I want to thank everyone for the positive feedback on my project. I want to especially thank Framiz for the idea of making this a class effort. Since so many people in the class are addressing the poverty issue, maybe we can join forces and make this an even bigger effort. My grandma usually says, “The more the merrier,” and I definitely think this applies to the issue of poverty. If we all work together, we can spread the word about poverty farther and lend a greater helping hand. Some people can volunteer at Second Harvesters, while others volunteer at The New Orleans Mission, and even, more volunteer at The Salvation Army. We can set up food stops all around the New Orleans area, Metairie, and, even, Laplace. I think we can make this big. The more people we get involved the greater effort we can have on this issue. The greater then impact, the more lives we can change or begin to change. Even if we can’t help the masses and change the lives of everyone, our efforts will make a difference in the lives of at least one; and that’s what counts. For those classmates who are addressing poverty and want to make this a team effort, email me at dwhite9@xula.edu.

For me, I would have to say on the spectrum of good to bad role models; the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) vary with intensity. The first patriarch is Abraham, whom I think is a great role model. He obeyed God and followed God’s every command on his life. When God tested Abraham and told him to go upon the mountain and sacrifice his only son, Isaac; Abraham did so without hesitation. In the end of this test, due to Abraham faithfulness to God, God provided Abraham with a burnt offering, sparing his son, and establishing the Abrahamic Covenant, which details that Abrahams descendents will be as numerous as the stars. I consider Abraham a good role model because he sets the tone of what a servant of God should be; faithful no matter what the consequences may be. In doing so, Abraham reminds his followers, those that look to him as a role model, to be obedient to God and he will surely bless you. The second patriarch is Isaac. Isaac is a mediocre role model. He didn’t do anything that would make him a bad role model, but neither did make his mark and do anything worthwhile, like his father, to be considered a great role model. The third and last patriarch is Jacob, whom I consider to be a bad role model. Jacob is a bad role model because he steals his twin brother’s, Esau, birthright. Since his father, Isaac, is blind Jacob tricks his father into giving Jacob his [Isaac] blessing. He deceives his father by putting goat hair on his arms and neck and Esau’s coat on in order to feel and smell like Esau when he goes unto his father. He is successful. Jacob is a bad role model because he breaks several commandments. By lying to his father, the main commandment Jacob breaks is honoring thy father and thy mother. For anyone to be considered a good role model or he/ she should follow the 10 commandments and live them.

The matriarchs are Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah. The matriarchs, whom I consider to be bad role models, are Sarah and Rebekah. Sarah is a bad matriarch because she forces Abraham, the greatest patriarch, to sleep with Hagar, even though God told her he will give her a son. Being the obedient man he is, Abraham listens to her. Then, Sarah kicks, both, Hagar and the son, Ishmael, out. I consider Sarah a bad role model because she purposely goes against God and incorporates others into her scheme. Rebekah is a bad role model as well. She assists Jacob in deceiving Isaac in stealing Esau’s birthright. As matriarchs, Rachel and Leah aren’t given much importance. They are just married to the patriarch Jacob and give birth to his children. Thus, I can’t label them as good or bad role models.

“Thy shall not kill.” The 6^th commandment is my favorite. I like this commandment because it is very simple. Do not kill. There can be no misconceptions or misunderstanding in this commandment. It is very clear-cut and simply worded. It is very important for us to spread the word of this commandment because it seems this is the most common commandment being disobeyed. In a previous blog, I declared crime, particularly murder, one of the 3 biggest crimes plaguing the world. In New Orleans, or anywhere else, you cannot watch the news without hearing of some type of killing. This is getting so bad that we have 13 and 14 year old boys killing people. Murder is a new hobby; people do it just for the fun of it. Some people are just bored with their lives and have nothing else to do but kill leisurely. This is ridiculous and needs to stop. We, as a people, should strictly enforce the “thy shall not kill” commandment.

Ancient Near Eastern Suzerain-Vassal treaties were treaties between kings. The treaties detailed agreements that each king must honor in respect to the other. They included pacts such as returning run-away slaves, respecting one another’s boundaries, and maintaining trade relations. It also talks about what will happen to one party if any of the agreements were broken. In this treaty, the more powerful king is considered the suzerain and the lesser king is the vassal. The Decalogue fits into the ancient near eastern suzerain-vassal treaties because it too is a treaty. The Decalogue, like the suzerain-vassal treaty, lays out the laws we (vassal) must follow in order to respect the suzerain (God). It also talks about the ramifications that will happen if the commandment is broken. For example, the 5^th commandment says, “Honor thy father and mother, so your days may be longer.” Honor thy father and they mother is the commandment we must follow, while “so your days may be longer” is the ramification.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at 4:24 pm and is filed under Week 05: Respond & Logo. 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.