My apologies!

My Paper

‘Lifting of the Veil’
‘Good Book’ by David Plotz says ‘you don’t have to believe in the Bible, as long as you are willing to debate about it’ (304). Belief in the Bible has never been a strong suit of mine; rather, I have been spending much of my life avoiding the Bible and its contents because of specific occasions during childhood where Biblical tradition was thrown in my face and made me loathe the idea. The apocalypse, for example; I have been hearing about it since I was very young. In the Christian tradition, the word apocalypse refers to the Book of Revelations, the last book of the Bible. Every time I hear the word 'apocalypse', I used to think 'violent end of the world', like God is going to come down on horses of death, causing the sky to rain fire and the earth to start burning from the inside out. Very specific details about the Bible were engrained in my memory, especially the ‘rules’ and what was going to happen to my soul as the sinner I was undoubtedly going to be become. Missing for me were the stories, the lessons, and the depiction of love, family, and unity. Before this class, I had little want to explore the Bible any further and would often engage in debate about the topic when I really had never actually read the contents of the Bible for myself. I would like to say now I have come away with a greater form of enlightenment or very specific connections between the pieces of literature we have read, but I cannot. I can say I have come away with a new-found respect for the contents of the Bible, a more accurate definition for its contents, and a greater willingness to debate on the subject now that I have a foundation the arguments can stem from.
Three separate but interconnected experiences led me down my path of solitude separate from the Bible or anything concerning its contents. Each experience was at the hands of a woman called Donna, a family acquaintance and mother of my best childhood pal. She had moved with her family from ‘the big city’ to experience a simpler life in a quiet mountain town. She brought her family and their energy, but also strong Christian convictions that stood prevalent over everything the family participated in. Like many characters depicted in the Bible, Donna’s life and everything in her being was devoted to God. Lines from scripture littered their house, especially the line from Joshua; ‘As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’ (24:14, 15). She was a formidable character to begin with.
The First: Donna’s middle daughter and I became fast friends and spent every waking hour together. I would usually opt for staying at their place because her parents bought all the good junk food and soda that my mother often refused to buy. We were constantly busy with something stimulating; video games, four-wheelers, and trampolines among our favorites. One eventful afternoon, my friend had dozed off for a nap and I was left with Donna watching figure skating on television. The skaters looked like graceful dancers to me and soon nothing else existed in from of me but the television. The mother had always been good at making off color comments, but this afternoon she was especially rowdy, madly pointing out a specific male figure skater and telling me he just ‘had to be gay’. There was no doubt in her mind and I was able to shrug off her comments, but she kept going with gusto. Soon, Donna was asking me about my experience with homosexuality, if I knew what it was, and if I knew anyone in my life practicing the ‘sin’. Immediately, I revealed to the mother I had a few female first cousins on my father’s side who were homosexual and never saw anything wrong with it. Citing Leviticus 18:22, Donna explained to me that ‘you shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination’. Basically, my cousins were already condemned to hell and their souls would not even be saved because of their vicious lifestyle. I was left terrified and sad for my cousins, in tears, and ready for the Bible lesson to be finished for the day.
The Second: In a blog I mentioned that I made the decision when I was young to give up the virtuous life and become a Sunday school dropout to explore other options, like Nintendo and literature outside the realm of the Bible. My second experience with Donna proved to be a lesson about the apocalypse, which at that point in my life was a complete mystery to me. Donna was a firm believer in the Bible as a literal piece of documentation; its contents meant to be taken seriously and practiced daily. I think the woman should take a lesson from David Plotz or A.J. Jacobs and realize what a difficult and daunting task that really is. If Donna was living her life that way, her children were certainly going to be living their lives that way, and they talked to me every day about my lack of connection with the Church and the Bible and my doomed soul. Judgment day, to that family, was the day of the ‘apocalypse’, which they explained to me was the time when God would come sweeping down from the sky and scoop all the faithful Christians up and take them to Heaven. The nonbelievers, like me, would be forced to reside on the earth and endure rains of fire and terrible injustice before finally dying, leaving our souls to wander the earth forever, lost and without hope of ever reaching heaven.
I started to wonder why I would ever want to hang out with the family in the first place and subject myself to these horrible stories, but more often than not, I found myself wondering if what they were saying was really true. These people were supposed to be my second family, my home away from home, and they were telling me my parents were doing something wrong raising me without the word of God in my life and also telling me I was probably going to wander the ashen earth a lost and lonely soul. First, my sweet cousins were going to hell and now I was doomed to a fate worse than death. I started to resent them and also the words of the Bible, but I thought I would give myself on last attempt at understanding the Bible and its words.
The Third: Usually, when I'm afraid of something or do not agree with it, I start to study it so I know just what I am up against. I decided to go with the same woman’s daughters to church camp that year and get myself back into the life of the virtuous. I didn't want to be a sinner and I definitely did not want to end up one of the sorry souls left to wander the earth while everyone else was scooped up in God's arms of love and taken to Heaven. Church camp proved to be even more horrifying than spending time with the Mother. I had never been exposed to 'speaking in tongues', and what I thought was evening mass turned into a circus for me. Everyone around me started raising their hands to the sky while a girl in front of us started speaking complete gibberish and then fell backward when the pastor touched her forehead with his fingertips. The girl fell on the floor and started shaking and convulsing back and forth and everyone jumped to their feet, waving their hands form side to side. I was the only one to stay seated in the entire room and remained that way, absolutely horrified. One of our group counselors took me aside later that night and asked me if I wanted to give my heart over to the Lord. At this point, I was not sure. I wanted to secure a spot in Heaven away from the burning damned left on Earth, but I also did not want to be part of the possessed. I gave my heart over to the Lord that night and promptly called my own mother the next day to retrieve me from church camp. I have not been to another camp since and have basically avoided everything about the Bible until ‘Biblical Foundations of Literature’ made me get over my prejudice and really examine the Bible differently.
For much of my life I have ignored the word 'apocalypse' and the phrase 'coming of the Lord' because I just have not wanted to think about it. Honestly, I have ignored everything about it and often been involved in arguments I could not win because I thought I had the correct information about the Bible. I definitely should have dismissed my fears and done a bit more research on the subject. Now I know that 'apocalypse' does not mean 'violent end of the world'. Rather, it means to 'take away the veil', so see the world as it really is beyond our own realm of sight and perception. The apocalypse does not refer to the end of the world, but to the end of an age, and the contents of Revelations can be interpreted in many different ways. I learned the Bible is mostly full of stories about families and people going through the ‘day to day’ process just like everyone else. Sure, there are wild metaphors and some pretty heavy material in the Bible, but it’s not all bad. I still do not and will never agree with Leviticus 18:22, but that is my own personal interpretation of the Bible and its contents.
Like Plotz, I know that ‘the Bible has brought me no closer to God, if God means either belief in a deity acting in the world, or an experience of the transcendent. But perhaps I’m closer to God in the sense that the Bible has put me on high alert’ (304). I never expected to become closer to God throughout the class, but I know now that the class has made a huge difference in the way I approach the Bible and my ability to view the Book as a collection of stories rather than a guideline for my life. If anything, I have gained respect for the Book I never thought I could gain and a foundation for debate on the subject should it ever arise again, and I am more than certain it will. Wonderful pieces of literature have been thrown my way this semester and I have been thankful for the opportunity to read all of them, but rather than talk about a discovery I made about the books, I wanted to talk about a discovery I made within myself. I hope I will be able to carry it forward as my life and education progress.

Reading Now

I feel like reading will never be the same for me now that I've taken this Biblical Foundations course. I have been reading 'What Looks Like Crazy On an Ordinary Day' by Pearl Cleage for another class (a book I am completely in love with), and couldn't help relating the Book to the stories and lessons in the Book of Job.

The book showcases a period of time in the lives of two women, Ava and Joyce, sister who lost their parents at a very young age and continue to face terrible hardships over the course of their lives. Ava contracts HIV unknowingly while Joyce loses both her children and her husband before she reaches menopause. The women find all they have is each other and their faith that they will be able to carry on to the next day and the next...

