Category: God

I have read 87% of the required Pentateuch reading with decent comprehension.

Throughout the reading of the Pentateuch, much has been revealed to me about God’s plan and character. Most notable, is his unrelenting and unfailing mercy. In all of the narratives and laws that we have read through, and all the sins done by his people, God was -and is- merciful. Before reading these 5 books, I knew of God’s mercy, but I didn’t understand the true extent of it. According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, mercy is “a concept integral to an understanding of God’s dealings with humankind”. This alludes to the way God deals with mankind as they sin and sin again and again. He punishes us in a way that is beneficial to us, even after we break his heart time and time again.

In the book of Genesis, God’s mercy is immensely evident, especially in chapter 3 (the fall). In verse 17, the Lord states- “Cursed is the ground because of you,” after Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge as a consequence of their sinful actions. Right after that, though, God “made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Directly following punishment, God showed true mercy on his people and provided them with means of confidence and comfort in their own bodies, even though it was changed from how God had envisioned it originally.

In my own life, God’s mercy has been revealed to me many times. Throughout my life, my family has been through many trials and tribulations; most recently, my dad was sent to a rehab center for three months at the start of my junior year for drug and gambling addictions. During the three months, I felt as if God had betrayed me and my family due to my dad’s sins. Little did I know, he was working his unrelenting mercy within us. After the three months ended, and he came home, I saw how God had done the opposite of betraying us- he had shown his mercy on our family in ways I can’t even describe. His relationship with my mom became stronger than ever before, as well as his relationship with me and my brothers. God used his power of mercy on our family to show us how far our faith really goes. In chapter seven of “God With Us”, this show of mercy is described almost exactly as it happened for me and my family. It states that “even his punishments were tempered by mercy and patience” which is so clearly true, especially in my situation. Even his punishment of removing him from us for three months was done through love and compassion, as it would be good in the future.

In the book of Exodus, sin, and punishment is the main concept. God’s response with merciful punishment, though, is a main concept as well. Just a few short chapters after the Israelites doubted God’s ability to provide nourishment (chapter 17; water from the rock), he provided them with the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Regardless of their disobeying God’s orders, he shows them mercy through the gift of the

commandments. As I read through this, it was revealed to me that even in the hard times, God showed mercy to his sinful people. Their act of disobedience was reciprocated with punishment, but an act of mercy followed that. It strongly convicted me gave me a sense of trust, and heightened my level of faith in him.

Just two books later, in the book of Numbers, God’s unfailing mercy is once again, concentrated throughout the whole of it. His people constantly betray him, most notably in the story of Balaam. In chapters 22-25, Balaam is named as a “cursor” whose main purpose is to curse others. God, despite the sins of his people, makes it so Balaam can only bless those whom he tries to curse. His mercy is so strongly shown there in my eyes, as he created a literal sense of blessing upon his people even through their rebellion.

Overall, throughout the Pentateuch, it was truly revealed to me how unrelenting God’s mercy really is, how it helps us, and why he uses it. My faith has grown due to it, as well as my trust in him.

1. “Mercy Definition and Meaning – Bible Dictionary.” Bible Study Tools, https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/mercy/.
2. Lennox, Stephen J. God with Us: an Introduction to the Old Testament. Triangle Pub., 2009.
3. The Holy Bible: New International Version. Zondervan, 2005.

Introduction

Religion has been part of humanity and it has also played a role in uniting many societies. It has also evolved to the level where individuals, societies as well and nations use it to differentiate themselves from others. According to Atran & Norenzayan (Cited by Shariff & Norenzayan 2011:85), “the belief in supernatural agents has been a powerful force found throughout all cultures and across all of recorded human history.” As a result, throughout history, humans poured resources into elaborate religious buildings and rituals, with no obvious boost to survival and reproduction (Sciencemag, 2009:784).

Nevertheless, there are individuals or groups that detest religion and everything it stands such as philosophers Karl Marx, and Nietzsche. This individual saw religion as something that does not exist or as a man-made system to control them. For instance, Carl Max views it as a system that the poor use to comfort themselves. Similar to any issue in the world religion is shaped by economic changes and demands. This may as the result of seeing his father moving from Jewish religion to Christianity in order to keep his job as a lawyer (Latief, 2011:259).

Religion can be defined as “Religion is the set of beliefs, feelings, dogmas, and practices that define the relations between human beings and sacred or divinity” Anon (2018:1). Religion can be traced back-traced to the ancient Near East or Western Asia and classified in three basic categories: polytheistic, pantheistic and monotheistic, in the 18th century. However, religious studies cannot agree on a common definition of its subject matter. As it is a broad research field.

Traditionally it is understood that Christianity is a religion, as they believe that all religions worship the same God (Adamson, 2019). And it has been like that for centuries. However, the difference is the approach. Therefore in this essay, I will be reviewing religion and Christianity, their similarities and differences. I will be going through the religious aspects of Christianity and its non-religious aspects. And draw a conclusion based on the findings on whether Christianity is a religion or not.

1. Religion

Religious beliefs are universal across cultures and time, and understanding the geneses and progression of religion is a question that has attracted noteworthy attention and question Pyysiaine & Haauser (2009:1). According to Zwemer (1945:13) the homo sapiens of the technologist, in any circumstance, appears on the scene already possessed of religious instinct and exercising religious rites. In addition, Penalver (1997:791) claims that “religion is a commonly used and widely understood term in our everyday language, not some obscure term of art in need of technical definition.”

Nath (2015:83) states that there are different theories about when and how religion came about. It is therefore clear that researchers cannot point as to when and where religion began, but its impact on humanity is very clear. It is said by Dunbar (Cited by Palermo 2015) that religious conviction may have sprung up from this need to keep everybody on the same page. However, Richardson (2014:1) states that “religion was not named until there appeared a number of traditions overlapping in the same empires.”

According to AAR (2019), Creed can be categorized into 3 systems: polytheistic, pantheistic, and monotheistic. Monotheism and polytheism are not older than the 17th century CE and have diverse rulings Assmanm (2004:17). polytheism meaning a belief in many gods, is believed to have started in Huiduism around 2500 BC. According to Anon (2018), the polytheistic gods customarily take human features and are famous by precise meanings. It can also be assumed that these gods can be the society’s heroes and heroines who lived before them and had a remarkable impact on the lives of that society.

Though others believe in many gods, there are individuals who are doubtful about God but rather believe more in nature and the universe. This religion is referred to as Pantheism. According to Harrison (201) at the heart of pantheism is reverence of the universe as the ultimate focus of reverence, for the natural earth is sacred. Pantheists perceive the universe as God or rather all is God. “Pantheism has been frequently discussed in philosophical, scientific, and environmentalist circles rather than in established, mainstream religious traditions” (Anon 2019)

Unlike polytheistic and pantheistic monotheistic religions basics are built on believing in one God. According to Assmann (2004:17), “monotheism asserts its identity by opposing itself to polytheism, whereas no polytheistic religion ever asserted itself in contradistinction to monotheism, for the simple reason that polytheism is always the older or “primary” and monotheism the newer or “secondary” type of religion.”

The word religion itself was derived from the Latin root Religare which means to bind fast (The People’s University 2006: 2). It is however now used to categorize peoples by their beliefs or their way of life based on the many definitions given by scholars. Martineau (Cited by Harrison 2006:133) defines religion as “the belief in an ever-living God.” This definition fits groups that believe in an eternal God and excludes the public who worship seen and perishing idols. It is tricky to define religion in terms of belief that has a specific kind of object, like God, it means that certain credence systems that are normally regarded as a religion, Theravada Buddhism for example would have to be classed as non-religious and entailment which strikes many as counter-intuitive (Harrison 2006:135).

Tyler (Cited by Van Niekerk 2018:3) outlines religion as a “belief in spiritual beings.” This definition also has some shortfalls, as it leaves other religious groups that believe in spirituality let alone beings. Harrison (2006:1) argues that there are practical reasons for favoring the previously popular view that essentialist definitions of “religions” are inadequate and that religions should be interpreted, instead, as possessing a number of “family resemblances”. Different religious groups have different practices and beliefs therefore, laying them in one definition has been impossible for most scholars. But they all must have one thing in common which remains the root of religion “Binding together”.

According to Durkheim (1986), ‘A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them.’ Durkeim’s definition includes important aspects of religion such as faith, unity, sacred as well, and community.

Advantages and disadvantages of religion

Religion is one important aspect of humanity that brings people together. It plays a huge role in the well-being of individuals as well as society. According to Levy and Ranzin (2011:2), “religious beliefs and religious practice are clearly two important and possibly inseparable features of religious organizations and the link between them is yet to be fully understood.” Most religious organization tends to be an escape place for community member; they are mostly established with the aim of serving the community. “A core belief of each of the world’s religious traditions is that of concern for others less fortunate and the deliberate turning of attention away from ourselves and toward others who are in need” (Idler, 2008:3).

Religion organizations promote goodwill within the community, it encourages their affiliates to be good to each other but also to those who do not belong to their organizations. Tejvan (2018) that religious ethics such as the Golden Rule do provide a basis for boosting better human conduct. These rules work because the followers believe that there are certain benefits attached to following the rules word for word. Religious establishments play a dynamic role in modeling beliefs; many put in the time and hard work in endorsing certain kinds of messages while editing others (Levy & Razin, 2011:3). Organizations wear the culture of the place it’s established in order to make rules that relate to their ways of leaving and make it better.

