Weblog 6

Select video: Eastern Philosophy

                        By: Kultur

 

            The video Eastern Philosophy tells the evolution of Eastern religion from about 550 BCE to present day. It begins with the teachings of Confucius and follows the traditions of eastern beliefs to modern day Islam. The customs and beliefs of the Shinto, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, and Islamists were interesting, but at times the deities and sects were difficult to follow.

            The term philosophy (philosophia) was coined by the Greeks meaning “love of wisdom” and is the study of the nature of existence, knowledge, truth, justice, mind, and language. Eastern philosophy includes traditions that originated or were popular in India, Persia, China, Korea, Japan, and the Middle East. These early studies led to some of the religions we know today.

            The video begins with the story of the early Chinese philosopher Confucius. Confucius lived from 551 to 479 BCE. During his life he served in the government and was promoted threw several positions. He left government service to morn the death of a family member and decided to open a school of which he became the first teacher. He was very close to his students, treating them as sons rather than students. He even went as far as letting some live with him. He educated the students on Chinese text, Ren and Dao. Ren, the path of virtue, was a way of life that Confucius and his students hope to achieve. Ren dictates that a man should love others, be respectful, diligent, kind, sympathetic, honorable, knowledgeable, and practice moderation. Dao, the way, is the way a person travels threw life and each mans path is different. The body is taught to be as important as the mind. The school’s reputation grew from the honorable students that it produced.

            Years after Confucius passed away another philosopher named Mencius carried on his tradition and values. Mencius aspired to be just like Confucius but went about spreading the traditions differently. He traveled and consulted various rulers. He believed that men are naturally sympathetic to others and did not require excessive government oversight. This didn’t always make him popular. Mencius died in 289 BCE disappointed at his failure to change his modern world.

            The video jumps from the life of Mencius to Shinto, the native religion of Japan. This religion focuses on the worship of kami, or spirits. There is no know founder of the religion but it was once the state religion of Japan. The religion is focused on the tradition of shamanism, in which a holy person can take on a deity and speak for the spirit. In this religion spirits play important roles in human society. In Shinto there is no separation between good and evil. After death a Shinto becomes a family spirit. The religion is closely tied to Buddhism.

            The video quickly moves from Shinto to Buddhism. The video claims that “the Buddhist traditions and ceremonies are more colorful and attractive to the public and could have contributed to the shift from the Shinto system”. The religion of Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama “The Buddha”. The religions focus is on ethical conduct, devotional practices, elaborate ceremonies, meditation, study, wisdom and physical exercise.  The code of ethics for the Buddhist is the Five Precepts. The code was said to have been taught by the Buddha. The Five Precepts state that you abstain from taking life, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech and drugs. Monks have to follow further precepts. The various branches of Buddhism seem to disagree on some of the teachings of Gautama Buddha but there are as many as 500 million Buddhist followers today.

            Part two of Eastern Philosophy explores the religion of Hinduism and has taken many forms since 1500 BCE. I explored the religion of Hinduism in weblog 4 and will not go into great detail here. The Hindu religion has special enfaces on Karma, satisfaction, and Dharma, righteous living. The Hindu view of the world is cyclic. All things are in a state of creation, maintenance, or destruction and all actions have an effect. The ethical code of Hindu followers seems to follow the other eastern religions.

            Part three of the video begins with Judaism, a monotheist religion based on the principles of the Hebrew Bible. The principle of the religion “is to make god known”. Many of the familiar Christian stories and traditions are observed in the faith. The creation story, the Ten Commandments, and observation of the Sabbath are just a few. The scripture promotes helping the poor and moderation like other eastern religions. Unlike other eastern religions Jews believes in an end when the messiah will come and the world as we know it will end.

            The religion of Islam is the last topic in the video. Like Judaism, Islamists believe in one God, Allah. The religion is based on the teachings of Muhammad, the prophet. Muhammad is said to have been given the Qur’an threw the angel Gabriel. The Qur’an was passed on verbally by Muhammad. Followers believe that Muhammad restored the original faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. It is also believed that Jews and Christians distorted the revelations God gave to these prophets. Islamic law (Sharia) encompasses all aspects of life and society. Followers of the faith believe in predestination and God has full knowledge and control. There is no separation of church and state and Islamic law dictates all matters. The Qur’an and Sunnah also contain laws on such issues as marriage, murder and prayer. After Muhammad’s death the faith was divided into three sects as it is today.

