According to Dante, there are Nine Circles of Hell. Each of the circles represents a different sin; Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery. Some of the circles are divided into groups, where sinners are split even further. For instance, the fourth circle that represents greed is divided into a group for hoarders and a group for lavish spenders.
The ninth circle represents treachery. This Circle of Hell is divided into four "rounds" where sinners are frozen into an icy lake. Their depth in the frozen lake is based on the severity of their sin.
The circle that I found the most interesting was the seventh circle which is divided into three rings; the outer ring where murderers "live" in a river of boiling blood and fire. The middle ring is for two types of sinners: those who have committed suicide (who appear as trees that feed human-faced birds called harpies) and those who are shamelessly immoral (who are chased and eaten by dogs). The inner ring is for those who are blasphemous or have committed sodomy. These sinners "live" in a desert of burning sand, where burning rain falls.
Dante's view of Hell leads me to believe that he was either very imaginative, very angry or a combination of both. He believed he was destined for Heaven, but if it was anger that led him to write Inferno, than he would surely have been bound for the fifth circle of Hell (Anger) where if he was intensely angry, he would have fought on the River Styx and if he was sulky and bad-tempered, he would have gurgled under the surface of the river.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
My opinion of Chevrefoil (Doc 3)
In Chevrefoil, a poem written by a medieval poetess known as Marie de France, the narrator summarizes the story of Tristan and Isolde's adulterous love affair. Isolde's husband, King Mark, has discovered the affair and has banished Tristan to exile. Tristan learns that Queen Isolde will be traveling to Tintagel to hold court with her husband and decides to carve his name in a hazel branch in hopes that Queen Isolde will see the branch, stop the procession and come into the woods to meet with him.
Chevrefoil, is also known as The Honeysuckle, because of the use of symbolism regarding the relationship between a hazel tree and a honeysuckle bush. These plants are meant to represent the love of Tristan and Isolde. In verse five, Marie de France says,
Chevrefoil, is also known as The Honeysuckle, because of the use of symbolism regarding the relationship between a hazel tree and a honeysuckle bush. These plants are meant to represent the love of Tristan and Isolde. In verse five, Marie de France says,
Many believe that the metaphor of hazel and honeysuckle implies that Tristan and Isolde need each other's love desperately, the honeysuckle needs the hazel to survive. If they are severed, both will die. But their judgment is clouded; in fact, honeysuckle was used medicinally during medieval times to cure cloudy vision.
There is danger in both staying together and being apart. Many Celts believed that the nuts of hazel trees provide wisdom and knowledge. Honeysuckle, in literature, has been used to represent intense love or sex. In reality, hazel trees are rather small trees, while honeysuckle are an invasive plant that grows at an alarming rate. The intrusive growth of the honeysuckle would very quickly suffocate the hazel and kill it.
In my opinion, the hazel and the honeysuckle do not represent the love Tristan and Isolde had for each other, but instead represent the idea that their relationship was parasitic and deadly. Although the poem does not address this, the tale of Tristan and Isolde does end with both of their deaths; Tristan by betrayal and Isolde by overwhelming grief. In the end, their toxic love kills them both.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
A little similarity, please.
The Qu'ran and the New Testament have more differences, than similarities. One of the similarities is both tell the story of Cain and Abel, but they do so in completely different ways. The New Testament tells the story, but the message is in one's interpretation. The Qu'ran tells the story, but it overtly expresses the consequences.
In the New Testament, the story is told in Genesis 4:1-15. Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain farmed the land and Abel kept flocks. One day they brought offerings to the Lord. The Lord was pleased with Abel's offering, but not Cain's. Cain was very angry. Verse 6 says that the Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Cain took Abel into the fields and killed him. When asked by the Lord where Abel was, Cain lied and told him that he did not know. Cain was condemned to suffering for the rest of his life.