Religious practices give hope to individuals as well as well as the community. Life can be very hard and sad but it is through the encouragement and faith that religious people have in divinity that will help them to look forward to tomorrow. Barber (2012) states that it is called the security blanket concept where supernatural belief systems provide peace of mind and help believers to cope with the more stressful events in their lives. Faith has been a source of encouragement and through it, many avoided things such as depression, suicide, and related diseases as it provides a sense of emotional security.

However, religion does not only have a positive side. As much as the word religion means to bind together, it also separates. Many religious groups fight as to which religious doctrines are correct and also fight over power to dominate the world. Today many nations do not see eye to eye because of religion. As far as religion is concerned it brings together only people believing in the same deities. Hungtington ( 1993: ) in The Clash of Civilisation argues that differences between religious originations will only result in clashes as each wants to dominate. For instance, Huntington (Cited by Cline, 2019) “Muslims do not easily assimilate to host cultures when new rulers arrive, nor do non-Muslims easily assimilate to a culture under Islamic control”

Religion also uses pastors, priests, and prophets to scare individuals into compliance. Many people who are religious do not have the freedom to do things, because whatever move they make they are always conscious not to break the law or displease their gods or God. According to Anon (2018), “rules do not match with feelings.” Fornication for example. “Religion discourages free inquiry and restricts freedom of thought, by encouraging the idea that fundamental answers can only be found in a fixed and specific book or belief system” (Goodman, 2019).

Furthermore, Tarico (2014) argues that religion promotes helplessness as most believers believe in gods or God who solves their problems. For example, a religious person will not take medication for cancer, HIV & AIDS and many other diseases as their help will come from the supernatural. Religious practices are harmful to society, it lead to very slow human progress. According to Goodman (2019), religion excuses people from taking accountability, because they can say that Supernatural being told them to do it.

Reference

1. Adamson, M. 2019. Connecting to the divine. https://www.everystudent.com/features/connecting.html Date of access: 6 Sep.2019
2. All About Religion. 2019. Origin of religion. https://www.allaboutreligion.org/origin-of-religion.htm Date of access: 18 Sep 2019.
3. Allaboutreligion. 2019. Origin of religion. https://www.allaboutreligion.org/origin-of-religion.htm Date of access: 06 Sep. 2019.
4. Anon. 2018. Advantages and disadvantages of religion. https://www.scribd.com/document/369567574/ADVANTAGES-AND-DISADVANTAGES-OF-RELIGION-docx Date of access: 19 Sep. 2019.
5. Anon. 2018. Polytheism. https://www.polytheism.net/ Date of access: 17 Sp. 2019.
6. Anon. 2019. Pantheism. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pantheism Date of access: 17 Sep 2019
7. Assmann, J. 2004. Monotheism and Polytheism. Religion of the ancient world. 17-31. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/45268676.pdf Date of access. 17 Sep. 2019
8. Barber, N. 2012. The Security Blanket Concept of Religion: The key to religion is stress management. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201207/the-security-blanket-concept-religion Date of access: 19 Sep. 2019.
9. Cline, A. 2019. Hungtinton’s theory Clash of Civilisations. https://www.learnreligions.com/islam-vs-the-west-why-is-there-conflict-4078892 Date of access: 19 Sep. 2019.
10. Durkeim, E. 1986. The elementary forms of religious life (1912). http://durkheim.uchicago.edu/Summaries/forms.html Date of access: 17 Sep 2019.
11. Goodman, P. 2019. The Pros And Cons of Religion. https://soapboxie.com/social-issues/The-Pros-And-Cons-Of-Religion Date of access: 19 Sep. 2019.
12. Harrison, P. 2018. Pantheism Scientific Pantheism: Reverence of Nature and Cosmos. https://www.pantheism.net/paul/ date of access: 17 Sep. 2019.
13. Harrison, V. 2006. Martineau’s theory is the pragmatics of defining religion in the multi-cultural world. The international journal for philosophy of religion. 59:133-152.
14. Hungtington, S.P. 1993. The Clash of Civilisations.
15. Idler, E. 2008. The Psychological and Physical benefits of spiritual/religious practices. Spirituality in Higher Education Newsletter. 4(2): https://spirituality.ucla.edu/docs/newsletters/4/Idler_Final.pdf Date of access: 19 Sep 2019.
16. Levy, G. & Razin, R. 2011. Religious benefits, Religious participation, and cooperation. http://personal.lse.ac.uk/levyg1/religion.pdf Date of access: 19 Sep. 2019.
17. Nath, S. 2015. Religion and its role in society. Journal of Humanities and Social Science. 20(11):82-85.
18. Palermo, E. 2015. Dunbar’s theory the origin of religion: How supernatural beliefs evolved. https://www.livescience.com/52364-origins-supernatural-relgious-beliefs.html Date of access: 12 Sep. 2019.
19. Tejvan, p. 2018. Benefits of religion. biographyonline.net/spiritual/articles/benefits-religion.html Date of access: 19 Sep. 2019.
20. The People’s University. 2006. Meaning and nature of religion. http://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/38632/1/Unit-1.pdf Date of access: 12 Sep. 2019.
21. Van Niekerk, B. 2018. Tylor’s theory Primitive culture: Research into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, language, art, and custom. (please fix)
22. Zwemer, S.M., & Litt D. 1945. The origin of religion evaluation or revolution. United States of America: New York.

In the text, “Judaism and Modernity,” by authors; Esposito, Lewis and Fasching gave a thorough insight into the history of Judaism and its emergence into its modern religious denominations, as well as the many obstacles that Jews have faced throughout history. According to the text, the Jewish people as a religious community were rejected by European society until the late 1700s when the French Revolution took place and Europe was ruled by the Holy Roman Empire, and even after, the Jewish people were known to be continuously ridiculed and discriminated against for their faith.

For centuries, the Jewish people have struggled to keep their Jewish identity while living in the Christian dominant states. The Jews were trying to find a way to be in the non-Jewish society without having to lose their religious identity. Through time, Judaism has been reformed various times and has evolved, with the same overall beliefs, however with differing outlooks on the way of practice, and openness to the larger non-Jewish society and its culture. As so, there came many forms of Jewish movements. The first-ever modern form of Judaism in society was the Jewish Haskalah movement that was developed in the 1700s that put forth the idea for integration into the non-Jewish society as a means to be a part of both worlds; the general non-Jewish public society and to be a follower of Judaism.

They had to figure out what part of their faith was set in stone and what could be changed. As Reform Judaism was spread, the Jewish people were able to integrate into the Christian dominant society without compromising their religious views as a whole. In the late 1900s, the Reform Jewish community renounced the strict food laws they had as well as their tie to Palestine. This is because they felt that they shouldn’t be associated with a certain place as they were a “religious community.” Throughout the years, Judaism was more open for the non-Jewish people to learn about, for instance, the Jewish Holy Book was available in different languages such as French, English, and German to name a few. This made it easy for the non-Jewish community to have access to learn about Judaism as well as those Jews who could not read in Hebrew. Furthermore, they believed that their religion was to be changed through time and this new modern form of Judaism was for the modern world, however, others disagreed and believed they were going towards the wrong path. Due to the differing beliefs, came forth another form of modern Judaism, the Orthodox Judaism that renounced and opposed the beliefs of the Reform Jews and reclaimed the ancient traditions. This, of course, was seen as a big obstacle as it made the Jewish community indecisive, whether to embrace the modern changes of Judaism or to go back to practicing their ancient traditions and beliefs. The Jew community had to make the most important decision regarding their faith; which form of Judaism to follow, except for those who were Premodern Rabbinic Jews as they only focused on God Himself, their Holy Land and Holy Book. In addition to the two modern forms of Judaism; Reform and Orthodox emerged the third, Conservative Judaism which was in between the two. Conservative Judaism had the outlook of the Reform Jews and their need to fit into the secular society and still follow the ancient traditions as the Orthodox Jews. This new form of Judaism gave the Jewish community the freedom and right to their own respective beliefs without being wrong and helped them integrate into the modern secular society and it became the most prominent form of modern Judaism in Western society. The next movement of Judaism, Reconstructionism, was developed before the mid-1900s, however, it was not as prominent as the others.

As many times as the Jews modernized Judaism, the non-Jewish society still rejected them as a religious community but accepted them individually. The reformed Jews that were given citizenship became involved in politics and became successful and important members of society. During the 1900s, the more successful the Jews became, the more fearful the non-Jewish communities became of them as they believed Jews were plotting to take over Europe. As time passed, the Jews became recognized as a race rather than followers of Judaism, and they were perceived as the “inferior” race by European society. With this sudden fear of Jews, the Nazi party in Germany spread false propaganda against the Jewish people to instill more fear into the general public and started the anti-Semitism campaign to systematically discriminate against and be prejudice towards the Jewish population as a means to wipe them all out. The Nazi party committed genocide against the Jewish community and millions were murdered in horrific ways and this event is known as the Holocaust. Those who have escaped and survived the genocide, immigrated to the United States and Canada to rebuild their lives. Fortunately for them, these countries were welcoming towards them and it gave them a chance to settle down and live a better life where they were accepted and were seen as equals rather than inferior.

