2nd Quarter IB World Religions

4th Quarter Lectures by Jacob

2010-06-01T18:32:00.001-07:00

Classwork 4th Quarter

3/23- Lecture on the topic of metaphysics, Religious desire, the infinite; Truth, Beauty, Goodness; is it reduced?
3/25-No lecture, we continued watching Baraka film
3/29-Lecture on Doubt and Belief- attributed to Pope Benedict XVI
Major points:
-New Myth: total meaninglessness, nothing means everything
-To be a Christian is connected to the Clown Story from the HW, no one cares anymore
-The question of if Christianity should look modern was raised, every on has doubt in
common ---> it is our common ground, God=love
*Connection/Summary: Lecture presents some of the challenges Christianity faces, challenges of being Christian, and common ground of all peoples. Connects atheists, Christians, and those of other religions in that we all have doubt, no matter what faith we choose to believe in.
3/31- Lecture on Jesus, The Encounter (Encounter and Response)
Major Points:
Intro:
-To enjoy the beauty of a stain glass window, it must be viewed from within
-Mr. GKC was an atheist but became catholic---> related to his boat trip taking off from England, getting lost, and unknowingly landing back on England
Main Lecture:
-1. Christianity is an encounter with a person, not choice or idea
-2. Pope says Jesus has brought God who is going to be with you
-3. Christianity is unique in that A). God is flesh and B). God is a Trinity in one being. God loves us.
-4. In the Old Testament, people are scared of God, he becomes flesh so that he is powerless and one is more likely to love him.
-5. Guardini says~ "with any great love, everything becomes an event of that love."
*Connection/ Summary- Christianity is unique in that it is an encounter with a person who has become flesh to gain your love and share the love of the Trinity. This is justification for the existence of Christianity as well as explanation of the basic tenets of the belief in how they relate to the believer. This also sets Christianity and the other religions apart in that the Christian God is willing to become weak, and sacrifice himself for the betterment of humanity, whereas in other religions one might simply fear the associated god(s).
4/13- Lecture on Truth and Charity
Major Points:
Intro:
-Speaking the truth is charity, God is the source of truth, Jesus is the truth made flesh.
I. What is truth?
-Philosophy is using your ability to find the truth
-Theology is the truth of God, revealed by God
-Philosophy can't answer the question b/c you can't manipulate reality
-truth is reality
II. Reason
-It is necessary to recognize God, God is reasonable, you need reason to communicate.
III.
-Science can purify religion of superstition, while religion can purify science of the absolute.
-reality can only be answered through experience
-God is real
Conclusion:
-love alone is credible, nothing else convinces us, God is love
-Truth and Charity
*Connection/Summary: the pursuit of both philosophy, science and theology, religion is beneficial to all parties, because they all provide something the others lack. God is reasonable, communicates through reason. God is love, God is real- because experience answers reality, the reality is only love is credible, God is love----> God is real.
4/15- Lecture on the reading 1st Cause- (My notes indicate that this may not have been the lecture from this date, instead I have a lecture on Reject and Accept God, the following notes are from this lecture):
Major Points:
Intro to the Intro:
-Cruelty can ruin a person, you can't make them good, but you can make them bad
Intro:
-Archbishop Fulton John Sheen said ~~people hate what they think is the Catholic Church not what its actually is, which is a significant difference
-All truths lead to God
-St. Augustine~~ humans are made for God, they have a longing for him
Main:
-All seek God, but this bond can be forgotten, ignored, rejected
-reasons for this: World is full of evil; Religious indifference; shame; scandalized by the action of the believers
*Connections/Summary: These are the reasons for breaking the bond with God, many of these are also causes of the the Catholic Churches problems. In response to what the Archbishop said- institutions are judged by how they present themselves, not what there meant to be, i.e people judge companies and institutions based on it's actions not it's mission statement.
4/19: No Lecture, watched Sophie Scholl
4/21: No Lecture, watched Sophie Scholl
4/23: Lecture on Reason, Revelation, Faith (Faith)-
Major Points:
-Christianity: God loves but has a human face, it is all mystical
Sonship:
-reason-why you trust him
-revelation-only learned from him
-faith-trust in what he says
1. everything has a reason for itself
2. We don't believe in a pop theory (spontaneous generation)
3.When something appears, there is always an effect.
-God is one person in three persons; love, the trinity
-trinity and incarnation doctrines make Christianity unique
-Christians have to live up to the family name of the trinity
-God is Love
*Connections/Summary: If there is a reason for everything, then god exists. Sonship consists of reason, revelation, faith. God is love, he has a human face.The trinity is a family, and as such generate the love of a family, Christians are included in that love.
4/27: Lecture on God is Love.
-God=Love
4/29: The Cross (the cross, man, scapegoat, example, child abuse, love, sonship):
Major Points:
-Christ is not a good man, he is either God or a bad man
-If you remove suffering from the world, you also remove the happiness of not suffering
-sin is the rejection of love
-evil is a choice, it is like a parasites
-------------------------------------------------------------WARNING: the above might be the 4/27 lecture and below is the continuation on 4/29:

- The cross gives birth to the Church
-typology- the old is revealed in the new and the new is hidden in the old
-Cross--> Church
-Adam --> Eve
-Jesus--> Church
- Why?^ - to convince of of his love
- God--> Encounter--> Father--> Holy Spirit--> Sacraments-->Church-->Son---> Father
Cross: Mother --> Child, death, Christ
-Jesus doesn't take away suffering, he fills it with his presence
*Connection/ Summary: Sin is a rejection of God. Jesus is God or bad, not good. Christians believe the old testament shows the new testament and vice versa, hence mutual support. The Cross is to the Church as Adam is to Eve, because there was a Cross and because Jesus, there is a Church.
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What follows is the lectures on the Church, because of multiple reason, it is more akin to one large continued lecture, instead of smaller lectures. I will try to break them up according to their most probable date.
5/3: The Church Pt.1 (Theology):
-"He who doesn't have the Church as his mother, can't have God as his father."
-What makes a Christian: Baptism
-Christ: Intimate Friendship, it is a constant encounter with a person
-Creed: Beliefs arising from experiencing this encounter
-Church: Community of Friends
-Love
-WARNING: this lecture is now continued on the date 5/5, which the website indicates is: The Church - Unity, Diversity, & Divisions.
-God: Destiny: Spiritual Perfection:
1. Allah--> Paradise--> 5 pillars, submit
2. Tao--> Harmony--> Wu-Wei
3. Lord--> Heaven--> Torah
4.Trinity--> Heaven- Communion--> Love
5.Brahmin-->Moksha--> Darma
6. Anatta--> Nirvana--> 8 Fold Path/Darma
7. Matter--> Grave--> Whatever you want

-WARNING: my notes indicate that this next section is from 5/7, the website indicate that this is The Church-Ecumenism.

