Assignment 9

Morning breakfast over the terrace of our hotel in Istanbul at 6:30am was both beautiful and dreadful, but our four hour bus ride to the boat ferry across the Dardanelles was plentiful amount of time to catch up on some sleep and reading. Turkish people always take a tea/bathroom break every two to two and a half hours and it was a fun stop to participant in a local tradition. All the buses pulled into this cafe/diner/market place with several tables and chairs. There was not quite a waiter or a cashier. We just followed the locals to this window where all the waiters were making two and busily passing them out to those sitting at the tables. It was a little overwhelming because the waiters would turn to you and ask you what you wanted to order, so I stood there timidly there for a while till I got the nerve to ask for erma cay, or apple tea. Then the waiter/barista asked me for one turkish lira and place it on a pile of money casually on a dish. Shortly, a waiter came by with my apple tea to my table and I was able to enjoy the delicious turkish drink. Although it is so similar to apple cider, I have a tendency to call it that.

I have noticed in a lot of the store vendors or services are very casual about their business. When we were buying antique arabic calligraphy paintings the other day, the man made change for my large bill from his own wallet when the cash register was out of money. 

Also, I thought it was strange how all the products were just placed out in the open. For example, when walking up to the Athena temple the road was lined with street vendors with their products out in the open. My first initial thought is how we have always been warned about pick pocketing and theft in Turkey or anywhere outside the U.S, but why aren't these street vendors worried about their products. Someone could easily just grab it and run. Sometimes I would see the salesman sleeping in the back of their store hut or not even present at all. Then I thought, maybe it is because of the fellowship because the citizens of Turkey. I wouldn't want to rob anyone personally, but especially not my fellow Americans. Also, I would assume that all the shop keeps around are friends and would look out for each other. I noticed that even though they sell the same products sometimes, they don't seem competitive. In other countries I have visited the adjacent sales person would convince you to look at their products instead and jockey for your business. 

Perhaps the high levels of practicing Muslims in Turkey make it more morally sound than other countries. I understand that they still have petty theft, but it doesn't seem like they do it to each other. I could be totally wrong because I have not researched it. However, I could understand there being a correlation with the religious practices and not trying to sabotage your fellow Muslims. In the Bible, especially the old testament, it seemed like an Us against Them mentality which could be said for all religions. Crusades and terrorism can be considered extreme cases of fighting for what you believe to be right and devour those who you think are wrong. 

Anyways, we visited Troy right after the ferry ride which was quite an experience in itself considering we didn't know where the bus was and watched it drive off the ferry without five of us. I think the coolest thing about Troy was that the myth became more real. I actually stood in the spot where Priam watched Hector was slain and looked out where his body would of been dishonored and dragged across the dirt. 

We could also see the layers upon which Troy was built. One on top of another a new city would rise and cover the old, forgotten one. I thought this tied back into our discussion of sacred spots because it seems odd that you would build a city nine times on top of another. Why? Why this spot? If anything this spot was terrible because it was right on the harbor where invaders came through to come inland. 

Then we ventured to Assos where the ruins of the temple of Athena are on top of a hill with breathtaking views. Looking at the land of Lesbos was surreal because I always read about it in greek mythology and actually seeing it made the stories come alive. As scaling the Athena Temple in Assos and climbing on the ruins to take silly pictures made the greek mythologies of the God's more understandable to me. Sometimes it's hard to grasp how people as intellectual as the Greeks were to believe in such overtop myths about the Greek Gods. However, standing on top of the hilltop seeing the temple ruins and imagining the majesty of what it was while overlooking the sea and surrounding islands makes the idea more tangible. The favor and mixed up emotions of the Gods were very real to the Greeks and were not to be played with. Could you imagine hulling all those rocks and stones up that hill in order to build a grand temple? I had trouble just walking up it with my backpack, but it was worth the view for me and for the ancient Greeks it was worth the protection of Athena, the goddess of wisdom in war.   

