I.+Sarah-Jane

=// Sarah- Jane's Learning Page //=

This is Sarah-Jane now in TAFE! Hellz yeaaa!!!! >_< Keep studying yr11 & 12 Emmaus Kids!!!!! ^_^ 17-2-2011.

**__Define ethics__**

Ethics are ideas about worthy human context, determining right from wrong and knowing the difference while acting on it. Religious ethics spell out principles of guidance in how we must live. Each has set standards and directions for which one must live eg. The Torah is the Bible for Greek Orthodox Jews, it is their cultural guide for a good life.

__**Define bioethics**__

Bioethics are the ethics of medical and biological research, the Torah especially the Decalogue provide reasons for Jewish ethics. Eg. Abortion is generally acceptable, but only if the mothers life is at risk; the debate still remains about the foetus being human.

**__Identify the main teachings and their sources (eg. Torah, Talmud etc) that are applied to the issues__**

The sacred texts within Judaism have their focus on the main teachings of medical and bioethics. The basic ethical principles of when life begins, definition of death, transplantation and organ donation, issues of organ donation, euthanasia, stem cell research, bioethics, abortion, sexual ethics, relationships, birth control, fertile technology, IVF, homosexuality and rural uncleanliness.

Judaism’s ethical issues are determined through the Torah, as well as the beliefs and lives of the adherents. The religion is based on the commands and principles that are contained within their sacred texts. Adherents are called to honor the bri’t between God and their relationships with other people, the term halachah is used to refer to the way Jews are to live. The halachah provides the basis for the ethical issues and moral ways in which the Jews are to live. Within the Halachah is the 613 Mitzvot that are contained in the Torah. These Mitzvot are the commandments which the Jewish adherents are to live by. These 613 principles are have been influential to many scholars, the most influenced was Moses Miamonides. The guide to ethical behavior is the Decalogue, this focuses on God and respect for other people.

**__Describe the Jewish teachings that specifically relate to the issue of Abortion within Judaism__**

Within the Jewish religion abortion is not forbidden, although it dose not permit abortion on demand; it can only be permitted for serious reasons. Abortion is only permitted in cases where the mothers life is at serious risk, where the pregnancy were it to continue could kill the mother.

Their view is it’s permitted only if there is a direct threat to the mother. The embryo is considered as a risk of killing the mother, therefore is able to be aborted. If it is a result of rape or adultery, the mothers emotional and physical health is taken into account. If the embryo is effecting health her it’s allowed to be aborted. The Mishneh states that in the first forty days of the mother falling pregnant the fetus isn’t fully human. So having an abortion or miss carrying the embryo is not the killing of a person. In Deuteronomy the sixth Decalogue is “Do not Kill” the fetus isn’t concerned a human of equal rights till after birth. When the babies head has finally appeared out of the mother, the babies life is then equal to that of it’s mother. Therefore one cannot be chosen over the other.

**__Describe the Jewish teachings that specifically relate to the issues of Euthanasia with Judaism__**

The teaching within the Jewish religion is that one must struggle until the last breath of life, one has to live, rejoice and give thanks to the creator. Jews believe that God is the source of all life, only he can take life away. The Jewish law regard human life as sacred, it is wrong for anyone to shorten another human life because our lives are not ours to dispose. God made all human beings we are Gods creation only he can take us away. Within law Euthanasia is forbidden, it is regarded as murder. There are no exceptions for this rule. If a person is only being kept alive by a ventilator it is allowed to be switched off as it is only stopping the natural process of death. The closing of eyes or the moving or limbs is not allowed as it is considered to be speeding up the process and is probhetted.

ISLAM

**__Part A__**
The principle ethical teachings within Islam are their foundation of ethics, which are found in the Qur’an. This is a book of their sacred texts that have been recorded by scribes. They have recorded the word of Allah that had been spoken through the Angel Gabriel to Muhammad. He then become known as a prophet, he became the most valued and best prophet. Although the fundamental principle in Islam is their submission to Allah.

The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born around 570CE. Half a century after the death of Christ. His family looked after a site in Mecca, as each Muslim prays they must face Mecca. By the time he was born he never really had any physical thing to connect to so he found solitude and sanctuary within religion. Even as a child he showed disapproval on the low moral tone of his time, he began lamenting the absence of faith. He often withdrew himself to the hills for many days to pray. As time went he began to go to a certain cave on Mount Hira. When he went to the cave the angel Gabriel is the one who starts to dictate the word of God to him. Gods (Allahs) plan was revelled to him; the understanding of God. It was there when his first revelation occurred when he was 40 years of age. This is when the Islamic people were able to receive the word of the lord. The first to believe him of his revelations was Kadaicha, Abouboca and Ali.

As he was orphaned at a young age and lost his mother once he started preaching he says that they are to take care of orphans and sick people. Through the age of forty to around sixty years he continued to have revelations. It’s these revelations that were put together to create the Qur’an

Prophet P.B.U.H (peace.be.upon.him) is spoken by many Muslims.

In the Islamic religion if an adherent has a problem they would turn to the Qur’an for the answers they seek. Though if it weren’t answered for any reason they would then turn to the Hadith or Shaia law.

The Qur’an is an Islamic book that consists of their sacred scriptures and texts. This book in a way is their bible, filled with wonderful liturgy and religious inspiration. It embraces the word of Allah spoken to the prophet Muhammad, through the arc angel Gabriel. Through the Qur’an it is acknowledged that people have free will to choose between good and evil. Though it warns that there are consequences in the next life and only God will know what will come to pass. It is a written record of the revelation of Allah through Gabriel to Muhammad. It is believed that it took over the span of twenty three years. The text is said to have been written without error and cannot be questioned or second guessed.

In the Qur’an there are 114 chapters; these chapters are known as the Suras, from these there are 6000 verses. The shortest Suras are linked with the prophet Muhammad in Mecca. While the longer are the revelations of Medina.

Besides the Qur’an the second most important text in Islam is the Sunna (traditions). Theses are based on the Hadith also known as ‘statements’. The Sunna and the Hadith record the traditions and practices of Muhammad, which the Muslims are expected to mimic. Once Muhammad had died records of a verity of his sayings and actions had been recorded. In the 19th century scholars collected many sayings, deeds and teachings that were associated with the prophets. After examining them all they decided what was part Sunna, authentic, or traditions.

The Hadith is the listing of the adherents and witnesses who has preserved an account of a prophet until he was recorded as a authoritative statement. In the Islamic Religion there are two kinds of Hadith; the Sacred Hadith- it is the word of God through Muhammad, although not part of the Qur’an. The second is the Nobel Hadith- this is the details of actions and word of the prophet.

The Shari’a is the Islamic law meaning ‘surrender to God’ and a Muslim who surrenders. These are they rules upon which they live by, their way to try to achieve pure holiness that will lead to their salvation. The complete surrender to Allah will lead them to eternal salvation.

__**Part B**__
Jurisprudence Juris – comes from the law political, something that we must do. Prudence – if your prudence about something you reflect on it; take it on board. Is basically the structure of how a Muslim makes a decision Breaks off into four areas: 1.Ack.we.da (Aqidath) – 2.e.ba.da (Ibadah) – 3.are.k.luck (Ahlaq) – 4.Ma.ma.la. (Muqmalah) These become the next process. 1.Creeds and Beliefs 2.Religious practice 3.moralty ethics 4.human relations (treatment of others)

Jurisprudence is the law from the scriptures within Islam. It became after Muhammad’s death, scholars took different sections of the Qur’an and Hadith to form the Shari’a law codes.

The Halal in the Islamic religion is usually referred when mentioning meat or other types of food. This is because food literally means Muslims can eat halal in their religion, if the halal has been properly prepared it. Eg. Chicken. Although in most circumstances ‘halal’ means food it can also apply to the Islamic law and can apply to many aspects in their daily lives.

Halal may mean food but ‘Haram’ is the complete opposite. Meaning it is forbidden, this is because of the dietary laws. What ever may be forbidden for the Hebrews is also forbidden for Muslims. Eg. Alcohol. Haram can also be referred when mentioning alcohol. In the Islamic religion the term can be applied to almost anything that defies the Muslim code. This law can be applied to relationships as well as behavior that are inappropriate under their laws.

The Shari’a law covers every aspect in the traditional life in the Islamic society. It had been formed through the pickings of different parts of the Qur’an and Hadith. Shari’a they summit to Allah and follow a pathway.

The Five Pillars 1. Shahadah-Declare faith The Shahadah is the declaration of faith “Glory to (Allah): for He is the One Who hearth and seeth (all things). He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer.” As stated from Sunna 17. They believe that ‘there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the prophet’.

2. Satat Prayer, as a Muslim they are required to pray five times a day. Every time before they pray they wash themselves and face towards the direction of Mecca as they are praying. They pray as it purifies the soul of a Muslim, through pray they are told that Allah will forgive all sins that might be performed. It allows them to keep in contact with Allah and keeps him aware of his purpose.

3. Zakat Almsgiving or charity, as a Muslim they are required to donate a percentage of their pay (2.5) to those who are less fortunate then themselves. By performing Zakat a Muslim tries to become pure, they are acknowledging Allah. The term Zakat means to purify.

4. Swarm One lunar month of each year Muslims are to fast, this time is called ‘Ramadan’. During Ramadan they are to reflect on their past behavior and purify their thoughts. This allows them to revel their full commitment to Allah and that there ready to follow him. Through fasting they are able to understand the sufferings of poor people; the people who are constantly hungry and unable to replenish themselves.

