Jesus of Nazareth 11-2004

Sarah Diebel

Comparative Religion

11-2004

Jesus of Nazareth

In today’s world the name ‘Jesus’ inspires great controversy between religious groups as well simply people with differing opinions. So it’s hard to imagine how much worse it was while he was alive. There were two different perspectives in particular that get the most attention; the ‘Disciples’ and followers of Jesus, versus the Pharisees and Sadducees. So lets get an inside perspective:

I am a follower of Jesus, I have been with him for years now... All of which seem to have led us here, to this day, when another prophesy will be fulfilled. But before I get into that, let me tell you why I have followed him to this place. The first time I saw him was when John baptized him. When he saw Jesus coming towards him, he proclaimed that Jesus was the son of God, come to save us. He said he was the messiah. When he baptized Jesus, a dove came from above and a voice echoed, seemingly from the sky, ‘this is my son, whom I love”. I was pretty skeptical about this, and thought I should stay away from the whole thing considering that this guy could be stoned for what he was saying. It didn’t even occur to me that he was truly the Messiah.
The next time I saw him was at a wedding in Galilee. We ran out of wine and Jesus turned six jars full of water into six jars full of wine. It was then that I realized that perhaps he truly was who he claimed to be, and that I wanted to learn more about him. But what caught my attention was what happened just before Passover. He went to the temple in Jerusalem, and seeing a market within the temple court he drove everyone out and cursed them for turning his father’s house into a market. When he was asked what miraculous sign he could show to prove his authority, he said “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.” The people claimed that was completely ridiculous considering it took forty-six years to build it. But these are not the only things Jesus did. He taught that we should treat each other with respect and love, just as we would like others to treat us. He taught that we are to live our lives in constant service to others and to our God. That earthly possessions mean nothing unless you are using your wealth to help those less fortunate. That through him we would be forgiven our sins and welcomed into heaven. He taught peace rather than war, love rather than hate, selflessness rather than selfishness, and humility rather than arrogance. But what meant the most to me was that he didn’t just say these things, he practiced them in his own life. He came to the untouchables, the outcasts from society, the prostitutes, the tax-collectors, the gentiles and pagans. He came for those of us that were lost and needed a saviour. And it is for these things, along with so many others, that I will follow him and spread his message until the day I leave this earth.

I am a Sadducee. I belong to a group of Rabbis, scribes, and upper-class Jews all of whom seek to restore the Jewish law and sanctity of the Torah. Less and less Jews are following true Judaism nowadays. I believe that the Laws are meant to be followed exactly how they were given to us. God didn’t give us these teachings just to have us follow them occasionally and in whatever manner we choose. Anyway... about Jesus... In the beginning he seemed to be a good Jewish teacher. As a child he came to the temple just to talk with and learn from the Rabbis. But it has become rather disconcerting, people claim that he performs miracles and teaches that we (Jewish leaders) are hypocrites and blasphemers. He claims to be the Son of God, come to fulfill our prophesies about the Messiah. Claiming to be God is blasphemous, speaking ill of us and our teaching is blasphemous. I myself have never seen these ‘miracles’, and I have been around him more than a few times. He claims that it is through him, not God’s law and the scriptures that you will be right with God.

Jesus is poisoning my people and leading them away from God and Judaism. If he truly is more than human, then he has come here to destroy the Jews through heresy and blasphemy. I am afraid for my people. I am afraid that they will be lead astray by this false messiah. I pray each day that my people will return to the one true God.

Jesus of Nazareth is currently being tried by Pilate for his claims to be ‘king of the Jews’. Surely Pilate will put an end to this nonsense before the whole world is taken over by his ‘Disciples’. What re-affirms my opinion of him is that it was one of his own followers that turned him in. Judas was his name, I think. Anyway, we can only hope this will all be over soon, and my people will be back in the synagogues come Saturday.

Well, Jesus was sentenced to die on a cross. Both Sadducees and Jesus’ followers were there to witness the slow execution. He died before the two men hanging beside him, saving himself from having his legs broken and dying by suffocation. According to his followers he rose from the dead three days later and ascended to heaven on the right hand of God. According to everyone else, his body was stolen three days after he was entombed; probably by followers trying to make it look like he was resurrected. What really happened? We may never know. But we do know that since then his small group of followers turned into one of the worlds largest religions.

