Lanyard
I chose this object for the time capsule because it is the school of my choice. I hope to start in October of 2002. Currently I do not know whether I will attend the university because of money issues, this place is very expensive! This object fits into or nation because it represents the school, which represents the nation. Kettering is one of the top overall schools in the nation, and the number one mechanical engineering school, it represents how important education is to us Americans.
Bible
I chose to put the Bible into the time capsule to represent the ongoing fight between the Jews and the Palestinians. The Bible contains the First Testament, which the Jews believe in, and the Palestinians dont. The Jews believe that Israel is their holy land and rightfully theirs, the Palestinians have lived there for hundreds of years before they were kicked out in WWII and replaced with the Jews. This relates to our nation because we are trying to help solve the dispute between these two. President Bush has tried many times to form a treaty between these two, but has recently demanded that they solve their problems now.
Messy Pictures
I took these pictures to represent out economy. The first picture represents the state of the economy just after Sept. 11. The second picture shows the state of the economy currently, things are not quite as messy as the picture to show that the economy is cleaning up and getting better. The third picture is what I hope to see when I reopen this time capsule in a couple of months. Everything is cleared up, and all that is left is money.
Birth Certificate
I chose to include a copy of my birth certificate to represent the second American Taliban member found in Afghanistan. Yasser Esam Hamdi was found fighting with the Taliban and was also found to be and American citizen. He was born in America to Saudi parents, but moved back to Saudi Arabia when he was just a toddler.I put my birth certificate into the time capsule because that is what Hamdi had shown U.S. officials to prove he was an American. Just because he was born in America he has caused an uproar in the media and will face different charges than the non-citizens that committed the same crimes he did. Does this little paper make someone a citizen even though they lived their entire lives in another country and fought along side that country against America?
Two Flashlights
I incorporated the flashlights into the box to make a little memorial resembling the one in New York. Two beams of light were shot up into the air, and will be kept on for 32 days in memory of all the victims of Sept. 11. It is called a Tribute in Light and stands at the spot where the towers once stood. The memorial shows how we as a nation have pulled together, and how we have all changed since that tragic day. Sept. 11, 2001 was a day that affected not only our nation, but the entire world, and will never be forgotten.
Basketball w/ Pic
I chose the basketball along with the picture to represent the NCAA Mens Basketball Champions, the Maryland Terps. After they one the game crowds broke out and decided to celebrate by breaking some windows, starting some fires, and throwing glass bottles at the police. The picture shows some of the destruction caused by the riots. I included this in the time capsule to show that some Americans still need to mature and learn how to control themselves. They need to learn how to show their excitement in other ways than causing destruction.
Oil Bottle
The bottle of oil signifies the increase in gas prices around the nation. The price of gas has been going back and forth and has just recently gone up to about $1.50 per gallon. The fighting in the Middle East has caused the export of oil to decrease. Less oil means more money. The United States depends greatly on oil, and with the increased price, there will most likely be less use of it, and not help the economy grow.
Pistons Card
Although the card is old, it is of a Pistons player. The Pistons are doing fairly well this year and it looks like they are headed for the playoffs. With a large population interested in sports, the NBA playoffs should generate large amounts of money. Detroit might see some of that money because the Pistons might actually make it past the first round this year, which will generate a lot of excitement and the purchase of tickets. The card fits into are nation because the sport it represents racks in a lot of money and makes the economy stronger.
Enron
Enron going bankrupt was a big issue and affected a lot of people. Thousands of people lost not only their jobs, but also their 401K. The bankruptcy of Enron should tell other companies to be very cautious with their spending, because if a large company like Enron can lose it all so can other companies. This was another drop in the nations economy and thats why I included it into my time capsule. To represent the Enron scandal, I included a recent news article about its bankruptcy.
Hockey
I included the hockey stick to represent the Red Wings. The Red Wings affect the entire nation because all the other teams in the country have a very little chance of winning the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings playing like they are. With the Wings doing so well, playoff tickets will be selling at top dollar. The city of Detroit should be able to see some of that money and use it to improve things in the city. With all the money being spent, the economy might get a little boost toward the better.
Martin Luther’s Ideas And Reforms On Christianity
Luther’s ideas and reforms on Christianity were in direct conflict with the Catholic Church.
