Midterm Definitions

Midterm Definitions

1. Heart - The symbol of the love with which Jesus continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings without exception.

2. X and arrows – the “X” is what is we are all trying to reach or what is above us and the arrows are our attempt to reach what is above us. 3. Desire – What we want to have, what we strive to have in life. The main desire that all humans strive for = happiness.

4 Truths of I/ about myself – What is true about all humans which are the following :1. I don’t make myself 2. We have desires that are unlimited 3. We are limited, all of our abilities are limited 4. We expect happiness fulfillment within our lives.

  5. Religious Sense – To have ones religion in mind during decision making

  6. Ontology- the nature of being

  7. Being – Latin word = “Ontos” the existence of someone or something

Anointing of the Sick:

      1. Suffering - Suffering entered the world as a result of sin...original sin

2.       Sickness in the Old Testament – Sickness in the Old Testament

4.      Views of Suffering – Suffering in other religions is seen as bad

5.      Original Sin-The sin by which the first human beings disobeyed the commandment of God, choosing to follow their own will rather than God's will. As a consequence they lost the grace of original holiness, and became subject to the law of death; sin became universally present in the world. Besides the personal sin of Adam and Eve, original sin describes the fallen state of human nature which affects every person born into the world, and from which Christ, the new Adam, came to redeem us.

6.       Christ the Physician – Christ preformed miracles that physicians could never preform, he preformed miracles

7.      The Sick being Healed by the Church –

8.      Presbyters-An elder or priest, a member of the order of priesthood; the presbyterate is one of the three degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Presbyters or priests are co-workers with their bishops and form a unique sacerdotal college or presbyterium dedicated to assist their bishops in priestly service to the People of God. Through the ministry of priests, the unique sacrifice of Christ on the cross is made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church

9.      Administers of Sacraments – Priest or Bishop

10.  Receivers of Sacraments – Lay people *

11  Celebration of the Sacrament-  In some cases sacraments mark the adulthood of an individual

12.  Vaticum - The official residence of the Pope in Rome. It also refers to the central government of the Church.

13.  Grace Recieved-  The act of receiving free and undeserved gift that God gives us to respond to our vocation to become his adopted children.

14. Effects of a Sacrament – Maturation I within religion, can join individuals together, spiritual rebirth
15. Theodicy - A revelation or visible appearance of God, as in the case of Moses at Mount Sina
16. Apocalyptic-  The handing on of apostolic preaching and authority from the Apostles to their successors the bishops through the laying on of hands, as a permanent office in the Church.
17. Oil of the Sick - blessed oil used in the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
18. Extreme Unction -One of the seven sacraments, also known as the sacrament of the dying, administered by a priest to a baptized person who begins to be in danger of death because of illness or old age, through prayer and the anointing of the body with the oil of the sick. The proper effects of the sacrament include a special grace of healing and comfort to the Christian who is suffering the infirmities of serious illness or old age, and the forgiving of the person's sins.
19.  Society of Jesus  - 12 disciples
20. Station of the Cross -  A series of fourteen meditations on incidents in the suffering and death of Christ. Pictures of these scenes can be found round the walls of most Catholic churches.

Reconciliation:

1.  Penance : Interior penance: a conversion of heart toward God and away from sin, which implies the intention to change one's life because of hope in divine mercy. External acts of penance include fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. The observance of certain penitential practices is obliged by the fourth precept of the Church.
2.  Confession : An essential element of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, which consists in telling one's sins to the priestly minister. By extension, the word confession is used to refer to the Sacrament of Penance itself.
3. Conversion -A radical reorientation of the whole life away from sin and evil, and toward God. This change of heart or conversion is a central element of Christ's preaching, of the Church's ministry of evangelization, and of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.
4. Ten Commandments - The rules of life delivered by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. They still form the basis of Christian morality.
5. Sin-An offense against God as well as a fault against reason, truth, and right conscience. Sin is a deliberate thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the eternal law of God. In judging the gravity of sin, it is customary to distinguish between mortal and venial sins.
6.Absolution-Part of the sacrament of penance. It is the formal declaration by the priest that a penitent's sins are forgiven.
7.  Mortal Sin - A grave infraction of the law of God that destroys the divine life in the soul of the sinner sanctifying grace, constituting a turn away from God. For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be present: grave matter, full knowledge of the evil of the act, and full consent of the will.
8.  Original Sin - The sin by which the first human beings disobeyed the commandment of God, choosing to follow their own will rather than God's will. As a consequence they lost the grace of original holiness, and became subject to the law of death; sin became universally present in the world. Besides the personal sin of Adam and Eve, original sin describes the fallen state of human nature which affects every person born into the world, and from which Christ, the new Adam, came to redeem us.
9. Venial Sin -Sin which does not destroy the divine life in the soul, as does mortal sin, though it diminishes and wounds it. Venial sin is the failure to observe necessary moderation, in lesser matters of the moral law, or in grave matters acting without full knowledge or complete consent.
10 . Concupiscence:
Human appetites or desires which remain disordered due to the temporal consequences of original sin, which remain even after Baptism, and which produce an inclination to sin.
11. Fornication:
Sexual intercourse between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. Fornication is a serious violation of the sixth commandment of God.
12. Excommunication:
A severe ecclesiastical penalty, resulting from grave crimes against the Catholic religion, imposed by ecclesiastical authority or incurred as a direct result of the commission of an offense. Excommunication excludes the offender from taking part in the Eucharist or other sacraments and from the exercise of any ecclesiastical office, ministry, or function.
13. Apostasy:
The total repudiation of the Christian faith.
14. Heresy:
The obstinate denial after Baptism of a truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith.
15. Schism:
Refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff, or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.

Matrimony:

1. Abortion:
Deliberate termination of pregnancy by killing the unborn child. Such direct abortion, willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life.
2. Contraception, Artificial:
The use of mechanical, chemical, or medical procedures to prevent conception from taking place as a result of sexual intercourse.
3. Natural Family Planning- within a marriage, every act of intercourse having the intention of conceiving
4. Nuptial Blessing:
Prayers for the blessing of a couple being married, especially of the bride.
5. Divorce:
The claim that the indissoluble marriage bond validly entered into between a man and a woman is broken.
6. Polygamy-The practice of having more than one wife at the same time, which is contrary to the unity of marriage between one man and one woman, and which offends against the dignity of woman.
7. Adultery:
Marital infidelity, or sexual relations between two partners, at least one of whom is married to another party. The sixth commandment and the New Testament forbid adultery absolutely.
8. Unity -Promotion of the restoration of unity among all Christians, the unity which is a gift of Christ and to which the Church is called by the Holy Spirit. For the Catholic Church, the Decree on Ecumenism of the Second Vatican Council provides a charter for ecumenical efforts
9. Exchange of Vows:
A deliberate and free promise made to God, concerning a possible and better good which must be fulfilled by reason of the virtue of religion. Religious vows, the public profession of the evangelical counsels in the Church, have an exemplary value in witnessing to the Kingdom to come.
10. Grace:
The free and undeserved gift that God gives us to respond to our vocation to become his adopted children.
11. Creation:
The act by which the eternal God gave a beginning to all that exists outside of himself. Creation also refers to the created universe or totality of what exists, as often expressed by the formula "the heavens and the earth".

Holy Orders:

1. Diocese -A "particular Church", a community of the faithful in communion of faith and sacraments whose bishop has been ordained in apostolic succession. A diocese is usually a determined geographic area; sometimes it may be constituted as a group of people of the same rite or language. In Eastern churches, an eparchy.
2. Vicar of Christ:
A title given to St. Peter, head of the Twelve Apostles, and to his successors, the popes; "vicar" means one who stands in for or acts for another.
3. Synod:
A meeting of bishops of an ecclesiastical province or patriarchate (or even from the whole world, e.g., Synod of Bishops) to discuss the doctrinal and pastoral needs of the church. A diocesan synod is an assembly of priests and other members of Christ's faithful who assist the bishop by offering advice about the needs of the diocese and by proposing legislation for him to enact. The words "synod" and "council" are sometimes used interchangeably.
4. Ecumenical Council:
A gathering of all the bishops of the world, in the exercise of their collegial authority over the universal Church. An Ecumenical Council is usually called by the successor of St. Peter, the Pope, or at least confirmed or accepted by him.
5. Infallibility:
The gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church whereby the pastors of the Church, the pope and bishops in union with him, can definitively proclaim a doctrine of faith or morals for the belief of the faithful. This gift is related to the inability of the whole body of the faithful to err in matters of faith and morals.
6. Parish:
A stable community of the faithful within a particular church or diocese, whose pastoral care is confided by the bishop to a priest as pastor.
7. Seminary:
A college where men are trained for the priesthood.
8. Celibacy:
The state or condition of those who have chosen to remain unmarried for the sake of the kingdom of heaven in order to give themselves entirely to God and to the service of his people. In the latin Church, celibacy is obligatory for bishops and priests. In some Eastern Churches, celibacy is a prerequisite for the ordination only of bishops; priests may not marry after they have been ordained.
9. Bishops - From the Greek word "episcopos" meaning "overseer". A bishop is in charge of the Church in a local area. One who has received the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, which makes him a member of the episcopal college and a successor of the Apostles. He is the shepherd of a particular Church entrusted to him.
10.  Pope - The successor of St. Peter as Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the universal Catholic Church. The pope exercises a primacy of authority as Vicar of Christ and shepherd of the whole Church; he receives the divine assistance promised by Christ to the Church when he defines infallibly a doctrine of faith or morals. See Papacy.
11.  Priest - Someone who is ordained to minister within the Church. The main duties of the Priest are; preaching, celebrating Mass, administering the other sacraments and exercising a role of leadership within the Church.
12.Deacon - A third degree of the hierarchy of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, after bishop and priest. The deacon is ordained not to priesthood but for ministry and service. Deacons are ordained to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity. While the Churches of the East have always had a functioning order of deacons, in the West the permanent diaconate was reestablished by the Second Vatican Council
13. Cardinal Virtues:
Four pivotal human virtues derived from the latin carbo, "pivot": prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. The human virtues are stable dispositions of the intellect and will that govern our acts, order our passions, and guide our conduct in accordance with reason and faith.
14. Clergy:
A term applied to men who have been Ordained for ministry within the Church. Bishops, Priests and Deacons are members of the Clergy.

Baptism:

1. Baptism:
The first of the seven sacraments which gives access to the other sacraments. Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification. Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist constitute the sacraments of initiation by which a believer receives the remission of original and personal sin, begins a new life in Christ and the Holy Spirit, and is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ. The rite of Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water, or pouring water on the head, while pronouncing the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
2. Catechumen:
A person who is preparing for Baptism. The catechumenate is the formation of these catechumens in preparation for their Christian Initiation, and aims at bringing their conversion and their faith to maturity within the occlusal community. The candidates are anointed with oil of catechumens by which they are strengthened in their conversion from sin and renunciation of Satan.
3. Designated Minister -t he service or work of sanctification performed by the preaching of the word and the celebration of the sacraments by those in Holy Orders, or in determined circumstances, by laity. The New Testament speaks of a variety of ministries in the Church; Christ himself is the source of ministry in the Church. Bishops, priests, and deacons are ordained ministers in the Church.
4. RCIA:
Stands for Right of Christian Initiation of Adults. A year long process of entrance into the Catholic Church.
5. Oil of Baptism – oil is used to bless the person being baptized
6 . Concupiscence:
Human appetites or desires which remain disordered due to the temporal consequences of original sin, which remain even after Baptism, and which produce an inclination to sin.

