class reading revison

In order to try and reduce the my exploratory question essay for the class reading assignment I got rid of a few extra sentences and combined some together which in the end only reduced my paper about half a page. I also removed my references to Chandan from my paper because I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable or anything. I am slightly relieved to have gotten out of reading it on Wednesday since I had not developed any visual aids to go along with the reading. though I know they aren't necessary it would have been strange to be the only one who hadn't done anything like that. Now I'm still thinking about what I will do for visuals if I end up doing one.

exploratory question sources

From your culture, from your family values. I see miracles in the world, and that's I find faith in god, and religion.

Chandan Bansal

Belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2): belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2): complete trust3: something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially: a system of religious beliefs faith>

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6

What source gives religious individuals the faith to completely believe in their God and trust in their religion?

What source gives me the faith to completely believe in my God and trust in my religion?

For instance, your idea about asking "what source" leads people to faith in
God gives you room to interview people, quote movies and books, etc. in a
way that just discussing your own faith doesn't. Does that make sense? So
you might talk about why other people believe in God and then locate
yourself in that--do you agree with any of them? What do you think about
their answers? Raise the question for yourself and then let others speak to
you in the essay. But don't be afraid to talk about yourself, your
experiences, etc. That's what this essay is about.

Also, you'll probably need to define pretty clearly what you mean by
"believe" and "trust." What does it mean to believe and trust in someone or
something? What does it look like?

Lee Strobel

Are the Gospels trustworthy, and have they been reliably preserved?
Does archaeological and independent literary evidence corroborate the
Gospels?
Did Jesus believe he was the Son of God? If so, was he insane?
Does Jesus match the description of the Jewish Messiah? If so, does he do so
uniquely?
Is it possible that Jesus survived his crucifixion?
Was Jesus' tomb found empty, and was Jesus actually seen alive afterward? And
then proceeds to answer them.
He has also written The Case for a Creator in which this is a direct quote
found online:

... My approach would be to cross-examine authorities in various scientific
disciplines about the most current findings in their fields. In selecting
these experts, I sought doctorate-level professors who have unquestioned
expertise, are able to communicate in accessible language, and who refuse to
limit themselves only to the politically correct world of naturalism or
materialism. After all, it wouldn't make sense to rule out any hypothesis at
the onset. I wanted the freedom to pursue all possibilities.

I would stand in the shoes of the skeptic, reading all sides of each topic,
and posing the toughest objections that have been raised (p. 28).

Amazing what the internet is capable of.
As for mere Christianity:

Lewis, C.S. *Mere Christianity*. New York: Harper Collins, 1980.

Sounds like he's talking not preaching: "In my talks I had therefore used
all the contractions and colloquialisms I ordinarily sue in conversation. In
the printed version I reproduced this, using *don't* and *we've *for *do not
* and *we have*. "p. vii

Remains humble never acts like he knows everything: "I hope you will not
misunderstand what I am going to say. I am not preaching, and Heaven knows
I do not pretend to be better than anyone else. I am only trying to call
attention to a fact; the fact that this year, or this month, or more likely,
this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior
we expect from other people." p. 7

builds up logically, akin the Foot in the door phenomenon which is a term
that means that if you get people to accept small things they’re more likely to
accept bigger things. I.e. stealing candy from a grocery store to stealing a
Rolex. but also works with thoughts. "We have not yet got as far as the God
of any actual religion, still les the God of that particular religion called
Christianity. WE have only got as far as a somebody or something behind the
Moral Law." p. 29

explains intentions also known as ethos if you want to use the correct term:
"When I chose to get to my real subject in this roundabout way, I was not
trying to play any kind of trick on you. I had a different reason. My reason
was that Christianity simply does not make sense until you have faced the
sort of facts I have been describing." p. 31