In the Qu'ran al Ma'ida 27-32, the story is told conversationally. Cain and Abel are not called out by name, but are referred to as the "two sons of Adam." In Verse 27, Yusalifi says, " Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam. Behold! they each presented a sacrifice (to Allah): It was accepted from one, but not from the other. Said the latter: "Be sure I will slay thee." "Surely," said the former, "Allah doth accept of the sacrifice of those who are righteous. " Then Pickthal says, "But recite unto them with truth the tale of the two sons of Adam, how they offered each a sacrifice, and it was accepted from the one of them and it was not accepted from the other. (The one) said: I will surely kill thee. (The other) answered: Allah accepteth only from those who ward off (evil)."
The murder of Abel is expressed in Verse 30, "The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him, and became (himself) one of the lost ones." The Qu'ran goes on to say that killing or saving another human being is the equivalent of killing or saving all of mankind. This is offered up as proof that Allah is sovereign.
Although both readings tell the story of the murder of Abel by Cain, the messages are completely different. In the New Testament, the message is that there are consequences for your actions, while in the Qu'ran, the message is that Cain's actions are akin to waging war against Allah.
In the New Testament, the story is told in Genesis 4:1-15. Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain farmed the land and Abel kept flocks. One day they brought offerings to the Lord. The Lord was pleased with Abel's offering, but not Cain's. Cain was very angry. Verse 6 says that the Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Cain took Abel into the fields and killed him. When asked by the Lord where Abel was, Cain lied and told him that he did not know. Cain was condemned to suffering for the rest of his life.
In the Qu'ran al Ma'ida 27-32, the story is told conversationally. Cain and Abel are not called out by name, but are referred to as the "two sons of Adam." In Verse 27, Yusalifi says, " Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam. Behold! they each presented a sacrifice (to Allah): It was accepted from one, but not from the other. Said the latter: "Be sure I will slay thee." "Surely," said the former, "Allah doth accept of the sacrifice of those who are righteous. " Then Pickthal says, "But recite unto them with truth the tale of the two sons of Adam, how they offered each a sacrifice, and it was accepted from the one of them and it was not accepted from the other. (The one) said: I will surely kill thee. (The other) answered: Allah accepteth only from those who ward off (evil)."
The murder of Abel is expressed in Verse 30, "The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him, and became (himself) one of the lost ones." The Qu'ran goes on to say that killing or saving another human being is the equivalent of killing or saving all of mankind. This is offered up as proof that Allah is sovereign.
Although both readings tell the story of the murder of Abel by Cain, the messages are completely different. In the New Testament, the message is that there are consequences for your actions, while in the Qu'ran, the message is that Cain's actions are akin to waging war against Allah.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Relevance of the Bible in today's times
For the purposes of this blog post, I will refer to the New Testament as the Bible.
In class, we discussed the purpose of the Bible. Many people said that it was to provide a moral code for humans to follow. In many respects, I agree. Many of the stories don't ring true, but the messages do. I have never been a religious person and admittedly, I have never delved into the Bible. I am, however, familiar with the Ten Commandments and how they are relevant to modern society.
The Ten Commandments are the epitome of a moral code "written in stone." Many of the commandments refer to acts that should not be committed, such as adultery, murder, theft, and dishonesty. In today's society, I think it so important that we abide by some of these commandments. Unfortunately, there has been a degradation of what is morally correct and we see people go against what is right.
Exodus 20:14 says, "You shall not commit adultery." Unfortunately, adultery has become commonplace. In fact, there was a recent computer hack that released thousands of names of people who had created accounts on a website called Ashley Madison. This website's sole purpose was to allow married people to meet other married people for the purposes of having a sexual encounter. The consequences of committing adultery are significantly impacting America's families. This selfish act can be absolutely devastating to a marriage. Adulterous relationships cause marriages to break up. If the family has children, their young lives are forever changed. The ideal family, psychologically speaking, has a mother and father who are in a committed, caring, happy relationship. Children absolutely need an intact, nurturing home to thrive. Many people disagree and see nothing wrong with raising children alone. They say their children aren't affected. Although there are exceptions to every rule, I beg to differ with this mindset.
