet about one of my favorites as of late, so it was due.) My favorite part of this book is when the main characters, Bella and Edward, break up. If you haven't read this(which would be terribly sad) then you would know that Bella is so in love with Edward that she would do absolutely anything for him, and that he is also just as crazy about her. However, Edward is a vampire and Bella is just a human, so you can see some of the tension there. The line that gets me most worked up is when Edward says, "You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I'd never existed" (pg. 71). First off, this is so sad! Why would he do this to her, he claims it's for the sake of her living a normal life, but he didn't need to be so cold. And then, do men really think that by saying "if I'd never existed" will make a break up any easier? NO! It just makes it that much harder to know that they don't want to remember you. This is the most important part of the book, it sets up the rest of the plot and also puts that dark foreshadowing on the following chapters. It may be morbid, but I find something truly fascinating about this scene. It's much more than just his line, and it brings me back to those moments when I had to deal with break ups...glad I'm married now! But I really think that this line does show how much Edward cares for Bella, even though he's leaving her. He wanted her to still be happy without him. Despite it being a break up, people don't just stop caring that fast, and it shows in this part of the book.

Scene Response--"Othello" Branaugh and Fishbourne

I viewed act 4, scene 1 on youtube.com from the movie Othello with Kenneth Branaugh and Lawrence Fishbourne. It was the scene where Othello slaps Desdemona across the face because he is upset with her. Everyone is appalled by his actions, but no one tells his he is wrong. I think that is strange, especially considering that she is a woman. It's also interesting that Othello doesn't believe her when she says she's confused as to why he is mad. After slapping her, he doesn't even seem to have any remorse for his actions. It's sad that as much as he claimed to love her, he could still her hurt her. I think the actors portrayed what Shakespeare was trying to get across in this scene, deceit and anger. This scene is particularly important because it shows how far Othello has come from the beginning of the play, that he is no longer the person Desdemona thought he was. Truly a sad scene...

Quote Response #9

Again while reading Othello, I found another interesting line. It's right after Othello stabs Iago. Othello:"I am not sorry neither. I'd have thee live; For in my sense, 'tis happiness to die" (5.2, 285-6). I think that it's odd and quite intriguing that Othello equates happiness with dying. Maybe it is because of all the terrible things that has happened to him? And that is probably the case, but it just seems so sad that he feels that there is no hope left for him. Could he not start fresh? Or would everything just follow him elsewhere? Throughout the course of the play I just want to tell Othello to not listen to the lies that Iago tells him. But this is why it's called a tragedy, there is nothing we can do and we just have to sit back and watch it all unfold.

Freestyle #4

I was reading my favorite magazine, Cosmopolitan, and came across and interesting article. It was entitled "I Tried a Juice-Only Detox. And Yes, I'm Starving," by Jake Hurwitz, it was about a man who didn't understand why his girlfriend did such crazy things in order to stay healthy and look good. There were two sentences I found interesting, and very funny. The first was "But that day at lunch, I wanted to punch him in the face and steal his sandwich." He was talking about how his friend was eating a Philly cheese steak sandwich for lunch and that all could think about was ripping it out of his hands because he was so hungry. The second was "And from now on, I won't just tell her she's pretty. I'll tell her she's damn hot, because she is, and the stuff she goes through to feel good and healthy is hard."I think its important that not only did he write about how hard it was for him to go through with the Detox, but he also made that distinct connection with his girlfriend. He acknowledged her, and I find that to be the most important part of the article. He gained new respect for his girlfriend and actually understood her better. If only all men could do this...a walk in our shoes for one day...ah yes.

Quote Response #8

While reading Shakespeare's play Othello there was one monologue that really caught my attention. Desdemona is speaking: "My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty. To you I am bound for life and education; My life and education both do learn me How to respect you. You are the lord of duty, I am hitherto your daughter. But here's my husband, And so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord" (1.3, 179-187). I found that saying this to her father carried a heavy weight. I also think that it was important that Desdemona did say this because everyone needs to know that Othello is not just the Moor, he is her husband. I think this was also her way of asking people to respect their marriage and to accept that it won't change. It interesting to me that even in Shakespeare's time these things were happening. That so much hatred went to the "underdogs." I also think that this shows just how important women were then, that Desdemona had the courage to say something shows the audience that women too have things to say and that they should be respected as equal individuals.

