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The Black Panther Party’s Ten Point Plan

The speakers of the 10-point program or plan are Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Both of these men were the founders of the Black Panther Party. The party was founded for the sake of providing self-defense to the Black community and especially with focus on armed self-defense, nationalism and socialism of the Black community at a time when racism was at its peak. Its formation was in October of 1966. The establishment of the Black community’s destiny was at the forefront of the direction of the party and the motivating factor amidst the ongoing racial issues.

The speakers are trying to communicate the need and importance of freedom and access to rights for the Black community as a way of bringing equality for them in a similar manner as the White community enjoys it. They are trying to convince those in power that they are just as entitled to all these rights as everyone else who gets to enjoy them freely. While communicating this, the speakers are also trying to bring to light the line that exists between the Black and White communities, identifying how racism remains pronounced for the Black community and how this has made it difficult for them to live at ease and in peace (Calloway).

This topic is of great concern to the speakers since they have been the victims of racism before and they are, therefore, creating a platform for all members of the Black community where their needs and difficulties can be heard. It is a matter that they have had enough of and they are hoping that the mobilization of the Black folk would mean that the creation of this platform would increase the volume for the change that they need and want as a way of creating equality across the United States. The topic is also of a great concern since it affects the livelihood of the Black community members and how they get around their lives on a daily basis. Airing this concern and having adjustments made as a result would mean more freedom for the community on their day to day lives and being placed on the same pedestal as the White community. This would eventually lead to communities that work together for the good of themselves and the country at large.

The speakers of the Ten Point Program are addressing the White racist government of America, which has been continuously victimizing the Black community within the United States of America. The demands that the speakers make within the plan are all those that the government is required to meet for its people without bias. However, these needs are only being met for the White community while leaving out the Black community to fend for its self while enabling the White community to remain racist in all views. The government is supposed to help out its people by ensuring that there is freedom for all, employment is provided to all, provide compensation for those who have suffered in the hands of the government, provision of decent housing and provision of education. On top of this, the government is required to end brutality by the police, to try all men fairly and provide the basics of life to all. The speakers want to be heard by the government that has been biased against their community while making it clear that color ought not to be the reason for divide or treating others differently (Courtright).

The mode or medium of communication that has been applied by the speakers is the written version. The speakers took to an approach that would be easy for the people from the black community and others to subscribe to. At the same time, this written option would easily have access by the public given the fact that it was published within the party’s newsletter, accessible by many, if not all, of the members. This greatly relates to their purpose of being heard and seeking freedom while putting across the message of equality to the government. Having the written work published would mean that both the members of the Black community and the public at large would catch a glimpse of the writing so that the government would know that it is in the limelight and it would not get to deny facts put across.

The three types of appeal are evident in the ten point program. Logos is used in the case of the demand for the forty acres and two mules, the speakers are trying to bring sense to the table by sharing the fate that the Black community suffered, comparing this to the case of the Jews who suffered an ill fate and were compensated. It would then only make sense if so many Americans suffered a fate that the government was liable to, thus demanding an overdue debt for their troubles. Ethos has been used in the case of the plea of exempting the Black men from military service for defense with the White men already exempted, for the sake of killing other people of color. This is morally wrong since the government is using victimized Black people to kill others who have been victimized too, while excluding the Whites in the process. The speakers use pathos to show the audience the pitiful sight that the Black community has to go through. In the process, the appeals have been used to the pain and trials that the Black community goes through and identify why these struggles have to come to an end given that they are inhumane.

References

Calloway, Carolyn R. “Group Cohesiveness in the Black Panther Party.” Journal of Black Studies 8.1 (1977): 55-74.

Courtright, John A. “Rhetoric of the gun: An analysis of the rhetorical modifications of the Black Panther Party.” Journal of Black Studies 4.3 (1974): 249-267.

English

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The Black Table is still There

In the book ‘The Black Table is still There’, Lawrence Otis Graham who is the author of the book and a graduate from the Harvard law school and Princeton University goes back to his mainly white junior high school to pay a visit. During his visit, Graham comes by something that he previously thought that he could see it again after so many years of being to the school as he had forgotten it during his adulthood days. In the cafeteria of his white primary school lay a peculiar lunch table, making Graham flashback to his olden days of childhood explaining why the black table affected him.

Graham begins the flashback by stating that most of the time that he was the only boy in most of the activities that he attended that included like in his high school tennis team, the easting club as well as the summer music camps. Despite attending all the gaming and competitions activities at his school, he was not the only black American in his school. Graham states that there was a scenario that has made him startled most during his school days. He narrates that the existed a black table during lunchtime, the black table was a group of African American teenagers that could come as a group sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria. Graham narrates that he would never sit at that table no matter whom they walked into the cafeteria as he feared to lose his white friends by siting with the black individuals, as he claims that he could be making an anti-white racist statement.

Graham showed his resentment to the all-black lunch table and believed that the black kids were the reason as to why other children did not mix more. I tend to agree with him in this statement as people tend to view teenagers who separate themselves into individual groups as being anti-social people and that they don’t like mixing with other groups. Lawrence blames the black kids for being the barrier of integration in the school and all his little world. Graham, however, states that he was wrong as, during the same time, there were at least two tables of athletes that included an Italian table a Jewish boys table and a Jewish girls table. Where he usually sat, a table of kids who often were onto heavy metal music and a smoking pot, a table belonging to the middle-class Irish kids. Here, Grahams asks “weren’t this table just as segregationist as the black table?’ In other words, Graham realized that he was wrong, and he realized this because yes there existed an all-black table at his high school, but there was also a table where all the athletes could sit, all the Italians could sit, and the Jewish girls and boys could sit. The African American teens sitting in the all-black table were therefore not isolating themselves. They were imitating what everyone else was doing, sitting together with their kinds of friends and this concludes that Graham was wrong in his judgments and that he continues to admit that he was assuming the opposite of what was happening.

Graham would not be the only individual who could be associated with the wrong judgments as to some extents the inference is always correct. I think it is clear that we tend to separate ourselves and that it is natural that this still remains and exist in our society today even though we don’t realize it as it is done unintentionally. There are a few factors that try to explain why we tend to segregate ourselves. One of these reasons is that without our recognition, we tend to stay and associate with people to whom we own the same race, and country and this is because we feel that we tend to share the same interests and we feel that we go so much in common. The habit goes on every day without the people realizing it, happening in our schools and amongst our neighborhoods. It is not perplexing to find that some of the communities are divided into the same ethnicity.

We feel that just because we share the same culture and beliefs, we can relate with one another more easily and comfortably with people to whom we associate with than to those whom we don’t share anything in common. Just because someone else is of a different nationality and religion, we tend not to associate with them as much. This, however, does not have the implication that we can never be a diverse group of people but because of the force of the habit to not only reside with our nationality and religion but even in our daily activities and this is especially among the younger people in schools such as high school. The kids on a sports team or some other activities that tend to bring people together often is characterized by the habit of association with people from the same region and kind. The reason is therefore quite clear that all the associations tend to share some common interest proving Graham wrong as he comes to realize this issue much later.