After the Holocaust, new secularized forms of Judaism emerged into the society notably; Jewish socialism, Yiddish Judaism, and finally Zionism. These new forms of Judaism were used to resolve issues between their identity and modernity, as so many saw Jewish Socialism as the answer, however, they did not consider themselves as “religious.” On the other hand, Yiddish Judaism gave Jews the chance to be closer to their roots and traditions. Lastly, Zionism became the most prominent movement amongst them all, especially after enduring many hardships during the Holocaust, they wanted to have a state of their own to call home and rebuild their community. However, this new movement had more to do with politics rather than the religion itself, and took over Palestine and pushed out those who were already living there for thousands of years, the Palestinians.

In conclusion, the Jewish community has gone through many hardships in life however they overcame them through time and are known to the world as one of the resilient groups of people to rebuild their lives after the Holocaust. Judaism throughout history has evolved into modern society and different denominations with differing beliefs and outlooks. Evolving and becoming open to modern society and its culture is not necessarily wrong, however, nationalism has proven to be a bad thing, throughout history, in this case, Zionism. Modernity is proven to be good in the cases of gender equality and gender roles, however, Zionism is all about politics, power, and nationalism and nothing to do with religion itself therefore this ideology must be rejected.

INTRODUCTION

Hinduism refers as a religious designation to the sacred philosophy of peoples living in contemporary India and Southeast Asia. It is a combination of many spiritual customs in the region and does not have a set of clearly defined beliefs. It is accepted by the scholars that Hinduism is one of the oldest religions of the world, but no known historical figure is due to its origin. Hindu roots are diverse and are likely to be a combination of different regional beliefs. According to historians, Hinduism dates back 5,000 years.

At one time, it was believed that Hindu beliefs were brought to India by the Aryans who conquered the Indus Valley civilization and settled on the banks of the Indus River around 1600 BC. However, this theory is now believed to be flawed, according to many scholars the principles of Hinduism evolved within groups of people living in the Indus Valley region long before the Iron Age, the first of which dates back to some time before 2000 BC. Other scholars combine the two theories, believing that the basic beliefs of Hinduism evolved from indigenous rituals and practices, but the Aryans are likely to be influenced it.

ORIGINS OF THE WORD HINDU

A Hindu term derived from the name of the Indus River which flows through northern India. In ancient times the river was called Sindhu, but the Persians who emigrated to India called the Hindu river known as Hindustan and called it the Hindu population. The first known use of the Hindu term is from the sixth century BC, used by the Persians. Initially, Hinduism was mostly a cultural and geographical mark, and only later was applied to describe the religious practices of Hindus

According to scholars, the evolution of Hinduism may be divided into three periods:

• The ancient period (3000 BCE-500 CD)
• The medieval period (500 to 1500 CE)
• The modern period (1500 to present)

Hinduism it consider as the oldest religion in the world. But little is known about its origin and inception, The following research is done to understand the religion, origins of Hinduism, how to started, about its epic book and concept of many Gods.

EARLY HISTORY

Prof. Flood (1996) wrote a book “ An Introduction To Hinduism” Where he wrote that religion in the Indus Valley seems to have been taken in the ritual of the temple and the sacred bathing in the ‘great bath’ found in Mohenjo-daro. There is some evidence of animal sacrifice in Kalibangan. A number of pottery statues, possibly portraits of the goddess, and a seal depicting a sitting figure surrounded by animals that some scholars believe to be a prototype of Lord Shiva have been found. Others opposed this, pointing out that it was very similar to the elamite seals showing bulls sitting. One of the steatite images depicting a character fighting the lions that suggests the legend of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia.

Continuities between the Indus Valley civilisation and later Hinduism as suggested by the clear stress on ritual bathing, sacrifice, and goddess worship. But ritual purity, sacrifice and an emphasis on richness are common to other ancient religions.

Steven M. Kossak and Edith W. Watts from The Metropolitan Museum of Art wrote: “An ancient form of religious practice was the worship of spirits believed to in trees, rivers, and rocks. Many Indians still hold such beliefs. One form these beliefs took is the worship of yakshas and yakshis, male and female deities associated with the richness of the earth. Serpent kings called nagarajas and their consorts, naginis, as well as makaras, crocodile like creatures, are all linked with the cult of life-giving waters.

CONTRIBUTION OF ARYANS AND THE EPIC BOOKS

Aryan the word is derived from Sanskrit word “arya” which means noblemen.

After the collapse of the Indus civilization, Aryans migrated down to the subcontinent from Central Asian, bringing with them beliefs in gods, mainly male, who in person forces and nature and were worshipped in complex sacrifices performed by Brahmins, the priestly class.

Steven M. Kossak and Edith W. Watts from The Metropolitan Museum of Art wrote: The religious texts written by the Aryans began with Rig Veda, Soma Veda, Yajur Veda, and Athara Veda (about 1500-1200 BC), which included God’s hymns and A description of the customs, behaviors and traditions of the Aryans. . These books revolve around knowledge, inspiration and lifestyle.

Later, the Upanishads (700-500 BC) contained profound philosophical speculations about ‘The One”. This ‘One’ known as Brahmin is eternal, everything around it is invisible, and is the origin and essence of all things.

Upanishads and Vedas were a compilation of scripts, these scripts provide the basic source for many important topics of Indian philosophy. The purpose of these text were not so much instruction as inspiration. They talked about universe whole as the great entity. The compilation of these script were made by Aryans and the idea of cast system was also introduced.

Doniger (2013) author of “The Hindus: An Alternative History” tells the history of early hindu script “ Purana”. The early Puranas were probably compiled by upper-caste authors who appropriated popular beliefs and ideas from people of various caste. Later on Puranas showed evidence of influences of local religious traditions.

Traditionally, a Purana is said to treat five subjects, or “five signs”: the main creation of the universe, secondary creation after periodic total destruction, the family tree of gods and patriarchs, the reigns of the Manus (the first humans), and the history of the solar and lunar dynasties. Creation and dissolution (sarga, “emission,” and samhara, “gathering in”) occur when Prajapati, a creator figure of the Verdic age, emits the universe and opens it, but everything is always in it, just alternately open (manifest) or covered (latent); sarga lets it out, and samhara pulls it back in.

The Puranas also treat various topics about religious developments that occurred between about 400 and 1500 CE. Those additional topics include customs, ceremonies, sacrifices, festivals, caste duties, donations, the construction of temples and images, and places of pilgrimage

Valmiki (5th century BCE) wrote ancient Sanskrit epic The Ramayana which follows Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from the captivity of Ravana with the help of an army of monkeys.

Ramayana talked about once responsibility and pursuit of Dharma (righteousness), both Artha (materialistic pleasures) and Kama (sense pleasures) must be sacrificed. These two should never be at the cost of Dharma.

Mahabarata appearing in its present form in 4 century BC. Vyasa an ancient author is credited for writing it.

Doniger (2013) wrotes in “The Hindus: An Alternative History” The Mahabharata is an important source of information on the development of Hinduism between 400 BCE and 200 CE and is regarded by Hindus as both a text about dharma (Hindu moral law) and a history (itihasa, literally “that’s what happened”).

The book narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Paṇḍava princes and their progression. The story emphasizes on standing on onc’s dharma(morals) during suppression.

Ramayana’s early text appeared in 400 AD and was written by Valmiki. Prof. Vinay Lal (2005) wrote: “The Ramayana belongs to a class of literature known in Sanskrit as kavya (poetry). It is one of two epics, the other being the Mahabharata, which have had a decisive influence in shaping the nature of Indian civilization. The Ramayana existed in the oral tradition perhaps as far back as 1,500 B.C., but the fourth century B.C. is generally accepted as the date of its composition in Sanskrit by Valmiki.

Both Ramayana and Mahabharata are essential for shaping the Itihasa (history) of Hinduism. These stories are quoted and talked about in Hindu households.

HINDU DEITIES

Dr A.V. Srivivasan (2018) author of “There is but One without a second! A Hindu View of God” The main terms for deity within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavan and Bhagavati. The Hindu trinity consists of Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer). Their feminine counterparts are Saraswati (the wife of Brahma) Lakshmi (the wife of Vishnu) and Parvati (the wife of Shiva).

The Hindu deity have many avatars, Vishnu, the preserver alone has 10 avatars the famous of which are Rama and Krishna. So as his consort Lakshmi who’s avatars are Sita and Radha.

Brahma first appeared in the ancient Hindu text Vedas, as the creator of universe. While his birth was detailed in Puranas. Vishnu and shiva have minor mentions in Vedas and Upanishad. But the epic Mahabarata and Ramayana have detailed accounts of them.

Prof. Vasudha Narayanan (2004) wrote in her book “Understanding Hinduism” about early vedic gods and deities. The early vedic mentions of Indra, Surya, Agni, Ushas, Vayu, Varuna, Mitra, Aditi, Yama, Soma, Sarasvati, Prithvi, and Rudra. These deites belonged to the 3 dimensions of universe/heaven, earth and intermediate space.

The intial deities were the forces of nature rather than a superhuman beings.