Quote Response #7--Trifles

For my lit class I needed to read a short play by Susan Glaspell called Trifles. I enjoyed the play and also found it very intriguing. I liked that the women were on their own little mission and ended up finding more than the men did. One part I particularly found interesting was when the women found the bird. Mrs. Hale: "But, Mrs. Peters--look at it! It's neck! Look at its neck! Its all--other side too." Mrs. Peters: "Somebody--wrung--its--neck." I still have figured out what "other side too" means and I'm a little lost as to why John Wright would have killed the bird. Was it to make his wife upset? Did he not want her to be happy, so that is why Minnie Foster killed her husband? I just feel like there are many questions that haven't been answered. And then another quote I found interesting was (when they are explaining the events in the play): "Suddenly Mrs. Peters throws back quilt pieces and tried to put the box in the bag she is wearing. It is too big. She opens the box, starts to take the bird out, cannot touch it, goes to pieces, stands there helpless. Sound of a knob turning in the other room. Mrs. Hale snatches the box and puts it in the pocket of her big coat." Why did the women feel that it was necessary to take the dead bird? Are they going to bury it or take it to Minne Foster in jail? I'm not quite sure what the significance of the bird is, but I find it very interesting that the women would not let it go.

Scene Response--"O"

First of all, I enjoyed this movie and this take on Shakespeare's Othello, it was modern and a little more interesting than the play. One scene that really jumped out at me was the scene when Hugo was asked to go to the Duke's office (his father) and have dinner with him. You could see that Hugo was excited and thought maybe his dad was interested in him and wanted to have a bonding moment, but then the Duke consistently spoke about Odin, and kept asking Hugo what was going on with him. Then after a few moments the Duke left Hugo to eat alone. This is precisely why Hugo did what he did. He only wanted his dad to regard him with that much respect, and he knew that if he got the "fame" from killing people, he would get the attention he deeply wanted. I find it sad, that the Duke didn't see all this. I think that if he had, Hugo would probably have gotten over his jealousy and then dealt with everything much better. I think this scene is important because it gives a good look into the relationship that Hugo and his father have, and also it shows the audience what causes Hugo to feel the way he does. Hugo only wants to be just as important as Odin, especially to his father.

Freestyle #3

In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis there were many parts I found extraordinary. I found it extremely interesting that a 10 year old wanted to be a part of the revolution even though she didn't understand exactly what was going on. I think that it shows how strong of a person that Marji was, she seemed to be the one who pulled her family together when things weren't going well. I just liked how much Marji wanted to be a par of everything, it proves to me that children understand when things aren't going well, even if they don't understand the reason behind it. I think her writing of Persepolis opened my eyes to a lot of the issues in Iran, and also the fact that children are aware of what's going on on around them.

Quote Response #6

When I read Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis there w ere a few lines that really popped out to me. One in particular was "I didn't know what the justice was. Now that the revolution was finally over once and for all...The only place I felt safe was in the arms of my friend [God]." I think this quote is important because it shows how much everything effects children. Even though they don't understand entirely, children still have a sense of all of the events around them. I also find it significant that the "friend" Marji talks about is God, I this plays an important role in her experience and then later we find that she decides to not want him in her life. It's these experiences for children that cause them to have everlasting feelings toward certain people. I also think that her calling God a friend is important, maybe if her whole family had thought of him that way, they could have gotten through the revolution a little easier. I just find that many of the thoughts she had as a child were very far from immature, it's interesting to me how this can be so different in another country. Ours often isn't like that.

Quote Response #5

I had to remember this one in 8th grade so I thought it would be appropriate since there was always one line I never forgot. I read The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost for this blog entry. The last stanza is the most important and two lines specifically, "I took the one less traveled by,/And that has made all the difference." This just shows that you need to think carefully with every choice you make in life, and not just the big things, but also the little. By taking the road less traveled by it means that maybe it wasn't what everyone else was doing, but that it was best in the end. These words are important to remember because it proves that you will always have choices to make and that you will remember them forever. I think that it's an important poem to read, and it gives young adults insight into many of the challenges they will face. This quote specifically reminds me that I have made some good and bad choices but they have all made a difference in how I am today.

Poem Paraphrase--"Counting the Beats"

I read the poem Counting the Beats by Robert Graves. I really enjoyed this poem, I find it to be romantic and it makes a person stop and think about their lover. This poem is about a man and a woman who are "counting the slow heartbeats" of each other while laying under the open sky and enjoying the moment together. They don't want to stop and think of anything else, they just enjoy the peace with each other and want to focus only on that. The stanza I find most important is:
Not there but here,
(He whispers) only here,
As we are, here, together, now and here,
Always you and I.
I think that this stanza shows the connection the two people have to each other and it makes the reader have a feel good moment. I think this poem is great for those bad days because it will lift your spirits and make you feel better.