5. Hajj Pilgrimage, it is required that at least once in their life Muslims are required to travel to Mecca; who is both physically and financially stable. The term Hajj literally means ‘to set out of place’, which means to go out of their way to travel to Mecca. They do this to walk the same roads that Muhammad had walked. As their lives are revolved around Allah the Qur’an and the prophet Muhammad, it is important that they make the trip at least once for the experience. The experience of walking in the foot steps of the great prophet Muhammad to become closer to Allah.

Process: Qlyas- The Qlyas is the texts that allow the adherents to turn to it when they are unable to find the answers they seek in the Qur’an, Hadith or through the five pillars. It is a comparisons between the two sacred texts. An adherent will be able to develop an understanding about the legality of a particular issue if the Qur’an and Hadith can’t answer their question.

Lijma- The Lijma is an agreement of the religious leaders and scholars in Islam. For those who have been taught through the Islamic law, a ruling may be sought from the ummah; within the community of Muslims.

Fatwa- Once an adherent is unable to find the answers they seek with their radical idea from the Qur’an, Hadith, the five pillars, Qlyas and Lijma; they then turn to a radical priest. Once there they would receive permission for a Fatwa. This allows them to go ahead with their radical idea to do their deed, what ever it may be.

Principles Aqidah- Creed + beliefs: The sacred texts and beliefs that the religion survives on, with out these the religion wouldn’t exists. The Islamic creeds are the sura within the Qur’an the other is the Hadith. There beliefs are that they are to summit themselves to Allah.

Ibadah- Practices: Muslims have daily practices that prove that they are Muslim and their faithfulness towards Allah. This is shown through their daily practice of prayer. They are to pray at certain times during the day five times a day. In the morning, lunch, midday, evening and night.

Ahiaq- Morality Ethics: These are their ethics between right and wrong. This could be considering marriage, divorce, abortion, euthanasia etc.

Muamalah- Human Relations: Are their relationships between people as well as the treatment of people. Stated in the Hadith: Verse five- nurture patience Verse six- avoid malicious gossip Verse twelve- do not maintain suspicion of others

The Seven Articles of Faith • Allah is the one God; he is omnipresent. • Allah’s will is instructed through his angels. • The Qur’an is their sacred text that revels all of Allah’s intentions. The most important of these books are *the Torah of Moses *the Psalms of David *the Gospel of Jesus *the Qur’an. • (Prophets) There are 28 prophets of Allah, though Muhammad is the final and best. • (Last Judgment) the final judgment will result in eternal reward or punishment; this depends on Allah’s final mercy and justice. • (Life after Death) depending on how they live their lives depends on how their life after death will be. • Nothing can happen without Allah’s will and knowledge.

Behaviour Fard- Activities that Muslims are obliged to do; the Five Pillars.

Mustahah- These are practices that are recommended though not compulsory for all to do; praying five times a day is compulsory, though more than five is optional.

Mubah- Liked or disliked; freewill. These are for the individuals to decide eg. Contraception.

Makruth- These are the actions that aren’t forbidden though there not approved eg. Wasting time or divorce.

Haraam- Forbidden things/unlawful. All isn’t forbidden in Islam only those that have been said to have been forbidden by Allah. Eg. Eating pork, alcohol, murder and adultery.

Variants Lead by Imam- A direct descendent of the Prophet Muhammad himself.

Shi’ia- (10%) Are the adherents of Ali, the one who the faithful had claimed was to be the one to inherit the succession from Muhammad.

Sunni- (90%) Those who followed Mu’awiya are called the Sunni. Ali’s rival while he was alive, Ali’s son gave his title to Mu’awiya. Sunni means ‘traditionalists’ it are those who accept leadership.

Govern by consensus- Those who only follow the teachings in the Qur’an, Hadith, the Five Pillars as well as the Seven Articles of Faith.

__**Part C**__
Ethics The importance of ethical teachings is to be able to determine and know the difference of Halal and Haram. Halal means what is good; what is right. While Haram is bad/wrong; it contradicts the Halal.

In the case of the Islamic teachings on some circumstances only is a abortion permitted.

The Islamic teachings on abortion are that they rarely permit it after 120 days. This then means that the foetus is roughly around 112 days old. In the Islamic Religion it is mostly forbidden except in certain cases. An abortion may be permitted if the mothers life is at risk, although only if the foetus is 120 days a long.

Muslims have many different schools and they hold different views on whether abortion is permitted. Although various schools would allow it to go ahead only if it’s during the first 16 weeks, some during the first 7 weeks. Yet, those scholars who agreed to the abortion still regard it as unethical and wrong, it isn’t regard as punishable. The foetus is recognised and protected by Islam, as it is a human life, this is a comment made among most Muslim scholars.

In the Qur’an it doesn’t exactly refer to abortion but offers guidance on similar or related matters. Therefore they apply this to abortion. The Qur’an states:

“Whosoever has spared the life of a soul, it is as though he has spared the life of all people. Whosoever has killed a soul, it is as though he has murdered all of mankind. 5:32”

The exception of allowing an abortion is to save the mothers life; it is because it is known as the ‘lesser of the two evils’. The Sharia’s general principle is if there are two evils, they are to choose the lesser of the two evils.

In the Qur’an it makes it clear that the foetus can’t be aborted only if the family is unable to provide for it. Through their faith they should trust Allah that he will make sure that all will be well. This also includes in social and career grounds. Qur’an states:

“Kill not your offspring for fear of poverty; it is We who provide for them and for you. Surely, killing them is a great sin. 17:32”

This means that regardless if the family isn’t finically stable, they have no right to kill the person; much less their own unborn child. Allah (God) provides them with the blessing and killing the now growing human life is a great sin.

__//Reflection of Islam//__

 * During the 7th and 8th century, 200 years after the death of Munmmad it changed changed 3 content.
 * From every content in the Islamic world the made the journey to mecca.
 * Muhammad was part of the triad
 * Islam had expanded its rain from Spain to China.
 * From Hindus came mathematical ideas we still use today.
 * They determined the idea about illness that also apply today.
 * Fascinated by how the eye really sees.
 * Around 7750 they in counted paper for the first time.
 * Bagdad centure of the Islamic world.
 * scholors were told to find more infomation from the other worlds.
 * Over 100 different cities in the Islamic world.
 * Scribes were transferring info from the Bagdad onto paper.
 * Their new found knowledge spread far and wide uniting 3 conints.
 * Spain-The Spanish city was capital for the word of Bagdad (City of cornervar)
 * In Spain the city became known as ‘The City of Light’
 * Cornervar was their one limbs in the Islamic world.
 * For 200 years Christians and Muslims had been respected in the Islamic world.
 * The crusade started, they were told to go to Jerusalem. (Christians)
 * Muslam blacksmiths learn how to mould steel.
 * Backbone of their wealth was textiles-fabrics eg.silk and dyes.
 * They use to have traders come into their temples, were they became enlightened by the Hindus.
 * After almost 100 years of fighting they started......
 * The Salidims men set fire to the tall grass, his fire consumed the crusaders. (Fire of Arrows)
 * For the first time in almost a century the call of prayer was over the city.
 * The Christians were allowed to leave if they chose to stay they were allowed to pray freely.
 * The returning crusaders found themselves changed from their Islamic experience.
 * Many people became intrigued with Islamic society.
 * The Great Cities became ruined because of the Mongoure attack.
 * Terror was the Mongoures principle tactic.
 * City after city fell, Killed 10-thousand from Bagdad, libraries were set ablaze
 * Islamic civilization seemed lost.
 * The Mongoures changed to Muslams in the end.
 * After a decade they built temples and places dedicated to God.
 * Mongoures changed Islam.

=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=--=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--==-=-=-=---==--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =//__CHRISTIANITY ASSIGNMENT...__//=

PART A
**// DESCRIBE THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLE BELIEFS IN CHRISTIANITY WITH REFERENCE TO THE BIBLE AND THE CATHOLIC CATECHISM: //** **// *THE DIVINITY AND HUMANITY OF JESUS //**

Jesus Christ is believed to have been truly human as well as divine, we know this because he was born of a woman, died but he wasn’t actually made he was begotten. (as stated in the Nicene Creed) This means that he wasn’t created through meioses and mitoses, it was as though he was implanted there by God. This is why in the Catholic Church it teaches that we don’t have abortion, at the moment of conception a new life begins. In the Catholic tradition it is fact that Jesus was divine and fact that he was human, according to the Council of Nicea- they said that he was divine. His divinity is proven through Matthew’s Gospel 28:1-28 when after the Sabbath, the third day after Jesus had died on the cross he had risen again. This is important to Christians as it allows us to understand that God is omnipotent and universal, he shows himself in the creation of the world and out of love. This is truly shown through the resurrection of Christ, this is his gift of his forgiveness of sins, giving Jesus more divine like attributes. The Christians sources say that Christ is their saviour, the man that will save them from their sins. They believe him to be the Son of God he reveled the divine intentions to his followers. He showed them how they should live for God, not for yourself. He showed concern for the poor and dispossessed people. His humanity has been expressed through his human emotions of love, joy, happiness, forgiveness, anger and sadness. The shortest verse in all the Gospels revels just one of his human characteristics- “Jesus wept” (John 11:35) this allows us to understand that Jesus isn’t free of human emotions but lived with them. He was so distraught that the man had died and Mary said if he had gotten there earlier her brother wouldn’t have died it’s then when he raised him from death. Doing this it really shows his humanity as well as his divinity raising him from the dead. Catechism 480 states ‘ Jesus is true God and true man, in unity of his divine person; for this reason he is the one and only mediator between God and men. Catechism 481 states Jesus possess two natures. Man has always described Jesus as a man of ideal perfection, the man who is the Son of God who came to earth and die for us so our sins may be forgiven. I have come to understand that Jesus Christ is the man who came to earth to explain how to live the parables. He is the human God, the highest object we could possibly imagine with respect to the Religion. The beauty of Jesus is eternal and his reign will never end, he has a unique commission from God to lead mankind to truth and virtue.

