Post 19

Dante's concept of Hell was all constructed within his imagination.
The modern age appeal of punishment and suffering is becoming a common reoccurrence through television, If you look at the average of what is shown during the course of a week; you'll notice there are many violent, shows that earn ratings by consumers watching and or enjoying the pain of others (scripted or not).
These two elements are shown so frequently, that we in a way become numb to the actual depth of the situation that is occurring. In my opinion, our society is on the verge of becoming an even more destructive society.  

Post 18

Jesus is a prominent figure in the Quran. He has been given a number of honorable titles ranging from Messiah, Son of Mary, Messenger, Prophet, Servant, Word of God, and a Spirit from God.
According to the Quran, the only reason Jesus was able to perform miracles while here on the earth, was because Allah allowed it (Surah 5:110).

During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles.  God tells us that Jesus said: “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord.  I make for you the shape of a bird out of clay, I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God’s permission.  I heal the blind from birth and the leper.  And I bring the dead to life by God’s permission.  And I tell you what you eat and what you store in your houses....” (Quran, 3:49).

Muslims believe that it was only the plan of Jesus’ enemies to crucify him, and God saved him and raised him up to join him. It is believed that another was put in Jesus' place and Jesus’ enemies took this man and crucified him, thinking that he was Jesus. As evident by the Quran "...They said, “We killed the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of God.” They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but the likeness of him was put on another man (and they killed that man)..." (4:157).

Post 17

Only from comparing and contrasting the Qur'an to the New Testament will a person be able to see that these two books are similar yet also completely different at the same time. Through the group activity in class, I could tell that some of my colleagues were having more of an open mind for other religions and a greater respect toward other religions customs.

One thing that they both have in common, is the confession that Jesus Christ was only a messenger, and not God. As evident from the scriptures John 17:3 ‘This is eternal life, so that you may know there is one true God, and Jesus Christ, who Thou has sent.’ and Holy Quran 4:157 ‘That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah,”.

The New Testament describes the spiritual connection of those who accept salvation on the basis of faith in Christ. While also discussing God's undeserved favor toward sinners (Ephesians 2:8&9). Salvation is thought to be assured in this life and finally actualized in the next life (John 5:24). While the Quran seems to be missing in the grace department, aside from some references of God being gracious. For Muhammad, salvation is strictly a "quid pro quo."  meaning that if you're "good" you might make it to see Paradise, depending on your faithfulness and if Allah thinks you measure up (Surah 7:42,43; 40:40; 39:73; 43:73).

Post 16

In my opinion I believe that high ranking government officials should lead by personal example.  When a person leads by example, it shows that they actually care and respect there platform; using there status as a model figure. Thanks to the internet, it is far more frequently broadcasted when officials say or do one thing, but then lie or do the opposite of there plans, it creates a wall between them and there transparency. The mentality of "Do as I say and not as I do" creates a barrier of trust between people who are in high positions which is hard to break once started.
In a sense, a person of high ranking can't be just any ordinary person with a title behind them; they need to prove themselves and show that they are working for the benefit of everyone and not for selfish gain. Leading by personal example is more of a way of life, connecting and being more relatable with others. As opposed to someone who only leads by example because they know the cameras are watching and not because they actually want to.

Post 15

Even though all of his ideas were not ideal or accepted by every American, former President John F. Kennedy was more influenced by the teachings of Socrates than that of Confucius. During one of Kennedys speeches on education he said, "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource." which falls in line with Socrates' idea that in order to acquire knowledge you have to admit that there are questions that you don't know the answers to and strive to better yourself.
Socrates believed that the best way to enhance a persons life was through education and questioning. President JFK to an extent believed this also to be true, as he (along with the help of others) created the  Higher Education Act of 1963; which helped initiate more college aid for students while also creating more higher level institutions of various degrees to feed students thirst for knowledge.

Post 14

Ancient gods were more figure heads that were identifies as having some sort of magical abilities that separated them from regular humans. Most come from mythological stories that people have changed throughout the years to make ancient gods seem as all powerful beings. Most of the time, a persons goal was to try and make a certain god pleased with them or there work/ contributions.

Our modern day gods tend to be identified as celebrities and super heroes; super heroes are looked upon as gods because they always put others above themselves in life threatening situations, Captain America for example puts the country above himself and makes sure he protects the country with all his energy. Some people consider celebrities to be gods because of all of the power, wealth and financial freedom they have. An extreme example is when a person decided to devote there life to a certain celebrity building a shrine to them, can tell you all about that celebrities favorite activities, food, etc. and believes them to be a higher being.

Post 13

In my opinion the US wars in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan are unjustified and have resulted in being a waste of taxpayers money. The total amount that the U.S. has spent on national security related to the post-9/11 war on terror has reached $3.6 trillion, with the U.S. owing $7.9 trillion alone in interests by 2053 (US Spending). The interest payment alone is more than what we initially even spent and we have not gained any benefit from this spending.

 The truth is majority of Americans did not know/ still do not know who is exactly to blame for the 9/11 attacks or know the exact reason why we went to war with Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan (as evident during class discussion). Former President Bush used the Art of War technique, in which they chose to believe that violence is the only answer in order to succeed against your enemies; when the executive order was sent out, the U.S. was angry and wanted to retaliate and act fast before actually having all of the information.

Did something need to be done? Yes. But the U.S. was not justified in the measures and actions that it took.

                                       Works Cited:

"US Spending on Middle East Wars, Homeland Security Will Reach $4.79 Trillion in 2017." US Spending on Middle East Wars. Brown University, 9 Sept. 2016. Web. 03 Mar. 2017.