Despite being in the association, racial segregation has been significant part of the current and the previous generations. Racial discrimination tends to have dominated in the past years where it was publicly known that being black or white meant that you could stick to your lanes. The issue of racial segregation was much evident in the American society, and this as well can give an inference of the origin of the all-black lunch table that existed in Graham’s high school. It can be evident that the blacks were exposed to some discrimination by the whites during lunchtime and that is the main reason that they decided to have a place of their own by assembling and sharing their moments together.

High schools and colleges are among the public institutions to which racism is common, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise that a certain group of people may prefer to stick together especially if they are the minority group. The reason as to why they will seclude themselves is to avoid unnecessary victimizations from the majority groups. To further clarify our doubts, we tend to see the Jewish and the Italians having separate tables as well alongside the all-black lunch table during athletics and other sporting activities. Majority of the people from other regions may not be at ease in socializing with people to whom they don’t relate especially in language and colour. Therefore it is very difficult to find a Jewish associating with a black at the first time while there are others of their kind. The trend has however been reducing, but still, the aspect of the black table amidst of the other tables has continued to be evidenced in the present generation. The main reason behind is due to the enhancement of the rich culture and traditions of the people. The individuals tend to carry it along with them; this is because for example during lunchtime a black person may not do the same practices like the whites and therefore may opt to associate with the blacks to whom they tend to share a similar culture.

Work Cited

Graham, Lawrence Otis. “The Black Table I Still There.” Coming of Age: Literature About Youth and Adolescence: 1999-43.

United Stated Imperialism

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Introduction

The book by Stephen Haycox is about the history of Alaskan natives and influence the Russian and American colonization had on the country and the state of affairs in the nation today. The author divides the book into two main parts with the first part talking about the period of colonization by the Russians and the second main part talking about the purchase of Alaska by the United States from the Russians. It is clear from the book that the two nations, America and Russia saw Alaska as a potential beneficial resource and hence the colonization. The book also has numerous indications and examples of the effects and influences of the American imperialism on the country. The author implies that the United States acquired the country and extended its national authority to Alaska through the acquisition it made from the Russian government. Though the book expounds on the events that took place in Alaska between the country and the United States, one can use this significant book in understanding better the imperialism of the United States in a wider, global context. The paper, therefore, will make use of the examples given by the author of how the United States imposed its cultures, military and economic endeavors on Alaska to analyze the imperialism of the nation in the whole globe.

The decision for the author to present the history of this country in two parts is interesting, as it results to the author paying a lot of attention to the events that took place during periods of the Russians and the Americans as colonists. The author argues that Alaska is best understood as a colony. He argues that colonialism is what links the two periods in the Alaskan history, the period of the Russian America and that of American Alaskan. According to the author, the Russians always understood Alaska as a resource, which they could exploit on the terms that were least costly, and by making use of the least personnel and material resources as possible. American Alaska, on the other hand, is shown to have similarly depended on such cheap resources and capital needs because the capital requirements to establish its natural resources have never existed in the territory.

According to the author, this is one of the most essential characteristics of colonial and imperialistic enterprises that must be sustained from without, and that have to develop dependencies that inevitably reduce the capability of the native individuals to maintain r preserve their self- determination and aboriginal culture, and that render non- native, or those who are otherwise referred to as the accurate native, colonial population subject to the political and economic judgments made by the absent investors after their own interests. Such arguments are not unfamiliar. We are aware of these characteristics present in other colonies of the United States. Many other colonized nations experienced the same experiences as Alaska. They had large firms ferrying resources and raw materials from their countries by such powers as the US. These investors were, similarly to Alaska, not to be found within the colonized countries but in the US where individuals and even the government ran these operations to benefit themselves and the country, and not the colonized country. It is clear that such imperialistic characteristics were applicable in Alaska, as well as, in other colonies of the United States.

These ideas, however, might seem a little both untrue or even provocative applied in a nation that has for long considered itself a stronghold of unfettered opportunities for entrepreneurs, as well as, adventurers, and that views itself as a libertarian nation free from the influences and constraints of the other societies. However, even for this country, it seems through the book that its cultures and traditional ways of life were not spared by America’s imperialism. According to the author, the reality of the nation seldom matches the Alaska every one imagines. He argues that though there is a vast wilderness in the country, most of it is not untrammeled. The author indicates that almost none of the residents in the states live in isolation or without the, most of the common amenities witnessed in civilized worlds. He indicates that all or most of towns and villages are connected to the mainstream cultures by satellite radio and television. He also argues that more than 70 percent of the country’s population lives in the urban areas. He even indicates that there is less difference between lives in the streets of many states in the United States from those in Alaska. This is a clear indication that the US imperialism influenced the culture and the lives of numerous Alaskans just like it did in numerous other countries all over the world.

American has influenced a lot of cultures and economies all over the world. The issue of affecting the way people live in the urban cities is not only experienced in Alaska but all over the world, what with the satellite television and radio connections not forgetting the Internet. The colonists went with certain lifestyles to their colonies and in turn imposed these lifestyles on their colonies. Their colonies remained with the lifestyles even after the Americans left and they are still, leading to the changing of cultures, to almost uniform ones globally.

The author continues with significant success to place the developments of the nation in the context of broader economic, social and political movements ranging from global influences of capitalist competition to attitudes towards the indigenous people of Alaska. His first goal is to provide a sound regional story, and offer his readers an assessment that is appropriately argued of internal reactions to external forces and how they have influenced and helped in defining Alaska. He places the arguments of the rights movement of the natives in Alaska, in a broader context of civil agenda in the US. He further studies the rise of aggressive development of resources and environmentalism after the Second World War through symbolism of images of the wilderness in the twentieth century and through a perceptive analysis of imperatives in commerce. The outcome is the positioning of the history of Alaska in a broader current of the history of America and the first foreseeable effort to connect the development in Alaska to the wider influences that shaped and help develop the western United States.

This is to imply that the united states had a large role to play, and still has in the politics, cultures, societies and economies of Alaska, just like it had in numerous other colonies it acquired. This imperialism can be seen in the development of almost similar political structures in the colonies as those in the United States, the development of social structures like the ones in the United States and even economic structures like those the colonialist, the United States, left in the colonies. The implication of the above descriptions of the author in the book are that the imperialism of the united states was well spread, covering all the areas that the colonists passed and influencing all the individuals they interacted with, and all the societies they lived in. The spread of this imperialism has not seized, and as the author indicates, it still spreads through the modern structures the society has adopted from the United States like mass media and the Internet. What catches ones attention is the misconception that many have that the occupation of the American colonists did not affect the way of life of the native Alaskans, because it is clear from the book that the American imperialism affected the aboriginal cultures in Alaska as much as other cultures in the world.

Conclusion

Clearly, the book is extremely useful in highlighting the way the American imperialism managed to survive and be successful in not only Alaska, but in other colonies. The author gives clear details of how extremely significant such colonies like Alaska among others played a significant role in developing America, and how America largely influenced the cultures, as well as, the economies of such colonies as Alaska.

Bibliography

Haycox, Stephen W. Alaska: an American Colony. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2002.