Quote Response #4

I read Alfred, Lord Tennyson's The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls. I found this poem lighthearted and fun. One line I found most interesting was "Our echos roll from soul to soul,/ And grow for ever and for ever." I find it fun that Tennyson wrote of the echos around the world to grow from each person and to never perish. I like the idea that hills, mountains, and plains all have their own "voice" and we each get to experience that.

Song Quote Response

I am doing a response to my favorite song of all time, it is "Miss America" by Something Corporate. Here are the lines that always seem to jump out of the song at me:
"And I don't care if you don't love me
And I don't care if you don't change
And I could live inside the shadow that I cast for you
If it meant that you would stay"(McMahon)
I think these lines are critical to the song, these words show how much the person cares about their lover and that they would do anything for them. It is a sad song, but I think its important because it shows the truth in a real relationship...people lie, cheat and cry. These lines specifically just show that despite the hell from all those things, a person will still bend over backward for the one they love. I like this part of the song because I think that it shows how dependent we can be towards the people we love, but not in a bad way. I think that if a person loses who they love, they will do or say anything to get their love back regardless of how much it could hurt them in the long run. This is only a bit of the song, and the whole song is amazing. I would love to ask why Andrew McMahon wrote this, what caused him to come up with the lyrics and what he personally thinks of this song. It has been the song I turn to when I feel happy or sad, it is my favorite song and I am greatly appreciative that it was made!

Haiku!

I am doing a Haiku for this blog...I'm not a great poet, but I will try.

From light between the
Trees within the forest night
Oh beautiful bright

Yes, cheesy poem...but I tried, and it's way harder than what it looks!

Poem Paraphrase--"A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM"

For this blog I read "A Dream Within a Dream" by Edgar Allen Poe. This poem is about a person at the beach realizing that all can be unreal. That maybe the things you have in your hands will perish and be lost forever. The lines that make me say this are:
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand--
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep--while I weep!
You can see that the person in this poem has realized that life is short and that even if you do the best you can, somethings cannot be changed or saved. So this person realizes that everything is like a "dream within a dream", it's all so wonderful but can be gone in a flash.

Quote Response #3

I absolutely LOVED the story The Gift of the Magi. One quote that jumped out at me most was, "Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first" (O Henry). This quote just shows how much he loves Della too. The whole story is about Della doing whatever she can to get a present for Jim, and then he comes home and has been doing the same for her. I think that this quote is special because he tells her that it doesn't matter what she looks like, he will always love her. It's romantic and I really enjoyed the fact that Jim went out of his way for her as well.

Freestyle #2

I am currently reading a book called The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery. This book was something that caught my eye one day at Barnes and Noble, its a little more eclectic than I normally read and that was what drew me in. One of the main characters is a hotel maid in a very ritzy hotel in Europe. She is very intelligent but chooses to remain silent about it because she doesn't want the people living in the hotel to wonder why she is poor. I find this so odd. If I were as smart as she is, I would want to flaunt it all over! The other main character is a child whose parents live in the apartments inside the hotel, she too is quite intelligent for her age. She writes in her journal, and it is no secret from the beginning of the book, that she is choosing to commit suicide. I haven't finished it yet, so I'm still unsure if she does fulfill this task, but I don't quite understand why someone so young would already have those thoughts, (she is 12). She says in one entry, "say what you want, do what you will with all those fine speeches on evolution, civilization and a ton of other "-tion" words, mankind has not progressed very far from its origins: people still believe they're not here by chance, and that there are gods, kindly for the most part, who are watching over their fate," (Barbery, 52). This is a very intriguing quote especially for her age. She has so much wisdom and such profound thoughts that it amazes me that she is so miserable. I think that is is possible that she has no beliefs in anything and this causes her to feel as though there is no point in existing. I do like to think that my life has more to it than just speeches and "-tion" words, however I must agree with her thoughts on people wanting to put so much into the belief of someone watching over them. Just such interesting thoughts for someone of her age. I am quite excited to finish this one.