In one particular part of the novel, Ava is talking about Joyce's husband and how unfair it was for him to pass away. He was a very good man and had always lived his life virtuously, had to witness the loss of both of his children, and then died himself due to a freak accident. Ava says this:

'Mitch was the sweetest man I ever knew, and for a long time after he died, I kept thinking how unfair it was for him to die that way. I was still naive back then. I thought fairness had something to do with who gets to stay and who gots to go'(12).

Ava obviously felt at some point that good things were supposed to happen to good people and living mightily would prove to be a beneficial thing. Good things reserved for good people; bad things reserved for bad people (obviously the bad people would be the ones who 'gots to go'). Like Job, life began to take its course and she had no other option but to adopt a new idea about its proceedings. Sometimes very good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people and there really is no explanation for it. Strength is tested every day... some people survive it and are able to carry on and some people don't.

Before this class, I never would have associated this particular story with a Biblical story and wouldn't care to explore it. Now, I think I'm going to pick apart every piece of literature to see if it relates in some way to the stories told in the Bible.

RUTH

This is our revised script for our 'Ruth' presentation!

Ashley – Narrator

Chris – Audience Commentary

Jeanie – Naomi

Eric – David/Servant/Next-of-kin/Witnesses

Rian – Orpah/Boaz

Shelby – Ruth

Eric – My father was Jesse, his father was Obed, his father was Boaz, who was Ruth’s husband. This is her story.

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and Elimelech and his wife Naomi, both from Bethlehem, went to live in Moab with their sons, Mahlon and Chilion. Elimelech died…

Chris -- Horrible bus accident—they didn’t teach to look both ways back in the day.

Eric – …leaving Naomi with their two sons. The sons married Orpah and Ruth, Moabite women. After ten years, both men died…

Chris -- Didn’t learn from their father, I guess.

Eric – …leaving their mother and wives alone.

Ashley – Due to the famine, Naomi took her two daughters-in-law and left to return to Judah. Along the way, Naomi said to the girls,

Jeanie – Go back to your mother’s house. May you be blessed as the Lord has blessed me and dealt kindly with our dead loved ones.

Ashley – The young women began to cry and said to her,

Rian – ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’

Jeanie – Go home, children. Why would you go with me? I can have no more sons for you to marry.

Ashley – The girls cried again, but Orpah did as she was told.

Chris – Went to start a daytime talk show but was struck by a bus on her way there.

Ashley -- Ruth, on the other hand, refused to leave Naomi.

Jeanie – Orpah has gone back to her roots. You should do the same

Shelby – ‘Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried.

Ashley – When Naomi saw that Ruth was not going to take no for an answer…

Chris – a.k.a. She was acting like a stubborn, whiny teenager.

Ashley -- …she allowed the girl to remain with her on their journey to Bethlehem. They arrived there at the beginning of the barley harvest. Naomi’s late husband, Elimelech, had a relative in Bethlehem by the name of Boaz, who was a rich and prosperous land owner.

Chris – Who made his millions off of a local bar and grill, as well as the local supermarket.

Ashley -- Ruth asked Naomi,

Shelby – May I go glean in the grain fields behind someone who may take kindly to me?

Jeanie – ‘Go my daughter.’

Ashley – So Ruth went to the grain fields and ended up in some fields belonging to Boaz. Not long after, Boaz arrived from town and said to his servant that was in charge of his workers…

Chris – Who does this lovely lady belong to?

Eric – She is Naomi’s daughter-in-law who returned with her from Moab. She wanted to glean the grain behind the workers today. She has not rested for even a moment since she began working early this morning.

Rian – In that case, do not go into any other fields to glean grain, my child. Stay close to my workers, who have been instructed to not bother you. Help yourself to the drinking water that is provided to my workers.

Shelby – Why do you show such care for me…

Chris – You don’t even know her! She could be an ax murderer!

Rian – I have been told how you remained loyal to your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, even though that meant leaving your family and coming to a foreign land. May the Lord bless you.

Shelby – May I continue to find favor in your sight, as you have treated me kindly, even though I am not one of your people.

Ashley – Some time elapsed, until it came time to sit down to a meal.

Rian – Come here and eat with us.

Ashley – So Ruth sat down to eat with Boaz and his workers. She had plenty to eat and even had some left over. After the meal, Boaz instructed his workers,

Rian – Let Ruth glean among the grain. Also, remove some grain from the harvest and leave it in the field for her to glean. You must do this without unkind words towards her.

Ashley – Ruth worked in Boaz’s field until evening. Then she took to Naomi what she had gathered that day. There was enough grain for both of them.

Jeanie – In whose field did you work today? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.

Shelby – I worked in the field owned by Boaz.

Jeanie – ‘Blessed be he by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken us.’ As a matter of fact, this man that you speak of is a relative of ours.

Shelby – Really? He even told me to stay near to his workers until the harvest is finished.

Jeanie – It is better that you stay with his workers, rather than risk being bothered in someone else’s field.

Ashley – So Ruth worked in Boaz’s field until the end of the harvest, and she lived with her mother-in-law.

Jeanie – I need to seek a secure place for you. Boaz may be one to offer this secure place, as he is a close relative of ours. He will be at the threshing floor tonight. Get cleaned up and go to where he is, but do not make yourself known until he has finished eating and drinking. After he lies down, go over to him and lie at his feet.

Chris – Just watch. It doesn’t take much to get a man once he’s drunk.

Ashley – Ruth did what Naomi told her to. In the middle of the night, Boaz woke up and was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet.

Chris – Oh, really! How often do you wake up and find someone lying at the foot of your bed?

Rian – ‘Who are you?’

Shelby – ‘I am Ruth. Give me your cloak to use as a blanket, as you are my next-of-kin.

Rian – May the Lord bless you. Not only were you loyal to your mother-in-law, you have been loyal to family in that you have not chased other young men. Do not be afraid. My people know that you are a worthy woman. It is true that I am a near kinsman, but there is one closer yet. Stay with me tonight. I will speak to this man in the morning. If he is willing to act as your next-of-kind, he shall. If he will not, then I will.

Ashley – Ruth stayed until the morning, when Boaz gave her a supply of barley to take back to Naomi.

Jeanie – ‘How did things go at the threshing floor?’

Shelby – He gave me a supply of barley so that I would not return to you empty-handed.

Chris – You had to smell his feet all night, and all you got was some wheat?! Isn’t this guy supposed to be rich?

Jeanie – Good. We shall wait here until the next-of-kin issue gets settled. Boaz will get it settled today.

Ashley – Boaz went to the city gates and waited, as he knew that the next-of-kin would be passing by soon enough.

Rian – ‘Come over, friend; sit down here.’

Ashley – Not long after, ten elders of the city passed by and came over to the gate to sit with Boaz and the next-of-kin.

Rian – Naomi is selling the land that belonged to her late husband Elimelech. I thought I would give you a chance to redeem this land, by buying it in the presence of the elders of the city. Please decide if you will be redeeming this land, as I am second in line to redeem it.

Eric – ‘I will redeem it.’

Rian – Okay. On the day you acquire the land, you will also be acquiring Ruth, Naomi’s daughter-in-law, so as to maintain Elimelech’s name on his inheritance.

Eric – On second thought, if I redeem this land, I will damage my own inheritance. You may redeem the land. I do not want it.

Ashley – The custom in Israel at the time was to take off a sandal to give to the other person when confirming a business transaction. The next-of-kin did this and the deal was sealed.

Rian – Elders, today you are witnesses that I have acquired Naomi’s land, along with Ruth.

Eric – ‘We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem; and, through the children that the Lord will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.’

Ashley – So Boaz and Ruth married and had a son. They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.

Eric – Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.