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To Join in the Debate:

http://wis.dm/questions/46051-is-jesus-of-nazareth-who-he-claimed-to-be

Meursault’s Humanity 02-2005

PHL 200

Existentialism
02-2005

Meursault’s Humanity

What is the relation between physical needs and circumstances on the one hand, and feelings on the other? I believe it is the difference between animal instinct versus what makes us human. It is the dividing line that separates us from other animals. If you strip a man of his name, his language, his environment, and all possessions that tie him to his life as a human in society, he will cease to feel. He will act on all he has left: his instincts. He will simply survive.
In The Stranger by Albert Camus his main character, Meursault, reminds me of this condition. He expresses indifference regarding morals and emotion. He simply survives. He seems resigned to the idea that life is simply ‘going with the flow’ and acting on whatever impulse presents itself at the moment. He seems able to easily adapt to any change in his environment. For example, when he goes to jail he doesn’t much complain about being locked in a small space. He remarks more on the simple absurdity of it all.
At one point Meursault states “all night I felt bugs crawling over my face… I had a bucket for a toilet and a tin washbasin”, but he never states discomfort or panic. He says “apart from these annoyances, I wasn’t too unhappy. Once again the main problem was killing time.” Most people would have started crying and express a feeling of impending doom. But not Meursault, he simply accepts his fate as yet another inconvenience in life.
I believe it is our emotions that give meaning to life. Without them we would all be like Meursault; indifferent, of no particular use or benefit to society, and practically indistinguishable from each other and other animals. It is our emotion, not our needs or circumstances, that make us unique.

Further Study:

http://www.camus-society.com/the-stranger-albert-camus.htm

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/stranger/summary.html

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/stranger/canalysis.html

Zimbardo Vs. Frankl - The Search for Meaning

PHL 200

Existentialism
03-2005

Zimbardo Vs. Frankl

I was going to write this paper as a comparison between the Philip G. Zimbardo prison experiment and Viktor Frankl’s theory on finding meaning in even the worst of circumstances, but I don’t think I can.
I don’t believe that the Zimbardo experiment went on long enough to be of any relevance. Should it have gone on longer, I believe Frankl’s theory would’ve held up. From personal experience I have learned that there are phases a person goes through when put in such an environment.
When I was 16 years old I was admitted (against my will) to a medical detox facility for chemical dependency, and then to a lock-down halfway house for 8 months. The first 2-3 weeks were the worst of my life. As I later saw, every girl went through the same adjustment period. It was exactly like the Zimbardo experiment.
The staff, like the guards, were not allowed to use physical force to control us, but they could use a variety of psychological tactics. The first day I was in shock, I completely ignored everyone, refused to follow any rules, and tried to justify why I didn’t need to be there. From the second day to about the end of the 1st week I was angry, defiant, and did everything I could to get kicked out. By the second week I gave up. I was completely broken. I withdrew from the group and complied with whatever the staff told me to do. At the end of the 1st month I adjusted to the environment and integrated into the group. It was at this point that I was able to find meaning in my being there, and accepted that I wasn’t leaving anytime soon. This is when I began to find myself through self-expression; writing, drawing, and meditation.
At about 6 months I snapped. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, I knew I would be leaving in about 3 more months and would have to get an apartment and integrate back into society. Time began to pass very slowly. I began to focus more on the future rather than the present, and lost sight of meaning. As my perspective and my attitude changed, the environment became more and more like psychological torture than an opportunity for self-discovery. A staff member I had grown close to in the preceding months saw this change and tried to remind me that attitude is everything, and all that I could really control was my attitude. She had me memorize a quote from a book that said “…Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation, some fact of my life unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.”
When I still didn’t improve, I was put in isolation and given “non-verbal” which meant that I was not allowed to speak to anyone for any reason. Everytime I opened my mouth, this task was extended another day. At first I was furious and frustrated, but by the second day I began to appreciate it. I once again had the opportunity for reflection, and I was able to reach deep within myself to re-discover meaning. A month and a half later I left and moved into an apartment. Since then I have taken time each day to hold on to meaning and self-expression.
So while I don’t believe the Zimbardo expirament can be compared to Frankl’s writings, I firmly believe that he is right. One can find meaning in any circumstance, and in many ways this environment can often encourage a change in attitude out of necessity, and inspire a search for meaning. The reason: In day-to-day life we are often distracted by outside events, and don’t find it necessary to explore ourselves. But in circumstances such as imprisonment, you must find meaning or it will break you, and your soul will die from the seeming hopelessness of it all. Attitude is everything. It is only when we accept this fact, and engage in out own ‘search for meaning’ that we can truly be free.

Further Study:

Zimbardo Experiment:

http://www.prisonexp.org/

http://www.zimbardo.com/zimbardo.html

“Man’s Search for Meaning” – Viktor Frankl:

http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/frankl/frankl.html

http://www.logotherapyinstitute.org/