DISCUSSION

The finding of the study suggested that the religion of Hinduism it the oldest and the most diverse in the world, through the 4,000 year history the religion evolve many folds. It started in the Indus valley when Aryans came from the north. The initials gods or deities took the form of the nature. In its initial form it was more of a way or philosophy of life than religion. The early text was written in Sanskrit. The purpose of these early text were to inspire people. They talked about knowledge. The books and text that came later focused more on gods and their stories and the concepts of “Karma” “Dharma” and “Maya”. The polytheism religion was started by talking about “The One” this “One” was mention to the one who “Lies beyond”. This was later converted to a religion of many deities and there incarnations.

CONCLUSION

According to many scholars, Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, with more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers. Hinduism is the third largest religion. About 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India. In the absence of a specific founder, it is difficult to trace its origins and history. It is unique in the sense that it is not a single religion but a collection of traditions, culture and philosophies. That has also changed over time throughout history. Its books were collections of many texts and all the books talked about different aspects that make Hinduism the most diverse religion, but there is harmony between the school of different ideas.

REFERENCE

1. Editors of History, (October 6, 2017). Hinduism. History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/religion/hinduism
2. Flood, G. (1996). An Introduction To Hinduism. Brighton, UK. Cambridge University Press.
3. Doinger, W. (2009). The Hindus: An Alternative History. United States. Viking Press.
4. Lal, V, (2005). Introducing Hinduism. Delhi, India. Icon Books.
5. Srinivasan, A.V. (2018) There is but One without a second! A Hindu View of God. United States. Periplus lines.
6. Narayanan, V. (2004) Understanding Hinduism. Florida, USA. Duncan Baird Publishers.

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, famously said “there is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” Milton Steinberg certainly did not write his book with the intention to have it critiqued, but if he was worried about that, he would not have written it all. As a Driven Leaf is a historical novel written about the Talmudic character, Elisha ben Abuyah. In light of the Talmud mentioning Elisha’s name, it refers to him as achar, other. This is because Elisha is known as a heretic; he strayed from the path of Judaism. The full story of Ben Abuyah is mysterious and leaves a lot of room for speculation. Steinberg gives a thrilling, fictitious back story about Elisha’s life. The book’s claim of the role of Hellenism on Jewish society is historically inaccurate; Hellenism was an integrated part of Jewish culture long before ben Abuyah’s time. Elisha was not the first one to try to rectify Judaism and Hellenism. Additionally, the very institution of the Rabbis is a Hellenized institution. Hellenistic influence played a role in Judea since its introduction in the third century BCE, and contrary to public belief did not disappear with the Hasmoneans.

As a Driven Leaf makes it seem as though all Hellenistic influenced was banned from Judea since the time of the Hanukah story but that is incorrect. Steinberg portrays Abuyah, Elisha’s father, as a heretic who was disliked by mainstream Jewish society. He was viewed as wrong and dangerous for embracing Hellenism. After his death, Elisha was banned from studying Greek and speaking about his father’s knowledge. Amram, Elisha’s uncle “never spoke, [about Abuyah] and the boy, sensing that references to his father were unwelcome, refrained from voicing the many questions that stirred in him. With time memory blurred and recollection awoke less frequently” (Steinberg 30). Amram burned all of Elisha’s Greek books and fired his Greek tutor. The study of anything outside of Judaism was strictly forbidden. Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Elisha’s other and preferred teacher, was more understanding of the young boy’s questions however he still seemed to feel that Greek culture played no role in Judea at the time.

Another place in the book that implies that Greek culture played no role in Judea was the reaction Elisha gets when he presented his idea to his colleagues. Ben Azzai was in disbelief that others living in Judea would have been influenced by Hellenism. He says:

You will pardon me, I was rambling. But to be honest with you, Elisha, I see no special point to your suggestion. There is no widespread skepticism among our people to justify it. And if there were, I would not be too confident of the powers of systematic argumentation to allay it. (Steinberg 146)

Ben Azzai seems to be denying that other Jews had doubts. He made it sound as if Hellenism did not infiltrate into mainstream society. Hellenism was simply not a fear of the Rabbis at that time. They were confident that their people trusted fully in the Bible and its G-D. The effect of Hellenism on the culture seems invisible. The only effect it seems to have is the fear of it. Hellenism was not a widespread issue according to the Rabbis, only there were scared it could potentially become an issue.

The Rabbis were scared of the spread of Hellenism. In reality, Hellenism had already spread and taken over Judean culture long before the Rabbis come into existence. The Rabbis as an institution is a Hellenistic idea. The Greeks are credited with creating schools and a form of government. The Rabbis’ Sanhedrin system included levels of court. One would start at a lower level court and then work their way up to the higher courts. This idea comes directly from the Greek version of democracy. The idea of academies and scholars gathering to discuss academic works is Greek as well. As much as the Rabbis claimed to be ‘Greek free’ there existence was Greek!

Additionally, As a Driven Leaf makes it seem as if Elisha was the first to try to blend Hellenistic thought together with Judaism. Philo the Great came many years before Elisha and he, together with many others learned Greek philosophy together with Judaism. A journal on Jewish Life writes:

At the same time, Philo’s constant Herculean endeavor to assign the highest Greek philosophical value to what he considered important in Judaism, heightens the awareness of the reader of the overwhelming degree to which he was both a product of, and a protagonist in, the Hellenistic culture of his day. (Cohen)

This proves that Philo was influenced by Hellenism and he was not the only one. Philo already reconciled the Torah and Greek literature according to Goldenberg. “Philo became passionately convinced that Greek wisdom and the teachings of Moses contain the same set of truths as long as each is properly understood” (Goldenberg 110). Similarly, The Book of Jubilees and the Exagoge text both had Greek influence. Even if the Rabbis in As a Driven Leaf denied it, Hellenism did penetrate mainstream Jewish society.

Hellenism penetrated Jewish society even into the offspring of the Hasmoneans. Simon the Hasmonean’s son, John Hyrcanus, had a Greek name. Just two generations after the Hanukah story, Simon’s grandsons are named Judah Aristobulus and Alexzander Yanni. These names include a Hellenistic component and a Jewish component. A few generations later, by Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II, they drop the Jewish part. These are leaders of the Hasmonean dynasty, mainstream leaders of the Jewish community. The Rabbis seem to not believe it but everyone across Judea was affected by Greek influence.

Steinberg portrays the period of the Rabbis as free from Hellenistic culture. He makes it seem as if a reconciliation of the Torah and Greek literature had never been done. The Rabbis seem to no believe that Jews were affected by Greek ideology. However, the Rabbis themselves were Hellenized by the way they operated. Philo the Great had tried to accomplish Elisha’s goal centuries before and even the Hasmonean’s names changed as Hellenistic culture dominated. Steinberg writes about Hellenism in an almost Voldemort way. It was a forbidden evil among the Jews but chances are in this time more Jews were connected to Greek culture than Jewish culture.

Work Cited

1. Cohen, Naomi G. “Philo and Midrash.” Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought, vol. 44, no. 2, 1995, pp. 196–207.culture of his day.
2. Goldenberg, Robert. The Origins of Judaism. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
3. Steinberg, Milton. As a Driven Leaf. Behrman House, Inc., 2015.

Imagine a fantasy-world divided into nations, but different cultures are not divided in continents and countries but nations which correspond to the four elements in our world: fire, air, water and earth. Every nation, as our lands, has its own culture and can be distinguished from the other nations. One of these distinctive features is the ability to bend a particular element. This is to say that some people in this fictitious world can manipulate an element at will. These people are called benders. Typically, benders are only able to bend one element, a trait which is inherited from either their mothers or fathers and often fits the element of their country of origin. However, there is one exception: The Avatar. The Avatar is the only person that can control all four elements. It is known that the Avatar reincarnates into one nation after the other and that its duty is to restore balance to the world. Besides benders the world that we are talking about is inherited by non-benders, which are basically normal humans, and a variety of animals. Besides the world of humans there is another parallel world that can be accessed by skilled meditators or through spirit-portals, a physical point of transition between the mortal world and the spirit world.

Within this paper we will focus on a series named The Legend of Korra, where the world described above is reality and a strong-willed water-tribe girl named Korra is the Avatar, enabling her to bend all four elements. The producers of the series admitted being influenced by a variety of Asian religions and the focus of this paper lies on elements of Hinduism within The Legend of Korra.

Traces of Hinduism in general

To begin with, let us take a look at the sacred language of Hinduism in relation to the language used throughout the series. The word Avatar is derived from the Sanskrit word avatara, meaning descent. In Hinduism, many deities are regarded to manifest in different physical incarnations (avatara). For example, god Vishnu is said to have ten main incarnations that manifest in times of crisis when chaos threatens to take over the world and move in where cosmic balance should be. The stories of his incarnations, especially of Rama and Krishna, are very popular in India. His incarnations then restore the cosmic order. The same is true for the Avatar, he or she always strives to restore balance to the world as it is his or her soul duty to do so. Unlike Hindu deities however, the Avatar only reincarnates in human form. Knowledge about past Avatars lives is spread across the lands just as everyone knows the stories of Vishnu’s avataras.