______________________________________________________________________

The presentations today were great! However, after having seen what some of the other groups put together for their presentation, I definitely think we could have done more as far as preparation, props, line memorization, etc. I'm also still not exactly sure why we had the 'bus' clips in our presentation, though I do agree they added some humor to the whole thing.

Here is the information from the presentation about the book of Ruth:

Name meanings:

Ruth: “friend”

Naomi: “gracious one”

Mara: “bitter one” (although not included in our presentation, Naomi asks to be called Mara when she returns to her hometown after the death of her husband and sons)

Boaz: “strength is in him”

Orpah: “gazelle; from the root; back or nape of neck”

*More comments for the group as a whole can be seen in Ashley Wheeler's blog, our group lead!

A.J. Jacobs and The Year of Living Biblically

I have heard mention of this book in class quite a few times this semester. Curiosity got the best of me and I ran out and bought it, and so glad I did! I'm not that far into it, but it's a pretty hilarious take on living biblically and following the Bible's rules as closely as possible. The very opening of the novel gives the reader a quiet excitment that A.J. Jacobs will probably be pretty unsuccessful at following the Bible literally:

'It's the first day, and I already feel like the water is three feet over my head. I have chosen September 1 to start my project, and from the moment I wake up, the Bible consumes my life. I can't do anything without fearing I'm breaking a biblical law. Before I so much as inhale or exhale, I have to run through a long mental checklist of the rules' (15).

Getting around day to day proves difficult enough for me; I'm a space cadet 90% of the time. But having a strict set of rules to adhere to every day would be absolutely maddening, or at least I think it would be. Jacobs (nice last name) tries to follow the rules of the most famous book of all time. You would think he would get a little support, right? Or at least understanding? Most of the time, he gets neither, and many people cannot figure out why he is even troubling himself with such an impossible task. His own wife gets so fed up with his unwillingness to touch her or anything she's touched while menstruating that she touches everything in the house, and Jacobs is forced to reside in a tiny, untained corner. It puts into perspective some of the impossible aspects of the Bible, and makes me very thankful for my less structured life. I haven't finished the book yet, but I'm glad I bought it!

Errrmmm....

I performed horribly on that exam. Oh dear....

Test!

The exam outline!

1st Kings:17

• • Who is an early Christ figure?
    • Elijah
• 2nd Kings
  • Who was associated with early cosmetics?
    • Jezebel
• Isaiah
  
  • Which pairing doesn't belong?
    • The Lion and the Lamb
  • Who does Plotz compare God to?
    • Jack Nicholson, Santa
• Jeremiah
  • Why wouldn't you share a beach house with Jeremiah?
    • Morbidity
• Ezekiel:4
  • The ingredients and things you need to eat.
  • He compares Israel to his adulterous wife.
• Minor Prophets
  • Jonah, why does he get on a boat?
    • To run from God. (There is no whale)
• Psalms
  • Which characters does Plotz talk about most?
    • David
  • Common theme?
    • "Woe is me"
• Daniel
  • What other biblical story is Daniel closest to?
    • Joseph and his dreams
• Ezra/Nehemiah
  • Why does Ezra pull out his hair?
    • Intermarriage between Jews and gentiles.
• Chronicles
  • One sentence sums it up.
    • It retells the stories you've heard already.
• Should we read the bible?
  • Yes, the less you believe, the more you should read.

MORE QUESTIONS

• What does Ecclesia mean?
  • Gathering
• What is Eschatology?
  • The study of the end times.
• Logos?
  • The word.
• Jesus and Socrates, how are they similar?
  • Both were "crucified".
• Why is the Bible a comedy?
  • It has a happy ending.
• Where are we at in the "U"?
  • The bottom.
• What type of wisdom would your grandparents give you?
  • Prudential
• What does Jacob put on his head?
  • A fez, he believed in a false prophet for a while.
• The three great tragedies?
  • The Brothers Karamazov
  • Job
  • King Lear
• Why is God patriarchal?
  • It rationalizes the ethos!
• What is an epiphany?
  • Sudden manifestation of a supernatural or divine being.
• What is retributive justice, and an example of it?
  • Nothing bad happens unless we deserve it. Job's three "friends".
• Prudential wisdom?
  • Polonius
• Skeptical wisdom?
  • Hamlet
• Best example of narrative/image?
  • Job/Revelation
• Metenoia?
  • repentence
• What does Jacob do to make up for the absence of the Torah?
  • He scratches on a rock.
• Theodicy
  • The question of innocent suffering.
• What is a parable?
  • an attack on expectations.
• Apocalypse?
  • A lifting of the veil. (realized eschatology)
    

Loved the Slave! Love in The Slave

The Slave was a refreshing piece of literature to read after trying to pick apart the Bible and I was most enamoured with the idea of love in Isaac Bashevis Singers novel. Jacob in the novel can be directly related to Job because of the hardships he is forced to face. He suffers the murder of his wife and two children, enslavement, and even the death of Sarah after she gives birth to their child. Jacob experiences more pain in a lifetime than many people have to experience, and still he was bound by his faith and strong ideals. This passage from the novel illustrates Jacob's love for his wife as she is on her deathbed:

'She is good, he thought, really a saint, a thousand times better than any of the others. Have they been to heaven and learned what God likes? Worry and fear, the isolation in which he found himself, had made him rebellious. he was even ready to struggle with God himself. Of course, God was the only God, awesome and all powerful, but it was only fair that his justice be universal. He should not be a tyrant like Gershon, fawning on the strong and spitting at the weak. Was it Sarah's fault who her parents were? Had she had the freedom to choose her mother's womb? If such she must burn in Gehenna, then there was even inequity in heaven' (140).

I was very touched by this passage, by Jacob's loyalty to Sarah even on her deathbed. He could have chosen a wealthy, Jewish wife after the death of his first, but he was willing to set aside everything he knew and push against the law of society to marry for love and only love. This passage explains Jacob was even willing to fight with God. He was the type of person who could not wrap his head around the notion of 'gentiles and jews', but rather put his energy and faith into the greater good of mankind. Even after all he had endured, he wasn't willing to just move with the masses; he was determined to make his own path even if it meant more heartbreak along the way. I admire Jacob in this novel, and I enjoyed reading the slave because of his outlook on life.

Nina Simone on the Brain!

First, I just have to comment on Dr. Sexson's musical selection this semester. Not only has he introduced me to a handful of artists I've never even heard of, he has brought Joni Mitchell and Nina Simone into the classroom. I love Nina Simone, obviously the song 'Feelin' Good' because I'm pretty sure everyone likes that song, but I was particularly impressed with 'Sinner Man' as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you Dr. Sexson for incorporating some modern (or not so modern) musicians into our classroom discussions.

Thomas Wells made the connection between 'Sinner Man' and the song 'Get By' by Talib Kwele, which is awesome. Kanye West sampled Simone's song for that particular track, and I think it's great someone in the class likes this music! I've been getting in to it more and more....especially Common... but like Wells said, enough about Hip Hop. That's not the reason for my blog either.

Here are the lyrics for SinnerMan:

Oh Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?
Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?
Where you gonna run to?
All on that day
Well I run to the rock, please hide me
I run to the rock,please hide me
I run to the rock, please hide me, Lord
All on that day
But the rock cried out, I can't hide you
The rock cried out, I can't hide you
The rock cried out, I ain't gonna hide you guy
All on that day
I said, Rock, what's a matter with you rock?
Don't you see I need you, rock?
Lord, Lord, Lord
All on that day
So I run to the river, it was bleedin'
I run to the sea, it was bleedin'
I run to the sea, it was bleedin'
All on that day
So I run to the river, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
All on that day
So I run to the Lord, please hide me Lord
Don't you see me prayin'?
Don't you see me down here prayin'?
But the Lord said, go to the devil
The Lord said, go to the devil
He said, go to the devil
All on that day
So I ran to the devil, he was waitin'
I ran to the devil, he was waitin'
Ran to the devil, he was waitin'
All on that day
I cried -
POWER!!!!!!!
(Power to da Lord)
[8x]
Bring down,
(Power to da lord),
[4x]
POWER!!!
(power to da lord)
[12x]

(Instrumental)

Oh yeah, Woh yeah, Woh yeah
Well I run to the river, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
All on that day
So I ran to the Lord
I said, Lord hide me, please hide me
please help me
All on that day
He said, child, where were you
when you oughta been prayin'?
I said,Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
All on that day
Sinnerman you oughta be prayin'
Oughta be prayin', Sinnerman
Oughta be prayin',
All on that day
I cried -
POWER!!!!!!!
(Power to da Lord)
[12x]
Go down
(Power to da Lord)
[3x]
POWER!!!!!!!
(Power to da Lord)
[3x]
Power, Power, Lord
Don't you know I need you Lord
Don't you know that I need you
Don't you know that I need you
Power, Lord!

