Catia - the force and christianity

The FORCE concept is related to Christianity very much because it has a dark size and a good size, just like Christianity has the good and evil, jesus and satan, etc. Both the force and Christianity has influences on all the aspects of its followers. In star wars we can see how everybody uses the force to win political battles. Darth Vader wants Lucas because he wants his greater knowledge of the force on his side. However Lucas was strong enough and has his ideals well planted in his mind that he did not give in. So in this way we can see the typical battle that goes on between good and bad in Christianity. The FORCE is like the whole religion concept and i it differs in this to Christianity which is one of many religions, however we could say that Christianity is like the good size of the FORCE. And that there is always a struggle in people like we san see in star wars to either follow the dark side o the good side. It all depends how strong you are how you can either go with the pull of the good size or with the pull of the bad side.

radicals by Catia

There are radicals in every religion. Christians have radicals, Muslims have and all religions have radicals. However there a re radicals in every religion that are violent or that use violence to get their message across. People probably use this methods to oppress people and to cause fear among the population. Radicals do not only use violence to control people but to counterattack anyone who opposes them. The catholic inquisition was an era of much violence from religious radicals who did not want anyone to contradict what they said or to rise against them. The religious people used violence to cause fear to the people and set an example of what would happen if you went against them, they did this because they knew they were wrong but did not want to accept that fact. The violence was used since violence is a good method of oppression. This is why radicals use violence since they have no other way of controlling people and they want to control them. Radicals are people that are closed minded and not a good image of their religion. In most religions radicals give a bad image to their religion to others and sometimes later may even get convicted by their religion as a bad example. Even though radicals use violent methods in their campaigns they also aid themselves by religion but what they are actually fighting for are more of personal beliefs than for the beliefs of the religion they are part of.

Religion and Violence

I think it is really sad to see how some people see use religion as excuse to hurt people especially

to hurt women. Sometimes physical abuse is not the only way women are abused they are told that they are objects and that is a form of abuse also. They get to women's mind so much that women actually think that it is acceptable for them to be treated in such a bad way. For example in Islam it is okay for a man to kill a woman if they dare to not obey one of her parents command. Most muslim girls have trouble with her parents because they do not share the conservative views of her parents like having a certain dress code. I think that religion should not be about dying if you do not do what you are told, religion should be about God's great willingness to forgive us.

The Five pillars of Islam

The Five pillars of Islam are Belief and Witness, Daily Prayer, Zakat, Fasting, and Hajj. Islam is based on these believes. Each one has a very specific meaning and muslims practice each of them in different amounts. To be a good muslim you have to be able to practice each one of the pillars.

antonio

The various approaches that can be taken to call people to Allah are indispensable for Islamic work. As any rational person is aware, a goal cannot be reached without there first being a way to reach it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used the various means that were available to him in his day. He declared the truth from the summit of Mount Safâ. He presented his message in the markets and the meeting places of the tribes and the places where the rites of pilgrimage were carried out. In this way, his message got maximum possible exposure to the various Arab tribes.

An Islamic worker needs to know precisely what he is calling towards. Equally, he needs to know precisely the means he is going to use to carry out this task. A message cannot be conveyed without a means of conveyance. Therefore, anyone person who wishes to call someone else to an idea needs the following:

1. A purpose.

2. A means to achieve that purpose.

The purpose of Islamic work is to call people to Allah, either to believe in Him or to obey Him. The Islamic worker is required to adhere to the dictates of Islamic Law in undertaking this task. He needs, therefore, to be cognizant of the fact that matters of Islamic Law can be broken down into two broad categories:

(1) Acts of worship. These are the means by which our welfare in the Hereafter is achieved. These ways are dictated to us by the sacred texts in their essentials and in all their details. Allah says: “Or do they have partners who established for them in their religion what Allah has not permitted?” [Sûrah al-Shûrâ: 21]

(2) Transactions and customs. These are the means by which human welfare is achieved in this world. They include all interpersonal relationships, contracts, commercial activities, and the like. The basic ruling that should be assumed for such matters is that of permissibility unless there is specific evidence to the contrary. The proof for this is that Allah says: “Say (O Muhammad): Have you considered the provision that Allah has sent down to you and that you have declared of it what is unlawful and lawful? Say (O Muhammad): Has Allah permitted you to do so or are you fabricating a lie against Allah?” [Sûrah Yûnus: 59]

