Don't Judge a book by its Readers

 

Prediger’s 4th chapter is named What is the Connection between Scripture and Ecology.  In this Chapter he states many things, but perhaps his main purpose is to defend the Word of the Lord from other people who criticize it.   Many people are beginning to complain that the Bible is not only not trying to help ecological problems of the Earth, it is causing them. Some people agree that the Bible does not put enough emphasis on the job of caring for creation. They believe, in fact, that even though God created the world, the bible shows God to have made men above all else, and take the command of God to “subdue the Earth” (Genesis 1:28b) as a command to make the Earth, and all that is on it, our slave and to believe that the Earth was created only for us. That is not what the Bible says, and it should not be interpreted this way. But we must wonder, if those against the Word have good reason to claim what they believe is true, how are we coming across that way? What is making them think that about us and what we believe? Is there something that we could be doing better at, or a way that we could care for God's wonderful creation? Are they judging the Bible by the ones who are reading it?  In this chapter, he lists many scripture passages that are answers to important questions we need to answer before we can help the Earth, and one that is misinterpreted and needs to be read a second time. These passages are as follows;

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Genesis 6-9

Job 38:1-42:6

Colossians 1:16-20

Revelation 21:-22:5

Out of these five passages he makes many conclusions and statements. Here are a few.

We are in a responsive and God-wrought world.

We share the Earth with many other creatures that are wonderful.

The covenant God made with Noah was included all creatures, non-human and human.

God is at the center of things.

After the Day of Judgment, God will make a new Earth and dwell on it with us, for creation is his home.

The first statements’ question was Where are We? He supported this first statement, (which came from Genesis,) by saying that when God created the Heavens and the Earth, he spoke and it came to be. But he also spoke and the Earth sprouted up plants and vegetation, The EARTH sprouted up plants and vegetation! So when he spoke the Earth responded. But when HE spoke the world responded. So God has made the world, (“god-wrought”) but the Earth responds to him, (“responsive”.)

He supported the other statements likewise, only with different supporting details. I liked this chapter pretty well. I think he has proved his point. To me at least.

The Golden Age of India

Today I read about the golden age of India. But at this point in time, Rome is in the Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages. This time period is called these names for different reasons. The Golden Age of India is called that because, during this time in India, mostly good rulers ruled over a big, happy  empire.  There were many poets and writers and artists. They wrote in the Indian language, Sanskrit. Iron and copper were molded and formed into sculptures. Mathematics and astronomy, the study of the stars, flourished.
  The Dark Ages of Rome were dark because there were not many educated people in that country, hardly anybody could read and write, and so we have do not have many records of what happened in Rome and what happened in the land that used to be Rome before the Barbarian Celts took over.

We can connect this information to our life. Here are some of the ways.

• connect to us:  we have good times and bad times, times when we don't want to communicate to others, (although this was not Rome's problem,) and times when we flourish and feel good about ourselves
• connect to our country: our country doesn't always do well. Sometimes we have a lot of money and we spend it well, fortifying and supporting our country, and other times we owe a lot of money and our economy falters, our public services break down and we get discouraged, (although Rome may not have been feeling discouraged)

• connect to a book we have read: this will vary according to person, but i have chosen a book that i am  reading. Its name is The Pilgrim's Progress.  In it, the main character has some times when he is discouraged and things are going badly, but he also has some good times.  

And those are my thoughts for today!
END OF NOTE

 

What is wrong with the Earth?

What is wrong with the Earth? Lots.    In For the Beauty of the Earth, By Steven Bouma- Prediger,   the 2^nd chapter is about the problems of the Earth.  Most of the problems are caused by us, the humans.  Deforestation,   air quality, lack of water, waste,   and on and on.  The list seems endless. The   author is trying to prove, in this chapter, not only that global warming is real, but that it is not going to stop unless we stop it, because we are causing many of the problems. He supports this statement by naming many problems that are happening,   why they are happening, and where they are happening.  One example he gives is acid rain.  He says that this hazardous precipitation is caused mainly because of fossil fuels that come from cars or fumes from coal burning power plants.  He also said that acid rain does not obey the boundaries I think that I agree with his statement. Humans are a species that have done and are doing a lot of damage to the Earth. But I also think that we can still help it yet. We are not a lost cause.

In a way, this is the approach of Christians to sin.  We choose to sin. God gave us that freedom.  (Although he wants us to choose not to sin, and to try to be like Jesus.)   We have sinned.  And since we are sinners we cannot save ourselves, for we are not worthy to be saved. That is why Jesus came down to Earth for us. Packer states, in his book Concise Theology   that Jesus was sinless, and that is why he can save us. He was God. Had he sinned, he would have been just like the rest of us, unworthy to receive God’s grace.  But, although Jesus did not sin, he still faced the trials and hardships we face, like hunger, pain, sadness, and temptation. If he had not faced those, he would not be truly human, and so would not have been able to save us then, either.  We, like with global warming, can do something.  If we trust in Jesus and choose to follow him, we can be saved. We are not a lost cause. 

