Category: God

King Laius of Thebes received a shocking oracle from the God of Truth, Apollo, that his son would slay the father and marry the mother. Immediately after his son was born, Laius left it on an isolated mountain. Several years later, the King was killed during an encounter with robbers.

At that time, Thebes was troubled by a Sphinx that nobody investigated the particular murderer. This Sphinx had the head of a woman, the haunches of a lion, and the wings of a bird. Nobody can pass it without either solving its riddle or being eaten raw.

Meanwhile, Oedipus, son of King Polybus of Corinth was foreseen that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother. Then, he was exiled out of Corinth; he traveled the world and decided to challenge himself with the Sphinx’s riddle. The Sphinx asked: “What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening”. Oedipus answered: “Men. In childhood he creeps on hands and feet; in manhood, he walks erect; in old age, he helps himself with a staff.” He was correct, and the Sphinx killed itself.

As a reward to the heroic act, Thebes enthroned Oedipus and planned his wedding with the widowed queen Jocasta. Several years later, Oedipus discovered that King Laius was killed away from home at the time he wandered the world and killed a group that provoked him. Jocasta attempted to stop him from further discovery yet Oedipus was decisive. When the truth was revealed, Jocasta could not handle the situation and committed suicide. Traumatized by the event, Oedipus stabbed his eyes with his mother’s hairpin.

After the death of King Polybus of Corinth, the people of Thebes nominated Oedipus for the throne. However, with the immoral tragedies between him and his parents, Oedipus refused the position. Jocasta’s brother, Creon, became the regent. The Thebans were kind and accepting of Oedipus at first but eventually expelled him. Unwilling to let her sightless dad travel alone, Antigone accompanied Oedipus.

Since Oedipus was away, there was no family dilemma to hinder his sons, Polyneices and Eteocles, from aiming for the throne. Eteocles succeeded; he exiled his brother from Thebes. Polyneices sought revenge for his lost by gathering an army against their home country. Unfortunately, they speared through each other during the combat, and both passed away.

In light of the situation, Creon requested that no one who betrayed Thebes would receive a burial. Antigone was not swayed by the law but sought to bury her beloved brother during a sandstorm. Her action was reported to Creon, leading to her execution.

The Trojan war

Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, was not invited to the Olympus banquet. For revenge, she schemed to start a war among the goddesses by leaving a golden apple at the party carved ‘For The Fairest.’ Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena all believed they were worthy of the title. However, nobody could decide one among them. They went to Zeus for help, but Zeus wisely pointed to another man, Paris. Paris was the prince of Troy but lived the life of a shepherd because there was a prophecy that he would bring chaos to his country. All the three goddesses offered valuable gifts to gain the title, but Paris chose Aphrodite and her promise of the fairest woman in the world. The event was called ‘The Judgement of Paris’ and was known as the reason for the Trojan War.

The fairest woman at the time was Helen, the daughter of Zeus and Leda. Paris pretended to bond with Helen’s husband, Menelaus and kidnapped Helen. The husband was angry when he realized Helen was gone. He invited the most heroic figures of Greece: Agamemnon, Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor, and Ajax to join the war against Troy.

It was the most challenging to have Achilles and Odysseus along in the war. For Odysseus, a prophecy predicted the Trojan war and claimed that he would not return long after it. When receiving the invitation, he pretended to go mad by plowing and sowing the field with grains of salt. The Greeks put his little son on the field; he stopped and had no further excuse not to join the war. For Achilles, a seer once told that he would die in the Trojan War. Hence, his mother burnt him and submerged him into the River Styx that carried the invulnerable flow from the gods. However, while she was sinking Achilles, she held his feet too tightly that his heels did not touch the water. His mother overheard Odysseus’s invitation for Achilles to join the war she disguised him as a maiden and hid him. However, Odysseus eventually found Achilles and succeeded in convincing him.

The war went on for ten years, drawing the attention of the gods. The winning side shifted between Troy and Greece. Troy had Hector, a brave and heroic Commander in Chief while Greece had the undefeatable Achilles. During a fight, Achilles managed to knock down Hector. He also knew that following Hector’s death, his was coming. Achilles killed Memnon in combat, but he let himself fell beside the Scaean gates and got shot by Paris, with Apollo’s help in pointing out the heels.

Losing many great leaders, the Greeks realized that they had to get their army into the city of Troy and take the Trojans down by surprise. They built a wooden horse to hide the army inside. On the day they left the horse at the Scaean gates, Greek kept quiet and pretended defeat. The Trojans brought the horse inside their town to offer to Athena’s temple. Late at night, the Greek army left the inside of the horse and took down Troy.

Agamemnon

Agamemnon was Menelaus’s brother. He had one son, Orestes, and three daughters, including Electra. When Agamemnon returned from the Trojan War, he brought home Cassandra, princess of Troy, while his wife Clytemnestra was in an affair with his cousin, Aegisthus. They argued, and Clytemnestra killed Agamemnon along with Cassandra. Seeking revenge for his father, Orestes planned to kill his mother with Electra’s help. Before Clytemnestra was killed, she cursed Orestes. The curse caused the anger of the Erinyes, the three goddesses of vengeance. In the end, Orestes was urged to death for his unfilial conduct while Electra was safe.

