Once we had evacuated  for hurricane katrina I felt as if it was just another hurricane and I would be back on Tuesday at school with my friends but to my surprise I was totally wrong. My family and I ended up going to to Shreveport, LA with our extended family. I never realized that being away from home so long would have any type of affect on me. When living with my other family members I realized different things about each and every one of them. Some of the stuff I discovered was good and others no so pleasing but this experience definitely made me thankful for the great family I have.

So far, I am really enjoying class. I honestly thought that the whole class would just be a big conversation about boring facts of the Bible that no one wanted hear. On the contrary, Dr. Homan really seems to be in touch with his students and how we operate and see the world. To be completely honest so far being in this class has open my eyes on new levels. Such as, the way I interpret things or scriptures of the Bible and how to read others but also point out new and interesting points of views on certain topics. I am currently taking this course because it is required but now I definitely see that I will learn some new things. My expecations for this class is to be able to interpret certain scriptures in the Bible and learn how everyone else in the world sees the Bible and their thoughts on it.

I must say that I have been in church all my life. I was taught that the  Bible is the key to heaven and it clearly states rules that we must follow in order to live God fearing lives. Being a Catholic I feel as if we are all united. I have  been attending CCD classes as well as other workshops since I was in kindergarten. My parents have definitely instilled alot of values with me using the Bible as a source of reference. I firmly believe the Bible is a sacred and holy book and can be used to encourage and enlighten those who have lost their way.

My major is Biology Pre-med with a minor in Chemistry. I would have to say that Xavier made Theology a course requirement because they want their students to be well rounded and not just completely focused on their major alone. I believe Xavier wants their students to be able to have educated conversations with anyone about any topic. They want their students to reach beyond Pharmacy, Math, Biology or whatever and actually be able to say that they have been exposed to certain topics and are greatly educated on it. Personally I hope that the material I learn from this class I will be able to use it as a source or guide to help me pursue  my future goals. Not only would this class help with my professional vocation of being a doctor or nurse but also as a person. I want to learn and discover new things about myself that I have yet to find and judging so far I think this class can help me reach that goal.

I am completely committed to the course commitments and requirements.  I know that by following the rules stated I can get the most out of the class.

586 BCE is a key event in the Bible the city of Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians. Under the rule and order of King Nebuchadnezzar the city of  Jerusalem was to be burned down along with citizens of the city to be forced into exile and as well as demolishing the Temple. But only a small amount of the citizens of the city returned years later.

The book of Lamentations basically refers to the destruction of the city and many of the events that are related to it. The book of Lamentations describes some of the horrors that occured at this time. Some of these horrifc scenes included the people going through famine and depression and also access to Jerusalem being denied to anyone. Another tragic scene that took place in this story was how King Nebuchadnezzar had King Zedekiah punished by having him watch the gruesome execution of his son. Not only did he watch his son die but he was blinded and then sent to the Babylonian dungeon, where he would spend the rest of his life.

The parallels between Jerusalem and New Orleans were the aftermaths. Once katrina had hit no one but only limited people were allowed entry into the city everyone else was denied just like in Jerusalem. And just like the people of Jerusalem the citizens of New Orleans expected to come back to a normal life but to their surprise there was nothing. Because the area was so badly damagaed people were forced to move into new and different areas. Alot of people lost the only things they had. Many outsiders said that hurricane katrina was a punishment for doing such bad things as were the people of Jerusalem. This was a sign from God that things needed change and needed to change now.

The Merneptah Stele is a stone slab that is engraved with numerous descriptions of the Merneptah’s military victories. The Merneptah Stele is very significant it is the first object to be mention Israel besides the Bible. The Merneptah Stele can also be referred to as the Israel Stele. I feel this stone slab is significant and important to our studies in class because it gives a sense of history and a whole different culture.  This will open a door for us to be able to step into a new world and discover new things and learn about the history and culutre of other nations and not just focus on our own.

The purpose of the story of Babe Ruth in class was to show us evidence of how stories can easily be manipulated and twisted or re-worded to make it sound better. Or possibly add more significance and excitement to the story. Just like Babe Ruth, the Bible has been rewritten by those who think they may have a better idea of what happened with certain events and miracles.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 31st, 2009 at 10:14 pm and is filed under Week 01: Background. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.