Blog Post 15:

What does it mean to say, "if I need something, I chase after it if it goes away"?  How does this relate to the "Universal Call to Holiness"?  What do you think this quote implies for the everyday Catholic?  What do you think it means to "say who Christ is" without shame?
 The quote, "if I need something, I chase after it if it goes away"? means that whatever the difficulties we are faced with we still try to put up the effort necessary to get what we want. This relates to the "Universal Call to Holiness" because we are called upon to go through a journey that requires to be dependent on God and ourselves. And God wants us to pursue perfection even though we are all sinners and he calls us to get baptized. This applies to the everyday Catholic for many reasons. As Catholics we are called to imitate God in all walks of life. Jesus attended to the needs of the sick, poor, and those in need and we are to do the same . Also this applies to the sacraments as well.  Catholics have the wrong idea of what it means to be "holy". They think that to be holy means to pray everyday and to got to church. But you have to those things and much more and you have to follow the example made by Christ. I know I was one a people who thought to be holy you have to pray and got to church. And now after reading the handouts I know understand their is so much more you can do. What it means to "say who Christ is" without shame means you are recognizing that God is your savior and you are not afraid to call out his name in the public eye.

Blog Post 14:

1. The ability to love others seen in the woman's treatment of the girl can show us many things about God's love for us. When the baby of the girl is baptized, I believe it shows us that God loves everyone no matter what situation they are in. Also the fact that the mom of the baby is a slut and the woman still baptizes her baby says that God's love can go out to anyone.

2. At the end of the story when the woman says to the infant "I saved him" she mean many things when she said this. She can mean she literally saved the baby from the bad situation they were in. Also she can mean that she saved the baby by baptizing him into a world of new life and 'saving' him from the works of the devil.

3. I think the purpose of this section in the story the author describes is to relate the story of the flower getting struck to the infant baby that almost died as well. And how that baptizing created new life for them both. What the author tried to convey about the woman through his descriptions is to convince her to have a better understanding of God.

Blog Post 13:

How do you see the gifts of the Holy Spirit working in my life?

Well, I believe that the Holy Spirit  works in our lives both in our personal life and work life.  In our personal life their are always going to be temptations to do things you are not supposed to be doing and we have to listen to the Holy Spirit and God to help guide us through those decisions. This applies to our work life to because you might get tempted  to want to cheat your way to move your way up in your job or school. And you could cheat your way through school and be dishonest with yourself. So in other words I see the Holy Spirit working in my life as an influence to continue to tell me to be honest and do the right things.

 Which gift of the Holy Spirit do you think you need the most in your life today?

The gift I need most today in my life is the gift of understanding. I think I need understanding the most for a couple of reasons. I believe that although I am almost about to be an adult that I still don't fully understand all of the world's views. Also I think understanding will help me be able to consistently live life the right way and make better judgements. Also understanding will help me open my eyes better to know what God wants from me as long as I live on the earth. In other words understanding will help me comprehend on how to live as a follower of God.

Blog Post 11: Distance Learning #2

"Sacraments: Introduction to Fulton Sheen":

In this document it talks about having a "divine sense of humor" and how it helps us understand the sacraments. Also it says that the world we live in today is sacramental and our world doesn't think about any other worlds outside Earth. Also it says that the universe is a sign of God.

"Sacraments- What the Sacraments Bring to Man- Fulton Sheen"
In this document it tells that the sacraments bring divine grace. Also it says that grace is a higher life of man. The man has three levels to which they live which are sensate, intellectual, and divine. The sensate are those that deny, the intellectual are the historians or journalist, and the divine have belief and faith.

"Sacrament"- Sevan Conditions'
In this document it talks about the sevan conditions required to live a physical or natural life. These are:

1. You must be born.
2. He must nourish himself.
3. He must mature.
4. He must have his wounds bound and healed.
5. In situation of disease traces of disease are driven out.
6. He must live under government and justice in human relationships.
7. He is called to propagate the human species.

Also talks about the divine Christ life sevan conditions:

1. We must be baptized.
2. We must nourish the divine soul through Eucharist.
3. We must spiritually mature.
4. We must heal wounds of sin.
5. We must drive out traces of disease.
6. We must live under spiritual government of Church.
7. We must prolong/propagate the kingdom of God=(Matrimony)

"What is the Divine Sense of Humor?"
I believe this is the ability of a person to see things that someone else lacks because they do not have a sense of humor. 

