My Interactive Reflection Journal

This blog highlights student writing work for a school setting.  Even though the assignments given for the blog are static, the writer’s perspective is infused, synthesizing both literal and interpretive analysis.

IRJ-22

As I was reading an interesting book arguing about the theory of creation written by the witty Professor Edgar H. Andrews, I was struck by one of the quotes the redactor used to begin one of the chapters.  The quote was stated by the venerable and passionate Martin Luther King Jr., and it went, “The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live.  Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power.  We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

What struck me was how the quote thoroughly explained what I believe to be the foremost problem with the word today in a powerful but simple matter.  The advancement of technology and complicated work processes has taken over our lives as a whole.  For example you would be hard pressed to find one person at school who does not rely on the internet or a cellular device in our day and age.  Our world is moving much to quickly for the people of the world to handle.  As opposed to the day and age of previous centuries, there are countless amounts of impending and mammoth problems that are each equally near impossible to fully deal with.  As I previously stated, the advancements of technology and science have come too fast for our inexperienced hands to follow effectively.  Not only are we going too fast, but we are going in the wrong direction also.  Because of the technological advances, people have learned to take advantage of the openness and insecurity of the new, thus the morals and character of yesterday are quickly becoming obsolete, not because we wish to change, but because we are all forced to adapt and change.

As I solemnly come to the conclusion to yet another IRJ written on the computer, which only two decades ago would have been impossible, I reflect again on the previous paragraph to eventually ask myself: Have we come to the point in human history where we are selfish enough to throw away the morals and beliefs that our country was built upon, or will we say that enough is enough and tear off the restricting but enticing vice of technology that has already ensnared some to no return?  People once asked one another what would happen to ‘us’ if we no longer cared about more than ourselves; well look around: we are already in that evil and dreaded world that people feared of yesterday.

The age of morals has ended; the age of technology has begun.

IRJ-#21

A Happy Medium: Fear

In Genesis 31.53, Jacob swears by the Fear of his father Isaac in a covenant of peace and accountability he makes with Laban.  I find this ironic, since Jacob showed very little fear in manipulating his father Isaac to steal the blessing meant for Esau.

Even though Jacob’s fear of his father is questionable, swearing by the fear to seal a very important agreement demonstrates how serious the swearing is to both Jacob and Laban.  Was this an acceptable form of swearing? Is fear a justifiable motivator? This has been one of the many focal points of debate for hundreds, if not thousands of years.  Some parents raise their children by the motto “obedience by fear,” while others argue fear negatively impacts humans and is not the right path to take.  Sometimes fear, such as the fear of the punishment of ones actions, can be utilized to thwart awful deeds, but in other cases, such as the fear of speaking out against unjust authority, can lead to unforeseen death and destruction.  From my experiences as well as studying the Bible and world history, I sense that fear is both necessary under certain circumstances while a hindrance during other events.  For example, without fear, criminals would run wild and perhaps even another world war would begin because of a lack of the fear of losing.  But on the other hand, with too much fear, no one would ever speak up when others would be suppressed, resulting in possibly a world dictatorship.  Also, with an excessive amount of fear, people would not interact because they would be too caught up for fear of betrayal or untold intentions.

Overall, I have concurred that the argument of whether or not fear is a positive or negative trait is mute as it all depends on the context.  The only thing we have to fear is not fear itself, but the lack of fear or too much fear.

IRJ-#20

The Mirage of Perfect Unity: Coexistence of the World

In the news lately I have noticed that there have been more articles and documents than usual about the high threat of future terrorist attacks on America.  With the growing possibility of an attack also incites more questioning of why America is the target and why people resort to violence without diplomacy.

