The Psalms Through Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine's suggestions offered in his second book are good suggestions when reading in anything not just religious texts, so yes they could most certainly be applied to the Psalms. When Augustine talks about needing knowledge to correctly interpret stories, this can directly apply to our class reading the psalms. If I knew more about the history of Jerusalem or more bible stories, I would be much better at understanding the references in the Psalms. There is also the general knowledge about that time of certain plants or animals or practices that we would not pick up on simply because we don't know everything about their way of life. Another idea of Saint Augustine's that seems evident in the Psalms is that ideas are repeated. If there is a passage that you don't understand in the Psalms it's ok because it is extremely likely that the ideas expressed in that passage are also expressed in another psalm that is probably easier to understand. This sentiment was expressed in class on Monday. Several people mentioned that they felt the subject matter of the Psalms was a bit repetitive. Lastly Augustine's idea of cross referencing translations to extract the true meaning of the author was used in our reading of the Psalms. The footnotes on multiple occasions provided explanations for why Alter chose the words he used and what other translator have chosen to give the reader a greater understanding of the verse .

Blessing of the Animals

Today on cnn.com I stumbled upon this picture accompanied by the caption in bold.

Sabine Bradley carries her two green iguanas, Munchkin and Lola, after they were sprinkled with holy water by Cardinal Roger Mahony at the annual Blessing of the Animals in Los Angeles, California, US.

In class we were talking about how a function of religion is to divide animals and nature from humans, and I felt this blessing ceremony gave an interesting message about how animals are treated. I had never heard about the Blessing of the Animals before, so I did a bit of reading on the subject. For what I've been able to find it seems that several Christian sects and some Jewish practice this ritual. From what I can tell the animals are brought to church and sprinkled with holy water along with the usually readings from the bible or psalms and singing. The general message is one of thanks to god for these animals and all they do for us and also to asking god to protect the animals. This kind of prayer would make since in times when lots of people were heavily dependent on their livestock. Many people believe this ceremony is for St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures, but it is still under dispute. St. Francis' feast day is on Oct. 4 so some groups have the blessing corresponding times, but the ceremony in Los Angeles pictured above does not. It takes place in the spring. Most of the websites that mention the blessing of the animals say something about the relationship between god, people, and animals. One site even had a quote from the bible I think saying that god gives the birds food and shelter and he will do the same for us, so we shouldn't worry about the material but on serving/honoring god because god will provide what we need as he does with the animals. I thought that bible verse was an interesting way to justify worshiping god and not worrying about being poor or hungry.

Anyway, this blessing of the animals makes me wonder if this ceremony is another way to enforce the division between man and animal thus further asserting our human dominance, or if this ceremony brings animals or maybe just domestic animals a step closer to god than we thought. To me sprinkling holy water on animals makes my think of baptism, so I think that this is a way to maybe make animals "more religious" by bringing them closer to god.

Below: Cardinal Roger Mahony splashing holy water on a snake. Mahony has been in charge of this blessing of the animals in Los Angeles for the last 20 years.

In my last post I discussed that religion is a process. Ideas are constantly borrowed, built upon, and made into something different in religion all the time. So in response to the question is it problematic that elements of this God have been borrow from other religions traditions, I say no, it just shows where Christianity came from. God's public image has changed multiple times since his conception. Johnathan Edwards' sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" illustrates the view of God as a wrathful God. Today this view is not a popular one today. Most people today I think see God as compassionate. Most of the psalms portray God in neither a compassionate or angry light. They show God as a person who defends/saves his people and gives them the power to fight their enemies. The psalms imply that if you don't follow God's laws then you should be afraid of the consequences, but it doesn't strike in me the same way that Edwards' sermon does.

"What Religion Are You" Quiz

I found this quiz on the internet. You answer the questions according to the directions, and the results show you which religion is closest to your beliefs. I'm taking it with a grain of salt but I thought it was interesting.

Here's the link: http://www.selectsmart.com/RELIGION/

Where Does Religion Come From?