            The video, Eastern Philosophy, is an excellent educational film and I can not do it justice is this small paper. The wealth of information is more than I could absorb. I must acknowledge once again that I am no expert on religion. I merely hope to put some order to things. I believe our morals are basically the same. What we consider right is not far apart. Who said it, when they said it, and how they said it will always be debated. The line between religion and philosophy has been blurred for me. I have always believed that religion was the foundation for our ethics and morals but the concept of right and wrong has not always been attributed to faith. It is imposable to imagine a world where people did not know right from wrong. Where did it first come from? My quest may be shifting from religion to ethics and that will have to be another paper.

           

Weblog 5

Select article: The Similarities in All Major World Religions by EthanaelD

                       www.associatedcontent.com

 

            Within my limited research I have found the there are just as many differences as similarities in different world religions. What has a stronger influence on the follower’s lives? Is it the similarities or differences? Traditions and stories seem to change but religions influence is still seen globally, physical and morally.

            EthanaelD put it like this, “Play nice, Be nice”. Our moral and ethical behavior is often governed by our religion. We are all told to treat others the same way we would like to be treated. In Judaism, (Leviticus 19:18) “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man.” In Christianity, (Luke 6:31) “Do to others as you would have them do to you”. In Islam, (a hadith recorded by al-Bukhari, Sunnah) “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself”. In Hinduism (Mahabharata 5, 1517) “Do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you”. In Buddhism (Udana-Varga 5,18) “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful”. Many other religions share the same message such as Taoism, Jainism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Baha’I, Wicca, and Old English faiths. It appears that our morals have been guided by our religious texts.

            All religions mentioned here promote a reward after death for good service during the present life. It may be in the form of reincarnation into a better being or a promise of a heaven full of virgins. Just as often there is a reward for unethical behavior in life but not usually as favorable. Hell is a term used to describe a place of punishment and suffering in the afterlife. Religions from Christianity to Buddhism to Hinduism believe in some form of Hell. The Hindu belief in Naraka (Hell) as a place of punishment and judgment for sins committed during ones life. Taoism had no concept of hell.

            Most religions also support the idea that a person or groups of people were created first. The rest of mankind is a relative to this person or persons. Feuds and conflicts are believed to have divide families and tribes to what we see today. Many religions believe at one time we all spoke the same language but our ability to speak was taken for some time after we angered the higher power.

            Almost all religions believe that when the end of the world comes there will be a battle between good and evil. Many religions believe it will be marked by the coming of a profit, messiah, or something similar. Who will be considered good and who will be considered evil is debated among some religions.

            What we all seem to agree on in the story of life is a beginning and an end. The chapters in between are still being interpreted. As people change and evolve I believe the interruptions will change. The morals of religious people that I have studied seem to be very similar. Has the rest been lost in interpretation? Would we have morals without religions? I hope to explore these questions in my next papers.

 

Weblog 4

Select Article: The History of Hinduism

                        http://www.mnsu.edu

 

            It only seems natural in exploring the similarities and differences in beliefs to start at the beginning. Hinduism is the oldest practiced religion known today and is believed to have originated in the Indus Valley in Pakistan.  The community of Hindu followers is concentrated in India with approximately one hundred million spread over south Asia. The accepted number of followers to date is about one billion. Its rank in followers is only fourth to Christianity, Islam, and Atheism. The Hindu religion was believed to be established in about 2000 BCE. Although the religion is still well established today, various branches of the religion have been divided by their beliefs. The groups vary from monotheism, pantheism, to polytheism.

            The Hindu beliefs are a collection of texts and hymns that were passed down orally until about 1500 BCE. The oldest text is the Rigveda (Wisdom of the Verses) that is a collection of 1028 hymns. Unlike many other religions the Hindu followers have several sacred texts but like most religions at some point they were passed down vocally. The Hindu people believe in some familiar ideas of reincarnation and karma but the core of Hinduism is the belief in Brahman, the underlying universal life force that encompasses existence. The goal of a Hindu worshiper is to be liberated from the cycle of death and rebirth.

            The Hindu religion encompasses all aspects of a follower’s life. The sacred scriptures give guidance on family life, society, politics, business, art and health. The practice of yoga, for instance, is considered a sacred duty. It would be very difficult to separate church and state under theses beliefs. Hindu followers often have a shrine in their home dedicated to their god or gods. The act of attending a place of worship is not required but a ritual of worship is common on a daily basis. The traditions of Hindus vary greatly from faction to faction. In some areas arranged marriages are still the norm and social class is established before birth.