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The book gives a story that in 1728 a stranger handed a letter to a governor named Yue. The letter advised him to lead a rebellion against Manchu leadership of China. Pretending to agree with the initiators, Yue learns of the details of the plot. He immediately informs Emperor Yongzheng who in turn orders for the capture of ringleaders. This is done with ease because of the information that the governor had already given him. The captives are forced to recant and confess their actions. During all the incidents the public confusion and outrage spared to dangerous levels. The emperor then drew an enormous wealth of documented evidence. He presented to the public over a hundred and fifty secret letters and documents between the Emperor and his agents. The letters are still stored in Chinese museum archives.

‘Treason by the Book’ is a book that traces intricate and surprising consequences of the disclosure of a message received by Emperor Yongzheng of China in 1728. The message was from a distant subordinate who denounced his regime. The book is an examination of Chinese culture, chronicle of historical events and an explanation of the political system. Jonathan Spence recounts relentless investigation of the emperor and how he apprehended dissidents who impugned his imperial system of leadership. The book gives a surprising recount of the emperor’s next move after receiving the message of the coup. He did not take drastic personal steps but decided to ply it simple by beginning intensive written conversation with the head of the dissidents. The leader of the dissidents was a man named Zeng Jing.

The emperor was able to convince Jing who ultimately wrote an elaborate confession that he had grievously wronged the emperor. The emperor did not take drastic actions but pardoned Zing for his crimes. Despite this, he ordered that the chain of letters between them, including the original treasonous letter to be published. They were published and distributed throughout China. His intention was to give a civics lesson to his subjects about any treason case. The author draws his message from all the documents that survived from Yongzheng era. He is telling the reader about the emperor’s story in an anchored close reading of primary sources. He accompanied his story by a sustained meditation power of the written word. He portrays that word power can be used to attack, persuade and call for dialogue between two warring camps. Spence says that Emperor Yongzheng’s experiment in the publication of the subsequent letters 300 years ago seemed enlightened and commendable. He is wonderful accomplished writer and with the China tale, he developed intriguing characters for his many readers to think over. The story is a creative and chilling revolt of Jonathan’s fascination. The story is an un-worldly dream of a better world. It attaches facts of bureaucratic power by taking the reader through the mind of an Emperor. It also touches on the mercy and how the emperor used his mercy. The emphasis is on the surprising recount of the emperor’s next move after receiving the message of the coup. He looks at steps and sacrifices taken by the emperor before he started an intensive written conversation with the head of the dissidents.

Work Cited

Spence, Jonathan. D. Treason by the Book. University of Michigan Viking Publishers, 2001.

Hunger Games

The book hunger games by, Suzanne Collins is a young adults novel. The story is based on a post –apocalyptic country known as Panem. Each and every year the government organizes an event in the capital known as the Hunger Games: the games involve randomly selected 24 teenagers from the most subjugated Districts of Panem. The selected youths have to fight to death with the winner winning gifts (food) for his district, to cap it all the heinous event is broadcast live on television. The event is not in any way helpful to the people of Panem but it is held every year to remind all the residents of all the Districts the absolute power that the government wields. The book has several lead characters as the story of about each and every character tries to survive in their day to day lives, the main focus of this paper will be on the main protagonist or the narrator, a young girl by the name Katniss Everdeen.

Katniss Everdeen is a young teenager from district twelve; she lives with her mother and little sister by the name of, Primrose also nicknamed Prim. She is the main provider for the family she has to go hunting in the woods to find food for the family a responsibility she took over at the age of eleven after her father died in a mine explosion. To accompany her in the hunt is her best friend Gale who is 19 years old, he hates the capitol furthermore he wishes that all the people from the various districts could stand up and rebel against the government the way District 8 did. In order to ensure that he stays alive, Katniss has to pretend that the two are cousins.

Katniss Everdeen like any other young teenager is trying to help the family in whatever way she can. According to the theory put forward by Piaget the Preoperational Stage in children is divided in to two. At the age of about two to about six or seven years old, a child is able to acquire some skills and develops some sense of being. The child can be able to imagine and focus on items and make decisions. Another philosopher by the name of Erikson put forward a theory that “there were eight stages of psychosocial development. Each had a systolic (harmonious) element and a dystonic (disruptive) element. They reconciled in an ego quality or strength.” The stage in which a child proves competence is the fourth stage of development according to Erikson; it usually takes place between the ages of age six to thirteen. In the novel Katniss is at that stage of development and she proves that she is competent enough to take care of her family.

The death of her father and the living conditions of Katniss has played a major role in molding her character. The death of her father has forced her to be a brave teenager as seen in how she fairs in the Hunger Games. She has become an expert in shooting arrows as a result of hunting from a very tender age of eleven so as to provide for her family. Poverty also made Katniss to be a resilient young lady as their daily life was a struggle thus making her a more determined person later in life.

After winning the hunger games together with Peeta Mellark, who later becomes her fiancé even though later on Peeta is captured by the capitol Katniss experience in the games have brought out some character that was initially not visible. She proves that she is very clever this can be seen in how she tries to entice the viewers to side with her and her lover. She shows that she can be suicidal when she and her lover try to commit suicide.

Some of the major barriers that exist between Katniss and her success in life is the government in the capitol, as much as she is willing to prosper in life the government is doing all it has within its powers to oppress the people thus limiting their chances of succeeding in life. Katniss wish is to have her own family and work hand in hand with her husband to ensure that she fulfills some of her wishes, but the government ensures she does not succeed by capturing her fiancé.

The adults’ especially in District twelve plays a major role in the life of Katniss; they don’t see the games as senseless and are encouraging the teenagers to participate in games and even training them. The mayor takes pride in selecting teenagers to go and fight it out in the games, other teenagers in the life of Katniss such as Gale plays a very vital role in shaping Katniss.

The book is very interesting to read as it gives an account of what the protagonist has to undergo in order to save her sister in a competition whose ultimate price is food. The book is very relevant to the class as it gives a range of people with different characters to discuss. This book can be recommended to people who feel they are being oppressed, as it shows how self determination by an individual can change a lot.

Conclusion

The events that a person undergoes as a young child can impact on the person’s behavior later on as an adult. Katniss is shaped by the death of her father and poverty. The book gives a very interesting yet sad account of how the young people in the society are taken advantage of by the adults. Instead of the adults taking part in the games they push the teenagers to go and represent them in heinous games that they the adults have come up with.

The book of James

The question of the importance of religion has been one that has been debated for centuries. The argument has been taken from the side of the empiricist, who desires quantitative proof and the pragmatist who fights that it is religions qualitative proofs that hold greater weight. In the Varieties of Religious Experience, William James sets forth that the argument of the pragmatist, stating that it is not the origin of religion that is of greatest importance but rather the results or fruits that have come from religious belief that are the true basis for the judgment of religion. In stark contrast, Sigmund Freud in his Civilization, Society and Religion, argues that the origins of religion are indeed of great importance due to the fact that they are infantile and provide for an illusionary existence if their beliefs are held as fact. However, Freud’s argument that religion is illusionary never truly makes its case for religion being harmful to humanity, but instead states what the necessity for a higher being fulfills in one’s psyche and not what the result of that influence is. James provides the stronger of the two arguments, as not only recognizes that there is an inherent need to understand the origins of religions, but most importantly that it is the fruits and not the roots of religion that are of greater importance to humanity in understanding the need for religion.

