Ενδιαφερουσα νυξη για την θρησκευτική φύση της πίστης στην τεχνολογία.

context: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/03/17/us/shooting-atlanta-acworth

This is freaking hilarious!

It has become scripture.

Group level effects. An argument against religion being maladaptive.

Togetherness

There is a starting point to everything.

Very interesting to see the connection here between hockey and religion. Because religion is a rocky subject in the surrounding area because of the oppressive history it has on the people. Are they saying that hockey has some sort of bondage over the people or were they just being funny?

Joyce's intent behind the juxtaposition of ascent and descent here is palpable. He likens "another country" to heaven, while "downstairs", i.e. Irish society, is hell. The "force" of societal pressures and Catholic guilt push him down the stairs, trapping him in a hell with no escape.

So Maria and Joe are clearly references to Mary and Joseph in the Bible. Like Mary, Maria is a selfless, matronly figure who remains a virgin. Yet in this case, it seems like that choice isn't necessarily a deliberate one with all the references to her being single as almost a failure on her part, or a "mistake" like her mistake in singing. In this way you can kinda read it like the oppressive nature of the Catholic Church forcing these roles onto the people, depriving them of living a fulfilled life. Also complicated since in this Maria acts as a mother to Joe, rather than the husband/wife relationship between Mary and Joseph.

When I read the passage I noticed the similarities to other religions such as Christianity, Greek, Norse, and many others. When someone dies they go to some form of after life but what is different? Why does it vary from religion to religion?

This sounds like the basis of Christianity; where when you are going to die you are sent to heaven. Because the Irish were mainly Roman Catholics this makes a lot of sense that the stories correlate. Yet because it's the same religion why do the definitions of this eternal happiness vary so much?

A stamp collecting is synonymous with dull character, and used stamps even more so. By tying the act of collecting used stamps to a "pious purpose", Joyce critiques the effect of religion on stagnating Irish culture. It can also be interpreted as a sardonic jab at those who claim to act in the service of Christianity while doing much of nothing.

Once again a priest is present yet absent at the same time, this time his representation literally watching over what's going on in the household. Here she doesn't even know the name of the priest that hung in her house for years, like the impersonal nature of the church's influence and domination.

Maybe I'm trying way too hard to look for references to the church, but one of the things I remember from Art Hum is the reoccurrence of the usage of light to symbolize understanding, especially from God/in cathedrals. I wonder if "the houses had grown sombre" shows how when others aren't looking or outside of the context of the church, people can be serious and honest..

Another commentary on the hypocrisy/backwardness of the church and its antiquated traditions and thoughts? I wonder if "old useless papers" is a reference to the numerous texts of the church.

Possible pun perhaps to comment on the church's hypocrisy/oppression/lack of addressing anything honestly? There's a lot of teachings/recordings of Jesus doing things that have to do with eye in the Bible (look at the plank in your own eye, healing of blind men, if your eye sins, tear it out, etc).

The Christian school letting out for the day being described as setting the boys free seems to play into themes that we've discussed surrounding the oppressive control of the church.

In some ways, this is more powerful than a deity

read "statistical mechanics"

Hahahaha this is Betteredge's missionary moment. Earlier I thought Robinson Crusoe was a good metaphor for the difference between personal religion and organized religion, with Clack and her tracts representing the hypocrisy of that, but now Betteredge is attempting his own little conversion to steer Ezra down the right path. At least it seems less like Betteredge thinks he's better than Ezra and more that he is worried about what Ezra wants to do.

Hahahahahahahha. Loyalty to the Verinder family really is Betteredge's primary motivation at all times, even when he completely disagrees with what he's being asked to do. It also makes me wonder that like, Ezra based this experiment off of his personal experience with opium as well as a medical book right? Why is everyone taking it as some kind of superstitious magic? Like Betteredge himself here says something along the lines of he can't approve of this as he's a good Christian.

This is hysterical. I love how Betteredge takes obtuse passages of Crusoe as gospel--full of premonitions, and spiritual wisdom. Betteredge's Christianess may be questionable, but certainly not his Crusoeness. I love Collins use of pop culture in critiquing popular modes of religious thinking.

Is that what it means to be a Christian? Because girl, you've been offended by stuff nonstop lol

Seems like the writer slid this sentence in very carefully. Ha!

This would seem to play out in current American culture which seems to be welcoming of an authoritarian president.

Another example of a scion in academia using racial ideas to launch his career to prominence.

This also provides a schism for a break between science and religion which we're still heavily dealing with in American culture.

This is also the same sort of cultural movement to happen to journalism with Hard Copy in the early 1980's.

Interesting that this is interpreted in modern times in the same way as it was in ancient. A lot of this writing had to have been specific to it's political context at a time when keeping things in house was both to the benefit of the individuals as well as the Church which was a minority within a broader Roman protectorate.

Why can't Christians manage to see any historical context for a 2000 year old document that is far from a living one?

Very likely true.

This adds more to my prior comment with the addition to Max Weber here. Cross reference some of my reading this past week on his influence on the prosperity gospel.

Reading this makes me think about the political break in the United States along political and religious boundaries. Some of Trumps' core base practices a more personal religion and are generally in areas that don't display the level of individualism, but focus more on larger paternalistic families. This could be an interesting space for further exploration as it seems to be moving the "progress"(?) described by WEIRD countries backward.

Is this simply a restatement of the idea that most of "the interesting things" happen at the border or edge of chaos? The Catholic ethic is firmly inside the stable arena while that of the Protestant ethic is pushing the boundaries.

This made me chuckle a bit. Collins challenges the tension between religion and science here. It's worth noting how it is during the Victorian period that England's Christianity was put to the test the most because of famous science figures of its time like Darwin.