Odysseus

A prophecy stated that Odysseus would not be able to return home long after the Trojan war. Therefore, when the Greeks came to invite, he acted mad and plowed with grains of salt until his son was placed in the way. With no more excuses, Odysseus joined the war.

After the Greeks won the Trojan war, Odysseus headed home. He dealt with the sea, overcame the unmotivated lure of the Lotus Eaters, and escaped from the giant Polyphemus by wisely pierced through its only eye. Odysseus also encountered the witch Circe, ventured to the Land of the Dead for the way home, overcame the luring Sirens, and had to sacrifice six of his men at The Scylla.

When they arrived at the island of Helios, the god of the sun, a storm struck them. While Odysseus was looking for guidance, despite his warning of protecting Helios’ cattle, one man said that starvation was the worst kind of death and decided to slaughter the best cattle. Helios went fury and killed the crew except for Odysseus. Leaving Helios’ island, Odysseus stayed at goddess Calypso’s island for seven years before Athena asked Zeus to release Odysseus. Zeus sent Hermes to Calypso; the goddess agreed to let Odysseus go.

On Odysseus’ way to Ithaca, Poseidon wrecked Odysseus’ ship with waves in revenge for the death of his son Polyphemus. Odysseus was drowned and drifted to Scheria, where Princess Nausica saved him. Her father, King Alcinous, further discovered about Odysseus’ origin and the Trojan war; he gave Odysseus a ship that took Odysseus home.

Meanwhile, many suitors claimed that Odysseus was dead and asked to marry his wife, Penelope. Seeing Odysseus at her front door, Penelope could not believe that it was Odysseus. She refused to let Odysseus in until he proved himself. Penelope requested that one must shoot an arrow through twelve Spartan bracelets with Odysseus’ bow to marry her. No men succeeded until Odysseus tried the bow. Penelope recognized Odysseus, and they bonded after 20 years.

Bacchus

Bacchus (or Dionysus) was the son of Zeus and princess Semele of Thebes. His mother died from the burning glory of Zeus but Zeus managed to snatch the baby out. Since Thebes was the only place where mortals can bear immortals, Bacchus was considered a god. He was born by fire, raised by nymphs, and nursed by rain. Therefore, his burning heat ripened the grapes and his water flourished plants. He became the God of Wine, of Fertility.

There are different stories of Midas in Greek and Roman mythology. On one side, he was the God of Joy. He had a train of worshippers, called the Maenads or the Bacchantes, that were frenzied with wine. Everywhere he went, there would be feasts and parties. On the other side, he was brutal and bloodthirsty. He and his train would parade through the woods, tear off any wild creatures on the way, and get drowned in their blood. Bacchus reflected the two sides of wine: it kept men warm yet caused violence.

Midas

He was King of Phrygia, the land of roses. One day, Silenus from Bacchus’ train lost his way into Midas’s garden. He was drunk and fell asleep in Midas’ garden. Midas welcomed Silenus and had him stay at his home for ten days before guiding him back to Bacchus. To thank Midas, Bacchus gave him a wish; Midas chose to turn everything he touched into gold. Bacchus noticed the odd thing about the wish yet still granted it to Midas. When Midas returned home and got hungry, he reached for food, but everything he was about to swallow all turned to gold.

Starved and thirsty, he came to Bacchus for help. Bacchus pointed Midas to the river Pactolus so that he could wash his hand in its river to invalidate the power. From then on, people can find gold in the Pactolus river.

Another time, Apollo and Pan chose Midas to be the judge for their musical contest. Midas chose Pan, which caused Apollo’s rage. He turned Midas’ ears into those of a donkey for his ignorance.

Humiliated, Midas hid his ears inside a hat, and only the servant that cut his hair knew. This servant could not stand the burden of the secret, so he dug a hole in a field and spoke to the ground that “King Midas has donkey’s ears.” From the hole grew spring reeds that whispered those buried words when the wind blew by. In the end, all men knew the truth about the King.

Leda and The Swan

‘Leda and The Swan’ was composed by Willian B. Yeats in 1923. The sonnet is about Leda and her beauty. Attracted with her look, Zeus turned into a swan to seduce and eventually raped her. After the event, she gave birth to Helen and Clytemnestra. The sonnet alluded that one was the cause of the Trojan War and one was the cause of Agamemnon’s death.

Pandora

Zeus sent Prometheus and his brother, Epimetheus, to create humanity. Prometheus was bored by the limited resources; hence he stole the magical fire from Zeus for men. As a punishment, Zeus called upon Hephaestus, the god of fire and metal, to make a woman out of clay and named her Pandora. The gods gave her divine gifts: Athena blessed her with crafts, Aphrodite with grace. The Seasons adorned her with garlands of spring flowers, the Graces with jewelry. However, Hermes gave her curiosity and lies; Zeus gave her a jar that she was told not to open for the rest of her life.

Hermes later introduced Pandora to Epimetheus as his bride. One day, Pandora was curious. She opened the jar, releasing all the evils inside: diseases, wars, disasters. Nevertheless, she did not know that there were blessings following the evils. Pandora closed the box crying, closing the lids before “Anticipation” went out. The anticipation kept humans aware of their surroundings and kept them moving on from the evils.

