Post by Cynthia Sandoval on Sept 9, 2015 23:06:57 GMT
Cynthia Sandoval
Sociology of Religion
Monday, August 31st 2015
1. What is M.E. or meaning equivalence? Using your own life as a template, give two or more examples from your own past where you found meaning in something that in itself may have no meaning to anyone else? Feel free to tell it in story form.
The definition of meaning equivalence (M.E) is that “any meaning is better than no meaning provided that such meaning makes one want to live an extra day.” Someone’s meaning may not be true, but that does not matter, because if they believe in it, it gives them a sense of purpose.
For example, when I was a child, around the age of 3 or 4, I truly believed that I had a special connection with the moon, which no one else knew about. I thought that the moon would follow and watch over me, which gave me a sense of comfort and safety. I eventually grew out of that idea and any other person would feel indifferent about the moon, but at that age I found meaning in the moon.
Another example is a phrase that I have said in the past: “knock on wood.” In which I would state “knock on wood” outloud and use my knuckles to tap the nearest thing made out of wood to ward off bad luck. As I am writing this, it sounds really silly, but I see so many people do it and I am realizing that I do not know much about it’s original meaning.
After some research, I found out that there are several cultures and religions that see wood as a special material that can be used for protection. Some believe that in nature there are spirits within trees that can provide protection and there are others who place a correlation between wood and the cross that Jesus was crucified on.
Below is a site that I found informative:
www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/01/knock-wood/
2. How can evolution help explain why religion is so popular across the globe?
Religion originated in the brain for survival purposes, because it offers an explanation to everyday dilemmas, suffering, and pain, which are common themes throughout the world. Believing in a meaning helps fill in the gaps for events that are unexplainable and therefore gives people a sense of purpose. Having someone or something to live for, can motivate a person to survive and that continues their sustainability. As a result, a person passes their beliefs down to their children and when they become adults, they will teach the same beliefs to the next generation.
3. In what ways does the Star Trek metaphor explain why some are drawn to atheism or agnosticism and others are drawn to religion? Give examples, if possible, from those you know.
The cerebral cortex thinks rationally and someone like Spock would probably be drawn to atheism, because there is no scientific proof or data that god exist. The midbrain is very emotional, so someone like Captain Kirk would find religion appealing, since it is spiritually fulfilling. The reptilian brain is used for survival purposes and similarly Scotty operates the Enterprise or “the body” and keeps it alive. An agnostic only knows what they see and experience, so they cannot confirm or deny the existence of god.
Philosophy 8 - Critical Thinking
Wednesday, September 2nd 2015
Attendance code: 11632
1. Drawing from the Star Trek metaphor, and using your own life as a template, describe three or more incidents from your life where you reacted as "Spock", "Kirk", and "Scotty." Feel free to tell it in story form.
Below are three accounts in which I reacted differently in emergency situations:
Spock (rational) - A few years ago, I was standing outside a train station and I saw an older man collapse across the street. I ran over to him to see if he needed assistance and a couple of people were trying to help him up, but he was becoming unconscious. I did not know how to help him, so I called 911 and the paramedics came, and quickly took him to a hospital. I never knew what happened to him, but making the phone call was the right and rational thing to do.
Kirk (emotional) - My boyfriend’s family owns a little Jack Russel dog named Lucy. Last year, Lucy was chewing on a chicken wing (which dogs are not supposed to eat) and consequently a small bone got stuck in her gums. She started to bleed, so I panicked and did not know how to help her. A rational person would just remove the bone from her mouth and solve the problem, but I froze and yelled for help. I was so frightened and emotional, and I felt like I lost control of the situation. My boyfriend rushed over and helped Lucy, and after the both was out, she seemed fine and ran around happily.
Scotty (Instinctively) - One day my friend Raquel was helping me wash dishes and she accidentally broke a plate, which cut her her hand. She began to feel like she was going to faint, so I immediately sat her down, gave her some water, and covered her hand with a washcloth. Once she felt better, I brought out the first aid kit, cleaned her wound, and placed a band-aid over the cut. In this situation, I acted more instinctively and new exactly what to do to help my friend.
2. Drawing from the film, Surfing Matrix, and using our own life as a template, describe two or more incidents from your own life where you experienced an unusual coincidence. How would Bertrand Russell or a skeptic explain it rationally?
In the past few months, I began to notice the number sequence 911 in random places. It started with time, if I glanced at the clock the time showed 9:11 am or pm. At work, the numbers 911 came up if I had to order a number of supplies or if I had to mail a package to a customer’s specific address. A couple of times, I purchased items and the total cost was $9.11 It really began to annoy me and I tried to ignore it as much as possible. Bertrand Russell would state that the numbers 911 are prime and could come up anywhere by chance. 911 is associated with the emergency number and the events of September 11, so perhaps I was noticing numbers that are popular in our American society.
Also, I major coincidence that I encounter is when I meet someone and we realize that we have the same acquaintances. I always say “what a small world” because we happen to know the same people, but is the world really that small? After this week’s lecture, I realized that there are several factors that can lead me to meet someone, who may know one of my friends. That person may come from a similar community, school, church, ethnic background, and be in my age range, so that narrows down the local population. The world may feel small, because I encounter people that are in similar situations, but if I move to another continent I would probably feel completely different.
