Blog Post 22: Extra Credit

READ:YOU GAVE ME A ZERO ON BLOG POST 18 AND I DID IT DOWN BELOW


1. Zoroastrianism began to flourish throughout the  during the Persian Empire.

2. Zoroastrianism spread beyond its place of origin because Alexander the Great conquered Persia and  spread its culture through Persia and other countries.

3. Briefly describe the religious experience Zarathustra had at age 30.

At 30 Zarathustra he got in an experence with an angel named"Good Thought, Good Thought"  After that experience Zarathustra recognized "Ahura Mazda" as his only true God.

4. Avesta is the sacred text of Zoroastrianism written by  Zarathustra.

5. The Ahura Mazda is characterized as eternal and universal goodness. The Ahura Mazda controls all cosmos and the destiny of all human beings, the Ahura Mazda is the father of the pathway of the sun.

6.  Ethical Dualism is the belief in universal forces of good and evil.

7. It is a belief that evil exists. This challenges monotheism of the Ahura Mazda. If an evil force really is this powerful to be among us than the Ahura Mazda may not really exist.

8. Truth and the LIE.

9.After death individuals go into Judgement and  are required a crossing the Bridge Separator, which starts out as torment then leads to paradise.

10. The general demands are to lead a simple life of always telling the truth and doing what is right.  

11. The Parsis’ are the modern Zoroastrianism practices, most of them reside in India in today’s world.

12. Homer's Illiad and Odyssey.

13.It means that the gods of the Olympian pantheon have human form or human characteristics.

14.His idea of divine justice.

15. What is an oracle? What is the most famous oracle of ancient Greece, and why was it consulted?

An oracle was a  particular god that held the power to tell the truth. The most famous oracle was Delphi and was consulted because his wisdom was sought out.

16. Three basic aspects of the mystery religions:

  1.Individuals had to choose to become initiates, and they went through some form of initiation ritual

  2.Initiates experienced a personal encounter with the deity.

  3.Initiates gained spiritual renewal through participation in the religion and, as with most mystery    

     religions, hope for a better afterlife.

17. The mystery religion of Eleusion.

18. Dionysus is associated  as the god of fertility. and he is depicted in Greek art with mountains. 19. That the soul eventually will escape the body and also realizes the divinity of Dionysus nature.

20. Plato’s theory of knowledge- we have knowledge of things because of the experience in our previous life.

21. Platonic Dualism-the connection between the mind and the body.

22. Why did Jesus seem to have much in common with the ancient Asclepius?

23. Numina- supernatural powers.

24. Jupiter the sky god.

25. Identify the 6 planets of our solar system that are named after Roman deities.

          1. Jupiter

          2. Venus

          3. Mars

          4. Neptune

          5. Mercury

          6. Saturn

26. Why did the Roman state consider it essential to maintain official worship practice?

27.Mithraism mystery religion.

28. The Egyptian myth of Iris and Osiris was that Osiris was killed and cut into pieces by Iris’ evil brother. Iris looked for Osiris’ body parts, and when she found them she mummified his body parts and that brought him back to life.  When Osiris came back to life he became the god of the underworld.

29.  The type of emperor worship  encouraged by Augustus was  on the genius guardian spirit that he designed.
30.  The Romans believed that Christians did not support the state and Christians did not worship the emperor therefore a clash happened.

Blog Post 21

1. The three functions of a synagogue are the following are House of Assembly, House of Study, and House of Prayer.

2. The Ark serves as the replacement for when the Torah is not used. The Holy ark also serves as the focal point while an individual is praying. Above the ark stands an eternal light that represents the eternal light of the Temple. The ark can be decorated in many ways and come in many different sizes, shapes, and materials. Also the Torah scrolls usually have a parakeet or curtain covering it. But ordinarily the Torah Scrolls are decorated with elaborate jewels and rhinestones The Ten Commandments are located below the Torah Scrolls

3. The rabbi is viewed not only as a spiritual leader but as a counselor, a role model and an educator. Rabbi literally means teacher.

-To become a rabbi one would usually train for about five years at seminaries such as Hebrew Union College  called yeshivot.

- Rabbi’s are different  because clergymen guide the members of the community while rabbi’s teach members of the community.

-A rabbi is viewed not only as a spiritual leader and role model and an educator.

 4. The nature of the Sabbath is a day of prayer spent in synagogues. But the nature of the Sabbath is to devote one day out of the entire week and focus on the more important things in life other than work and school primarily for one’s faith and observance. The Sabbath occurs on the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday.

 5. The Torah" refers to the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. But the word "torah" can also be used to refer to the entire Jewish bible. To Jews, there is no "Old Testament." The books that Christians call the New Testament are not part of Jewish scripture.The Talmud is the Oral Torah. There is a tradition explaining what the above scriptures mean and how to interpret them and apply the Laws.