The use of supernatural machinery is a prominent feature of many epics. Supernatural machinery is a must for an epic and Iliad is not devoid of this. Homer has used the Olympian gods and goddesses who take part in the poem separated into two parts. The most powerful gods and goddesses are equally balanced in the two groups such as Aphrodite and Apollo in support of the Trojans and Hera, Athena, and Hephaestus in support of the Achaeans.

In the Iliad, the olympian gods and goddesses fight and play great roles in human warfare. Homer’s portrayals of them suited his narrative purpose or stylistic presentation. The Homeric gods are not impartial. They control human fate and manipulate destiny like the death of Hector and the victor of Achilles. The gods know the mortal’s agony, as they play the largest role in causing it Zeus says There is nothing alive more agonized than a man of all that breaths and crawls across the earth.

In Homer’s ‘Iliad’, Olympian gods and goddesses experience the same emotions of love, hatred, revengefulness, jealousy, and antagonism, as human beings. The main difference between gods and human beings is that the deities have the power to control the course of events while human beings can not do so generally. Gods in the Iliad quarrel like mortal families do. They are engaged in teasing fond of entertainment and go to bed with their spouses. They interact with humans and human beings do not often respect the gods and goddesses while talking to them. Thus, when Aphrodite asks Helen to make love with Paris, Helen refuses and says to Aphrodite in anger. ‘No, go and sit with him yourself. Forget you are a goddess. Go and pamper him and one day he may make you his wife or his concubine’. Homeric gods are immortal but they are subject to undergo suffering. In book v, we see that Aphrodite is stabbed by Diomedes. Diomedes pierces her flesh and Aphrodite gives a piercing scream. In the same book Diomedes with the help of Athena also stabs the war god Ares who also gives yells loudly. Thus, it is proved that Homeric gods and goddesses suffer from human suffering.

Gods and Goddesses take part directly in the Trojan War. Zeus, the greatest of the Olympian gods played neutral in the war. Hera, the queen of Olympus takes the side of the Achaeans. Artemis, goddess of the moon and hunting takes the side of the Trojans. Apollo, the god of prophecy and poetry, and music supports the Trojans. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty supports the Trojans. Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war took the side of the Achaeans. Poseidon, God of the sea supported the Achaeans in the Trojan war, taking the side of the Achaeans. Hephaestus, the god of fire, supports the Achaeans in the Trojan war.

Hera wants to ruin the Trojans because Paris rejected her bribe to make a decision in her favor in the beauty contest. She requests to Zeus that ‘I believe, therefore, that you have been promising her(Thetis) to give glory to Achilles and to kill many people at the ships of the Achaeans’. Athena who is the goddess of wisdom and war goes against Paris since Paris also rejected her to declare the winner of the beauty contest. On the other hand, Aphrodite wishes to defend Paris because Paris declared her winner.

However, the main action of the poem turns on the will of Zeus and his promise to Thetis that the Trojans will succeed until the Greeks are forced to appreciate Achilles’ wrath. But Zeus wanted to stay neutral because Hera preferred the Greeks. Zeus’ dream causes Agamemnon to mount an attack that he would have otherwise not mounted. This is the beginning of a series of divine actions that support Zeus’ pledge to Thetis. Thus, Homer portrays the supernatural machinery in his epic The Iliad

What is Judaism? Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions developed among ancient Hebrews. It is the second oldest world religion behind Hinduism. Also, it was founded over thirty-five hundred years ago in the Middle East. Judaism is about four thousand years old. It is the foundation of the culture of America. Jews believed the God called them to be his chosen ones in order to be an example of holiness and behavior of ethics. Who are they? They are Jews of the religion, Judaism. Jews have a symbol, which is called the “Star of David.”

They think that the Star of David is a symbol of God, instead the Star of David symbolizes that it has the chosen people. The symbol of the idea is the Jewish people then settle our whole as the people of the Covenant. The Star of David is a symbol of this Holiness of the Jewish people. The Star of David is not a symbol for God, because that is forbidden in Judaism. One of the really interesting features of the Mosaic Covenant that it is an iconic nature.

Iconic means is that tomorrow your clothes, no icons or no symbols, something that is an iconic has no symbols know those symbols are allowed in Judaism. You should never ever make a symbol of God, because God is beyond anything that we can imagine. Point of the matter is that do not make a symbol of God at all. You should not symbolize God in any way, shape or form, because it is forbidden. Jews intentionally will not do this, because they do not want to symbolize God.

Jews were known to be the people of the Covenant. A covenant is the binding agreement between God and his people. For example, it is like when God told Moses to go back to Egypt and lead his people to freedom. So, Moses did want Gold told him to do and went up to Pharaoh, to tell him to let his people go. The covenant between Moses and God would be labeled as Mosaic.

There are different types of people of the Covenant. The people of the Covenant were Abrahamic, Mosaic, Rabbinic and Roman, just to name a few. Covenants were made with Abraham, Moses, and David. Abrahamic derived from the name of the most prophet of God, Abraham. These people of this covenant worshipped one God. Abraham made a covenant with God, which was, if him and his followers worshipped God alone, his people will be multiplied into a nation.

