Week 9! Eeks! Busy, Busy, Busy!
I hope you all enjoyed your Spring vacation, but now we must get down to business! This week we must finish "The Harbinger" in class, we have NO CLASS on Monday April 8th, Tuesday and Wednesday we will be reading and Thursday we'll be playing games.
This week your homework will be a persuasive essay... Persuasive means that you are going to convince me why your opinion is correct. The topic of the essay will be Abortion (for or against?) you choose your side, to convince me you will use facts and statistics, law (earthly or heavenly), but you must use more than a simple opinion to convince me and you must do it in 350-500 words in Word. Due via email on or before Friday morning at 10am.
Here, I request that you discuss thoroughly the Harbinger. Answering the following questions:
1. Several of you have mentioned that you reject the idea of prophecy even being remotely possible. Do you reject the idea of God and the Bible or do you believe in a divine Supreme Being?
2. When I first read this book I read it as a novel and had no idea where it was going, BUT as I continued to read and began checking its claims I felt compelled to examine my beliefs about my nation and "the freedoms" (things which reject God's laws) which many liberals in my country have demanded and realize that all citizens are ultimately going to be judged on what we go along with. The US outlawed school prayer in 1962, legalized the murder of our unborn children also in 1973, and many many more things which our founders would not approve of... In Mexico these trends are about 30 years behind the US. Here's the question: Do you think its possible that Mexico will fall into judgment?
3. Do you see a moral decay in Mexico?
4. Do you believe that the things discussed in the Harbinger are really God's judgments?
5. I have lived here for several years now there are so many wonderful things culturally and traditionally here in Mexico and I love that each little town, region, and state has its own culture, but the violence and crime in Mexico are extreme and getting worse. I see them as a symptom of a spiritual bankruptcy which is evident throughout Mexico. Corrupt politicians, government officials, police, let alone the people everyone refers to as criminals; none of whom exhibit even the slightest fear or respect of God. If the US is being judged for having fallen from God's laws and statutes; what do you foresee for Mexico?
6. Many of you are aware that I have spent a great deal of my life studying and that I believe in that science is a necessary part of everything in our world, but I have studied the Bible and believe it to be true and the inspired Word of God, not solely based on my studies, but also on 52 years of life-experience. The Harbinger frightened me, in part because I found much of it to be too true to ignore and in part because I think my country is too far gone to be redeemed. Did you feel anything when reading the book?
7. Has the Harbinger made you think of things differently, or have you remained untouched by it?
I believe in a superior being, yes, but usually that topics are private for me. Really, this book did not produced anything in me, it was bored for me sincerily, and I read as an obligation of the class. But I have some favorite books like the Coehlo´s ones for example.But, yes maybe it exist a destiny, prophecies,and things beyond our explaination, its possible.
ReplyDelete"....usually (these) topics ....this book (has) not produced anything in me, it (has been) for me sincer(e)ly, and I (am) read(ing) as an obligation ....But, yes maybe (destiny)exist(s), prophecies, and things beyond our (explanation), it(')s possible."
DeleteYes, my country has a lot of troubles, and yes maybe there is a kind of moral decay, here and other countries, but so much as a judgment not now, perhaps only for the criminals not for everyone, here still there are lot of good people. There is love yet. Heaven and hell are in our hearts, our actions, our decisions, our thoughts. I want a good country with good people, Who does not?
ReplyDeleteI agree about the moral decay in all world. In Mexico it is a cause of our economy and the poverty. It’s so sad because we need something different in our government, hard hand with the criminals or kind of several measures.
Deletehello! I think the book isn´t totally boring but is a little confusing, maybe the prophecies are true or not but we´ll only know that if we compare the book with the reality or maybe if we read more about it. In the other hand I agree too about the moral decay in Mexico and in all the world.
DeleteI think tha same Michell, the book is confused, maybe because we need to read the bible more, but I think too that all we want a country where people can live with love and security.
DeleteJaciel, I am totally agree with you, in every country there are all kind of people, however only we are owners about our decisions and our thoughts.
DeleteHi Jaciel I'm agree with you, this book is boring, I don't believe in prophecies, the book is so repetitive, and yes exist another book about prophecies like Phrofecies of Nostradamus but I repeat doesn`t exist the profecies or casualities, we make our own future.
ReplyDeleteMexico is a wonderful country, We have culture, traditions, customs, yes exists violence but, what country doesn't have? We have to remember that USA is the most potencial buyer of drugs, USA have terrorist atacks and violent guys that kill people at schools and Universities. And the policy is amazing all theories, but we don`t make use of policy correctly,in any conutry we can find a clean policy. But why not our morality has declined as a country.
Hi Nuria! I agree with you respect to we make our own future....