On the basis of these principles, anyone who wishes to assert that something is an act of worship is required to produce evidence from the Qur’ân and Sunnah to show that it is. It is not necessary, however, for him to produce evidence demonstrating that a certain worldly transaction or activity is sanctioned. By contrast, he must produce evidence only if he claims that an activity is unlawful.

islam today by catia

Islam's now in days are persecuted for their beliefs as they persecute others that are non-believers. However the majority of Islam's are normal and not radicals. Mostly women are still accustomed to cover up. Men can hame as many women as they can maintain but most of the men accustom to have one wife and a family with her. Praying is a big part of muslim life, muslims have to pray 5 times a day and most muslims do this every day. they also read the Quran avidly and respect the teachings of Mohammed and other important prophets."Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers." This quote is taken from Mohammed's last sermon, so the word says women should be treated right meaning all oppression islam women receive is more cultural than because of religion.

ISLAM TODAY Elisa

The religion and philosophy of Islam, is based upon the belief that God (Allah) transmitted knowledge to Muhammad (c. 570–632) and other prophets (Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus). The followers of Islamic religion, muslims, believe that this revelation to humanity was written down in the Quran, which is the flawless word of God.
The theology of the Islamic scriptures informs most aspects of muslim life and culture. The Five Pillars of Islam is expressed in the Quran (Koran), which is a practical doctrine that encourages Muslims to pray 5 times a day, fast during Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca, declare 'There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet' and pay money to the poor.With such a strong foundation in revelation and prophets of God, Islamic philosophy benefited in the eighth century a.d. by the translations of ancient Greek philosophy into Arabic. In the ninth century a.d. a school of translators and intellectuals, known as 'The House of Wisdom' was founded in Baghdad. It was here and largely through the translations of these scholars, that the writings of Plato, Aristotle and the Neoplatonists became known to the Arabs, and subsequently to the western world which led to the Renaissance. The influence of the ancient Greek philosophers upon the arabic philosophers / thinkers stimulated them to study and interpret the Quran / Koran from a rational foundation.

I think the history of Islamic religion is really interesting (even though I am not Muslim).

Luisa G. Islam today:

The Trouble with Islam Today has been translated into more than 30 languages. Manji has made multiple translations of the book (namely Arabic, Urdu, Malay and Persian) available for free download on her website, with the intention of reaching readers in those countries where her book is banned.

Muslim Weddings:

Muslim weddings vary enormously according to the culture of the people involved.

Many people in the UK, for example, confuse the celebrations at a Pakistani or Bangladeshi wedding with an Islamic wedding, and assume they are the same thing. This is not so, of course, for many of the Muslims who marry are from widely different cultures - for example European, Turkish, African, Malaysian, and so on.

Secondly, it is important to realise that the 'wedding' means different things too. For many Muslims, it is the Islamic ceremony that counts as the actual wedding, and not the confirmation of that wedding in a registry office.

Oddly enough, although mosques are obviously places of worship, the majority of them in the UK have not yet been officially registered as such, and so any Islamic wedding that merely takes place at a mosque has to be registered legally with the UK law as well, in order to be seen as valid in the UK.

Having said that, of course it is a fact that many couples live together these days as 'partners', and 'common law wives' have recently been accorded various legal rights they were not entitled to previously.

Islam now-a-days by Ale

Muslims today believe in polygamy the only reason why it is not widely practiced is because of the laws of the places where they live in. For example Muslims can't practice polygamy in the United States because it is illegal. Through the history of Islam the discrimination against women has been evident, even though muslims are trying to change it still in some families women are seen as objects that husbands can manipulate how ever they want to.   

luisa gamez...muhammad's life:

570

Muhammad's Birth and Infancy Muhammad was born in the year 570 in the town of Mecca, a mountain town in the high desert plateau of western Arabia. His name derives from the Arabic verb hamada, meaning "to praise, to glorify." He was the first and only son of Abd Allah bin Al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb. Abd Allah died before Muhammad's birth and Muhammad was raised by his mother Amina, who in keeping with Meccan tradition entrusted her son at an early age to a wet nurse named Halima from the nomadic tribe of the Sa'd ibn Bakr. He grew up in the hill country, learning their pure Arabic.   630- 632   Muhammad's Final Years Muhammad returned to live in Medina. In the next three years, he consolidated most of the Arabian Peninsula under Islam. In March, 632, he returned to Mecca one last time to perform a pilgrimage, and tens of thousands of Muslims joined him.  After the pilgrimage, he returned to Medina. Three months later on June 8, 632 he died there, after a brief illness. He is buried in the mosque in Medina. Within a hundred years Muhammad's teaching and way of life had spread from the remote corners of Arabia as far east as Indo-China and as far west as Morocco, France and Spain. this talks about when he was born and his first years, then it says the last years of his life.  http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/timeline_html.shtml

Life of muhammad by Ale R

Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570 AD. His father died shortly before his birth, and he lost his mother at the age of six. The young orphan was then raised primarily by his uncle, for whom he worked as a shepherd. At age 9, he joined his uncle on a caravan to Syria. As a young man, Muhammad worked as a camel driver between Syria and Arabia. Soon he established a career managing caravans on behalf of merchants. Through his travel first with his uncle and later in his career, Muhammad came into contact with people of many nationalities and faiths, including Jews, Christians and pagans. At age 25, Muhammad was employed by Khadija, a wealthy Meccan widow. The two were married, and by all accounts enjoyed a loving and happy marriage. Early records report that "God comforted him through her, for she made his burden light." Although polygamy was common practice at the time, Muhammad took no other wife than Khadija until her death 24 years later.

In his late 30s Muhammad took to regularly visiting a cave in Mount Hira, on the outskirts of Mecca, to seek solitude and contemplation. In 610, at the age of 40, Muhammad returned from one such visit telling his wife he had either gone mad or become a prophet, for he had been visited by an angel. The initially startled Khadija became his first convert. Muhammad reported that while in a trance-like state, the Angel Gabriel appeared to him. and commanded him to write. After receiving Khadija's support, and additional angelic visits, Muhammad became confident he had indeed been chosen as the messenger of God and began to proclaim as he had been commanded. In 630, Muhammad and his forces marched to Mecca and defeated it. The Prophet rededicated the Ka'ba temple to Allah, witnessed the conversion to Islam of nearly the entire Meccan population, then returned to Medina. Muhammad died in 632, having conquered nearly all of Arabia for Islam.

Antonio

Born: c. 570 
Mecca, Arabia 
Died: 632 
Medina, Arabia 

Muhammad was the founder of the religion of Islam and of a community at Medina that later developed into the Arab Empire.

Muhammad was born after his father's death in Mecca, Arabia, around 570. His grandfather and mother both died when he was a child. As a child, he was unable by Arab custom to inherit anything. He was therefore relatively poor until about 595, when a wealthy woman, Khadija, asked him to go to Syria as a steward (protector, manager) of her trading supplies. After the successful accomplishment of the mission, she offered him marriage. She was a rich widow fifteen years his senior. She and Muhammad had four daughters, and several infant sons who died. From this time onward Muhammad was wealthy, but he began to spend time in solitary reflection on the problems of Mecca, where religious principles were being degraded and general unrest was in the city.

Muhammad's life by Catia

Muhammad probably the second most important figure in Islam after Allah was born in 570 BC in Mecca Arabia. He was poor as a kid and also as he grew up. However when he grew up he met a woman who was a a rich widow woman. He married her, Khadija and had many kids a with her. Fro this point on is when he started having visions of the Angel Gabriel and he dictated him the Quran. Although Muhammad didn't know how to write he managed to write it all down. The Angel Gabriel would talk to him and he would remember the things he told him, after that he would tell them to someone who would write it down. He evolves as a prophet slowly, since at first he would only tell his close friends about his visions and the messages he was revealed. After a short time Muhammad and other followers of him traveled to Medina. There they faced problems but finally attacked Meccans and won a battle. This way they were left alone and were not bothered by them. By 630 Islam was starting to become stronger. At the end of his life Muhammad had not only become on of the main characters in the religion that he instituted but he had become a powerful man politically. Muhammad died in June 8, 632. 

