1. The theme of the reading this week was the use of coffee houses as a place to learn and exchange information.
2. A specific phrase that stood out to me was [i.e., carping] because I feel like it was supposed to try and make me understand what the sentence was about but in reality it just confused me.
3. While it didn't generate a new idea the article did reinforce the idea of using places food and drink consumption as a place to obtain information.
4. A modern parallel to this article is a bar. While Hollywood may not be the most accurate source of information, in many movies nowadays if you need information you go to the nearest bar. While this may not be completely true in the real world I believe that you could still find out some information at a bar.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Week 5 Reading
1. The theme of the reading is the general downfall of civilization as a whole. The entire reading talks about how good things used to be and how terrible they are now.
2.They rejoice in their ignorance, as if what they did not know were not worth knowing.This line stood out to me not for historical relevance but rather that it reminded me of the saying ignorance is bliss.
3. The reading this week didn't so much stir up new ideas as it did reinforce older ones. The idea reinforced was the slow but sure downward spiral of this great nation of ours.
4. The modern parallels I see are the downward spiral of the United States. Our once strong country is slowly losing its place as number one in the world and is doing so with very little grace. When the time comes that we really are no longer the number one nation in the world we must accept it like Great Britain so that we may still one day come back around and reclaim our spot as number one.
2.They rejoice in their ignorance, as if what they did not know were not worth knowing.This line stood out to me not for historical relevance but rather that it reminded me of the saying ignorance is bliss.
3. The reading this week didn't so much stir up new ideas as it did reinforce older ones. The idea reinforced was the slow but sure downward spiral of this great nation of ours.
4. The modern parallels I see are the downward spiral of the United States. Our once strong country is slowly losing its place as number one in the world and is doing so with very little grace. When the time comes that we really are no longer the number one nation in the world we must accept it like Great Britain so that we may still one day come back around and reclaim our spot as number one.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Week 5
The theme of the reading this week was The Crusades. More specifically though the theme was the topic of Salvation and Damnation during the time of The Crusades.This was evident throughout both articles. "All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins." This sentence is a great example of the theme of the reading.
A phrase that stood out to me was "Moreover, Christ demands it." This phrase stood out to me because I felt that it just looked like it was more of an afterthought than anything else. It was like Urban was attempting to get his point across by enacting some sort of divine power that he felt he possessed. While God may have told Pope Urban to start The Crusades it is much more plausible that they were started in an attempt to generate revenue and interest for the church. It is no big secret that when done right war pays generously and what better way to obtain followers than retaking the Holy Land.
Though I already believed that the Pope uses his "divinity" to make sure that HIS will is done, this reading reinforced that idea. Though I never finished the book "The Family" by Mario Puzo it brought up some interesting ideas. Although it was based on real events, the events were highly exaggerated but still left me with the feeling that that Popes regularly abuse their power. The Catholic Church has almost become a sort of worldwide mega-corporation.
A modern parallel to this event is Islamic Terrorism. Terrorists are promised a place in the afterlife if they give their life for the cause. While this may be true it may also just be another "Crusade" but this time by a different religion.
This relates to the text because there is a line in the text that talks about how well the crowd accepted something. After Urban is done with his speech the crowd starts chanting "God Wills It" at such a far-fetched idea.
A phrase that stood out to me was "Moreover, Christ demands it." This phrase stood out to me because I felt that it just looked like it was more of an afterthought than anything else. It was like Urban was attempting to get his point across by enacting some sort of divine power that he felt he possessed. While God may have told Pope Urban to start The Crusades it is much more plausible that they were started in an attempt to generate revenue and interest for the church. It is no big secret that when done right war pays generously and what better way to obtain followers than retaking the Holy Land.
Though I already believed that the Pope uses his "divinity" to make sure that HIS will is done, this reading reinforced that idea. Though I never finished the book "The Family" by Mario Puzo it brought up some interesting ideas. Although it was based on real events, the events were highly exaggerated but still left me with the feeling that that Popes regularly abuse their power. The Catholic Church has almost become a sort of worldwide mega-corporation.
A modern parallel to this event is Islamic Terrorism. Terrorists are promised a place in the afterlife if they give their life for the cause. While this may be true it may also just be another "Crusade" but this time by a different religion.
This relates to the text because there is a line in the text that talks about how well the crowd accepted something. After Urban is done with his speech the crowd starts chanting "God Wills It" at such a far-fetched idea.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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