Maybe that's what the miracles and the prophesies meant to the Jews in the Old Testament. Although they went astray and angered the Lord, the hard evidence of God's power and loyalty to them was enough to make them believe again and walk in his path (well at least for a generation or two). Perhaps that's why sacred relics are so important to every faith and anything really. When we were in the Blue Mosque there was a an exhibition with Islamic artifacts like Muhammad's beard and Moses' walking stick, which are far fetched but people did stand reverently in front of them. I think to some it was a encouraging to them to see their beliefs with their own eyes. Faith is really about knowing what you can't see, but it doesn't hurt to actually see and feel the truth behind it all. I know that is not possible, but even something as small as Muhammed's beard can keep faith and hope alive in a lot of people. 

Assignment 8

Thursday we went to the famous Spice Market, which is quite small in comparison to the Grand Bazaar but I found it much more preferable. The scents of the exotic spices, herbs, and teas filled the pavilion and lured you into certain shops (if the Turkish men with funny english catch phrases did not). Looking at the various products made me appreciate the rich blend in culture that has shaped the Turkey. Obviously not all the spices were found in Turkey, but imported from various places around the world like India, Africa, Asia. 

As Americans, I feel like we are isolated from other cultures not just geographically, but by choice. We think too highly of ourselves and are not open to what other cultures have to offer. Turkey and most other countries in Europe and Asia have integrated other traditions into their own making a true melting pot of values. For example, Chenk, our tour guide, discussed how the Europeans adapted European coffee from the Turkish coffee. The Austrians still import the Turkish tradition to this day and have incorporated it into their daily lives.

It's like in Aladdin when is taking Jasmine on a magic carpet and he sings of how he can open her eyes to a whole new world (my four year old niece asked me how he literally can open her eyes). Having a magic carpet or a perhaps a plane really opens your eyes to the world around you and discover new things and adventures.

I've studied the globe and understand the orientation of it, but actually being straddled between Europe and Asia made me realize the proximity of all these amazing civilizations. Greece is a boat ride away! For some reason that blows my mind. Maybe it's because I live in Texas and just getting out of the state takes forever, but in Europe each country and it's unique heritage is like Rhode Island to Connecticut. 

Friday we took a train? or maybe an above ground metro? to Taksim Square, which is a popular place for locals to go. We had help from many Turkish people getting there because we clearly looked like lost, confused tourists. When we were on the subway, I guess you could call it ha, one of the locals overheard us trying to figure out which stop to go to and he explained that we had to get off at the next stop and switch trains in order to get to Kabatas (our stop to switch to the metro to get to the square). At first we were confused because the train clearly said that it lead to Kabatas, but when he lead us to the other side we realized that the train we were just on went backwards the way we came. Therefore, if we stayed on that train we would of headed straight back to our hotel! When we finally got to Kabatas we had to switch to an underground metro, but it was another 2 TL so we decided to walk up the steep slope up to the square. I really thought the stairs would never end, but when we finally reached the top locals were very friendly in pointing us in the direction of the square. I have found that most Turkish people are very friendly and helpful. 

            Taksim Square could kind of be compared to Times Square in New York. It seemed like the central hub of Istanbul. Lots of cool spots to eat and shop! It seemed more modern and contemporary compared to Sultanhamet, where we were staying. There was a modern mall and western stores like Nike, Adidas, and Gap. However, there were a lot of clothing brand stores that I have never heard of and assumed might of been a Turkish or perhaps a middle eastern clothing line? It was refreshing to go to the more contemporary side of Istanbul, because we have been studying all the ancient buildings and we forget that Istanbul is actually very modern and fast becoming a fashion capital of the world (which i learned in America's Next Top Model). I think I overheard too that some students study business here in Istanbul and it is becoming a better industrial city. 