These articles immediately directed my thoughts to the very common “Coexist” bumper sticker that, in short, states that all religions and people should just ‘get along’ and unite for the world as a whole.  I have seen hundreds of these stickers on the bumpers of cars (often along with an Obama ’08 sticker, but that’s another story), and I always wondered about the thought processes of the people who displayed that message for the world to see.  Though I applaud the positive thinking and the greater theme of world peace, I disagree that the so-called “coexistence” is even possible.  Just as Rita G. writes, “small things possess immeasurable power,” even a few people going against a universal idea of coexistence with enough power or an arsenal of mental and physical weaponry have the capability to destroy the whole idea in its entirety, thus, just to begin, coexistence has its challenges.  Alexander W. writes, “back then (in Biblical times), people weren’t as open minded about equal rights”, and I concur that today many if not most people are closed-minded about equal rights or even acknowledging that all people have rights.  Because people “often deny the truth within themselves and blame another for their own actions”(Kelli L. IRJ-18), they will always create conflict with others because not everyone takes responsibility for their own actions. As well as this, David R. specifically mentions that “history has also witnessed using the power of unity to one’s advantage…(e.g) Spartacus”, and I fully agree with his point, as I see no reason for that to change in the future because of the human lust for power that is unavoidable in everyone.  Finally, as the ever-critical Max H. pointed out in his IRJ, the world is the “survival of the fittest,” and run by the motto, “kill or be killed.” As Max also inferred, sadly humankind is being destroyed by our debatable “evolutionary need to kill.”(Max H.)

No matter where we run or hide to, humans cannot escape their own nature until death severs the line. Though the natural instincts of every person for themselves and kill or be killed have, according to scientists, kept us alive up to now, they are and will continue to destroy the idea of coexistence.

IRJ-#19

The Driving Motivation: Religion in the World

Go clean your room. All children and teenagers dread these four simple but powerful words.  Though the question going through the victim’s head sometimes is if and when he/she will clean their room, the real and perceptive question they should and often do ask is why he/she should heed let alone act upon the command (though for some this is a request, not a command).

In Genesis, God commands Noah to build an ark to house two of every living thing as well as his own family (Gen 6.13-22).  In verse 22, the author simply puts that “Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him” (Gen 6.22). In this case the writer of the passage does not mention or imply Noah’s reaction or attitude toward the command, just that he obeyed.  Why was Noah compelled to react in response to the command? He knew of God’s power as he was a righteous man and “walked with God” (Gen 6.9), and since he believed in God, he felt obligated and bound to the command given to him.

Using the obedience of Noah as a guide, why then should we clean our room when asked or even in the bigger picture follow any guidelines or rules set up by authorities? Those without any religion or philosophy often either follow the law because of the punishments they incur if they break those laws, or just fully ignore the law altogether.  I argue that being motivated by possible punishment is not enough, as if the law was taken away there would be no reason for the person to do what is ‘right.’ But right away that brings up the question of what is right or wrong, and who has the knowledge or wisdom to decide that.  This is where religion comes into the picture.  On the opposing side, people with religion feel obligated to or are commanded by their religion follow whatever rules or laws the individual religion sets up or recommends.  Religion is the driving factor of doing the right thing in many people.  Using this information I have definitively concurred that religion is the foremost reason for whatever peace there is in the world today.

IRJ-#18

The Pointless Argument: Human Interpretation

For the extent of history humans have searched and pondered upon possible explanations of why we are here and why we should or do act in a certain way.  Some turn to science, others forget the issue entirely, while the vast majority has some sort of belief system that at the very least influences their thought process and/or beliefs.  Personally I have turned to Christianity for answers, and I follow its guidelines not only because it suites me but because I feel spiritually driven by its words.  But that is another story for later.  As we discussed as a class, there are many different translations of the Bible, all of which include some form of interpretation that the task entails.   I believe that the source of the dispute should not come from the so-called “rightness” of the translation, but from the original translation itself.  From an exclusively academic perspective, religions are in fact individual interpretations of the world, therefore the original Bible, no matter how it was translated, are only an interpretation in itself.

From that deduction I personally have surmised that the translation itself does not matter, but what matters is how the Bible itself speaks to you through its words.   Christians believe that God himself wrote the Bible through certain individuals and since they also believe God is above all, from that standpoint it can be determined that since humans are always below God, they will never be able to fully understand, let alone write down, what God was actually saying.  According to that standpoint (which includes me), there never can and will be a fully accurate translation, there is no point in arguing the authenticity of the human interpretation.  Human interpretation is exactly that: human.  In other words,

God > Man

IRJ-QR#17

A Two Part Existence: The Human Soul

In The Golden Compass Lyra continues to mature and at the same time bond with her daemon, Pantalaimon.  During her perilous adventure to the North, she encounters Iorek Byrnison, who has lost his precious armor to the townspeople.  When she inquires why Iorek does not just mold a new set of armor with the scrap metal he works with he replies, “‘My armor is made of sky iron, made for me.  A bear’s armor is his soul, just as your daemon is your soul.’”