But unlike us, Rome was.  Right now I am reading about the fall of Rome in history. Rome was a huge empire in the days of Augustus Caesar and other   emperors. But gradually, Rome fell apart. She was too big for her own good.  It must have been   reliefs to at least some of the people,   for there were good emperors, but more often the rulers were bad.  They didn’t always agree with the senate, and most of the time that Rome was a great country, she was fighting!  Some imperators thought only of making their country the biggest and the richest in the world, instead of thinking of what would be best for the people and what would enhance peace.  They never did learn.

End of note

Where are we?

　

I have started to read a book for science class because I finished the book, You are Here. I liked that book very much, but now I have started to read another book on the care of the Earth and Ecology. This book seems to be mainly about Ecology. The book is called For the Beauty of the Earth. It is by Steven Bouma-Prediger, and he is writing from a Christian perspective. This blog is about the first chapter.
　

Ch. 1: Where are We?

An ecological perception of place

　

Prediger starts off this chapter with having us imagine what we remember most from our childhood, about nature. I, of course, would not say that I OUT of childhood yet, but it did get me thinking about where I am now. In this chapter, the author wants to point out several points.
That everything is connected
That we can learn from our planet
That we NEED to learn about our planetLet us begin with the first point. Everything is connected. He supports this statement by listing three places that he knows, and has come to love. He states the forms of wildlife in those places, and how they all depend on each other.
For example, leaf-cutter ants and fungi depend on each other. These ants are gardeners. They basically grow fungi in their nests.
The fungi is their only food, and the ants are the only known cultivators of fungi. So these two species are interdependent on each other.
I think I agree with this first point. After all, are not all the states in the USA all interdependent, and all are looking to each other for the food and services that they provide.
The second point is that we can learn from our planet. Prediger supports this point by using those three places to show us what he learned from them. For instance, in the rain forest, you can find tarantulas. These animals are not easily angered and are really not as dangerous as most people think them to be. That is something we can learn from the rain forest. I think that that is a correct assumption. Scientists often use the work of animals or their skeletons to learn how to make something. The airplane is only one example.
The third point that this author wants us to realize is that we need to learn from the environment, or we will not survive. You adapt or you die. And that is what many animals do, adapt. The author says that we need to learn from our mistakes about the world, learn how to use its resources properly, and how to care for it. He says that if we learn about the world, we will begin to see all the good things about it, and we will begin to care for those things. If we care about the polar bears, then we will turn off our lights when we leave the house, we will use a washing line as much as we can instead of a dryer so that energy will not be wasted instead of being used for something that would benefit the environment, and if we care about plants, butterflies, and panda bears, we will recycle our paper so that it is not wasted.
I really liked the 1^st chapter and I am excited about reading the next one.

　

End of Note

Connecting Between Different Beliefs While Sticking To Your Own

Connecting between Different Beliefs While sticking to your Own

　

The Pilgrim’s Progress, a book by John Bunyan that I am currently reading, talks about a man who reads from a book, (I think we are to inference it as the Bible), which pronounces his judgment. He is panic stricken! He gains a heavy burden of all his sins now that he is aware of them. Then, he meets a man named Evangelist. Evangelist tells shows him a direction to go in and to find a gate where he will be admitted and told more directions as how to get rid of his burden. Christian, for that is his name, immediately goes home, where he tries to persuade his family to believe him and to come with him, but they will not. So he sets off by himself. He meets men name Pliable and Obstinate, (isn’t it funny how all the names are so obvious,) who try to persuade him to go home again, but they do not succeed. He keeps going, and Pliable travels with him for a little while.
Well, my job is not to tell you the story, (for I think you should read the book,) but to give an example of how, whatever religion you believe in, someone will always try to stop you. In WW2 Jews were prosecuted, in Europe, though the Middle Ages, and the Medieval times, Catholics and Protestants alike were discouraged, many kings did not like the idea of Islam. In the USA, we give freedom of religion, which means that we can worship or believe in whatever we like. It does not mean, however, that people will not try to get us to come over to their religion, or to stop our belief in other’s. I believe that is one reason why God gave us a conscience.  As J.I. Packer says in his book, Concise Theology,
       "It, (Conscience,) feels like a person detached from us, often speaking what we would like it to be silent, and saying things that we would rather not hear."

A conscience is like a little voice in our head. It tries to tell what is right and what is wrong. (We don’t usually listen.) I think this because, a lot of religions are false. There are also some preachers in the religion that are false. They make up things or go along with other people’s beliefs, so long as it is benefiting them. They like to accuse others of sins, and make following the law so hard, but so useless, so that they can look better than everybody else. In short, this is the definition of Pharisee in the Bible - the true law. They are also trying to lead you down the wrong road. This method is often called “Persuasive.” You probably have learned that term in Language Arts. But usually it is connected to writing. Well, the Pharisees did use writing, but they could also speak pretty persuasively.

I am not saying that you should have NOTHING to do with other beliefs than your own. No. It is good to show that you care about what other people believe, and respect their religion, whatever it is. That is showing respect for the person. But you should stick with whatever you really believe, and follow that belief.