William James begins his work by setting aside the argument that by explaining the origins of something we have also provided an explanation for its origins. The value of something is be judged by its effects, not by its origin.

All questions of value, according to James, can be answered in knowledge gained through experience. James states that the term “religion” must deny any one experience, but states that the name is a collective term for a number of varying experiences. The qualitative differences seen in these experiences are dependent upon whether we recall them later and if they will bring us beneficial results or the fruits of life, as James puts it. One must now be willing to judge the religious life primarily by the results of that experience on the individual.

According to James, without religious ideas (whatever their origin) there is no proper reasoning for difficult moral choices, or hardships, and therefore, the quality of human life diminishes. For James the varieties of religious ideas that exist are important in that they lead humanity to perform moral and useful actions. He believes that without such encouragement these actions would not naturally take place. James emphasizes the individual experience, but states that the ideas that are shared and communal provide humanity with a means toward progress.

For those who question religious belief, James claims that those questions are of little importance to the practice of religion, or to the understanding and to the actions, which have very little value to humanity. Religious experience must be valued as an important contribution to human life; its truth manifests itself in the wonderful ways in which it enriches human conduct and feelings. However, the idea that humanity will ever be able to conclusively provide a rational argument for the presence of God must be set aside, and no attempt at such a proof should be made, as James believes it would serve no practical value.

James emphasizes that only a belief in God can give us sufficient justification for our natural desires for a morally strenuous life marked by concern for others. James clearly values this form of life more than others, and he believes that human beings will devote themselves to the heroic, the charitable and the morally demanding if religious ideas are made available. Without religious experience, James believes that the human potential for good would not occur. Without religious ideas, regardless of their origins, humanity would lack any proper justification for a morally exacting life and would fail to understand those for whom a morally exacting life is more important than a spacious living. Without religious ideas, therefore, the quality of human life would suffer greatly. There is a strong need for religion as part of the human psyche, it gives something to aim toward and find hope within.

James believes religion brings peace or mind and ease, and where it came from is of little consequence. Freud however, does not believe that there is necessity for religion, and that because of its origins religion is not justified. Freud begins the third section of his paper with the question “In what does the value of religion lie?” (195) He believes that its value lies in our need to have a defence against the forces of nature, to provide an answer for the terrors suffered by man and to give consolation for that pain. To gain that control we personalize nature and attempt to appease it through praise and bribery. (196) this personalization of nature offers us a way to understand what we are so powerless against and thus, to gain some sense of control over it.

Freud believes that the relationship of humanity and nature bears a great similarity to that of the relationship between the children to the parents. In that respect deities must put forward the following attributes; they must exorcise the terrors of nature, they must reconcile humanity to the cruelty of fate and they must compensate humanity of the sufferings and privations which a civilized life has condemned them.(197). Freud acknowledges that through time the roles of Gods and Goddesses have evolved but their tasks have remained generally the same; to protect humanity against the dangers of both nature and fate and to protect humanity against the injuries which threaten us from human society itself. In that way to protect us the way a parent protects and shields a child from the dangers of the world. Freud sees divinity as monotheistic, as the relationship between that of a parent and child and the intimacy that is shared there is the same as that of the divine and humanity.

Freud suggests that it is natural for humans to personify nature and the life as humans know from the beginning that the way to influence nature is through the establishment of relationships. The feelings of helplessness and weakness that humans feel does not argue against the notion of the exalted one but it also has a lot to do with the relationship between the child and the father. Freud’s notion of the mother is as the child’s first object choice, a relationship that is then replaced by the stronger father. This relationship is one of ambivalence and the child grows with the knowledge that he or she is forever to remain powerless and dependent upon others who are more powerful than he or she. This belief is continued in life as those powers are transmitted from the father to the divine. Freud states, “He creates for himself, the gods who he dreads, in whom he seeks to appropriate, and whom he nevertheless entrusts with his own protection.”

To Freud the physical origin of religious ideas is that they are the fulfilment of the oldest and strongest wished of humankind and for that reason they are illusions. They are illusions or wishes for the protection of humanity against the forces of nature. They are the moral justification and prolongation of earthly existence. As such wished Freud claims that they issue from the infant’s conflicts of the early father complex. “It is an enormous relief to the individual psyche if the conflicts of its childhood arising from the father-complex – conflicts which are never wholly overcome – are removed from it and brought to a solution which is universally accepted.” (212)

An illusion is an error made by humans in terms of wish fulfilment and borders on the line of psychotic delusions. The difference between the two being that a delusion is in complete contradiction with reality. Whereas illusions can be un-realizable or contradictory and not necessarily false in relation to reality. Therefore, according to Freud religious doctrines are illusions. Being that they cannot be refuted, proved or believed.

Freud’s inability to see the necessity of religion and the benefits that can be gained from it, seem to take away from the strength of his work. Although an interesting concept, Freud’s constant focus on the child and those first few years as well as his emphasis on the father, does not explain many religious experiences, for it is certain that not all people experience religion the same way. There is no fear of god in the Buddhism, but a necessity for inner peace. Freud dismisses religion simply because some of the characteristics that are held over from childhood are transferred to one’s feelings about God, a dismissal that is an unfair and unwarranted assessment.

James however, did provide for different religions and different experiences, which allows for a better argument and one that better stands the test of time. James believed that each individual had the right to affirm their religious belief solely on the basis of emotional predilection. James hope that Varieties would help to understand religion with the walls of personal experience as an important notion, James seems to understand religion at it’s very core. Although his conclusions seem modest and simple at times, that is the very essence of religion; to provide simplicity and promote modesty in one’s life.

Bibliography:

Freud, Sigmund ([1927]1985). The Future of an Illusion. Vol. 12 of the Pelican Freud Library. Middlesex: Penguin Books.

Http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/james/toc.html.

The Book Of Job And The Questions Of Suffering

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Job’s wealth and faith PAGEREF _Toc381182551 h 2From riches to ashes PAGEREF _Toc381182552 h 3The suffering PAGEREF _Toc381182553 h 3Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc381182554 h 6

The religions of the ancient near East were mostly polytheistic. Its history spans from more than two millennia, from the bronze age to the early Iron Age. There are various sub religions that make up these religions of the ancient near east they include; Assyro-Babylonian religion, Canaanite religion, Egyptian religion, Minoan religion and many more. These religions had broad aspects that they share including purification and cleansing rituals, sacrifices, divination, polytheism, sacred prostitution. They were centered on theocracies 1

This particular paper will take an in-depth look and an exploration of the book of Job in the bible. It will further look at the questions of suffering in the book. The book of Job was written by an unknown author, it is possible that it is the most ancient literary account in the Bible. It is a book that is a mixture of divine and human wisdom that addresses major issues in life. It is also a prime example of Hebrew wisdom literature that is centered with the concept of theodicy that is defense of integrity of justice and righteousness of God in the light of the evil, injustice and underserved suffering in the world. Job is the principal character in the book of job in the Hebrews Bible. Job in the Jewish tradition is the son to Uz, the son of Nahor, the brother of Abraham. In Hebrew the name job was taken to mean the persecuted one. The book focuses on the trials that Job underwent at the hands of God and how he deals with them. The characters in the cook are Job, his wife, God, Satan his three friends and a man called Elihu.