Life of Muhammad by Elisa Weissenberg

Life of Muhammed 

Muhammad was born in Mecca in about 570 C.E. We do not know much about his childhood. We know that his parents died. He knew not how to read and write, Muhammad married a widow named Khadija who was involved in trade and got him involved in it as well when he was about 25 years old. During one trading journey when he was about 40, Muhammad had an encounter with the angel Gabriel revealed to him special revelations. Different opinions exist on whether Mohammed miraculously read or just repeated the revelations, which said he was to become the messenger of God. I do not actually believe this. I believe he was on something or he believed this with all his heart. Following his prophetic experience, Mohammed returned to his wife and began spreading the teachings he learned.

The people who accepted Muhammad's teachings came to be known as Muslims and their religion Islam, Arabic for "surrender [to the will of Allah]." Muhammad was regarded as the last and most perfect prophet. During the two centuries after Muhammad's death, the laws of Islam were codified in the Shariah, and Muhammad was regarded as the last and most perfect prophet. The word of God was revealed to him through the angel Gabriel and recorded in the Arabic language in the Koran 

Muhammad slowly began to build his power base both by the persuasiveness of his faith and the old-fashioned way: by marrying women from important families to gain political advantage. He came to control the oases and markets, which forced other traders and tribesmen to negotiate with him. When he finally returned to Mecca, it was at the head of an imposing army that forced the residents to capitulate.

Muhammad died in 632, and it was left to his followers to carry on the traditions he had begun. His followers developed Islam, just as the followers of Moses and Jesus developed Judaism and Christianity over time.

Jews today

Jews have believes about topics that are recent and that is what they are trying to focus their religion now for example: abortion, Th enviorment and global warning. Halacha (Jewish law) does define when a fetus becomes a nefesh (person). "...a baby...becomes a full-fledged human being when the head emerges from the womb. Before then, the fetus is considered a 'partial life.' " ₅ In the case of a "feet-first" delivery, it happens when most of the fetal body is outside the mother's body.

Jewish beliefs and practice not neatly match either the "pro-life" nor the "pro-choice" points of view. The general principles of modern-day Judaism are that:

    -1.  The fetus has great value because it is potentially a human life. It gains "full human status at birth only." Abortions are not permitted on the grounds of genetic imperfections of the fetus.

Abortions are permitted to save the mother's life or health.

With the exception of some Orthodox authorities, Judaism supports abortion access for women.

"...each case must be decided individually by a rabbi well-versed in Jewish law."   

apocalyptic beliefs by Catia Monzon

Last week we saw 2012 and comparing real mayan views and beliefs to the movie I would say it was very Hollywood style. Mayans believe that 2012 is the Baktun meaning an ending cycle in the count of time, not the end of the world. Mayans do believe however that before this ending period many catastrophes will strike the world announcing that a change has to come. Comparing the actual world and its state we could say that yeah all that they predict is true. The world is full of war, global warming, poor people, natural catastrophes like the tsunami that struck Indonesia and the earthquake that happened in Haiti a few days ago are all signs that the world is in a world wide catastrophe. All these signs should be a kind of warning to all the people that we need to change our perspective on life. This is what the mayans believe that 2012 brings, it brings a new way of thinking a new start. As wise as they are they are right in believing that right before the new Baktun starts and at the end of the present Baktun there should be a change of attitude in the people towards the better. If we do not start changing now people will bring the end of the world upon themselves. It is not hate that does bad it is the people that hate and adopt that attitude that bring disgrace and malice to the world. It is not the world that heats up by itself it is all the big companies that pollute it and the people who throw trash and do not care about animals and nature that destroy the beautifulness in the world. It is NOW that we have to open up our eyes and hearts and start helping each other instead of killing ourselves, it is NOW and not when the world is about to end.

2012 antonio

if the world ends in dec. 21st, 2012 i think i am going to be scared because that means the mayans were right. and how is it that mayans knew about this way before us, scientists and smart people? so the movie 2012 showed us how the world would end if it did happen; and it definitely looks scary.  

2012 Is it real?

The movie 2012 is a bout the end of the  world according to the Mayas. But what I do not get is did the people that made this movie based their ideas in the Mayan calendar I think that this is a possible idea but not entirely true. I think that if the Mayans did not finish their calendar that does not mean that it is the end of the world. Even though their calendar is the most accurate I hope they were wrong just for once.  

2012 Is it real?