Tag: Islam

RS 25/35: Remember the Titans Assignment

Introduction:

Read  Unequal Access: Canadian Race Relations

Canadians tend to think that racism is more prevalent in the United States, but not so much in Canada.  The above report seems to say otherwise.

Questions:  (answer three of the following)

  1. What is your reaction to the above information?  Did anything surprise you?  If so, what?  If not, why not?  Do you agree with the information presented in the report?  Take a position on the report (believability, reliability, etc) and provide support for your position from your experiences or research.  If you do not deem these statistics convincing and valid, then what other explanation is there besides racism that might explain the information provided in the report?
  2. Read Galatians 3:26 – 28 and Matthew 20:1-16. You can use oremus Bible Browser to help you.   Explain what implications these texts have regarding racism.  Explain how the statistics reported in the above article Canadian Race Relations might change if these scripture texts were taken seriously.
  3. What can the story of the 1971 Titans teach us about our world today, especially in relation to race relations in the wake of 9/11 or even more recently the ISIS (ISIL) threat?  Since the events of 2001, does our country treat Muslims according to Christians values?  Read the article CBC Discrimination poll to find out how Muslims are treated in Canada.
  4. Gerry Bertier tells Julius in the hospital after being in a car accident, “I was afraid of you, Julius. I don’t understand what I was afraid of. Now I only know I was only hating my brother.“ Does prejudice stem from fear? Explain your response providing evidence.  Is racism and/or  prejudice and/or bigotry a learned behavior?  Explain your response providing evidence from personal experience or from research.  Here is an interesting article (Children learn attitudes about race at home) about racism as a learned behaviour.
  5. At the beginning of the film, before training camp, we hear the line; “He’s just another blessed child in God’s loving family.” At the end of the film, we are told to “Trust the soul of a man, not his look.” Both of these are good sentiments, if they are spoken with sincerity. However, in the film, the first is spoken sarcastically.   Even though it is spoken using sarcasm, is this a truth according to Galatians 3:26 – 28 and Romans 8:14? You can use oremus Bible Browser to help you find out. What exactly does, “Trust the soul of a man, not his look”, mean?  Explain.

The rubric titled Movie Study Assignment Rubric located on the pages at the left will be used to grade this assignment.

 

Muhammad

Muhammad, the founder and most important prophet of Islam, was born in 570 C.E. in the town of Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula.

His father died a few days before Muhammad was born. When he was six, his mother died, and he was given into his grandfather’s care. When Muhammad was eight, his grandfather also died. His uncle then took over raising Muhammad.

How might life experiences like these affect someone?

Muhammad as Seeker

When Islam’s founder, Muhammad, was a young man, he became a merchant. He worked for a wealthy businesswoman named Khadijah. Khadijah was impressed with Muhammad’s honesty, generosity, and gentleness. She and Muhammad were married.

Muhammad and Khadijah had four daughters and two sons. After fifteen years of marriage, Muhammad became aware that something was missing in his life, and he began to retreat to a mountain cave.

Have you ever felt something was missing in your life or felt the need to spend time alone? Describe the experience.

The Hegira

Muhammad, Islam’s most important prophet, became an outcast in his home city, because people in Mecca disapproved of Muhammad’s messages and religion. People in another city, Yathrib, asked Muhammad to leave Mecca and become their leader.

Knowing the opposition he faced in Mecca, Muhammad accepted their invitation. Threatened with violence in Mecca, Muhammad and his followers made their way secretly to Yathrib. This emigration is known as the Hegira. The Islamic calendar begins with the Hegira, which was July 16, 622, in the Western calendar.

In Yathrib, Muhammad became a successful politician. Yathrib became known as Medinat al-Nabi, or City of the Prophet, then simply Medina.

Within ten years of his flight to Medina, Mecca surrendered to Muhammad. By the time he died, in June 632 C.E., Muhammad had united the disparate peoples of the Arabian Peninsula into one nation.

Describe what it must be like to be forced to flee your home, like Muhammad.

The Ascension of Muhammad

After eleven years outside Mecca, Muhammad, Islam’s founder, experienced an Ascension, in which he journeyed to heaven.

After praying, Muhammad was approached by the angel Gabriel. They mounted a winged steed called the buraq and traveled to Jerusalem, where the spirits of many prophets appeared. Muhammad led them in prayer. Then he remounted the buraq and ascended with Gabriel to heaven.

Muhammad said that heaven was difficult to describe. He said it was a combination of lights and sounds and flowing energy.

What does the word heaven mean to you? What do you imagine heaven looks like?

The Gift of Life

In Islam, life is considered a gift from Allah. Accepting this gift leaves us with two obligations.

First, we must show our gratitude for this gift.

Second, in return for this gift, we must give ourselves to Allah by surrendering ourselves to his wishes.

Do you believe that life is a “gift?’ Explain why or why not.

Visual Representations

Muslims do not believe that Allah or the prophets should be visually represented. According to Islam, representations are misleading and even disrespectful. If Muhammad is shown in a painting, his face is hidden by a veil. Usually a flame is shown burning around his head; this is the flame of prophethood.

Why might representations of Allah and the prophets actually lead people away from Allah?

The Spread of Hinduism

About 3,000 years ago, Hinduism began near the Indus River of northwestern India. It spread throughout India and across East Asia. Although many of the countries in this region later adopted Buddhism or Islam as their primary religion, Hindu influence is still seen in the culture and literature of much of Southeast Asia. Today Nepal is the only official Hindu state in the world. (Although many Indians are Hindu, India has no official state religion.)

Find Nepal on a map. Why do you think this country has stayed primarily Hindu while other countries converted to other religions?