The age of TREASON!!!!

The Age of Reason

 

                My title is very outlandish, with the age of treason but Paine really did go against the status quo during his time. When the age of Reason was published it was highly criticized and Paine went from being an American hero to taboo. Although I don’t necessarily agree with Paine’s way of going about his criticism I give him a lot of credit for gathering the courage to publish his criticism. Although the Thomas Jefferson letter shows us Paine was not alone, Paine put his name and reputation out there. Paine’s like the lady gaga of today not being ashamed to put themselves out there.

                Now I am a catholic as I have said in many of my blogs which gives me a unique perspective to a lot of the texts we have read and I think Paine is looking to argue. I wasn’t crazy about Socrates’ personality and Paine’s is very similar. I love when people form their own unique opinion but I hate when others try to make another opinion sound idiotic. Paine really pulls apart Christianity very brutally and without caution. Paine talks to his reader as if he is above them and that arrogance doesn’t persuade me because why would I want to agree with the opinions of a miserable person! You can have the soundest evidence in the world and you can be very persuasive with your words but most of the time it’s the character that wins me over.

                Now I do agree with a lot of Paine’s reasoning in his criticism, this does not make me go against my religion because I love being able to question things and dive deeper, and this makes me feel more firmly rooted in my faith. I can see that the bible isn’t perfect in any aspect but the message and morals of the Bible hold true to me. Some things I found interesting is Paine talked about the apostle Thomas who didn’t believe the rising of Christ because he couldn’t see it with his own eyes, and Paine chooses not to either. Not having faith in anything isn’t magical. We do not live in a magical world, but believing in the extraordinary is what makes this Earth a livable place. Like Santa Clause it is so much better to believe then to be the kid who tells everyone he doesn’t exist. Now God is not Santa Clause…that might have come off wrongly.  An interesting connection between the Age of Reason and the Daodejing and I guess Genesis is the idea of coming from a place of struggle gets you the respect and ability to lead the numbers. The Daodejing spoke of kings calling themselves orphans and the forlorn to be ruler. Jesus was born in a stable, Moses was abandoned and Mohammed was a mule driver. There is something about coming from a place of despair that draws people to them.

                Paine is a very smart man and I am so impressed by his courage and commitment to his ideas and thoughts that he went through with publishing them. It takes a strong man to go against a crowd and at the time no one talked about him cause of his act of TREASON against the church, now he is studied for his Age Of Reason.

The Holy Bible

The Holy Bible

 

            The most recent piece of literature we read in Mosaics was The Holy Bible, book of Genesis. Now let me give you some background on myself, I am a catholic and my Dad is in the process of becoming a deacon in the Catholic Church soooooo you might say that religion plays a big part in my family. That being said I have never actually read the bible. Yes I’ve heard readings during the mass but I have never taken the time to sit down and read it.

            I really enjoyed reading the bible, because I read it in a story sense. I read it just as one would read the Epic of Gilgamesh, as a narrative with characters and fictional elements. Now the word I just used is important fictional. I’m not trying to go against my religion, but a lot of people point out flaws in the book of genesis. I think you have to read it like a narrative story and take lessons from it instead of directly interpreting it. If you were to directly interpret it you would see a lot of deceit, a lot of cruelness from God and other things that aren’t so pleasing.

            Here is an example of the interpretation I do. The story of Adam and Eve is scientifically untrue. Humans were not placed on the Earth at the same time as all the animals and the fish and the birds. Science and evolution shows us that the dinosaurs were here first and man evolved into what it is today. The story of Adam and Eve should not be taken literally but through interpretation. Humans have knowledge that God gave us that he did not give any other animal. God made humans different; we see nakedness unlike all other animals. Adam and Eve is a story to show us that no human is perfect and we are all born with original sin. We are born into God’s world knowing that we’re going to mess up and that it is ok.

            I’m stopping myself there I think I’m sounding way too religious. I am sorry for that. I really enjoyed reading Genesis though and it makes me realize that I’m following a religion I don’t even know that much about. The bible is giant!!! I find it very fascinating that Temple requires us to read the bible. My hypothesis as to why that is, is similar to most of the other books we have read. Throughout life you are going to have to be knowledgeable of certain texts, such as Freud, and Socrates, and the Bible is one of the most referenced books in politics, and school. To have some sort of base knowledge on the bible is very beneficial towards any career. Also it is important to have a basic knowledge on the bible to have a better understanding of religions. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all accept the book of Genesis. Although these religions are all different it can show us that there is a unity between them and can help bring a sense of understanding to those of different cultures and religions.