During the course of the series Korra has to fight several opponents. One could argue that it is not a very logic way to fight for peace and balance by using violence. However, the fighting could be seen as necessary in order to restore balance. If Korra would surrender or refuse to fight, the world would burst into chaos. This is the concern of the Bhagavad Gita, a scripture that is highly valued in Hinduism. It contains the story of Arjuna who worries about fighting. He has to choose whether to fight or to run from the fight. Vishnu in his form as Krishna serves as Arjunas advisor and tells him about his duty as kshatriya (warrior) to do so. If he would not fight, the cosmic order would fall out of balance. Thus, he has to fight the adharmic in order to protect the cosmic order. Similarly, Korra needs to fight her opponents to bring balance upon the world. If she or Arjuna did not fight, adharmic would take over and the world would descend into chaos. A lot of teaching-moments between the Avatar and various mentors are naturally formed as dialogues between the Avatar and her various mentors. This could represent the form of the Bhagavad Gita and Upanisads which are written in dialogical styles.

Another parallel between deities in Hinduism and the Avatar world is that all Avatars have animal companions. The former Air Nomad Avatar Aang had a flying bison by the name of Appa, whereas Korra now has a true friend in her polarbeardog Naga. Many Hindu gods and goddesses are frequently depicted with their animal mounts like Ganesa with his mouse or Sarasvati’s swan.

Hinduism regards time as cyclic, for example the cycle of rebirth. In Korra’s world we have a similar motive. The Avatar cycle is the order in which the Avatar is reincarnated in a cyclic pattern throughout the four nations. It is always first fire, then air, afterwards water and lastly earth, before the cycle starts again. Not just the course of time is similar between Hinduism and Korra but the emphasis on cosmology and astrological events as well. Hindu rituals often have to be performed in line with the natural rhythms as for example the lunar calendar. When harmonic convergence (the alignment of the planets of the solar system) is upon the world, Korra needs to battle with an opposing dark spirit for the fate of the world. This can only be done every 10,000 years during harmonic convergence when spiritual power is at its peak. If Korra loses then 10,000 years of darkness would be upon the world. But if she wins, balance is restored. However, after 10,000 years the battle will begin again, because darkness and light can never destroy each other completely for there is no light without darkness and vice versa. The emphasis on astrological events is further demonstrated by the fact that some temples or secret cities can only be accessed at specific days of the year when for example the sunlight falls at a specific angle. Furthermore, firebenders lose their power during a solar eclipse, whereas waterbenders have weak bending during a lunar eclipse as they draw their power from the moon.

Now that we have taken a look at the general traces of Hinduism in the world of Korra we will focus on elements of Hinduism within each of the four nations following the Avatar cyclus beginning with the Fire Nation.

Traces of Hinduism in the Fire Nation

The Fire Nation is home to fierce and fearless attitudes with a great respect for personal honour. Except from the word Avatar mentioned before, the word Agni Kai, describing a duel between two firebenders often for the reason of saving one’s honour, is derived from the Sanskrit word agni meaning fire. Agni is also the name of the Hindu fire-god.

In the world of Korra, there are not only benders who control the elements in a basic way but also individuals with special skills. Combustion benders are a special type of firebenders that are able to shoot fire from their minds, destroying everything in range of their powerful fire blasts. The Hindu-god Siva with his reputation as the destroyer of the cosmos when the time has come, served as a role-model for the combustion benders. The spot where the fire emerges from their foreheads is marked by a remarkably similar symbol that is used to depict Sivas third eye in imageries at roughly the position of the sixth main chakra or third eye. When Siva has his eye closed, it poses no threat, but it is dangerous when opened, because flames will emerge in order to destroy. In season three the audience meets P’Li, a savage combustion bender. She is part of a group that is trying to take out the Avatar and all world leaders in order to unleash chaos onto the world for they believe that chaos is the natural order of things. When she and her group, named the Red Lotus, are about to kidnap Korra, Bolin (one of Korra’s earthbending friends) shoots a small piece of rock aiming for her third eye, because the only way to stop a combustion bender is to take a hit at his or her third eye. This could be equated with Siva at moments when his third eye is closed, and he is unable to shoot fire from it.

Fire Nation people are used to a spicy diet with very hot meals. Hindus know this diet under the name of rajasik and it is said to lead to action which fits the explosive fighting style of fire benders.

Traces of Hinduism in the Air Nation

The Air Nomads are described very easily with one word: spiritual. In general, they adopt a vegetarian diet. This diet is said to lead to greater spirituality in Hinduism. It is called sattvik. Air Nomads have been vegetarians for generations making them one of the most spiritual people, being able to communicate with spirits at ease or meditate into the spirit world at will. This ability can be found in other benders as well, but it is definitely more common, and more emphasis is put on it amongst Air Nomads. Thus, it is no surprise that Korras spiritual training lies in the hands of the great airbending master Tenzin.

Many air Nomads have deep spiritual understanding and powers. They are putting heavy emphasis on the art of meditation. Through meditation people can attain access to the spirit world. For example, Zaheer who is a criminal and leader of the Red Lotus, which his girlfriend, the combustion bender P’Li, is a member of. For his crimes he is imprisoned. Although he can fly, he is bound by the chains of the prison. Therefore, he now spends most of his time meditating into the spiritworld where he can move freely. Another example is Jinora who uses meditation to communicate over some distance with other people. Furthermore, meditation is shown to be a useful tool to open the flow of energy in one’s own body through points called chakras. In Hinduism there are seven main chakras. They lie aligned from the point where your legs meet up to the crown of your head. Each of these chakras has a special function assigned to it. Similarly, there are seven main chakras in Korra’s world. These are named differently but remain roughly the same in location and function. The first one is the Earth Chakra which concerns survival. After that there is the Water Chakra which deals with Pleasure and the Fire Chakra responsible for willpower. The fourth, the Air Chakra, is already concerned with more abstract things like love being located at the heart. And the Sound Chakra deals with truth. The Light Chakra, the sixth from the bottom, refers to insight and the Top Chakra deals with pure cosmic energy. When the Avatar wants to go into the Avatar state, a state where all the power and wisdom of all past avatars flows through her, she needs to open her seventh chakra, the Thought Chakra. Only then can she access her greatest powers which are needed to be victorious over the adharmic. In Hinduism it is a nectar that flows from the top Chakra down if it was opened and the person is liberated, attaining moksha.

The architecture of Air Temples, former home to the Air Nomads, bears a striking resemblance to Hindu temples. The temples include an inner sanctuary lying roughly in the middle of the temple. On special days of the year, the Avatars which the temples are dedicated to can be met on the inside of these sanctuaries. This is similar to Hindu temples that are often built around an inner sanctum which houses the god of the temple.

Also, in Hinduism humans help the gods to restore balance to the cosmos through the performance of rituals. There are innumerable rituals for all kinds of purposes and they are ranging from simple rituals that are included into the daily routine to elaborate, costly and time-consuming rituals that can span several days or weeks like the agnicayana, which is a 12-day fire ritual. On several occasions in The Legend of Korra rituals are held. For example, the ceremony that is held when Jinora, one of Tenzin’s daughters, gets her airbending tattoos. The tattoos are a symbol of being an airbending master. When her family arrives at the site of the rite her little brother states “It smells like shoe trees.”, but his aunt Kya replies “Sandalwood, Meelo!”. Sandalwood is a prominent part of rituals held in Hinduism. In the puja (devotional worship) ritual sandalwood is often used as gandha, a paste that is used to smear the picture or statue that is inhibited by the god or goddess that is worshipped.

It is known that Tenzin and his kids are the last airbenders, but when Korra decides to leave the spirit portals open at harmonic convergence something amazing happens: Some people suddenly develop the ability to airbend without it being in their genetics. Thus, a large part of the series is dedicated to the group trying to rebuild the Air Nation. Here we frequently can observe a conflict between Tenzin who likes to keep it all very rigid, just the way it was and the new generation of airbenders who are interested in more than just ancient knowledge from boring stories. The Air Nation in the end shows great adaptability when they decide to no longer reside secluded at their temples but move out to help wherever they are needed. This is similar to Hinduism which frequently adapts itself to modern forces like technology.

Traces of Hinduism in the Watertribes

Waterbenders live in smaller tribes and stick together. They know how to survive based on the harsh conditions of their homelands: The North-and South Pole. Some of them live in even smaller Hippie-like communities in the Swamp. A short scene in the beginning of season two features Bolin who wants to break up with his girlfriend Eska, a straight up crazy and scary girl. Instead of breaking up, they end up engaged to Bolin’s discontent. Normally, in the Watertribe, the groom gives a necklace to his bride, just as in Hindu tradition the groom gives the so called mangalasutra to his future wife. This is a necklace that is to be worn by a married woman. On the day of the wedding it is tied around her neck by her groom. However, concerning Bolin and Eska, this time the bride Eska gives Bolin a necklace and ties it around his neck, demonstrating who has the upper hand in their relationship.

Traces of Hinduism in the Earth Kingdom

People of the Earth kingdom are of the stubborn kind and just face problems, like their opponents, head-on with their neutral chi and grounded stances. One particular example is Toph. Toph, which we know as a child from the previous series, can be encountered in season four of The Legend of Korra, now as an old woman. After being the chief of police in Republic City for many years and having two daughters that have grown into middle-aged women by now, she now lives alone in a Swamp, secluded from her family. When Korra meets Toph and asks why Toph recognizes her, Toph answers “In a manner of speaking, we were good friends in your previous life “. This is an indication that the idea of reincarnation as we can find it in Hinduism has been included in the series. And thus, also the notion of atman (the Self) that is repeatedly reborn. If Korra would not have the same self or soul as the previous Avatar, then Toph could not recognize her.

