In my essay, I'll be focusing on the foreshadowing during Jacob and Esau's birth. It's not secret that the brothers' relationship is turbulent to say in the least. Esau was conned out of his birthright and his father's blessing by his brother Jacob. Jacob did so with the aid of his mother, who favored him more. Obviously Esau was getting the short end of the stick on stuff.
When Esau was born, Jacob was right behind him holding onto Esau's heel as if trying to pull him back into the womb so as to be born first. So, yeah, foreshadowing is pretty evident, and that's what I'll be digging into.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
The Devil's Playground
Dante's Inferno has been one of the most intriguing pieces of literature I've read. I picked it up sometime in middle school after my brother finished reading it for his class. For this, I got lots of weird looks. After all, I was a young kid reading about hell and punishment... comforting, right?
Dante's concept of hell is fascinating. Pitting the realm within the earth itself, in my opinion, symbolizes the corruptness of our world along with just how close we are to hell ourselves(figuratively and, from his descriptions, literally). The contrast of the center of our planet is all too ironic as well. Lucifer resides in the core, but not in a lake of fire; he's frozen the lake around him by using his giant wings to try to escape. Every gust of wind he emits causes further pain to the sinners surrounding him.
I really think that people have a curiosity regarding stuff that they hope to not experience. Kind of like dipping your toes in the water, but not wanting to get your whole foot wet, let alone your body. Every time there's an accident on the road, we feel like we have to look to see what happened. It's just curiosity which leads us to try and experience that rare taste tragedy. Seems like we're gluttons for punishment and despair.
Dante's concept of hell is fascinating. Pitting the realm within the earth itself, in my opinion, symbolizes the corruptness of our world along with just how close we are to hell ourselves(figuratively and, from his descriptions, literally). The contrast of the center of our planet is all too ironic as well. Lucifer resides in the core, but not in a lake of fire; he's frozen the lake around him by using his giant wings to try to escape. Every gust of wind he emits causes further pain to the sinners surrounding him.
I really think that people have a curiosity regarding stuff that they hope to not experience. Kind of like dipping your toes in the water, but not wanting to get your whole foot wet, let alone your body. Every time there's an accident on the road, we feel like we have to look to see what happened. It's just curiosity which leads us to try and experience that rare taste tragedy. Seems like we're gluttons for punishment and despair.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Opposites
Opposites in the Daodejing offer a unique way of instructing different virtues. These opposites tend to compliment each other and offered an alternative to the teachings of Confucius. It didn't argue against Confucius as much as providing another way of looking at things. The paradoxical approach appealed greatly to the Chinese and is still prevalent today. I obviously don't have much to say on this matter...
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Confucius 2016
Carly Fiorina has principles related to Confucius: life, weapons, trust of the people, determination, etc. Pretty much all of the candidates had something that can be compared to teachings of Confucius. I agree with one of the presenters, however (I think it was Spearman and his Trump presentation), while some of these teachings can be implemented in one's life, they shouldn't be looked at to form a modern government around. Things back then were different, time goes on and things change. It's important to keep the past in mind, but to keep a fresh perspective for the future.
Friday, October 9, 2015
White ghosty things
I'm a believer of the eternal soul. I think that when we die, our bodies waste away, but there's more for us on the other side. To me, it just doesn't seem practical that we die and that's the end of it. Our world is so meticulous, that I don't think we just popped up by chance. I believe we're created and that our creator has a plan for after we die. Not everything in science can be proved, but scientists still put faith in theories. Why is religion, God, and the concept of an immortal soul so ludicrous?
Saturday, October 3, 2015
I'm not gay... I'm a eunuch
I grew up in a Christian home. We didn't always go to church. Instead, we slept in on Sunday and paid our dues on special occasions. About five years ago or so (I can't remember how long ago for sure), we started attending more religiously (pun intended). Unfortunately for me, however, this was around the time that society put pressure on dating and what not. This is also when I realized I had zero attraction to the opposite sex. Great...