-Christ established the Historical Church
-Catholic Church asserts that she is the Historical Church
-Many elements of truth in other Christian Communities
-All Christians are united: Christ--> Baptism, History, Community
-For Catholics only one legitimate baptism in any Christian religion is needed to be Catholic
-Western and Eastern differences in selebrating the same sacraments.

-WARNING: my notes indicate that this next section is from 5/11, which the website indicates that it is: The Church - Sacraments.
My notes title this section as "Broken"
-With sin there is division
-at the very beginning the Church has problems, centuries later, these problems split the Church apart
-Division Caused by sin:
-Dispute
-Dissent
-Schism
-Heresy
-Apostasy
Division in History:
- 400's AD: Church of the East (Prussia) is created
-Monophysitc Churches- Coptic, Syrian, Ehtiopian--> these are considered Oriental Orthodox churches.
-Schism between East and West in 1054
-Catholics West vs. Orthodox East
-Everything is the same except the role of the Pope
-"Reformation" in the Catholic Church 1500's
-Protestants vs. Catholics
-2 or 7 sacraments, scripture only
-No such thing as the Roman Catholic Church only the Catholic Church

This Section is titled "Ecumenism" in my notes
-Ecumenism means- to be one
-Jesus- "May they be one, like you and I are one."
-Pope is elder bishop not king
-Rome--> Constantinople, Third Rome
-What is need for Ecumenism: A permanent renewal, conversion of heart
-only Christ can unite the Church
*Connection/Summary for dates 5/3-5/11: One legitimate baptism is enough for Catholics, the Church is a community in which people have an intimate friendship with Christ. All religions have their own view of the destiny of humans and the path of spiritual perfection, for Christianity the path is love and the destination is Heaven through communion with God. Catholicism claims to be the Historical Church established by Christ, and has differences on the celebration of the sacraments when compared to Eastern Christianity. Division is caused by sin, there are many different types of division that eventually split the Church multiple times. Ecumenism means to be one, which is what Jesus wanted the Church to be. This is the basic foundation of the Church, and the causes for its divisions, what the Catholic Church stands for and what it claims to be. This is important because the Catholic Church is at the heart of Catholic Christianity and is the spawn of most other sects of Christians and is therefore integral in the unit of Christianity.

5/13: No lecture, watched "In America"
5/17: No lecture, we took the test on Christianity.
5/19: No lecture, projects are presented
5/24: No lecture, projects are presented
5/26: No lecture, final review for test

Classwork--by Dani

2010-05-19T09:45:00.001-07:00

3/23
1) Students watched a documentary WITHOUT COMMENTARY called Baraka about people’s ways of life all over the world. One of the most interesting parts of the documentary was when they fast forwarded b-roll of cars in NYC. It was amazing and saddening to see the continual stop-and-go that each car participates in; it’s like a line of ants!
2) This film served as a review of the course thus far. It showed a Buddhist man begging (which allowed Mr. Remedios to pause it and review Buddhism), and there was a clip of the whirling dervishes (Islam). Basically, it documented the human experience in relation to religion. This was a worthwhile review, because after three quarters of information, it’s easy to forget course material.
3/25 and 3/29—continued to watch Baraka and review and make connections. Filled out worksheet to focus and synthesize information
3/31
1) Students listened to Kevin Kelly’s story as told on the radio program This American Life on NPR. Kelly was a freelance photographer who had a revelation while in Jerusalem taking pictures: he came to the conclusion that he would die in six months, and that he believed in God. Kelly traveled the world, and ended with a bike trip home to visit and say goodbye to all of his family.
2) This exercise dealt with how people perceive reality, and how they respond to encounters with Christ. Although it seems extreme to jump to the conclusion that one would die after encountering Jesus, at least Kelly RESPONDED! Having a strong reaction, though slightly eccentric, is better than having no response at all, because it shows that the encounter is important. This relates to Fr. Murray’s assertion about religion being a toy.
4/13
1) Students watched an episode of This American Life in which an improvisational group pretended to be HUGE fans of the Ghosts of Pasha band. The group members learned the lyrics to the band’s songs, and each responded to the music in a different way: some completely jammed out, while others were more introverted, pretending that the music had a profound effect on them.
2) This clip illustrated charity without truth: the improv group was trying to do a good deed by making the band members feel like rock stars. In reality, however, when the band found out that the whole night was a sham, charity became cruelty. This illustrates the Christian belief that truth and charity must always be employed together, because one without the other is cruel.
4/15
1) Students watched youtube clips of Ms. Swan on a plane (aka Swans on a plan) and of an American man participating in a Japanese game show. Ms. Swan kept kicking the seat of the man in front of her and pressing the ‘call’ button. When asked about doing either of these things, she hid behind her accent, and just said “yah, ok.” She was not being reasonable, so there couldn’t be effective communication. The man on the game show ended up in a scary situation because he couldn’t understand what the host was saying
2) These youtube clips illustrated, in a humorous, engaging way, the importance of effective communication. This is important for inter-religious dialogue. The activity also showed the importance of reason in perceiving reality. For example, Ms. Swan’s request for a vegetarian meal with “a liiiitle bit of bacon” was not reasonable, because as a vegetarian, she needs to recognize that she is not supposed to eat bacon. I can relate to this, because I am also a vegetarian who loves bacon….
4/19-4/21
1) Students watched a video about Sophie Scholl and filled out a worksheet. Sophie was arrested for her participation in the White Rose student organization that disturbed anti-Nazi leaflets. She was a Martyr, and stood up to the Nazi’s every step of her journey. A key scene of the movie was when Sophie told the prosecutor that he would be in her place soon; this statement was very insightful.
2) Students learned the concept of Martyrdom; although it is often confused with simply dying, martyrdom actually means bearing witness to the truth unto death. This film also gave a personal account of a young woman’s encounter with Nazi Germany. Students were given an up-close look at how the Nazis suspended basic human rights, and also saw, through Sophie’s interrogator, that the most dangerous factor of the whole situation was the human heart.