These ideas, reforms, and thoughts on faith was the spark plug that started the Protestant Reformation. Luther began his career as an Augustinian Monk in the Roman Catholic Church. Consequently, Luther was initially loyal to the papacy, and even after many theological conflicts, he attempted to bring about his reconciliation with the Church. But this didn’t last long because Luther waged battle with the papacy. Luther was to become a theologian. This is where he wrote the Ninety-Five Theses.
It is usually considered to be the original document of the Reformation. Basically, this document exposed all the wrongs of the Catholic Church from indulgences to immoral behavior of priests. Luther’s believed that absolution relied upon the sinner’s faith and God’s Grace rather than the intervention of a priest. Luther did not want an actual separation from the Roman Catholic Church.
Instead, Luther felt his suggested reforms could be implemented within Catholicism. If the Catholic Church had attempted to consider Luther’s reforms, the Protestant Reformation would probably not have seen the light of day. But the religious practices being what they were in the Roman Church, there was little chance at that time for any great change. The Church of Rome, set in its ways, was not about to change into something else.
If a change had occurred within the Roman Catholic Church, Luther would have had a different destiny. Luther’s fate was sealed, however his job was cut out for him. Luther broke the religious restraints of the Roman Catholic religion. This accomplishment amounts to the establishment of another religion known as Protestantism, a faith that was generated from the Reformation.
Luther stood out as one of the Reformation’s major influences. Luther’s reforms regarded to the Catholic sacraments. For Luther, the Holy Eucharist of Lord’s supper was really a symbolic act rather than an actual instance of change in which the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ. That was an aspect to this sacrament, which Luther could not accept. According to the Roman Church, the bread and wine may have the appearance of such, but their substances have literally become the flesh and blood of Christ.
All of this is a literal acceptance of the words of Jesus at the Last Supper: “And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26: 26-28). Luther’s view of the communion sacrament was strictly symbolic. However, this idea was heresy so far as the Roman Catholic Church was concerned. The sacramental power of its priests was no longer necessary if this concept were to prevail.
This is the type of change the Reformation and Martin Luther thought of. The power of the Roman clergy was in jeopardy if the people accepted Luther’s ideas were accepted. The principal sacrament of the Roman Catholic Church is the Holy Eucharist of Communion. The fact that Luther was messing with this sacrament proved to be a significant problem to the Catholic Church. Luther generated the Protestant belief that this sacrament is a ritual through which they raise their spirits in remembrance of Christ’s life and death. According to the teachings of the Roman Church, Christ’s human body and blood are actually present in the consecrated bread and wine.
As Luther saw it, no sacrament is effective by itself without listening to the Word associated with the sacrament, and the faith that believes in it. There is no magical element to any sacrament, including the doctrine of change. Luther’s teachings on the sacraments took away the power of the priests and the special nature of the Holy Eucharist. The Catholic mass depended completely on these concepts in order for the Roman Church to maintain its effectiveness as the representation of Christ. For Luther to take this position-required courage because he was taking on a force of great strength and authority. Luther did what most kings would fear to do.
Luther’s courage and boldness can be seen in his “Open Letter to Pope Leo X,” “I have, to be sure, sharply attacked ungodly doctrines in general, and I have snapped at my opponents, not because of their bad morals, but because of their ungodliness. Rather than repent this in the least, I have determined to persist in that fervent zeal and to despise the judgment of men, following the example of Christ who in his zeal called his opponents ‘a blood of vipers,’ ‘blind fools,’ ‘hypocrites’. . . I have truly despised your see, the Roman Curia, which, however, neither you nor anyone else can deny is more corrupt than any Babylon or Sodom ever was, and which, as far as I can see, is characterized by a completely depraved, hopeless, and notorious godlessness” (Luther and Dillenberger 44-45). It would seem the people would be in favor of the Catholic Church during this time of Reformation.
As the central figure of religious rebellion in Germany, Martin Luther brought his ideas about Christianity. According to Luther, mankind is justified by faith alone, and not by works. On the concept of this belief in a personal faith, Luther felt that many rituals and authority of the pope should be challenged. Luther paid the ultimate penalty the Roman Catholic Church could offer.