The song obviously depicts Revelations 16 where the bowls of wrath are poured out placing judgment on every human being. The people in Revelations turn away from God when they should have been praying, which the song shows in its lines. When the people face judgment they turn away from God when they should have looked to him, or at least I think that's what the song entails. The connection between this song and the Book of Revelations is obvious, I know, but I wanted to have a blog about it because I always love to make a musical connection with the Bible if I can. I have found, in my experience, it has helped me to understand the Bible more deeply, which is why I have been so thrilled that Dr. Sexson has been bringing music to class. :)

My Term Paper

I am going to use the prompt 'What I know now that I didn't know before and the difference it makes'. I was going to use the prompt in correlation with the story of Lot and the idea of 'never looking back', but I have changed my mind about this particular paper. I wrote a previous blog entry about the idea of the apocalypse and the notions swirling around the idea as far as the 'end of the world' and the 'coming of the Lord'. The word 'apocalypse' has always been closely associated with some sort of end of the world, but it only alludes to the end of the world as we know it. I would like the explore the 'lifting of the veil' and the end of a book or chapter as represented in the Bible.
The Bible, specifically the Book of Revelations, lends the word its definition and is the first thing I think about when discussing the idea of the apocalypse. However, the facts engrained in my brain are far different than what actually exists to be in the Bible and elsewhere, and I would like to write about how this idea has affected my life thus far, and the difference it makes knowing what I know now on the subject.

Grapes of Wrath

'Trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored'...

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

In Revelation 14 we see the 144,000, the saved people of God, protected by God. They are the redeemed, undefiled and blameless. For the rest of the people, the warning is given in Revelation 14:7, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come." The people must turn to God before the judgment comes upon them. Revelation 14:8 announces that Babylon the great has fallen because it made all the world commit sexual immorality. In verses 9-10, the third angel comes and warns against worshipping the beast, which is the Roman empire. Thus, Babylon the great is another description for the Roman empire. In Revelation 14:14-20 the judgments begin in attempts to get the peoples of the world to repent before it is too late and they are consumed. Chapter 15 shows the preparation of the bowls of wrath that are going to be poured out upon the earth (Rev. 16:1). In chapter 16 the bowls of wrath are poured out depicting judgment upon all the power, wealth, beauty of Rome. All of the empire would be brought down in God's judgments because they made the nations commit wickedness. Yet these powerful judgments do not turn the people to God, but away from God (Rev. 16:9,21). Now the details of the end of Rome and its power will be depicted.
www.westpalmbeachchurchofchrist.com/.../revelation/summary.html -

This is the short summary I got of the Book of Revelations from one of the many websites devoted a specific church on the Internet. I never made the connection of The Grapes of Wrath to a book in the Bible, perhaps because I have never read the Bible in it's entirety, and still haven't. I know Dr. Sexson was hoping for a full reading, but alas, I have failed at that miserably as well. The 'grapes of wrath' suggested are those prepared by God and poured out upon the Earth? Isn't this a representation of blood? The people have to drink the blood of Christ in order to be saved? Is this where the Catholic right of passage came from known as catechism? I do not have the answers right now, but I'm going to research the matter. Just thought I would throw all my big questions out there. I think, most of the semester, I have been interpreting the Bible the wrong way. But is there a wrong way to interpret the Bible? I think this question is worthy of a completely different blog session.

Tried My Hand At the Bible, Tried My Hand at the Prayer...

The apocalypse; I've been hearing about it since I was small. In the Christian tradition, the word apocalypse refers to the Book of Revelations, the last book of the Bible. Every time I hear the word 'apocalypse', I think 'violent end of the world', like God is going to come down on horses of death, causing the sky to rain fire and the earth to start burning from the inside out. In fact, when I was very little and at a neighboring girls house, her mother sat me down and told me just what would happen to me when the world came to an end. Needless to say, I ended up running to my friends room is tears. Hey, I was small. In my previous blog I mentioned that I have given up the virtuous life is Sunday school to explore other options, like nintendo and literature outside the realm of the Bible. This woman was telling me that not only was that a sin and I would ultimately be punished for not going to church, but that when God came down, I would not be among those saved from his wrath. Instead, I would be the one to burn up and never get to know the place she so lovingly referred to as Heaven. I really, literally, thought I was screwed.

Usually, when I'm afraid of something or don't agree with it, I start to study it so I know just what I'm up against. Well, I definitely tried. I decided to go with the same woman's daughters to church camp that year and get myself back into the life of the virtuous. I didn't want to be a sinner and I definitely did not want to end up one of the sorry souls left to wander the earth while everyone else was scooped up in God's arms of love and taken to Heaven. Church camp proved to be even more horrifying than spending time with the Mother. I had never been exposed to 'speaking in tongues', and what I thought was evening mass turned into a circus for me. Everyone around me started raising their hands to the sky while a girl in front of us started speaking complete jibberish and then fell backward when the pastor touched her forehead with his fingertips. The girl fell on the floor and started shaking and convulsing back and forth and everyone jumped to their feet, waving their hands form side to side. I was the only one to stay seated in the entire room and remained that way, absolutely horrified. One of our group counselors took me aside later that night and asked me if I wanted to give my heart over to the Lord. At this point, I wasn't sure. I wanted to secure a spot in Heaven away from the burning damned left on Earth, but I also did not want to be part of the possessed. Speaking in tongues was just not for me. I left camp early that year and never looked back.

For much of my life I have ignored the word 'apocalypse' and the phrase 'coming of the Lord' because I just haven't wanted to think about it. I especially didn't want to think about it after I entered college, because I knew my homosexual tendencies for sure secured my place as one of the burnt and banished. I should have done a bit more research on the subject. Now I know that 'apocolypse' does not mean 'violent end of the world'. Rather, it means to 'take away the veil', so see the world as it really is beyond our own realm of sight and perception. The apocolypse does not refer to the end of the world, but to the end of an age. My fears about being impure and unclean and going to hell because of it are reflected in this song by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (one of my favorites, also):

NOTHING BUT THE WATER II BY GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS

I have tried to find my way, to make it through to a better day
I have cried a mighty song, but in the morning everything was gone
So come on water sweet water, wash me down
So come on water sweet water, wash me down

I have tried so many times to put out the devils fire
But every time I sit down to pray, the devils charm pulls me away
So come on water sweet water, wash me down
So come on water sweet water, wash me down

Up in heaven, they know the rule, you've got to get down to the bathing pool
Everybody, you've got to get in line
Down at the river, we're doing fine with the water sweet water, wash me down
Come on water sweet water, wash me down

Now I'm ready and it's my time and if I give a nickel, I might get a dime
Only the water can help me now
I'll find glory somewhere, somehow with the water sweet water, wash me down
Come on water sweet water, wash me down

Tried my hand at the bible, tried my hand at the prayer, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare.
Tried my hand at the bible, tried my hand at the prayer, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare.
Tried my hand at the bible, tried my hand at the prayer, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare...

I think my soul can rest easier now when I hear words like 'apocalypse' and 'the coming of the Lord', as I don't really associate them anymore with something so terrible as burning up in flames or being a soul trapped to wander a burning earth for the rest of my days.

