Taoist Text

Taoist texts can help deepen our understanding of early Chinese history. The Taoist texts give us a better idea of how the early Chinese worshiped, and how their beliefs affected what they did in their everyday lives. We can conclude from the text that the early Chinese went with the flow of things, they did what they wanted to do because no matter what they did, they would've still ended up at the same place. They had probably worried less about things because of these beliefs, there wasn't much need to worry if you knew that you couldn't do anything about your future, so they just let it be.

Do we live in a computer simulation?

It's hard to say wether or not we are real or not, there is a 50/50 chance that we live in a computer simulation. Technology advances more and more overtime; taking the Xbox discussion from class, as time goes on, the simulations on the Xbox gets better and better. The visuals and graphics become more realistic with every new Xbox. So we can feel like everything is real, when it's really not. But I believe that this universe we live in is real. The idea of something bigger and greater is controlling our every move just doesn't seem possible. Even if we were a simulation, what would be the point of it to the greater unknown controlling us? Maybe we deny this theory is because the fact that we don't have control of our own lives, seems scary, so we don't want to believe it.

Job vs. the Holocaust survivors

In both the story of Job and the Holocasut survivors, faith is a big part of them. Job, like Fela Nussbaum, a survivor of the Holocasut, were faithful to God until terrible tragedy struck in their lives. They both tried to stay faithful to God, but in the end, they questioned God. Job questioned his existence on earth, and Nussbaum questioned God on how he could let such a thing happen. “After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.” and continued on to rant. “She will demand to know why he stood by silently during the Holocaust as her large family was being destroyed.” If God could do anything, why couldn't he just make all the bad disapear in the world? A difference between them is how Moshe Yosef Daum remained faithful the whole time, while Job gave up on God at the end. “My father’s only response was that we humans, with our limited minds, cannot expect to understand God’s ways. We must live with faith despite our unanswered questions.” Daum never under estimated God because he thought them, humans, were too simple minded to understand Gods actions, but Job lost his faith. 

 

 

Book of Job vs. Sacrifice of Issac

The Book of Job and the stories from the Old Testament have similarities and differences. Let's take the Sacrafice of Issac for example, they were similar being how both Abraham and Job were faithful to God, and God putting them to a test to prove their faithfulness. Abraham was told by God to prove his faithfulness by killing the thing that means most to him, Abrahams one and only son, Issac. In the book of Job, God and Satan were having a conversation. God was saying how loyal and faithful Job was to him, Satan replied back saying how Job is only so faithful because nothing bad is happening to him. Job has a large family, and nice roof to live under, he has many sheep, and more. So again, God tested Job by making jobs life like a living hell. Job loses his house, family, sheep, and he gets "loathsome sores". A difference between the stories is how each Abraham and Job were tested. Job was tested by both Satan and God. They were the ones that brung pain into Job's life, unlike in the story of Abraham and Issac, Satan was not in the story at all, and Abraham had to do the pain, God asked of it, but Abraham had to do the actions.

I cannot believe it's already the end of my first month in the high school. I remember when I was just starting middle school, and how I thought it would be forever until I start high school. But here I am, finishing up the first month. There are upsides and downsides to the high school, the upsides beings much more freedom in the high school, compared to the middle school. I like the idea of being more independent. The teachers compared to to the middle school are easier to talk to, at least the teachers that I have. There are also many different opportunities to meet new people and make new friends, wether it's by having classes together, sports, or clubs. The downsides to coming into the high school, is that there is a lot more responsibility, and am overwhelming amount of homework. We are expected to get good grades, and do all our homework, and participate in school activities. There is no time for a life outside of school, school becomes our only focus, it takes up so much of our time. But overall, I think it will be alright and I look forward to the rest of the year.

Project Reflection

This project changed my perspective of God. Treating God and other people from the bible as characters helped me interpret them differently. Before I read the bible the way I did, I viewed God as powerful and strong, but not in a negative way. After I read it with a different perspective, God seemed to come off as powerful, but quite harsh and cruel. His words and his actions led me to characterize him as that; as shown from the diagram above. I think this project was interesting in a good way, it changed how I percieved things. 

Who's to blame? God, Adam, Eve, or the Snake

In Genesis 1 of the Old Testament from the bible, it starts off by saying; "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." And goes on to say how God created everything, and with each new day, more was being added. God then created man and woman, and God put them to a test. He warned Adam and Eve to not eat out of the apple tree, but they did anyway. And because of that, they were sentenced out of the Garden of Eden. And who's to blame? I think  God is to blame that Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. If God can control everything with just the snap of his fingers, why couldn't he just make the evil apple tree disappear, or why was there an evil snake to begin with? God knew that Adam and Eve would eat out of the tree, so why did he put it there in the first place? God's test to see if Adam and Eve were faithful to him was pointless. Adam and Eve wouldn't have been kicked out if God, the creator of everything, hadn't made this tempting tree in the first place. All would be well if God just said so. After all, he's God.