Understanding of Humankind and God - Essay Example

Assignment Understanding of God c Self-created 2. Vindictive 3. itative 4. Self-centred d God as personal-God creates a relationship that is personal with humankind. These relationships could be referred to as covenants. 2) God as one-According to the doctrine of trinity, God is one; God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit. 3) God as moral-Morals is found in laws. God is moral since he has given mankind the laws to act as a guide. 4) God as Benevolent-God asks mankind to seek him first. The fact that he rewards those who seek him makes him benevolent (Smith, 2009, p.64). e) 1) God as personal is the attribute that is important to me. This is because he will reward and punish us not as a group but as a person. There, everyone will be accountable for his/actions. 2) Understanding of creation b) What could be the meaning of life? c) God was there in the beginning, and no one or anything was there before him. Then it is God who created the universe. d) 1) Material nature of life. 2) The spiritual nature of life. 3) The humanly nature of life. 3) Understanding of humankind b) 1) Human kind as a Frail- human kind is weak and would not do it on his own. 2) Human kind as Grand- human kind is magnificent and cannot afford to be ignored. 3) Humankind as sinful- This means that man is prone to sin. He got a sinful nature. 4) Mankind as free- Man has choice to the way he wants to live his life. He has freedom of choice. 5) Mankind as forgetful- Man forgets easily. This is why God sent his son to die on the cross to save mankind. 5) c) Humankind is sinful seems important to me of the five traits. This is because God understands human weaknesses and forgives us when we repent. The death of Christ shows God’s willingness to forgive. The sign of cross is God’s forgiving nature. d) Humankind as grand is remote in my view. This is because God values everything he created. He only gave man mandate to manage all the other things found on earth. Despite him having authority over the other things, that does not make him grand in my view. Unit 15 1) Understanding of History b) It is true that Jesus rose from death given the evidence in the bible. c) 1) History units the Jews. 2) History gives them a sense of belonging. 3) History makes the Jews understand their origin. 4) History enables to respect God. d) 1) Context 2) Collective action 3) Opportunity 4) Exceptionality e) 1) Buddha is regarded as a false deity while Jewish is affirmed as believe in trinity of God. 2) In Jewish, all people are to worship God while in nature religions, different community worship different objects. f) Dissatisfaction is the consequence of disharmony. When material aspect of man is not satisfied, then they feel inadequate and cannot act according to God’s will. 2) Understanding of morality c) 1) Force- it is advisable not to use force when seeking authority or wealth. 2) Sex- sex is holy and should be between married partners. Adultery and fornication are sinful. 3) Wealth- people should seek wealth in a Godly way. God is delighted when people are wealthy. However, the rich should not oppress the poor. 4) Speech- words of wisdom should be part of our speech every time (Smith, 2009. P.410). d) The four commandments cover all the rest. If we obey the four, then we can be able to observe the rest. 1) Understanding of justice b) A prophet is someone who can accurately predict the future happenings. He has power to foresee the future. c) 1) Prophetic guilds- prophets who do prophesy together rather than individually. They work as a group rather than individually. 2) Pre-writing prophets- This is the act of reviewing prophets and their prophetic work. 3) Writing prophets- This means writing the words and the works of a prophet. d) Prophet principle is that every scripture has a deeper meaning. It has a prophet meaning that has a different meaning from the face value. e) All prophets are chosen by God himself, and they are humble people for example, shepherds. Unit 16 1) Understanding of suffering. b) Suffering strengthens our faith and believes in God and enables us to overcome temptations. c) According to the prophets, suffering could be experienced so as to save other people. 2) The understanding of Messianism b) 1) Hope 2) World upgrade 3) National restitution c) 1) Manner of arrival- He will come to us like a thief. No one has knowledge of the day or the hour of his second coming. 