            Our first stop in Taksim Square was Bambi Burgers, which was a Turkish fast food chain. I had the Islek Hamburger, which was a buttered burger bun with melted cheese and lamb meat covered with a marina tomato sauce! It was delicious! I would choose it over McDonalds anyday. I also had a lamb wrapped in a pita type bread but pressed like a panini. Oddly they put french fries within the sandwich. One of my fellow classmates, David, pointed at a specific sandwich but later realized he accidentally order a cow tongue sandwich! You soon realize the difficulty of the language barrier when coming to a foreign country. 

Assignment 7

The Hagia Sophia was located about five minutes away from our hotel. It stood prominently in the hippodrome close to the Blue Mosque. The hippodrome was once a chariot racing stadium with three large structures in the middle that would serve as distance markers that the horses would race around. The first structure was an egyptian obelisk, then a iron statue of three serpent heads weaving around each other, and lastly was another older obelisk which previously had elaborate gold decorations. 

            Directly within the gates of the Hagia Sophia looked like what seemed to be a royal cemetery or a burial place for the previous priests. I originally thought that it may have been a cemetery for the ancient temple that the Hagia Sophia was built on top of. However, what I assumed were tombs had christian crosses on it. The ruins of the ancient temple still remain outside of the Hagia Sophia and the architect actually used some of the stones from the temple. My classmates and I discussed the interesting phenomena about sacred locations around the world that many different religions share. If all of the various faiths and practices are so different, then how is that we find the same spot of land so sacred. The greek worship of the gods of Mount Olympus is very different from the Christian beliefs, but still the byzantine empire built their church on the very spot of an ancient pagan temple. 

The first image that you see when entering the Hagia Sophia is an intricate, beautiful mosaic of Jesus holding the holy trinity sign with a small picture of the virginMary and the angel Gabriel on each side of him. Jesus is sitting on a lavish throne and if I remember correctly there is a man at his feet begging for forgiveness (or it could of been Constantine?). The tiny mosaic pieces are maybe about 1inch by 1inch and are brilliant, vibrant colors especially the gold that makes up the majority of the mural sparkles. 

These murals were so important to the early century churches because many citizens could not read and even if they could, the Bible was in latin which was not their native language. The murals helped visually aid the church followers during the priests sermons that teach the stories and values of the bible. I believe that the mural of Jesus depicts the mercifulness and forgiving nature of Jesus because the Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel are at his sides and are known to be virtuous and bestow blessings on humans. Also, the halo above Jesus' head and the throne he is sitting on display his holiness and kingliness. 

Imagine all these types of murals covering all the walls of the church. How awesome would that be? Unfortunately, when the Ottoman Empire came they covered them up with plaster in order to turn it into a mosque. Luckily, some of the mosaics were preserved underneath the plaster Some of the other mosaics that were uncovered depicted jesus either as an adult or as a baby in Virgin Mary's arms. One mural showed Constantine offering a model of the church to Jesus. This demonstrates how the church was not only to serve functionally for worship, but it's beauty was to please God. 

The Hagia Sophia was later converted to a mosque during the Ottoman Empire. Today it exists as a museum and displays both the former christian church and the later muslim mosque. It was interesting to compare and contrast the two different religions because it was so apparent within the walls of the sophia. Where the mosaics were able to be uncovered, you could see the symbolism in Christianity and the worship of Jesus Christ. Whereas the Islam faith prohibits symbolism and does not worship the holy trinity. Muslims believe that Jesus was the only sinless man and a prophet to the people. The elaborate mosaics were covered with plaster and painted with symmetrical shapes and flowers. There are also five large circular black plaques that have gold arabic writing that beautifully says Allah, Muhammed, and three others that I don't remember exactly. The Muslims fear symbolism because they don't want people worshiping anyone but Allah. So they create artwork from the arabic calligraphy instead. Anything written is not considered symbolism. Instead of drawing or painting pictures of Muhammed, Muslims write descriptions about him in arabic. The Hagia Sophia is a literally demonstrated of the different values and beliefs the Christians and the Muslims have. 

