Monday, June 25, 2007
"The Fun" never ends
I need to think of a topic for my final college paper. I'll begin researching in the Fall and finish it in the Spring, when I will hopefully graduate. Problem is, I don't know what I want to do it on. I'm pretty sure I can research anything, I want to focus on a Jewish/Middle Eastern Theme with a lot of primary sources, but I'm stuck. Any suggestions, on what you would like to learn about through me, would be accepted and welcomed with a hug.
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12 comments:
I would like to learn about those crazy people who claim their was no Holocaust, and their reasoning for thinking that it never happened. That has always confused me how people can be so ignorant.
That's one of those comments where I really want to know if it was Jethro or Robyn.
I would be interested in the church/state relationship of the Arab countries. this could be traced from the Ottoman empire, when one brand of Islam was over the whole area, then through the "mandate" era when the European governments controlled the areas, and I assume limited the amount of power the Islamic clerics had, and finally to the resurgence of the concept that they need to create the state that is based on the Koran (this state of things has a name?)
Cole Durram has done a lot of research on this stuff and could be a great local source. Also just a thought: The Gospel according to Bus, you might say; Twice in the Book of Mormon it talks about the Great and Abominable church. The first time around 1 Nephi 13 its pretty obviously talking about the Catholic Church and another time later when it is talking about the last days. My take on what makes a church great and abominable is when it gets control of the government and can use the civic power of cohersion to push its spiritual message. As Roger Williams stated: "When church and state are joined, on a good day you have hypocracy, on a bad day, rivers of blood."
What he said.
That's good to know Dad, I think I have to do an interview, and if I could get Bro. Durham that would be interesting, except I would be scared spitless probably.
It was a Robyn comment....but if you think I'm dumb for asking that...it was Jethro ;)
Uncle Bus-this is Suzy and Diana Speaking. Maybe we are quite unknowledgeable in this realm, but why do you say that the "great and abominable church" is quite obviously the Catholic church. But how is this supported, because I read the passage in 1 Nephi and it appears that it can be any church, that isn't the true church.
This is Jethro. I think you should do something about Abraham. Maybe about the perception Christians think the Muslim perception is, or the other way round?
Suzy & Diana: I guess its just the time element that gives it away. If this is a church in europe around the time Columbus sails, then the Catholic church is pretty much the only one in town. The Protestant churches arguments against the Catholic included its exceding riches. And they were responsible for killing a number of the reformers (Saints?) Also if you stretch it backward far enough it was the early church (after it was taken as the official church of the Roman Empire) that corrupted the doctrine. Again I repeat, this is just my personal take on the whole thing.
I'm with you, Bus, on the Catholic Church being the one they talk about. Learning about Christian history makes it pretty clear that they had WAY too much power to do whatever they wanted in the middle ages and up until the reformation.
I had a religion teacher at Ricks who told us to be wary of anyone who claimed that the "Great and Abominable Church" was the Catholic church, because McKonkie had to take it out of his book. But I think its just the polite thing to do. Even if we all understand it in that passage, we aren't supposed to say it. Like when a stranger has spinach in his teeth.
Plus, it was the Catholic church of the middle ages. That Church has improved most of its policies since then. Pope Benedict even let the unbaptized babies out of limbo this year.
I was talking to my co-worker, Wes, about Islam the other day. Suppose for a moment that Gabriel really did visit Mohammad. He wasn't given any priesthood, but he was commanded to preach repentance to his people; and teach them to pray, fast, abstain from alcohol, etc. When read with the right context in mind, says Wes, the Koran becomes sensible advice to a group of people who were not Chosen to receive the fullness of the gospel at that time.
Perhaps he was a prophet, but he never wrote it down himself; it was transcribed by his disciples. And just as we've seen with Catholics, protestants, and the RLDS, Islam is now in a state of apostasy.
So, for a true Muslim to become a true Mormon means adding wonderful doctrines, but not subtracting any. Except perhaps some strong cultural ideas. A Mormon can still call himself a legitimate Muslim.
I think the same thing happened with Zoroaster.
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