Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Baal
I have been curious about Baal. With everything that God offers and the horrible punishments that he delivers turning to other gods, I am wondering why people keep turning against him. (Besides the fact that it makes a good story) What does Baal offer his followers? It turns out, Baal is not one god, it is a term for many of the gods. If you want more information, this website is helpful. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02175a.htm . Back to reading.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Response to Debbie's Bible Blog
I agree with Debbie's stance that children are taught only the stories that adults feel they can "handle". This is not only true of Bible stories. In Literature for Children and Adolescents, we started with fairy tales, and moved to Charlotte's Web, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland. I can assure you they are not the stories I am familiar with from my childhood.
Then Debbie asks, "So is the problem that parents, churches, or education has failed?". I think people's hearts were in the right place to begin with. Perhaps they wanted to shelter children from some of the violence and more adult topics in the Bible. However, by leaving it out all together, people seem to have forgotten that there is more to the story; I know my mother has.
A few nights ago, my mother looked at me and actually said something like, "Well, I do not know what kind of Bible you have that they are making you read, but those sorts of things were NOT in my BIBLE". It was an interesting moment in so many ways. First of all, because my tiny 4'9" 82 year old mother was so irate I thought she was going to explode. Second, it was news to me that she read the Bible (which from the conversation I am wondering if she actually did. The only thing that makes me think she may have is that she reads everything she can get her hands on). I think Mom took me to church maybe twice in my life. Third, that she was so passionate and opinionated about this. She has read many of my papers, and she does not usually have a strong opinion even when I come up with some twisted view of a classic. In case you are wondering what we were discussing from the Bible that had her so riled up, I will tell you. I was talking about there being giants and unicorns mentioned. She is, I assure you, of sound mind. She was just very passionate that these things were not in HER Bible.
As for Debbie's view that the Bible should be taught in schools, I have to agree. This is not just a religious book, this is the basis of a lot of our literature, and culture. I honestly do not see why this should be a problem. There are no Bible stories that I have read so far that contain more mature content than what my daughter brought home from elementary school. I do not even want to think about her assigned reading in middle school, I was not sure I was old enough to read some of it. (Yes, I let her read it for her assignment.)
The tough question is where do we draw the line? What is okay to present to kids and what needs to be taken out? I think presenting the entire story is important. Perhaps presenting some of the more child friendly stories and holding off on something like Lot and his daughters would be a better solution.
Then Debbie asks, "So is the problem that parents, churches, or education has failed?". I think people's hearts were in the right place to begin with. Perhaps they wanted to shelter children from some of the violence and more adult topics in the Bible. However, by leaving it out all together, people seem to have forgotten that there is more to the story; I know my mother has.
A few nights ago, my mother looked at me and actually said something like, "Well, I do not know what kind of Bible you have that they are making you read, but those sorts of things were NOT in my BIBLE". It was an interesting moment in so many ways. First of all, because my tiny 4'9" 82 year old mother was so irate I thought she was going to explode. Second, it was news to me that she read the Bible (which from the conversation I am wondering if she actually did. The only thing that makes me think she may have is that she reads everything she can get her hands on). I think Mom took me to church maybe twice in my life. Third, that she was so passionate and opinionated about this. She has read many of my papers, and she does not usually have a strong opinion even when I come up with some twisted view of a classic. In case you are wondering what we were discussing from the Bible that had her so riled up, I will tell you. I was talking about there being giants and unicorns mentioned. She is, I assure you, of sound mind. She was just very passionate that these things were not in HER Bible.
As for Debbie's view that the Bible should be taught in schools, I have to agree. This is not just a religious book, this is the basis of a lot of our literature, and culture. I honestly do not see why this should be a problem. There are no Bible stories that I have read so far that contain more mature content than what my daughter brought home from elementary school. I do not even want to think about her assigned reading in middle school, I was not sure I was old enough to read some of it. (Yes, I let her read it for her assignment.)