**// *THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS //**

The essence of resurrection is that Jesus conquered death, he destroyed death. As a result we know that anyone who has died is not lost forever. Jesus conquered death for us it is our main focus our main belief. When Catholics refer to the resurrection of Christ it consists of him dying in human form on the cross. Three days after his death he rose again, over the next few weeks, it’s belief that he was seen on several occasions, once by over 500 people. (Corinthians 15:3-8) Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus was said to have ascended to live on in the kingdom of heaven on the right hand side of the Lord. This has various meanings to Christians it provides them with the belief to have faith that there is a life after death. This offers people with the opportunity to repent, meaning that they are able to have a chance to be saved from punishment for their sins. Christians have complete faith in the Lord that as Christ was raised up from the dead, if they have had reconciliation and their bodies are filled with the Holy Spirit they shall be raised up into heaven. Catechism 131 states ‘The Resurrection is the climax of the Incarnation. It confirms the divinity of Christ and all the things that he did and taught. It fulfills all the divine promises made for us. Furthermore the risen Christ, the conquer of sin and death, is the principle of our justification and our resurrection. It procures for us now the grace of filial adoption which is a real share in the life of the only begotten Son. At the end of time he will raise up our bodies. The Incarnation is Jesus coming to earth with all the same human bodily functions. He has no ‘bullet proof jacket’ to save himself from the characteristics of the human body. Although it is believed that he became divine once he was resurrected. The nature of incarnation is that the fact of the divine nature of Jesus and the human nature in Jesus-the union between these two natures. The defined nature of the fact it had yet to say if the union was moral or physical. NESTORIANISM-called the nature of the two unions a mysterious and an inseparable joining. He believed it to be a non-physical union but moral. He insisted that Jesus should be co-adorned with the divine union and the almighty God. MONOPHYSITISM-The union of the two natures in one person that was saved. Unlike nestorianism, monophysitism believes that Jesus only postulated one person. The Church defined that he remained after incarnation perfect in divine. MONOTHELITISM- Suggested that there was always room for heresy in the expiation of a mystery. It defined that with Christ there was two natural wills and two natural activities. These are believed to be the divine and the human, the human was not opposite to the divine-rather excellent subject thereto. The Catholics believe that before Christ’s resurrection, his body was still venerable to all bodily functions of human nature. Some of these include sleep, hunger, pain, death, harsh weather conditions, temptation, illnesses and human urges. All of these natural results didn’t become ‘real’ because the Son of God finally came to earth, but because they are normal human bodily functions. If Christ had lived to an old age he would have suffered sickness prone to old age, just as those of infancy.

**// *THE NATURE OF GOD AND THE TRINITY //**

He didn’t have a biological father, in a sense he was his own father, this is because of what is known as the trinity. Eastern Orthodox Christians believe in a God who is three but is one in form. He is the Father, he from whom the Son was begotten and from him the Holy Ghost proceeds eternally. These three distinct, divine persons create the Holy Trinity, three who each share one divine essence. They are uncreated, immaterial and eternal. The Holy Trinity is summarized in the ‘Nicene Creed’. This Creed is used in the Catholic and Orthodox Anglican rituals. The Trinity is the very foundation of christian truth, skeptics may rule this as mathematically impossible. Despite this bias option it is the basic doctrine of the scripture. In both the Old and New Testaments the teachings are that of the Trinity, the basic fact that there is only one God: he who created all things, the heavens and the earth. The Son proceeds from the Father, and the Spirit from the Son. When mentioning the creation of everything, Christians believe the Father is the Thought behind it, the Son is the Word calling it forth, and the Spirit is the Deed making it a reality. Christians become closer to God and are blessed by him through the Holy Trinity when being baptized through the baptismal formula. “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19-20)

PART B
**// EXAMINE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BIBLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIANITY WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE NEW TESTAMENT. (GOSPELS AND LETTERS TO ST. PAUL) //**

In the Christian tradition they recognize that Christianity is of Jewish heritage, they accept the Hebrew scriptures also known as the Old Testament. Writers of Christianity believe that many of the prophecies in the Hebrew Bible was fulfilled by Jesus. The Hebrew Bible is also known as the Old Testament, therefore the sacred texts are recorded in the New Testament. The New Testament was written by the followers of Jesus Christ himself. Combining the Old and New Testaments together make up the ‘Bible’.

In the Bible the New Testament contains of the four Gospels. Each of these Gospels tell the story of Jesus and his apostles. They describe the formation of the early Church as well as the book of Revelation. The Revelation is symbolic of the supernatural events from their time.

The New Testament consists of the records of Jesus Christ’s life. The Gospels in the New Testament were written by his followers over a period of time after his death. Although in each Gospel he is depicted very differently in different times. Each of these Gospels may not agree with each other although, they are the only source that provides man with the closest understanding of the life of Jesus Christ and his character. A flaw though is that the authors are unknown as well as the dates.

We are able to understand that the Old Testament isn’t from the viewpoint of Jewish scribes but that of Christian theologian. In this Jesus Christ himself was the first to appeal to the ‘Messianic passages’ these passages were the readings about the Messiah. The Evangelists are familiar with these claims about Christ. This is because the Epistles are apostolic letters attributed to Paul, Peter, James, Jude and John. They suggest to the first Christians about how to handle specific problems faced by their communities.

The Bible tells us about Salvation about revelation, it gives us the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes and a great emphasis on love. The Gospels are really only all about love, love of neighbor, love of friends, love of one another. Then there is the whole importance of prayer an example is saying the ‘Hail Mary’ which comes from Luke’s Gospel. This is when the angel Gabriel appears to Mary saying God chose her to be the mother of Jesus “Hail Mary” the angel told her God loved her very much she was “Full of Grace” the angel told her the Lord was always with her “The Lord is with You” Mary went to vist her cousin who said she was blessed “Blessed are You among Women” she knew she was going to be the mother of the Lord “And Blessed is the Fruit of Your Womb, Jesus” we ask Mary to pray for us for she is close to God and Jesus “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for Us sinners” she is like a mother to us she listens to us now until we die “Now and at The Hour of Our Death. Amen”.

A Catholic adherent would be able to say this prayer everyday. Some people do either before they go to bed, wake up or for some people when saying the Rosary. They say this prayer to know that they have Mary to listen to them until the last moments in their lives. They are praying to Mary because she is close to God and Jesus and through the prayer they may be as well.

The core revelation was Jesus the transmission of knowledge from divine to humanity. This happened through becoming reincarnated from the virgin Mary and he practiced it through preaching. Through his preaching to the people it was all about how it was transmitted to his audience-- he spoke in parables. God got his message across to man through Jesus, and Jesus through his mission to spread the word of the Lord. His main message was “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it; you shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40). In the Testaments specifically the New Testament Jesus explains this to the adherent’s. This is important to Christians as it tells the adherents how they should live. It allows them to understand that God loves them and like him they should love him and their neighbour.

In Deuteronomy 5:122 and Exodus 20:1-17 they explain the Ten Commandments for all the adherent. Basically what they should and shouldn’t do to get into the kingdom of heaven. God tells his people that he would show his love to each generation of those who love and obey his laws. The Beatitudes is a name given to the Sermon on the Mount, this can be found in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels. They are the characteristics of those who are blessed by God, each of these blessings are from the standards of religious perspective not of worldly standards. These blessings are everlasting. The two ethical teachings is that in a Christians life they should have faith in God which will bring salvation. As well as the acceptance of wrongdoing and the necessity of repentance after which will then bring Gods forgiveness. Jesus ethic of love will therefore dictate all ethics and morals in ones person. These are extremely important to the Bible because it allows followers to understand the importance of following the Lord. Constantly repeating what’s being said in different ways to allow people to understand better helps reinforce the need to serve only God.

In Luke’s Gospel 12:16-21 ‘The Parable of the Rich Fool’ is about a man who cared for himself and his dilemma with having no space to keep his harvest. He then decided that he was going to build a bigger barn house so he could relax for the rest of his life. God then told him that he was a fool that he would have to give up his life that very night, then who would receive all his fine goods. This parable is still able to be appropriated even today as well as in Jesus’ time, no matter how many material goods you have unless you have a family or someone to share your goods with nothing would really be so important or matter. Material things aren't really something a person should revolve their life around, life is much more important then the material goods we posses. This parable has always been relevant to Catholics as it explains the importance of loving God and thy neighbour. It allows them to grasp the importance of not relying on material positions and not to be preoccupied by their worldly goods.

In the Catholic Catechism- Sacred Scriptures 22. It explains that the heart of all the Gospels are Mark, Matthew, Luke and John because they describe the life and teachings of Jesus. Holding a special and unique place in the Church.

The first of these Gospels was the Gospel according to Mark. It is believed that it may have been written some time around the destruction of the Second temple in 70CE. It seemed to have been written for the non-Jewish Christians that were being abused at the time. The importance of Marks Gospel is the explaining of the manifestation of the crucified Lord. The emphasis is that Jesus is the Son of God who becomes crucified, it revels his human like qualities, how he became frustrated by the disbelievers (Mark 8:27-30)

Matthew’s Gospel had possibly been written for the Christians of Jewish heritage. This Gospel gives the emphasises on Jesus as a teacher and dramatic account of the up coming Kingdom of Heaven. In this Gospel its evident that through out the scriptures he is stressing to inform the reader that Jesus performed miracles. Once Jesus came to earth the prophecies became fulfilled by the Messiah.

