So, far I believe the class to be going as expected. I’m actually surprised with some of the information that I am learning about the Bible and the studies and stories that pertain to it. I expect the experience of learning new and interesting things in this course to continue. I assume the weekly blogs will be insightful for most of us, as I’m predicting we will be writing on topics and issues that may be new to us or something that we may have never put deep thought into.
As most students would agree, I am taking this course primarily to fulfill Xavier’s core graduation requirements. However, I did have numerous choices in which particular theology class to register for. My basis for selecting this course in particular was not only to heighten my awareness of my current faith, but to gain a deeper understanding of perhaps the most famous, influential literary work- the Bible.
I grew up in a household with a Baptist mother and a Christian, turned Muslim, turned simply a believer father. I’ve always been open to new religions being as one particular faith was not dominant or forced in my household. As a young child I was introduced the Bible, the Qur’an as well as numerous daily nondenominational inspirational books. Though I was introduced to the Bible I’ve never really found a strong interest to study it, academically. I bring it to church, I read the scriptures during the service and later at home read over what was read in church. Beyond that, I don’t know much about the Bible’s history. I’ve never read the bible from cover to cover, surprised? But, hopefully in my lifetime I will have that accomplished. Many times people take the Bible for it’s face value. However, I do think that over the course of this semester, I will gain an interest in the actual study of the Bible, not necessarily the stories of the bible, but particularly the historical origins and settings from which these stories take place. Knowing the history will have a snowball effect on my understanding of the stories and the language of the bible, which in turn should enlighten my faith.
As my professional vocation, I plan to become a Dermatologist. This is a medial doctor who specializes in the diseases and conditions of the skin, hair, and nails. Having had family members, friends, as well as myself experience different dermatological conditions, my interest in this field was heightened. As with any field of medicine, the philosophy of ethics plays a major role. With the advancement of technology and medical options/procedures, the topic of bioethics ( health ethics) has become increasingly important. There has become a very crucial task in trying to develop morally correct decisions on tough and controversial medical issues. These issues affect not only today’s medical personnel, but society as a whole, since everyone has an interest in their health. Issues such as abortion and euthanasia are common issues upon which people often have religious based standpoints. As another, less common example, certain pharmacist refused to distribute birth controls due to the said confliction these pills and their distribution it raised with their particular religions view on reproductive contraception. Members of the Jehovah’s Witness area of faith have refused blood transfusion treatment for themselves as well as their dependents when needed, due to their faith’s stance on the matter. This type of situation is an ethical issue that has arisen in the on behalf of religious obedience. It is no secret that religion or the lack thereof plays some type of role in every branch of society from the government down to the school system, and hospitals to the home. Nothing is exempt from the umbrella of religion. That being said, my foreseen profession as Dermatologist will also be subject to religious based criticism. Some of the procedures typically performed by dermatologists may be seen as solely superficial (rightfully so) and not medically pertinent. Ideas of what I mean: Botox injections for wrinkles, laser removal of freckles/moles/hair, restylane lip injections, etc. ( and the list goes on). Some may argue that these types of procedures conflict with the God’s plan for us; specifically our appearance. In this sense, yes religion, indirectly, plays a role in my planned profession, or at least how this profession is perceived.
I have read the Course Commitments that are outlined on the Theology 1120 website. I agree with and will abide by the policies stated. I did not come across anything that was not reasonable. It’s nice when professors outline everything that is expected of you as a student in their course; this way there is no confusion on the student’s behalf. On to the Bible…
586 BCE is an important date as it relates to the Bible because is marks the year of the invasion of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. It marks the start of a period known as Diaspora when Jews lived in exile. All the temples were burned in Jerusalem. Lamentations is a collection of poems ( 5) that describe the horrible accounts and the feelings after the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem- thus the root word “lament”. I wasn’t able to read and be a part of the discussion on Lamentations with the class ( registration issues), however I have managed to read it on my own; Very poetic and eerily interesting, might I add.
There are some very interesting parallels between the explicit feelings portrayed in Lamentations and the feelings that possessed the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after the destruction of hurricane Katrina. One that sticks out without any deep analyzing is the sense of abandonment and possibly even betrayal. The people of Jerusalem as, eloquently illustrated by the anonymous author of Lamentations, felt as if they went left “hanging”- so to speak. And their sorrow for this destruction is painfully expressed, however in the midst of it all there seems to still be some hope for the future, and more than an ounce of faith in God.
These are the same feelings of lament that were embodied by the people of New Orleans and surrounding areas after the destruction/corruption of hurricane Katrina. The people were treated as subhuman, as If being suddenly homeless wasn’t enough. There is the old saying “ You shouldn’t kick a man when he’s down…” however I don’t think our government was fond of this type of wisdom. A discussion of this sort could go on for pages however at this point in post-Katrina life, I think the feelings are clear. Most are still suffering from the pain and destruction, none-the-less there is still some optimism floating in the air…take some time to inhale.

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