2) Restorative or Utopian- He will come to restore those who are lost through forgiveness of sins. 3) Relation to previous history- As indicated both in the New and Old Testament, the messiah will come to save mankind from sins. d) The Messiah was given to us by God so as to save human race from sin of the world and destruction that is to come. 3) Encountering God in all of life. b) Ideas are opinions while observations are things happening around that we can witness. c) 1) Give us something to turn to during times of uncertainty. 2) To direct our feelings and actions. d) Refers to the act of acknowledging God’s presence in all our experiences on earth. e) Since we honour God, we are able to do the right things in accordance to His will and respect all things He has created 4) Divine disclosure b) Revelations means things that have come to pass. This means a fulfilment of promises of God to mankind. c) 1) Omnipresence especially in his creation. 2) Presence of God is felt only among his people. 3) God is close even during uncertainties. 4) God chooses his people to eternity. d) 1) Agreement 2) Contract 3) Consensus e) Slaughtering of animals. e) Slaughtering of animals to shed blood as a way to seal a covenant with God. f) A covenant that is not complete has consequences to man. Unit 17 1) People of God b) Jewish doctrine of election gave them freedom to make choices on their leadership. They had authority to appoint people to guide them through various aspects of life. c) It refers to the difficulty in appreciating one person as the only saviour of human kind. d) Freedom is important for all the people. Jews adopted it so that they can be part of leadership. e) It helped the Jews to appreciate the freedom given to them by God to choose their leaders and live in harmony (Smith, 2009, p. 340). 2) The people and the land. b) Persuasion of the outsiders that written Torah was not complete. b) The Jewish identity cannot be maintained on the basis of lack free elections. This is because people do not choose how to live freely. c) 1) Faith- Strong believes in God. 2) Observance- Strictly following the written rules. 3) Culture- The traditions or a way of doing things 4) Nation- A chosen people of God d) 1) Declaration of independence. 2) Provision of land to the Jews 3) To pursue universal human rights. 4) To bring the people of Israel together so as to provide laws. 3) Personal assessment. In my view, the Jewish element of election as proved so important. Election gives people the chance to express themselves. Their views are heard and they are able to be part of decision making. This practice relates to my life today because there are many things that my parents and teachers as well as the whole community has given me a chance to make choices. This gives me a sense of independence as well as peace within me. Unit 18 1) Jesus of Nazareth b) Jesus solved the problems arising in Jewish community in a spiritual way. c) According to the bible, Jesus is regarded as a healer of all sicknesses. 1) Sadducees 2) Zealot 3) Essenes 4) Zioni d) Jesus says that the human community is one while the Pharisees believed that each group of human community is different from another. 2) Jesus the Christ b) Smith claims that emphases on Jesus miracles are wrong because it shows superiority rather than will to help. He says that they are a show off of mighty and not humbleness. c) The followers were mesmerized by His actions and their faith was strengthened. They appreciated God’s power through His son Jesus Christ. d) 1) the language is simple. 2) The language is clear. e) 1) in life, Jesus guides us in the right path. 2) There is judgement on our actions so we need to be accountable every time. f) Jesus is our healer. 4) The character of Jesus b) Jesus has power over nature. c) 1) Loving 2) Caring 3) Honest 5) Death and resurrection d) The resurrection of Christ has brought life after death and forgiveness of our sins. e) The figure of Christ represents life in abundance. This is because in his teaching he insists on the ways to life a pure life. Unit 19 1) Explosion of gospel b) It was a message of deliverance to the humankind. c) 1) Worship 2) Faith d) 1) Death 2) Sickness 3) Judgement e) Through his son Jesus, God has shown his love to the human race through suffering, death and resurrection. 2) Formation of Christian church b) 1) The body of Christ- This means that every person has a role to pray in church just as the body has different parts that function together. 2) The church of Christ- This does not mean the structure; instead, it represents our souls. c) Some Christians believe that salvation comes through the church while others believe that it comes through faith. 