Toph can also be seen as being in the forest-dweller stage of life. She left her children and grandchildren in order to wander the world in search of enlightenment. A characteristic of that stage is the beginning commitment to the attainment of moksha (liberation from rebirth), which is regarded as one of the main goals, if not the highest, in Hinduism. Old and grumpy as always, Toph teaches the Avatar “The roots of the Banyangrove tree spread out in every direction, connecting this whole swamp. Your problem is you’ve been disconnected for too long….”. Incidentally, the banyan tree is the national tree of India and the swamp is a sacred place with the Banyangrove tree as its centre and is used (as in the previous series Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender) as a metaphor for brahman. In Hinduism, brahman is ultimate reality, it is the essence of all things in this worldly realm, and it flows through all beings. These individual beings are thus made out of the same essence and could be reduced to the one ultimate reality, brahman. Just as in the swamp, every tree has its individual form, whilst at the same time being part of that one big tree lying in its centre.

When they finally arrive in Ba Sing See we can see that even the popular caste system of Hinduism is represented in The Legend of Korra. The city is known for its great walls surrounding it. It has been targeted by several attacks in the past, but still stands proudly. The walls are also used to separate different population groups based on their social status within the city. Once a tour guide told the former Avatar “There are outside walls protecting us, and the one’s inside that help maintain social order.” People with a lower status, such as refugees or “craftsman and artisans, people that work with their hands” are banned to live in the Lower Ring, whereas wealthier merchants and the King’s Palace are located in the Upper Ring. The Earth kingdom in general is a good representation of the diversity of India and Hinduism. Normally, the animation of a particular bending style is derived from one martial art, but there is no one true bending style for earthbendig. Just as there is no one true Hinduism. For example, waterbenders only use Thai Chi moves to control water, firebenders use Northern Shaolin and airbending was modelled after Ba Gua Zhang. In contrast, the earthbending fighting style is either inspired by the Hung Gar or the Southern Praying Mantis style of martial arts depending on the individual that uses it. This indicates the variety and diversity within one kingdom that we know from India.

Suicide rates are expanding significantly. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every year roughly one million people die from suicide, which speaks to a worldwide death rate of 16 people per 100,000 or one death every 40 seconds. It is anticipated that by 2020 the rate of death will increase to one every 20 seconds. Over the most recent 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. Suicide is currently among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44. [1]

Suicide refers to the act of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally. The term “suicide” was coined in 1651 and literally means “self” (sui) “to kill” (cide).[2] Suicide is often carried out as a result of despair, depression, drug abuse, chronic pain and illness, exposure to trauma, loneliness, financial difficulties… [3]. Everyone faces such problems in his life. Amid our darkest moment we tend to think that the situation is hopeless, that we will experience interminable suffering and that there is no solution to our problems. with this, one may resort to kill or hurt themselves. But, many of the world’s religions have traditionally condemned suicide because, as they believe, human life fundamentally belongs to God.

Everything may be for a reason, with suffering we become nearer to God and He sometimes allows suffering so we can learn. People who commit suicide do not give themselves the chance to alter their ways, to correct their mistakes and to learn the things that god is attempting to educate. Thus, suicide is considered a sin in many religions because it seems to be contravening God’s will.

Judaism strictly sanctions suicide and views suicide as a criminal act. Preserving human life is among the highest obligations in Judaism, and suicide is seen as counter to this fundamental value. It is seen as an act that denies that human life is a divine gift and is considered a slap in God’s face for shortening the life expectancy that God has given him or her. Moreover, in traditional Jewish thought, the body belongs to God, and as such ending one’s life not considered within the scope of a person’s authority.

Jewish tradition has always emphasized that one should let himself be killed instead of disregard three cardinal rules of Jewish law: Commands against idol worship, murder, and incest. In the Bible, although no explicit command forbidding suicide is given, the sovereignty of God and not of man over life and death is more than once emphasized that Only God can give and take life. (Deuteronomy 32:39). And the Lord murders and makes alive (Samuel I 2:6).[4] The prohibition against suicide is based also on Genesis (9:5), which says that God will require the blood of people’s lives. This is believed to have included suicide. Likewise, according to Deuteronomy (4:15), you should take care of your life and suicide would disregard this.

As well, the Ten Commandments clearly prohibit murder. Rabbinic commentary extends the prohibition to say, in Maimonides’ words, the person who kills himself is guilty of bloodshed. (Hilchot Avelut, chapter 1). Suicide is praised all through the Jewish history, from the suicide of Samson and the aggregate suicide in Masada, to the collective suicide of Jews in Medieval times and during the Holocaust to kill themselves rather than succumb to their adversaries.

Jewish law does not put all suicides in a similar category. One category of suicide is: B’daat, or the person who is in full possession of their physical and mental capacities when they end their life. A second category is: Anuss, or the person who is under compulsion and is not responsible for his or her actions in taking their very own life.

The first Anuss in Jewish history was king Saul, who impaled himself on his sword (I Samuel 31:4). This action gave rise to the expression anuss K’Shaul, meaning “as distressed as Saul”. [5]

According to The Talmud, the person who takes his own life with full knowledge of his action no rites are to be observed, there is to be no rending of clothes and no eulogy. But people should line up for him and the mourner’s blessing should be recited out of respect for the living. The rule is: no matter rites are normally performed for the benefit of the survivors should be observed; whatever is generally done out of respect for the dead should not be observed.”

However, some reduction in the overall restriction of suicide continues to appear in later Jewish codes of law. Most authorities have ruled that the majority of suicides are to be considered as distressed as Saul and as having acted under force when taking their own lives. As such, they are not responsible for their actions and are to be accorded the same courtesies and privileges granted the average Jew who has met a natural death. Still, injunctions against suicide still apply in Modern Judaism, in that official orthodox burial ceremonies are not performed in the case of suicide.[4]

The Christian church has constantly seen suicide as a grave sin. The church has viewed suicide to be simply the prime precedent of self-idolatry. Fundamentally, successful suicide allows no time for repentance, and that’s the difference between suicide and other sins.

First, there are many examples of suicide in the Bible: Abimelech, (Judges 9:52-54); the prophet Ahithophel (2Samuel 17:23); Zimri (1Kings 16:18); Saul and his armor-bearer (1Samuel 1:1-6; 1Chronicles 10:1-6), Samson (Judges 16:28), and Jesus’s disciple Judas- although it is only in Matthew’s Gospel where he hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-5). [6] Scripture generally presents these precedents of suicide as a fitting end to an insidious and unrepentant life.

Saint Augustine of Hippo – a Christian theologian and philosopher whose writings influenced the development of western Christianity and western philosophy- argued in the fifth century that suicide was a violation of the sixth commandment “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17). He argued that this applied to one’s own life as well as the lives of others and all life should be preserved. St. Thomas Aquinas, catholic theologian expanded on Augustine’ perspective and described suicide is a sin against self, neighbor and God. He claimed that suicide is contrary to religious rights, only God has the right to decide when a person will die. Further, St. Aquinas believed that confession of sins must be made prior to departing from the world to enter Heaven. Consequently, suicide is one of the most serious of all sins because the person who completes suicide is unable to confess to the act and repent.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, one has to be mentally competent to understand that suicide is a sin. Thus, if one considers suicide an act of the mentally ill, it cannot simultaneously be seen a sin. When a person dies, he faces judgment by God, and only God can decide if the person will go to heaven or hell. Historically, those who committed suicide were unable to be buried in Catholic cemeteries. However, this is now an infrequently practiced custom inside Catholicism. Amid funeral services forgiveness is asked for the dead and comfort, for the survivors.

Muslim teachings on suicide closely parallels Jewish and Christian beliefs. Islam considers suicide as one of the greatest sins. An acceptance of life’s events is the cardinal factor in dutifulness to God. Suicide, is a demonstration of revolt against Allah, if someone dies by suicide, he has to bear violent punishment in the next world.[7]

A verse in chapter thirty-one of the Quran, Luqman instructs that only Allah has knowledge of the Hour and knows what in the wombs and no one knows in what land he or she will die. (31:34) Also, verses in the fourth chapter of the Quran, An-Nisa instruct that no one should kill himself because God is merciful and whoever commits suicide, God will drive him into fire. (4:29-30)

Most Muslim scholars and clerics consider suicide forbidden, including jihadist suicide bombings (Martyrdom operations), because there is no mention of suicide being an act of jihad in the Quran.[8] According to traditional Islamic understandings, the fate of those who die by suicide is similarly dreadful. Hadiths, or sayings -The hadith collection reflects the words and deeds of Muhammad, which determine how Muslims should live their lives (Sunnah)- warn Muslims against committing suicide.