            Like many other religions the Hindu religion promotes hard work, the pursuit of knowledge, and ethical behavior. The practices are promoted by the hope for a better life after the present one but the cycle of reincarnation is not widely accepted among other religions. I admit my own ignorance on the topic of religions. I have little experience beyond the Christian faith. I hope to broaden my knowledge in an attempt to find some order to our spirituality and establish my own beliefs. Raised as a Christian, I can identify with some of the traditions of the Hindu. I believe a moral and ethical life is in everyone best interest. Do all religions anticipate a better life after the present one for committed followers? I intend to broaden my research in the next few papers to explore Eastern and Western philosophies, as well as similarities and differences in all religions, and explore Atheism.

Weblog 3

Chosen Essay: God vs. Science by David Van Biema

 

Conflicting points of views from Richard Dawkins (scientist and atheist) and Francis Collins (scientist and Christian)

 

Francis Collins

          Francis Collins, a converted atheist himself, believes that science and the belief in God can have a common ground. Collins argues that “God cannot be completely contained within nature, and therefore God’s existence is outside of science’s ability to really weigh in”. He sees science as a way of observing and appreciating God’s creation. Collins also sees God as responsible for science but outside of our natural world. Collins debates that the odds of life existing is to miniscule for their not to be a designer who has carefully put our universe in to play. He continues to add that there should be at least a possibility of a creator when trying to explain our existence. Ruling out possibilities without evidence to do so is not in the tradition of science. At one point Collins is asked to address the story of Genesis. He responds that the literal interpretation of Genesis is not consistent with science but a less literal point of view is very consistent with the Big Bang theory of creation. He also identifies that a sense of justice and morality is a quality that may have come from God because it is not consistent with other evolutions. Collins is defensive in his conclusion by saying that his religious beliefs do not interfere or compromise his ability to think as a scientist.

 

Richard Dawkins

          Richard Dawkins identifies that the question of a God existing is a scientific one and he believes the answer is no. He also states that a belief in miracles contradicts science. Dawkins contributes the elegance of design simply to evolution and natural selection over millions of years. He believes that trying to explain the wonders of the universe with a creator is a “cop-out”. Dawkins point of view on design is different than Collins. Dawkins believes that science will either find a unified theory that joins the universal constants or there are multiple universes that make the existence of life far more probable. He goes on to admit that something could exist beyond our comprehension. One clear defining point between the two scientists is the idea of good and evil. Dawkins states “I don’t believe that there is hanging out there, anywhere, something called good and something called evil”. Collins points out that that is where they are different. Dawkins concludes that he is not close minded by disregarding a divine being but if there is a God, “it’s going to be a whole lot bigger and a whole lot more incomprehensible than anything that any theologian of any religion has ever proposed”.

 

          Does a middle ground exist for science and religion? I hope so. I am a believer in both. Biema wrote “most Americans occupy the middle ground: we want it all. We want to cheer on science’s strides and still humble ourselves on the Sabbath.”  I do want it all. I agree strongly with Collins point of view in that I believe to rule out God without evidence is not in the fashion of science. Dawkins point is also well made. We should not simply contribute what we don’t know or understand to God. It is perfectly acceptable in life, science, and religion to say I don’t know. If a spirit exists on the divine level that we believe we may never prove an existence. Perhaps that is why it is called faith.

WEBLOG 2 (Revised)

WEBLOG 2 (Revised): WHAT DO I WANT TO KNOW?

 

Part 1 Quest for the meaning of life

1.      I wonder about the world around me.

2.      I’m puzzled by the people around me.

3.      I doubt that I’ll ever understand the world around me or the people around me.

4.      I’m bothered by people’s lack of patience and understanding for each other.

5.      I’m sad that it probably will not change.

6.      I’m angry about the dishonesty of people.

7.      I’ve always thought that life is a trial.

8.      I’m surprised by the variety of life.

9.      I’m interested in new things, aerospace, cosmology, physics, and surfing.

10.  I wish I could just focus on school.

11.  I worry about not finishing school before I’m fifty.

12.  I’m afraid that I will miss something more important.

 

      Scientific approach

1. What does all life have in common?
2. What is detectable from life at a distance?
3. What distinguishes human life from other life?

Economic approach

1. Can a value be placed on a life after death? (Post-accident, military service etc.)

Spiritual approach

1. What religion best guides ones life?
2. Does a single spirit guide us all or do we collectively create the spirit?
3. Is to live morally and ethically simply a religion based idea?

 

Part 2 Does a spirit guide us?