3. Three major doctrines b) Christian doctrine and symbols are reflected in life through obedience of the scriptures. c) 1) Incarnation helped people live a holy life. 2) It also ensured that ancestors are remembered. Its chief burden was to live a life free of sin. d) 1) Sin- Evil, inequity, wickedness. 2) Atonement- Gratification, satisfaction, propitiation. e) Trinity is the aspect of three Gods in one; father, son and Holy Spirit. It is important because it teaches us about our God f) Enduring temptations is the difficult part of a Christian experience. This is because we have to be tempted to make us strong. Unit 20 1) The roman catholic church b) The church is the body of Christ and represents his laws. c) Papal infallibility – this is able believe in the Catholic Church that states that the pope is protected from error by the Holy Spirit. d) Confession e) The mass involves the teaching of the other six which are rules and laws. 2. The Eastern Orthodox Church b) 1) In the Orthodoxy, everybody has authority as opposed to catholic where authority is with the priests. 2) In the Orthodoxy, the authority is from the Holy spirit directly to the people while in the catholic it’s from the Holy Spirit to the priest and then to the people. c) 1) Corporate identity- The church is viewed as one unit. 2) Mysticism- These are the secret theory and practices in within Christian faith. 3) The protestant church b) 1) Trust 2) Belief 3) Loyalty c) Faith makes life worth living especially in times of challenges. d) The protestant principle is the basis under which the protestant are to be judged. e) The bible is a guide to the Protestants and should be followed so as to understand God’s principles. 4) Christianity is governed by the laws found in the bible. However, it is important to note that different Christianity may differ on the bases of their understanding and interpretation of the scriptures. Unit 21 1. The names and origin of Islam b) The name Muhammedanism is inappropriate because Muslim do not worship Mohammed and he did not invent the religion. c) It means submitting voluntarily to God. d) Allah means a Lord that is exalted. e) Both the Jews and Muslim worship a God who is a symbol of unity to each. 2. Mohammed the prophet b) The seal of the prophet means a messenger of God and not the father of men. c) They take time to meditate on the laws of Islam. d) Animistic polytheism means that even the non-human things have spirit in them. e) Mohammed acts as the unifying factor of the Muslim as he is Allah’s messenger. f) Mohammed’s wife Khadija g) Mohammed did not resist to the divine call of a messenger. h) 1) He was a man living among other men. 2) He was just a messenger. 3) He preached peace which was the message with other people. 3) The great migration b) Ali is Mohammed’s bed, Cave tur, miracle cave and finally story surah. c) Mohammed in Mecca was just a messenger while in Medina he was also a prophet. d) After the death of Mohammed, his message was adopted by many as opposed to when he was alive. e) As opposed to earlier view that Muslims worship Mohammed, it is clear that Muslim worship Allah. Unit 22 b) It is miraculous because it reveals through signs Allah’s promises to humankind. c) Surah refers to the divisions of the Quran. It can also be referred to as a chapter. d) The people of the book refers to all those who profess Islam faith. f) 1) they allow eating of unclean animals for example pig. 2) Believe that Jesus died and rose again. g) Muslims have adopted Arabic as their official religious language. The Quran is also written in Arabic. c) That the Allah in the Quran is the same one worshipped by the Jews d) It is said to them “give to others as much as it has been given to you”. e) Allah is the greatest God. He is the only one to be worshipped. g) Human beings have been given freedom to live a life that is in accordance to the Quran. However, they must ensure that peace prevail in the world. h) There is a life after death when judgement will be imposed on people. i) There will be no sadness, death, pain or sickness. j) The Muslim believes that there is life after death. However, this will be accompanied by judgement on the basis of one’s life in the world. It is essential therefore to live a Holy life so as to escape the final judgement (Smith, 2009, p. 123) Unit 23 1) Walking the straight path a) 1) Straight path means the Islam religion. 2) It also means a certain way of faith. b) 1) Abraham- God chooses him to be the father of earth’s nations. 2) Moses- God’s people are formed after release from slavery in Egypt. 3) Jesus – God shows himself to his people through His son. 4) Mohammed- God sends him as a messenger to the people 2. What is the straight path? a) 1) God- He is the greatest of all gods. Therefore, he is the only to be worshipped. 