Job's Daughters International

An organization was mentioned in class today; Daughter's of Job or Job's Daughters International. My complete lack of knowledge on the suggested organization prompted me to do some exploring.

"Job's Daughters International is an organization of young women with members in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Philippines and Brazil. We have fun together at activities such as swimming parties, dances, family picnics, slumber parties, miniature golf, marching in parades and so much more. In Job's Daughters you will make new friends that will last a lifetime."

Anyway, I'll post the link here if anyone wants to visit the page...

http://www.iojd.org/

Basically, the organization was created to help those less fortunate, drawing the idea from the Book of Job that bad things happen to good people. It teaches its followers not to fall in despair in the wake of tragedy, but rather to rise up and live virtuously. It is the only organization that requires all of its members to have a relationshp to a Master Mason, though I have no idea what a Master Mason is. Perhaps I have to keep reading. Scholarships are given out of Job's Daughters and they even have pageants member can participate in. The organization itself is actually quite complex and the perfectly purple website a lot more detailed than I expected, but it's worth a look.

Jesus had to be a Jew

Jesus had to be a jew, because when Jesus was born there were no Christians. Christianity did not exist. I have never thought about this Bible in this way! I have had too many experiences with uber Christians who think they know everything there is to know about everything involving Christianity and the 'Lord'. I wonder what they would have to say about this statement. I didn't say it! Dr. Sexson told me so!

I always enjoy reading Tai K's blogs, as I'm sure everyone else in the class enjoys them as well, but his blog about the Conservative Bible Project is especially hilarious. I think everyone should check out the link on this blog if they get the chance.

I used to attend Bible School when I was younger, the my parents sat me and my two sisters down and told us we had a choice; we could continue to go to Bible School at the Methodist Church, take up our studies at the Catholic Church across the highway, or quit going to church altogether. Of course, the three of us immediately decided to abandon church going because that left more room for us to play outdoors, play nintendo, or, for me, make lemonade and read books in my moms room on hot afternoons.

Before abandoning the church, I do remember one question repeated over and over again. "Why must we question God?" It was a question asked repeatedly in Sunday school, and the answer was this: we must never question God, because He is the word and the way. Obviously, I never agreed with this statement; I had too many questions. Reading the Book of Job for class has made me feel a little bit better about questioning God. After all, doesn't Job question God in the good book after experiencing horrible earthly things? He wants to know why, as I wanted to know why. My best friends mother died when we were kids and I wanted to know why. Why did God take such a beautiful woman off the earth when she had four children to support, a husband who loved her, and a community who cherised her? I never understood. I think that may have been the point where I stayed away from the church altogether.

In the book of Job, a friend points out that questioning God is wrong and human beings are never supposed to fully understand the power or 'ways' of the Lord. The Bible leads a person to believe if they live a virtuous life good things will come their way. Job tells the reader that a person's virtuous life does not necessarily mean good things will befall them, and a life without virtue does not necessarily mean bad things will befall them. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people and very good things happen to bad people and that's just the way it goes. I have found this lesson, above all lessons in the Bible, to be very true in my 24 years of life. Still, when I do something I know I shouldn't be doing, I feel a little bit guilty and wonder if something bad will happen to me because of it. Perhaps this is just my firm belief in Karma and has nothing to do with the Bible.

Also, I was very exited to hear Joni Mitchell in class the other day. She is one of my favorites. I could listen to 'A Case of You' over and over and over again and never get sick of it.

Tyger! Tyger!

William Blake: "The Tyger"
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
in the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dead grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaved with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?"

William Blake's work is some of my favorite, and just wanted to include this poem because it reminds me of the Book of Job, in a way. The poem provokes images of two creatures created by God, one fierce and bold, the other soft and innocent. My favorite line 'Did he who made the Lamb make thee?' reminds me of the Book of Job because it seems Job's thought process was this way. Could the same God who created the Heavens and Earth and allow the gift of life also allow such bad things to happen to an innocent man? Could the same God who is responsible for creating the soft and innocent lamb also be responsible for creating the Tiger, in such stark contrast with the lamb? Both the poem and the Book of Job bring to light what God is capable of, and I love Blake's use of these heavenly images in his poetry, especially this poem.

Bad Day?

"Go out and have a bad day!" Um... no thank you! I have been thinking a lot about Dr. Sexon's mentioning of 'bad days' and thought I would share a recent experience, though the experience is not my own.

I have a friend who, though pretty young, has always wanted to be a mother. You know how some people say they have some sort of 'life calling'? Well, for my friend, motherhood was definitely it. She tried several times to get pregnant to no avail. Nothing seemed to 'stick', if you know what I mean. Then, finally, a breakthrough! She was pregnant, but soon lost the baby to miscarriage.

Over the course of about four years, she has tried and failed to have a child. She endured several miscarriages because her body would always reject the pregnancy. Finally, she found herself pregnant and actually doing very well, only to miscarry months into the pregnancy. Again. I can't imagine what that sort of hope would have looked like only to lose another pregnancy.

Last year, she was pregnant again, and this time she worked with doctors to ensure she had the healthiest pregnancy she could. She managed to carry the baby to full term and delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl. It seemed like everything she had been searching for was finally falling into place.

About one month ago, just one day after my birthday, I recieved terrible news. On October 3rd, 2009, she woke up in the middle of the night in a panic. She ran into her sleeping babies room and found the baby face down in her crib, completely blue and not breathing. She called the ambulence and when they arrived, she was informed her baby passed away four hours before. Cause of death: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The syndrome is described as the sudden death of a child under the age of 1 which an authopsy does not show an explainable cause of death. Baby was over 8 months old and almost in the clear as far as SIDS was concerned.

I can't imagine a day being much worse than this one, especially when this woman has had so many medical difficulties concieving and carrying the baby to full term. Every time I think I'm having a bad day, I'm reminded of days like this one and have to say I don't have much to complain about.

I'm Not a Fan of Leviticus 18:22

Alright, so, I guess I'm a little angry. I know we are supposed to be reading the Bible as literature and only literature, but something about our discussion today just made me upset. Let me explain. We talked today about a collision between what we as readers know in our own human experience and what the Bible says, and I have found that to be painfully true after reading Leviticus 18:22:

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

It's a bit hard for me not to take it personally. As an openly bisexual woman with a very strong love for the LGBT Community, I absolutely hate this statement, and I think the most infuriating part is that most people who read the Bible do not read it the way we are reading it in class. Many people trust and believe in this book so much they base their lives around it, and it's incredibly frustrating to think that people actually believe homosexuality is an abomination. It's so far outside of the realm of my concious thought it's often difficult to grasp. Anyway, I am in a Creative Non-Fiction class this semester and have been writing my memoir, and started giggling as I was reading over it. I wonder what a person who follows the Bible literally and closely would think about my story, specifically the part I am going to include here:

You found her the night of Old Crow whiskey shots and cards. Muddled banter with your best friend gave way to fervent glances across the crowded living room occupied by your close friends and the people you would never remember.
"I want to be with her," you said. Your friend swiveled.
"She's gorgeous," he said. And she was, especially. She straddled the arm of the beat up sofa, her stretching legs covered with skintight black jeans and feet harboring the most worn pair of Chuck Taylor's you had ever seen.
"Do you need some water, hun?" You were suddenly slumped on the same sofa, your booze filled lips reaching for the beautiful stranger now sitting to your left. You don't remember kissing her or teling her you had never been with a woman before, something she reminded you of on your trip the hot springs. The invitation was so unexpected, but you called her, remember? Her phone number was still scrawled across your front door in blue marker, something you passed by several times before summoning the nerve to call. Your lips met again in the hot springs, the warm water rushing btween your bodies, the softness of her touch suprisingly wholesome.
Weeks passed and you would see her on campus, gazing steadily ahead, confidently walking through crowds that seemed to part and kneel at her presence. She had dyed her hair an intoxicating mixture of platinum blonde and black, spiked up as if to warn the male gawkers she was venemous, a poison. She'll never talk to me again, you remember thinking.
But she did. Another invitation, this one to her room to drink beer and talk about ex-boyfriends and a cocaine addiction she was trying to kick. Her room was littered with old magazine clippings and photos she had taken herself. You remember the sunflowers immediately; they were her seconf love and her favorite thing to photograph.
"What's your first," you asked shyly, a question she would never ansewr. When she left you that morning, your skin was still burning from her embrace and smelling of her perfume. "It's expensive," she had told you once. "A gift from my sister. I can't afford that shit." You ripped a sheet of paper adorned with the image of a 1920's pin-up girl from her notebook and scrawled 'You are beautiful like a sunflower' across the page. Propping it against her pillow, you snuck out of her room, anxiety burning in your stomach. What a trite thing to say, you thought, much less put on paper. You remember the feeling of embarrassment pulsing through your body, but she kept the note for years afterward. She sent you packages on her trips from California to Spain that summer and a bouquet of red roses and sunflowers. Your mother never understood the showering of affection from another woman and you gave up trying to explain. You remember the package that contained the beautiful hand-painted plate and the flask engraved with the words 'Tu Eres Bonita Como Un Flor De Sol'. She remembered in a way that you never could. You were fascinated and she was in love.
You could never piece together exactly how things fell apart, but you know it was somehow your fault. She was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen and you still found yourself running from it, running from her.
"I'm not like this,"you kept saying to her, over and over. "I'm not like you. I can't live like this."
You recieved letters and post cards begging you to open your eyes, to face that life doesn't have to exist in your narrow reality. She would move wherever you wanted to live as long as she could be with you, you could be together. "I fucking love you," she would say. "Why can't you see that this is real?"
She never though you would fall in love with another woman. She had gone over and over it in her own mind, preparing herself for seeing you locking arms with your newest beau. When you told her you had met someone, the tears started to well.
"What's his name," she murmured as if she already knew.
"Kristin," you said, watching the tears roll of her pale skin and splash on her comforter, the one you used to cuddle under and talk through the night. You clung to her body, told her you would never love anyone the way that you loved her, and finally, reluctantly, moved to the door.

Hmm... I'm not sure any of those 'living biblically' would be particularly fond of my work. The only reason I am sharing this story with the rest of the bloggers is I feel this was a very important moment in my life. To read a text which blatantly shows it's disregard for my lifestyle makes the read a little uncomfortable. I am very close with gay people, have gay family members and friends, and support the gay community with every inch of my being. To say (or have someone else say) that all those cherished men and women are abominations is absolutely insane to me. I guess, if taken quite literally, this passage from the Bible only condemns homosexuality between two men, so lesbians must be in the clear! Woo hoo! Only kidding... I know this blog is a bit more personal, but I guess if you take the time to read the story you might understand where my discomfort stems from. I'm only thankful I am not closely linked with anyone who takes these 'rules' in the Bible quite as literally as others.

Fire and Ice

We've been asked recently to blog about the works of the Bible reflected in poetry or song. Every time I think about the Bible in relation to poetry, I think about Robert Frost's poem Fire and Ice:

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire
But if I had to perish twice
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
is also great
and would suffice.

Fire and ice are metaphorical representations of the religious 'coming' of the Lord but also mans great involvement in his own demise. Fire represents desire within every man which often leads to their own downfall, as desire often turns into lust and greed, things considered a sin in the eyes of God. Ice is a representation of the hatred which exists in all of us and has caused the world so much suffering. Though we haven't read or discussed this section yet in class (and, honestly, I've not read it yet), I know Biblical Prophecies exist about the 'end of the world as we know it'.

Isaiah, a prophet from the old testament, hinted at this Biblical prophecy in Isaiah 40:13:

Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to be his teacher or counselor? 14 Has the LORD ever needed anyone's advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best? 15 No, for all the nations of the world are nothing in comparison with him. They are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. 22 It is God who sits above the circle of the earth. The people below must seem to him like grasshoppers! ... 23 He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. 24 They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and their work withers. The wind carries them off like straw.

Isaiah goes even further to elaborate on the destruction the Lord will bring to the Earth after he has seen enough of man's sin:

The Lord is going to devastate the earth and leave it desolate. He will twist the earth's surface and scatter its people. 2 Everyone will meet the same fate-the priests and the people, slaves and masters, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, rich and poor. 3 The earth will lie shattered and ruined. The Lord has spoken and it will be done. 4 The earth dries up and withers; the whole world grows weak; both earth and sky decay. 5 The people have defiled the earth by breaking God's laws. ... 6 So God has pronounced a curse on the earth. Its people are paying for what they have done. Fewer and fewer remain alive. 7 The grapevines wither, and wine is becoming scarce. Everyone who was once happy is now sad, 8 and the joyful music of their harps and drums has ceased. 9 There is no more happy singing over wine; no one enjoys its taste any more. 10 In the city everything is in chaos, and people lock themselves in their houses for safety. 11 People shout in the streets because there is no more wine. Happiness is gone forever; it has been banished from the land. 12 The city is in ruins, and its gates have been broken down.

These Biblical passages prophesize God will bring great pain and suffering to the people of the earth, and Robert Frost's poem seems to suggest man will only be at fault for their sin against fellow man. The prophecy and the poem both imply that either we will all kill each other because of our own weaknesses or God will do it for us. Either way, we are all meeting the same bitter end by the same means.

Sweet Relief

The test was a success (relatively speaking)!

Does anyone else think it's absolutely excruciating to sit and correct them on the same day? Yes, I think so.... :)

Exam Preparation!

Test Question/Material:
1. The two authors of creation stories in genesis, J, P; Imagine God in his PJ's?
2. JEDPR
3. First five books of the bible: Torah, Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Levitucus, numbers Deuteronoy,
4. Torah, Nebahim, Ketuvim, Torah, Law, prophets, writing
5. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; three patriarchs.
6. How many sons did Jacob have? 12; 2 of which were by Rachel...Zoe & Ben.
7. What did Lynda think of Plotz? She hated him. Plotz thinks women are prostitutes, Lynda says they’re feminine metaphors of power, deception
8. Hosea: married a harlot, Israel is a harlot.
9. Lynda’s view of Lots daughters, passion and respect to procreate father’s seed.
10. Carl Eats Little Whinny Puppies with Gravy Asparagus: Creation, Exodus, Law, Wisdom, Prophecy, Gospel, Apocalypse
11. Vico’s ages: gods, heroes, men; Frye’s correlating stages of language: metaphor, metonymic, descriptive (demotic). *Frye says we should read the bible literally, as a child, what the text says is what it means, believe it for the sake or mythos, narrative
12. Mythos is the greek word for story
13. Repetitive Parallelism; example: handsome & good looking
14. Psalm 51, boy hits high note.
15. Circumcision is physical reminder of the covenant with God
16. Lacuna: Gaps in the text
17. Difference between Homer (not Simpson) and the bible: Homer describes everything, the bible leaves lacunas
18. Kerygma: revelation, a kind of language that blends revelation and proclamation.
19. Logos: story, words; has come to mean fact, truth; perhaps a true story about a talking snake.
20. Psyche: today means mind, back then meant “soul”.
21. Example of etiology: how did the elephant get its trunk, why do women give birth in pain? She listened to the snake. Why do snakes crawl on their bellies? Because the snake tempted, tricked Adam and Eve.
22. Archetype: a model narrative. Cain: archetype of fugitive.
23. Gnosticism: theology of philosophy, which locates salvation in knowledge. –Great definition Dr. Sexson. Movie: “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” See it.
24. Critical approach vs. traditional approach to the bible; critical = literary, scholarly approach; traditional = faith
25. Hubris: Tower of Babel, people who are to arrogant, excessive pride, so God jumbles their language.
26. Documentary Hypothesis: the first five books of the bile written by multiple authors. In a nutshell: that there were multiple authors of the bible.
27. Blogs: check the ones that have been brought up in class. Jason’s blog: colorful and inventive strategies to deal with hyperboles of bibles, but Jason explains that it’s metaphorical language; Occam’s Razor: the most likely answer is the simplest one. Nick’s blog on “The Lonely God”
28. Women in the bible, what were the writers worried about? Social Justice, Cultic purity, False Gods
29. Archetypes of Eve and Mary of women in the bible.