6. Different branches of Judaism:

1.Orthodox: They believe God gave the whole Torah to Moses at Mt. Sinai,  Orthodox are sometimes called "modern" Orthodox

2. Reform: German rabbi Abraham Geiger suggested reforming Judaism by underplaying traditional beliefs, and have a greater focus instead on the acceptance and promotion of moral law and monotheism. These ideas eventually led to the start what is now referred to as  Reform Judaism

3.Conservative: Conservative Judaism believes that while sacred Jewish writings did come from God, there was a human component. Although Jewish law should be obeyed, it must adapt.

4. Zionist: While a few secular and some Orthodox Jews remain anti-Zionist, support for Israel is now overwhelming.

7. Hebrew was the language of the early Jews, but from 586 BC it started to be replaced by Aramaic.

8. Yiddish was the primary language of Ashkenazic Jews in the shtetl, found throughout eastern and central Europe.

9. Yiddish terms:

-Mazal Tov: "good luck/fortune" in Hebrew and has been incorporated into Yiddish, and is now used in English as well. It is often used in place of "congratulations."

-Shalom: Shalom means"peace." Peace is only one small part of the meaning. "Shalom" is used to both greet people and to bid them farewell, and it means much more than "peace, hello or goodbye.

-Mitzvah: a precept or commandment of the Jewish law.

10. Rites of Passage 

-Brit Milah (Bris): A part of Jewish birth is the ceremony of circumcision.Bar/Bat Mitzvah: From the age of 13 and a day onward, a Jew is counted as part of a minyan [the quorum required for public prayer], eligible to read Torah publicly, and obligated to fulfill the dictates of Jewish life.Jewish Marriage: Originally, a Jewish marriage was proposed in two stages: Kiddushin (betrothal) and Nisu'in (marriage). Through the Talmudic period, these two stages,  were acted one year apart; by the Middle Ages, they had been combined, as they are today. According to the Mishnah, a Jewish marriage is a legal contract which can be formed in three ways.

11. Holidays – Rosh Hoshanah- Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur- Many Jews who do not observe any other Jewish custom will refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services on this day. Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of Tishri.Hanukah- Hanukah is Jewish Christmas, which mirrors many many of the Christmas customs, such as exchanging gift and various decoration. Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan.

12.The idea that the "Sabbath" starts from Saturday.

 13. Their different branches of Judaism. 

 14. What is one aspect of Jewish tradition which is similar to a tradition in your life?

15. What is one aspect of Jewish tradition that is different from a tradition in your life?

One aspect of Jewish tradition that is different from my traditional way of life is their marriage system. It’s much more intricate than my traditional views of marriage.

Blog Post 20: Questions

1.  Siddhartha Gautama
2.   An old man, an ascetic, a corpse, and a diseased man.  All four of these sights were sufferings that happen to people and using this he created Buddhism.

3.  The Doctrine of the Middle Way was developed by Gautama to teach others the pleasure of indulgence and self-denial.

4.  Gautama attained enlightenment when he learned the 4 Noble Truths.

5.  The Sangha is the first Buddhist monastic community.
6. The Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
7.  They both believe in samsara, the wheel of rebirth, and both believe in a cyclical system.
8.  Buddha disagreed and rejected Hinduism's structure.  He didn't like that everyone could not do different roles.
9.  Anatta, Anicca, Dukkha.  They are interrelated because they share similar qualities.
10.  Anatta is the doctrine that the same self is reborn.  This relates to Hinduism's belief of Atman because both involve inner self.
11.  In Buddhist doctrine energy is transferred during rebirth and Karma affects the status one is reborn to.
12.  The 5 precepts are

1.     Do not take life

2.     Do not take what is not given,

3.     Do not engage in sensuous misconduct,

4.     Do not use false speech,

5.     Do not drink intoxicants. 

For monks and nuns:

1.     Do not eat after noon,

2.     Do not watch dancing or shows, do not use garlands,

3.     Do not use a high or soft bed,

4.     Do not accept gold or silver.

5.     Do not use garlands, perfumes, or ornaments

13.  Dukkha means suffering and also  to be without comfort in life and feeling out of place.
14.  Tanha is desire.  It is related to dukkha because both Tanha can cause dukkha.
15.  The steps of the Eightfold Path are

   - right views

  -right intentions

 -right speech, right conduct

 -right livelihood

-right effort

-right mindfulness

 -right meditation

16.  The Buddha is different from from all others who have been enlightened because he became enlightened while still alive.
17.  Arhat is the living enlightened.  Arhats are also worthy of nirvana.
18.  Nirvana literally means a total censation which helps us understand  by giving a sense of what it feels like.
19.  Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana
20.  Theravada focuses on the teachings of the Buddha
21.   Mahayana means the Great Vehicle.  This name implies that they focus on the Buddha as a savior.
22.  Vajrayana Buddhism fights fire with fire by using its energy.
23.  The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Buddhism and each is chosen by people.
24.  Tibet