Blog Post 12- Distance Learning 3

Are Sacraments Narrow? by Mark Shea

1.  Ludwig's problem is that he does not believe grace in in the sacraments
2. What the Church is not thinking about when it comes to sacramentality is is denying God's universal love and his will.
3. What the Church thinks about when it comes to "sacramentality" is for salvation of each person under God.
4. God reveals and gives to each individual  human being his offering grace by giving us the Sacraments to guide us and to live by and is required for our salvation.
5. The Christian doctrine that is the foundation for the sacraments is Jesus Christ himself.
6. The goals of modern spirituality tells us God is a sort of extended ether in the cosmos that He would never sully himself with the crudeness of matter.
7. The Christian repudiation of such spiritual snobbery is God likes matter and at the beginning of the creation story he declared it as good
8. “But that was so that he could put this gross body of flesh to death on the Cross and revert back to pure spirituality, wasn’t it?” I believe this means that the reason why Jesus was crucified and died was for his people to live on his earth and to live spiritually.
9. “That is why the sacramental worldview sees more than just a symbol in a sacrament.” I believe this means that God is not just present through the Sacraments but He can work in other ways in our lives.
10. G.K. Charleston said that their is a sacred presence in the Eucharist because Jesus suffered and died so we can live on earth.
11. Grace is the love and  kindness from God that seeks us out even when we have nothing to offer in return.

Blog Post 10: Distance Learning 1

One example from the Catechism - "Justification and Grace" that relates to the theme of Flannery O' Connor's "The River" is God giving up himself to the cross so that we may forgiving for our sins. This act, I believe showed grace and justification because Jesus showed great faith by sacrificing himself and it was justification because He gave his people another chance to live but through sin.

The Man without a face

"How does Norstadt arrive at the moral certainty that he can trust McLeod despite the fear and doubt that is raised in him by the rumors? Why is it so important for McLeod that Norstadt not "cheat" on the problem of using his freedom to decide on his own whether the rumors are true?"

In the movie, I think he overall believed in their friendship and he did not care about with others thought of McLeod.  This is proved when he lied to McLeod about telling his mom he was coming to him for tutoring. He really wanted to keep coming to him for help despite the fact that his mom and the rest of the people in town disliked him. This movie is a lot like the world today. So many people judge other’s from how they look and they don’t try to get to know them.  I think this applies to this movie because the people in the town judge him by his face and they believe every rumor they hear about him. No one tried to reach out to McLeod and actually have a conversation with him excerpt Norstadt. Also I believe that Norstadt’s family had a role in his trust in McLeod.  His family seemed like they hated him and he felt like he wasn’t really part of the family. In the movie he even said he lives with all smart females and that he is the retard of the family. For this feeling he had about himself, I think caused him to search for help and ultimately find McLeod.  And when he formed a friendship with him, he began to love him more than his family. He said in the movie that he is the only person he can come to talk to about things in his life. So, this is why Norstadt trusted McLeod despite the rumors he heard.

It was important to McLeod that Norstadt to not “cheat” on the problem of using his freedom to decide on his own whether the rumors are true for many reasons. I think he felt like he shouldn’t be like the others in the town and not judge him on what he’s heard but the friendship they had.  Also since McLeod taught him, he wanted Norstadt to trust his abilities and what he has learned from him. Norstadt asked him on the beach if the rumors were true that he molested one of his pupils and McLeod did not answer because he wanted him to think for himself and not for him to give him the answer or cheat as he said it. It is kind of similar to the beginning of the movie when McLeod asked Norstadt to write an essay when he begins tutoring lessons to him. When he reads the essay, he knew he plagiarized it so he makes him wright it over again. This scene was very reminiscent of the one on the beach because McLeod knew Norstadt could figure out himself rather than cheat his way out of it. Overall, what I got out of  this movie is a great theme of tolerance toward others, and to have confidence in myself. I think this because of the way that Norstadt was accepting of McLeod when no one in town gave him a chance. Also I think McLeod showed tolerance toward Norstadt because he always believed in him even when he didn’t believe in himself.

