Is Bias more subtle in text or images?

"It's only art when it says something about the human condition"

" Is it rich, hard and complex?"

Art has become a skill rather than a characteristic or trait.

Art was an expression of individuality. Nowadays I can make the same thing Sally did and call it art. I wonder if we started a school and had each student requird to sit in a room with paper and art supplies for an hour every day. What they come up with and how would that influence their well being. How would they turn out later on in life? Self expression without technology has disappeared from our lives. We now need a computer, but only to leave comments on pictures taken from a camera last night. But who is to say that our self expression, although now through technology, is sany worse than before right?

 

I think bias is more subtle in texts. I don't really know how to prove that, it's just how I feel.

What does these sacred pictures/stories tell us that is different from sacred texts

Ok, so this is just notes from that really boring lecture of Images. The guys speaking was terrible and boring and I felt bad saying that because what he was saying had a lot of substance and is something we should think about, but the lecture alone and his droning voice said some things like the following.

We think of most non written mediums as primitive instead of complicated

But then what about the images we see today of itunes and cell phone logos.

Is it necessary to question beauty when looking at paintings?

What is more important. What is in the mind of the creator of a piece? Or does othe emotional response from the viewer create the piece. Is personal reflection more important? Can something mean something without the intentions? And What is the nature of meaning to you? My old English teacher said that the only reason why God is real, or still alive for that matter is because people belive in him. But when people stop believeing what happens to the hero? Does he die? Is he still alive is people don't believe in him?

 

What is the difference in reading a story and seeing story?

Here I go again about the race thing. Many people were probably wondering why I asked people what they typed in when they searched for their religious images. Well I found it interesting that in order to find a religious image that was important/ reflected me I had to type in "black religion" or "black jesus." But if I just type in religious images white jesus and mary just pop up. It is really frustrating. I mean if you really think about it. Like why in the 21^st Century when racism is not supposed to exist do I see it everyday I don't think I am being clear or revealing what I am trying to say clear enough. Let me give you another example. So in my house, my parents buy for the most part black films…. When we have Christmas we have a black Christmas. I mean everything from our santa clause, to the angel on top of the tree is black. Now some people may be thinking, well you must be the racist one. In fact, I had a friend (white) come over my house and ask me why I had all black movies and that I was the racist one. She even claimed that all black people were racist because we go out of our way to show our blackness. But what I am arguing is why is black seen as abnormal. I mean I am sure if I walked into plane Jane's house during Christmas, she wouldn't have a black santa. If I looked at Billy's movie collection their would be slim to no black films. Why is the blame, the responsibility of racism put on black people? I hope you understand my arugument. I just feel like we all need to make a collective effort to look at ourselves analyze and criticize ourselves and fix some of the mess that we live in. But it starts with each person on their own.

 

There is so much crazy mess we are living in. Going back to some of the questions above. The media and certain images we see influence our everyday lives so much that it is so hard to see it.

For Non Christians to really understand your relationship with God

In this class, there are quite a few people who have barely studied Christianity, or have never studied it until this class. Most of these people are only judging the bible and Christianity based on like 3 books in the bible. The bible has over 60 other books in it. I feel like it is difficult to even begin to have a solid idea about Christianity until you have gone through more chapters of the bible. The bible is just like person; in this case person is God. In getting to know anyone, you don't know them just based on two or three encounters with them. You have to spend time with the person. You have to form a relationship with them, the same with the bible. It sometimes takes months even years to really know someone. The same with you relationship with God, and you way to get to know him is through studying the bible, praying and talking to God. Different people go about their relationship with God in different ways. Some people listen through the preacher. Me personally, whenever I read the bible I ask God to speak to my heart. And I ask him to give me his holy word and tell me he wants me to hear.

Somebody also said in class that the bible is a mirror of you. Some people said that the Ten Commandments made them feel like shit. This made me think about this: True friends, those you can trust despite all, who will always be there for you, those are the ones that know you. They know how to talk to you, and they tell you the truth no matter what. Just like the Ten Commandments. They tell you truth, they make you see that you are sinner and if you want to redemption then you need to repent. They make realize what you need to work on to become a better person. Just like any true friend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Yes or no?!?!?!?

Does your actions reflect your intentions? Or is the primary concern is the intentions? Is what is more important the outcome or the intentions? Is it more Chritstian to think about intentions or consequences?

I think what is more important is the intentions. It is just like when somebody gets you a present, it doesn't matter whether not you like it, it is the thought that counts. Now if the persons intentions were to get you present that you liked… well then they failed.

Why does it matter what you feel? What do your thoughts and feelings matter?

I think one of the problems with our society is that everyone wants to be concrete in everything. We want to have these set rules, to make everything fair. The fact of the matter is that everybody can't be happy at one and everybody can't be satisfied that is just the way it is. It has never been like that and it never will be. I mean all people want order order order, in hopes of making things easier. I am not so sure if being so concrete and in order is the best thing, because it leaves no room for growth. Part of being a human is struggling. It used to struggling to survive and still is. It is just that the conditions of which we have to survive is different. It is only natural for there to be disorder. It is ok. It is ok not to be sure about everything. I hope you understand what I am getting at.

Different frames of faith

Should the Bible be questions? Can the Bible only be looked at through the frame of faith?

If you choose to look at the bible from a frame work other than faith, will that have an effect on your faith? Will it automatically make you question you faith if you choose to look at it from a different lens?

• Different frameworks conflict so it is difficult for people to look at it from different prospective even if it may be good. It is threatening and challenging to question the bible in other lights.
  
• "You shouldn't even question the bible… just like you don't question you parents"
  
  • When I was young, I never really questioned on challenged my parents. I was being taught and given a foundation to live by. However, as I got older, I began to want my independence and question and challenge theme more often. It almost feel like I have a moral obligation now, to teach my mother. The same goes for the bible, when you are young, you don't have the capacity or ability to question or challenge the bible, but as you get older, you learn more, you are exposed to more, you are challenged by it or it challenges you. That is why I am ok with challenging the bible, not "God's word", but the bible. To find the true meaning of it. The only thing constant in the world is change.
    
• The problem is we have the tendency to minimize conflict and what that does is screen stuff out.

Just notes

ISorry Guys, I have been slacking on the blog entries. But just to let you know, I have had the intention to write on the blog it just never gets to the computer, so the next couple of entries will just be notes that I have taken after/ during class or during the reading.

 

• How do you read a major text like this?
  
• The bible is so far and foreign and ancient, but it has so much authority.
  
• What was it like reading this?
  
  • It makes people question (as a Christian ) and or go back into depth
    
• God justifies everything he does all the time/ or prepares us (aside from the historical inaccuracies )
  
  • The Flood
    
  • The War on Iraq
    
  • Hurricane Katrina
    
• The church says what is right and wrong and now here we are questioning that
  
• Religion/ faith is more need than want, You need faith
  
• Some people in class said the same thing I think, I am ok with someone who believes in something, but I don't understand someone who doesn't believe in anything at all.
  
• Someone said "The bible doesn't really have any context but the meaning is something we find"
  
• "To read the bible is to look in the mirror"
  
• The bible can justify everything that is going on right now. "It can be just as bad as good if you interpret it that way"… I am not sure if I agree with that.
  
• Can you separate what God wanted and the societies that produced it?
  
  • For example, from a feminist point of view. Is the question of if God is really a man? Some can argue that God is a man because we have and always have lived in a male dominate society therefore having God be a man further perpetuates this males supremacy.