Do you feel more or less comfortable with people who are not like you? Explain. Comment on at least 1 other student's post.
Below is your prompt for Paper 2. Discuss here as a sort of "scratch pad" -- see what others in class think, and refine your views before you submit the paper next week.
Start by answering Eva's question: which path or strand of Hinduism do you find more desirable? Why?
Paper 2 (due
9 Sept, in 3-4 pages)
Do most of
your values come from your religious upbringing? If not, where? How do you know that the values that guide
your life are meaningful or right? Are
your values are defensible in the face of competing values? Discuss at least two values/concepts from a
tradition that isn’t yours (e.g., Buddhism or Islam), and explain whether you
can accept or must reject them into your world view.
The path of Hinduism that I find more appealing is Vishisht Advaita Vedanta because they believe that God is real and that our being is God's creation, which is comparable to my worldview of Catholicism in which we believe that God is real and that we are His creation. So far for my paper, I have the comparisons with values of other world views:
ReplyDeleteStudying worldviews of other cultures and religions has enriched my understanding of my own values. In Confucianism, much emphasis is placed on filial piety and respect of elders. Filial piety is comparable to the duty of Christians in the 4th commandment, which tells us to “Honor your father and mother.” Another belief of Confucianism that is shared by Catholicism is the idea that people are fundamentally good. Confucianism emphasizes that men are able to improve themselves, and Catholics believe that men were created good but their tendency to sin is what makes them bad.
"The world we experience with our senses, then, is a single reality, thought it is clothed with a variety of names and appearances." That is about the only thing I can really take away from Hinduism that makes a little sense to me. I like the way this statement makes me think because things aren't always what they appear to be so what does that say about reality? What is reality if our reality is skewed? If I'm sitting next to the rope in dim lighting but I am close enough to be able to see it is a rope but someone a few feet away may see me sitting next to what appears to be a snake. Their reality is theirs and mine is mine. Their feelings on what they see are just as real as my feelings are sitting next to a lifeless piece of rope.
ReplyDeleteI was raised Christian but after taking my theology courses at TMC I realized some truths about my faith that were immensely skewed. Being raised to think "it is what it is" because "the bible said so" can turn a person into a bubble brain. A judgmental bubble brain who doesn't understand their own religion because they are comfortable being told there is nothing to question because "it is what it is". That was my reality until I was forced to understand the origin of the bible and where it all started. I since have left the tiny box of religion and am now following my own truths. I still believe in God and I respect Jesus Christ, no doubt about it. But I have a hard time thinking that everyone is going to this awful fiery place because everyone's religion says if they don't belong to their practice they will be punished. Everyone thinks they are right and believe everyone else is wrong and that doesn't make any sense. I have a personal relationship with God, it's just me and him. If I question something I just ask him to show me or I ask him for help. It makes me feel like I am doing my part as his creation correctly because I'm listening to my heart and not what someone else is threatening to me. I don't want to be scared into "heaven". I want to be good and live right just because I want to.
I, too, believe that Ramanja Vishishta Advaita Vedanta is the more desirable perspective of Hinduism. Believing that person nature is the divine and that God is real is very similar to Catholic beliefs, especially that our very being is God's creation. This view of Hinduism is very similar to Catholicism and would be easy to carry out. As a Catholic, it can sometimes be very challenging to believe in every single value a Catholic must have. I find it very hard to follow every teaching there is, such as not taking birth control or saving yourself for marriage, etc. In this day and age, it can be very hard to be a strict Catholic and to follow every single rule that goes along with it.
ReplyDeleteMaggie,
DeleteI am also a Catholic and I as well choose the Ramanja Vishishta Avaita Vendanta as the most desirable perspective of Hinduism. I believe that I choose this perspective more so than the other because it believes that God is real and that our being is Gods creation. Without God we would not exist in my eyes due to my faith in Catholicism. It is true that sometimes it is hard to carry out some of the rules and expectations that the religion follows. I find it hard to follow the values such as birth control, saving yourself for marriage as well as you. And there are some other values that I find hard to follow too. However, this does not make me want to walk away from my religion because I do accept a lot of the values. This does not however make me think of other faiths or religions. In class Dr. Cate mentioned that most of our religious views are because we are born into that religion. In my case I was born into a Catholic family and have stayed and practice my faith since. But, some people may change their views throughout their lives and for me I like to think and research a lot on other religions because it is interesting to me. Since I have taken Theology classes here at TMC I haven't stopped thinking about my religion, who is God to me, and about my life in general. I think it is a great thing for us to be learning about different traditions and religions in this class because it makes us think of our own views and why we believe in them. It also pushes us to think about death in the light of our religious views since we learn about death in other traditions and religions.
