A Protest of Olympic Proportions

Beijing has spent billions of dollars over the last eight years to prepare for the Olympics. The recent outbreak of violence and unrest in Tibet and the crackdown by the Chinese there, coupled with the opportunity for organizations and various rights groups to finally have there views heard. When the Olympic torch passed through Paris, it was extinguished several times. In San Francisco protesters scaled the cables on the golden gate bridge in order to post signs. The torch relay continues al though several stops had to be cancelled or changed. This reminded me of the movie "kundun" and how the Dalai Lama was forced into exile. It would be incredibly uplifting experience for the Tibetans and Buddhists in general to have their religious leader restored to his homeland. 

Say goodbye to the Buddhas of Bamyan

From 1996 to 2001 the Taliban ruled most of Afghanistan. In 2001 they were removed from power through military effort by both Northern Alliance and NATO countries and now engage in guerrilla warfare. They were only acknowledged with diplomatic recognition by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. They enforced an extremely strict interpretation of Sharia laws, which were exceptionally confining to women. Violation of the Taliban laws often resulted in ones execution. 

Among the Taliban's numerous indiscretions is the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamyan, two towering statues of Buddha carved into the cliffside. At 125 and 175 feet tall and over 2,500 years old this act was condemned by nearly the entire remainder of the world. The reasons for the demolition were not immediately clear. Although a decree was made several years later declaring that all representations of humans and idols were to be destroyed since idol worship violates Islamic law. It also seemed to be a part of the Taliban's efforts to eradicate any "un-islamic" portions of society. All such imagery was soon prohibited, including music, sports, and television. 

Whether or not they agreed with the religious aspects of the statues it really bothers me that they also had no regard for the history behind them. They were a group that used religion to back up their radical actions. This is the type of thing that gives religion a bad name. What gives them the right not to allow women to be educated or express themselves, or freedom of religion, or the existence of ancient artwork?

If you want more information about the Taliban go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban

Lost in Translation

Last week in my world politics class we were discussing the main points of multinational relations and globalization. To make it more entertaining my professor read off a list of examples in which companies were advertising in other languages and made horrible errors in translation. 

Some of them were quite obviously mistakes:

Sweden: in the window of a Swedish furrier: Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin.

Russian/Russia: in the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery: You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursday.

Romania: in a Bucharest hotel lobby: The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.

Denmark: in a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all directions.

An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I Saw the Pope" in Spanish, the shirts proclaimed "I Saw the Potato".

English text on products made in Japan solely for Japanese consumers: 

Message printed on an eraser: "Mr. Friendly Quality Eraser. Mr. Friendly Arrived!! He always stay near you, and steals in your mind to lead you to a good situation.". On the bottom of the eraser is a further message: "We are ecologically minded. This package will self-destruct in Mother Earth."

In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into Schweppes Toilet Water.

Though others were potentially offensive:

When translated into Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off".

In a Paris hotel elevator: Please leave your values at the front desk.

Italian/Italy: In a Rome laundry: Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time.

When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you". However, the company's mistakenly thought the Spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the ads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant".

Taiwan:  the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" came out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead".

Most of these were just humorous, but when we got to the pepsi one, and another one about a suntan lotion billboard in Saudi Arabia that had women in bikinis on it, i began to wonder how offended people might become over these translation errors. What if the advertisers violate their culture or values without even realizing it. This has a lot to do with perception of religion. Things still often get lost in translation between countries and cultures, this makes it difficult for us to completely understand each others beliefs. 

end of world cancelled- due to lack of interest

People often do strange things because of religion. I read an article about a group of people in Russia who had barricaded themselves in a bunker with enough supplies to last them until the end of the world, which according to them is coming up in May. Attempts were made to negotiate with them and failed. They threatened to blow themselves up if anyone made an attempt to remove them using force. Yet local residents recently reported a lot of movement in the area, and have reason to believe that some of the members may have left.   

How can they make such a drastic move and then change their minds about it? Could this be considered rational behavior? Where do we draw the line between religion and cults? Many people commit inappropriate or unacceptable acts in the name of religion, but how can you justify something like murder on the basis of your belief system. Religion often inspires people to do great things yet it also often causes a lot of grief and sometimes fighting. Is religion a good thing or a bad thing for our society?