4/23
1) Students watched a scene from Crash, where a policeman saves a woman from an overturned car. The woman is terrified of the man, because he tried to molest her at a previous time. The man asks for forgiveness, and the woman allows him to help her. Although the situation is dangerous, and his peers try to take him out of the car, the police officer is intent on rescuing the woman. He saves her seconds before the car explodes.
2) Students then made connections to the idea that love alone is credible. Although logic told the man to leave the woman in the car, because the situation was so dangerous, love encouraged him to rescue her. This relates to the monotheistic idea of God’s unconditional love for humans.

4/27
1) Students listened to an account of Daniel’s struggles, and related his story to the idea of unconditional love. After spending his early years in a Romanian orphanage, Daniel had attachment issues, and took out his anger on his adopted parents (particularly his mother). When many parents would have sent Daniel back to Romania, Daniel’s mother continued to love and help Daniel, because she loved him unconditionally.
2) This related well to the Christian view of love. To Christians, God is love, and therefore, every act of love is Godly. The love that Daniel’s mother bestowed on him was especially powerful, because she gave it so generously.
4/29
1) Students made connections between the cross, the scapegoating mechanism, and sonship. By allowing his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross, God nullified the scapegoating mechanism. Instead of encouraging people to look down on the less fortunate, Christ’s death encouraged people to help the lowest in society. Also, it showed that when people die, they will be reunited with their human bodies, because like Jesus, humans are the sons and daughters of God.
2) The cross is the most well-known symbol of Christianity. It is therefore of the utmost importance to understand how the cross reflects and contributes to the Christian message. Mr. Remedios left students with the challenge of seeing how long they could go without hearing others gossip or put down another person. I lasted about 2 class periods. Wow.
5/3-5/5
1) Students connected different church theologies, and discussed unity, diversity, and division. The church hierarchy was discussed, as well as many church traditions, such as the fact that only men are allowed to be priests. This is one of the most controversial church topics
2) It is essential that students understand the theology of Christianity, as well as the different factions of Christianity. Like all religions, there are different views on certain teachings. One of the key points of the class discussion was that churchgoers are HUMAN. They make mistakes, and therefore the church is imperfect (which might be a good thing).
5/7—no classwork, only lectures and bell work
5/11-5/13
1) Students watched the film In America, which details the struggles of an Irish family that immigrates to America after a family tragedy. Students were asked to find examples of suffering, faith, joy, and new life. They also found connections to how Christians view destiny. The character who struggled the most with the idea of destiny was the father, who blamed God for allowing his son Frankie to die. It took the entire movie for him to accept his loss, and that maybe God had a plan for Frankie.
2) This film helped students find examples of Christian principles in everyday life, which served as a nice review for the test. Christians believe that suffering, like the kind the Irish family had to endure, goes hand in hand with love. People make sacrifices for their loved ones. If the father did not love Frankie so much, then he would not have suffered so much after Frankie’s death. The movie was all around awesome, and provided a nice relief from the monotony that is the school day.
5/17
1) Today, students were tested on the Christianity unit. There was a study guide, and students were required to know all of the vocabulary words in the book. It was also suggested that students review previous bell works, lectures, and class activities. The test took approximately 40 minutes, and had about 10 vocab questions, 2 short answers, and 2 essay questions.
2) As a student, testing is a painful part of the schooling process, but I know that it is also very useful, because it forces me to review the test material. This allows for a better retention of information in the long run, particularly for the IB World Religions exam next year.

4th Quarter Bell Work (Allegra)

2010-05-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

3/23 Buber reading: Buber discusses man's approach to truth and reality. Man cannot manipulate what is real because he is part of it. Buber also discusses man's approach to religion. He criticizes a dualist who separates God's authority from the authority of economics, politics, and "self assertion". Buber believes, like Fr. Murray, that you must commit to faith or commit to atheism, but one cannot committ to agnosticism.
3/29 Flew article: One of the most famous athiests, Antony Flew, announced that he is open to believing in God. He was a disciple of C.S. Lewis but disagreed with him for most of his life. Flew believes that because there is reason, there must be a God to create reason. He follows a scientific approach to faith, yet God is immaterial so He cannot be scientifically proven to exist.
3/31 Plunkett Poem:The poem by Plunkett "I See His Blood Upon the Rose" describes the speakers encounter with Christ in all of nature. This is because the Christians believe Jesus' sacrifice saved mankind for eternity and we can be reminded of the salvation that has been given to us in all of nature. Mr. Remedios' connection is the "Love sees with new eyes" meaning the Christian love for Jesus is powerful enough that it can be viewed in the most insignificant objects.
4/13 Guitar Nation: The class watched a video about a huge air guitar tournament. The audience and air guitarists are passionate about the music and performance, but there is not guitar. This raises the question of whether the air guitarists are untruthful because there is no guitar present. The same question can be asked about truth in general. If we are blissfully unaware, are we experiencing truth?
4/15 Pascal's Wager: Blaise Pascal wages that even though man cannot prove God exists through reason, man should act as though He does because one can only gain from living a religious life.
4/19 White Rose Worksheet: The White Rose was a student organization that peacefully protested the Nazi regime by distributing flyers at their University. The name represents purity in the face of evil. The members of the White Rose risked their lives to express the truth. Likewise in Christianity the martyrs, and Jesus, give their lives to pursue what is true.
4/21 Followers Not Admirers: Kierkegard's Essay describes Jesus Christ's purpose on Earth. He did not teach and perform miracles in order to win the adoration of people. He intended, as a man and not a god, to show mankind how to act. Therefore, Christians believe they are followers of Christ and try to imitate Him rather than simply admire Him.
4/23 Epitaph: A poem by Sir Walter Raleigh. An epitaph is the final words of a person put on their tombstone. This "Epitaph" describes death, yet it is optimistic because as a Christian the speaker trusts that God will "raise me up". This shows the nature of resurrection in Christianity because there can be no joy without suffering.
4/27 Freedom by Peguy: The poem is told in first person by the voice of the Christian God. It points out God's concern over whether to allow man to "swim on his own" (i.e. live freely) and risk watching him swallow too much water or to hold man as he swims and risk him never learning how to swim. God decides to grant humans free will because if our actions aren't free they aren't genuine.
4/29 Barron on Scapegoating: Father Barron relates scapegoating to our everyday life. Gossiping, for example, is sharing with one individual at the expense of another individual. He states that Jesus' sacrifice ended scapegoating because He was willing to be mankind's scapegoat.
5/3 Church as Mother to Have God the Father: This bellwork turned into a heated debate over whether Christians should accepted a Catholic Church that is filled with hypocrites and flawed individuals. The belief, though, is that Jesus is married to the Church and therefore Christians cannot separate God from the Church. Being made up of human, the Church has some flaws, but Christians cannot comprehend why Jesus loves the Church or all sinners for that matter.
5/5 Prodigal Son/Two Brothers: The class watched a scene from Jesus of Nazareth when Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal Son. This parable is two stories in one. The first describes to forgiving and uncondionally loving nature of the Christian God because the father forgives his wasteful son. The second describes the Christian God's equality in loving all His children.