The Gospel of Luke was the composer of the Acts around 90CE. In this Gospel it tries to appease and bring together the different elements of the earlier writings of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Its believed through this the Synoptic Gospels were possibly developed. An original aspect in Luke is his religious mentality. He records Jesus characteristics as being tender, compassionate and forgiving.

As Matthew, Mark and Luke borrow a lot of material from each other they seem to give a similar picture of Jesus. As a result these Gospels are known as the Synoptic Gospels. Although Matthew and Luke have very similar aspects in their scriptures that aren’t found in Mark. There are issues that give rise to what is known as the ‘Synoptic problem’ the matters of differences between Matthew, Mark and Luke.

The last Gospel to be written, John, is the most remote with the historical figure of Jesus. Unlike the other Gospels it dose not have a biography description of Christ, he is depicted through a theological viewpoint. This viewpoint is the reminder of who brings the light and life to mindkind. Luke’s emphasis was that the Messiah who brought salvation.

In the Catholic Catechism 238 it explains the ‘Word’ of God, this being that there is a close link between the actions and the words in celebration of the sacraments. The actions are very symbolic and in a way already a language. The words of the rite (baptismal procedure) accompany and keep these actions alive. The words and actions are entangled both to the extent that they are meaningful and bring about what they signify.

The ‘Word’ of God is first received by the Prophet; this can be through a vision, dream, various words or an impression. After this it then becomes communicated to the adherents through verbal commutation, writing or by different means. If the hearers don’t accept the word, they will suffer the consequences. (1 Kings 22) The Word may be accepted among a community so it may apply to them but on a broader community it may not. It may become acceptable through some communities but still not through the broader history of the Church. Finally the body as a whole receives a Word as true- authoritative and valid for more then one time, until finally it can become a scripture. As the process proceeds the Word of God is always true. The Word of God must still be received through the power of the Holy Spirit and applied in one’s life. This means that for the Word to be received it must be guided by the Holy Spirit.

As the Word was in the beginning, Christ instituted marriage in the beginning. The Bible is important to marriage with Catholics because its an intergal part of the New Testament. Recorded in Genesis 2:18-24 is what is known as the first marriage. God had said that its not good for man to be alone and have a helper suitable for him. He then made a woman out of the rib of man. The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man.' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. This is proof of the first wedding accounting that marriage is Gods idea. This notion of mariage being Gods design becomes important, Christians are then able to understand that God designed marriage for companionship and intimacy.

=
The Bible is important to Christians about divorce and it also explains Gods rule about marriage, and remarriage. To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. ( Corinthians 7:10-11) This is relevant to Christians as it is Gods rule and a belief that they must follow. If a Christian divorced their spouse they may seek forgiveness from God. From that point forward they are to honor Gods word about marriage. If their conscious allows them to remarry they are permitted to do so; if their conscious tells them to stay single, they must stay single.======

=
In 180CE the canon of Scripture was closed by the Church. The Testaments combined created the Bible, this moment in history then became added to the early Christian writings- the four Gospels, Acts, Epistles and Revelations; these make up the New Testament. The final passage to be added to the Christian canon was the Second Letter of Peter. The Church itself had produced the Bible.======

The Canon is important to Christians because it is the core sacred text. It is actually the Bible.

IMPORTANT TIMELINE-JESUS CHRIST AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BIBLE.
4BC Jesus was born. 27CE Beginning of the public life of Christ, about 30 yrs old. 30CE The crucifixion of Christ. 45CE St. Paul begins his journeys- he starts to spread the word of Jesus, the Bible starts to develop. 50CE Around about the beginning of the Gospels.(Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) 325CE The Gospels Made official 51BC The apostles held a council in Jerusalem. 64CE First persecution of Christians by Roman Emperor Nero. Martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul. 70CE Destruction of Jerusalem after Jewish revolt fails, the revolt against the Romans. No one around knew Jesus. 95-312CE Persecution of Christians by Romans 312CE The conversion of the Emperor Constantine. Goes out to battle and wins, when he comes back he declared that Christianity of the Roman Empire. 313CE Edict of Milan by Emperor Constantine provides for freedom of religious people. It basically gave them the right to start the religion. 325CE First council of Nicene and formulation of the Nicene Creed- debated wether Christ was human of divine, to reinstate Christ's divinity. 387CE Baptism of St. Augustine, he becomes one of the most powerful men in Christianity. 410CE Christianity spreads. 570CE Birth of Mohammed, comes as a prophet. 637CE Fall of Jerusalem to Muslims- Muslims over take Jerusalem. 900CE Christians invade Span and wipe out the Muslims. 1054 Division of Christianity into East and West. The split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.(Split over the statement of the filioque) 1500CE Reformation- split 1095CE First Crusade proclaimed by Pope Urban ll. 1273CE St. Thomas Aquinas ceases work on Summa Theologica- a summery of what it means to be Christian. 1300CE Black Death in Europe- powerful time for the Christians. 1431CE Joan of Arc burned at the state. 1450CE Was the first time a bible was printed (in German) it then started the spread throughout the world. 1498CE Michel Angelo sculpts the Pieta (Mary holding Jesus). 1517CE Martian Luther begins the Protestant Reformation. 1534CE Henry Vlll (8th) establishes The Church of England and begins the persecution of Catholics. Split from the Catholic Church over the issue of divorce.

The Bible is important to Christians because it is the Old and New Testament together. The Old Testament consisting of the Hebrew passages, while the New Testament is made up of the four Gospels. The Bible retells stories of Jesus’ life and the significance of the stories of the people from his era. Its recorded Jesus’ parables and the meanings of these parables. Important stories in the development of the Bible and of Christianity have been recorded. A valuable story is the story of Paul. Originally his name was Saul, he used to hunt out the Christians of communities and expose them for public persecution. A couple of years after Jesus had died, Saul was traveling when a flashing light appeared. (Acts 9:2-19) Christ had appeared before him. After Christ had questioned him and he was unable to answer Saul converted to Christianity. He then changed his name to Paul and became the greatest of Christian evangelists. He developed a great interpretation of the importance of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. To me this is one of the most important stories in the Bible because Paul helped spread the word of Christianity; this then helped with the creation of the Bible coming together.

=**WEEK 7 - Wednesday and Thursday Self Directed Learning**= You are required to complete the following research using the links below []

**[|**Origin of the Name of Jesus**]**
In this article, we shall consider the two words -- "Jesus" and "Christ" -- which compose the Sacred Name. []

**Questions**
1. Explain the origin of the name (a) Jesus and (b) Christ. 2. Use the scripture quotes in the reading (a) find 5 Scripture passages and write out the whole quote (b) Who was Josephus? 3. Give the Latin name for (a) Jesus and (b) Christ 4. How did the title 'Christian' develop?

Answers
Jesus- Is the Latin form of the Greek word ‘Iesous’. If translated into Hebrew it would become ‘Joshua or Jehoshua’. This means “Jehovah is salvation”. Christ- Or Christos is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Messias, meaning ‘anointed’.

=
And Samuel took a little vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said:“Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance, and thou shalt deliver his people out of the hands of their enemies, that are round about them” (Samuel-Chap10:1) ======

=
c)I am the Door, says Jesus; no one comes unto the Father but through Me. For if you deny the Door, the knowledge concerning the Father is shut off from you. No man knows the father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son shall reveal Him (Catechetical Lecture-Chap10:1 & Matthew 11:27) ====== d)And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Say to the children of Israel: The soul that sinneth through ignorance, and doth any thing concerning any of the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded not to be done (Leviticus-Chap4:1)

As the Greeks and the Romans knew very little of the about the importance of the word ‘anointed’ to them it the word conveyed no sacred conception. Hence the substitute ‘Chrestus’ or “excellent” and ‘Christians’ instead of “Christians”.

**[|**The Holy Name of Jesus**]**
We give honour to the Name of Jesus, because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer. [] Questions 1. Use this reading to outline why the name of Jesus is holy. 2. What role have the various Popes (Urban IV, John XXIII, Clement XIII and Benedict XIII) played in ensuring the name of Jesus is holy. 3. Why is IHS significant for Christians? **Answers** * // The name Jesus is holy because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our holy Redeemer. It allows us to give thanks for the blessings we receive // // through his holy name. His name brings help in bodily needs, gives consolation in spiritual traits, protects against Satan and his temptations and we are also able to obtain blessing and grace for eternity. //

* // The various Popes have played ensuring role in the holy name of Jesus by performing various blessings and rituals on behalf of him. A common blessing is the blessing of the Eucharist and the wine, this is remembrance of the last supper, the last meal christ had before he died on the Cross. // // nized, the extra cross over the ‘H’ and the three nails under it. Although from this a new emblem was invented. Pretending the nail were originally a ‘V’ and that the monogram stands for “In Hoc Signo Vinces” (In This Sign you shall Conquer) // // These were the words according to a legendary account, Constantine saw the heavens under the sign of the cross, before the battle at the Milvian bridge. //

// *IHS is the emblem or monogram that represents the Holy Name of Jesus. During the middle ages the Name of Jesus was written as ‘IHESUS’, this consists of the first and last letters of the Holy Name. A gold coin found from the eighth century: DN IHS CHS REX REGNANTIUM this means “The Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings” The Jesuits created the emblem for their society to become recognized, the extra cross over the ‘H’ and the three nails under it. Although from this a new emblem was invented. Pretending the nail were originally a ‘V’ and that the monogram stands for “In Hoc Signo Vinces” (In This Sign you shall Conquer) // // These were the words according to a legendary account, Constantine saw the heavens under the sign of the cross, before the battle at the Milvian bridge. //