Assignment 5

       What concerns the prophets the most is the blatant disobedience to the covenant that Abraham first made with God. In Amos, he prophesied about the transgressions of each nation will or has committed and how God will punish them. Some of the transgressions are  "threshing instruments of iron", "pursuing his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept wrath forever," "ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border," "burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime," "not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err," "sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes," "man and his father will go in unto the same maid", "profane my holy name," "lay themselves down up clothes laid to pledge by every altar," and "drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god." Overarching themes of transgressions are violence, lack of charity, incest(?), using the lords name in vain, and violating sacred areas. 

            Also, I noted that perhaps God disapproves of humans trying to do God's work. For example, Gaza "carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom." Maybe I misinterpreted the text, but I took it as that the people of Gaza were trying to be God in a way because God is the one to deliver the people. There are a lot of arguments today about physician aided death and abortion, which some argue that it is trying to play God. Even things like life support is controversial because technology is trying to override God's work. So where do we draw the line between helping people and playing God. 

           Another concern to the prophets is charity, which is very important for Christians and the BIble emphases it. Today Churches help raise money for the poor and provide food and shelter often for the homeless. They are also an advocate for the rights of the less fortunate and help raise awareness about their conditions. Essentially, Churches influence their followers to walk in the path of Jesus who was kind, generous, and helpful to everyone. Knowing that you are doing good and will be favored in God's eyes can be a good motivating force to do charity. 

            However, that can be seen as very selfish which was a concern back in the biblical times as it is now. A contemporary prophet would be concerned with greed and wealth, which is abundant in the U.S. Everyone wants the fastest cars and the finest jewelry and capitalism gives everyone the opportunity to accomplish that. By no means am I saying that capitalism is not the best for our country, on the contrary I think it's great that we live in a nation where everyone can pursue whatever they please. In addition, capitalism allows innovation and creativity to flourish because of the survival of the fittest mindset. I believe that it is the intense individualism that is rooted in our countries founding. We think in terms of how much money can I make for my family and what are the best policies to benefit me, whereas in other nations citizens are more community focused. For example, the asian culture believes in duty to your society so submission to authority is integral. Obedience is the glue that keeps the community intact and benefits everyone at the end. Another example is universal healthcare; during my last study abroad trip I studied healthcare all around the world and found that nations that due have universal healthcare don't mind that the more fortunate have to pay more based on income in order to subsidize for their fellow countrymen that are less fortunate. My uncle lives in Paris and said that the general public feels that welfare tax, you may call it, is part of their duty to their country and they actually feel compelled to pay it because it's part of being a good citizen. Selfishness and the lack of charity, I believe are two of the main concerns that contemporary prophets would have. 

Assignment 4 (BIC 3358)

       Reading a part of Judges and 1 Kings was an interesting look at the history of the Jews or at least how they perceived it. In my opinion, there is no true history, but it's a matter of perception. The way the Jews view the history of their land and the surrounding area can be very different than for example the Egyptians view it. I've always wondered how the German's view World War 2 and the Nazi Regime. I'm sure some detest that part of their past, but I wonder if they try to justify it somehow. Similarly, the Americans view slavery as a horrible act that we abolished and progressed from. However, I feel that we try to give our ancestors the benefit of the doubt like it was considered normal around the world back then or that they truly thought the Bible justified it. 

        Nonetheless, history is important to learning about another culture. Perhaps the Jewish perception of their history isn't necessarily all fact, but accurately shows the Jewish belief and values which is a better understanding of their culture. The reoccurring theme of the convenient with God is integral in Jewish faith. Repeatedly the Bible discusses God appointing a King to lead the chosen people but then he goes astray and breaks the covenant which angers God and causes chaos and destruction. Then "when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them (Judges 3.8)." The long history of the Jews being sold to slavery in other countries or Israel being conquered by foreign lands, but God delivering them out of suffering shows how important being faithful to the covenant is.

         In World Cultures 4, we read The Things They Carried which was the retelling of the experiences of an American soldier in the Vietnam War. The story is considered a metafiction because the characters were fictional but some of it was based on the author's, Tim O'Brien, actual experiences. Therefore, some may consider the entire book fictional, but O'Brien would argue that everything in the book is real because it portrays the real emotions and trauma the soldiers went through that facts cannot depict. 