            I was raised a Christian in a Methodist church. Once I reached the age that I understood the significance of what we were doing I was also at an age to ask why. I believe I was about eight to ten years old when I began to question the traditions of the church. Like most children I didn’t have any control over my religion or what church I attended. I did understand the morals that were taught in the Methodist church. The lessons promoted an honest and ethical life for everyone. This was logical to me and did guide me to see each of us as part of something larger. I do believe I tried to be a better person because of it. I didn’t understand why the church chose to take some passages so literally and disregard others. These were not the words of a God or even Jesus. Why were the messages so concealed?  I began to look to other religious groups to find resolution. I visited Baptist, Catholic, Mormon, and a non denominational church with friends. As unique as each group was they each believed in a guiding spirit. The customs and interpretations were their own. Each group believed they had their own special tie with the spirit or god they worshiped but each group had the same basic morals. Their spirit intervened in their lives very similarly or not at all. The churches only interpreted the words of men to be different. Could they all be the same spirit?

 

Part 3

            I am aware that I have chosen a question that can’t be answered. The question is my own and will remain so throughout my life. I know I will not find a distinct answer but I do hope to put some order to our spiritual thoughts. I have had experiences in my life that have led me to believe that there is a spirit but it I don’t know if it is our spirit. For most religions the morals and ethics are similar. I would like to know what we all have in common and what we can all agree and disagree on. I believe this will lead us to the meaning of life.

 

WEBLOG 2

WEBLOG 2: WHAT DO I WANT TO KNOW?

 

Part 1 Quest for the meaning of life

      Scientific approach

1. What does all life have in common?
2. What is detectable from life at a distance?
3. What distinguishes human life from other life?

Economic approach

1. Can a value be placed on a life after death? (Post-accident, military service etc.)

Spiritual approach

1. What religion best guides ones life?
2. Does a single spirit guide us all or do we collectively create the spirit?
3. Is to live morally and ethically simply a religion based idea?

 

Part 2 Does a spirit guide us?

            I was raised a Christian in a Methodist church. Once I reached the age that I understood the significance of what we were doing I was also at an age to as why. I didn’t understand why the church chose to take some passages so literally and disregard others. I began to look to other religious groups to find resolution. As unique as each group was they each believed in a guiding spirit. Could they all be the same spirit?

 

Part 3

            I am aware that I have chosen a question that can’t be answered. The question is my own and will remain so throughout my life. I know I will not find a distinct answer but I do hope to put some order to our spiritual thoughts. I have had experiences in my life that have led me to believe that there is a spirit but it I don’t know if it is our spirit. For most religions the morals and ethics are similar. I would like to know what we all have in common and what we can all agree and disagree on. I believe this will lead us to the meaning of life.

 

I Believe…

WEBLOG 1 ASSIGNMENT                                                                                  Joe Eggers

 

Part 1

1. I believe that people each have their own unique positive and negative qualities that are balanced by the collective society in which they live.
2. I believe that society prevents the evils of the individuals who make up the society.
3. I believe that government is a reflection of the society that it governs.
4. I believe that justice is a collection of the morals, ethics and equality reflected by a society.
5. I believe that knowledge is the key to understanding our world and the people who live on it.
6. I believe that science provides the evidence to support our understanding of the world around us.
7. I believe that reality is only a concept created by humans.
8. I believe that life is a test of ones morals.
9. I believe that happiness is unique to each person.
10. I believe that goodness is a qualitative value of a person’s merit.
11. I believe that death is the passing to a better place.
12. I believe that god is primarily an observer who only makes his/her presence known to those who need it when they need it.

 

 

Part 2 Select Statement:

 

 I believe that science provides the evidence to support our understanding of the world around us.

 

      Albert Einstein once said “The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking”. The quote can be interpreted in many ways. I believe science is our attempt to understand and appreciate the world around us but to a greater depth than what is merely on the surface. My belief has formed by own experiences and curiosity. Our natural curiosity drives us to search for a meaning and place in life. Some of us are content with faith and others believe that understanding on a deeper level some how places us in control of our environment. I believe we can all appreciate our environment more if we continue to explore and understand the fundamental question of why.

 

Part 3 Opposing View:

 

I believe science is a heresy and clouds our understanding of the world around us.

 

      Science is a heresy. The nature of science is to under mind the scripture. God has provided us with all the truths and answers in life. By questioning his/her word we are committing sins and disrespecting him/her. Evolution, for instance, contradicts the Bible so it can not be true. I was raised in a very religious structured environment that leaves no room to question the word of the lord. The Bible also tells us where we have come from. For scientists or cosmologists to search for the origin of life they misguide and may mislead other potential Christians causing them to stray from God. Science divides people and faith.