Quote Response #2

After reading Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" I felt pessimistic, but yet a little intrigued by this story. It all takes place in the year 2081, and everything is different, everyone is equal. This part I found most interesting. I understand the point behind equality for every individual, however I find that it's absurd to believe that each individual will actually receive the fair treatment. How could that even happen? The story actually had a group called the Handicapper General that oversaw the "equality" for each person. So is this group not equal? It seems that way to me. In order to achieve any type of equality then everyone must undergo the same situations and be treated with the same attitudes. Despite the idea of having everyone become equal and eliminate any feuds or conflicts, it was clear that doing so made an even more complicating experience for many people. The quote that moved me was, "And then, neutraling gravity with love and pure will, they remained suspended in air inches below the ceiling, and they kissed each other for a long, long time. It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor", (Vonnegut). It gave me one short moment in the story to feel joy for someone. Even though Harrison and his Empress were shot, I found it intriguing that they were able to enjoy a last moment of happiness without the chaos of all the "equality" issues. I really enjoyed this story and am glad to have read it.
NOTE: No page number because I am still without books...terribly sad.

Quote Response #1

I really like a quote form John Updike's A&P. The quote is: " and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter", (Updike). (Sorry I don't have the book yet, so I read it online.) This quote made me think of what it was like when I moved away from home, leaving my parents and close friends to start my life as an adult. It's a scary time when a person realizes that the world is a confusing and complicating place. This quote summed up many things that I personally have felt in the past few months. (I just left home in March.) I think that growing up, or any transitions for that matter, make a person realize how hard things can be. I like that the character "Sammy" quits his job, but in the moment just after he thinks these words. I find that interesting, and slightly ironic. Interesting because he went with an impulse to quit his job, but then realizes how complicating life will be because of this situation, and ironic because he did something he clearly thought was best, but then thought it through and made the connection that even though it was best, it will make things harder in the long run. Why is it that sometimes the best choices are the hardest? This doesn't always make sense to me. If it's best then shouldn't it make things easier? The words that really jumped out to me where stomach, world, and hereafter. I think that these words caught my eye because they are very profound as far as the context they were written in. This quote is the very last of the short story and I think it wraps up the story, but also leaves the idea that all of the choices a person makes in life will effect them from there forward. However, I do find it interesting that it is the "world' that will be hard on him, not the people in it. I do find truth in this statement. I think the people on this planet make up the world, so therefore, it must be the world that is, indeed, hard on a person.

Freestyle #1

I love to read, it has always been a passion of mine. The ability to get lost in another world and to not have to think about the things going on in my own life, is what excites me the most! My mother always read stories to me growing up and I think that has played a big part in my passion for books. Something funny I like to do is re-read old books, I always feel like I catch up on pieces I missed before, and if it was good the first time its always better the second time. Currently I'm reading Dear John for the second time. I enjoyed it very much when I first read it, but also watched the movie and became very dissapointed so I thought I should read the book again just to make me feel better. One quote that I like very much from this book is, "...the saddest people I've ever met in life are the ones who don't care deeply about anything at all. Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there's nothing to make it last...I've found that someone else's happiness is usually infectious." This quote says it all. I agree wholeheartedly with this, in order to truly be happy, a person must be passionate about something. If that can't happen then how is it possible to even know what real happiness is? I also think that if you surround yourself with positive and happy people, it does indeed rub off and creates a better attitude for yourself. It's important to me to read because it makes me happy, I am entirely passionate about sitting down with a new book in hand, opening it up to smell that fresh new paper with all the wonderful text waiting to be enjoyed. It really does put me in a better mood, and I think my husband likes that part.

Hello All!

Hello everyone! My name is Amber Barney and I currently live in Nebraska. My husband is in the US Air Force, so we live on Offutt AFB, in Omaha. I am a very outgoing person and love to meet new people. We don't have any children, except of course our two lovely dog, Zeus and Bart, and our crazy cat, Bella. I'm taking this course because I always loved literature. I took all English honor classes in high school and enjoyed them very much. I loved to read poems, but mostly PB Shelley. I also think Oscar Wilde is hilarious! My favorite from him is his play, The Importance of Being Earnest. As a kid I grew up reading Harry Potter, so of course I still have to enjoy those from time to time. I also got into the Twilight Saga, I blame it on my mom! Along with these I like to read anything by Nicholas Sparks, and Dean Koontz. I tend to stay reading the same authors, and always love re-reading old books!
I asked my husband what he enjoys to read and he said he liked scary books, or some thrillers like Steven King. These excite him more than any other kind, he's not much of a reader.
I asked my mother what she liked and she said all Nora Roberts' books, she (like me) love to get lost in another world that has many gorgeous men.
I asked my best friend was she likes to read and she too likes Nora Roberts, but she is a big fan of Kurt Vonegut and his Cat's Cradle. She just loves to read interesting books, stuff that is different from others.
Hope this gives everyone a little insight to myself, and I look forward to chatting with everybody! Have a great term and don't get too sunburned out there!
Peace and Love,
Amber