, keeps it real! So reader doesn’t think he’s hearing a bunch of B.S. "Of
course, I quite agree that the Christian religion is, in the long run, a
thing of unspeakable comfort. But it does not begin in comfort; it begins in
the dismay I have been describing, and it is no use at all trying to go on
to that comfort without first going through that dismay." p. 32

bc its Christianity it offers comfort/hope which people want to accept, also
known as pathos: appealing to the emotions of the reader "Each of them, if
he seriously turns to God, can have that wtwist in the central man
straightened out again: each is , in the long run, doomed if he will not. The
bigness or smallness of the thing, seen from the outside, is not what really
matters." p. 93

unconditional love! Also a plus "Perhaps it makes it easier if we remember
that that is how He loves us. Not for any nice, at6tractive qualities we
think we have, but just because we are the things called selves. “p. 120

presents both sides of each issue: "Now, Theology is like the map. Merely
learning and thinking about the Christian doctrines, if you stop there, is
less real and less exciting than the sort of thing my friend got in the
desert. Doctrines are not God: they are only a kind of map. "p. 154

shows doubts/concerns of the readers: "If we cannot take the elementary
lessons, is it likely we are going to take the most advanced one/ if
Christianity only means one more bit of good advice, then Christianity is of
no importance. "..."But as soon as you look at any real Christian writings,
you find that they are talking about something quite different." p. 156

uses simple metaphors to explain deep ideas: "This world is a great
sculptor’s schop. we are the statues and there is a rumor going round the
shop that some of us are some day going to come to life." p. 159
"In God's dimension, so to speak, you find a Being who is three persons
while remaining one Being, just as a cube is six squares while remaining one
cube." p. 162

constant clarification: "What I mean is this." p. 163

devil's advocate like truths: "If Christianity was something we were making
up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in
simplify, with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are
dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to
bother about." p. 165

addresses peoples confusions/ critiques: "I should like to deal with a
difficulty that some people find about the whole idea of prayer." p. 166

keeps big picture of loving God more important than the tiny details of all
the little stuff you shouldn’t /should do "You can be a perfectly good
Christian without accepting it, or indeed without thinking of the matter at
all." p. 171

pathos: appealing to the emotions of the reader "In Christianity God is not
a static thing---not even a person--but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life,
almost a kind of drama. Almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind
of dance." p. 175 "each time you fall He will pick you up again. and he
knows perfectly well that your own efforts are never going to bring you
anywhere near perfection." p. 203

answers doubts; "If Christianity is true why are not all Christians
obviously nicer than all non-Christians?" p. 207

Kellogg, John. *The Goal and the Prize*. Burlington: John Kellogg, 1998.

Mentions flaws in his book, Keeps it real! "Books and tapes and teachings
are often helpful in opening the word to us but only Jesus can reveal to us
the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. "p. 22

Relates everything back to the reader "And because of their grumbling and
complaining they never knew the wondrous peace and joy of aily serving him
while they were still in the wilderness." p. 32

gives us hope: "When you truly believe that God is in control of everything
and you choose to thank him in the midst of every circumstance, you will
find that you are living in a totally different realm than most people. You
will be experiencing the peace of God that passes all understanding. " p.
38

keeps it simple by summarizing at the end of chapters so you don’t get lost in
what he’s trying to say "This brief review is enough to discover that Jesus'
purpose (and therefore our purpose) is to have a kingdom prepared to deliver
to the Father." p. 41

He too is still learning, therefore is humble, reader can better relate "As
a began to look into these topics I discovered that many of my thoughts and
ideas in these areas were simply "hand-me-downs" from commentaries and
books that I had read and teachings I had heard. " p. 43

reflection prewriting

Getting rid of the extra words

Injustice

· “which would be spent on one child alone”

· “which would be spent on a single child”

Shorting of paragraphs

Shaping experiences to exploratory question and injustice

More prewriting

More writing for what I want to let loose

More human aspect deeper in general

Whenever it came to writing I tried to do as little as possible so I skipped all the prewriting steps and just threw myself into writing the paper or essay straight to paper as a rough draft and maybe if I cared enough for the paper I would go back and try and edit the paper.