         Basically, facts are not necessarily the truth which can be applied to almost all religions. Often archaeologists and scientists find fault in religious texts such as the Bible, but overall that is not really important what is, is the faith and hope it gives the believer. 

      

Assignment 3 (BIC 3358)

           The covenant is so important to the Jewish idea of God because it portrays them as the chosen people. "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly (Genesis 17)." Abraham made a sacred agreement with God to obey his command and in return be blessed with land and multiply fruitfully. God warns Abram that his descendants will be slaves in a foreign land, but God will soon pass judgment on their oppressors and bring them to the promise land. "Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward (Genesis 15.1)"
            God would test Abraham's loyalty by asking him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Right before Abraham was about to light the altar on fire an angel of God said he did not have to follow through because it was a test to see his fear of the Lord. The idea that one should fear the Lord's wrath more than earthly suffering is very important in Jewish faith. It demonstrates that obedience to the Lord will result in great reward on earth or after death in Heaven. "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine (Exodus 19.5)."
          During this time the Jews were outcasts in the world because they believed in just one God versus the popular polytheistic beliefs. They roamed the earth being tormented, but the covenant provided peace of mind and strength for the Jews. I think the idea of the covenant and the promised land is even more important today because of the fight between Jews and Muslims over the land of Israel. Both groups believe that the land was promised to them by the Lord or Allah. Many of the sacred areas and buildings are shared between both religions but each wants sole rights to it.
            Perhaps this is ignorant of me to say but I do not understand why they cannot share the land in peace. In one of my previous BIC classes we discussed how all religion can be viewed as worshipping the same God, but with a different name and different practices. Many believe that Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, but when in fact they worship one Holy spirit called Braham. Braham is the one supreme, universal spirit that created the universe. All other deities are parts or sectors of Braham's spirit, so ultimately Hinduism is a monistic religion.
            So maybe God is the same as Allah and Allah is Braham and Braham is Buddha. Who is to say? Maybe if the world could agree on this, we could worship together and accept our different styles and practices because ultimately it is to the same higher authority.

Assignment 2 (BIC 3358)

       According to Genesis the source of evil and suffering in the world is from the simple knowledge of good and evil. Before Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge, they were pure and innocent like a newborn child. They could not do an evil action or be evil because they didn't know what it was. After the serpent beguiled them into eating the fruit, they were aware of their nakedness and felt shame. God cursed the snake to always be on their belly, woman would have painful child labor and submit to their husbands rule, and men will till cursed land for food.

       In comparison, a newborn child knows no hardship because they are nurtured and cared for constantly. Then as they grow they recognize pain and hardship and lose their childlike innocence. When you're a child you assume that the world is all good because you are yourself, but then slowly you realize that their exists a lot of evil in this world. 

       Also, I believe that Genesis claims that desire and selfishness can be another source of evil. After Abel earned the respect from God for his offerings and Cain didn't, anger and wrath swelled in Cain's heart. God warned Cain to conquer his desires or else they will overtake him, which they did. Cain murdered his brother and poisoned the earth. Mankind would further suffer because the earth will not yield all of its fruits. The Lord stated that whoever would take vengeance on Cain would be troubled sevenfold. This demonstrates how one's greed can lead to violence and sin. 

        "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6.5)" Evil began to exponentiate as vengeance and violence brewed on earth.
         Similarly, Buddhist believe that evil is derived out of selfishness. When a person only cares about his own well-being and neglects others then evil is manifested. I think that is why Buddhist and Asian culture in general is so submissive to authority. Confucius discusses the importance of order because it is for the betterment of society. Each individual is willing to do their part or role in society because it helps everyone and in turn themselves. A person is also obedient and respectful because if they are not it is disruptive to the order and system. So when a person does something evil or harmful to the community, it is out of greed and selfishness.