Lyra comes to respect Iorek’s union with his armor in the same way as her love for Pan.  As seen with the severed children, once a person becomes separated with their daemon they are never the same.  In the same way in our world today people have their own “companions.” Every Jedi needs the Force to be a true Jedi.  Every writer needs inspiration.  Every genius needs their brain.  Even every athlete must have the volition to succeed.  If you separate the individual from their counterpart, the person is no longer who they once were.  The characters with their daemons in The Golden Compass seem far-fetched and confusing to us, but ironically enough they are actually quite similar to the people in the real world.  Without our counterparts we lose our true character, our true self.  Human nature exists only because of the two parts being combined, and separating the two results in the severance from existence of human nature.

Proposition: People must remain connected with their own “counterparts” like the connection between Lyra and Pantalaimon for human nature to even exist.

IRJ-CP#16

The Often Forgotten: Just a Place

I know of a place, a marvelous place, where things both live and die.  In this place through life there is death, and through death there is life.  In this place people oft live in harmony and conflict all at the very same time.  Some prosper, others fail, but all meet the same final fate.  Laughter, joy, and humor exist but so also does agony, pain, and sorrow in this diverse place.  Imagination demonstrates itself in this place as you stroll through its wondrous streets and city, but this same imagination has also created strife and war.  In this place some believe that love makes it go round, but others infer that only determination and strength will succeed.  No one truly knows how or why this place came into existence, but all strive and search for a meaning in this place.  It is a place of purpose, a place of fame, a place of shame, but some believe it is all one big game.

What is this place? Look around you, for you are in it.

IRJ-OP#15

Believing and Acting: A Two-part Path towards Success

As well as his many serious quotes, Theodore Roosevelt once philosophically stated, “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” In the trying times of the world today many individuals have found it increasingly hard to follow the basic principle of believing.

Summary: a biography on Theodore Roosevelt

Quotes: other interesting quotations of Theodore Roosevelt

Believing you can accomplish something is only half the battle.  With believing must come actions to finish the task at hand.  The World War II American propaganda cartoon “Yes We Can” demonstrates this two-part approach to success perfectly: the woman with the clenched fist put forth the belief that Americans could accomplish their mission, but the icon also represents the need for the people to act accordingly as well.  Just because a person believes in something does not mean it will just happen: with belief must come action.

For any mission to be accomplished, a balance between believing and acting must exist.  If one becomes too reliant upon their beliefs and credulously relies on pop culture which says, “Anyone can do anything if they set their hearts to it,” will instead fail miserably because of a lack of perception on their part.  To be successful at any task one must synthesize the two components: the belief that he/she can succeed, and the acknowledgement that he/she also is responsible for acting to complete the task at hand.

Proposition: By only believing and not acting upon that belief, he/she dooms his/herself to fail in their feeble attempts to succeed by only believing; instead he/she must make their dreams into a reality by relying on their own actions, rather than just believing.

 

IRJ-CP#14

Rebellion: Cause and Effect

The poor peasants began to assemble by the town square at twilight.  This was no desultory group out for just to lark: their plan originated from a number of intrigues between  leading conspirers for months.  First the leaders had swayed many other lowly workers to their cause with promises that they would be recompensed after their great victory.  Then the minions were taught the rudiments of hand to hand combat and given crude weapons.  Their filthy appearance was deplorable by the higher class, but the copiousness of men gathered in the square that evening was certainly nothing to be scoffed at.  Slowly but surely the formidable mob crept through the city streets towards the dark, looming castle.
But what had precipitated this imminent conflict? The tensions between the high and low classes had become strained over years of tyranny and overwhelming taxes.  Ironically enough it was at the pinnacle of the city’s history that the rebellion occurred.  The peasants had become sick of the authorities sauntering about the city, taking belongings at will.  They had also tired of the king openly displaying his sumptuous belongings and sanctimoniously acting superior through his false pious acts of worship.  The majority of the lower class was devoted to their religion, so they looked at the king’s actions disdainfully.  What caused the peasants to finally act with violencewas the obstinacy of the king to assist the plights of the poor.  The peasants chose to besiege the castle on the eve of New Year’s knowing the king’s men would be torpid from a long night of drinking alcohol.  Nothing could stop them with their mammoth force.