The stand of Hinduism that is more appealing to me is Shankara's Advaita Vedanta. I am on the fence about if reality is real. There are some days that I feel like I'm not even here at least mentally. I know that physically I am here, but its a weird sense when you consciously do not feel as if you are mentally participating in the world you live in. These days make we question what is real and what is a figment of my imagination. Am I actually participating, or is my physical body going through the motions of everyday life because that is what its been taught to do? When I stop and think about how my last 5 years have gone by, I come to realize that I do not actually remember things from them because I was not actively participating mentally. It makes me question how I've managed to make it through all those years without actually taking the time to enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteHi Megan,
ReplyDeleteI understand your meaning when saying some days you don't feel as if you're even here. There were several years that I simply existed outside of myself in a somewhat detached sense of self. However, I believe that within the Hindu tradition, our sense of self that exists in our conscious mind is how we're supposed to tread the path to Brahman. I find certain concepts of Hinduism agreeable, such as how our text talks about the Hindus believe good works creates the good person, which in turn causes the good karma we receive. I too found Shankara's Advaita Vedanta more appealing simply because of personal beliefs and not religious ones. We are part of God's multiplicity which becomes more diverse as time goes on.
Hi Megan,
ReplyDeleteI understand your meaning when saying some days you don't feel as if you're even here. There were several years that I simply existed outside of myself in a somewhat detached sense of self. However, I believe that within the Hindu tradition, our sense of self that exists in our conscious mind is how we're supposed to tread the path to Brahman. I find certain concepts of Hinduism agreeable, such as how our text talks about the Hindus believe good works creates the good person, which in turn causes the good karma we receive. I too found Shankara's Advaita Vedanta more appealing simply because of personal beliefs and not religious ones. We are part of God's multiplicity which becomes more diverse as time goes on.
I grew up in Mason, Ohio and went to William Mason High School. As a child, I never felt uncomfortable around a stranger. I used to introduce new neighbors to EVERYONE in our neighborhood (as my mom would tell me). I grew up in a very diverse community because we have the large P&G plant 5 minutes from my house. There were always new people from around the world moving in and out of my neighborhood and the surrounding ones. In high school, I was kind of the “average Joe” who was friends with a few people from each social group. I was a friend to everyone who was nice to me and hardly ever had a problem with anyone. So to answer the question “do you feel more or less comfortable with people who are not like you?” I would have to say I am pretty comfortable with people who are not like me because I like to hear people’s stories about where they came from and what they think about the world and more. It must be the “world traveler” part of me wanting to know and discover everything I can about the world. I love to travel and learn about different cultures than my own and have done it a few times. My parents like to say that I have “never met a stranger in my life” because I am so eager to make friends with as many people as I can, no matter how different they are from me.
ReplyDeleteTheresa is so beautiful
ReplyDeleteI think I'm comfortable around people like and unlike me. I like being an environment where I feel support for my beliefs, but I also like being around others who disagree because it's really interesting. I love to be around people of other cultures because to me, that is what the human experience is all about. It's really beautiful that we can be around other cultures and celebrate, but not sacrifice our differences.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was more comfortable around people unlike me, but I definitely feel most uncomfortable being in an environment where our beliefs are completely different. I am not always the best at standing up for my beliefs and having evidence and support, so if someone were to come at me and talk down my beliefs, I would probably stand there feeling uncomfortable, almost looking like a deer in headlights.
DeleteI would say that I feel less comfortable around people are not like me. I don't like that I feel this way, but it's the truth. I feel like if I don't have a lot in common with someone, then it is hard to communicate and get along with one another. Although sometimes it is cool to learn about other people's interests and different views of life, it can still be awkward when it is just you two and you don't have anything to talk about other than your differences. I wish I was a more open-minded person but I like what I like and what I like is to be around people who like similar things as me.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with you Maggie. I wish I was more open to people and their differences, but I just feel more comfortable when I am around those that are similar to me. Although it is very interesting at times, to hear about the various viewpoints people have. It can be very eyeopening to hear what I would not have thought about if I hadn't heard someone else's perspective.
DeleteI feel less comfortable with people who are not like me in certain situations. At times I think it would be easier to carry on a conversation with someone that has similar interests as you but also, new topics and interesting conversations can spark from those that are very different from us. The main problem that I think would be arguing or getting into a debate about different beliefs or interests. Depending on the different personalities, an argument may ensue if we have opposing views. I wish I was a more outgoing person that could easily spark a conversation with someone very different from me.
ReplyDelete