A) Religion and Public Life and Politics in the U.S.
In the website The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life my attention was drawn to one article that has title “U.S. Christians’ Views on the Return of Christ”. When I saw this title, I became interested in what people of America really think about the coming of Jesus Christ. The Pew Research Center survey asked Christians whether they believe in what Jesus would soon come. From answers to this question researchers made a chart that shows the responses of the surveyed people. This survey shows that almost half of surveyed believe that Jesus will come soon. In my view the people who think that it will be soon are waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ. I think it means that they live in a happy and righteous life and ready for return of Christ. The second half of the surveyed people in my view believe in the coming of Jesus too, but they want that it will be as late as possible. I think these people have huge plans that they want to implement in life and maybe something correct. This is only my view on this survey, but I want to say that we will never know what day and time it’ll happen.
B) Notes from the Field
The Wisdom of the Crowd, Justin Reynolds discusses condition of Christianity in America. He claims that the “average” American Christian is, for the most part, is extremely nonchalant about the concept of religion. Facts such as half of American Protestant being unable to recognize Martin Luther (the very pillar of the Protestant Reformation), or that a mere 45% of Catholics failed to realize the meaning of the Eucharist shocked me. As a devoted Christian, I believe that committing my life to Christianity requires that I am, at the very least, familiar with the very basics.
Reynolds then goes on the discuss the poll conducted by the First Amendment Center, which shows an overlap of those who believe that separation of church and state is required, and of those who believe that the constitution establishes a Christian nation. To me this demonstrates that American Christians value the teachings and moral guidelines that Christianity offers them above anything else. The fact that so many Americans claim to be Christian but fail to know even the basic facts of their own faith shows their marginal interest in religion. At the same time, so many Americans believe that this country was founded on Christian principles. I believe that this shows that Americans value the teachings of Jesus and of the Church and value the principles that govern their daily lives the most. Personally, it is hard for me to overlook these facts of the lack of commitment that American Christians show. It is understandable that the average American has quite busy life, but an affirmation of faith is a promise for one to wholly devote their lives into Religion. In a very secular America, this (relatively low) standard of commitment has become the norm, and is now widely accepted amongst the Christian community. I believe that the melting pot of cultures in America has slightly dulled the faiths of several religions, not just Christianity. With the rise of immigration, I believe that this condition of religious indifference will further develop into one of a more severe magnitude. Also, it is particularly disappointing that Reynolds does not demonstrate a particular stance on the issues he brings up. It would be nice to compare ideas with him.
D4) The World of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs
In the Genesis 17:4 the Bible says,” As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations”. Therefore, Abraham is considered as patriarch of many nations and also father of all believers. In addition, according to the Genesis book, he was the first Jew and the patriarch of the Jewish people. The book of Genesis has not only the story of the Abraham life and work, but also all Jewish patriarchs. Abraham and his wife Sarah lived with his father in a country which was called Ur of the Chaldeans. However, after a while his father decided to go into the land of Canaan, but reaching Haran stayed there. And in that land of Abraham’s father died. In this land the Lord began to speak to Abraham. Here God had called him and gave him promises. God spoke directly to him: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3). So, God’s call to Abraham contained not only an order to go, but also the promise of blessing.
Despite his old age and uncertainties, Abraham and his wife Sarah did as God is told. This is the moment in which God gives him (formerly Abram) his name of Abraham meaning father of the people and also God is changed name his wife from Sarai to Sarah. From this God gave promise that from Abraham will be the father of the many nations. It was very powerful and significant promise because on that moment his wife Sarah couldn’t have children and they were not young age. Nevertheless, Abraham believed in the Lord as it is written in Genesis15:6, “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” And only when Abraham was 99 years old God gave him son Isaac. This son was the beginning of the promise given by God to Abraham. He was not disappointed in the fact that he believed God. After that God test Abraham’s faith, and asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, whom God promised the descendants would come from. Abraham believed the Lord again and went up the mountain to sacrifice Isaac. Just at the moment when Abraham took the knife and was ready to slay his son, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and stopped him. Then God provided a ram that was entangled in a thicket of horns and Abraham offered it for a burnt offering instead of his son. After Abraham proved his faith and without question obedience to God’s direction, God confirmed the promise he had given him earlier, saying, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice”(Genesis 22:18). God’s promise to Abraham, was repeatedly given his son Isaac (Genesis 26:3, 4), who became the father of twins Esau and Jacob. Esau was older and by law, the elder of the twins was to get the promise. But God chose Jacob that he received the promise given to Abraham. Jacob had twelve sons, and each of them was the father of the tribe. These were the twelve tribes of the nation called Israel. God called Jacob Israel (Genesis 32:28). The promises made to Abraham and Isaac, were repeated in to Jacob (Genesis 35:10-12). God kept his promise and made from the family his chosen people – Israel.