What does it mean to know?

What it means to know something can mean many things. It can mean that you learn certain things in our lives that stick with us. Most of these things come from what we learned from our parents. So in other words what we know is what we have learned. I believe this because when we know something, and we become accustomed to thinking about it we learn it. Then it becomes second nature to us and we will be able to teach someone else what we have learned. Also to know something can mean we can understand very well and gain knowledge others cannot. So in other words someone who comprehends will always be a couple thoughts ahead of someone that isn't. Also to know something can mean that we learn things by ourselves from our own experiences. For example, if you go  eat out at a restaurant you never been to and you like it, you will remember and "know" where it is a want to come back. You will remember and know where it is because it was your experience going out and eating at that restaurant. In conclusion, I believe to know something is from being learned, or an experience.

"Cathedral" Short Story Blog Post 7

Brief Summary: So, this story has three characters which are the narrator, his wife, and his wife's blind free. Basically the blind man's wife had died and he is going to meet with the narrator's wife at her house and the narrator is reluctant to have the blind man over.

1. The narrator is not looking forward to the visit of the blind man because he resents the relationship he has with his wife and he disturbs him.
2. I think it is possible to read the wife's experience of the blind man touching her face as to being able to be "seen" by him because she believed that he could see her anyway through her emotionally and when he touched her she felt it even more. I think her writing poetry after that experience related to her desire to be seen because she believed that she wasn't truly being "seen" in her marriage like she was when she talks with the blind man. 3. And I think this had to do with her attempted suicide culminated from feeling lonely in her marriage and separated because of her ability to not be able to "see'. I think receiving another's friend means that you are able to accept new things and accept other people and be friends.
4. Although he could not see her physically, I think Robert could see Beulah emotionally in the same way he could see the narrator's wife. What it means to see and to be seen are two different things.  The story has a great theme of this concept. A blind man goes into a narrow minded house and opens his eyes. Before the blind man came the narrator could only see selfishly even though he can physically see. In other words he could only be seen because he was blinded by his own mentality, and Robert made him be able to see in a different way.
5. I think the characters smoke pot because the author wanted to showcase the positive and negative possibilities of smoking weed. Negative because of the effects of the drugs but positive because from smoking together, they were able to form a bond that led to them drawing the cathedral together.
6. What the churches reveal about what the culture thinks about God, is like a cathedral which promotes accepting new people and new ideas.
7.  The narrator has difficulty describing a cathedral because he is not religious. What he sees when his eyes are closed at the end of the story is a deeper understanding of himself and his life, and he realizes he doesn't need to open his eyes to "see" it.

The Experience of "Freedom" Extra Credit Blog Post:

An experience when I feel free is whenever I listen to music. I don't know what it is about but when I listen to music I feel like it inspires me and makes me feel like I am able to accomplish anything. Also, music can stick with you throughout the day and make you sing it in our heads. And I think this contributes to me being inspired by the music and helps me become "free". So, in my opinion the experience of "freedom" is achieved through the music you listen to and your ability to act like your power is unlimited.

Wonder: Blog post 6

To me wonder is the ability of thinking and looking at something in an amusing way because when I look at something and I like it, I am amused and I want to know more about it. For example if I am six years old and I look at a memorial like the Martin Luther King Memorial in D.C, I would wonder about the meaning of it and its possibilities. Since I'm six years old I might not understand what the monument stood for and I might just think it was just a cool looking statue. So, in other words since I would be younger my imagination would be more wider because I have not learned  things yet. And when we get older, our imagination and wonder becomes less because we are more acquitted with reality. I believe "Concepts create idols, only wonder knows" means that people cant create imagery, and that you have to wonder to actually know. I think this is true because people that try to fake imagining things won't have the ability to wonder.