Ooofta! Just a bit nervous about el examen numero uno. Hope all goes well for everyone in the class!

Women in the Bible

The guest speaker for class was interesting, though I think she was disappointed that not many of us had more pressing questions about the role of women in the Bible. To be honest, I didn't find the guests presentation to be more centered around the role of women in the bible than any of our other classroom discussions, so I was a bit disappointed. Still, she brought to my attention some important points I have not been fully aware of while reading the Bible.

Important Point #1: Women are largely represented in the Bible in the form of metaphor.

Important Point #2: Gender Assymetry: Metaphors of masculinity are on the top while metaphors of feminity are on the bottom/distrusted/etc though many men in the Bible are represented as incredibly feminine characters.

Important Point #3: When Israel is mentioned in the Bible, is is over and over again likened to a woman and when it is likened to a woman SHE is always characterized as unfaithful. Why is that?

Important Point #4: Don't you dare say the women in the Bible are all prostitutes (at least not to our guest speaker)

Two things were most interesting to me during the presentation. Whenver I read about Lot and his Daughters, I get an uneasy feeling about the whole situation. After all, what kind of daughters would convince their own father to get so drunk he would sleep with them (and not just one of them, but the whole lot of them)? I have always thought about this story with a modern twist and this would just not be considered 'ok' in our society, no matter what kind of tale a person would like to spin around it. After the presentation, I realized Lot's daughters were no fools, rapists, or rabid incestual beings; they were simply level headed and like minded women who were trying to preserve their history. They certainly were not doing it for pleasure or because they secretly had a dark wish to sleep with their own father. These women, like so many women in the Bible, are the turning points in the story and the men would be nowhere without the women. Maybe they weren't sick... they were smart.

The other interesting thing to me about the class was her representation of the 'menstruating female' in the Bible. There is nothing about a menstruating female the Bible likes, made abundantly clear by all the rules laid out for those who come in contact with a woman on her period. Dr. Sexson has mentioned this in class before, but if people still felt presently the way they used to feel about menstruation, men would have time to do little else but scrub and cleanse themselves. Actually it would probably be pretty comical to see that happening all the time. I was having a discussion about this with a male friend of mine and he said he would rather not discuss 'periods' because he does not care for them. He does not CARE for them? Well, it's a good thing he doesn't have to actually have them once a month, never has to carry a child to term, and will NEVER have to go through the absolutely painful and wonderful experience of child birth. As a woman, reading the Bible's take on menstruation was pretty difficult for me, especially when I think of the men who probably instituted those rules.

Blasphemy Day?

Apparently September 30th has been declared 'Blasphemy Day'. At first, I thought this was just a joke but I guess it is a serious event complete with a 'Blasphemy Contest' in which contestants compete with poems, literature, music, art, etc. to see who can be the most blasphemous or sacreligous. I had no idea such a day even existed. Apparently, this day was created in order to encourage people to declare their contempt for God as a way of promoting freedom of expression. I won't go in to much more detail, but I just thought this was interesting ... and a bit ridiculous.

While trying to read the Bible, I have been thinking a lot about the term lacunae, and there is no shortage of those in the Bible. The Bible is so full of these gaps and spaces I think it's no wonder there are so many questions when people actually get around to reading it. After taking a class based on rhetoric last semester, I studied the role of those 'gaps' in a text and how they make the text or argument weaker or stronger.

For the most part, these spaces allow the reader to fill up the pages with their own thoughts, ideas, opinions, and/or beliefs and interpret a text in a very specific way. When I'm reading a piece of literature and my thoughts are more focused on what the writer left out rather than the text at hand, I have found mixed results. Most often, I am able to understand the text at a deeper level because I am able to inject my own opinion in to the text. What do I think should happen here? Where do I think the text should go from here and what would make the most sense to me if it were inserted here? Other times, having those gaps in the text makes me feel incredibly lost and confused and find the questions in my mind to be too overwhelming. When this happens, I often put down the text.

I still have been having trouble getting in to the Bible, not because I feel like the stories are boring, but because I feel like they might be a bit repetitive and incredibly redundant. I have been doing some research on the story of Jacob and his family, and it is widely believed that God works through suffering and adversity to teach people how to depend on him. This seems to be a trend in the stories of the Bible...

The LGBT Rainbow

In class, Professor Sexson mentioned God produced a rainbow in the sky after the flood to assure Noah that he would never again develop something like that on earth. The rainbow in this part of the Bible is sort of God's 'peace offering'.

Coincidentally, the rainbow I am familar with is used as a symbol to unite the Gay, Bi, Lesbian, and Transgender community around the world - Hot pink for sexuality, Red for life, Orange for healing, Yellow for the sun, Green for nature, Blue for art, Indigo for harmony, and Violet for spirit.

God created the colors of the rainbow as a symbol of peace, and homosexuals everywhere have adopted these same colors to show their pride and independence and their desire to find a peaceful place in society with equal rights. I think it's ironic the words of the Bible condemn homosexuality and still the symbol the LGBT community has adopted universally is the rainbow, even though this symbol was supposedly created by a God whose violent opposition to that lifestyle and community is quite apparent.

Oh, Paulette

I decided to take a drive home a couple of weekends ago and found myself taking a long drive with my mom talking about her upbringing and what the Bible has meant to her over the years. Growing up, my mom and dad always gave us the option to go to sunday school or opt for staying home, and never gave us the Bible as a source of reading material, educational, recreational, or otherwise. I always found this quite surprising because my mother was raised by her very religious Irish Catholic parents. She was forced to attend every single church function and even had to take three weeks of Catechism every summer to learn about the Bible and become a true "Catholic".

One afternoon while driving in the Beartooths, I started asking Paulette (my wonderful mother) questions about her experience with reading the Bible, and she admitted she had little experience with it because there was one thing that always troubled her. She taught at a very early age that God was a most wrathful, vengeful, and powerful person and would be sure to come out of the heavens and strike her down if she misbehaved as a child, something she always had a problem with. She ended up giving up on organized religion and reading the Bible for any sort of reason because she just couldn't believe the stories told about the man who was supposed to be the Creator of all man kind. She always has been one hell of a practical person.

I found our conversation interesting because I was always under the impression that God was about forgiveness, love, and universal well-being, so I thought maybe the crazy Catholic's just had a different spin on things. So far, my reading of the Bible has shown me that God really is portrayed, more often than not, as an incredibly powerful, hot tempered, and wrathful individual, not one 'compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, [or] abounding in kindness or faithfulness' as it reads in Chapter 34 of Exodus.

God created man in his image, then God tried to teach man how to live a righteous life. So far, he doesn't seem like an incredibly patient teacher, but I guess we will see if he is portrayed differently later in the book.

Ignorance and Immortality

First, I am interested to see the seminar about the role of women in the Bible. I was bothered a bit my Plotz ‘writing them off’ in his account and am anxious to see another spin on women’s roles. Women have to do subtle, deceptive things in the Bible in order to accomplish anything as they are otherwise powerless, right? October 1^st will be interesting for sure…

I am more interested in the role of the serpent than I have ever been in various readings of the Bible. It is coming along slowly, I will admit. The Serpent assumes the role of temptation, desire, and is considered a bad thing in Genesis. Professor Sexson mentioned today in class that the snake was not always thought of as bad or evil…but where and when? This is the first mention of a serpent in the Bible as far as I am aware, and what exists before this reading? What exactly exists before the Bible as a piece of literature?