4th Quarter Homework - Joel

2010-04-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

3/23- Work on Part A of IA

The IA is a research project where students are required to ask a question of a certain religion and find the answer to it. Part A is the rationale for the topic chosen and the preliminary research.

3/25- Doubt & Belief Reading

This reading was about how both Christians and atheists have both doubt and belief in common. For Christians, the doubt is if God does not exist and the teachings of Christianity are false. The belief is that God does exist and all the teachings are true. For atheists, the doubt is if Christianity is true and the belief is that it is not true and there is no God.

3/29 - Faith by Pope Worksheet

This reading talked about four different stories dealing with the Christian faith. One was about a clown telling the village that a fire was coming and the village did not believe him because they thought he was putting on an act. Another talked about a man in the ocean being saved from drowning only by clinging to a cross that was floating in the water and how his near death experience brought him closer to God. Another was a woman lying on her death bed and at the end of her life not being sure if Christianity was true. The last was about a non-believer asking a rabbi what if his beliefs were false and the rabbi replying "yet, perhaps it is true."

3/31 - Finish IA Parts A/B

Part A is the rationale for the chosen topic and the preliminary research. Part B is the plan for study.

4/13 - Design Worksheet by Kreeft

This reading talked about how everything that is designed must have a designer. Kreeft is saying that although it is possible that the universe happened by chance, it is infinitely more likely that it was designed. Kreeft asserts that the designer is God and that because there is beauty and meaning in the world, it must have been designed by God.

4/15 - Revelation Worksheet

This reading talked about the nature of God being in three parts and how we could not have figured this out by reason alone. It talks about how Christianity is unique from all other religions because of its doctrines of the Trinity (God being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and the Incarnation (Christ being Man and Divine). The reading says that God's revelation of His true nature is the ultimate form of love.

4/19 - Jesus: Liar or Lord? by Kreeft

This reading talks about how Jesus was either the Lord or a liar. If everything Jesus said was true, he was the Lord. However, if Jesus' teachings were false, he was a liar who was a terrible man because he claimed to be God. The reading talked about how Jesus could not be a liar or a lunatic and that the only possible true claim was that Jesus is the Lord

4/21 - IA Part C

Part C is the summary of information.

PART TWO

4/29 - A Father Who Keeps His Promises + IA Part E

The reading was about how a father promised his son he would always be there when the son needed it. This symbolizes how God is there for us because we are His children and He keeps His promises to us.

5/3 - Finish IA

Finish and turn in the IA

5/5 - Read 1st half of Christianity Chapter and prepare for a quiz

5/7 - Read 2nd half of Christianity Chapter and prepare for a quiz

5/11 - Complete Sacraments and Heaven WS

Readings explained the nature of the sacraments and heaven in Christianity

5/13 - Study for Test

Test on Christianity

5/17 - Finish Projects

5/19 - Finish Retreat and Service Reflections

5/24 - No Homework

5/26 - Study for Final

3rd Quarter Bell Work

2010-03-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

3/9- Boycotted Avatar Tuesday because of its defeat to The Hurt Locker.

3/11- We looked at quote by Martin Niemoller, written about the Holocaust. Related to boiling a frog, you don't know whats coming your way because the heat is turned up slowly.

3/15- Looked at a worksheet in preparation for watching a movie about a group of child refugees in Northern Uganda.

3/17- Took test

3rd Quarter Classwork - Joel

2010-03-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

Classwork (By Joel):

1/19: Presentations about the art and architecture of different religions were given

1/21: Ms. Kasperzak came and talked about college

1/26 - 1/28: Hinduism lectures

2/1: Buddhism lecture

2/4: We watched Fishers of Men video

- talked about call to the priesthood

- explained more about the lives of priests

2/16: We watched Groundhog Day and filled out a worksheet

- Main character stuck in the same day -> represents Samsara

- Needs to do his duty (dharma) to acheive moksha (release)

2/18: We watched a Judaism documentary while filling out a worksheet

2/24: We watched scene selections from the Last Kiss

2/26- 3/3: We watched a documentary about Hasidism while filling out a worksheet

- documentary talked about the Hasidic Jews

- how they are separate from the rest of Judaism

3/5-3/9: We watched Fiddler on the Roof while filling out a worksheet

- the 3 daughters represented 3 different types of Judaism

- fiddler represented Judaism as a whole

3/11: We watched the Pianist while filling out a worksheet

- showed life of Jews just before the Holocaust

3/15 : We watched War Dance while filling out worksheet

- showed examples of human dignity

- showed examples of genocide in today's world

3/17: 3rd Quarter Test

3/19: Finished War Dance and worksheet

3rd Quarter Lectures--By Dani

2010-03-06T19:19:00.000-08:00

2/4

1. Today, students were informed on the history and significance of the Priesthood. They learned about how ordained priests can trace themselves back to St. Peter, and that everyone is actually a priest. To compliment this lecture, students also watched a short documentary on the priesthood, that included interviews about why priests decided to enter into religious life.