So does the Bible have a place in modern society. I think so. Even if you are not religious, it's important to have a moral compass. The Bible provides an excellent starting point to guide you in the right direction. Exodus 20:18 says that after God spoke the Ten Commandments, "...the people saw the thunder and lightening and heard the trumpet and saw they mountain in smoke, [and] they trembled with fear." If people in modern society lived with a little fear of the possible repercussions of not following the moral code found in the Bible, than society might be a better place.
In class, we discussed the purpose of the Bible. Many people said that it was to provide a moral code for humans to follow. In many respects, I agree. Many of the stories don't ring true, but the messages do. I have never been a religious person and admittedly, I have never delved into the Bible. I am, however, familiar with the Ten Commandments and how they are relevant to modern society.
The Ten Commandments are the epitome of a moral code "written in stone." Many of the commandments refer to acts that should not be committed, such as adultery, murder, theft, and dishonesty. In today's society, I think it so important that we abide by some of these commandments. Unfortunately, there has been a degradation of what is morally correct and we see people go against what is right.
Exodus 20:14 says, "You shall not commit adultery." Unfortunately, adultery has become commonplace. In fact, there was a recent computer hack that released thousands of names of people who had created accounts on a website called Ashley Madison. This website's sole purpose was to allow married people to meet other married people for the purposes of having a sexual encounter. The consequences of committing adultery are significantly impacting America's families. This selfish act can be absolutely devastating to a marriage. Adulterous relationships cause marriages to break up. If the family has children, their young lives are forever changed. The ideal family, psychologically speaking, has a mother and father who are in a committed, caring, happy relationship. Children absolutely need an intact, nurturing home to thrive. Many people disagree and see nothing wrong with raising children alone. They say their children aren't affected. Although there are exceptions to every rule, I beg to differ with this mindset.
So does the Bible have a place in modern society. I think so. Even if you are not religious, it's important to have a moral compass. The Bible provides an excellent starting point to guide you in the right direction. Exodus 20:18 says that after God spoke the Ten Commandments, "...the people saw the thunder and lightening and heard the trumpet and saw they mountain in smoke, [and] they trembled with fear." If people in modern society lived with a little fear of the possible repercussions of not following the moral code found in the Bible, than society might be a better place.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Opposites in Daodejing
In paragraph two of the Daodejing, Laozi clearly expresses opposites. He talks about beautiful having ugly; good having bad; how something and nothing produce each other and so on. I think the point is that with opposites, you find balance.
Depending on where you are in your life, opposites are either good or bad. They can be used to balance your life. If you're having a hard time, you know that the possibility of an easier time exists. Opposites allow us to think positively or even negatively. They give us something to look forward to or to something to put behind us.
Think about life in general. Each day, we have day and night. We have male and female. We have sickness and health. We have good and bad. Some of these things exist for us to exist. Now imagine a life without opposites. If things were only bad, life would not matter. If things were always good, life would be boring. Not having opposites could mean that we lead meaningless lives or might lead to the complete loss of our existence.
Depending on where you are in your life, opposites are either good or bad. They can be used to balance your life. If you're having a hard time, you know that the possibility of an easier time exists. Opposites allow us to think positively or even negatively. They give us something to look forward to or to something to put behind us.
Think about life in general. Each day, we have day and night. We have male and female. We have sickness and health. We have good and bad. Some of these things exist for us to exist. Now imagine a life without opposites. If things were only bad, life would not matter. If things were always good, life would be boring. Not having opposites could mean that we lead meaningless lives or might lead to the complete loss of our existence.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Confucianism and the Presidency
When I think about which presidential candidate most exemplifies the principles of Confucianism, I can't help but immediately think of Dr. Ben Carson. The core values of Confucianism are ritual, social roles (humans owe each other goodness and humanity) and efficient action (following social norms and becoming a harmonious member of society). Ben Carson follows Confucius's ideas of social roles and efficient action.
