Religious studies
Based on the website
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/ten-years-later-robert-franklin/9419/
(a) Identify the religion that the video is covering and summarize the main teaching points of the video
The video of renowned minister Robert Franklin is of a Christian basis with reference to the ideology behind video without consideration to the basis of the ministers’ religion. The aspect of religion is profound with reference to aspects from citations of the video where he distinctly states the difference based on two religions the subjective being Christianity. He also translates the teachings of the ideologist Howard Thurman on a Christian basis testament t he fact that video is o a Christian basis. The video ideology focuses on the resultants of the September 9/11 incidents from a personal level and reaches on how to embrace the situation on a Christian perception. The most basic and emphasized of the teachings that he deduced was on the importance of re healing. Re healing, he quotes, is primarily the coming to terms with the situation and accomplishing to live a normal life afterwards. Before one can come to terms with the situation, he teaches us on the aspect of reconciling with the actual thesis of the situation. Reconciling is the employment of the virtue of forgiveness. Robin also puts emphasis on the subject of rebuilding. Rebuilding refers to the recollection of one’s life after subject to a situation negatively. To clearly illustrate the teaching on rebuilding he relates it to another as a support to the hypothesis that we are constantly fighting against opponents. One can never be too prepared ergo one is always supposed to employ all aspects of defense to ensure that they are fully equipped for the worst. His remedies on the situation are both on the enactment of the virtues of superstition with reference to his belief in the power of GOD and the empowering of one’s inner spirit to withstand, condone and come to terms with the situation.
(b) Identify what other teaching points you would add from our required text to help people more fully understand the topic
Robin Franklin in his interview clearly indicates that one should be patient. He supports this by stating that the process of re healing is a long process that requires one to understand fully the process before it manifests itself. The video also teaches us on the value of building a strong hold to the belief of GOD as a solver of problems. He states that the use of war as a solution to conflict was long overdue and that it was high time that we conformed to the use of other vises as a way to solve conflict. From the book meditation of the heart he quotes that evil was not an outright vice that manifested itself on a physical perspective but rather revealed itself on a more spiritual form. In the fight against evil, one must conform to more personal and religious vices.
(c) identify what other teaching points you would add from class notes to help people more fully understand the topic.
Christians do not believe in the employment of proactive vices as a measure to assert their belief in GOD. Christianity is purely based reconciliation and dependence of GOD to serve as the judge to forms of wrongdoing against them. Christians do not believe in making their own fates but rather conform to the belief that GOD purposes in life manifest itself through stages in the life cycle.
(d) Develop discussion questions
#1) based on Christianity practice and belief, is the response to the September 9/11 substantial or compensative?
#2) evidence to prove that the September 9/11 incidence basis its context on religious ground is conclusive. Should Christians, as a retract, subject to acting on the same premise? Does the end justify the means and vice versa?
#3) has the Christian reaction on the acts on Jihadisim been on a proactive or reactive context. Should they do more or do less?
#4) with reference to the Christian beliefs and counterpart religions, should Christians do more to signify their beliefs?
#5) is Christian beliefs “weak” with reference to other religions and the extents they subject to prove their faith?
(e) Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each video
(i) Do you think it represented the topic well?
Robin talks about the remedies that ought consideration to heal the affected on a personal and religious level. He is critical in the analysis of the September 9/11 incidents and claims that the resultant was because of a lack of a mutual understanding between Christianity and other religions. Robin talks of the 9/11 incident as a wakeup call for the realization of the importance of forming a community as a solution to eradicate future occurrences of the same magnitude. His resolutions are of a Christian basis involving the use of prayer and trust in GOD in times of doubt and difficulty to be a factor of resolution. Robin quotes that to receive fully the virtues of Christianity, it requires one to uphold to special kind of discipline. This video truly explains the beliefs of Christianity in all aspects hence support the topic.
(ii) Is it a good video to show to those who are new to the topic?
The video entail on the building of a strong personal spirit, helps Christians come to terms with tragedies and as a result show them how to go through the same based on Christian beliefs. The video also creates a strong basis on the subject of belief by vindicating it to resultant providence if one put his /her faith in GOD.
(iii) Did you have to do more research to add to the presentation? If so how much?
The video creates an almost if not conclusive image of the overall domineer of the Christian belief. The aspects on belief and accord subject to Christian vividly appear on the video making it a clear indication of the validity of the video to the subject. The aspects on a supernatural thesis are not clearly indicated though hence I had to direct some of the questions to a pastor to try and understand the subject take on a more religious aspect.
(iv) Is this video useful for high school students? College students? Adults?
The message is of a more sophisticated aspect in that it entails to matters that are complicated to fully contextualize and fully understand. It therefore exploits its full potential if its reference were a more mature audience. College students are the best to view this video
(v) How does this story help to teach tolerance and understanding?
Robert basis his teaching on the basis of a book by Howard Thurman meditations of the heart to reflect on life and the different steps with reference to Christianity as the basis of idealization. He quotes the book in some instances to refer to the different aspects of self-healing and on how o avoid evil. With this, he creates a perfect image of tolerance and understanding.