The hadiths say that those who kill themselves suffer hellfire. And, they will continue to hurt themselves in hell, according to the method of their suicide. Sahih al-Bukhari, 2:23:446. Besides, suicide was a punishment given by god to the violators of Israel. (2:54)

With regard to the Muslim funeral traditions, the body should be washed and prepared for burial as soon as possible same as the preparation for the one who died naturally. And, the family or other members of the Muslim community show kindness towards him by praying for forgiveness and mercy for him.[9]

Eventually, according to Islam, if the person who has committed suicide was a Muslim, believer in Allah, he will be subjected to the will of god. Either to forgive him or to punish him, but even if he punishes him, he will eventually bring him forth from the Fire, because Allah says in a verse in the Quran that Allah does not forgive association with him but He forgives what is less than that. [An-Nisa’ 4:48]

In my view, committing suicide may not be justified. It is not a solution to a problem. It only makes the situation worse! I agree with the three monotheistic religions. Human life is sacred, a gift given by god, he only has the right to take it away, and he chooses when we are born and when we die…NOT US! We must allow our stewardship to end in the way and at the time God wants. Human life should be protected and preserved; we shouldn’t interface with God’s plans by committing suicide. We are entrusted with this body to take good care and to enhance it to the fullest. Each second on earth is important and vital, each one of us is tasked with a role in the society. As the saying goes, “while there is life, there is hope.”

Committing suicide is not right. It is letting down the hope before dying which itself is equivalent to death. Suicide, consequently, is dying twice. I believe that suicide is not an answer for life’s toughened questions, it’s not the only solution for any failure, for victimization of rape, to recuperate the loss of loved one, to combat a severe disease…etc.

Suicide is selfish. The person who commits suicide, thinks that his life completely belongs to him only, and forgets that his life was a gift from God to his parents and this life is nourished and flourished by family members cooperation and love. Suicide, causes much pain for the loved ones left behind, who have to live with many disturbing emotions. A suicider is leaving behind a mess of broken hearts and tears. He leaves behind a father, mother, sister, lover, friends…no matter what he will leave behind someone that truly cares for him and they never get over this trauma, they live with it for the rest of their lives because it is harder to get over the death of a suicide than someone killed in an accident. Also, they may blame themselves for not noticing what he was passing through.

Nowadays, people are more isolated than ever before. It is true that we may be more connected virtually through social media, but that is not the same as face-to-face interaction and friendships. Anyone can fall into a depression, develop thoughts of insignificance, feeling unloved, inferior, unimportant, broken, lost, worthless, and hopelessness. We are living in the middle of a suicide epidemic. That is why everyone should be watching for any cry for help and attention.

We should highlight that living life is always worthy. Negative thoughts can easily lead to people wanting to take their lives, but if they can’t see a reason to live, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t. That is why, we should first understand the importance of life. Every moment that one is alive is extremely valuable not just to himself but to the entire world. The fact that you are still breathing today is not by mistake, it shows that God wants us to live. One must not despair; we must be certain that god can intervene anytime to solve our problems and spare what seems to be a sure fate.

According to the end of people who commit a successful suicide, I agree that suicide may be a grave sin but I believe that god is merciful enough to judge if this person will go to heaven or hell. In other words, we cannot surely know whether the person who commits suicide was having the capacity to think clearly, or not. God alone is the ultimate judge here; He knows all souls and he knows whether this person truly had any other choice left in his mind and soul. We shouldn’t waste time judging who goes to heaven and who doesn’t, it is only God’s decision. Instead we should spend that time bringing hope, love and mercy into the world. Then in my belief, when a person dies because of suicide, he should have the same privileges of a person who has met a natural death, and we should pray and ask for forgiveness and comfort for his soul.

Finally, the three religions agreed on the same result that suicide is a sin. Taking one’s life is officially a violation of Jewish law, but many contemporary rabbis recognize that most suicides result from struggles with mental illness; In Christianity, suicide is a sin against God as the creator and sustainer of life. It rejects God’s sovereignty; Islam, like other Abrahamic religions, views suicide strictly as sinful and detrimental to one’s spiritual journey.

Therefore, the remedy is hope. Suicide is the antithesis of hope; hope and love are the answer to suicide. Hope and love are central to faith in the three religions, they are the key to a happy and fulfilled life. No matter at what level of despair, depression and frustration we are, we must not give up hope as there is a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel. The greatest hope is mercy from Allah.

No suicide should be considered a reasonable act, it is always preventable, and there are treatments one can take. Suicidal people do look for help sometimes. Early recognition and treatment of mental diseases is an efficient deterrent. Special centers and organizations for the prevention of suicide can be found in many countries and around-the-clock telephone hot lines provide counseling for lonely and desperate persons in need of help and support. Thus, doctors, advisors, friends, parents, counselors, churches should concentrate on what will benefit that person because helping someone not take their lives is priceless.

All in all, I believe instead of killing yourself and going to hell you should pray and face all the suffering with patience and appreciate this precious and sacred gift of life. Looking at the life from a different angle may sometimes give us the solution to live better. And lastly giving up should not be an option at any cost because to live is tough, but to die is tougher.

References

1. Ltd, B. (2019). Suicide Statistics | Befrienders. [online] Befrienders.org. Available at: https://www.befrienders.org/suicide-statistics [Accessed 30 Mar. 2019].
2. Erlc. (2014, October 14). Suicide from a Christian perspective. Retrieved from https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/suicide-from-a-christian-perspective
3. Suicide. (2018). In Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit, MI: Gale. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/PC3021900162/OVIC?u=ndul&sid=OVIC&xid=8cd32af3
4. Witztum, E., & Stein, D. (2012). Suicide in Judaism with a special emphasis on modern Israel. Religions, 3(3), 725-738. doi:http://dx.doi.org.neptune.ndu.edu.lb:2048/10.3390/rel3030725
5. Gordon-Bennett, C. (2019, February 20). How Does Judaism View Suicide? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/judaisms-view-on-suicide-2076683
6. Suicide in the Bible by Paul Middleton. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-articles/suicide-in-the-bible
7. Shah, A., & Chandia, M. (2010). The relationship between suicide and Islam: A cross-national study. Journal of Injury and Violence Research, 2(2), 93-7. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.neptune.ndu.edu.lb:9443/docview/763256434?accountid=28281
8. Intelligence, I. (2005). Islam Does Not Advocate Suicide Terrorism. In L. S. Friedman (Ed.), At Issue. What Motivates Suicide Bombers? San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from Jihad, 2005, 1-11) Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010329215/OVIC?u=ndul&sid=OVIC&xid=1118abcf
9. Islamic Rituals for the Dying and Deceased. (2013, March 07). Retrieved from http://christicenter.org/2013/03/islamic-rituals-dying-deceased/
10. Suicide. (2019). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://academic-eb-com.neptune.ndu.edu.lb:9443/levels/collegiate/article/suicide/70200

Greek Mythology traces as far back as nineteen hundred B. C. till the ninth century. When there are godly figures there will be people who illustrate these godly figures in many different forms of artwork. This results in endless amounts of artwork illustrating the Greek’s idea of their Gods. There are multiple different types of artworks, including dominantly paintings and statues made of stone and bronze. The prominent works are stone statues depicting the Greek Gods.

The most recognizable Greek statue is called the Artemision Bronze. This statue is a bronze statue that was found off the coast of the northern part of Euboea in the cape named Artemision. This bronze statue either depicts Zeus or Poseidon. This statue stands at two hundred and nine centimeters. The statue has empty eye sockets that were thought to have been filled with bone. His eyebrows were plated with silver while the rest with bronze.

This makes the statue life-sized. Some people believe that the state is depicting Zeus because of the way that other works show Zeus throwing his lightning bolt as opposed to the way that Poseidon wields his trident. Many people believe that this statue must be Poseidon because it was pulled out of the Mediterranean Sea. Some researchers believe that if this statue was Poseidon then his trident would cover the most important part of him, his face. There are many other smaller bronze figures depicting Zeus in the same pose that this larger statue is positioned in.

The sculptor of this piece is unknown. The date that this piece was created is also unknown. The statue is thought to be from the Hellenistic period in the first or second century BC. He was discovered in the sea in nineteen twenty-six on a shipwreck that was most likely Roman transporting Greek art to Italy. The exploration that found the statue was abandoned when a diver died in nineteen twenty-eight. This sculpture is kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

The second piece is Laocoon and His Sons. This piece is also very well known. It was excavated in Rome in 1506. One of the experts at the excavation site was Michelangelo. Pope Julius II insisted that the piece was brought to the Vatican where is remains to this day. There have been many famous recreations of this piece. Two of the most popular being housed at Uffizi Gallery in Florence and the Louvre in Paris.

The whole piece depicts the Trojan priest Laocoon and his two sons, Antiphantes and Thymbraeus, tangled up in sea serpents. Laocoon was the Trojan priest that warned the Trojan leaders of the Trojan horse. The Greek Goddess Athena punished him by having him and his two sons attacked by the giant sea serpents Porches and Chariboea. This piece was made from marble and stands to two hundred and eight centimeters tall. This piece was created in the Hellenistic ‘Pergamene baroque’ based on its style. When discovered, this piece was missing Laocoon’s right arm. His arm was later found in a builder’s yard by chance. The arm was later attached to the rest of the sculptor.

Historians believe that this piece was created anywhere between forty-two-twenty BCE. They are unsure if this is a true Greek sculpture or just a copy of an older statue. The three creators, Hagesander, Athenodoros, and Polydorus, are now believed to replicate expensive Greek artworks for wealthy Roman leaders. Many historians have tried to figure out the true origin of this piece and they all have their own theories.