Ask friends #1 and #2

When i was thinking about what to write for my blog this week i decided to ask two of my friends the same questions about their beliefs. Read their answers and then i will tell you about the individuals. 

Friend #1

Explain your strongest religious convictions.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He died for the sins of the world. Salvation is possible only through acceptance of His death and resurrection for your sins.


What if anything could make you question your beliefs?

I have questioned my beliefs before; I believe everyone with a desire for knowledge and deeper understanding does. But through my life experiences, nothing can now make me doubt my beliefs. 


How do you feel about other religions? Do you think you are accepting?

I am accepting in that I accept people. Jesus accepted people just as they were, and so do I. Jesus loves people just as they are, and so do I. There is a difference between acceptance of people and acceptance of beliefs. Just because I accept, or "tolerate" people, does not mean I believe their religious convictions are right. 


What do you say to people who you feel violate your moral code?

If they are friends of mine, and are hurting themselves or doing something to harm those around them, I will step in and say something. But I do not point my finger at everyone who is not a Christian and say they are wrong. People have every right to live their lives the way they so chose, and unless they are my friends, or what they are doing is blatantly destructive, it is no business of mine what decisions they are making. 


Have you ever had a very religious, spiritual, or miraculous experience? If so, What?

God has shown Himself to me in many different ways. I've heard His voice through prayer and through talking with others, and I've seen Him move in my life and lives around me. His prescence is undeniable. When I was in the ICU after an intensive surgery, I started singing my favorite hymn. But when I reached a verse that I could never remember, I closed my eyes, and stopped breathing. As the nurse escorted my mother into the lobby, they tried to resuscitate me, and were successful. This is one example of the many reasons I know God has a plan for my life, and He is watching over me. 

Friend #2

Explain your strongest religious convictions.

I believe that there isn't one absolute set of beliefs that someone must have to gain a state of grace, but that being a good person inside and out and being a contributer to the greater good is enough.


What if anything could make you question your beliefs?

A person of my own faith who twists religion into something cruel and unaccepting. Someone who exemplifies the dark parts of religion.

How do you feel about other religions? Do you think you are accepting?

I accept other religions because you own beliefs are not of utmost importance, only your actions and your goodness can truly define you. There are good... and bad people of all faiths. 

What do you say to people who you feel violate your moral code?

Unless their moral code violates another person's will in some way, there is nothing that needs to be said.

Have you ever had a very religious, spiritual, or miraculous experience? If so, What?

Everyday. Learning more about the world only deepens my wonderment at it. 

Friend number one is someone who is extremely vocal about her beliefs and she often upsets people in the way that she discusses it. She is loud and enthusiastic about most things. Friend number two is rather private about his views, he will be happy to share them with you if you ask, but usually won't otherwise. He loves to joke around and is extremely intelligent and knowledgeable. While they agree on many things they live their lives quite differently. 

Reading their responses to my questions made me wonder how someone would perceive each of them just from these answers without having met them. Also how these beliefs affect the way that they view the world and treat others.

Do you see the whole elephant?

I was recently reminded of children's book that I used to read as a kid. I am not sure what it was called, but it was about five blind men and an elephant. The way that i remembered it, the men encounter an elephant but are unsure of what it is, so they each decide to investigate it. One man touches the elephants leg and he tells the others that it is a large tree. The second man approaches the elephant from behind and when he touches the the elephants tail he proclaims that it is a rope. The third man decides that the elephants side is like a wall. The fourth man who feels the ear declares it is a fan, and the fifth man compares the trunk to a snake. The men argue and none of them would concede to being wrong, they were all so sure of what they felt. Then a young boy comes upon them and tells them that they are all right but they are also all wrong. None of them were able to see the big picture. They were so focused on what was right in front of them it crippled their ability to actually understand what it was. 

I searched online and found a version very similar to this one that i liked.

It was six men of Indostan

To learning much inclined,

Who went to see the Elephant

(Though all of them were blind),

That each by observation

Might satisfy his mind

The First approached the Elephant,

And happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side,

At once began to bawl:

“God bless me! but the Elephant

Is very like a wall!”

The Second, feeling of the tusk,

Cried, “Ho! what have we here

So very round and smooth and sharp?

To me ’tis mighty clear

This wonder of an Elephant

Is very like a spear!”

