S2 Blog Response 11

Church History 

Roman Persecution is the event that I most interested in. Jews were merciless toward the Christians only because they worshiped different Gods. Christians need to hide their faith in order to survive and fit into the majority. Sounds pretty familiar, right? When Mia mentioned the situation of Christians at that time, immediately I related that with the life of minorities, being more specific, homosexuality. They cannot come out because of other's disdainful stares. Although we call for equality all the time, but there is not a place that everyone is equal. Rather ironically, the group that was despised during the 3rd century became the group that despises other in the 21 century. Unfortunately, in the 3rd century, Christians still have someone who saved them, letting them able to show their cross under the sunshine, but nowadays, it seems to be impossible for every homosexual couples to hold each other's hand under the sunshine, in front of the public. 

 According to the previous paragraph, the person who I adore most is Constantine. Not because his excellent caliber of ruling the country, but his firm of making Christianity legitimate. Although he was the Emperor of the Rome, which means is the most powerful man, certainly, he still needed to face the challenge of going against the majority. I don't how much pressure he withstood, but he did it. He successfully makes the Christianity a legal religion of Rome, which is the foundation of all the subsequent booming. 

 Because homosexual marriage is still illegal in China, I want to be the person just like Constantine, who changed the life of some people. I have some friends in China who is homosexual. Although in China, homosexuality is acceptable, they still want to stay in the closet. That is the way they chose to live, I have no right to judge, but I do think if homosexual marriage is legal, their ways to live will be change. 

Approximately 3 years ago, I didn't get the feeling of being different and did some terrible things toward my friend. I knew that he was angry maybe also disappointed, but instead of being furious, he told me to do an experience with him. Say that you have a really embarrassed illness, for example, dermatophytosis. Every time when people talks about something related to feet, even something not quite unrelated, like pedicure or massage, you will think that people may know that you have that illness and trying to humiliate you. That is how homosexual people's feel. They worried about people discovered their sexual orientation and the aftermath. After that, every time when I get a sense of someone's sexual orientation, instead of being insolent, I chose to send them my blessing. 

citation:
Sanidopoulos, John. "MYSTAGOGY RESOURCE CENTER." Saint Constantine the Great Resource Page. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
Posted by Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, Department of Architecture and Design Michelle Millar Fisher, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Architecture and Design. "MoMA | MoMA Acquires the Rainbow Flag." InsideOut. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

S2 Blog Response 10

Marian Apparitions and Resilience

I learned a lot from this chapter. I always think that religion only focus on God or Jesus or other devine males, but after studying this unit, I knew that people also worship Virgin Mary because she is the mother of Jesus and she can bring people's petition to Jesus. Every time, her apparition is not for personal benefits, but for human's general good. For example, in Our Lady of Guadalupe, she appeared and claimed that "And it is my wish that here, there be raised to me a temple in which, as a loving mother to thee and those like thee, I shall show my tender clemency and the compassion I feel for the natives and for those who love and seek me, for all who implore my protection, who call on me in their labors and afflictions: and in which I shall hear their weeping and their supplications that I may give them consolation and relief." She wants a temple not because she wants human's worship, but to provide a place to hear human's supplication.

In Our Lady of Guadalupe, when Juan Diego want asking the Catholic Church to build a temple for Virgin Mary because she asked to do so, the Catholic Church didn't believe his saying. Then when Juan Diego came back to the mountain of Tepeyac, Virgin Mary was there again. She told Juan Diego don't gove up and try asking again. I think that related to resilience because when we are in our down position, what we always do is to give up. However, if we want to back to the top, instead of giving up, we should give another try.

Just like the example I used above, I consider myself as being resilient because when I was down, I didn't give up. As a foreigner, the professional vocabulary on Biology and the tedious lab report for chemistry are my most challengeable assignment. I need to pay more effort than others to learn how to deal with it. I remember it so clearly, once I wrote a 7 pages lab report, and got an C- on my PowerSchool and cried for almost an hour. I almost dropped that class, but I remember how hard I tried to get double science. And therefore, I kept trying hard in that class, my effort sustains my through my first semester and had an A on my transcript.

Citation:
Joline Strömberg. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.
Battad, Do. "Our Lady of Guadalupe - Message of Trust and Hope." Our Lady of Guadalupe - Message of Trust and Hope. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.