Dr. Carson grew up in very poor circumstances in Detroit, Michigan. His father was not in the picture and his mother worked two and sometimes three jobs to support her family. This meant that Ben and his brother, Curtis might go days without seeing their mother. The difficulties their family faced left Ben angry and failing in school. His mother valued education and worked very hard to ensure that Ben and his brother focused on school. In time, Ben rose to top and graduated from high school with honors. He worked his way through Yale and then went to the School of Medicine at the University of Michigan.
Even with all of these successes, Ben still had a raging temper that sometimes became violent. He recognized that he was making everything about him and decided to change. He changed his behavior and soon he prospered.
He accepted a residency at one of the United States leading hospitals, Johns Hopkins. He excelled and soon become the chief resident in neurosurgery. This led him to a job in Australia, where he excelled and participated in several surgeries separating Siamese Twins. Eventually, he returned to Johns Hopkins and became the Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery.
He is a philanthropist who travels extensively to schools and hospitals to tell his story of achieving success in spite of his difficult childhood. His dedication to helping young people led to him establishing the Carson Scholarship Fund in 1994.
Dr. Ben Carson exhibits Confucianism by being a harmonious member of society and by showing goodness and humanity through his efforts in helping others.
Dr. Carson grew up in very poor circumstances in Detroit, Michigan. His father was not in the picture and his mother worked two and sometimes three jobs to support her family. This meant that Ben and his brother, Curtis might go days without seeing their mother. The difficulties their family faced left Ben angry and failing in school. His mother valued education and worked very hard to ensure that Ben and his brother focused on school. In time, Ben rose to top and graduated from high school with honors. He worked his way through Yale and then went to the School of Medicine at the University of Michigan.
Even with all of these successes, Ben still had a raging temper that sometimes became violent. He recognized that he was making everything about him and decided to change. He changed his behavior and soon he prospered.
He accepted a residency at one of the United States leading hospitals, Johns Hopkins. He excelled and soon become the chief resident in neurosurgery. This led him to a job in Australia, where he excelled and participated in several surgeries separating Siamese Twins. Eventually, he returned to Johns Hopkins and became the Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery.
He is a philanthropist who travels extensively to schools and hospitals to tell his story of achieving success in spite of his difficult childhood. His dedication to helping young people led to him establishing the Carson Scholarship Fund in 1994.
Dr. Ben Carson exhibits Confucianism by being a harmonious member of society and by showing goodness and humanity through his efforts in helping others.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Is the War in Syria a Just War?
I don't think the U.S. is at war with Syria. I think this is a Syrian war against it's own people that has become a minor nuisance for the U.S. government, in that extremist groups are quickly gaining control of much of the region.
The war in Syria started after 15 schoolchildren were arrested and tortured for writing anti-government graffiti on a wall. Protests and a demand for release of the children, led to an attack on the townspeople by the government's soldiers.
This simple story has now led to an all out assault on the people of Syria. Rebel groups, who were supported by the U.S., are warring with the Syrian government, demanding that President Assad step down. Extremist groups have taken advantage of the situation and have come in and brutally taken over parts of Syria.
The U.S. has attempted to intervene by way of a few airstrikes that are doing little to stop the tide of Syrian government and the Islamic extremists. The Syrian government has used chemical weapons on it's very own citizens. The extremist groups continue to rape, brutalize and behead anyone who stands in their way, including foreign aid workers.
So, is this war a just war? I don't think so. A just war means that you have an impact that hopefully ends the conflict. There is an end to a means. The minimal effort that the U.S. has given to fighting this war, has done very little, if anything to stem the tide of brutality in Syria. In fact, the extremist groups are controlling more and more of the country. You cannot pour a glass of water on a house fire and expect it to go out.