**[|**Early Historical Documents Concerning Jesus Christ**]**
In this article, we discuss the ancient historical documents -- pagan, Jewish, and Christian -- referring to Christ's life and work. [] Questions 1. Outline what **//pagan//** sources say about Jesus? 2. Outline what **__Tacitius__** has to say about Jesus? 3. Describe what Pliny the Younger says about Jesus? 4. Describe Josephus' understanding of Jesus. 5. Outline what Christian sources say about Jesus? **Answers** // Pagan is a person with religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions. The pagan sources are of both hatred and prejudice views. Jesus was considered unknown and unintelligible because of most of the pagans of that period. Concerning the life of Christ they accept his existence, miracles, parables, death on the cross and the apparitions of his religion. //

The testimony of Tacitus are recorded in the statements of the Founder of the Christian relligion. This was a deadly superstition in the eyes of the Romans, a deadly superstition-one that had Jesus put to death by the procurator Pontius Pilate. His religion broke free of Judea were it originated across to Rome. Nero had changed from himself to the suspicion of the burning of Rome by charging the Christians with the crime. // The Governor of Bithynia consults with his imperial majesty asking how to deal with the Christians who were living in his region. They were innocent and no crime could be proved against them accepting the Christian belief. Their allegiance with Christ who they celebrated as their God in early morning meetings. //

// Josephus’ was unable to represent Jesus as a simple moralist. Another class of critics regard Christ as spurious but they maintain interpolation of parts included in parenthesis. //

// Christ is their saviour, the man that will save them from their sins. They believe him to be the Son of God he reveled the divine intentions to his followers. He showed them how they should live for God, not for yourself. He showed concern for the poor and dispossessed people. //

**[|**Chronology of the Life of Christ**]**
In this article, we shall endeavour to establish the absolute and relative chronology of our Lord's life [] Questions 1. Construct a Time line of the Chronology of the life of Jesus. Ensure that you attribute a scripture passage to each point on the time line. **Answers**

...Timeline...
CHRIST-JEWISH-Torah -Shabbat -Talmud 4BC Jesus was born. 27CE Beginning of the public life of Christ, about 30yrs old. 30CE The crucifixion of Christ. 45CE St.Paul begins his journeys- he starts to spread the word of Jesus, the Bible starts to develop. 50CE Around about the beginning of the Gospels. 325CE Made official -Matthew-Luke-John -Mark 51BC The apostles held a council in Jerusalem. 64CE First persecution of Christians by Roman Emperor Nero. Martyrdom of St.Peter and St.Paul. 70CE Destruction of Jerusalem after Jewish revolt fails, the revolt against the Romans. No one around knew Jesus. 95-312CE Persecution of Christians by Romans 312CE The conversion of the Emperor Constantine. Goes out to battle and wins, when he comes back he declared that Christianity of the Roman Empire. 313CE Edict of Milan by Emperor Constantine provides for freedom of religious people. It basically gave them the right to start the religion. 325CE First council of Nicene and formulation of the Nicene Creed- debated wether Christ was human of divine, to reinstate Christ's divinity. 385CE St.Basil writes the rule for monks, how they should live. 387CE Baptism of St.Augustine, he becomes one of the most powerful men in Christianity. 410CE Christianity spreads. 432CE St.Patrick 570CE Birth of Mohammed, comes as a prophet. 637CE Fall of Jerusalem to Muslims- Muslims over take Jerusalem. 800CE Charleam Empire. 900CE Christians invade Span and wipe out the Muslims. 1054CE Division of Christianity into East and West. The split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.(Split over the statement of the filioque) 1500CE Refurmation- split 1095CE First Crusade proclaimed by Pope Urban ll. 1273CE St.Thomas Aquinas ceases work on Summa Theologica- a summery of what it means to be Christian. 1300CE Black Death in Europe- powerful time for the Christians. 1377CE Pope Gregory Xl (11th)- potheosim stays in Rome. 1431CE Joan of Arc burned at the state. 1450CE Was the first time a bible was printed (in German) it then started the spread throughout the world. 1498CE Michel Angelo sculpts the Pieta (Mary holding Jesus). 1506CE Rebuilding of St.Peter Basilica begins in Rome. 1517CE Martian Luther begins the Protestant Reformation. 1534CE Henry Vlll (8th) establishes The Church of England and begins the persecution of Catholics. Split from the Catholic Church over the issue of divorce. 1543-63CE Council of Trent- counteraction of the Reformation.

**[|**The Character of Jesus Christ**]**
Here we consider the character of Jesus as manifested first in His relation to men, then in His relation to God. [] Questions 1. From the section 'Divinity of Jesus' what is your understanding of the Divinity of Jesus? **Answers** // Man has always described Jesus as a man of ideal perfection, the man who is the Son of God who came to earth and die for us so our sins may be forgiven. I have come to understand that Jesus Christ is the man who came to earth to explain how to live the parables. He is the human God, the highest object we could possibly imagine with respect to the Religion. The beauty of Jesus is eternal and his reign will never end, he has a unique commission from God to lead mankind to truth and virtue. //

**[|**The Mystery of the Incarnation**]**
The Incarnation is the mystery and dogma of the Word made Flesh. [] Questions 1. Outline the Nature of the Incarnation as described in Section II 2. Outline the effects of the incarnation on Christ Himself (Section III) 3. Define The Incarnation. **Answers** // The nature of incarnation is that the fact of the divine nature of Jesus and the human nature in Jesus-the union between these two natures. The defined nature of the fact it had yet to say if the union was moral or physical. // // NESTORIANISM-called the nature of the two unions a mysterious and an inseparable joining. He believed it to be a non-physical union but moral. He insisted that Jesus should be co-adorned with the divine union and the almighty God. // // MONOPHYSITISM-The union of the two natures in one person that was saved. Unlike nestorianism, monophysitism believes that Jesus only postulated one person. The Church defined that he remained after incarnation perfect in divine. // // MONOTHELITISM- Suggested that there was always room for heresy in the expiation of a mystery. It defined that with Christ there was two natural wills and two natural activities. These are believed to be the divine and the human, the human was not opposite to the divine-rather excellent subject thereto. //

The Catholics believe that before Christ’s resurrection, his body was still venerable to all bodily functions of human nature. Some of these include sleep, hunger, pain, death, harsh weather conditions, temptation, illnesses and human urges. All of these natural results didn’t become ‘real’ because the Son of God finally came to earth, but because they are normal human bodily functions. If Christ had lived to an old age he would have suffered sickness prone to old age, just as those of infancy.

The Incarnation is Jesus coming to earth with all the same human bodily functions. He has no ‘bullet proof jacket’ to save himself from the characteristics of the human body. Although it is believed that he became divine once he was resurrected.

**[|**The Resurrection of Jesus Christ**]**
Resurrection is the rising again from the dead, the resumption of life. In this article, we shall treat of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, including its characteristics and importance [] Questions 1. Construct a Table of Facts about the Resurrection of Jesus. 2. List 5 Scripture passages that support the Resurrection of Jesus. 3. Choose ONE opposing THEORY and outline the central ideas of this theory. **Answers** // Romans 12:4, Matthew 27:34, Philippians 2:8, Hebrews 12:2, John 19:28 //

-Resurrection is the rising from the dead, the resumption of life. -The main sources which directly attest the fact of Christ’s Resurrection are the four Gospels and the Epistles of St.Paul. -We cannot deny the Evangelists’ agreement as to the fact that the risen Christ appeared to one or more person. -According to St.Matthew, he appeared to holy women, and again at Galilee. -According to St.Mark he was seen by Mary Magdalen, by the two disciples at Emmaus, and the Eleven before his ascension to heaven. -According to St.Luke, Jesus walked with the disciples on their journey to Emmaus, appear to Peter and told him to assemble disciples in Jerusalem. -According to St.John, he appeared to Mary Magdalen, then the ten apostles on Easter Sunday. Then to the Eleven a week later, then to seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. -The fact of Christ’s resurrection is the attested by the eloquent silence of the Synagogue which had done everything to prevent deception. -The origin of the Church, requires for its explanation the reality of Christ’s Resurrection, for the rise of the Church without the Resurrection would have been a greater miracle than the Resurrection itself.

THE SWOON THEORY This theory is the belief that Christ didn’t die on the cross, his supposed death was a temporary swoon. His return to consciousness, is his ‘resurrection’. This was advocated by Paulus and modified by Hase. It dose not agree with the data furnished by the Gospels. The scourging and the crown of thorns, the carrying of the cross and the crucifixion, the three hours on the cross and the piercing of the Sufferer’s side cannot have brought on a mere swoon. His real death is attested by the centurion and the soldiers, by the friends and apostles of Jesus and by his most bitter enemies. It is believed he stayed in a room sealed for 36hrs, the atmosphere then became poisoned by the exhalations of a hundred pounds of spices, which would have of itself sufficed to cause death. Therefore, if Jesus had merely returned from a swoon, the feelings of Easter morning would have been those of sympathy rather than those of joy and triumph, the Apostles would have been roused to the duties of a sick chamber rather than to apostolic work, the life of the powerful wonderworker would have ended in ignoble solitude and inglorious obscurity, and His vaunted sinlessness would have changed into His silent approval of a lie as the foundation stone of His Church.

**[|**Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus**]**
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is but a special form of devotion to Jesus [] Questions 1. Explain the concept of devotion in relation to Christianity. 2. Outline the historical ideas on the development of devotion.