S2 Blog Response 9

Apostles: Suffering

1. Every story in this unit tells me that people learn their lessons during their suffering. During their suffering, some of them insist what they believed; some of them hesitate, feel ambiguous about their faith. However, when they get the message from the God, they are even more firm than before. For example, in Acts 5:12-41, When two men were put in jail, they were restless and unable to sit still. However, after Angle came and get them out, the priest tells them don't preach the God, they insist what they believe is right. 
2. All the stories are equally inspiring for me. They are all about believing, suffering, hesitating, and persisting. For example, when Paul was abused and hurt by the Jews, instead of blaming Jews or giving up his faith, after hesitating, he continues his beliefs, which inspired me, because I give things up all the time. When I meet the bottleneck or go against by other people, I start to doubt myself and finally compromise. However, learned from the bible, I should not give up just because of the judgment. I can be the person who I wanna be. 
3.  On the first month of my sophomore year, my life was totally messed up. I was taking double science and both the class is not easy. As a foreigner, the professional vocabulary on Biology and the tedious lab report for chemistry are my most challengeable assignment. I need to pay more effort than others to learn how to deal with it. I remember it so clearly, once I wrote a 7 pages lab report, and got an C- on my PowerSchool and cried for almost an hour. I almost dropped that class, but I remember how hard I tried to get double science. And therefore, I kept trying hard in that class, my effort sustains my through my first semester and had an A on my transcript.
4. When I hit the wall, I always go the find my family, as well as my friends. They always comfort me. Also, when I facing some academic problems, I would like to talk with my counselor and my teachers, they always give helpful advice. 

Citation:

Patterson, Chelsea. "Suffering: For God's Glory and Your Good." TGC - The Gospel Coalition. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2017.

"ELA HELP." Goossenclass. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2017.

S2 Blog Response 8

Disciples Project

Based on the title of this class, Church History, I think we supposed to learn some complicated information of various church, kind of like what we did in History. However, Ms. Menzel always surprise me. We learned the stories of twelve disciples. For our group, we did Judas, the betrayer of Jesus. He was one of the most famous disciples, in a bad way, notable for his betrayal. His name was always related with betrayer. just like Brutus in Julius Caesar. We learned how did he become a disciple and why Jesus chose him, which is kind of surprised. Jesus knew that Judas will betray him, he chose him in order to fulfill the scripture.

However, I was surprised by some thought upon him. Some people thinks that he is a good man because he causes the death of Jesus, which fulfill God's scripture and save the human being. Although he betrayed Jesus, but that is his fate, just like Jesus has to die due to his mission. There is no right or wrong, people just do what they supposed to do. No matter it is a virtue or vice. I think it is a really interesting point because as I know this man, everyone told me that he is bad, he is a betrayer of Jesus. Sometimes it is OK to come up with another opinion, even though it go against everyone's belief. It's just a thought, isn't it?

Most common characteristics of those disciples are their persistence. They insisted what they think is right, followed who they think is worth to follow. When Jesus was crucified, some of them died beside Jesus, or die in the same way as Jesus' died, upside down. Some of them were martyred, died because of their faith. They can die for what they believed.

At this point, I feel that I am similar but also different with those disciples. I insist what I believed, but not able to die for it. When the thing I believed challenged by the society or the majority, I might be hesitating or doubt myself.
Citation:
Uncategorized. The Last Supper. 26 Sept. 2014. Eddiecrosby, Accessed 23 Jan. 2017. 
 eddiecrosby.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/the-last-supper-ca-149294-1498/.
The Death of Judas. United State Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org/ 
     bible/matthew/27. Accessed 23 Jan. 2017. 

S1 Blog Response 7

If we followed our beatitude, the world would be much more peaceful, For example, the sixth beatitude expresses that "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy", which means As we are merciful to other, Our father will be merciful to us. What you give people will finally come back to you. Everything is mutual and equal, just like what we say in "our father" the prayer. "forgive us trespasses, as we forgive he who trespasses against us."

In order to follow the beatitude during our lives, we need to give up lots of things. For example, our arrogance. we need to be humble and appreciate that all of the blessings come from the God. We need to be grateful all the time. Just like the first beatitude "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

However, living with beatitude doesn't mean everyone needs to live exactly based the beatitude. We can still do whatever we want, as long as it's followed the beatitude. When we achieve something, we can still be proud of ourselves, but just remember that It is a blessing that we can live in a society which allows we go to school and get the education. It is a gift from God. They do not contradict each other.

Following Beatitube is not that easy. I tried to live my life following the Beatitube  It wasn't hard, but not easy as well. When someone offensed me by purpose, I needed to forgive her and still treated her nicely. That made me kind of unhappy that time, because I cannot really forgave her and acted like nothing happened. It just like after we pinning a nail into the wall, when we remove that nail, there is still a hole on the wall. However, when I think over that day, I still feel proud of myself, because forgive is a virtue to live with. Additionally, I lived my day following Beatitube.