The tough question is where do we draw the line? What is okay to present to kids and what needs to be taken out? I think presenting the entire story is important. Perhaps presenting some of the more child friendly stories and holding off on something like Lot and his daughters would be a better solution.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Solomon's roller coaster
"The peoples of the Congo do not believe in a natural death, not even when it happens through drowning or any other accident." James George Frazer Folklore in the Old Testament Chapter V page 335.
Solomon was the one guy I was really counting on. I thought he was actually going to be successful. He told God he wanted wisdom so he could judge his people. This is wonderful!!! This could actually get everyone on the same page! He could have asked for anything, but he asked for wisdom. With enough wisdom anything could be accomplished. Then again, maybe not. Solomon (the replacement), the son of David and Bathsheba, became king when his father died, and his mother arranged for him to take the throne. Everything is going great; the people are united, everyone is wealthy, Solomon builds a house for the Lord and a palace. Then he makes a huge mistake. He is led astray by foreign women and their gods. This should not come as a surprise because when he first asked for wisdom he was already married to the pharaoh's daughter in what probably seemed like a great way to make peace between the lands. I was hoping that when God gave him wisdom he would be able to figure out that going against God's law was a bad idea. Instead he decides to worship other gods and before you can say "where are we going and what are we doing in this hand basket" everything falls apart.
This is exactly the pattern we discussed in class. He was just a nobody; not even the one who was supposed to have any power. Out of the blue he gets power over the people and a great gift of wisdom from God. Then he starts going down hill and hits bottom again. Why the same story over and over? Maybe this pattern is to teach readers that just because you are doing well does not mean that you can let things go. Of course there is the lesson about obeying God; that's obvious. Even though I was hoping for Solomon to do the right thing, it would be more difficult if he had. How could anyone come after him? The guy has wisdom from God, riches beyond belief, and he must have been attractive considering the description of all the women he kept. There has to be a flaw or he is just a Ken doll; he is plastic. It is the flaws that make people and stories truly interesting. So, the pattern keeps the story interesting and gives readers a better moral message.
Solomon was the one guy I was really counting on. I thought he was actually going to be successful. He told God he wanted wisdom so he could judge his people. This is wonderful!!! This could actually get everyone on the same page! He could have asked for anything, but he asked for wisdom. With enough wisdom anything could be accomplished. Then again, maybe not. Solomon (the replacement), the son of David and Bathsheba, became king when his father died, and his mother arranged for him to take the throne. Everything is going great; the people are united, everyone is wealthy, Solomon builds a house for the Lord and a palace. Then he makes a huge mistake. He is led astray by foreign women and their gods. This should not come as a surprise because when he first asked for wisdom he was already married to the pharaoh's daughter in what probably seemed like a great way to make peace between the lands. I was hoping that when God gave him wisdom he would be able to figure out that going against God's law was a bad idea. Instead he decides to worship other gods and before you can say "where are we going and what are we doing in this hand basket" everything falls apart.
This is exactly the pattern we discussed in class. He was just a nobody; not even the one who was supposed to have any power. Out of the blue he gets power over the people and a great gift of wisdom from God. Then he starts going down hill and hits bottom again. Why the same story over and over? Maybe this pattern is to teach readers that just because you are doing well does not mean that you can let things go. Of course there is the lesson about obeying God; that's obvious. Even though I was hoping for Solomon to do the right thing, it would be more difficult if he had. How could anyone come after him? The guy has wisdom from God, riches beyond belief, and he must have been attractive considering the description of all the women he kept. There has to be a flaw or he is just a Ken doll; he is plastic. It is the flaws that make people and stories truly interesting. So, the pattern keeps the story interesting and gives readers a better moral message.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
disregarding the deadline, a few quotes, and names.