2. This lecture was very useful in the writing of the John Carroll Essay. Personally, I referred to these notes multiple times throughout my paper. In addition, it gave a new perspective on the jobs of priests in the community. One part of the documentary that really struck me was when a priest noted that he lives a lifetime in a day (baptism, wedding, last rites). This was very powerful.

2/16

1. Students were lectured on the Jewish peoples' revolutionary history. The Jews are God's 'Chosen People' and as such, they have endured much upheaval and repression. They have endured the Babylonian Captivity, repression by the Egyptians, and, most recently, the Holocaust. Although it is a great honor to be God's Chosen People, it is also a burden, because the Jews must keep undergoing tests in order to be worthy of God's love.

2. The rich Jewish history, which is one of the longest religious histories in existence, has shaped Jewish faith and tradition. It is impossible to understand the Judaism without knowing the trials the Jews have undergone. The celebration of Passover, for example, is a tradition from when the Jew's were freed from the Egyptians, and God 'passed over' the homes of the Jews. Without understanding the history behind Passover, we as students cannot understand its importance to the Jewish faith.

2/18 and 2/24

1. This lecture detailed the fundamental teachings of Judaism. Students were instructed in the three religious views in Judaism (orthodox, conservative, reform), and the covenant that God made with the Jewish people. One of the main points of this lecture was the difference between a covenant and a promise--A promise is an exchange of goods, and a contract. A covenant is an exchange of persons, and a swear.

2. This lecture taught students the fundamentals of Judaism. This information is needed, not only for the IB exam, but also to compare and contrast Judaism to other religions. Judaism was the first monotheistic religion, and Christianity and Islam are offshoots of it. In order to understand the other two religions better, we must first understand Judaism.

2/26

1. Today, students learned about the Jewish Community and the Oral Torah. Jews believe that God calls each person by name, and that each person is unique, and will never be repeated. The Oral Torah is an interpretation of the written Torah. It discusses how to live the Torah everyday (in the Jewish Community), and Rabbi's are required to read the entire Talmud (this shows some real commitment!)

2. By learning about the Jewish Community and the Oral Torah, students add another dimension to their understanding of Judaism. They are subjects that every Jew is well versed in, but that an outsider can know only if he/she studies the language in-depth. The Jewish Community is very strong, and is almost its own culture. It is important to understand the community in order to interact with it.

3/3

This lecture was skipped in favor of devoting more time to a documentary on Hasidism.

3/11

1. Students learned about the Holocaust, which is a huge tragedy in Jewish history, as well as the history of all Mankind. Throughout history, there has been bloodshed and tears, and the dignity of the human person has been cast aside. The Nazi's were not some strange, unfeeling breed of humans; they were people, with human hearts. It was humans who orchestrated the Holocaust, and who today contribute to Genocides in places like Darfur.

2. This lecture showed the universal theme of Genocides--they're executed by Man! This is important to remember. This lecture was also very important in relation the the Jewish people; jews have a 2,000-year history of maltreatment. It is important to understand how Jews view the Holocaust; it was a culmination of 2,000 years of persecution.

Third Quarter Homework

2010-03-04T16:23:00.001-08:00

1/19--We took notes on Hinduism from our World Religions book. The notes included information Hinduism's origin, the sacred writings of Hinduism, worship practices, gods, Hinduism's philosophy, view of humans and world, and destiny. An identifying aspect of Hinduism is its belief that each soul (Atman) is part of the entire world (Brahman). Hinduism life is based on a cycle of the soul (samsara) until salvation is achieved through performing duties. Another definining characteristic of Hinduism is its caste system.

Hinduism Vocab:
Devas-"shining ones", gods that represent what is good for humans
Shruti-Hindu sacred writing
Vedas-oldest part of shruti with 4 collections of scripture
Brahmanas-"explanations of sacrifices", second part of shruti
Upanishads-"sitting near teachers", end of Vedas
Rig-Veda-best known, god requires sacrifices
Indra-most important deity of hymns
Soma-deified plant
Veruna-god of sky, protector of Truth
Rita-principle force of universe preventing chaos
Brahamana-instructs priest on deeper meaning of traditions
Atman-Brahman, gateway of soul
Maya-world is an illusion
guru-a seer and teacher of truth
Moksha-release from cycle
Samsara-cycle, rebirth
Monism-belief in only one reality
Dualism-belief in two irreducible realities
Jnana-way of knowledge
Bhakti-way of devotion
raja-union with body
Kama-search for pleasures
Artha-pursuit of politics or materialism
Dharma-duties of an individuals caste

1/21--The poem "Sleep" by Charles Peguy was outlined. It is a free verse narrative by God about the importance of rest and trust in God.
1/26--The first part of the Religion of Iraq and Iran chapter was outlined. This region has a militant history and many rituals to worship gods. This religion does not appear to have any ritual for the transition of death which could be a sign of a wordly spiritual viewpoint.
1/28--The chapter on Iraq and Iran was finished. It discusses the development of the religion to a belief in a boundless time and space; human perfection is based not only on rituals but moral obedience.