There are so many religions in the world, and no one has the exact same beliefs despite what religion they are. To me this seems to indicate that religion is man made, and I suppose I really mean that all of the religions today are man made. I think that there is something intangible about the world that links everything together, and I guess you could call that a higher power, but I think that this power applies to everyone equally and doesn't require anything to work; it is innate. People can realize that our actions affect everyone and act accordingly or they can not think about it when they make decisions. Religions, as Ali pointed out in class, tended to make "rules and stories" to enforce behavior for some purpose other than strictly this is what god said, like the marriage rules. As I've said before, religion and its rituals serve to reinforce to hierarchy or social structures in societies. An example of this would be witchcraft in certain societies in Ghana. Since people do not want to be accused of witchcraft it serves as a check on deviant behavior, and it enforces society's structure because you aren't allowed to accuse the aristocrats.Also religions borrow or build upon other religions. The first or second day of class I think we said religion was a process, and this evolution of religion shows that religion is at least strongly affected by the changing factors in society, if not a direct result. An example of building upon other religions can be found in the similarities between bible stories and Sumerian stories that are thousands of years older than the Old Testament. The following are lines taken from Babylonian cuneiform compared to lines from the bible story of Noah. Babylonian cuneiform: The gods decide to make a flood. The God Ea warns Artarthasis to build a ship. Artarhasis is to take his family and animals aboard. The flood turns mankind into clay. The ship grounds on Mount Nisir. Artarhasis learns when the waters have subsided by sending out a dove, a swallow, and a raven. He offers sacrifice to the gods. The gods smelled the sweet savor. The god Enlil blesses Artarhasis and his wife. From Genesis: The Lord decides to destroy wicked mankind. The Lord warns Noah to build an ark. Noah is to take his family and animals aboard. The flood destroys all flesh. The ark comes to rest on the Ararat Mountains. Noah learns when the waters have subsided by sending out a dove, a swallow, and a raven. he offers sacrifice to the Lord. The Lord smells the pleasing odor. God blesses Noah and his sons. In other religions too, one sees lots of symbols that are borrowed.

Because of the wide varieties of religion, and the process in which they are created I believe religion according to Geertz's definition is man made.

Psalm II

I think the second psalm generates a similar feeling for its original readers and for the early Americans that of assurance, "God is on their side". The Jews and early Americans faced slightly different problems and that is where I think the psalm could take on a different meaning from each group. America was fighting over land with the Native Americans, but there is also the tension between the Americans and British over independence.

In our translation the psalm uses the word nations, but the Bay Psalm Book the word used is heathen. Now heathen has a negative connotation, and I think of it as something like savage; however, heathen originally meant a person who isn't Christian or of any religion. I think in this cause we can guess that heathen refers to anyone not Christian. The Native Americans were not Christian, and with this psalm the Americans could have rationalized their taking of the Indians land. In the psalm God says "Aske thou of me, and I will give the Heathen for thy lot." It's as if god has said "Go and take their land. I'm giving to you."

Another change that generates feelings relevant to the American Revolution is the wording of line three. This line in my opinion is very ambiguous, but the the Bay Psalm Book seems less so. When it states "their cords bee from us throwne", I get the impression the "us" has been imprisoned, and God's power will help to them escape. Similarly the Americans have been subjugated by the British and hope that God will be on their side and help to save them.

Finally on line 12 of the Bay Psalm Book it says "kisse yee the Sonne", which I think may refer to Jesus the son of God. If this is the case, it illustrates Christianity's rise and also gives us an idea of the beliefs held by the Americans at this time.

This feeling of assurance I think can also be seen in other early American ideas such as Manifest Destiny. These ideas about God persist even today as evident in Bob Dylan's song "With God on Our Side" which is posted below with the lyrics, and also in George Carlin's routine "God Bless America", also posted below.



With God On Our Side
Oh my name it is nothin'/ My age it means less/The country I come from/ Is called the Midwest/ I's taught and brought up there/ The laws to abide/ And that land that I live in/ Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it/ They tell it so well/ The cavalries charged/ The Indians fell/ The cavalries charged/ The Indians died/ Oh the country was young/ With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American/ War had its day/ And the Civil War too/ Was soon laid away/ And the names of the heroes/ I's made to memorize/ With guns in their hands/ And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys/ It closed out its fate/ The reason for fighting/ I never got straight/ But I learned to accept it/ Accept it with pride/ For you don't count the dead/ When God's on your side.

When the Second World War/ Came to an end/ We forgave the Germans/ And we were friends/ Though they murdered six million/ In the ovens they fried/ The Germans now too/ Have God on their side.

I've learned to hate Russians/ All through my whole life/ If another war starts/ It's them we must fight/ To hate them and fear them/ To run and to hide/ And accept it all bravely/ With God on my side.
But now we got weaponsOf the chemical dustIf fire them we're forced toThen fire them we mustOne push of the buttonAnd a shot the world wideAnd you never ask questionsWhen God's on your side.