In Genesis, the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die’. Why, then, was this even considered by Adam or Eve? Were Adam and Eve aware of the concept of death or even frightened by it? I am trying to understand if knowledge and fear were instilled in Adam and Eve only after they took a bite from the forbidden fruit, and if this is the case, why would God feel as though Adam and Eve would be frightened of his “threats”. Did they even know how to feel threatened? They didn’t even know how to be shameful until they ate of the forbidden fruit.

If, in fact, Adam and Eve were aware of the threat to their lives on Earth, were they aware what death would bring to them? God should have kept his word and killed both of them. The story would be in complete and utter ruin, wouldn’t it? I am probably confusing the hell out of anyone reading this, but I really am trying to make a point. Why would God tell Adam and Eve they would die if they ate of the fruit, when really, they were not killed? The story would have to have been completely different had God killed Eve when he heard of her tasting the fruit. Where would the story of Bible be, then? I would be interested to see where human beings would end up in all of this if someone were to do a re-write. Would God just create another Eve? Would the new Eve be able to avoid temptation and stay away from the cunning serpent? If the Bible is supposed to be an account of life on Earth as we know it, I would hate to see what human beings would be like if the whole 'Garden of Eden' thing never happened, or happened differently. Oh, ignorance and immortality…

Joseph and his Brothers

POETRY KEEPS THE METAPHORICAL USE OF LANGUAGE ALIVE!
AMEN FOR POETRY!

I wanted to find a poem that had some beautiful metaphors about Joseph and his brothers, but I could only come up with this one. It's definitely not what I was looking for, but gets the point of the story across. If anyone has a better poetic interpretation of the story, you should let me know... I'm sure there's a much better one.

Joseph The Dreamer

by Jody Dickey

Joseph was a shepherd boy
who attended to his Father
sheep and goats
He was Jacob's pride and joy
he loved him more than his other sons.
For this Joseph's Brothers hated him
they wanted to commit an awful sin.
They thought Joseph was a weak lad
nothing more than a dreamer who
had his head in the clouds.
Their hatred for him grew
they wanted to kill him and that was wrong
He was never going to be strong
like they are for their Father
jealousy had blacken their souls.
Joseph was not envious or petty
for anything that his brothers had
he was grateful and loved everyone.
Jacob made Joseph a shepherd's coat
beautifully colored like a rainbow.
Joseph's Brothers taunted him miserably
"That is a robe fit for a King
not a poor shepherd boy attending to goats
with a head full of dreams"
One day when Joseph was in the field
attending to the sheep and goats,
his Brothers tied him up and sold him
to a camel driver to keep.
They took away his beautiful coat
and killed one of the sheep
then they drained the blood
on the coat staining the rainbow
They hurried to tell Jacob that Joseph
had been killed by a wild beast
that carried his body off in the woods.
While their Father mourned Joseph's death
they celebrated and feast
The camel driver needed money
so he sold Joseph to a man named Potiphar.
Many years had passed, but Jacob kept the coat
that was stained and never stop caring
Times were getting hard, the land became barren
the people and the animals were starving.
There was no food for Jacob family to eat
hearing there was grain in Egypt
He sent ten of his sons to buy the grain.
During these years Joseph became
the governor of the land.
Selling grain to the people was his duty
seeing his Brothers he pretended
he was a stranger, and in an angry voice.
He accused them of being spies,
They bowed down to him
Pleading "we are honest, we would not lie"
Then Joseph said, "I am your Brother
is Father still living"?
The Brother were so scared for surely
he would sentence them to death.
But Joseph gave each a hug told them
they were forgiven
Not to be angry with their selves
for what they had done.
It was God's will to send him ahead
so he could save their lives.
Joseph the dreamer sent them home
to bring back their father so they all
Could live in a better land.
He would teach his Brothers
how to be good sons
Joseph knew if he was forgiving and shared
he was the stronger better man.

Abstinence

The Bible has been shocking to read this semester in many ways, but most shocking have been the tales of sexual escapades in the Bible. Reading David Plotz has helped me wade through the abyss of the Bible's many intricacies and also urged me to stay good humored about it, but I sometimes I just don't want to go on reading. Sometimes the Bible ends up being exactly the opposite of everything I thought it would be.

Until Genesis 39...

In this chapter, Joseph is confronted by a slave mistress who asks him repeatedly to 'lie with her'. Any other character in the Bible thus far would have done just that, but Joseph repeatedly rejects the woman. Even when the woman threatens to frame Joseph for rape, he refuses. Joseph stands as an unmarried, young adult male, and still is able to resist the temptation of a slave woman. I can't say the same for other characters; even their blood relation to another person won't stop them from having 'relations'. Joseph has breathed new life into the Bible for me. Plotz' take on the whole thing is quite amusing:

'Josephs willpower, in other words, is rooted in his faith and God's love. So far Genesis has described straight rape, attempted gay rape, father-daughter incest, coitus interruptus with a dead brother's wife, sex with one's own wife, sex with the wrong wife, sex with a concubine, sex with dad's concubine, and sex with a prostitute who is also a daughter-in-law. In any situation in which sex is available, men seize it. What's remarkable about Joseph is that he is the first person to resist sexual temptation. He's the best - or perhaps only - biblical argument for abstinence-based sex education' (28).

Amen.

Repetative Parallelism

REPETATIVE PARALLELISM. The number 1 reason why I have always abhorred reading the Bible. Now I can finally give it a name that makes sense! Whenever I pick up the Bible, I find myself complaining outwardly, but most often inwardly, that 'the damn thing just repeats itself, over and over and over'. I have never had patience as far as this is concerned. NEVER. This is a more proper definition:

Repetative Parallelism - Commonly used in Hebrew poetry, a technique in which one term is balanced/repeated by another (typically in the next verse)

I'm glad I can finally put a definition to the idea.

I love you, David Plotz

I am becoming irritable with the postman; I should be reading Northrop Frye but it has not been delivered to my patiently waiting hands just yet. I have read up to the Book of Deuteronomy according to Plotz and am, quite frankly, relieved that we have this reading material to go along with the actual Bible I am supposed to read. I am trying to read it. Mostly I have been looking at the cover of my Harper Collins Study Bible and thinking, "Do I really want to start reading this again"? I must, I must, I must...

The biggest challenge for me is going to be separating the Bible from all the religious elements it is attached to. We are supposed to be reading the Bible as a piece of literature separate from the mark it has been given by those around the world who consider themselves 'of the faith'. Religion has always been an area of supreme aggravation for me, and where better to direct that aggravation than at the Bible? In the past, it has always been fun to bring up the Bible in a heated debate with someone 'of the faith' and then point out the many ways in which their religion contradicts the Bible and everything it stands for. After reading a bit of the Bible and some of what David Plotz has to say about it, I think I have been very wrong in my arguments.

I thought the Bible was filled with stories of the good and the kind, forgiveness and acceptance, etc., etc., etc. Boy, I think I just may have been wrong. This quotation from David Plotz stuck out in my mind:
'The Garden of Eden, David and Goliath, Noah's Ark, sure. But the founding fathers of Israel lying, breaching a contract, encouraging pagans to convert to Judaism only in order to cripple them for slaughter, massacring defenseless innocents, enslaving women and children, pillaging and profiteering, and then justifying it all with an appeal to their sister's defiled honor? Not on the syllabus'. (2)
Remind me again why the Bible as a piece of literature has been given the nickname 'The Good Book'? I am certain this does not make any sense right now...

Plotz gives a very specific introduction with helpful hints on how to read his book. To me, 'The Good Book' itself is a helpful hint to reading the Bible and maintaining a sense of humor along the way. I truly believe there will be days when the Bible will lay on my bookshelf, absolutely untouched; other days I will probably be throwing it at the wall. I am not very impressed with my 'oh-so-positive' attitude about the Bible. Like Professor Sexson said, that's my problem. I need an attitude adjustment.