2) Mohammed- He was sent by Allah as His messenger. b) Five times. c) 1) Rationale- acknowledgement of servant status to Allah. 2) Times of prayer- five. 3) Manner of prayer- facing Mecca. 4) Content of prayer-seeking divine mercy and grace. d) The third pillar which is compulsory charity to the community is aimed at encouraging Muslims to mind about the less fortunate in the society. e) The forth pillar is fasting in the month of Ramadan that gives them a spiritual benefit and draws them closer to God. f) The forth pillar strengthens the personal relationship with both God and fellow Muslims. This is achieved when they go to worship in the mosque and during the celebrations that marks the end of Ramadan. g) The fifth pillar is pilgrimage to Mecca the Holy land. The journey is supposed to be made by all those who profess Islam region and are wealthy and healthy. The basic purpose is to worship God and acknowledge that he is greater than anyone. h) 1) First prohibition (yes or no) - intoxicating oneself and gambling is sinful. 2) Second prohibition (only during prayer)-one should not go near a place of prayer when intoxicated. 3) Third prohibition (final and absolute)- gamblers, intoxicants, idolatrous practices an hatred among others. i) Mohammed is a symbol of unity among Muslims. This is in line with the five pillars of Islam which includes testimony of faith, prayer, giving zakat, observing the holy month of Ramadan and pilgrimage to Mecca. He is a messenger of Allah, and through the message, he brings unity in the Islam religion. Unit 24 1) Ordering the social life of mankind b) Islam has a monopoly of truth. There has been no other religion that is true other than Islam. Truth is not for any race or gender. It is for all who profess Islam faith. c) 1) Poor due- People are poor not because it is their fate but because they do nothing about their poverty. If they did something with some help, they could change their status. 2) Inheritance is a pure source of wealth and due care should be taken to protect it. 3) Interest- any sum of money advanced should be charged interest at a fair rate. d) 1) Infanticide- This is the killing of babies who are born girls. This is because boys are valued hence preferred. 2) Marriage- It is the union of a male and a female for purposes of companionship and procreation. A male can marry many females. It is, however, not right for woman to have more than one husband. 3) Polygyny- This refers to having more than one wife at any given time. It is allowed in Islam but limited to four. 4) Purdah- It is the practiced by women by wearing clothes that are not revealing their bodies. They cover themselves from head to toe. e) Muslims believe that despite the race, all people are important. This is because all mankind are from Adam and Eve. f) 1) Religious toleration- This means that people should show respect and tolerance of other people who profess a different religion as advocated by Smith. 2) Jihad- Forceful and compulsory extension of areas ruled by Muslims as opposed to those ruled by other religions. The act is dictatorial according to Smith. 2) Islam inward and outward paths b) Sufism- It is the knowledge of one’s human soul and ways to save from blameworthy. c) 1) Love- It is the act of putting the others at the same level as you would put yourself. This ensures that people care for each other. 2) Ecstasy- It is the act of interfering with the consciousness where spiritual and mental awareness are increased and external awareness reduced. 3) Intuition- This is the claim by the Muslims that they have knowledge of the unseen. They are mostly confused for prophets. d) In Sufism belief, there is a veil that is a symbol of an obstacle between the reality and humans. Overcoming this veil is the goal of the Sufi. e) The orthodox differ on the belief of the Sufi in that we see God in his deeds in our lives. While Sufism will believe when they see, orthodox will do the contrary. 3) Personal assessment The tradition that has proved important to me is Jihad. This is where Muslims believe that it is right to use force to enter territories occupied by other religions. This is an activity that has been observed in the current world with news of terrorism from one time to another. It is essential for human beings not to be selfish and insensitive on the basis of religious divides. We should live as one family despite our religious orientations (Smith, 2009, p.43). Work cited Smith, Huston. The Worlds Religions. New york: HarperOne, 2009. Read More