Citation:
Love. Digital image. Julie Lefebure. N.p., 16 Oct. 2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2016. <http://www.julielefebure.com/love-includes-forgiveness/>.
Grateful and Thankful Quotes. Digital image. QuotesAddicts. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2016. <http://quoteaddicts.com/i/3400300>.
Brave Strong Quotes. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2016. <https://www.pinterest.com/explore/you-are-amazing/>.

S1 Blog Response 6

My name is Jesus, When I was fifteen years old, I had lots of things I don't know, as innocent as other teenagers. Firstly, I don't know why I don't look like my father. My mother told me that she and my father had lived in the kingdom of Herod, but one day they decided to leave. King Herod is not a good king, he killed all the children who had threatened him to the throne, including his own son. That happened when I was born, maybe that's why they escaped,or maybe they left before that massacre. I really don't know.

Now we live in Egypt. Although we are newcomers, everyone in this town treats us nicely, because of my father, My father is a carpenter, everyone asks him for some small favors—making a new desk or repairing a broken chair. However, I have heard some gossip in his back that I am not his real son, we don't have any kinship at all. what a joke! If I am not his own son, why he be so nice to me? If I am not his own son, why he teaches me all his skills about being a carpenter? If I am not his son, why he never told me that? I guess gossip is human's instinct, same as jealous. That must be the reason they gossip. They envy me because I have a happy family and a happy life. But if people envy others, why don't they just say it directly in stead of being nice and gossip on one's back? I really don't know. 


I do have some friends, they’re all boys who have the same age with me. We hang out together and study in the same school. Sometimes when we joke around, they call me "boy born with star", I always pretend bing angry, and finally we all laughed. I don't know why they call me that way, I really don't know. 

On that time, I have some great friends, a happy family, and a peaceful life. I never thought that everything will be changed: my friends will go against me; my follower will betray me, and my real father will go talk to me. That's my happiest time in my life ever. 


citation:
Star. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zlVERffp5c8/maxresdefault.jpg>.

S1 Blog Response 4

• From my perspective, this parable project is really interesting and attractive, which also helps me learned lots of things. Our parable is The rich man and Lazarus, who is a poor guy. The Rich man and poor man are neighbors, during their lifetime, rich man treats poor man badly. After they died, rich man goes to the hell and poor man goes to the heaven, who can go serve Abraham. The rich man feels unfair about Abraham's decision, and Abraham told him that because poor man has not had the easy life during his lifetime. However, the rich man has had the easy and luxurious lifestyle and need to learn how to be kind to those below him. Then rich man asks Abraham to warn his brothers, so they don’t make the same mistakes he did when he didn’t treat Lazarus in the nicest way possible. Abraham says they can learn from your mistakes from Moses and the Prophets. The rich man believes this won’t work because they will repent these people in heaven. At the end, Abraham says if they won’t believe Moses, they will never learn how to be kind.
  
  
  

  From this parable, I learned being rich doesn't automatically means we can get into heaven. However, being kind does. Also, It is okay to be poor, as long as we are doing whatever we should be doing and be a good person. We always complain about our extraction, which may not give us enough money to buy whatever we want. However, we should focus more only our morality. Being a good person and treating other people the way we want to be treated is much more important than the materialism. 

  
  

  For me, the most impressive parable presentation is The Laborers in the Vineyard. Their skit is pretty related to our life and told us what exactly the parable wants to tell us. In another word, their scenario is a perfect example of the parable. I learned from their scenario that No matter the sequence we following God, God loves us equally. 

  
  

  The lesson which impacts me most is The Prodigal Son. It tells me that no matter how much people hurt us, we should forgive them at least for once. That lesson pretty related to my life. For example, In the past, When someone betrayed me or hurt me, I would not be her friend anymore. However, I think after learning this lesson, I will try to forgive them in the future. 
  
  If Jesus lives in nowadays, he probably is a moral leader, maybe the pope in the church, or the teacher in the school. He may not be that rich, but he will be happy every day because he is doing his favorite thing, teaching. He will have abundant followers, both in reality and the internet. He will also have his official facebook and Instagram account in order to teach us. 
  
  Citation:
  Pictures of Money. Digital image. N.p., 2 Aug. 2014. Web. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/pictures-of-money/17123251389>.
  
  Teaching and Learning Key Terms. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.ourlanguage.org/content-collection-teaching-and-learning>.