The Mosaic covenant follows the law of worshipping God. For example, the Ten Commandments comes straight out of Judaism. The Ten Commandments was given to Moses by God. It is a law to demand the constraints that is thought to be required of life. In other words, it is a list of rules to live by for a perfect life. The Ten Commandments are enhanced to control the four principle danger zones of/in human relationships: force, wealth, sex and speech.

The Rabbinic Covenant would have been created during the era of Rabbinic Judaism. During the Babylonian Exile period, Jews didn’t sacrifice at the temple, instead Judaism became a learning and teaching religion. That is similar to the Babylon covenant. Roles of priests became diminished and the value of Rabbis increased, which equaled to the teaching of Jewish things. Judaism led by the Rabbis was taught to be a good Jew is to study.

The David Covenant is a binding agreement with the outcome of having members of the nation. David, who was the next king after Saul, was known as the greatest king in Jewish History. He wanted to make things better by forming twelve tribes into a nation. The formation of the tribes occurred which led to the capturing of Jerusalem. After that happened, it was made the capital of Israel. It is one of the most holy cities for Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Now far as the Dispora, that was a time period where the Jews had scattered all over the globe. Jews had to do this, because Romans made it illegal for Jews to live in Israel. All of this occurred when the Romans crushed the Jews and destroyed a temple. Romans had conquered Israel and turned it into a colony. The conquering of Israel led to the Dispora. During the Dispora, the meaning of the Covenant changed during the Dispora. What it meant to be a member of the people of the Covenant became being a member of one of these four schools. Jesus is never heard of any of these schools. The schools are Dispora creations within the Jewish world, but this changes the Jewish Covenant.

The Dispora lasted nearly for almost two thousand years. This started in the year, 70 C.E. and lasted to the year, 1948 C.E. When the Jews scattered, they scattered across Africa. Many Jews fled to Ethopia, they also fled to Europe. They did not scatter in Israel. Israel was now a colonization. Since the Romans took over Israel, their covenant of people were members of four schools that were created. These four different types of school deal with Judaism. The schools were Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, Orthodox Judaism and Reconstruction Judaism.

Reform Judaism is the largest school of Judaism mathematically. This school is the most liberal and it tries to keep somewhat of the Jewish tradition. The people of this school tend to be more relaxed than the others. This school is least likely to keep to the rules of Kosher. Kosher Rules what Jews can eat, pork is forbidden and they cannot mix meat and cheese. In the book of Leviticus, it lists everything that is Kosher and what is not Kosher. For instance, dealing with fish, you can only eat ordinary fish. Trout would be a type of fish that is acceptable to eat. No crawfish, crab, and shrimps. Any type of shellfish of any kind is not acceptable.

Dairy products are acceptable with the Kosher rules. Cheese is allowed, but you cannot mix meat and cheese. So, they can have a cheese sandwich just not with meat. A hamburger without cheese can be eaten as well. Cheeseburgers are not allowed. The school of Conservative Judaism take kind of a middle ground in the dilemma. They keep to the rules of Kosher. Also, they keep to the rules of the Sabbath. Romans changed the Christian Sabbath over to Sunday. Conservatives are not as hardcore as the Orthodox Jews.

The school of Orthodox have the most conservative Jews of Judaism. These people do not compromise, they just want to keep all the traditional rules. Orthodox Jews tend to create their own neighborhoods. New York and Chicago are some cities that these neighborhoods are created. Also, they form their own enclaves. The first three schools of Judaism kind of describe a spectrum from most liberal to most stringent.

The last form of the four schools is Reconstruction. Reconstruction is the American school of Judaism. It is not entirely unlike from the school of Reform. They believe that achieving high things is to make Judaism look good. For example, Albert Einstein was not a very observant Jew, but he is a hero to some Reconstruction Jews.

There are so many questions people have when it comes to faith. Questions that even lead people to give up on their faith. One of the most asked questions throughout history is “Why does God allow evil and suffering.” This is a question that stops people from even following God. There is so much evil and suffering throughout the world today, so if God is so powerful and so mighty, why does he not just stop it? How can God be such a good God, but let all of this pain and suffering happen? There are babies born with disabilities, people who get diagnosed with cancer, wildfires, natural disasters, epidemics, and so much more. All of these things are so hard to understand, but God allows these things to happen for a purpose.

There are two types of evil in this world. Natural evil and moral evil. Natural evil would be that of natural disasters, like earthquakes or tsunamis, which humans cannot control. Moral evil would be the acts of humans that would be considered morally wrong, like rape and murder. Both of these evils can work together though and make each other worse (Moral evil and natural suffering). John 16:33 talks about how there is going to be evil and trouble in this world, but God has overcome the world.

The world today is not how God originally designed it. Evil and suffering started with the fall of Adam and Eve. God’s original plan was for humans to have authority over the earth, the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Prijs 2019). God created us to live exactly how he lives, but since the fall, evil and suffering entered the world and ruined God’s extraordinary plan for us. Genesis 1:27 says “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” The very first thing God did was give mankind the authority over the earth. Yet all of this only last a few chapters of Genesis. God’s original plan was for mankind to have rule over the earth, but then there was sin, and it changed everything. God did not prevent Adam and Eve from sinning, he only allowed it. Before the fall, Adam and Eve had no knowledge of good and evil (Prijs 2019). It was because of free will that Adam and Eve sinned and allowed evil to enter God’s perfect world. God wants a relationship with everyone, but He wants us to desire it. God will not force people into having a relationship with him. Sin is a choice and it is a decision.