It begins with an Introduction of the character of job; a description of him is that of a blessed man that leads a righteous life. He was praised by God such that Satan was prompted to challenge him in terms of his integrity. He even went ahead to suggest that Job only served God just because he protects him. God removed his protection on Job and allowed Satan to take his wealth, his children and physical wealth in an attempt to make Job curse God. The book is mostly on Jobs conversation with his three friends concerning his condition and the possible reasons.

Job’s wealth and faithJob was famous for his riches, he owned sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys and servents.an important of his possessions was his family he had seven sons and three daughters. This wealth made him to be known as the greatest man in the east. He even described the respect that people gave him 2With all this riches and honor job was not proud, he was constantly aware that it is God that was blessing him with all these things. He had great faith and this through his concern on the spiritual welfare of his children who he constantly thought had cursed or sinned against God in their hearts. Through all this wealth and faith no one was able to forestall the tragedies that were about to crash down on him 3.

From riches to ashesThe devil was given a free hand by God and he struck Job freely; it just took him a day to smash Job with one disaster after another. The Sabena and Chaldean bandits stole Jobs, camel, oxen and donkeys. There occurred a storm that killed all his sheep, his servants die and worst of all, all his children die in when a house they were in collapsed in a desert tornado. He also loses his health as he is struck with boils head to toe. He became an outcast in the society with his disease which was a form of leprosy and he was seen sitting alone as he scrapped his scores that were itching with broken pieces of pottery. He sat on a heap of ashes that was symbolic of the deep sorrow and also the tearing of his clothes, wearing of sackcloth, shaving his hair and sprinkling of dust on his head. His wife went ahead and told him to curse God and die 4.

The sufferingJob went through overwhelming and sudden suffering he suffered financially as the lost all this wealth. He also suffered physically as he lost his health, pyschologocally as he lost his children who he loved so much and finally he suffered socially since he was no longer influential and was even considered an outcast because of his disease. On top of all this he seems to suffer in the hands of everyone and anything; natural disasters wind, fire, his loved ones i.e. his wife and later his friends and even the raiders who were evil people. His reaction to this suffering was the lord is the one who gives and also takes and he continued to praise him 5.his friends tried to find a reason why he is suffering his three friend Eliphaz,Bildad and Zophar all questioned his suffering. They all held that the righteous never suffered but those who were unrighteous were

Entitled to suffering.Eliphaz told him that if indeed he was innocent why was he being punished, there was no way he was plowing iniquity and mischief he would just reap the same. He convicted Job to his foolish response to his misfortune and urged him to repent and lay his ins before God. His basic message was that Job was suffering due to his sins 7.He therefore wanted Job to see that Gods oppression was a result of his sin.Bildad told him that God is just and only judged those who sinned against him 8.Zophar told him if it is true that he is clean then God himself will deliver him from the situation 9.their proposed solution to his suffering was for him to repent his sins so that his prosperity would be restored. Job was disappointed with his friends and seeks God to reveal to him why he is suffering. Contrary to his expectations God did not answer anything to do with his suffering.

Job is hence a book that deals with human suffering even though the suffering of the innocent is not the main purpose of the author in the book. It is more than an ancient play that is out to portray the absurdities of life, man’s weakness and Gods prominence to soverenity.this book portrays that some one who is suffering can question and also have doubts but they can also face the hard questions in life with faith still maintain relationship that is not broken with God who is ever loving. The sufferer comes to a resolution that is satisfactory resolution for personal and collective injustice and suffering that is undeserved. This observation is addressed within the context of the suffering man Job who was righteous and also many believers who suffer and can identify with Job. From this book there is the understanding of the overall concept of suffering and how it is essential for the maintenance of a relationship that loves and has meaning with God even when one is undergoing sufferings. The blame of the devil to all suffering is common with everyone but the book explores the cause and effect of suffering. There is also a realization that nothing especially suffering can happen without the knowledge, love, wisdom and power of God10 .while Satan is considered to be the prime mover of sin, evil and suffering there should not be ignoring of the fact that there is a connection between Satan’s desire and the permission that he gets from God to execute his desires. The friction is clearly portrayed in the troubled that were inflicted to job. Though God was also at work on Jobs suffering, it should not be taken that he was not concerned with what his people go through. God therefore inflicts suffering both directly and indirectly to many people for different reasons; discipline, judgement, refining, but Satan is the one behind misery in people.satan challenged Job in three areas; his righteousness, his fear of God and his separation from sin 11the issues of prosperity and its resultant retribution stands out as the main focus in the understanding of suffering in the book.

ConclusionSince God is just, it would be a wrong assumption that the fallen world under Satan’s ruler ship is fair.The failure of the traditional wisdom to answer jobs complaint is a revelation that the world operates by plan of the fallen being and only a personal relationship with God can those who suffer find meaning and purpose to the injustices that take place. There are various truths that are presented in the book of Job and include; sin is not always the basis of suffering. The acceptance of the false tenets about suffering cause a blame and challenge on God. Suffering can be faced with faith, trust and a loving gracious God even when there is no immediate satisfying and logic rational to do so. God allows suffering and pain if they serve his purposes. The greatest of saint’s struggle with suffering and the suffering they go through ban have a preventive purpose 10therefore the book of job gives a guideline on how one should deal with suffering through endurance and God will eventually see them through.

References

Waters, J.l. (1997) Reflections on suffering from the book of job.Retrieved October 30,2012 from http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/OTeSources/18-Job/Text/Articles/Walters-suffering-BS.pdfBible Study Tools (2012). Book of Job.Retrieved October 30,2012 from http://www.biblestudytools.com/job/Ehlke,C.R .(2004). JOB”FAITH ON TRIAL”.Retrieved October 30,2012 from http://www.zionfriedheim.org/biblestudies/Old%20Testament/job.htmSeltzer, R. M. (2011). The Book of Job: A Whirlwind of Confusion – My Jewish Learning. Judaism & Jewish Life – My Jewish Learning. Retrieved October 30, 2012, from http://www.myjewishlearning.com/beliefs/Theology/Suffering_and_Evil/Responses/Biblical_and_Rabbinic/Book_of_Job.shtmlBakon,S. (2011)SUFFERING: THREE BIBLICAL VIEWS.Retrieved October 30,2012 from bq.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/303/303_SUFFER30.pdf

Schoenheit, J. (2005). Job: The Righteous Sufferer.Retrieved October 30,2012 from http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?file=article&name=News&sid=827 BibleWise.(2010). Books of the bible.Retrieved October 30,2012 from http://www.biblewise.com/archives/2004/august/overview/overview.htmAlbright,W.F.(2010).The Ancient Near East and Religion of Israel. Retrieved October 30,2012 from http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3262515?uid=3738336&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21101374593407

The Book of Thel: An Analysis of Death as a Progenitor of Fear

“The Book of Thel:” An Analysis of Death as a Progenitor of Fear For so long as people have been alive, they have questioned the purpose of their existence. Common phrases, while seemingly cliché, conveniently summarize the truly fundamental concerns that have plagued not only philosophers and poets, but anyone who in the brevity of life has stopped to ask, why? Why are we here? What is our purpose in life? These are the questions that call to age after age of philosophers and pundits, waiting for a satisfactory answer. While this call will hearken after people until the end of their lives, and after mankind until the end of time, another question lies at the root of these, quietly fueling them and perpetuating their importance and immediacy: why must we have a purpose? Why must we know why we are here? In essence, what drives us to search for the “meaning” of life? The answer seems to lie in the paradoxical nature of life: it must die.

