March 3

https://gviquezb.design.blog/2020/03/03/3-march/

February 20

https://gviquezb.design.blog/2020/02/20/february-20/

February 18

https://gviquezb.design.blog/2020/02/18/february-18/

February 11

https://gviquezb.design.blog/2020/02/11/february-11/

February 6

https://gviquezb.design.blog/2020/02/06/february-6/

February 4

https://gviquezb.design.blog/2020/02/04/february-4-blog/

January 30

https://gviquezb.design.blog/2020/01/30/january-30/

When prompt with the question “What is religion?” my first instinct is to look up at the most common religions: Judaism, Catholicism, Lutheranism, Hinduism, Islam, etc. Upon observing these religions, I start by realizing a common focus to abide to a certain number of scriptures and follow the teachings of one or more gods into finding the purpose of life. However, Buddhism then steps into the picture as a godless religion and that throws me off track. Personally, regarding such a conflictive topic I would probably avoid attempting the question altogether. Fortunately, my unwillingness to write down a possible definition of God is unlike my willingness to judge Marty’s five features of religion. 

On the one hand, I agree on Martyr’s concept of community as fundamental behind the idea of religion as well as ultimate concerns. Ultimate concern is in the text defined as what are you willing to kill for? However, since many religions oppose the idea of murdering, I would rephrase ultimate concerns for what would you be willing to die for. Since religions ask of their members to follow a fixed set of values and morals, then it is not hard to understand why people who think and behave alike would not create a community among each other. Not to mention that the value of community is one of the many values emphasized by religions. Finally, by defining what is good/worthy/valuable and what is the opposite, religion teaches its members to consider what is worth protecting and dying for as well as what should be least important in your life. Under these characteristics, and removing the fact that there must be a God(s) in religion, it would not be impossible to characterize nationalism/patriotism as faith and the a government/country as a religion to be followed.

Daily Question January 28

https://gviquezb.design.blog/2020/01/28/january-28-blog/

Daily Question January 23

https://gviquezb.design.blog/2020/01/23/january-23-daily-question/

After living his whole life by God’s side and knowing what He is capable of and absolutely sure that God is almighty and our creator it only seems logical that Abraham would obey God’s orders without second guessing. It is strange that knowing what we do (at least about the Catholic religion) that Abraham did in fact deceived his son and his men by not being honest about God’s request. After many years of close relationship, many gifts from God to Abraham and making Abraham so many promises of being the father of kingdoms to come, God decided to test his follower’s loyalty by asking of him the sacrifice of his only son.

These chapters of Genesis explain the vision of God as a mighty creator to be feared. Especially when placed alongside many of Jesus’s teachings, it is hard to find this God worthy of praising. God gives humanity free will, but when they decide not to follow Him, He sets on fire. Abraham too is complicit to many of God’s mischiefs. He went to Egypt and to Abim’elech and introduced his wife, Sarah, as his sister, knowing that they would be punished for wedding her. Straight out lying and dropping his enemies to a state of fear does not seem like the loving father version of God that we have. Merciless and punishing is a more accurate description of God in these chapters.

Daily Question January 21

https://gviquezb.design.blog/2020/01/21/daily-question-january-21-2/

As a consequence, from the original sin Adam and Eve are banished from the garden of Eden with the warning that they shall die. For almost a millennium, Adam and his decedents live without fear of death from natural reasons. The first reported death was that of Abel who was killed by his brother Cain out of envy and violence. This event made all other humans aware of their mortality in the face of violence, but it wasn’t until Adam’s death that they became aware of their mortality in the face of nature. Upon this event, the desire of men for immortality became a desire for immortality through fame.

Faced by the possibility of death, humans became mad and self-destructive. They started to see the beauty in women. As tribes and families grew along each other they engaged in fighting and took the women by force. Kass here points out the difference between appreciating beauty and the exclusive desire to possess that overtook men. Since men obeyed no external law and forgot their mortality, God decided that it was time to destroy all of creation and restart his job. Fortunately, Noah found grace in the eyes of God. Noah was different to all other men because he was born after Adam died and hence was conscious of his mortality since birth. He was the prototype of a self-conscious mortal man. His simplicity and his virtues appealed to God. Since Noah walked with God and evidenced that righteousness was better than heroic manliness, God decided to spare him and allow him to replenish life in Earth. The flood then became the fitting response to men’s self-destructiveness.

Daily Question January 16

Knowledge is emphasized in Genesis 2-3 because of its expected relationship to power. Adam and Eve are tricked by a serpent that guarantees them that by eating from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they will become more like God. A relationship between divine knowledge and divine power is drafted by the serpent who makes them think they will become omniscient. Instead the tree of knowledge of good and evil makes them aware of their nakedness and their human knowledge is translated to higher responsibility.

The fact that the fruit must be eaten describes Adam and Eve as dependent, embodied creatures who rely from nourishment from the earth. Rulership over the garden, ability to procreate and vegetarianism were all gifts given from God. While the animals were created to feed from the grass, only the humans were given the trees and the fruits from the garden to feed and nourish and depend. When Adam and Eve took or seized the fruit from the tree, they broke the pact of divine ruling over them. God had created them and had given them everything they had. Adam and Eve were recipients until they stole the fruit. The act of grabbing the fruit was selfish. An act of temptation, desire, and arrogance. Adam and Eve thought only of themselves and the possibility of becoming all powerful as God when they performed their betrayal to God’s orders.

Due to Adam and Eve’s selfish act when eating the fruit of the tree they became both more like God and less like Him. They became more knowledgeable and like God they acquired the ability to attribute ultimate value and propriety to things. However, unlike God they did it for themselves and not for others. Their exile from the garden was to stop them from repeating the same mistake with the tree of life. Had they eaten from the tree of life with everything they had lost by eating from the other tree, eternity would have become punishment for them.

Daily Question January 14

Rather than giving a scientific explanation about the creation of the Earth, the animals and humankind, the first chapter of Genesis metaphorically reflects the nature of humans and the world that surrounds us. Throughout the chapter we observe an order to creation according to Genesis. As often repeated “God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.” God gives an order to nature through separation and he provides meaning and relevance through naming. God names the sky, the seas, the earth, and the animals to symbolize their importance to us. Through His power, God commands the order of the world in a way that reflects Him and therefore us, since we are made in His image.

The second important observation to make is that God leaves the most important to last. God creates the world to give it to humankind and so, humankind is the last thing He creates. In Genesis, the bible explains that we were made “in his image” and “likeliness.” We aspire to be like God: to be able love and create. For this reason, He also created humanity in “male and female,” to emphasize our need for community and companionship. Lastly, God creates everything to give out of love to his last creation, humanity. In the end He says: “let them have dominion.” The reason for which God “rested” on the seventh day when we assume that He does not need to rest is because He stepped back and handed the task of taking care and developing creation to us. As His chosen people, He gave us dominion, control, power over all that He created and expected us to continue with what He had started.

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