As I’ve gone through twelve weeks of college English my writing style has hardly changed. Though I have realized prewriting does help with getting ones ideas down on paper and make it easier to collect the ideas necessary to from the paper. Now though I still hardly do anything that can be categorized as prewriting I now tend to write out a few choppy sentences about specific points I want to make or ideas that I have that I then further develop into paragraphs and assemble together to make my paper. As I continue to write I think I will start to use the approach of getting the ideas down and then expanding on them to better develop particular ideas and points.

the bro and sis

Within the short time I've already spent with my brother and sister the past few days I have had a blast. The shenanigans started the moment we were all together again. From passing water bottles to one another under the diner to making our usual comments to one another which often include a heavy load of sarcasm I've experienced nothing but fun so far. When I was still I high school and my older brother was the only one in college my sister and I were still constantly messing with each other and just having the regular old fun we always have. Being away from both my brother and sister I've missed the interaction we shared though I have developed great friendship at college my siblings are still so important to me.

As I think about the future I know that my siblings will be a part of it and we will certainly remain in contact but I wonder if we will all be able to get together on a semi regular basis to be us with one another as only we can when we are with each other. It’s something I would hope for but realize can’t be expected to happen to such an extent as I might hope for now.

Well as sure as I am of fun we would have together I also now I will have friends in my life that will be just as important and I will have my fun with them.

home

Now being home for four full days I’m already having a great time I just wish I had no work to do so I could just relax with my family and enjoy the time I am having with them. Most the work I have to do I don’t really have a problem with its just something I have to sit down and do but that’s not the easiest when you want to hang out with the family and friends and get some shopping done. I am looking for some diesel winter boots, a task that proves rather difficult when you live at the beach, to have for when the real winter comes to Virginia Tech. For the first couple days I was busy shopping and going to the orthodontist and the dentist and Monday I went in to the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) to see my teacher again and talk to his senior students about Virginia Tech and college in general. Now with four days left here before I come back I realize how much stuff I still need to complete and it doesn’t make me excited especially since I’ve been sleeping in the last few days like I haven’t since weekends during high school. Plans to study for Calculus and linear algebra may become limited to complete some other assignments namely my English portfolio which simply deters because evaluating my own writing by using my own writing seems so strange for me not to mention difficult in some odd sense at least for me.

I am eager to get the semester over and enjoy my full 31 days of winter break, but I’m also nervous as my first ever round of college exams come up. Even though I only have three exams I know the engineering and calculus exams will be no joke and my exam in my humanities course will be completely different to what I'm used to. As I try to complete everything before I go back I find myself feeling as I am feeling the same as if I was on campus and it was a regular class week.

quotes

“I don’t have a problem with making money I just have a problem with working”
-Bob Collins

Yeah don’t we all.

“He may be mad, but there's method in his madness. There nearly always is method in madness. It's what drives men mad, being methodical.”
- GK Chesterton

This is amusing to think about if applied to any situation where someone can be accused of being mad or insane.

Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do.
-Jean-Paul Sartre

A statement that some would avidly agree with, while others would certainly disagree with it. For me I would in most circumstances agree but there are those times when 3:00 whether am or pm is the opportune moment to do something.

expl ? response

I definitely believe I could have done much more with this paper had I had enough time and a much better resource to implement my research. I would really have liked to have gotten multiple views from people of various back rounds and cultures. Had I had a more general consensus from a broader audiences than a single person I believe my paper could have been far more in depth.

In the case of Lee Strobel he was in search of the proof to lead him into the belief of Jesus as the Christian savior and the Holy Bible as truth. Through his interviews he came to that conclusion. Faith is certainly not something that has been lost, though it can be, but it is something that needs to be founded in an individual for them to be able to truthfully say I have faith and this is why.

The different methods of finding faith and sustaining faith have no hierarchy but all matter on the individual. The method that is best is the one that gives a particular person all the proof and reason they need to be convinced that what they believe is true and solidifies their faith.

In response to your comment about “Can I say I have faith in my dog and that be as legitimate as someone else who has faith in the Bible?” I am assuming dog was not a mistake since if someone had faith in the Bible it should follow that they have faith in God. Comparing faith someone has in the bible to the faith they could have in their dog is something separate. A dog is known to be there it can be seen, felt, smelled, and heard. Through human senses a person can affirm that the dog exists and is there. Someone can still have faith in their dog though just as they can have faith that a chair will hold them up when they sit down on it, but it is on a different level than faith of a religion. Religious faith asks us to believe something that can’t be proven or disproven something that cannot be felt through the five senses. So in this view having faith in a dog is not comparative to having faith in the Bible.