**[|**Christology**]**
Christology is that part of theology which deals with Our Lord Jesus Christ. In its full extent it comprises the doctrines concerning both the person of Christ and His works; but in the present article we shall limit ourselves to a consideration of the person of Christ []

Questions
1. Outline Pauline Christology in dot points 2. Outline Christ's divinity in Pauline epistles. 3 In point form LIST the Christology of Catholic epistles. **Answers** * //The practical belief of St. James did not lead us to expect that our lords Divinity would be recorded in a doctrine of faith. // //*The language of St. James would be over-dramatized and strained on another’s supposition belief in the divinity of Christ. // //*St. Peter regarded himself as the servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. // //*The prophets where Christ’s own servants, heralds and organs. // //*Besides Peter St. Jude also concerned himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. // //*He believed he kept life of faith and holiness, Expressed that Christ was their saviour who punished Israel in the wilderness and the rebel angels. //

//He raises Christ above the choirs of angels and makes them his Lord and Master. Christ is not only merely the image of Glory of God, he was also he whom all things were made. // //Most Holy Trinity // //Old Testament // //<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">New Testament // //<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Evangelists // <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Messianic =**Please ENSURE you add you answers to your WIKI during EACH lesson.**=

__//Assignment Script//__
PART A The __//Jewish//__ religion is a monotheistic religion meaning they have a belief in one God. It is founded in the doctrine of Abraham's and Gods relationship. When God promises that if he left his home, he would bless him with a great nation. Once he accepted the bri’t between God and the Jewish people was established. Abraham then became the first //__patriarch__//, he is known as the father of the //__Jewish__// religion. God had commanded his people that he was to be the one and only God they were to worship. They should have no other Gods before him. They were not to make themselves an idol to worship or bow down to. They were told to love God and only God. These are the first commandments in the //__Jewish Mitzvot__//. A name given to the 613 Jewish rules that they are to live by. PART B Yahweh, a //__Jewish__// term given to God, as they do not believe they can utter the word God. When at Mt Sinai, God spoke to Moses and said he was the one and only God. He then received the //__Mitzvo__//t also known as the //__decaloge__// to advise the Hebrews (being Jews) how they should live. Loving God with all their heart, mind body and soul is something a Jewish person dose simply because they do indeed love God. They don’t do it because as an obligation of being a //__Jewish__// person. They also wouldn’t give false testimony against their neighbor but love them as they do themselves. In the bible it states //**"I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. Worship no god but me."**// This is found in Deuterononmy 5 and Exodus 20. 1-17. By doing this everyday they are following the //__Jewish Mitzvot__//. In the Jewish Bible known as the //__Tenach__//, a central //__covenant__// exists in almost every gospel. When saying praise Jewish people say ‘shema’ when they offer the lord praise. Translated as “The Lord is our G-d, The Lord alone”. The main attribute of God is he is the creator of everything. The notion of evil being created by satan is completely rejected in the Jewish religion. God created the light and darkness he makes the peace and evil. He is omnipresent this means that he is in all places at all times, he can do anything. He is always near us to call upon him that is how great his power is. Although the only thing beyond his power is the fear of him. This is though our power of free will that he allowed us to have, to let us make our own choices, he cannot compel us to do his will, we decide. __//Jewish//__ people maintain that God always has a reason for allowing these things. They are important because they would effect a lot of people or would end up changing everyones fate dramatically. Leave it or take it out??? Where to put it in the script. A very important bri’t is Gods with Noah. God called to Noah and told him to build an ark big and strong enough to hold 2 of every animal, he was to have it ready before the huge flood was to come and flood the earth. With his family sons and wives they were to be the only ones on the ark so he could rid the world of sin. He then told Noah and his son’s that he was making his //__covenant__// with them and all their descendants, living beings, all birds and all animals-and everything that came out of the boat with them. God promised that never again would he destroy all living things by a flood; never again would a flood destroy the earth. As sign of this covenant; which he was making with Noah and all living things, he declared that he would put a bow in the clouds. The rainbow would be a sign of the covenant he made with the world. Whenever a rainbow appears in the sky he will remember his promise he had made with Noah and all living things. He would see it and remember the everlasting covenant between him and all living beings on earth. PART C In //__Judaism__// everything revolves around God, he is and always will be everything. Being a Jew they have to practice a daily ritual of the Shema meaning //**“Here, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”**// Every ceremonial practice in their life is a reminder that God continues to be in their lives. These religious practices is regarded as a type of discipline to help improve their character flaws. These experiences provides a way of reviving his experiences of their people and to strengthen their loyalty. This means survival for his people and their faith. They hold God the creator of all things, eternally at work and universal. Jews believe that besides being the giver of natural law but he is also the giver of moral law. The law of right and wrong.

An important ethical issue in the Jewish religion is their beliefs on abortion. Their view is it’s permitted only if there is a direct threat to the mother. The embryo is considered as a risk of killing the mother, therefore is able to be aborted. If it is a result of rape or adultery, the mothers emotional and physical health is taken into account. If the embryo is effecting health her it’s allowed to be aborted. The Mishneh states that in the first forty days of the mother falling pregnant the fetus isn’t fully human. So having an abortion or miss carrying the embryo is not the killing of a person. In Deuteronomy the sixth decalogue is **//“Do not Kill”//** the fetus isn’t concerned a human of equal rights till after birth. When the babies head has finally appeared out of the mother, the babies life is then equal to that of it’s mother. Therefore one cannot be chosen over the other.

The Jewish covenant is kept alive today through Shabbat, that is the Jewish Sabbath. This is the most important day in the Jewish of week- God decreed that it was to be the holy day, the day of rest. Exodus 20.11 reads: //**“In six days I, the Lord, made the earth, the sky, the seas, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the LORD, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.”**// This is symbolic of how God created the earth then rested, by Jews obeying the decalogue and keeping the Sabbath holy, they are able share in Gods creativeness. It begins every friday evening to the eve of the seventh day. They share a meal and light the Shabbat candles. They are able to share this with family, friends, study or discussion and to praise God. To remember Shabbat as it passes they smell sweet herbs and blow out the candle. These herbs are symbolic of the beauty of Shabbat. No work is done on this day its for spiritual and physical revitalization, it frees the Jews of worldly worries and helps deepen their relationship with God through prayer. Shabbat is a day to be positive and happy.

__**//Why are the Commandments important to Judaism???//**__

In the Jewish Religion the commandments are so important as they are the rules in which they the Jews live by. The decalogue is located in the Torah, which is found in the Hebrew Bible ‘Talmud’. These decalogues are known as the mitzvot. These laws are to be part of Gods covenant that he made with Moses. There are 365 negative commandments with 248 negative commandments. It’s said that there was one negative command for each day and because there is around 200-246 bones in the body, there is as many positive. These rules are the divine rules of conduct given to Moses from God __**//Why is Moses Significant in the Jewish History???//**__ In Jewish history Moses is an important figure as he was the one who lead the Israelites out of Egypt. God came to Moses through the use of a burning bush, the bush itself was on fire and yet not burning. This shows that God is more powerful than anything in nature. He told Moses that he had chosen him to go to Pharaoh and command that he let his people go. After the ten plagues taking a hold over Egypt Pharaoh finally allows the Hebrews to leave to Egypt. It is said that once they reached the Red Sea Moses parted the water to allow them to cross. Although it’s written that this happened it is an extended metaphor. With Gods help they crossed the Red Sea as easy as if it had been parted for them. Once they had reached the mountain (Sinai) God spoke to Moses at the top of the mountain. He gave him the 613 Mitzvot also known as the commandments. Walking down the mountains to the Hebrews, Moses then read out the laws of God.

SST

An example:
====Noah is promised that after the flood he (God) would never again destroy humanity. Even so, with unconditional covenants we find that they are only given after the person has already done something to prove their obedience to God. After God makes an unconditional promise no further conditions are attached. If that person turns their back on God he will still honour his promise.====

**//__Gods covenant with Noah__//**
====Blessing Noah and his son’s he said that they were to have many children so that their descendents will live all over the land. All animals, birds and fish will live in fear of you, under your power. Now they will be able to be eaten as well as green plants; he gave them to us for food. Although the one thing that mustn’t be eaten is meat with blood still in it, he forbids this as life is still in it. If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. He will punish death to any animal that takes a human life. Humans were made as an image of God whoever murders one of them will be killed by someone else.==== ====He then told Noah and his son’s that he was making his covenant with them and all their descendants, living beings, all birds and all animals-and everything that came out of the boat with them. God promised that never again would he destroy all living things by a flood; never again would a flood destroy the earth. As sign of this covenant; which he was making with Noah and all living things, he declared that he would put a bow in the clouds. The rainbow would be a sign of the covenant he made with the world. Whenever a rainbow appears in the sky he will remember his promise he had made with Noah and all living things. He would see it and remember the everlasting covenant between him and all living beings on earth.====

--
====Divinity dwells within, how many believers of any religions agrees with this statement? It dose not matter what religion, any religion how many of us agrees with this statement? Myself personally, I do, how would I be able to achieve anything in life, unless I had something inside me convincing me to reach my goals, strive for what I want and how I have chosen to present myself.==== ====People who believe in the cosmic religion would debate otherwise. Not the fact that divinity dwells within but that the world is populated by spirits that dwell within nature, they control denstiny, from birth to death. I on the other hand do not agree, we, ourselves control our own destiney, from each choice I make, what I decide to say, the questions I answer and even as I write this response I may very well be changing my future. For example-by writing this response Im furthering my mark or making it worse, either way our future changes everyday with everything we do.==== ====If believers decided that they all agreed that divine dwelt within each of them, religion itself may not exist. If things went wrong in life, they would not pray to anyone for guidance, people would blame themselves and some may even beat themselves up about it.====