He was excommunicated. Luther then went before the Diet of Worms, where he took a stand concerning his beliefs and was placed under the ban of the Holy Roman Empire. Justification by faith, not by works is perhaps Luther’s most important contribution to the Reformation. According to Luther, salvation is a gift from God, and no human being can possibly do anything to value this blessing. Good works are of no help with regard to the salvation of one’s soul. Therefore, the most a Christian can do is to have faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
This is basically what a Christian is. Because Christianity has only two real sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper), it is necessary for a person to partake in both to be a Christian. Anyone can go around doing good works, but this means nothing to God. However, a Christian should do good works; yet, this will not save one’s soul. Only God knows who will be saved. Christians must conduct their lives according to God’s teachings.
Only God is capable of judging His people fairly and wisely according to Luther. “I want to emphasize Luther’s doctrines of sin and faith very much because they are points in which the Reformation is far superior to what we find today in popular Christianity. For Luther sin is ‘Unbelief in the real sin.’ ‘Nothing justifies except faith, and nothing makes sinful except unbelief.’ ‘Unbelief is sin altogether.’ ‘Therefore the word ‘sin’ includes what we are living and doing besides the faith in God.’ These statements presuppose a concept of faith which has nothing whatsoever to do with the acceptance of doctrines” (Tillich 245). Luther believed that mankind is totally lost. This idea really means that human beings are in continual conflict with themselves.
In order to deal with this situation, Luther felt faith is something Christian must have. This is the faith that Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind. Luther did not feel those who committed violent sins were doomed to damnation. Luther believed a Christian soldier could be saved even if he killed other people known as the “enemy.” It should be understood, however, that Luther never approved of war, which he believed, was a definite indication of mankind’s continual conflict with in themselves. Yet, God’s forgiveness may possibly save a Christian soldier just as any other Christian may be so blessed.
One of the most important differences between the Roman Church and Luther’s conception of Christianity is the personal relationship between God and the Christian. In Catholicism, the Church is a messenger between God and the individual. However, Luther feels there is no need for any messenger between Christians and their relationship with God. This is one of Protestantism’s most significant qualities.
Another very important characteristic of Luther’s reforms is that the Bible holds all authority when it comes to theological matters. This is completely different from the Roman Catholic view, which believes that the Church is the final authority with regard to theological concerns. In Catholicism the pope is the finial say so in faith and morals under God. Luther could not accept a human being with Holy Orders as the means through which a Christian reaches God. These are the teachings that caused Luther to be excommunicated by the Roman Church and helped to create the Protestant Reformation. When Luther appeared before the Diet of Worms, he was asked by Eck, an official of the Archbishop of Trier: “I ask you, Martin–answer candidly and without horns– do you or do you not repudiate your books and the errors which they contain?” Luther replied, “Since then Your Majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth.
Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason–I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other–my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for us to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen” (Bainton 144).
Luther provided Christianity with a degree of freedom not found in Catholicism. Luther dared to defy the mighty and authoritative Roman Catholic Church. From this the Protestant Reformation was born.
Frees: Commentary On Shelley’s Frankenstein
Frankenstein essaysCommentary on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein “Frankenstein” is much more than the title of a nearly 200 year old book or one of many 20th century horror movies and other misadaptations of Mary Shelley’s classic tale. Rather, “Frankenstein” is an icon for the fundamental conflict that exists between science and religion. Those on the religious side of the debate argue (not necessarily in a conscious way) that the universe can be divided into two separate domains — one “of man,” and the other “of God.” They argue further that any attempt by man to cross into God’s domain — with the use of unnatural technology — will be repelled with dire consequences. {I use the term “man” here to represent humankind and not just the male gender.
Although this usage is now frowned upon, I use it here ‘for effect’ in paraphrasing the thoughts of others who speak in such terms.} The earliest well-known parable to express this point of view is the Biblical “Tower of Babel,” which describes an attempt by man to use advanced technology to climb into God’s domain of heaven itself. God crushed this effort by making each man speak a different language, which prevented people from communicating with each other. As this parable indicates, the conflict is as old as civilization itself. But Mary Shelley’s novel had, and still has, such a resonance because it was written at a time when European society was being transformed by the Industrial Revolution. Religion is based on received “truths” that are thought to be handed down directly from God. When novel scientific concepts or technological capabilities challenge the “truths” associated with a particular religion, they challenge the foundation of the religion itself; they challenge the leaders who have preached the “truths”; and they challenge the entire world view of those who are true believers.