DeleteBut I think that we must compare or country with other countries in the positive aspects and not in the negative aspects to improve our life and customs
(1) I believe in God. (2) But I am in favor of secular education. I believe that secular education promotes the understanding between cultures and the respect for minorities. For me, secular education doesn't mean "God is out of school". For me, mean the promoting of a equitable environment for all. (3) I can see a moral decadence. I think we are more concerned about our own interests and we forget the people around us. (4) I find it hard to ensure or deny. In other words, I believe that everybody should read and make their own judgments. Sometimes people's writings about the Bible and the prophecies are misunderstood ... and sometimes are completely true. (5) In my point of view, I believe that problems in Mexico are due to the immense poverty . Half of my country lives in poverty and a quarter lives in extreme poverty. When people dont have a chance to eat or drink clean water... well, there is a less opportunity for spiritualism. Mexico and the United States have a culture, a politics and a very different economy. So I think that they cant be judged like equals...(6) While i was reading it, I felt myself very ignorant. But that led me to read other texts ... (7) The book can change the way that you see God. In the beginning, for example, the book says that God doesn't punish, only takes away his protection...his "hedge".
ReplyDeleteOMG Gensis I really like your opinion and I´m agree with you :)
DeleteI agree with you, talking about religion is sometimes the first step for a discussion, I think that in school the beliefs have to get out there, but it doesn´t means that moral and eductacion should do it.
DeleteI’m sure that a divine Supreme exists but maybe it depends of each person, it depends of each religion and of each experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the moral decay in Mexico, nowadays our country is different from our parents. The people used to forget that a moral existing in our world. Is a kind of disaster a cause of our acts
About things discussed in the Harbinger I don’t think that it could be a really God's judgments, maybe it is kind of advertisement, it is to prevent the global economy.
When I was reading the book I felt sometimes confused because it explain weird things that were unknowing for me. But I get interested with the process. It made me felt a little interested on those themes, like prophecies.
Hi Miryam!!! I agree with all your ideas!! I think the same
DeleteI couldn´t agree more with you, divine Supreme exists. Speaking about the reading of the book, I think that if you spend a little more time and attention to what the book tries to tell us, we would discover that it is an amazing story.
DeleteMexico has not changed, the population is changing. Stop complaining and instead we must act.
Sometimes I get confused too, because I'm not very familiar with biblical quotations.
DeleteFor me the book is interesting, just as a reader, I don´t believe in prophecies, and respect each persons belief. About my country Mexico, is sad to see how many people discriminate our indigeneas people and they don´t have moral, as it is for them that we exist and we should be proud of them.
ReplyDeleteI believe in God too and for me this book is so interesting but a little confusing and I think maybe we never understand all the things about prophecies because is like a mystery of God but we can see it in the moral decay of the whole world because while the people don´t know God, the situation is worst.
ReplyDeleteWe can relate this book with Bible and see the differences or similarities.
I think is necessary revise the Bible and the "old" news. I did at some points of the book.
DeleteHi guys... I agree with all of you in some points and I think this kind of questions make a lot of controversy in general.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that are a billion of facts we can not explain by ourselves. In my opinion, the nature of the human being is look for reasons of the existence. But, it is because is out of our understanding, out of our possibilities to comprehend the world that we create other ways to do it.
Nevertheless, I do not believe in God or in a Supreme Being. In what do I fervently believe is in spiritualism, in human's intelect. Being a spiritualist it doesn't mean that you have to believe in a kind of Gond. To me, it just menas interior peace.
The book contains a very interesting datums allied to the Bible, prophecies and destiny. But like Da Vinci's Code, I think it's just a novel.
Mexico needs education, schools that give an oportunity to the people. The moral decay resides in ever mexican citizen.
In general, I didn't like the book bacause, like Jaciel says, it was boring and we have to read it. Even so, it wasn't too bad.
I agree with you about how is México cuture now. Unfortunately people get carried away by the media, magazines, newspapers and even the internet which is very convenient and feasible to investigate something. I according with you the idea of morality is ever decreasing here in Mexico, however the causes begin at home, with an education based on rules and principles, regardless of religion professes everyone, we have a good conscience and critical of situations life and not get carried away by what everyone thinks.
DeleteI think the Harvinger it´s so so, some times when I was reading I was feeling this is like a joke, but also I remember when the 9/11 I was in the sch0ld and with the time I was listen a lot of differents teories, but when I read the harvingers I was remembering that,s things about that even and of course I have a lot of doubs for example the way was falling the twin towers was very peculiar and I can´t avoit think maybe just was a threat because I listen what the American Goverment was advice for the Mosad but they (USA) didn´t take it with serious, so I really have a lot of doubs what was really happening
ReplyDeleteHi Enrique!!
DeleteI would like to know why do you have felt the book as a joke sometimes?
Note: Harbinger is written with "b"; and the correct word is doubts.