Sometimes it can be difficult to understand why such a powerful God can let bad things happen. That is why most people lose their faith, or not even want to start their faith. Some say that there is no such thing as God because an almighty God would not allow suffering or pain. God uses evil and suffering to further his purposes and to ultimately accomplish his will. This is something that can be very difficult to comprehend, it is hard to grasp the mind around God using evil and suffering for good. In the story of Joseph, his brothers meant evil against him when they sold him into slavery, but God intended this event for good. God knew that Joseph’s brothers would eventually need him due to the famine. Proverbs 16:4 says “The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.”

In our pain and suffering, God wants us to draw near to him. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This is a verse that gets taken out of context very easily (Givens 2015). The context of this verse was when the Israelites were in exile in Babylon because of their disobedience with God. During the time the Israelites were in Babylon they meet a false prophet, Hananiah, who said that God will be freeing them from exile in two years. Jeremiah confronted Hananiah’s lie and states the promise of Jeremiah 29:11, before Jeremiah shares this promise, he gave the Israelites a directive from God that says “seek the peace and the prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you will too prosper.” Clearly, this is not what the Israelites wanted to hear, in verse 10 the Israelites were continued to be let down, God tells them “after seventy years are completed in Babylon,” is the time their suffering will end (Givens 2015). Jeremiah 29:11 is not a promise that God is going to take his people out of suffering, it is a promise that the people are going to find hope in the midst of it.

In the book of Job, God allowed Satan to test Job by taking everything from him but his life. Even though Job lost everything, he never turned away from God. Job was suffering because of all that he had lost. The reason for his suffering was never revealed. Job knew that God would remain faithful in his suffering though. In chapters 38-42 of Job, God spoke to him and restored him. Job had previously received bad guidance from his friends, but God declared to Job that humans do not know everything. God wants his people to trust that all of the pain in suffering in the world is part of his plan.

Pain and suffering naturally bring people closer to Jesus, as long as the people put their worries on God and not on themselves. There is a famous quote that says, “God will never give you something that you cannot handle,” in reality, God does give people things that they cannot handle. The people have to choose to give their problems to God, then they will be able to handle the problem face first. Suffering for Christians is not only for eternity’s sake, but it is purifying in this life as well. God often uses suffering as a tool in the believer’s life to mold, sharpen, and strengthen them (“What is biblical perspective…”). Suffering can be the result of God’s discipline, which according to Hebrews 12:6-11, he does it out of love. Suffering could also be the result of the Lord pruning to make us more fruitful. God uses trials and sufferings to mold his followers into the image of His perfect son, sharpen our focus on Him, develop our character, and strengthen our faith in Him and His promises. God also uses suffering to keep us from pride and self-sufficiency and cause us to rely upon Him and His grace, which is the source of spiritual strength (“What is a biblical perspective…”).

Sometimes God seems quite in pain and suffering, just like Job experienced silence in his suffering. There was a long period I my life where I experienced silence in my suffering. My Dad had just gotten another divorce and moved to Chicago the day after I graduated. I was just about to enter a new season of life, and I was very frustrated. At the time I was also in a very toxic relationship that I was not sure how to get out of. I felt like I was turning to God and giving him everything, but nothing seemed to be going the right way. I was frustrated because I felt as though I was doing everything right, but I was not getting any response of what I should be doing or if I was making the right choices. God was silent in my life for about six months. I did not tell anyone what I was going through because I was embarrassed. I tried to handle my problems on my own. There was one night I cried out to God and told him that I could not keep giving everything to him and not get any comfort or response. I told God that if something does not happen then I am throwing my faith down the drain. That same night at 3 am, I woke my best friend up and cried to her. One of those big, ugly, hyperventilation cries. In the moment of telling my friend what I had been going through, I heard God. He said: “Lexy, I got you, be still.” Hearing that from God was a sigh of relief. My faith is still a little rocky, but I now know that I need to not try and tackle things on my own. One of my favorite verses is 1 Peter 5:7, it says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” The Christian faith is like a seed, when we are first planted, we feel good because we were just in the hands of the Lord. When we get put into the dirt, we feel alone, no one can see us. Some days it feels like no one can hear us, but we are still growing. There is going to be times in our lives where it may seem like we are under the dirt, but that is where we grow the most, it is where we get our strong roots.

The greatest story of suffering is when Jesus died on the cross. Pontius Pilate sent Jesus to the cross to be crucified, but it is because of the our sin. We are the reason that Christ died. The Apostle Peter declared that “Christ died for sins, to bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18). Christ died for us so that we could live eternity with him in heaven. The apostle Paul witnessed that “Christ died for our sins, according to Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). We all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and according to Romans 6:23, the consequence of sin is death. We are all headed for judgment, condemnation, and eternal death unless God himself intervened (Solomon 2019). And God did intervene. The crucifixion of Jesus was not a historical accident (Solomon 2019). It was a carefully planned event, Paul pointed this out in 1 Corinthians 15:3, “according to Scriptures.” Romans 5:8 talks about how Jesus willingly laid his life down for us because he loved us. God allowed his own son to go through the pain and the suffering, so we do not have to. God is such an awesome God.