//Sarah - Jane when does a person become aware of in inner dimension? Can one have goals and still acknowledge the internal divinity? What do you mean by this statement If believers decided that they all agreed that divine dwelt within each of them, religion itself may not exist. ? Where does the guidance come from in this search for meaning?Mr pate...//

====If believers decided that they all agreed that divine dwelt within each of them, religion itself may not exist. By this statement I am suggesting that it could become a possibility that religion may not exist. When people need help in life with may cultures people turn to their religion for the answer, although if people thought that the divine dwelt within they would have no need to turn to religion. If this did happen what would be the point for religion?==== ====//why would there be no religion if people believed in an immanant being? dont some religions believe in this already? if there was no religion, how could people put an answer to the unanswerable questions that plauge this world?//====

=

 * When referring to an Aboriginal a capital is used if the word isn't an adjective. When referring to something like aboriginal music the 'a' would be little, while when referring to an Aboriginal person a capital is used. The little 'a' refers to someone being native to the land.Indigenous Australians preferred to be called Aborigines as the term referrers to an indigenous person to a land. They are inextricable-part of the land.The term 'terra nullius' means empty land. As the Aborigines didn't have houses made of brick and stone like the Torres Strait Islanders. As the Aboriginal people were nomatic they didn't need houses everywhere but they used the land only to that of the extent of what was nessary to survive. Once the europeans saw this they decided the land was deserted and theirs to claim. The Aboriginal Dreaming is one of the most unique cultures as tridditional Aboriginals do not behave as we behave today and how most society dose, to us we would class them as uncivilised. As the Aboriginal culture is so different to many today it effects how they behave. All Aboriginal dream time stories explain everything to the Aboriginies, like how the bird fly right down to how and why the rivers travel on the lands.**=====


 * **Belief Systems** || **Behaviours** ||
 * **All things in and on the land**
 * must be treated with respect.**
 * this is their link to their ansestors.**


 * each Aboriginal person has their**
 * own totem that must be treated with respect.**


 * They are one with the land.** || **Never treating the land with disrespect**
 * and destroying it for no reason.**


 * Not eating that animal, killing it, treating**
 * it with respect.**


 * Not demolishing the land** ||

=
The Dreaming was a time of creation when the world was formed.It is a point of connection to the past, to their anstors. From this things such as law, society and culture were formed. The first Australians were governed by these aspects. Their ancient texts where held in song, story, sacred objects and the land itself. The land of dreaming became the mother which provided them with life, fire, water, food and shelter. The land where they lived was called their tribe name, this is known as their dreaming area. Each generation was to pass down their stories to the next. Their old people had left it with them, giving the new generation a path to follow. The Aboriginal people knew that their dreaming was important because it was their religion. Not only was it their religion but it was their way of life, their connection to the land. Art, story, songs and sacred objects=====

In the aboriginal culture songs and dances tell stories about the 'Spirit Beings'. Minnie Pwerle expresses her main Dreamings. "Awelye-Atnwengerrp", "Bush Melon", and "Bush Melon Seed". Her picture shows her love of the land and her giving thanks for the food and water that the land provides her with.
 * **ART, STORIES, SONGS AND SACRED OBJECTS.**

-campsites -emu -footprints -goanna -men hunting -rain -sites -waterholes

**THE LAND** METAMORPHISES: The body of the ancestor is changed into a material object. eg. A high mountain peak of a mountain is a man.

IMPRINTING: When the ancestor leaves the impression of his body or a tool he has used in the land. eg. Rocks on the land are said to be ancestoral beings.

EXTERNALIZATION: When the ancestor die he/she takes an object out of their body eg. When the heart was placed on the top of the mountain, it then becomes the warritar. || =**Self - Directed Learning - DUE Friday Week 6**= • outline the nature of the Dreaming in relation to: – origins of the universe – sacred sites – stories of the Dreaming – symbolism and art

• discuss the diversity of the Dreaming for Aboriginal peoples

• recognise the importance of the Dreaming for the life of Aboriginal peoples

• investigate the inextricable connection of the Dreaming, the land and identity

Assignment on the Shinto Religion
= Shinto Religion-basic info = -Ancient Japanese Religion, possibly starting about 500BCE. -originally a mixture of worship, fertility cults, divination techniques, hero worship and shamanism. -’Shin tao’ (The Way of the Gods) -Shinto official religion of Japan. -No real founder, written scripts, no body of religious law and only very loosely-organized priesthood. -’Kami’ (deities) -Creation stories tell of the history and the lives of the deities. -The Kami are the Shinto deities. -Kami usuallt translated as ‘god’ or ‘gods’ -84% of the Japanise population follow either Shinto or Buddhism. -Basic optimism about human nature, and the world. -Most weddings are performed by Shinto priests, funerals Buddhist piests -It doesn’t have its own moral code. -Ancestors are revered and worshipped.

** - ** Four Affirmations in Shinto:
1.Tradition and the family 2.Love of nature 3.Physical cleanliness 4.Matsuri

-Desire for peace. -Shinto recognizes many sacred places eg. mountains, springs -Each shrine is dedicated to a specific Kami -When entering a shrine one has to pass through a Tori a special gateway for the Gods. -When in ceremonies the offerings, prayers, cleansing, and dancers are directed to the Kami.

Beliefs concerning the origin of the universe

1. Religion story Kojiki or ‘Record of Ancient Matters’ written in 721C. This record explains how the cosmic order arose out of chaos during the age of the karmi when something like a huge celestial egg split in half to form heaven and hell. As they created the island of japan, it then made the whole creation of time. PRINCIPAL BELIEFS OF THE RELIGION SHINTO IS THE WAY OF THE GODS. -’Kami’ (deities-gods) The Kami are sacred spirits-take forms of things important to life eg. wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. All humans become kami once they die, to their family they are known as ancestral kami. Optimistic faith, humans are believed to fundamentally good. while evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits.... ...Ironically the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits. Their shrines are their places of worship. -The emperor was considered the divine descendent of the sun Goddess, this direct line from the Gods was a feeling of Japanese superiority. -Throughout the country shrines big and small where dedicated to the Shinto Religion, as the State Shinto was considered the official belief of the entire Japanese race. -The last pair of divine siblings Izanami and Izanagi gave birth to the sacred land of Japan and to all the Kami -shintoists drew two general views of reality 1. The universe has three levels The ‘Plain of Heaven’ this is were the Kami live The ‘Middle Land’ the present human world The ‘Hades’ world after death 2. The present human world is an extension of Japan which is the eternal spirit domain, the Kami abide here in perfect tranquillity. While the three levels of the universe became established in Shinto mythology.

There are a vast number of gods and goddess in the Japanese religion as the ancient Shinto was polytheistic, they believed their was Kami in nature, that being a god in everything and for everything eg. flowers, rocks, rivers, sun, moon, mountains etc.

The Mother-Sun-Goddess, Amaterasu and her brother Sunsanoo-O-Mikoto, Kami of Storms have writings and stories in the Japanese history of constant battles. With the two constantly at fault with each other they no doubt created natures personality of the personify, respectively, nurturing and the destructiveness in nature. these were of prime importance for an agricultural society. The spells and magic is often associated with Sunsannoo-O, Kami of storms. This was to please him for the survival of land and prosperity. The mythical climax each year reaches it peak when Sunsannoo-O destories the sacred rice fields of Amaterasu.This offends her and she locks herself in a cave and doesn’t give the world any light and warmth.When this happens thousands of Kami rally together outside with rituals and music to plead her to bring back the sun. When Amaterasu is offered a mirror she agrees to come back into the world as she is enchanted by her reflection and the light she was producing. This is symbolic of lightness winning against darkness, over the order of chaos, and that the Kami are supportive of humanity to bring back the life into the world.

Sacred Spaces and the Beliefs...

Originally the practices were simple and required no buildings. Prayers, offers and rites were offered and performed at natural shrines. These could be at a sacred sakaki tree, this is a tradition that is still continued today as some form of tree is still present with the shrines today.

SHRINES There are over 100 000 shrines in Japan and sacred priests conduct elaborate ceremonies at large locations. The largest shrine ‘Taisha’ is dedicated to the storm Kami, Susanoo-O. It is believed that each October the Kami gather to arrange marriages for the upcoming year. Although it my be the largest the most important shrine is the Grand Shrine of Ise, which is dedicated to Amaterasu. Shinto shrines are simple and designed to blend in with their natural surroundings. Shrines either face toward the South or East, never the North or West they are considered to be unlucky regions. Before entering a shrine visitors wash at a water trough to purify themselves, then hang up wooden plagues covered with special written prayers. In each shrine a special symbol such as a sword, mirror or jewelled necklace, this is known as their sacred symbol. To summon the Kami they ring a bell and make offerings of rice or money. Bowing twice and then clapping twice then bowing once more is performed to welcome the Kami.

**Principle Rituals and their significance for individuals and** **society**
Shinto doesn’t have a weekly service, some people visit shrines on the 1st and 15th of each month on the occasion of rites or festivals. Although some people pay respect to shrines every morning. Shinto itself is a is an outward expression and not so much a belief system but with a set of customs and rituals which reflect their feelings for nature and an approach for life. The attitude of the religion underlines many of the basic structures of family and culture. Followers of the Shinto religion are expected to visit their shrines at the times of various stages in life. An example of this is at a girls life at either age 3 or 7 and a boys at age 5, is involved in a blessing by the shrine Priest. They learn to give thanks for protection and pray for healthy growth. Many of the people are involved in the “offer a meal movement” in this each individual bypasses in a breakfast or another meal. This happens once a month and people offer money saved for their religious organization.

Shinto believers will perform morning and evening rituals before a small wooden god shelf also known as ‘kami dana’, this is in their own homes.