Iran/Iraq vocab:
ziggurat--pyramid structure for center
Tiamat-god salt water, married
Apsu-god fresh water
Marduk-hero of Enuma Elish myth, delegated authority
Dumuzi/Tammuz-fertility god
Inana/Ishtar-queen of heaven
Gilgamesh-king of Uruk, tries to find immortality
Zarathustra- chosen, had revelation, from warrior clan Spitama
Vohu manah-"Good Thouhgt", Zarathustra's revelation
Ahura Mazda- wise lord, told Zarathustra his followers would be immortal
Angra Mainyu-opposition to Ahura Mazda
Zoroastrianism-Zarathustra's teachings
Avesta-book of law
Dualism-fight between two equally powerful forces
Naozot-obligation of children study
sudreh-made from kusti, worn by children when they study

2/1--The class is working on the John Carroll Society essay which explores the importance of priests in the Catholic faith.
2/4--We still work on the John Carroll essay
2/16--The first part of the Judaism chapter is outlined. It explains the three headings of the Jewish Bible (Tanakh) which are the Torah, Neviim, and Kethuvim. The history of Judaism is explained to highlight its radicality during its time. The importance of a covenant is also explained in the reading.
2/18--The second half of the Judaism reading describes Judaism's development in Medieval period up to the 21st Century. The Arab-Israeli conflict is also explained.

Judaism Vocab:
Tanakh-Jewish Bible
Torah-divine guidance
Neviim-the prophets
Kethuvim-the writings
covenant-contract without expiration
Passover-celebrated in remembrance of the night the angel of death killed all Egyptian firstborn sons but passed over Hebrew homes
Matzah-unleavened bread
Synagogue-new Jewish institution of communal worshipping after the fall of Bablyon
Rabbi-layman who reads and comments on Torah
Scribe-scholar of the Torah
Mishnah-adapting faith of Judaism
Talmud-interpretation of Mishnah, continued adaptation of faith
Kabballah-Jewish form of hidden knowldege that appeared in medieval period
Zohar-text that scholars believe written by Moses de Leon
Zionism-movement to establish Jewish homeland
Mitvoth-responses to God must be followed, religious duties
Kippot-head coverings worn by men in services at synangogues
Hasisim-"pious ones" devoted to Torah and pure lives
Shema-proclamation of one powerful God
Halakhah-basis for ethics
Rosh Hashanah-days of Awe, celebrate God's creation
Bar Mitvah-son of the commandment
Bat Mitvah-girls becoming responsible in religion
Shivah-period of 7 days devoted to mourning deceased
Kaddish-pray of mourning said by sons for 11 months after parent's death
Sheol-where departed souls sleep after death
2/24--An anthology of the Tanak is created to explore books within the three headings and their relationship to the Ultimate Reality of Judaism, its view of the Human Person, Its view of Spiritual Perfection, and Destiny.
2/26--A reading on Hassidism in Judaism and a worksheet are completed. Hassidism is a minority part of Orthodox Judaism that pursues complete immersion in sincerity of prayer and God.

classwork-by Dani

2009-12-06T15:20:00.000-08:00

10/29

1. Student watched the beginning of the Giant Buddha documentary, about how the Taliban destroyed the Buddha statues. A family living in the shadow of a now-destroyed giant Buddha is detailed.

2. Students learned about what the giant Buddha's symbolized, and the importance they had to the Buddhist people. It was nice to take a break from Confucianism/Taoism, and students focused on the nature of religion, inter-religious dialogue (or lack thereof), and the clash between Islam and Buddhism.

11/2

1. We watched selections from different movies, and had to decide which type of teacher, Confucian or Taoist, each teacher was. Mr. John Keating, (aka Robin Williams), for example, was very Taoist. In contrast, Joe Clark showed himself to be extremely Confucian, walking into a room full of teachers on his first day and laying down his rules.

2. This was a fun, interactive way to distinguish between Buddhism and Taoism. The two religions really revolve around Confucius and Lao-Tzu, so this activity got to the heart of the religions.

11/4-11/6

1. Today, students watched the movie Chalk, a documentary about new teachers (or new assistant principles). This documentary was very interesting, especially the fact that about 50% of teacher quit within their first three years of teaching. This was shocking, and really got the message across. It was interesting to see what made a good teacher, and what made a bad one.

2. In order to understand Confucianism and Taoism, to which teachers are so important, students must first understand the essence of the teacher. What makes one teacher good, and another bad, is one teaching style always better than another, or are two styles equally effective?

11/10-11/12

1. Students watched Pride and Prejudice (Great Movie!) and concentrated on aspects of Confucianism, such as the Chun-Tzu, Te, and Wen. It is obvious, for example, that Wickham is not a gentleman when he speaks badly about Mr. Darcy behind his back, and to an almost-stranger no less! Te is illustrated simply by the title of the movie-is Pride a fault or a virtue?

2. This helped students delve deeper into Confucianism. Learning the terms, such as Chun-Tzu and Te, as mentioned above, was very interesting, and helpful. Finding examples made these concepts easier to relate to.

11/16

1. Students learned about Taoist virtues, mirroring the lesson on Confucian virtues in the previous class. There was a more in-depth examination of Taoism, and it was contrasted to Confucianism. There was not time to watch Star Wars...

2. This activity helped students better understand the Taoist religion and system of beliefs. Because students had just learned about the Confucian virtues, students were able to easily compare and contrast the two religions.

11/18-11/20

1. Students watched the movie Rashoman, where we learned that Truth is subjective. Four different accounts are given of an encounter between a samuri, the samuri's wife, and a bandit. The audience learns that each account has been changed slightly, and told through the filter of the person recounting events.

2. We learned that though truth is absolute, we do not always know the absolute truth, because everyone (or almost everyone) changes the truth to fit their needs. Though the ending was slightly corny, and the creepy bandit-laugh was funny, the main point of the movie was well-taken, and valuable.

12/1

1. Students read a Taoist selection on virtues, and filled out a worksheet about it. They then discussed the different virtues, and how they related to today. We were warned that next class a paper on Confucianism and Taoism would be assigned, so it would be advisable to think of how Taoist virtues were applicable to modern times.

2. This activity got students thinking about their papers, and relate Taoist principles to today's world, so they didn't seem so abstract and intangible.

12/3

1. Today, students watched Pride and Prejudice. We were given a worksheet with different Confucian virtues, and had to write examples of each virtue from the movie. One of the most important Confucian virtues, being a Chun-tzu, or gentleman, was exemplified by Mr. Darcy's asking Elizabeth to dance at the Netherfield ball.