The third piece of art that follows the theme of Greek is the Aphrodite of Knidos. This piece also is very recognizable as a more well know Greek statue. The original Greek piece is no longer around. This makes this sculpture one of the most recreated Greek artwork. Although the original piece does not exist, there is a Roman recreation that shows what the original piece looked like. The original was thought to be lifelike and made from marble.

The original piece was sculpted for the Temple of Aphrodite at Knidos. This is the temple that was used to worship Aphrodite. The statue was sculpted by Praxiteles and shows the Goddess is getting ready for the ritual bath of purity. The statue is known for its beauty and attention to detail of the human body.

The fourth work is of the Greek messaging God of Olympus, Hermes. Hermes and the Infant Dionysus is life-sized and pictures Hermes holding the God of Wine, Dionysus, as an infant. This work was founded in eighteen seventy-seven. It was found in Greece in the ruins of the Temple of Hera. The artist given credit for creating this piece of art is also Praxiteles in the fourth century B. C.

The mythology behind this piece is quite interesting. Zeus’s mortal lover became pregnant. Zeus decided to protect his unborn child from his Godly wife, Hera, he would sew him to the inside of his thigh. He then ordered Hermes to take Dionysus to the mountains where he was raised by nymphs.

The last sculpture that relates to the theme of Greek Mythology is the Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace. This piece is made of marble and was created in the Hellenistic age spanning from seven hundred and fifty to three hundred B. C.. The sculptor of this piece is unknown. It depicts the Greek Goddess of victory, Nike. The statue is unique because it is one of the few authentic Greek, Hellenistic statues and not a Roman recreation.

The statue stands two hundred and forty-four centimeters tall. She is missing both of her arms which have never been recovered. Her right arm was believed to be raised to her mouth as she gives the shout of victory. This piece has been displayed in the Louvre Museum since nineteen eighty-eight.

There are endless amounts of themes of art. Some of the most famous sculptures come from the Theme of Greek Mythology. These famous sculptures include Artemision Bronze depicting either Poseidon or Zeus. The second is Laocoon and His Sons which depicts the Trojan priest and his two sons being attacked by giant sea serpents. Another sculpture of Aphrodite before a purifying bath is named Aphrodite of Knidos. The fourth is a statue of the God Hermes and the infant Dionysus. The last piece that fits this theme is Winged Victory of Samothrace. The prominent works in the theme of Greek Mythology are statues made of different mediums.

“Judaism was not a religion but a law.” – Moses Mendelssohn.

In this project I will focus on the religion of Judaism and more importantly those who follow it. I shall do this by effectively exploring and analysing topics such as: The origins of the religion, what their beliefs include, what practices they incorporate as well as what festivals they celebrate. I shall do this by researching and evaluating some of the holy scriptures they study, interviews with leaders of the synagogue and more.

Jews are the followers of the religion of Judaism which originated over four thousand years ago in and around Israel. Currently there are around 14,707,400 practising Jews which take residence all around the world, however there are particular hotspots in certain areas where the community focused followers of Judaism congregate for example in Israel and France. There are different divisions and types of Jews as with any religion. This means that although two people may identify as Jewish they may have completely different practices and beliefs. The three different types are called:

Orthodox, reform and liberal. Orthodox – this is the oldest form and was the only form of Judaism until the 18th century. It is seen as the most traditional form of Judaism and it focuses on living as the Torah advises. As of today they make up the biggest group of the Jewish population in the UK. They believe that God gave Moses the Torah in Mount Sinai and attempt to follow the 613 MITZVOT as closely as possible (these are the rules on how Jews should live their lives and what they should and should not do) one example of this is rule 108; that one should not travel outside of their home on Shabbat. This may be carefully adhered to by orthodox Jews but ignored or altered to suit modern employment for more liberal Jews. These types of Jews believe that although the world changes and progresses their beliefs and practices should remain as they once were.

Reform Jews are different and more progressive with the ever changing modern world. They believe that the practices of Judaism should be appropriately infused with modern life. They believe that only the ethical rules in the Torah should be adhered to and do not focus on the practical rules as much as orthodox Jews do. They interpret the Torah in perceptive terms rather than in literal terms and alter their take on the rules and content to suit modern life and the community they reside in. For example they would adhere to treating people with kindness and not celebrating any other God however they may decide to work or complete activities on Shabbat.

Liberal Judaism is the most progressive form of modern Judaism. They again focus on the ethical rules and interpret everything in their own way to support their morals. They believe that Jewish rules should be modernised and every Jew should have the ability to follow as little or as many traditional practices as they wish with the same integrity and should not be pressured into focusing on traditional practices that are no longer “normal” in modern society.

The transcendence of the reason for which it was decided to deepen the understanding of the congruent events with the Jews is to be called the first monotheistic religion, which has had too many difficulties over time and over the years. It is also essential to determine that the co-participant Judaism with its follow-up throughout prehistory, from the beginning of human civilization, including the follow-up of the Nazi party, in which they were exploited with forced labor without mercy, tortured and murdered. In addition, if this were not enough, distinguish the authors who deepened in Judaism with respect to the conception of a God without equal and its assignment in today’s world, especially in Latin America which is the part where this has had the most impact .

The essential doctrine of Judaism as a religion has generally been recognized with its monotheism and its particular conception of the history that derives from it. (2000), Judaism grants itself as the story of a Hebrew people (or people of Israel) as a whole, from its beginnings in the biblical era to the present, in its diverse and varied historical, religious and cultural ways within a certain population.

We can conclude that Judaism is a problematic and critical religion, since, as it has been configured in its rabbinic adaptation, it is significantly an orthopedic, that is, a procession of norms of divine origin that regulates the whole procedure of the devotee, that the Good The Jew needs to realize himself and thus obtain a regime of equity in the world. In proportion to the above, Judaism is a religious system that has a significant mechanism within this whole process, which has given the Hebrew people constant maintenance and renewal, adapting to political, social and cultural events, and even with the resulting danger. of assimilation to dominant cultural models and of deprivation of their own identity, as is the subject of African influences within it.

From the above mentioned it is confirmed and assured that Judaism, which is distinguished from when the monastery is destroyed and finished by the Babylonians and the Jews are expelled from the land of Israel, the particular functions developed by certain people in the Sacred Scripture and in that particular critical situation in history disappear, a group of Jews called ‘prushim’ or ‘Pharisees’ and who will then be called rabbis, who were the clusters of the survival of Judaism until today by changing the substantial power of the origin of the hereditary priestly caste for the wisdom of understanding the Jewish proclamation that from that moment acquired the amount of normative Judaism. Giddens (1991) mentions that Judaism dates back to 1000 BC, being a population without concrete consolidation that lived in the vicinity of ancient Egypt.

From the sons of Ishmael come Arabs and Muslims who claim to be part of the group of people privileged to be descendants of the firstborn. From the descendants of Isaac is born Jacob, who is later called Israel. At the time that the tribes of Israel lived in Palestine, the vestige in which the descendants of Judah settled was called Judea. From what has been said it follows that the principle of Israel did not physically exist until later in World War II, specifically in 1945, because its conflicts between Muslims and Arabs at the beginning to dispute over who the people really estimated by God, it resulted in frequent wars. On the other hand, we have a primary perspective, such as the percussion of Judaism in Western culture.

Isaac Caro said that Judaism is established in the west, specifically in Uruguay, where one of the most important communities in the region is located. This country was the first and third worldwide, later from the United States and the Soviet Union, to distinguish the State of Israel in 1948. From Isaac Caro it follows that the Jewish religion is not valuable as an entity appropriate to its low number, on the contrary, it is significant in terms of attitudes that are descendants of it, at least in Chile, for example we have the case of: Bastián Bodenhofer, Claudio Spiniak, Rodrigo Hinzpeter, Tomás Hirsch, Anita Klesky, Mario Kreutzberger, Julián Elfenbein , among others. So we can conclude that we can demonstrate that despite all the conflicts and tragedies that the Jewish people have had throughout history, they have known how to remain their religion, facing and fighting for reason, maintaining their monotheistic system, opening to a globalized space

The identity from a construction perspective that contains essential features, which are attached to elements of change that are progressing and adapting over the years.

We select the Jewish collective within the categorization of an ethnic group, for being a collective that has managed to obtain and endure throughout history on Earth. Five general Jewish identifiers are highlighted and exposed: religion, traditions, reflection of the people, Israel and the Holocaust, for

In addition, take these identity elements and teach how these features are expressed and presented more thoroughly by the specific Latin American Jewish group.

Judaism of dominance in Western culture has left deep traces in all human spheres, so we have: devout and susceptible, it was the Hebrew testament that influenced Western speculation about the need for the ephemeral being to consult God. Formation, the capital magnitude that Judaism gives to the intellect and education of agglomeration, without dilemma, is imparted throughout the world without discrimination of privileged social classes. The evangelical recipe ‘and teach the laws to your son’ has agreed that the Jews stand out in the orientation of academic sites and in different areas where everyone has the opportunity to function regardless of other aspects such as their origin, religion or the position they occupy a community, despite this equality must always be present.

In conclusion, many of the elements of Judaism influenced and took a strong impact in what is the culture of the West, since the judges were very demanding when it comes to the formation of a community and the beliefs, traditions and norms that are implanted within the same, and over time I achieve the goal of transforming with all the culture of the west.