The second chapter focused on the world that Jesus lived in. In this chapter, one thing that was taught was the life of Herod the Great and how he led Palestine. He rebuilt many of the temples, but he killed many of the male infants in Bethlehem because of the competition between the "King of the Jews," who was born. Also, the aspects of Roman life were also taught in the chapter. In Roman life, there were many different social classes, but only two economic classes, rich and poor. Throughout Jesus' life, there were also many different kind of cults and philosophical groups going on. We learned of a few of these cults, like the Cult of Demeter, the Cult of Isis, the Cult of Mithras, and a few others. There were also many philosophical groups involved during his lifetime, like the Cynics, the Stoics, and many more. In this chapter, we learned about how the life of Jesus was affected by his surroundings and how my life and my friends' lives are affected by the people and surroundings around us.
B) Write about two major ideas you want to remember. Write a short paragraph on each clearly stating the idea and then telling why you want to remember it.
One thing that I would like to remember about this chapter was all of the different philosophies in Roman times. In Roman times, five major philosophies were practiced. The five groups were the Epicureans, the Cynics, the Stoics, the magicians, and the astrologers. Each group had a different out take on life, which I thought was very interesting. I thought it was so unique that there were so many different groups with different opinions. When I read this, there was one thing that came to mind. I wondered about their "afterlife" and how they would be judged in the end.
The other thing that I enjoyed learning about in this chapter was the life of Dorothy Day. She started her life as in a home where there was no religion and did not believe in God. As she got older, Dorothy Day became out going and got pregnant; however she had an abortion. After a few years of her getting her life back together, she got married and had a child. She, then, was moved by joy and happiness that she finally understood that "love for God moves one to love of neighbor" (LeCompte 39). She attended many hunger marches and later founded the Catholic Worker Movement. I believe that she is a huge inspiration to all. She would be considered a huge example of someone who starts out their life as a sinner and not a good person, but then leads into a life of loving faith to God and helping people.
C) One image that captures the chapter for you.
Jesus and the Pharisees
D) One significant question you have from this chapter. It can be intellectual or personal. Just write out the question. Try to answer it if you want.
Out of all the philosophical cults, which one was the most popular and why do we never hear about any of these cults in today’s world?
E) Do one of the “Living the Gospel questions at the end of the chapter, page 40. Write out the question and then answer it well
--In writing, describe in detail one social injustice. Include in your essay something you can do to right this injustice.
In our world today, racism would be considered one of the main socials injustices of the time. Throughout our world, many people don’t even realize what they say to be racist. Even some teenagers may say some comment about Mexicans, Arabs, or African Americans and not realize that they are being a racist. Many television shows or movies cause a lot of racism. One example would be the television “24.” In that show, they all use Muslims or people with an Arab descent to be the terrorists. I believe that using Muslims to be thought of as the “bad guys” is very racist, since in almost every season they are behind all the terrorism. Music is also a source for some racism. In music, many artists use words that are racist, especially the “N” word that puts down African Americans.
There are a few ways that I could try to stop this social injustice. One way would be just when I am around my friends. I could tell them to stop making fun of people of a different descent like Mexicans, Asians, or other descents. Another way would be to not listen or watch any movies or television shows that use racial comments. I could also try to rally my friends into try to stop that also.