2. This movie was an engaging class activity, and provided students with an interesting way of identifying Confucian virtues. In addition, it was very beneficial for the males in the class to watch the movie, as it is important to many girls. By searching for the Confucian virtues in a movie depicting late 18th century society, students learned how to relate Confucian virtues to all parts of life and time periods.

12/7

1. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was the feature of today's class. It is a more Taoist-oriented movie, with its main problem being the struggle of Jen to balance yang, or aggression, with yin, which is more passive. Students were given a worksheet to fill out where they had to write about each of the characters.

2. Focusing on each character allowed us to distinguish their different philosophies. Li Mu-Bai, for example, was able to balance his yin and yang, retiring from a life of fighting. Jen, on the other hand, is overpowered by yang, as is shown when she fights Li Mu-Bai in a tree and loses her balance. Shu-lien is more Confucian, believing in ritual and conduct.

12/9 and 12/11

1. Students continued and finished watching CTHD. They watched the process as Jen slowly learned to balance her Yin and Yang.

2. This Taoist movie contrasted nicely with the more Confucian Pride and Prejudice that students had just watched.

1/4

1. A priest from St. Peters spoke to the class about monastic life. He detailed the events that lead him to become a priest, and explained the most rewarding parts of his profession. He emphasized that one does not have to be a priest to be part of one's religious community. There are many monastic orders, for men and women, that can be joined. In addition, a person can become a deacon, or a member of the Church choir. Everyone is called to be a different part of the community.

2. This talk was so important, because although as juniors we are students of World Religions, Good Counsel itself is a Catholic School. It is important to be reminded that although we pass over the other religions of the world, it is nice to come back to one's own religion, more enlightened, and ready to be a part of the religious community. The Priest did a nice job of presenting all aspects of monastic and religious life that we, as members of a religious community, can be a part of.

1/6, 1/8, and 1/14

1. Students presented their art and architecture projects. Among these were Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Taoism. Earlier this year, the geography of these religions were presented. The presentations about art and architecture were related back to the religion's cosmology, which instructed students on each religion's beliefs. The Buddhist Dharma wheel, for example, represents the eight principles of Buddhism, in addition to representing the cycle of life.

2. This was a way of allowing students to research a new religion, or one that had already been studied, in a new light, not focusing only on the religious beliefs themselves, but how these beliefs were reflected in art and architecture. This approach was much more challenging, because not only did students need to master the basic beliefs of a religion, they also had to study the religion's art and architecture and relate them back to the religious beliefs. When accomplished, however, the result was an interesting and well-researched presentation of a world religion.

1/12

1. Students were tested on material from the second quarter, including the essence of teaching, ideas of Father Murray, and Confucianism and Taoism. The test was a culmination of all that we had learned during the second quarter.

2. The test forced us to review all that we had learned throughout the second quarter, re-enforcing the information in our brains, so that it was not so easily forgotten the next time. In addition, it allowed us to re-evaluate what we had learned this quarter, and make connections to the first quarter and our previous religion classes.

Bell Work (by Joel)

2009-12-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

10/29 - Fr. Barron On Youtube Heresies

We watched a video of Father Robert Barron talking about heresies he has found on Youtube. The two main heresies he talked about were scientism and mystical intuition. Scientism is the view that reality is restricted to what the sciences can explain and if something can't be shown or proven, it isn't true. Science can not explain the questions of ultimate meaning.

Mystical intuition assumes the idea that life is intelligible. Father Barron asserted that life is not necessarily something we can understand, but religion is an attempt at explaining it. In this, he shows that reason and religion are connected. Father Barron says that science can't explain everything and people shouldn't try to explain religion with science.

11/2 - What Makes A Teacher

We watched a Youtube video of a poem written by Taylor Mali talking about the importance of teachers. It showed that teachers truly care about the students they teach and that they make a difference in the lives of their students.

11/6 - Kreeft on Philosophy is unteachable

11/10 - Confucius Says WS

We analyzed sayings of Confucius and answered questions about them. Also, we said that the quote "learning without thinking is labor lost; thinking without learning is perilous" (Confucius) meant that learning random facts is useless, but thinking things and saying they are true without proper education is harmful to society.

11/12 - Short Paper Discussion

11/16 - Tao Te Ching Selections WS

We talked about paradox, read selections from the Tao Te Ching, and answered questions. We defined paradox as "an apparent contradiction that draws further insight" and we said that the reason religious traditions, poets, and authors use paradox is because the truth is not something that is clear, so they use paradox to try to explain it.

12/1 - The Taoist Sage WS

We read an article called The Taoist Sage about a reporter going to a temple of Taoists and asking a sage about Taoism. The sage told him to "take time, observe, and learn" in order to understand Taoism better. The sage said that Taoism isn't something that can be learned in an hour and takes a lifetime to learn about. The sage told the reporter to read only one book: the Tao Te Ching and try to understand it, but not ask questions. The way to find out what one is looking for is to observe.

12/3 - Confucius Selections

We read a selection of The Mansion of Confucius talking about Confucius and his teachings. The main point of the reading was that Confucius put out his teachings and wondered if they were wrong. He got three responses from his students. The first student said that it was Confucius' fault for not having the character or wisdom to win people's confidence. The second student answered that Confucius' standards were too high for people and suggested he relaxed them slightly. The third student said that it was not Confucius' fault for the people's lack of ability to meet his standards.

Allegra: Lectures

2009-12-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

10/27: More groups did their presentations today, including our own group. The group covered the religions of Asia & Japan. The Asia and Japan group explained the religions of Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto. The history of Confucius was explained as well as his teachings about striving to be moral and treating others the way we would like to be treated. For Taoism the importance of balance was explained through the the symbol of the yin yang. An example given for balance is the exercise Tao chi which uses the naturalness of space to move. The third religion, Shinto, comes from Japan. Many people who practice Shinto also believe Taoism or Confucianism. Shinto involves the traditional myths and practices of the island of Japan.