Could it become a just war? Possibly, but only if the U.S. efforts are amped up significantly and batter the enemy into submission or flight. Sometimes we have to accept that progress is not being made and our efforts might be worthless.
The war in Syria started after 15 schoolchildren were arrested and tortured for writing anti-government graffiti on a wall. Protests and a demand for release of the children, led to an attack on the townspeople by the government's soldiers.
This simple story has now led to an all out assault on the people of Syria. Rebel groups, who were supported by the U.S., are warring with the Syrian government, demanding that President Assad step down. Extremist groups have taken advantage of the situation and have come in and brutally taken over parts of Syria.
The U.S. has attempted to intervene by way of a few airstrikes that are doing little to stop the tide of Syrian government and the Islamic extremists. The Syrian government has used chemical weapons on it's very own citizens. The extremist groups continue to rape, brutalize and behead anyone who stands in their way, including foreign aid workers.
So, is this war a just war? I don't think so. A just war means that you have an impact that hopefully ends the conflict. There is an end to a means. The minimal effort that the U.S. has given to fighting this war, has done very little, if anything to stem the tide of brutality in Syria. In fact, the extremist groups are controlling more and more of the country. You cannot pour a glass of water on a house fire and expect it to go out.
Could it become a just war? Possibly, but only if the U.S. efforts are amped up significantly and batter the enemy into submission or flight. Sometimes we have to accept that progress is not being made and our efforts might be worthless.
Friday, October 2, 2015
What Is An Eternal Soul?
As a Christian, I definitely believe in a higher power, although I have never practiced religion. I try to live a good life by being kind, caring and morally upright.
As Christians, we share in the belief of eternal life. We believe that after death, our soul either goes to heaven or hell for eternity. Of course, we cannot scientifically prove this to be true.
I do think there is a heaven and hell, where you live eternally. According to the Bible, getting into heaven requires that you accept God as your savior and serve him. I don't believe that you have to attend worship services to accomplish this. You can serve God in other ways. You can pray. You can encourage and build other people up. You can be kind. You can do your best to do the right thing. It's really not that hard.
So what is an eternal soul? To me it is the "heart" of a person living an eternal life in "paradise" where everything is beautiful, peaceful, serene and soft. There is no pain, disease, famine or war. Everything is wonderful.
The problem is that I don't understand the purpose. I don't understand why humans feel this is necessary. I think the concept of an eternal soul might be a way of avoiding the belief that there may be nothing left of us after we physically die.
But we can leave something after we die... a legacy. Do something of value while on Earth, from which others can benefit. Love and encourage your spouse and children, take care of yourself, help the less fortunate, don't judge others, be excellent in all you do, make your life about something bigger than you. If you do these things, you will leave a legacy and that's good enough for me.
As Christians, we share in the belief of eternal life. We believe that after death, our soul either goes to heaven or hell for eternity. Of course, we cannot scientifically prove this to be true.
I do think there is a heaven and hell, where you live eternally. According to the Bible, getting into heaven requires that you accept God as your savior and serve him. I don't believe that you have to attend worship services to accomplish this. You can serve God in other ways. You can pray. You can encourage and build other people up. You can be kind. You can do your best to do the right thing. It's really not that hard.
So what is an eternal soul? To me it is the "heart" of a person living an eternal life in "paradise" where everything is beautiful, peaceful, serene and soft. There is no pain, disease, famine or war. Everything is wonderful.
The problem is that I don't understand the purpose. I don't understand why humans feel this is necessary. I think the concept of an eternal soul might be a way of avoiding the belief that there may be nothing left of us after we physically die.
But we can leave something after we die... a legacy. Do something of value while on Earth, from which others can benefit. Love and encourage your spouse and children, take care of yourself, help the less fortunate, don't judge others, be excellent in all you do, make your life about something bigger than you. If you do these things, you will leave a legacy and that's good enough for me.
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