"So when her next child is born, the infant receives one of a special class of names called dzikudziku or "dying" names, which signify something mean, disagreeable or repulsive, "in order that Death may feel no desire to meddle with the child," or "in order that Death may be deceived and fancy that these children are not human beings at all."" -James George Frazer Folk-Lore in the Old Testament
2 Samuel 12:24 "And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD."
The first quote was randomly chosen as assigned, the second was in the reading I was doing today. I was really confused about the passage from the Bible so I did the only thing I could do at this point; stop and dig for answers. This is what I came up:
Plotz says that Solomon means "replacement" (Plotz 145), so that explains the first name quite well. God took the first son of David and Bathsheba as a punishment for David's sins (adultery and murder). This child is a replacement of the son they lost. That would be a cheery thought to carry around your whole life-you are a replacement. To complicate things further, Nathan, the prophet, names him Jedidiah. More digging led to the following website: http://nlt.scripturetext.com/2_samuel/12.htm. Their version has a bit more detail; it states that Jedidiah means, "beloved of the lord". This helps a great deal and is a nicer name in my opinion.
Names are important in literature, and the Bible is not an exception. The meanings of the name bring about memory of who the people are and where they came from, and the story of their people. Sarah, Issac, Ichabod, Jedidiah, are just a few examples of names that mean something to the story that is being told.
Culturally, names are also of great importance. When naming a baby, I have noted many people look up the meaning of the name before making a decision. If someone is greatly admired in the family, a child is often named after that person. I named my daughter, Dallas, after my father. As a baby gift my friend found a small framed definition of her name. It turns out, Dallas means "wise"; this made me like the name even more. Of course right now she is sixteen, so I am still waiting for the wise part to kick in. My point is, names are more than just a label; they have meaning. This is not new, and the tradition does not appear to be winding down.
With all the side reading I have done to get more information about this story or that passage, I do not have a lot of hope for finishing the Bible by October first. Not that I really care that much at this point. I really think that to get through the Bible and get anything out of it, you have to check other sources and get more information. This is not only true with the Bible, but with many stories. How much of Moby Dick would be missed if you did not bother to have a Bible, dictionary, and google at the ready? Sure, you can skip it and take just what is obvious and have a great story, but what would you miss? It would be like flying nonstop around the world and saying you are a world traveler. I am going to stop trying to read every last page before the deadline and make my way through the best I can. Who knows, maybe I will still make it.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Book of Enoch
I found a copy of The Book of Enoch for Kindle so I have been quickly reading parts of it. I have not found time yet to do a detailed reading. This book explains what Enoch saw while he walked with God. In addition, it contains The Book of Noah in which Enoch fills Noah in on what has happened. This book answers many of the questions I had, including...
What were the people doing that was so bad God decided to kill them all?
Where did they learn all these evil ways?
Why did the people follow God? Only so he would not smite them?
When Enoch and Noah walked with God where did they go?
This book gives me a better idea of why the story of the flood takes place, and why God is being so hard on everyone. It turns out that angels came to Earth, had children with women, and taught people things they should not know. They were up to trouble and they were actually the ones who created the entire mess.
This is not to imply that all angels are bad, there are stories of good ones as well.
It also has a great description of what happens to people when they die. Also included is where knowledge comes from. Bonus, it is written from the perspective of Enoch and Noah; as if they wrote it. It's like their adventure to the great beyond.
I am flipping through the part on astronomy now, but I really have to get back to the books that are included in the Bible. It really seems like there is a giant gap in the story without this book. My next question is why would they take all this out? It's really not hard to imagine that some people would not like this book. In the story, angels teach humans about enchantments, charms, and about plants. (Ch 7:1-2). Also, remember all the giants they keep mentioning? Those were the children of the angels and women, and they were trouble! "...whose height was three thousand ells:Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood"(Ch 7:3-6). Drinking blood? So is this how the vampire stories started?
What were the people doing that was so bad God decided to kill them all?
Where did they learn all these evil ways?
Why did the people follow God? Only so he would not smite them?
When Enoch and Noah walked with God where did they go?