The Daodejing

The Way. It is so mysterious sounding and philosophical. I for one do not fully understand the way but I do believe in the way. The Daodejing was by far my favorite book we have read all year. It is so different from anything we have read and I find it completely fascinating. Especially at this point in my life I am so stressed out daily and I am just focused on the most stupid miniscule things and with the help of this book I’m trying to become a more chill person. I am trying to take some of the teachings from the Daodejing into my own personal life. There was so much that I agreed with from the opinions of how government should not play a huge role in people’s lives,that those who search for beauty are far from it and so many other examples.

                I think more people should read the Daodejing especially in today’s society. So many people get caught up in technology and trying to be things that they lose their whole sense of self. So many people are out striving to be beautiful, when the beauty is already inside of them. So many people are striving for virtue, but if they just stopped looking they would be filled with virtue. Now I do not believe in nonaction, because you must work in life or I believe you are not living a life, but what I got out of the Daodejing is you shouldn’t want to be anyone but yourself. Every other person is already taken so you should just be yourself.

                The hardest thing for me to accept with the Daodejing is the contentment. My family has been struggling financially for the past 5 years so being in college is a blessing but the Daodejing isn’t too crazy about learning. It’s hard for me to know what the definition of contentment is because it’s sometimes impossible in today’s world to ever be content and just stop because constantly you have to work and learn to work so that you can live. I want to take the idea of contentment not to the extremes but to be content not to want crazy riches.

                Chapter 79 has some of the best advice it talks about how even after resolution, resentment remains, and this has always been true in my life. I have been horrible at letting things go and not letting things affect me. The chapter says that those with virtue oversee the tally. I am all about this tally, I’m always thinking if I do this for someone they should be doing this for me and I cannot be like that in my life. It is way too stressful and makes me more susceptible to being hurt by others nonaction. I’m really going to try to start taking the lessons of chillness from the book and I really thank Temple for making it mandatory for me to read this reality check. I needed this book and it came at the perfect time. Everyone should try and find the way, or at least your way.

The Souls of Black Folk

The Souls of Black Folk

               

                I just finished the Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the second half much more than the first half. My favorite part of the book was that every chapter started out with a song. These were all separate essays and Du Bois placed songs at the beginning of each to unite it and I loved this in a very symbolic way. Being a guy extremely into music I believe music is the one thing that can instantly unite strangers. Through song you can display your inner most agonies or your happiest thoughts. Music is a feeling and is a worldwide way to communicate. I wish this was written in more modern day times so you could hear each song before the beginning of each chapter. That would really set the mood and display a feeling.

                My favorite passage is on page 102 which talks about how learning and higher knowledge is color blind. “I sit with Shakespeare and he winces not. Across the color line I move arm in arm with Balzac and Dumas, I summon Aristotle and Aurelius and what soul I will, and they come graciously with no scorn nor condescension.” I love this paragraph because it shows how stupid it is to deny anyone education. The people who write the books want to be read, they want the world to know what they know, hence the reason to write anything down. To think that certain knowledge belongs to certain people is ridiculous. Knowledge should belong to anyone who seeks it. Du Bois in this book really argues how education was essential to get blacks into American society and he was right! Now education is given to every American citizen.

Too much is determined by a past and actions that we can’t control. Du Bois talks of how his son is born into this world with the veil. “Within the Veil was he born…and there within shall he live, a negro and a negro’s son. Holding in that little head the unbowed pride of a hunted race, clinging to a hope not hopeless but unhopeful…” I am so embarrassed by the world’s history, where people were cruel based on appearances. I’m embarrassed that we live in a world where we hold on to prejudices that were developed hundreds of years ago. As we talk about blacks being brought in this world living under harsh realities even to this day I feel guilty. I, as a white male, like Du Bois’ son, am brought into this world living with repercussions of actions that are not my own. I myself have never done anything racist or said anything racist but I am a part of this white culture which has been racist towards not only blacks but Hispanics and Indians as well. Reading these readings of suffering and hard times because of the white man makes me feel guilty and bad about myself but I have to constantly remind myself that we should not be judged by the actions of others who look like us. I believe, like Du Bois that everyone should be born into this world their own person, unattached to the past of their race. I hope one day the world is color blind to race that we acknowledge that we are all one HUMAN race.