The religious response to scientific concepts, which exist simply as ideas, is to deny their veracity and to punish their perpatrators. Galileo claimed that the earth was not at the center of the universe. The Catholic Church forced him to recant and spend the rest of his life imprisoned, so that he could no longer spread the word of Satan. The religious response to a frightening new technological capability must be different because the existence of a product or outcome of a technology cannot be denied.
Instead, the notion of God’s domain is put forward. According to this notion, there is forbidden (scientific) knowledge that man should not attempt to obtain or use; knowledge that exists solely for the purpose of allowing God to run the world. Any attempt by man to cross the line into God’s domain — to “play God” — is immoral and will be severely punished. This is the usual reading of Mary Shelley’s novel.
In the public mind, Frankenstein represents what WILL go wrong if “man” (meaning the community of scientists) goes “too far.” At this point it is important to point out that the Frankenstein theme resonates even with many who do not consider themselves to be particularly religious. Indeed, one of the strengths of “Frankenstein” as a morality tale is that the presence of a Godlike entity is never made explicit in word or deed. The complete and utter destruction of everything that Victor Frankenstein holds dear seems to flow as a direct consequence of his own actions rather than being directed from above. Indeed, Mary Shelley did not believe in the Judeo-Christian view of God. Instead, the spiritual themes presented in Frankenstein derive from a pantheistic view of God embodied within, rather than above, the natural universe. According to this point of view, Frankenstein’s fate is a purely logical outcome of his actions.
Mary Shelley came out of an intellectual environment where family and friends questioned traditional religious notions of life and were fascinated by the possibility that scientists might be able to figure out what life was all about and discover “the nature of man.” This philosophical openness explains how Frankenstein can actually be read in several different ways. Although the original book is, indeed, meant to be a morality tale, it is one that is much more complex than commonly understood. The first reading is the traditional one of man crossing the line into God’s domain and being punished for his transgressions. A second, complementary reading of the Frankenstein theme revolves specifically around human life and the human soul. It states that only God can create each human soul.
If a man tries to become a creator, he will he fail at his task for the creation will always be subhuman, missing a soul. This version of the Frankenstein theme has been recycled over and over again in modern stories and films too numerous to count. Films we will see in this course that incorporate this theme in various ways include Blade Runner, the Stepford Wives, and Boys from Brazil. (Other films with this theme shown in previous years include Embryo, and The Island of Dr.
Moreau.) Indeed, the Frankenstein theme actually derives (like most powerful philosophical concepts) from the Greeks in the legend of Prometheus, which is why the full title of Mary Shelley’s book is “Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus.” The original Frankenstein story (in the novel and film adaptation you will see) is much more complex. When given the chance, Frankenstein’s “monster” actually displays many of the emotions that we might consider to be evidence of a soul — kindness to strangers, a desire to be loved, feelings of hurt and pain when he is rejected by mankind. Furthermore, he has a human-like intellect with the ability to learn how to think, read, and use logic. Perhaps the primary reason for doubting that he has a soul is that he appears to kill people without remorse.
But the film’s rendering of a raging mob of people who are just as cruel in exactly the same way is true to Shelley’s writing. So who is the real monster? A completely different way of looking at the story is as an allegory with Victor Frankenstein representing God, and his creation representing humankind. In the text of the book, the creature tells Victor, “Do your duty towards me and I will do mine towards you. . . I am thy creature, and I will be even mild and docile to my natural Lord and king if thou wilt also perform they part .” Again, in the story from the book, it is made more clear that Victor actually abandons his creation, and it is this abandonment that incurs the creature’s wrath.
In this reading, Shelley suggests (as some intellectuals believed in her time) that God created humans only to abandon them, and this action (or inaction) is responsible for our cruelty towards our fellow citizens. Another entirely different, modern interpretation is also based on allegory with Frankenstein and his creature representing good and bad aspects of the same character, like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or, more recently, in “The Nutty Professor.” This is a very Freudian interpretation in which Victor uses his creature-self to kill all those he is jealous of.