10/29: We took a lecture on the Regensburg Letters by Pope Benedict, which we had to read for homework. Notes include:

individuals should be able to speak intellectually, it is a way of respecting one another
a dialogue must have truth and tolerance in it when discussing faith or beliefs
as you trust your friends to tell you the truth (with kind motive) you should be able to trust a person you converse with over beliefs to speak honestly
truth spoke without "charity" is cruel because it deforms truth (thus gosisp is cruelty)
The Christian faith is compatable with reason (logos is part of our faith-relogo)
Pope Benedict uses logic in his writing
The Christain claim is that God is love yet people believe there is violence associated with religion
Christians also claim onl reason can justify faith
A Byzantine emperor si violence is irrational, which contradicts the Christian claim to reason
Other relgions believe God does not have to be reasonable in terms of our human capacity
Law of Abrogation is Islam says God transcends reason and can contradict Himself
For Christians: God cannot be reasonable, because He is logos, He can be studied in a university
Pope Benedict's Address was given at a university and became controversal because people believed he was attacking Islam, when he was really addressing that people of all religions are invited to the Vatican to observe Christian practices, but only Muslims are invited to the pilgrimmage to Mecca to experience it
Pope asks for reciprocity

11/2 The class talked about the Schall reading "Another Sort of Learning". It is controversial because it claims none of the important things are taught in school, school is trivial teaching compared to experience.

11/4 The class watched Chalk and took notes on a worksheet. Not lecture was given.

11/6 Once again, the class watched Chalk--a movie about the daily life of teachers. The theme of the movie is "Why do teachers quit after their first three years of teaching?" The movie deals with who is meant to teach kids.

11/10 Lecture notes were taken on Confucianism:

Tao is the way, it is not a deity, it's a law which is unseen
the Tao is the order of the universe
Christianity is dominantly immanent, Islam is dominantly transcendent; the Tao is equally both
>>it is incomprehensible, beyond the mind which means it is transcendent (beyond space)
>>immanent because it is active in the universe
Confucius: born poor
>>as a result he believed nobility should be based on merit
>>furthermore an individual must always be learning to gain self-respect
In terms of education, Confucius valued wisdom not data; therefore the elderly are revered because they are oldest and thus wisest by experience
a great Confucius statement is "know thyself"
Spiritual Perfection comes from learning to be human (knowing thyself)
>Chun Tzu: ultimate role model
>>>a gentleman or lady who is constantly learning and never lazy
>>>a mature, intellectual person
The Chun Tzu dresses in what is fashionable because it is respectable to society
>has a presence when they walk in a room, but not in an alpha-male manner
>they lead and act virtuously
The #1 virtue of Confucianism: Jen (goodness)
>>goodness includes behaving properly which building respect, practicing the arts which build culture, and being good which builds society

An example of the Chun Zhu is given in a story about Dan, Razor, and Blazer: Dan is a goody-goody/yuppy/wimpy boy. Razor is the daring/disrespectful/exciting/bad boy. Neither are desirable ultimately because they are both BOYS, immature. Blazer is the gentleman, or Chun Zhu who offers stimulating conversion about arts, sports, news, anything. It is agreed the Chun Zhu is not perfect but strives to be.

11/12 No notes were taken; We watched Pride and Prejudice and discussed the characteristics of a Chun Zhu

11/16 Notes were taken on Taoism: the way of nature

there is a distinction of Philosophical Taoism and Religious Taoism, our class will focus on Philosophical Taoism
Taoism is the Chinese Religious Foundation with belief in nature deities, ancestor worship, and harmony with the Tao
While Confucius intended to creat beauty with a leader (Chun Zhu) and symphony, Taoism just says listen to nature
Lao Tzu at eighty years old retired from his job to enter nature
He wrote the Tao Te Ching as he left his home
He is now a deity throught the practice of ancestor worship (not a god but recognized as an important individual for Taoists)
Ying Yang is the symbol of Taoism
>>means Heaven Earth
>>the Ying and Yang complement each other without fighting and need eachother
>>neither side is superior and there is a little bit in each other
with the Ying and Yang nothing is absolutely good or evil, truth is also relative. With the monotheistic God, He is all good and truth is absolute by Him
The Chun Zhu of Confucianism contradicts Ying Yang because he/she strives to be ALL good and virtuous
Te is the power of harmony between Ying and Yang
>>virtue or power is actually found in harmony
>>to seek harmony with the Tao, balance the Ying and Yang in your life
A Sage is a Taoist role model
>>he/she is connected to the Tao, or nature
harmony with the Tao is the only way to thrive (cannot go against the way, it's like paddling up a stream)
Understanding the Tao will bring simplicity and unity
A threat to balance of Ying and Yang is thinking too much which causes confusion
>>this is part of Yang, the aggressive side
Ex. Dogs are too aggressive in getting food, a cat will wait for its food and it comes to them
We must balance Passivity and Aggression (Ying and Yang)

11/18 The class watch Roshoman today. Something to think about: what do people mean when the refer to a "Roshomon" moment? And is truth absolute? What could cause a priest to lose faith in the goodness of man after already witnessing countless murders and acts of evil??

11/20 The class watched Roshoman. Ultimately the priest regains his faith in man, it is understood truth is relative (according to Taoism). Every person presents their version of the truth with a little bias to make themselves sound better.

12/01 The gold day class still needed to finish Roshoman. We talked about our Thanksgiving breaks and discussed the movie after it ended.

12/03 We finished Taoism notes:

Wu Wei is a primary virtue, maintaing harmony
stresses actionless activity, non-action
this is NOT about doing nothing, it is about accomplishing the task at hand only and doing so without stress and too much Yang
At the heart of all Taoist virtues is the need to be more passive and embrace the Yin
The Yin will bring balance which brings supreme effectiveness
Harmony is power (or Te)
a great example of power through passivity is water because it slowly and patiently is able to carve out canyons
In Taoism Te is harmony, in Confucianism Te is virtue; there is the distinction
Other virtues of Taoism include humilitya nd noncompetition, naturalness and naturalism, and non-aggression and passivity
Naturalism is the idea of leaving nature alone
>>this does not mean being a PETA member and actively protecting environment; it is about simply leaving nature alone

The rest of the classes have been dedicated to further review of the lessons in these lectures.