The fact that life is finite, and more importantly, brief, forces the reflective person to confront the question of purpose. This is why these questions persist in the collective consciousness of humanity. This is why the theme of life and its relationship to death is central in William Blake’s “The Book of Thel.” Thel is confronted with the opportunity of mortal life, an opportunity which frightens her greatly because of impending death and the repercussions that its inevitability generates. Throughout “The Book of Thel,” Blake offers the reader an answer to the questions which trouble humanity, as well as Thel, a pregenerative soul on the verge of mortality. He also presents the fear of death, of mortality itself, as the causative agent of the questions concerning purpose in life. He accomplishes this through an interaction between the pregenerative Thel and mortal beings on the earth. From these interactions, it becomes clear that Thel fears life because of death. She fears that she will die useless and forgotten, even by God. Before these themes and questions can be explored, however, the question of another possible interpretation of “The Book of Thel” must be resolved. The poem could be considered a metaphor for a girl of the verge of sexuality, a state which causes her a great deal of trepidation.

This, however, is an interpretation that can only be alluded to and examined by metaphor. The metaphor itself, assuming that it is indeed a metaphor, consists of images and textual content that depicts a pregenerative soul struggling with her fears of mortality. Thus, the explicit images presented, and not the possible allusions of a metaphor, will comprise the focus of this analysis. Thel’s fears are apparent from the very first lines of the poem, in Thel’s Motto. Because the four lines of the Motto are all questions, it introduces the reader to the trepidation and uncertainty which Thel faces as a pregenerative soul, exploring the mortal world. The first two lines concern the nature of knowledge: “Does the Eagle know what is in the pit? / Or wilt thou go ask the Mole” (ll. 1-2)?

The last two lines inquire about more abstract ideas: “Can Wisdom be put in a silver rod? / Or Love in a golden bowl” (l. 3-4)? Both parts of the Motto offer glimpses into what will become major issues for Thel later in the poem. The first two lines really ask for the “location” of knowledge. Does any one mortal being hold all knowledge? The answer that is implied by the question is no. Clearly, the Mole would be better able to tell of the pit than would the Eagle. By that same reasoning, the Mole knows nothing of what is in the skies, the domain of the Eagle, thus making the Eagle a more valuable consultant there. The second two lines echo similar ideas, but in a more abstract manner. In asking if Love and Wisdom can be “contained” in physical, concrete objects, the Motto really asks if comprehension of these notions can be packaged and distributed without first-hand experience. Again, the poem seems to respond in the negative. Now the seeds of Thel’s fear can be discerned: if Knowledge can not be found in one specific entity or place, and Love and Wisdom can not be contained in concrete and transferable vessels, then these things must be sought after experientially. The fear that this notion germinates is one of solitude and adversity in the experience of Knowledge, Love and Wisdom.

Since these abstract terms may be considered to be three of the most important aspects of mortal life, especially Love and Wisdom, it is reasonable to assume that the Motto alludes to Thel’s fear that life is not a painless and guided tour of neatly explained experiences and ideas. Rather, Thel fears that life will be a painful, lonely, haphazard ordeal. In the lines that follow, it becomes clear that this fear is more pronounced because of Thel’s notion that she can fail in life, and thus die useless and forgotten. The third verse-paragraph of the poem begins to elucidate Thel’s “goal” in life, while it continues to describe the source of her trepidation. The majority of the lines in this verse-paragraph are devoted to Thel’s questions concerning the fleeting nature of life and the living. “‘Why fade these children of the spring? born but to smile & fall’” (l. 11). She then counts herself among those who are “‘Like a reflection in a glass, like shadows in the water, / Like dreams of infants, like a smile on an infant’s face, / Like the dove’s voice, like transient day, like music in the air’” (ll. 13-15). Blake’s use of imagery here is impeccable.

There is the more obvious use of words such as “transient,” “reflection” and “shadows,” which readily convey momentary and passing occurrences, but the true beauty of the poetry lies in the subtly of the subjects chosen to represent transience. A particularly effective example is the image of the infant. Clearly, dreams and smiles are brief in their passing, but what is it about an infant’s smiles and dreams that enhances and completes the image of transience? The answer lies in the connection between the infant and fleeting life. The conjunction of transient occurrences, such as dreams and smiles, with an infant, enhances the notion that death looms over all things in life, at least in Thel’s perception. Even this smiling, dreaming infant, who presumably has his entire life ahead of him, will eventually succumb to death, as all mortal things must. Thel’s awareness of this impending death causes her to utter the lines that close the third verse-paragraph: “‘Ah! gentle may I lay me down, and gentle rest my head, / And gentle sleep the sleep of death and gentle hear the voice / Of him that walketh in the garden at evening time’” (ll. 16-18).

Here, Thel’s goal, or hope for her life begins to emerge. She wishes to be with God after Death takes her and ends her brief existence. It does not, however, seem that she wants a union with God that occurs after a toilsome and difficult life of faith and service, which the poem later describes as the keys to a meaningful life. Rather, it seems as though Thel would rather forego mortal life entirely, or find some way to walk with Him without having to endure the hardships of existence. By beginning line sixteen with “‘Ah! gentle may I…,’” Blake subtly and concisely conveys the sense that these are Thel’s hopes and wishes, a “best-case scenario” if she were given an opportunity to chose. Unfortunately for Thel, she seems to understand that this transition can not occur without the adversities of mortal life, and because of her understanding, she questions the merit of entering into mortal existence at all. At this point, an integration of Thel’s notions can be made, in order to determine the source of her fears. Because of her knowledge of Death’s inevitability, and her consequent understanding of the brevity of life, Thel’s seeks to construct a purpose for mortal existence. When this search is coupled with her desire to “gentle hear the voice” of God after death, Thel’s fear of failure begins to emerge. This fear will become more evident as the poem progresses, and as Thel speaks with the mortal creatures, but it seems as though she fears discovering her purpose and then dying without fulfilling it. In her mind, this would not lead to a life with God; God would forget her and let her fade into oblivion. At first glance, Thel’s conversation with the Lilly bolsters these beliefs.