When I found this out, I honestly didn't know what to think. But society sure knew. And society made sure that I found out quickly. I had to be gay. That was the only explanation, right? No attraction to the opposite sex means you must be attracted to the same sex. Sadly, society was able to make me believe this, and therefore, I accepted that I was a gay Christian. I knew that it didn't really work, but I believed in Christianity. What was I supposed to do? Do I get married? How would I tell my parents? I couldn't explain it any other way except that I was born that way. But God doesn't create gays. I think the dilemma here is pretty clear.
Thankfully, however, I befriended someone about a week ago who showed me the truth and really changed my life. It turns out I was indeed born this way, and God doesn't create gays. How can both arguments coincide? The answer has been in the Bible all this time, yet the church seems to have simply glazed over it by thinking of it in too modern of a sense.
Reading this passage, you may be thinking that I'm castrated. I'm not castrated. I'm in tact. Completely. Thank you. The modern term for eunuch refers to castration, however, that term tends to ignore historical precedent. The term historically was meant not for one who had necessarily been castrated, but primarily as "guardian," or "nurturer," meaning "someone meant to be faithfully unmarried." Eunuchs were never a threat to matrimony, and in fact were often life-long servants to a cause or person. There are many who would be considered biblical eunuchs. Jesus, Paul, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and John are among that list. The term eunuch was used more often for a dedicated keeper or guardian, not a castrated male.
God creates people to be eunuchs, to be dedicated servants. Society, however, pushes people in different directions, and the church, for the most part, seems to be ignorant of the meaning of eunuchs, which means they can't exactly guide people properly. This fact makes it so critical that this gets out.
Some of you will probably think I'm crazy. After all, this is just a brief overview; there's way more detail and information on this! But new truths always sound crazy, right? Speaking of truths...
When I heard the truth about eunuchs, I really felt like I had been set free. It all seems so clear now. I don't have to struggle with understanding why I am the way I am; now I know.
When I found this out, I honestly didn't know what to think. But society sure knew. And society made sure that I found out quickly. I had to be gay. That was the only explanation, right? No attraction to the opposite sex means you must be attracted to the same sex. Sadly, society was able to make me believe this, and therefore, I accepted that I was a gay Christian. I knew that it didn't really work, but I believed in Christianity. What was I supposed to do? Do I get married? How would I tell my parents? I couldn't explain it any other way except that I was born that way. But God doesn't create gays. I think the dilemma here is pretty clear.
Thankfully, however, I befriended someone about a week ago who showed me the truth and really changed my life. It turns out I was indeed born this way, and God doesn't create gays. How can both arguments coincide? The answer has been in the Bible all this time, yet the church seems to have simply glazed over it by thinking of it in too modern of a sense.
Matthew 19:10-12 states, "The disciples said to him, 'If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.'" [Regarding divorce and sexual immorality in marriage] "But he said to them, 'Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.'"
Reading this passage, you may be thinking that I'm castrated. I'm not castrated. I'm in tact. Completely. Thank you. The modern term for eunuch refers to castration, however, that term tends to ignore historical precedent. The term historically was meant not for one who had necessarily been castrated, but primarily as "guardian," or "nurturer," meaning "someone meant to be faithfully unmarried." Eunuchs were never a threat to matrimony, and in fact were often life-long servants to a cause or person. There are many who would be considered biblical eunuchs. Jesus, Paul, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and John are among that list. The term eunuch was used more often for a dedicated keeper or guardian, not a castrated male.
God creates people to be eunuchs, to be dedicated servants. Society, however, pushes people in different directions, and the church, for the most part, seems to be ignorant of the meaning of eunuchs, which means they can't exactly guide people properly. This fact makes it so critical that this gets out.
Some of you will probably think I'm crazy. After all, this is just a brief overview; there's way more detail and information on this! But new truths always sound crazy, right? Speaking of truths...
John 8:31-32 states, "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"
When I heard the truth about eunuchs, I really felt like I had been set free. It all seems so clear now. I don't have to struggle with understanding why I am the way I am; now I know.
I'm not gay... I'm a eunuch.
Books used to help make this post:
The Bible
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)