Joseph was eleventh Jacob’s son from favorite wife Rachel. He was favorite son of Jacob. The story of Joseph’s life is very interesting not only for the events of that time, but also because all his life he was sincerely devoted to God. Out of jealousy, his brothers threw him in a pit and sold him to become a slave. He went through many difficulties, but God was always with him and finally, he is eventually made viceroy of the Pharaoh’s because of his special ability. When a famine drove the sons of Jacob to Egypt in search of food, Joseph forgives them of their wrongdoings after seeing the good in them, and invites the whole family to Egypt. Joseph’s story is ultimately about forgiveness, perseverance, and keeping faith in God.
The Bible tells us that no one has ever seen God (John 1:18). And In Exodus 33:20, God says, “But you cannot look me in the face … A person cannot see me and live.” But, for example, in Exodus 33:11 mentions that Moses spoke with God “face to face”. But how could this happen if no one can see God and live? In this case, the phrase “face to face” is a turn of phrase, and points to a very close relationship. In Genesis 32:30 says that Jacob saw God in the form of an angel, but really he has not seen God. Also, Jesus was God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14) and therefore, the people who saw him saw the God. At the same time, no one has ever seen God in the fullness of His glory. Thus, God himself conceals himself, and to us in these images that we can “see.” However, this is different from the vision of God in all His glory and holiness. People saw only images of God, but no one has ever seen Him in His fullness.
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, U.S. Christians’ Views on the Return of Christ http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/US-Christians-Views-on-the-Return-of-Christ.aspx
Judaism http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/religionet/er/judaism/index.htm
Notes from the Field http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/fieldnotes/
The Bible’s Buried Secrets (NOVA) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bible/
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The Bible’s Buried Secrets (NOVA)
After watching this movie, I want to say just that – science and the Bible are not compatible, and especially in that form in which this film was made. For me this film is like a regular movie with interesting archaeological excavations and discoveries. And that’s it. I don’t think that this film proves or disproves something. In our time we have so many such films that it is very difficult to find exactly right one. Also, the main point of film depends on form that person how makes this movie – believer or non-believer. A believer will prove the truth of the Bible and a non-believer will prove the opposite. It is necessary to understand that reality happen separate form anyone’s opinion, but the researchers didn’t want to understand it because they are motivated by the logic of false ideas. We need to realize that the events of the past can determine perceptions only when a skill contemplation of the spiritual sphere.
For me, this is the greatest Book about the history of humanity which united natural wisdom and brings the moral foundations of human life. This Book is not simply a cultural phenomenon, but it is the foundation of the spiritual life of the world. The Bible is the book of books in which we can find solutions to problems as life and death, deeds and soul of the person, good and evil… Thinking and talking about the Bible can be infinitely because such work with the more expressive and deep meaning the humanity didn’t have and will not have. But the basic idea is that the Bible is the classic book that has passed the harsh test of time and withstood it. In my opinion, significance of the Bible is undeniable because in this book we can find the eternal answer to questions of concern to us. For example, the Bible has the basic moral principles of human existence, human behaviors, according to which person should live.
The Bible is the most published and the most-translatable book in the world. The Bible today is recognized as a book, for which is written the largest number of comments. Also, despite the huge demand and worship the Bible is the most persecuted in the world. History knows no examples to over 2000 years that against any of the book was being published law from which violators are punished to death. Therefore, I believe that although the world created countless truly great literary works, for me the Bible is the Book of books!
The NOVA film titled The Buried Secrets of the Bible.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bible/
Evidence For God: History of the Bible: How The Bible Came To Us
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/bibleorigin.html
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Research Project
Christianity was born in Judea, but Israel at that time was under the rule of the Roman Empire. The history of relations between the Roman Empire and the Christian communities is a complex set of theological, legal, religious and historical problems. During this period, Christianity in the Roman Empire didn’t have stable status, and officially considered as illegal religion, which in theory puts followers of Christianity outlawed. At the same time, a significant part of the population of the empire as well as the Roman high society began in sympathy with Christianity. The peaceful time and stable community development replaced by periods of more or less radical persecution of Christianity from the empire-wide or local authorities, and the persecution of the Christian Church. Aggression toward Christians was typical for the conservative aristocracy, and for the crowd that was inclined to see in Christians the source of socio-political issues and natural disasters that have happened in the empire. Emperor Nero was one of the first who horrible repressed Christians. Tacitus wrote about this, “Nero punished a race of men who were hated for their evil practices. These men were called Christians. He got a number of people to confess. On their evidence a number of Christians were convicted and put to death with dreadful cruelty. Some were covered with the skins of wild beasts and left to be eaten by dogs. Others were nailed to the cross. Many were burned alive and set on fire to serve as torches at night.” It follows that Roman Empire every way tried suppressing the Christian religion.
BBC, History: Christianity and the Roman Empire by Dr Sophie Lunn-Rockliffe
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/christianityromanempire_article_01.shtml
History Learning Site > A History of Ancient Rome > Rome and Christianity
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/rome_and_christianity.htm
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