The Lilly, who hears Thel’s questions, answers by explaining that even though she is meek and lowly, God has promised her a place in “‘“eternal vales”’” (l. 29). The Lilly then responds with her own question: if God has promised her a place, “‘Then why should Thel complain’” (l. 29)? In her response to this, it becomes clear that Thel believes that the Lilly has a place with God because she serves a purpose: she nourishes and shelters others, some who are even meeker than she. Thel’s response focuses on depicting the Lilly’s many uses: “O thou little virgin of the peaceful valley, Giving to those that cannot crave, the voiceless, the o’ertired; Thy breath doth nourish the innocent lamb, he smells thy milky garments, He crops thy flowers, while thou sittest smiling in his face,….” (ll. 32-35) Thel’s response goes on to describe how the Lilly’s wine and perfume are given in service, but she quickly returns to her lament that she has no purpose, and may die without meaning: “‘But Thel is like a faint cloud kindled at the rising sun: / I vanish from my pearly throne, and who shall find my place’” (ll. 40-41)? While she begins to understand that service and sacrifice are of great importance in life, Thel fails to grasp another, possibly more important aspect of life—faith. The Lilly only understands that it lives as it should, as it must, and God will remember her and she will “‘“flourish in eternal vales”’” (l. 29).

For a more definitive answer, the Lilly refers Thel to the Cloud, whose life is probably the briefest of all. In the very first line of the second section of the poem, Thel identifies herself with the Cloud because of her perception that they both disappear forever after only the briefest of time: “ah, Thel is like to Thee. I pass away, yet I complain, and no one hears my voice.” (ll. 50-51) Despite this perceived kinship, the Cloud corrects Thel and begins to change her understanding of mortality. He begins by describing his usefulness, even in “passing,” much in the same way that Thel describes the Lilly: “O maid, I tell thee, when I pass away, / It is to tenfold life, to love, to peace, and raptures holy:…” (ll. 57-58). The Cloud descends to the earth, and along with the dew, it feeds the plants and flowers like the “‘“morning manna”’” (l. 27) that the Lilly describes. He describes his rise into the sky with the dew as a wedding, facilitated by the sun’s heat. He then mentions that he falls to the earth again as rain to nourish life. Upon hearing this, Thel no longer feels that she and the Cloud are alike. Since she does not see any purpose in her own mortal existence, she does not feel any kinship with something as useful as the metamorphosing Cloud: “I fear that I am not like thee; …I hear the warbling birds, But I feed not the warbling birds; they fly and seek their food; But Thel delights in these no more, because I fade away, And all shall say, ‘Without a use this shining woman liv’d, Or did she only live to be at death the food of worms?’” (ll. 64-70) With the utterance of the final two lines of this verse-paragraph, the Cloud rebukes Thel for not comprehending the significance of that service: “How great thy use, how great thy blessing” (l. 73)!

The Cloud continues by more clearly articulating the purpose of mortal life: “Everything that lives / Lives not alone, nor for self;…” (ll. 73-74). These statements alter Thel’s thinking. For the first time, she begins to see that even the meekest, most fleeting life has meaning and serves a purpose. These truths were subtly evident in her previous conversation with the Lilly, but Thel did not grasp the notion that if something as frail and forgettable as the Lilly is given purpose, then she should not doubt her own. She does not have faith in the fact that service in itself is purpose enough, and that every being is given the opportunity to serve and sacrifice for others. This message is most lucidly conveyed by the Worm and the Clod of Clay, in their interactions with Thel.

Before the Cloud leaves Thel, he calls the lowly Worm for her, and it rises and settles upon the Lilly’s dewy leaf. When Thel sees the Worm, which is the weakest and most helpless image in the poem, she immediately pities it and wonders who is responsible for its welfare. Again, Blake uses the image of an infant to denote the helplessness of the Worm as well as to serve as an echo to the third verse-paragraph where Thel describes her own perceived position: “‘I see thee like an infant wrapped in the Lilly’s leaf’” (l. 81). The Worm is also depicted as sitting on the Lilly, wrapped in its protecting leaf, which is covered in nourishing dew. Blake incorporates images of service from Thel’s previous conversations into the protective scheme surrounding the Worm.

The passage also echoes Thel’s depiction of the Lilly in the sense that the Lilly gives to the “‘voiceless’” (l. 33), and the Worm can not speak. It can only weep, and its weeping attracts the attention of the Clod of Clay. The Clod of Clay successfully transforms Thel’s perceptions of mortal life, in the ideas it expresses and, more importantly, in the ideas it can not express. Like the Cloud, the Clod of Clay emphasizes that “‘we live not for ourselves’” (l. 88), and that everything has its purpose. The Clod of Clay most effectively conveys the latter notion by example: when the Clod hears the weeping Worm, she comes to its aid and comfort, nourishing it with “milky fondness” (l. 87). If a Clod of Clay is given a purpose, a meaning in life, should not Thel have faith that her life will have the same? This question of faith is eloquently addressed by the Clod of Clay when she conveys to Thel that she does not understand why God sees fit to give the life of a Clod of Clay not only purpose, but also a dignity in that purpose: “‘But how this is, sweet maid, I know not, and I cannot know, / I ponder and I cannot ponder; yet I live and love’” (ll. 95-96).

These last two lines cause a pivotal change in Thel’s perception of the mortal world, and in her relationship with its purpose and with God. She finally seems to understand that with a faith in God, everything has its purpose, and that purpose is service and sacrifice for others. No matter how small or seemingly insignificant the creature, God will not forget him. Thel now has the means by which she can overcome her fear of death because she now understands that its inevitability does not rob one of purpose, nor does it render life useless. She has learned that faith in God’s care and love will ensure that she will not be forgotten, and that her life should be full of active service, not idle trepidation. This is something that is finally impressed upon her by the Clod of Clay, but it is something that has been present throughout her conversations. Clearly, all of the creatures served others, as is discussed in the text. Despite the fact that the Worm’s purpose is not explicit, it does exist, even if it is merely to provide a purpose for the Clod of Clay. The evidence of faith in the Lilly and in the Cloud is subtle. It is found not in what they do, but in what they do not do. Despite the fundamentally disturbing and challenging questions that Thel asks them both, neither of them are perturbed.

They try to answer her as best they can, but when she does not comprehend as they do, they return to their lives and duties, with their faith and security intact and unaffected. In fact, when Thel asks the Cloud about the possibility of her dying useless, the Cloud does not fret, but rather reclines and then proceeds to answer. He is not vexed because his faith is strong, as hers must be if she is to live as a mortal being under God’s care, without fear. Unfortunately, Thel’s understanding of service and the need for faith does not mean that she is secure in these beliefs. When she is confronted with the unanswerable uncertainties of life, while in the pit, instead of holding fast to her newfound faith, she runs. She runs back to her vales of Har. The voice she hears overwhelms her sapling faith, and she is overcome by the same feelings which frightened her before.