We can say about a divine supreme in most of the Religion that exsist in thw World like God, Nature,etc. All depend in our values, who since childhood have been learning. Through the family, and the environment in which we live, the school for example.Ethics is the rational part that says how we should think about a situation, and the moral is that we can implement to our actions. So like many parners said here on the blog, we can decide how to do in our life, depends in our points of thinking.
ReplyDeleteyes, I´m a gree with you, it is so difficult that all we are agree in a complicate topic, that i think that is this because all depend of many things; our way to think, our education, our traditions and our manners.
DeleteWell, Prophecies topic is very delicated for me because I think that it need a lot of study of the bible and I haven´t reed this book enough to speak about it, although I really believe in God and his word. I don´t know if Mexico will fall into judgment, maybe it have done, and of course I see a moral crisis in Mexico, we think less about other and we did bad things without think about the consequenses, we judge people without judge to our own self, the violence and crime are part of our life, but I´m sure that not only our country or the USA are passing for a moral crisis, around the world I can see this. The things discussed in The harbinger could be really God´s Judgments because the similitarities beetwen Israel and the USA are amazing but I couldn´t be sure, I really need to reed the bible. I Think that if we don´t chance our mind, we could fall into a seriuos crisis where it will be impossible to live. At the beginning I was really surprised with this book I belived that it was necesary that more poeple read it because was so important but then it bored me. The book made me think about some things that I had never thought but I thing that it didn´t change my mind.
ReplyDelete1. I believe in a Divine Supreme Being but I think that several aspects of the Bible aren´t true, the writers do it to deify some people, places and situations but definitely, I believe in God.
ReplyDelete2. US have many influence over Mexico and his manners, is true that Mexico is several years behind the US. In addition; the times and manners in Mexico has been changed very quickly so I think that in Mexico would can happen the same.
3. Yes. In Mexico the moral decay is currently most common and accepted.
4. My opinion about religion is very reserved, I think that each person understand and interprets the God´s judgments according to their life experience.
5. I think Mexico must see the bad aspects in US and must try don´t follow it, in addition, I am sure that the values should be inculcated in the family. If the family is dysfunctional, it probably also members shall be persons without values.
6 and 7. All books leave you a teaching. The Harbinger leave me that all the situations have a reason, in this case, reason of God that can´t be fully and certainly explained by the humans. Each person must find that reasons in his life and in the appropriate time.
The reading of this book have made me know some details that I did not know about prophecies and above all about the history of the United States. It is an interesting book, that if you take the time and concentration required can become an interesting literary catharsis.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking about delinquency in Mexico, we all know that in all countries there is delinquency, however the big difference is that in Mexico citizens complained a lot, but we do nothing to change things.
Hello
ReplyDelete1. I dont really have an opinion about God, I mean, I think it may exist a divine supreme being, but it may not. I dont descard any of both ideas.
2.I think Mexico try always to do things like the US does. Mexico frecuently get more serious consequences than those obtained by the US. I think every society have to find they own ways to improve entirely, not following others.
3. Yes, Mexico has a moral decay.I think it is all about the interrelation between the new ideas of the human live reason. You know, people think that the only reason to stay alive in our world is to have money and enjoy banal pleasures. The interest of the common well being is almost gone, and everything that is happening now in our country are consequenses of that.
4. If god exists I think it is. but if it not, I think all are consequenses of human decisions.
5. Chaos. More.
6. Not really, I just read it as a novel. I sometimes make me think in some memories, but it happen to me every moment I read, so I dont think it is because the book.
7. I think it I learn some more about the perspective of a person that really believe in god. Not much in other meaning.
Rocio.
I found the book interesting. But it didn't influence in my beliefs, i believe in a Supreme Being. Actually i believe in God. I don't really know what God is, but i know what he's not, i mean that i don't have to believe in what the Bible says or the church or the poeple, i have my own way to adore him because if someone loves me i think that he wants me to be happy instead of say what i should do because if i don't i'm going to burn in hell for centuries and centuries. Sometimes people prefer to ask for things to God instead of doing them by themselves or when something bad happens to them (like what happened to the World Tadre Center) they prefers to blame it to God, here in my country (Mexico) this is what people usually do. I like to believe in God and sometimes i try to believe in what the Bible says but i can't stop asking for more logic answers.
ReplyDeleteI liked to read the book, it's another way to see the world and i respect it. For me, it's important to understand how some persons see things.
Of course I believe in God, I really think that nothing in the world is a coincidence , everything has a cause and a consecuence.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think that in Mexico there are a lot of problems that take us away from the "divine stuff", because of poverty or anyone of the long list of problems that affects our country, but Mexico is not the only country where it happens, I think that in all the world the moral is get lower and lower.
Great Pamela! You for president! Just kidding, I agree with you.
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