This book gives me a better idea of why the story of the flood takes place, and why God is being so hard on everyone. It turns out that angels came to Earth, had children with women, and taught people things they should not know. They were up to trouble and they were actually the ones who created the entire mess.
This is not to imply that all angels are bad, there are stories of good ones as well.
It also has a great description of what happens to people when they die. Also included is where knowledge comes from. Bonus, it is written from the perspective of Enoch and Noah; as if they wrote it. It's like their adventure to the great beyond.
I am flipping through the part on astronomy now, but I really have to get back to the books that are included in the Bible. It really seems like there is a giant gap in the story without this book. My next question is why would they take all this out? It's really not hard to imagine that some people would not like this book. In the story, angels teach humans about enchantments, charms, and about plants. (Ch 7:1-2). Also, remember all the giants they keep mentioning? Those were the children of the angels and women, and they were trouble! "...whose height was three thousand ells:Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood"(Ch 7:3-6). Drinking blood? So is this how the vampire stories started?
Monday, September 13, 2010
Cultural difference in storytelling?
If you read my previous blog about all the violence, you know I have been having a hard time getting past it. I think I have a new way of looking at the stories that will help. I remembered a conversation I had a few years ago with a friend from Afghanistan. He is studying in Missoula and trying to help his country overcome some of the political issues that are experiencing. One of the difficulties he has run into is his culture's tradition of embellishing stories. It is more acceptable to stretch the truth than to bore your audience. I have heard this from someone else about another culture, unfortunately I do not remember who or where.
What does this have to do with me reading the Bible? Now I am thinking that maybe all the killing may be a bit exaggeration to make the story more interesting or impressive. Before everyone gets offended, I am not saying that the authors or any particular group of people are liars. I truly do not believe that. What I am saying is perhaps to further impress upon people the power of their God and to make the story better maybe there could possibly be a bit more violence in the stories. Also, I am not taking the reading as a literal historical account. Yes, I can get this unsettled about imaginary violence. So, I am feeling much better about what I am reading. If anyone has questions about or is offended by my thoughts on this one, please let me know. It is never my intent to upset anyone. Disclaimer....disclaimer...disclaimer....fine print.
What does this have to do with me reading the Bible? Now I am thinking that maybe all the killing may be a bit exaggeration to make the story more interesting or impressive. Before everyone gets offended, I am not saying that the authors or any particular group of people are liars. I truly do not believe that. What I am saying is perhaps to further impress upon people the power of their God and to make the story better maybe there could possibly be a bit more violence in the stories. Also, I am not taking the reading as a literal historical account. Yes, I can get this unsettled about imaginary violence. So, I am feeling much better about what I am reading. If anyone has questions about or is offended by my thoughts on this one, please let me know. It is never my intent to upset anyone. Disclaimer....disclaimer...disclaimer....fine print.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Class notes 9/9
Memorize Frye's 7 words that describe the Bible
1. Creation
2. Exodus (revolution)
3. Law
4. Wisdom
5. Prophecy
6. Gospel
7. Apocalypse (revelation)
Southern dude name Jedpr
J-Jahwist
superior storyteller-greatest storyteller of all time-anxiety of influence
E-Elohist
name of God-tells about proph, dreams, visions
D-Duteronomist
P-Priestly
transent, systems, uses "generations", technical details
R-Redactor
job to copy and revise in light of doctrine, intertextualy, everything tied together
website mentioned in class:
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/Genesis_texts.html
1. Creation
2. Exodus (revolution)
3. Law
4. Wisdom
5. Prophecy
6. Gospel
7. Apocalypse (revelation)
Southern dude name Jedpr
J-Jahwist
superior storyteller-greatest storyteller of all time-anxiety of influence
E-Elohist
name of God-tells about proph, dreams, visions
D-Duteronomist
P-Priestly
transent, systems, uses "generations", technical details
R-Redactor
job to copy and revise in light of doctrine, intertextualy, everything tied together
website mentioned in class:
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/Genesis_texts.html
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