The Bible makes no promise to take away our suffering in this lifetime, but it does give some hope that suffering will one day be ended forever. At the end of the Bible, there is a magnificent vision of a coming world in which all pain and suffering is gone forever. Revelation 21:4 says, “He [God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” The image of God wiping away tears from the eyes of his people communicates not just the ending of earthly suffering, but the comfort for earthly things (Ortlund). In the Bible, heaven represents the place where sadness does not just end, but it becomes unknown, forever. This gift is offered to anyone who repents of sin and trusts in Christ for salvation (Ortlund). According to the Bible, those who reject this salvation and persist in rebellion against God will be banished from God’s presence and experience eternal death and suffering.

Suffering can produce very different outcomes in different peoples’ lives, depending on how they respond to it. The same painful experience can make one person bitter, narrow, and ungenerous, and another person sweeter, humbler, and more patient (Ortlund). James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” The Apostle Paul took this a little bit further and said, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” The New Testament repeatedly calls Christians to stand up under unjust suffering, and even to rejoice in it in light of God’s redemptive purposes (Ortlund).

Though suffering, comes revival. God wants us to draw near to him during times of suffering. Whether it be a global pandemic, war, a tsunami, or even a mass shooting, all of these events can spark a revival. Revival is held back when God’s people refuse to get right with him though. True revival is when the living God sovereignly and powerfully breaks into human history with the good news of His salvation. Traumatic events spark a revival, people coming together in tough situations sparks a revival, people spreading the good news of the Lord sparks a revival! It is often at such bare times that God breaks into history with true revival. His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). God often waits until things are hopeless so that no one will glory in others, but only in the Lord. With suffering, comes revival.

Although it is difficult to comprehend God’s complex and mysterious ways, the Lord is the only source for true comfort and refuge in the midst of an evil world. In order to correctly respond to evil, we must not only be convinced that God is our help in time of trouble, but we must also understand that pain and suffering are designed to cultivate a stronger desire for God. The Lord works wonders in times of trial and suffering, it is all about trusting and leaning into Him to get through it all.

Everyone has experienced love during their lifetime, whether they loved or were loved. It’s no surprise that billions of individuals say, “I love you”. So, what is love? One way to define love is a feeling for different people, including kids, work colleagues, husband, wife, and God. Nevertheless, each of these has a totally different type of love. Love is a powerful affectionate feeling that even affects how the individual acts. Love exists in various types, including intimate love, friendship love, family love, and intangible love. The love between a husband and wife is usually strong. Nonetheless, the kind of love is dissimilar from that of a parent to children. Love for a wife or a boyfriend can be diverse than the love for God. Love may be romantic but is sometimes seen as lust. But then, without love, how would life be like? Here is an exclusive definition of love.

The first thing that comes into mind when one thinks of love is the romantic kind. Being in love gives you an extra heartbeat each time you think about your lover. You almost feel sick, and the hands become clammy each time you are far from each other, and every time you talk to the person, you want the moments to last forever. Romantic love makes you love the other person for everything they are, including their faults. Both of them try to make the other person better and assist them in growing, often sacrificing their happiness for the sake of the other person. Many feelings come up, including the negative ones such as sadness, passion, loneliness, lust, passion, happiness, and anger.

Family love is one of the most crucial types of love that everybody needs in their lives. It is everlasting, unconditional, and timeless. A family is a group of people united not just by blood but also by love. Family love is different from romantic love. It is the feeling of showing how grateful you are to them and how much they mean to you. It is the sensation shared between a boy paying attention to his grandmother’s stories of the past. The love is also experienced in the strict rules enforced by the mother and father that the child feels they are unfair. One knows that his or her parent can sacrifice anything for them and always feels at ease when surrounded by the family. The best thing about this kind of love is that it permits one to be himself or herself. They do not judge you regarding your quirky behavior or disabilities. You can always commit errors, and you will be exonerated.

Friendship love is comparable to familiar love but has limitations that should not be crossed. These friendship limits are different to each relationship. However, the limits are often on the line of mouthing behind the back of each other or not messing with each person’s boyfriend. Friendship love gives one a person to talk to and be there for each other, particularly about issues that you are not comfortable to speak about with your parents or family members. This love entails sharing your incidents about your firsthand experience with your girl crush in high school, sneaking out to the night party together, and even taking blames for the acts committed by your friend.

The essential love for me is love for God. His love for us is so great that he sacrificed his son to see us free from our sins. This love is different from that of a husband, a family, or friend because as sad as it might seem, all these people can break your love, but God will never leave you. Our devolution to God for the love he has shown us demonstrates our love for him in the form of reverence.

In conclusion, love is the most powerful feeling that we will ever experience. Everybody in his or her lifetime will fall in love and will fulfill the imaginings of another person. Both will have an everlasting friendship, hope, conviction, and a credited future. This is all because of this tiny entity that has an enormous meaning referred to as love. We can do awful things out of fear and hate, but love can make us do much more and shoddier.