Koshitsu Shinto “Shinto of the Imperial House”- These rituals are performed by the emperor. The Japanese people believe this to be the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people. Most important ritual is Niinamesai, this makes an offering to the deities of the fruits of each years harvest.

Jinja Shinto- This is the largest Shinto group. This group dates back to the pre-history when the emperor of Japan was praised as a god. Most shrines members in are in association with Jinja Honcho, therefor the association with Shinto Shrines. They urge followers 1. Be grateful for the blessings of Kami and the benefits of the ancestors, and to be diligent in the observance of the Shinto rites, applying oneself to them with sincerity. brightness, and purity of heart." 2. "To be helpful to others and in the world at large through deeds of service without thought of rewards, and to seek the advancement of the world as one whose life mediates the will of Kami."  "To bind oneself with others in harmonious acknowledgment of the will of the emperor, praying that the country may flourish and that other peoples too may live in peace and prosperity."  NOT RITUALS only info!!!

Folk Shinto is an aspect of the Japanese folk religion, has no formal organizational structure but has images on roadsides and in agricultural rites for rural families.

**The Relationship between religion and its society**
Kami are regarded as a transcendent ... They are largely benevolent which loves and cares for all human kind. Kami are the ground of being or the inner essence of reality. All kami cooperate with one another and represent a unitary force- influences the Japanese society to suggest that they should live in harmony as the kami. Shintoists are under the protection of the kami. The first emperor ‘Jammu’ was a descendant of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess herself. Shinto has no separation between the natural and the supernatural human and divine and the perpetual country. Tradition has it that the Japanese people themselves are descended from other kami. The agriculture itself was traditionally a woman’s preserve, they shared most directly in the divine power of creation and fertility.

**How dose Religion provide a distinctive response for the search for meaning**
No formalized code of ethics... only the socially moral need to an ethical code to tell them what to do. Concerned with the felt-experience of life than with prescriptions of philosophy. Rather than to become knowledgeable by the formal doctrines they appeal to the formal doctrines, they appeal to the senses through artistic expression. These can be through music, dance, architecture and landscaping. Embrace the natural world as a meaningful whole. Shintoists seek the ultimate truth of nature to answer the fundamental questions of value, meaning and purpose of human life. If nature becomes truly known and followed, life becomes completely fulfilling. Unconcerned with following a moral code and occupied by being moved by a feeling of gratitude and awe the mystery.

Adam’s Reflection I enjoyed Adam’s presentation it was simple, to the point and I become well informed with new information that I was unaware of about the Ancient Egyptians. Adam’s presentation worked well for him as he read up on various facts about different rituals and how they used to live, with numerous relevant facts to sneak in. Well done Adam a job well done!!!

My Reflection In my presentation I liked how unlike normal structured presentations I mixed up my creation story, not the information or what happened in a different order, no!-but telling the story piece by piece throughout the presentation. I liked this idea because besides the information I was able to show some of my creativity through presentation, making my work unique. While saying my speech I think my voice came across strong and people were able to understand the gods name’s.

Alexis’s Reflection In her presentation I am to see that she worked very hard on her creation story. In her powerpoint presentation she had great visual images when referring to the gods. Although next time when presenting it’s important that she is ready.

Tom’s Reflection His presentation on Ancient Greece clearly identified the Gods with the Youtube clip. He was able to retell the creation story which was well done for losing all his information. Next time though I suggest that as he goes along he save’s his information and presentation’s on a USB.

Sarah’s Reflection This presentation had my attention throughout the hole thing, it was well presented and full of information. Sarah was able to present her assignment with confidence and it helped teach me about the religion. Her keynote and music worked very well together and the pace she was going at helped with understanding the religion.

Jessica’s Reflection Her presentation gave me an idea about the Gods of the religion and the link between heaven and hell. As I only saw the first part of the presentation what I did learn and see was very informational, although I do encourage her not to rely on a youtube clip to speak for her but also speak herself.

Alessandro's Reflection Wasn't here for his presentation. Sorry.

Jacinta’s Reflection This presentation was well presented very different from usual presentations that made it a need to listen to her chosen religion. The fact that she asked people to read along with her presentation was a great way to make sure that people were listening and really learning something. Each aspect in her religion was covered and although her religion is hard to explain and their way of life, Jacinta did a great job at explaining it to the best of her ability.

Marco’s Reflection The use of the video clip at the beginning of the presentation was a great idea as we were able to understand how they lived and how the revolved around rituals and fighting. As he was very calm and comfortable in front of the class it helped with him explaining the religion, their way of life and their beliefs.

Rachel’s Reflection This presentation was well presented with images on most slides to help with our understanding of the religion. Her confidence and clearly speaking helped with her presentation as it has a lot of information to understand. While answering questions as she went made it evident that she did a lot of research on her chosen religion. Great job!!!

MOSES
==When moses was born he's mother hid him for three months, to keep him from been taken away. When she was unable to hide him any longer she created a waterproof basket and put him on the river nile. While he travelled down the river his sister watched keeping an eye on him.As the princess of Egypt was bathing she watched a basket enter where she was bathing and told one of her slaves to retrive it for her. After finding out that there was a baby inside she sent for a Hebrew woman to feed the baby, ironically it happened to be the baby's birth mother. When he was older the princess adopted him calling him Moses.== ==<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif';">There is no mention about how Moses got a speech impediment. Although when Yahweh (God) told Moses that he was to go to pharaoh and demand that he let his people go, he replied that he has never been eloquent and is slow and hesitant in speech. ==

<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif';">ADULT
==<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif';">On witnessing an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew, checking that no one was around Moses killed the man and hid him in the sand. When pharaoh found out what he had done he chose to kill Moses. Lucky enough Moses escaped and fled towards Midianite territory, this is where he saved two young midian girls from brigands. Eventually after living with the girls family Moses began to take up their way of life. After agreeing to stay on with the man he was given his eldest daughter Zipporah’s hand in marriage. == ==<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif';">Later when attending his father-in-laws sheep Moses witnessed a burning bush so he went to investigate. When God watched him going to look he called out to him, telling him that the place in which he stood was holy ground and that he was the God of his anstors, Moses became scared. After saying that he had heard the cry of his people in Egypt and that he wanted to bring them out of that country to a land filled with milk and honey. He said that unto pharaoh he would send him, to bring them out of that country. == ==<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif';">God asked Moses to take the staff that he held in his hand and with it he shall do all his wonders. Moses hesitated doing as God asked because he didn’t want to go to Egypt so he kept making excuses. One excuse that he had was that he was slow and hesitant in speech although this may have been true, God said that he will send his brother Aaron to help talk to the people. Reluctantly after all of this Moses then obeyed taking his family with him to the land of Egypt. ==

<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif';">THE PASSOVER
==<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif';">After the seven plagues that took place in Egypt the excodus then followed. Moses had called the Israelite leaders together and told them that God will send the angel of death to kill the eldest of every family in the land. For their families to stay safe they must kill a healthy lamb or goat from their flock. Over the doorframe of their house they must smear the blood of the animal, while the mother of each family had to prepare a special meal. As it gets dark the family is to stay inside, making sure that everyone had their outdoor clothes on when this happened to prepare to leave. The blood is a sign of their obedience to God, when their children ask about this they where to explain that it’s God’s Passover feast. The time when God is going to protect the families from their first borns dying. The Egyptians not having the blood on the door frame that night each of their first born's died, with the cries heard from the Egyptians the Israelites knew what Moses and Aaron said to be true. After this happened pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron telling them to get out, that he didn’t want him and his people in his land another day. They where to take their belongings and to leave them in peace. == ==<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif';">Moses then sent the order that to was time for them to be off. The men urged the women to hurry with the collection of the food, pots, pans etc. As families came flocking out of homes the Egyptians begged them to hurry and leave the land, anxious to see them leave they loaded them with gold, sliver, necklaces, bracelets and different kinds of fine materials. Without a backwards glance they left the land that cased them all such grief. God’s promise had finally come true. ==

ABRAHAM
====Abraham originally Abram was born in Babylonia believed to be in the year 1800BC, circa BCE. As he was growing up he came to believe that there was one single creator, this creator was the maker of all things in this and any other universe. While living with his father he tried to convince him that worshiping multiple idols was foolish. One day when he was left alone in his fathers shop he smashed all the little idols leaving the big idol with a hammer in its hand. When his father came back he explained how he thinks there is only one god and asking his father why he worshiped them.====

When the true creator called on him, Abraham answered the call. From this offer that he accepted the convent between God and the Jewish people formed.
====He became subject to ten tests of faith to prove his worthiness for the b’rit, his first unknown test was to leave home. While travelling in the land of Israel he adopted a nomadic lifestyle for many years. This is the land that God promised to Abraham’s descendants.==== ====As he was growing older he worried because he still hadn’t conceived a child. Sarai his wife knew she was past the age of conception, so he gave her husband permission to have a child with their slave Hagar. From this he had his first child Ishmael, a child out of want. According to tradition he’s the anstors to the Arabs.==== ====Finally when Abraham was 100 and Sarai 90 God promised a son to him. This sons name was Isaac. Isaac was the ancestor of Jewish people, the conflict between the Arabs and the Jews can be seen as a form of sibling rivalry.==== ==<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif';">SST Semitic Torah Jewish Israel Judaism Exodus covenant revelation Decalogue Conservative Mitzvot Orthodox Patriarch Progressive TANACH Nevi'im Ketuvim Talmud Olam observance **Sarah, a great outline on the life of Abraham you have included key milestones in Judaism and linked them back to the tradition. Check the dates??? You may want to make a few changes.** //SST// == Abraham Idols b’rit Hebrew Sarai Ishmael Isaac Hagar Tradition