Death forces her to look for meaning and purpose in life, and she fears that she will not find and fulfill that purpose, and thus die useless and forgotten. Through masterful construction and imagery, Blake creates a poem that conveys many emotions and ideas concerning meaning in life and, more importantly, why the search for meaning is necessary. He also offers action in service and faith as means by which the torment of searching for further purpose in life can be avoided. Faith in service is all one needs to know. Concrete proof and comprehension in life is not possible, nor is it necessary. One only needs faith, and faith in God will lead one to serve. In the imagery of Thel’s conversations, Blake subtly, but effectively develops and conveys his ideas in such a manner that the reader takes part in Thel’s indecision, fear, and eventual understanding. Unfortunately for Thel, however, it seems that the fear of death, and the resulting need to find meaning in a brief life is more than she can bare

A Review and Reflection of The Book that Made Your World

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A Review and Reflection of The Book that Made Your World

Vishal Mangalwadi is the perfect person to describe the Western culture as an individual who understands Christianity coming from a region where other forms of religion reign. Offering an outsider point of view, Mangalwadi (2011) discusses culture and poverty in Chapter 2 Service: Or a Ticket to Jail. In a definition of his own life, the author tells of a culture shock he experienced coming from urban India to the rural areas of the nation. My analysis will focus on this chapter on service to humanity and how it connects to biblical teachings on service to God. Specifically, I will address how the Christian worldview on service changes cultural beliefs inculcated in other typical perspectives lie Hinduism and Buddhism. Ultimately, the bible teaches us to be selfless, to be considerate of others, and to show the love of Christ through our actions and service to humanity.

The cultural issue addressed in the chapter relates to the general outlook on life where the Bible is involved and where it is not. Mangalwadi (2011) is critical of the way rural India perceives life and how their perception of wealth and service differ from the rest of the developed India. The author presents just how dangerous it is to live outside of the villages where people are confined to a culture of togetherness and poverty. Rural Indians survived, at the time, on the rule of strength in numbers and similar living conditions. There is no incentive to improve. The focus is on conformity to the world surrounding an individual without real efforts to provide assistance to anyone or anything. Families bury their wealth because anything less would be seen as wastefulness. Consequently, the poverty mindset and culture that has stricken rural India is an economic stagnation and a prevailing attitude of being okay with poverty.

Jesus emphasized on doing his Father’s will. In the same line, envy, as evidenced by the dacoit bandits, seeks only to destroy the joy of others. Therefore, the Christian response to the cultural issue facing the rural Indians is to mold the faith and belief of others in service to God. The belief in God is a liberation from the oppressive faith that has held the minds and bodies of people for centuries. The faith that the rural Indian cultures subscribe to can be defined as vulnerable to victimization and exploitation. In comparing the faith of different regions in India, Mangalwadi (2011) notes how prosperous Kerala State is having a huge percentage of Christians and Christianity. The belief in God has changed the way people think in such areas, leading to less oppressive mindsets, reduced corruption, and a focus on pleasing God through service to other people. Jesus Christ compels Christians to seek out people whose livelihoods are not as the rest of the society. By helping others to have their grass become as green as the rest of the community, Christians are required to lead others to the belief in peace and love, to lead them to flourish as they are immersed in the love of God. In rural India, the prevalent faith promotes self-love for selfish and individual gains. The Christian response is a command of selfless love, through service to others for the greater good as to please God. From what I have learnt about Christianity, I believe it is the best fit for any given society, especially one plagued by a religion or faith that is oppressive and one that limits people to only think about themselves. Christianity demands more of Christ followers by focusing on the Son and seeing the heart of the Father. In essence, I find Christianity to have an outside-inward focus, one that demands people to be the best they can be to others and to themselves. Jesus Christ taught His followers to love their neighbors as they love themselves. This is the ultimate sacrifice and service to other people as it requires one to think of others before putting their interests first in all situations.

The interesting life and stories about Mangalwadi’s (2011) experiences in rural India define how service to others can lead one to trouble with authorities who are exposed only to oppressive worldviews. A prayer meeting with the intent to mold the faith of rural people to become better people, both in their culture and in their individual lives, led Mangalwadi to jail. His imprisonment turns into a blessing in a period of enforced meditation. It is a period that reveals the need to never underestimate the spiritual blindness of human rulers. I agree with the author’s perspective on service to humanity. I see it as the most fulfilling and a true service to God. It is not only a way to help others see the world differently but also enables them to understand why. The Christian response to the issue of changing worldviews is also refreshing. I agree with how the bible teaches us to put others first in a way that resembles Christianity. While this perspective is not always practical, it is applicable to any human life, lifestyle, or culture. The discussion challenged my own assumptions about being a true Christian. I always thought a personal relationship with God meant minding one’s own business. However, this chapter points to the complete opposite. It demands that we go further and beyond our individual selves to include other people, to help them in the best way to can by pointing them to the love of Christ.

Reference List

Mangalwadi, V. (2011). The book that made your world: How the Bible created the soul of western civilization. Thomas Nelson.

Somalian Famine:

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Introduction

Located in the Eastern part of Africa, Somalia boarders the Indian Ocean which makes it closer to the Middle Eastern countries. Known as the horn of Africa, the country attributes this to its geographic shape and position. The position of the country has served as both an advantage and a disadvantage to development. The country is infamous for its involvement in various runnings with the international authorities. This has been triggered by the existence of the infamous militia known as the Al- Shabab who have taken on a leadership position in terms of the management of the country. The displacement of the government has resulted to a number of issues that has worsened the insecurity of the country. This situation is not ideal for the economy in that the periodical famine continues to increase by the minute (International relations and cooperation, 2006).

The focus of the research paper is to provide information that proves that the best solution for the Somalian recurrent famine is building a stable government. It displays the importance of the stability of a government by analyzing sources that support the thesis.

Stability in a country is important for the proper growth and development of its nationals. Research has shown that the lack of a proper governing system is the main contributor to the lack of the sustainability of a country. Somalia’s political situation is evident in that most of the basic needs of the people are not met. This has been displayed by the staggering rate of poverty that is seen in the refugee camps in and outside the country. The Al-Shabab has been in existence for a long period of time. They have taken over the territory through the conduction of piracy activities that have been reported to steal food that is donated to the country. This has worsened the situation at hand. Most of their activities cannot be controlled by the government due to its instability. The countries politicians contribute to the division of the country due to their focus of personal needs as opposed to the needs of the country as a whole (Royal Norwegian embassy in Addis Ababa).

Political conflict in the country has been ongoing for a long time; this can be credited to the different political views of the leaders. Some of the members of the opposition have on several occasions tried to overthrow the government. This has led to the constant power struggle between the two sides. In the end the local communities are the ones who have succumb to the instability. This has been realized through the increased poverty brought about by the constant migration of the locals. The inability to focus on farming has led to the famine situation in the country (Newsletter final).

The starvation in the country has been blamed on the fact that the country is a desert. This makes it prone to experiencing levels of famine that on many occasions cannot be controlled. Although the desert situation may be a contributor to the issue, it cannot be fully blamed. Countries such as the Israel have proved to be sustainable despite the country being a natural desert. This has been attributed to the proper governance of their leaders who have invested in innovative methods that have proved to be of great importance to the country (Security Council, 2011).

References

International relations and cooperation. Eradication of global poverty. (2006, May 18). Retrieved from http://www.dfa.gov.za/docs/2006pq/pqp7.htm

Newsletter final 14-UNPD Somalia.

Retrieved from www.so.undp.org/unctsom/…/UN%20in%20Somaliland%20overview.pdf

Royal Norwegian embassy in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia role in the horn of Africa. Retrieved from http://www.norway.org.et/News_and_events/etiopia/NUPI/

Security Council, (2011, March). Department of public. News and media division. New York. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/sc10193.doc.htm