In this paper, I explore the controversy of why human beings suffer; is it because of the gods or is it a consequence of human action? The former is something that I believe in; however, this seems untrue in the Iliad and the Odyssey. As a practicing Hindu, I believe in polytheism; for me, the gods are all knowing and are responsible for maintaining the moral order. Those who do bad deeds are punished and those who do good deeds are rewarded for their actions. Hence, when I read the Iliad and the Odyssey, I was surprised that though the gods are mentioned, they are not responsible for maintaining the moral order. Through this paper, I show that human beings in the Iliad and the Odyssey suffer due to their own actions. Human beings are incapable of knowing everything and also have limits. Those who attempt to go beyond their limits face severe consequences. To address the controversy mentioned above, I will first discuss the role of the gods in the two works of literature. Secondly, I will explain how free will allows human beings to act and influence their Moira. Lastly, I will demonstrate that human suffering is a consequence of human action alone through discussing the downfalls of Agamemnon, Patroclus, Hector, and Achilles.

To begin, it is important to know the role of the gods in the Iliad and the Odyssey. The gods are immortal, and their knowledge exceeds human knowledge. Moreover, the gods act as foils for human beings as they possess everything that a human being desires. Often the most powerful heroes are children or grandchildren of the gods (Burkert, 1985). For example, Thetis, a goddess of water, is the mother of Achilles (Burkert, 1985). Usually, gods can be seen as onlookers which is evident in the Iliad (Burkert, 1985). However, if their interests are affected, the gods can intervene directly (Burkert, 1985). For instance, in the Odyssey, Athena influences human actions directly as her interests are also at stake (Burkert, 1985). Athena advises Telemachus by changing her appearance and guides Odysseus home. Still, from my understanding, the gods are onlookers in both works who rarely influence human action. The gods do not have a large role in the Homeric poems; they do not influence human actions directly. Rather, human beings bring suffering upon themselves by performing certain actions.

In the Iliad and the Odyssey, human beings have free will, through which they choose their paths. The consequences brought by those choices results in moira. Moira can be referred to as one’s portion or lot; according to Dodds, moira means that people do not understand why something has happened “but since it has happened, evidently it had to be” (1951, p. 6). I view Moira as a consequence of human action. Human beings act and moira takes place depending on whether that action is reckless or not. However, often human beings blame their moira on the gods.

For example, Agamemnon states that “…the Achaeans have spoken often against me and found fault with me in it, yet I am not responsible but Zeus is…” (Homer, Iliad, XIX. 85-96). Here Agamemnon apologizes for taking Achilles’ prize Briseis, away from him. He does not take full responsibility for his actions, instead he blames Zeus even when it was his decision to take Briseis away from Achilles. Agamemnon uses the gods as an excuse to justify his actions. His moira is that he angers Achilles which disrupts the relationship between him and the other soldiers. There are many instances in the Iliad where human beings bring suffering upon themselves. The gods can be seen as guiding forces but it is ultimately human action that results in the outcomes that humans are faced with.

I find that Agamemnon’s actions throughout the Iliad are prime examples of humans bringing downfall amongst themselves. Along with upsetting Achilles, he also vows to show no mercy to those involved in the war. For example, Agamemnon tells Menelaus “[no], let not one of them go free of sudden death and our hands; not the young man child that the mother carries still in her body, not even he, but let all of Ilion’s people perish, utterly blotted out and unmourned for” (Homer, Iliad, V1, 57-60). Through these lines, Agamemnon expresses that he does not want to show mercy to the people involved in the war; he will not even pardon the unborn children in women’s wombs. Agamemnon is being ruthless by targeting the innocent people who are merely associated with the war; all he wants is glory. In the Odyssey, it is revealed through Menelaus that “while [he] was wandering [the sea] and bringing together much property, meanwhile another man had killed [his] brother secretly, by surprise and by his wife’s treachery” (Homer, Odyssey, IV. 90-92). Menelaus reveals that Agamemnon has met his Moira through his Wife, Clytemnestra’s infidelity. Agamemnon dies as a result of his own ruthless actions. The gods do not bring this upon Agamemnon.

Unlike Agamemnon who vows to eliminate anyone in his way to reach glory, Patroclus exceeds his limits in attempt to capture Troy which results in his death. Achilles even warns Patroclus that “[he] must not, in the pride and fury of fighting, go on slaughtering the Trojans, and lead the way against Ilion…” (Homer, Iliad, XVI. 91-92). Yet Patroclus goes beyond his limits and fights Hector, knowing full well that he is only supposed to drive the Trojans back from the ships. As Patroclus is wounded with the javelin, Hector “[comes] close…and with a spear stab[s] him in the depth of the belly and [drives] the bronze clean through” (Homer, Iliad, XVI. 820-821). Patroclus meets his lot (moira) and dies. Patroclus dies as a result of his own actions. Though he is warned by Achilles, he still attempts to fight against the Trojans, exceeding his limits. This shows that Patroclus is driven by his desire for glory and fury to kill the Trojans. As a result, Patroclus suffers a devastating death and initiates the wrath of Achilles.