The Third approached the animal,

And happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands,

Thus boldly up and spake:

“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant

Is very like a snake!”

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,

And felt about the knee.

“What most this wondrous beast is like

Is mighty plain,” quoth he;

“ ‘Tis clear enough the Elephant

Is very like a tree!”

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,

Said: “E’en the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most;

Deny the fact who can

This marvel of an Elephant

Is very like a fan!”

The Sixth no sooner had begun

About the beast to grope,

Than, seizing on the swinging tail

That fell within his scope,

“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant

Is very like a rope!”

And so these men of Indostan

Disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

Exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right,

And all were in the wrong!

Moral: 

So oft in theologic wars,

The disputants, I ween,

Rail on in utter ignorance

Of what each other mean,

And prate about an Elephant

Not one of them has seen!

To me this story illustrates the way that a lot of  people view religion. It is a common area for people to make assumptions and be rather closed minded. I think whether or not you are religious it is important to make an effort to understand someone else's beliefs and culture before you judge them. After all you cannot accurately assess something if you don't have sufficient knowledge about it. 

MIRACLES...

One day in my philosophy class, while we were discussing whether or not God exists, one argument came up suggesting that our existence was too well designed to have just naturally occurred we had to have been engineered by someone. The example that was given was that if you have a machine with hundreds of knobs and it will only work if all the knobs are lined up exactly right, it isn't going to function just because all the knobs just naturally landed in the right place, someone has to set them. Life as we know it could be nonexistent if any number of things were just slightly different. Like the amount of oxygen in the air or the strength of gravity. Therefore the argument states that in order for us to exist, God, our creator, must also exist. 

This may be a stretch, but it made me start thinking about miracles. This is a story a friend of mine told me about a miracle he experienced.  

"It all started when I was about 5 or 6. I had always been a bit of a sickly kid, so when I started having headaches it wasn’t too big of a deal. My parents were immediately concerned about how intense the headaches were though. I remember them being so intense that I couldn’t think. All I could do was cry myself to sleep every other night while my mom rubbed my temples. After several weeks of this, my parents became very worried and made an appointment for me to get checked out at the Loma Linda Medical Center. 
The day that we went to Loma Linda, I was afflicted with a really bad headache. As my mom and I were waiting in the waiting room in between the various tests they did on my head, I slept on my mom’s lap. Sleep was the only way I knew to escape the pain, so I did as much of that as possible. They performed every head scan and test known to man and then they sent us home to wait for the results. A week or so later, they called us back. My parents went in to meet with the doctor and discovered that I had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Upon returning home they told me nothing. They tried not to worry me, but even though I didn’t know what the doctor had said, I wasn’t fooled by my parents’ attempts to keep me calm. After that day I knew everything was different and that something was seriously wrong. It was that night that I started praying my own prayers to the Lord to heal me. 
Along with these, I had the prayers of my home church, and several other churches that we had family and friends in. This included my great uncle Jack, who had basically prayed me into existence because of my parents’ inability to have children. We had to make another appointment to have more tests and scans done. During the down time, all we could do was pray and try and enjoy life. One night, I had a really bad headache, so my parents put me to bed really early. My mom tells me that the next morning I woke up late (which was normal when I had headaches) and walked into the kitchen, groggy as usual. She asked me how I slept because of the migraine and I responded, “I slept well, the man kept me safe and took the pain away.” She must have freaked out hearing her eldest son talk about a strange man in his bedroom. She immediately asked her seemingly crazy son what he meant. I went on to describe a “Big” man in white robes who was sitting on the edge of my bed. My mom asked me if I was scared and I asked “Why would I be scared mommy? He was sent there to help me.” 
A while after this, we went back to Loma Linda to have the follow up tests done. Unlike the last time, I hadn’t had a major headache in several days, and I felt fine during the tests. Some time after that, my parents were called back in again for the results of the new tests. The doctor first asked them if they were religious at all, and my parents said that they went to church and had a lot of people praying for me. The doctor said that the brain tumor had vanished and that he had no other explaination except that I had been miraculously healed."

There are stories of miracles in every culture all over the world. Are they universal because they are real? Or are they our way of explaining the unexplainable? Would you call them superstitions or miracles?

yoga & self-actualization

Two instances this week made me ponder religion. 