Sociology of Religion
Monday, August 31st 2015
1. What is M.E. or meaning equivalence? Using your own life as a template, give two or more examples from your own past where you found meaning in something that in itself may have no meaning to anyone else? Feel free to tell it in story form.
The definition of meaning equivalence (M.E) is that “any meaning is better than no meaning provided that such meaning makes one want to live an extra day.” Someone’s meaning may not be true, but that does not matter, because if they believe in it, it gives them a sense of purpose.
For example, when I was a child, around the age of 3 or 4, I truly believed that I had a special connection with the moon, which no one else knew about. I thought that the moon would follow and watch over me, which gave me a sense of comfort and safety. I eventually grew out of that idea and any other person would feel indifferent about the moon, but at that age I found meaning in the moon.
Another example is a phrase that I have said in the past: “knock on wood.” In which I would state “knock on wood” outloud and use my knuckles to tap the nearest thing made out of wood to ward off bad luck. As I am writing this, it sounds really silly, but I see so many people do it and I am realizing that I do not know much about it’s original meaning.
After some research, I found out that there are several cultures and religions that see wood as a special material that can be used for protection. Some believe that in nature there are spirits within trees that can provide protection and there are others who place a correlation between wood and the cross that Jesus was crucified on.
Below is a site that I found informative:
www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/01/knock-wood/
2. How can evolution help explain why religion is so popular across the globe?
Religion originated in the brain for survival purposes, because it offers an explanation to everyday dilemmas, suffering, and pain, which are common themes throughout the world. Believing in a meaning helps fill in the gaps for events that are unexplainable and therefore gives people a sense of purpose. Having someone or something to live for, can motivate a person to survive and that continues their sustainability. As a result, a person passes their beliefs down to their children and when they become adults, they will teach the same beliefs to the next generation.
3. In what ways does the Star Trek metaphor explain why some are drawn to atheism or agnosticism and others are drawn to religion? Give examples, if possible, from those you know.
The cerebral cortex thinks rationally and someone like Spock would probably be drawn to atheism, because there is no scientific proof or data that god exist. The midbrain is very emotional, so someone like Captain Kirk would find religion appealing, since it is spiritually fulfilling. The reptilian brain is used for survival purposes and similarly Scotty operates the Enterprise or “the body” and keeps it alive. An agnostic only knows what they see and experience, so they cannot confirm or deny the existence of god.
Philosophy 8 - Critical Thinking
Wednesday, September 2nd 2015
Attendance code: 11632
1. Drawing from the Star Trek metaphor, and using your own life as a template, describe three or more incidents from your life where you reacted as "Spock", "Kirk", and "Scotty." Feel free to tell it in story form.
Below are three accounts in which I reacted differently in emergency situations:
Spock (rational) - A few years ago, I was standing outside a train station and I saw an older man collapse across the street. I ran over to him to see if he needed assistance and a couple of people were trying to help him up, but he was becoming unconscious. I did not know how to help him, so I called 911 and the paramedics came, and quickly took him to a hospital. I never knew what happened to him, but making the phone call was the right and rational thing to do.
Kirk (emotional) - My boyfriend’s family owns a little Jack Russel dog named Lucy. Last year, Lucy was chewing on a chicken wing (which dogs are not supposed to eat) and consequently a small bone got stuck in her gums. She started to bleed, so I panicked and did not know how to help her. A rational person would just remove the bone from her mouth and solve the problem, but I froze and yelled for help. I was so frightened and emotional, and I felt like I lost control of the situation. My boyfriend rushed over and helped Lucy, and after the both was out, she seemed fine and ran around happily.
Scotty (Instinctively) - One day my friend Raquel was helping me wash dishes and she accidentally broke a plate, which cut her her hand. She began to feel like she was going to faint, so I immediately sat her down, gave her some water, and covered her hand with a washcloth. Once she felt better, I brought out the first aid kit, cleaned her wound, and placed a band-aid over the cut. In this situation, I acted more instinctively and new exactly what to do to help my friend.
2. Drawing from the film, Surfing Matrix, and using our own life as a template, describe two or more incidents from your own life where you experienced an unusual coincidence. How would Bertrand Russell or a skeptic explain it rationally?
In the past few months, I began to notice the number sequence 911 in random places. It started with time, if I glanced at the clock the time showed 9:11 am or pm. At work, the numbers 911 came up if I had to order a number of supplies or if I had to mail a package to a customer’s specific address. A couple of times, I purchased items and the total cost was $9.11 It really began to annoy me and I tried to ignore it as much as possible. Bertrand Russell would state that the numbers 911 are prime and could come up anywhere by chance. 911 is associated with the emergency number and the events of September 11, so perhaps I was noticing numbers that are popular in our American society.
Also, I major coincidence that I encounter is when I meet someone and we realize that we have the same acquaintances. I always say “what a small world” because we happen to know the same people, but is the world really that small? After this week’s lecture, I realized that there are several factors that can lead me to meet someone, who may know one of my friends. That person may come from a similar community, school, church, ethnic background, and be in my age range, so that narrows down the local population. The world may feel small, because I encounter people that are in similar situations, but if I move to another continent I would probably feel completely different.