(f) Video analysis
The aspect of the video is purely based on aspects of Christianity and the virtues that are employed from the religion to help others come to terms with the September 9/11 incident. He extracts most of his teachings from the book of Howard Thurman “meditations of the heart” and tries to relate the human life cycle from the books content but from a Christian perspective. A quote from the book that clearly brings out the aspects of Christianity states and I quote “the real target of evil is to corrupt the spirit of man and give to his soul the contagion of inner disintegration. To drink in the beauty that is within reach to cloth ones life with simple deeds of kindness to keep alive the sensitiveness to the movement of God and quietness of human heart and in the workings of human mind is as always the ultimate answer to the great deception”.
Based on the website http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/september-23-2011/interfaith-village-in-israel/9578/
(a) Identify the religion that the video is covering and summarize the main teaching points of the video
The video is a representation of the initiative taken by a number of respondents that are trying to root out the religious war that is happening in the Middle East between the Muslims, Jews and Christians. It represents religions of all natures from Christianity to Jews to Muslims. The real essence of the video is not of a religious initiative but rather on the advantage accrued by the aspect of community with religion incorporated as a factor. Aspects of Judaism are dominant in the video with most of the correspondents coming from this religion. Rabbi Ron Kronish testaments’ to the fact that the Neve shalom is one of the greatest initiatives to be taken on inter religion aspect. The main teaching of the video is the incorporation of the value of community in the society. The video also teaches us on the disadvantage of the incorporation of violence as a solution to conflict but rather shows the better alternate of reconciliation by use of dialogue. The video also teaches us on the essence of religion from a broader perspective factoring in the fact that they all conform to the same perspective of worship of a higher being. Abdessalam Najjar, an interviewed respondents testaments’ to the value of education as a factor to international peace and reconciliation. It is to this that they have decided to employ the vice in the oasis of peace to serve the same purpose. From the video, we also learn of the benefit of using intellect over ignorance. In the video, almost all the respondents display an understanding on the same. Most vivid of the same is the blunt response from kronish where he states that dialogue was not the answer to the problem but rather the conduit to see the answer happen.
(b) Identify what other teaching points you would add from our required text to help people more fully understand the topic
From the picture depicted in this video, it is evident that community and it is attribute vices can go a long way to solving the war on the Middle East. Believing in the impossibility of the war not ending has also been a factor to its longevity. If a solution is to manifest, there must be confidence and belief that the war has weak spot and to capitalize on it. The use of political influence would also go a long way to the solving the war in the Middle East. People should stand up and represent for the cause if success is to manifest in the long term. The video also discourages the act of conforming to following beliefs without prior knowledge of their thesis.
(c) Identify what other teaching points you would add from class notes to help people more fully understand the topic.
The difference in religions has played a major role in fueling the war in the Middle East; that is Muslim and Jews. Muslim belief in jihadist hypothesis has accounted for the loss of many innocent lives of alternate religions. Media in general have not played little or no role in the broadcast of the grounds covered in the eradicating of the war. This has only dampened the efforts of the activists.
(d ) develop discussion questions
#1) can we change a perception that has existed for a long period by compelling our young ones to the opposite of the same? Does ideology triumph logic of formality?
#2) if safe havens on the same basis were created in as many strategic areas as possible, would they hugely affect in the actual end of the war or would they only provide for alternative and safer places to inhabit?
#3) Can all religions come to relate in a manner mirroring that indicated in the oasis of peace and their tradition of praying and worshiping in the same area? Can it be done without the factor of liability weighing in?
#4) is the solution to the eliminating the war by using the children as the conduits for the future prospects a short term or long term initiative.
#5) is the war justified basing it on religious terms?
(e) Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each video
(i) Do you think it represented the topic well?
The video shows of the fact that religions can work together without conflict if prejudicial vindications substituted for reason. It shows this by example of the coexistence of the different religions hence enhancing the purpose of the video
(ii) Is it a good video to show to those who are new to the topic?
The video has a deep representation of the coexistence of different religions and cultures. Its educative perspective would be advisable to those on the alternate path. The video would be exceptionally helpful for those new to the topic.
(iii) Did you have to do more research to add to the presentation? If so how much?
The war in the Middle East has existed since time immemorial. A recollection of the past events was enough evidence for me to work on. There was no reason for research also considering that the video was conclusive enough.
(iv)Is this video useful for high school students? College students? Adults?
The intellectual level of the video is to an understandable context. The information is self-explanatory hence; it would be useful to a younger generation. The video best suits high school students.
v) How does this story help to teach tolerance and understanding?
The video teaches on tolerance especially to the testament that those in the project have gone through many trials to get to their present state. With this in mind you can only but learn to subdue underlying reasons of pride and prejudicial convictions. Learning to compensate self-ambitions and irrelevant ethics for the better good constitutes to tolerance and understanding.
(f) Video analysis
The video is mostly of the premise of trying to resolve the war between the Arabs, and the Israelis. Aspects of different religions have been incorporated together to achieve the predicate. A safe house called the Neve shalom in Arabic wahat al-salam provides for refuge of the parties who are willing to change formality for a better future. Rabbi Ron Karnish shows new aspect of the growth of Jews who are well known to be rigid believers in their old systems of religion by being part of the interreligious coordinating council in Israel. Judaism struggles with the aspect of flexibility with the changes in society that are conflicting with their historical beliefs. The aspect of Jews abandoning their old ways for the betterment of the society creates a sense of challenge to other religions and as such shows that it is possible to be religious by choosing not to be prejudicial.