On tuesday night i went with my friend to a yoga class. I had never done it before and quite frankly it was significantly more difficult than i anticipated. I assumed it would not be very strenuous and that it might be rather boring as well. I must admit I was wrong, and although it was not a religious experience for me, it was very spiritual. I felt relaxed and invigorated. I found that my worries and troubles seemed to melt away and i was able to focus my mind on my body and the movement in that moment. I also felt like i was pushing my limits, in a good way. I can see the appeal and how one might search for enlightenment through yoga. 

Today in my psychology class we brought up Maslow's theory of hierarchy of needs. Which is based on the idea that people are inherently good but sometimes have to make choices that are not always right, based on their needs. He also believes there is an order of needs because some are more important than others. According to Maslow, you fulfill physiological needs first, followed by safety needs, belonging and love needs, esteem needs, and finally self-actualization needs. What i found extremely interesting is that people who were considered to have reached the stage of self-actualization, like Gandhi and Mother Teresa, would actually forgo some of their safety or physiological needs in order to fulfill their self-actualization. This idea of reaching a place where they are willing to make personal sacrifice in order to realize their true self really reminded me of enlightenment. 

who gets to decide....

One day last semester while on my way to lunch I saw a man holding one of the strangest signs I had ever seen. He was surrounded by a huge crowd of people and was preaching about who he believed was going to hell. His long list included people who were Jewish, Atheist, Hindu, Pagan, Agnostic, Satanist, Mormon, Buddhist and Jehovah witness. As well as those who fall under the categories of cross dressers, gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, “girly men”, “mouthy women”, murderers, child molesters, abusive spouses, and sinners. There must be about twenty more that I can’t remember. His presence sprouted a lot of controversy although many of the upper classman say that he comes every year. The Women’s center made t-shirts that said “I am a mouthy woman”. One student was so offended he went and put on a dress so he could be a cross dresser.  A lot of people became so enraged there was a lot of shouting and argument. I feel like more than anything it made a lot of people act like hypocrites, both him and those that refuted his claims.

How can he be so specific about it and make such a blanket statement that clearly encompasses the majority of the human population? How can he make such general statements as “mouthy women” and “girly men”? How do you quantify that? And if you say sinners are going to hell wouldn’t he himself be included? Does this viewpoint make sense? It seems so cut and dry to me.  

You probably shouldn't watch this video if you have a weak stomach

Today in my psychology class we were discussing the idea of pain, and how it can often be a mind over matter thing. We began discourse on how people who have strong convictions about something, for example in a religious context, often say they do not feel pain even in a situation where they obviously should. Then we watched this video in which people chose to suspend themselves from hooks piercing their body in various places. Although in this instance it is not necessarily religious, it is a spiritual experience for them. The practice also originated as religious. It was considered a great honor to be the individual chosen to perform the suspension. 

This reminded me of what we discussed previously regarding harming oneself for religious beliefs. I thought everyone might find it interesting.

definitions?

So i Have been thinking about religion a lot lately. I looked up "religion" on dictionary.com and this is what it said:

re·li·gion      [ri-lij-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1.	a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

2.	a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.

3.	the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.

4.	the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.

5.	the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.

6.	something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.

7.	religions, Archaic. religious rites.

8.	Archaic. strict faithfulness; devotion: a religion to one's vow.

—Idiom

9.

get religion, Informal. a. to acquire a deep conviction of the validity of religious beliefs and practices. b. to resolve to mend one's errant ways: The company got religion and stopped making dangerous products. It seems like something huge and complicated to simplify into 9 basic points. Religion affects everyone everywhere in the world. Even someone who does not believe in religion becomes defined by that and in a way it is a religion. For many people it defines the purpose of their life. There are so many different types which tie in with many different cultures and languages. How can you simplify one of the most universal and controversial ideas in the modern world?

coexisting

I decided a good topic to start this blog with would be why I wanted to take the World Religions in the first place. I am a very curious person and I love to learn, especially about different cultures. I have always believed that you can't judge or put down anything that you aren't well informed about. Religion seems to me to be one of those topics that people often criticize harshly even when they are ignorant about it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but they should base it on information rather than speculation. 

I chose this image, because I feel like it embodies my feelings. I first saw this as a bumper sticker. Later I found this image with the meanings of each symbol. I love the idea of various religions not necessarily agreeing with each other but understanding and living in harmony.