David Foster Wallace Commencement Address

In David Foster's commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005, his idea is that life consists of fundamental choices that lie entirely with the human person and allow them to engage the world differently. I think his idea is correct. In the speech he says we all have self- center-nests in us and that we all believe the world revolves around us.

That mindset that we all have that makes us think that everything revolves around us is the main reason why he says fundamental choices lie entirely on the human person. Now in the speech David went over my head a lot of times with some of his analogies for proving his idea on life. But, I kinda understood what he was talking about when he talked about the selfishness in us.

I don't believe his full idea is credible in my opinion, but his idea about selfishness is a good one. I don't believe it is a credible idea because everyone is not going to have the same experience in life and some people will object to his ideas. You can tell in the speech that David feels that their is nothing else to live for in his life and that he was depressed. As a result of this I think people in the audience didn't connect with his speech because they were laughing at parts that were not needed.

Honestly I engage these choice's  usually by going with my "gut" feeling and not really thinking outside of my actions. Some of my  choices are how I feel at the time  and some choices I am forced to do. I never really thought about David's point of view of choices so his idea is new to me.

I think people clap when David is insulting them for many reasons. I think the main reason is because they don't really fully understand what he is saying and they are just clapping to clap. Another reason might be that they don't realize that he is not only insulting them but the world. I could understand this, because I too have clapped during a speech, but did not actually listen to the speech. I believe this is indicative of the audience not fully listening.

Blog Post 4

Act 1: Caligula Play

1. Camus demonstrates Caligula heart by manipulating him.

2. Those in power view Caligula as lifeless and evil  because he rejects everybody. I agree with this view because if someone has a bad attitude and is mean, you might view them as lifeless.

Describing an object in my house:

A computer is one of many objects in my house. I would describe it as something that affects many things in my life and essential hardware that is a necessitate. Without it I would not be able to complete assignments in a consistent manner and I would have to use the library down the street from my house to write papers. Other factors of the computer include getting current information before it goes on television and watching videos/listening to music. Also the computer allows me to read messages and help me receive emails. In conclusion there are many factors of the computer and it has become a necessitate to our daily lives.

What will make me happy?

              In my life many things make me happy. I'm happy when I listen to my favorite artist or hear my favorite song on the radio. I'm happy when I get a new pair of shoes or clothing. I'm happy when I watch my favorite basketball and football team on t.v. I'm happy when I watch my favorite television show on TV. I happy when I  get a good grade for school. I'm happy when i wake up really early for school and have a good breakfast because that doesn't happen that much. I'm happen when I play games with friends. I'm happy that I have two parents that love me and support me with everything I do. I happy that I have a big brother that I can always count on to give me good advice on any problem or issue I'm having.
              Also I have things in my life that will make me happy when I accomplish them. The biggest of these is graduating right now. Its graduating because for four years that is what I have been working toward and to finally graduate will be a very happy moment for me. Also what would me happy when I accomplish it is getting my drivers license. This would make me very happy because as got older i got tired of having my parents drive me around to places. To get my license would be great because then I drive myself wherever I want to go. In my life my happiness is limitless and even when I'm faced with a bad situation, I always try to stay positive and be happy even when things don't seem to go my way. Usually when I do my hobbies like play sports or video games, it takes my mind off something bad that may have happened and I feel happy again.

            Also accomplishing my dream of becoming a sports analyst on ESPN or for the NFL network would make me happy because I watched these broadcasts ever since I was young and I always thought I could do it. I'm very knowledgeable about sports and I love arguing about sports so being a sports analyst would be a dream come true for me and would make me most happy in the future.

 

Introduction of myself

               My name is Cameron, and I'm a seventeen year old  African American student attending high school. I value many things in my life but the most important thing I value is my family. My family is most valuable to me because I would not be alive today without them and everything I accomplish in my life is to make them proud of me. My religious background is Baptist and I believe God exists and that Jesus Christ is his only son that redeemed the world. I believe religious and cultural backgrounds are important because it will influence the kind of people you interact with and show how diverse you are. What I hope for in life is to always try my best and put my best foot forward with anything I do rather than being lazy and not taking care of my responsibilities.