Like Patroclus, Hector also brings suffering upon himself by exceeding his limits. Hector is presented with the choice of either going out and fighting Achilles or staying inside the Trojan walls and defending his family. Priam, Hector’s father, appeals to Hector: “…beloved child, do not wait the attack of [Achilles]…you might encounter your destiny beaten down by Pelion, since he is far stronger than you are” (Homer, Iliad, XXII. 38-40). However, Hector does not listen to the appeals of his father and proceeds to wait for Achilles outside the wall. He leaves behind his young child and his wife Andromache who also does not want him to leave the safety of the walls.

Consequently, when Hector sees Achilles, “shivers [take] hold of him and he [can] no longer stand his ground there, but [leaves] the gates behind and [flees], frightened and Peleus’s son [goes] after him…” (Homer, Iliad, XXII. 136-139). Hector regrets his decision when he spots Achilles and rans away from the gates because he is frightened to face him. He makes a rash decision and must now pay for it by accepting his lot (moira). Then finally, “Brilliant Achilles [drives] the spear as he [come] on in fury, and clean through the soft part of the neck the spearpoint [is] driven” (Homer, Iliad, XXII. 326-327). Though Hector has the option staying within the Trojan walls, he chooses to fight Achilles outside the walls. Thus, Hector’s death is brought upon him by his own actions. His father Priam, mother Hecuba, his wife Andromache and his child suffer because of his actions as well when Agamemnon’s army invades the Trojan walls.

I believe that Achilles’ story is the best example of human suffering brought about by human actions. In book one of the Iliad, Thetis, the mother of Achilles, is saddened by Achilles’ experience at the Trojan war, she says “your birth was bitterness…if only you could sit by your ships untroubled, not weeping since indeed your lifetime is to be short, of no length” (Iliad, I. 414-416). Here, Thetis is upset as she thinks about Achilles’ decision to fight in the war. Inevitably, Achilles will die because he has chosen to gain glory in the war rather than to live a long and a healthy life. It is clear that Achilles has chosen to fight in the war to gain glory. His death is further confirmed when he kills Hector. Though Achilles is aware that bringing killing Hector will bring death upon him, he still kills Hector. At the time of Hector’s death, Achilles says “die: and I will take my own death at whatever time Zeus and the rest of the immortals choose to accomplish it” (Iliad, XXII. 65-66). Achilles, like Agamemnon, blames the god for his upcoming death, even though it was he who chose glory over a long life. Also, Achilles is motivated by his anger at Patroclus’ death to kill Hector which eventually results in his own death.

It is only in the Odyssey, that we can see the gods getting deeply involved in the lives of human beings. Though it is only Athena. Athena is worried about Odysseus and his family; she says, “that the heart in [her] is torn for the sake of wise Odysseus, unhappy man, who still, far from his friends is suffering griefs, on the sea-washed island” (Homer, Odyssey, I. 48-50). Since her interests are affected, she inserts herself into the lives of Odysseus and his family. Athena also disguises herself as Mentes (an old friend of Odysseus) to guide Telemachus on his journey to reach manhood. She states that she must “make [her] way to Ithaka so that [she] may stir up [Odysseus’] son a little, and put some confidence in him” (Homer, Odyssey, I. 88-91). She wants Telemachus to reach manhood and be able to assist his father kill the suitors.

She appeals to her father, Zeus, to let Odysseus come home. Athena appeals “Father Zeus…no longer let one who is a sceptered king be eager…he cannot make his way to his country…and now there are those who are determined to murder his dear son on his way home” (Homer, Odyssey, V. 8-19). Athena asks her father to tell Calypso to release Odysseus from the island and let him go home. Athena also guides Odysseus home after the Trojan War. Athena claims that “Odysseus is far the best mortal men for counsel and stories, and [she] among all the divinities [is] famous for wit and sharpness (Homer, Odyssey, XIII. 97-99). According to Athena her and Odysseus are alike; thus, she favours him and wants him to return home to defeat the suitors.

In this paper, I show that Human beings are often blinded by their own desires; they act on those desires and bring upon their own suffering. While Athena does interject herself into the life of Odysseus and his family in the Odyssey, in general, the Gods are merely onlookers in both works. Moira is brought about by human action. Humans in the Iliad and the Odyssey may not be aware of why they are experiencing Moira, though it is there action that brought it about in the first place. I exhibit this by discussing the downfalls of Patroclus, Hector, Agamemnon, and Achilles. The only time gods influence the actions of human beings is in the Odyssey, when Athena helps Odysseus and Telemachus in their journey home. The gods are mostly onlookers in the Iliad and the Odyssey: the only time they intervene in human life is when their own interests are affected. The main argument of this paper is that human beings bring suffering upon themselves by acting recklessly and that moira is the result of their own action.

Works Cited

1. Burkert, Walter., and ebrary, I. (1985). Greek religion. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
2. Homer. and Lattimore, Richmond. (2007). The Odyssey of Homer. New York: HarperPerennial Modern Classics.
3. Homer., Lattimore, Richmond. and Martin, Richard. (2011). The Iliad of Homer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
4. Dodds, E. R., and ACLS Humanities E-Book. (1951). The Greeks and the Irrational. Berkeley: University of California Press.

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.

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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.