End of Note



Ch. 2: Mumbai, India

Mumbai is famous for its spreading sickness, pollution, inadequate landfills, and dangerous wastes. Millions of people live there, but most of them live in slums. Mumbai floods when it rains a lot, and at high tide. Garbage often clogs storm drains, and so the water builds up. There are about 100000 people living on every square mile. The city, which is made up of  7 islands,  is in between 33-49 feet above sea level. Not much help at all if it floods.  There are also landslides and monsoons.  Mumbai once was a fishing village, but it now is  refuge for tons of hazardous electronic waste that we send there. The reason is that it is much less expensive for us to get rid of waste in India then in the USA. But the waste there isn't treated properly. It isn't disposed of with the correct consideration for the environment. Most of it is dumped right into a heap. That isn't an immediate problem, if you don't count the smell and toxic fumes, and that it takes up space and is not being recycled, no. It begins to be a real problem when it disintegrates. Then, all the mercury and lead and other dangerous materials start to come out. The air becomes more toxic then it is now, and people get sick.  This is a problem for us to. The chemicals come out into the air and we breathe in that air. It's not just India that is going to get sick. What about the flooding? Many of the U.S.'s big cities are built close to sea level too. In fact, Mumbai's lowest elevation point is where New York stands towards the Atlantic Ocean.
    But what will help Mumbai? The slums. There are no recycling programs in Mumbai, (that i know of at least,) except for these. The slum dwellers  buy stuff from junk dealers, so to speak, and companies. They clean the products up and sell them again. They reduce, reuse, recycle, and relocate the stuff. Who would of thought that?

Thought's about YOU ARE HERE by Thomas M. Kostigen

The Greatest Problem No one Has Heard About

The Greatest Problem No one has heard about

This is about a chapter from the book You are Here

　
The human body relies greatly on water. We can survive less then two days without water. And now, water is, in many countries, growing scarce. Thomas Kostigen brings it home by saying, “ A child dies from lack of clean water every 12 seconds.” We will need more fresh water if we are going to survive, and you can’t just make fresh water. “This leaves just one other option,” Kostigen continues, “we have to mind what we have. Each of us over the course of a year uses about 20000 gallons of water. We waste 10% of it by letting the taps run, the drips amount, and the leaks continue.” Isn’t that just terrible! We are lying in bed listening to the sink drip while children over in Africa are dying because they don’t have the water that we are letting run down the drain!! In the future, if we don’t do something about this problem, wars will be raged and maybe more people will die in the fight for water than those that die because they do not have it. We in the U.S.A. are so used to having water sitting there in our faucet that we do not think about what might happen if it is not there!!! But there are steps to be taken, and things to be thought about. You can do something!!!!

Here are some examples that Kostigen suggests:

Turn off the water when you brush your teeth

Run full loads in the dishwasher instead of hand washing the dishes and don’t rinse your dishes before you put them in

Take showers instead of baths

If you live in dry country, replace your plants outdoors with desert plants that need less water

Flush only when necessary, forgetting one flush every 24 hours could save 5000 gallons per year

Use a gas-station car wash instead of a bucket-and-soap one

(saves about 100 gallons per wash)

Eat less meat, it takes so much more water to make meat than veggies and fruit!

These things can really make a big difference!!

　

　

As you may have noticed

As you may have noticed i have not written in a while. The reason for that is that i have been very busy,  and on Monday, i had a day off because my 2 sisters had 2 days off and i felt that that was not, not, not, not, not fair!!!!!!!!!!!! (I spent the day reading at the library.) But now, as you may have noticed, i am beginning to write again.

Robert Louis Stevenson is a very famous author. He wrote Treasure Island, and Kidnapped, and The Black Arrow. Most famous perhaps is his Child's Garden of Verses. I am write now reading the book, Treasure Island. So far i have found it enchanting. It is funny, how a lot of the books that i seem to read, are meant for boys. Treasure Island, The Black Arrow,  and many other books that i read were targeted mainly for males. I don't consider myself a boy, and currently i have no grudges towards boys. I find that these books are very good books, and when i am grown up, if i have children, i will recomend these books to them. Treasure Island is about pirates, and some treasure. One thing that i see  about Stevenson is that you can basically see the plot and where it is heading, by the middle of the book. I'm not saying that it is not exciting anymore. Oh no!  His books are always very exciting, so i am looking forward to reading more this afternoon.

.End of note.

The Black Arrow

    I have finished reading the Black Arrow, which i remember telling you that i had started. The story was set in the time of The War of the two Roses. It is set in England. There are two houses, or rather sides, called Lancaster and York. I don't know what they were fighting about, but they were fight a very vicious battle.  In the end, noone has really one, but the house of Lancaster has really begun to be in the lead. The story, however is not about the war between them. It is about the adventures of the young squire Richard Shelton. This boy is a sort of helpless person, but he is under the custody of a very rich and miserly knight, Sir Daniel, who he suspects to have murded Richard's father  I'm very glad that in America we try not to come across that.

end of note