In a many dark hour/ I've been thinkin' about this That Jesus Christ/ Was betrayed by a kiss/ But I can't think for you/ You'll have to decide/ Whether Judas Iscariot/ Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'/ I'm weary as Hell/ The confusion I'm feelin'/ Ain't no tongue can tell/ The words fill my head/ And fall to the floor/ If God's on our side/ He'll stop the next war.

Mound Fun Fact and a Thought about Science

If you remember talking about the Poverty Point mound complex in Louisiana, here is a fun fact about them. To build the complex would have taken more than three million man-hours of labor with hundreds, maybe thousands, of people hauling dirt in baskets in an organized, planned effort.

Also an idea that I don't want to forget so I'm going to write it down. Is a function of religion to give us a soul? Do we have souls and what are they? Has science explained the soul? All of the religions I can think of deal with a soul, something spiritual. I think if we are going to call science a religion we should answer some of these questions.

Truth

Since this post can be about whatever thoughts we have about religion I choose to write about truth. When I listen to people talk about their religion, my biggest question is how can you tell other people that their beliefs are wrong and yours are right. At least most of the Christians that I have spoken to say that you have to believe in Jesus to get into heaven ... so most of the world is going to hell? I can't agree with that. People from many different religions all think that their religion is the truth, but is any religion true? This is why I like Geertz's definition that says "an aura of factuality", because no religion is actually fact. No one religion can be proven completely true.

Effigy Mounds

The Effigy Mounds built in the Late Woodland Period are a good example of Geertz's definition of religion. The mounds are part of a system of symbols that influences thoughts and behavior and provides the Native Americans with explanations and ideas about their world. First we can prove that the effigy mounds are not shaped because it is more aesthetically pleasing, but that they are in fact symbolic. This is shown by the connection between the shapes of the mounds and the pictures found on pottery and the repetition of those pictures both on pottery and in the form of mounds. It is also clear that the ideas symbolized affect the peoples actions, for example in the building of the mounds or the rituals and ceremonies of the people that center around the mounds. Finally the mounds and their symbols give an order of existence or division of the world. This can be seen by the locations of the mounds. The world is divided into three parts the Upperworld and the Lowerworld of water and earth. The symbols for the upperworld are birds, the water are panthers, turtles, and lizards, and the earth are most commonly bears or buffalo. Mounds in these forms are built where their world is meaning upperworld symbols are built on hills or higher elevations, water symbols are built close to the water and the earth symbols are in the land in between the water and upperworld symbols. The locations of the effigy mounds reinforce that order of existence.

Connecting Us to the World

I think another important element of religion and one of the candidates for why religion began is connections. The function of religion or more broadly one's set of beliefs is to connect the person to the world, other people, nature, etc. Religion and beliefs not only connect people to each other and their surrounding, but also put everything in context. Religion provides a framework for how to look at the world. This framework can be seen by the "dividing line" between nature and man that we discussed in class. One could explain different people's actions by understanding their religion. For example a religion whose gods or god are/is part of the environment, like gods of the sun or moon or animals, will look and treat the world differently than a religion whose god is removed from the environment. Christianity serves as a good example of this. For Christian's God is in a far removed place called heaven or resides within a person therefore the relationship is between God and the person, and the environment doesn't affect it. This removal causes a disconnect between people and their surroundings; however, part of this disconnect also comes from living removed from nature. It is interesting to look at how religion changes as societies become more complex, stratified, and urban. In hunting-gathering tribes one finds beliefs in zoomorphic gods (animals/plants) for example totems, and they worship natural phenomena. These tribes identify with instead of worship spiritual beings. In societies that practice horticulture, where the people have more control over their environment, one finds beliefs in anthropomorphic (humanlike) gods. Here man manages plants and animals and deities control natural phenomena. Finally in religions found in states, the gods are more powerful. Only in states is the belief in an omnipresent, all-knowing,all-powerful god present. State religions enforce social order and stratification. Commonly they stress the brevity of life with promises of reward in the afterlife, so the oppressed turn to religion and the hope that afterlife holds better things. It is clear that these different belief systems cause their followers to view the world differently and illicit different responses because of how the religion has connected the person to the world. Grizzly Man illustrates this idea as well in Timothy Treadwell's beliefs. Timothy's beliefs connect him differently to the world, and thus he acts differently. One can also interpret the paleolithic art as an attempt to connect to the world. How religion connects us to the world may be the most important aspect of religion, and possibly that search for a connection led to the advent of religion.