What does it say about Clack's view of Christianity is sorrow and sympathy are pagan...

You have been judging since you started speaking!

Love how she did basically nothing, and then is like "I felt like I had done my duty towards others" Like all she did was stuff a track in the mailbox and walk away like she had converted her. We've seen some surely hypocritical Christian behavior from both Betteredge and Clack, and I wonder if this is meant as an inditement of those who think of themselves as good Christians, or if this is just meant to show that Betteredge and Clack aren't saints.

The deep connection between the stone and the Indian god of the moon creates a sense of otherness and the supernatural for the readers, this whole "legend of the diamond" also reminds me a bit of Judeo-Christian traditions. Vishnu breathed life into the Diamond like God breathing life into Adam, the three Brahmin like the three Magi. I'd be interested to see as the story continues if these sorts of inter-religious elements reappear, and what they have to say.

In a mystery that I presume will highlight a person as the main detective, I find it kind of convenient that the moon-god (a god) has to be taken care of, transported, and worshipped in order to survive. To me that might show how the novel of the mystery is used to highlight humans’ intellect in place of a more traditional, humble stance relative to gods/religion/deities. This is also supported by the activity of all the people of different religion, but not the gods themselves (except in places where they are moved).

Note the strong restructuring of god in line with capitalism

This philosophy also overlaps some of the resurgence of white nationalism and structural racism in the early 1900's which also tended to disadvantage people of color. ie, we can blame the coloreds because it's not structural inequality, but the failure of the individual (and the race.)

Take a look at the potential relationship with these ideas and those described by Colin Woodard in American Nations and the overlap with Kevin Phillips' viewpoints.

This also sounds a bit like the general philosophy behind Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich.

Jackson, Joshua Conrad, Katarzyna Jasko, Samantha Abrams, Tyler Atkinson, Evan Balkcom, Arie Kruglanski, Kurt Gray, and Jamin Halberstadt. ‘Believers Use Science and Religion, Non-Believers Use Science Religiously’. Preprint. PsyArXiv, 19 August 2020. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/536w7.

Basu, A., Roy, A., Hazra, A. K., & Pramanick, K. (2020). Analysis of youths’ perspective in India on and during the pandemic of Covid-19 [Preprint]. SocArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/4qhgd

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—EU & Intl. Affairs. (2020, April 09). COVID-19, Religion and Belief - Webinar Series. https://www.facebook.com/watch/CHURCHinEU/2595986687381906/

DeFranza, David, Mike Lindow, Kevin Harrison, Arul Mishra, and Himanshu Mishra. ‘Religion and Reactance to COVID-19 Mitigation Guidelines’. Preprint. PsyArXiv, 14 July 2020. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ngdys.

McPhetres, J., Jong, J., & Zuckerman, M. (2020, June 24). Religious Americans Have Less Positive Attitudes Toward Science, But This Does Not Extend To Other Cultures. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620923239

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Great_Awakening

Weinberger-Litman, S. L., Litman, L., Rosen, Z., Rosmarin, D. H., & Rosenzweig, C. (2020, June 8). A look at the first quarantined community in the United States: Response of religious communal organizations and implications for public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ujns9

Associated Press (2020, May 21). California: 1,200 pastors say they will defy state order and resume services. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/21/california-pastors-services-stay-home-order

Zmigrod, L., Eisenberg, I. W., Bissett, P., Robbins, T. W., & Poldrack, R. (2020, April 14). A Data-Driven Analysis of the Cognitive and Perceptual Attributes of Ideological Attitudes. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/dgaxr

Twitter Post - Interaction of mandated behavioral change and personal/religious beliefs

Psychiatry, T. L. (2020). Mental health and COVID-19: Change the conversation. The Lancet Psychiatry, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30194-2

Van Tongeren, D. R., DeWall, C. N., Chen, Z., Sibley, C. G., & Bulbulia, J. (2020, April 24). Van Tongeren et al. (2020) JPSP - Religious Residue. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000288

Shook, N., Sevi, B., Lee, J., Fitzgerald, H. N., & Oosterhoff, B. (2020, April 16). Who’s Listening? Predictors of Concern about COVID-19 and Preventative Health Behaviors. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/c9rfg

In the video lecture that accompanied this source, it seemed to be that religion was extremely intertwined with the government and politics. Throughout the source the mention of God's will and what he gave man shows how strong religion played a role in creating Locke's view of philosophy and therefore his political views.

Declaration of Independence

We have the right to petition the government for redress of grievances

That seems impractical these days with our government so big.

We don't even write to our representatives in Congress. Why not? Maybe most of us don't think it would do any good.

But if we don't stand up for our rights, they will gradually be taken away.

Where is our militant faith? We're afraid of it being called hate speech.

"Bigotry disguised as religious liberty is still bigotry"

Republicanism is a country without a king. Protestantism is a church without a Pope.

Pope Francis

Jesuits

Protestantism is [religious] racism Well, I don't want to be a racist. I better not speak up. Affects free speech.

Sunday sacredness is the mark of Catholic church's authority.

"Ecumenism is not optional"

The persecution from Catholic Church will return again renewed

One of the northernmost cities in Russia, St. Petersburgh, along with the city Archangel mentioned below, has a name that suggests a journey with theological overtones as Robert Walton moves ever closer on his expedition to his aim of discovering the principle of life, magnetism, and thus symbolically the seat of God.

Robert imagines the cold North Pole as a sunny garden, suggesting a kind of Paradise as the destination toward which his scientific quest is moving. This is one of many affinities to Victor, whose fall into the profane knowledge of modern science also links him to Adam's expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

Mary Shelley seems to confuse "Turk" with "Arab" here, and more generally her picture of Safie's father as both suffering Christian religious prejudices (against Muslims) and acting as a wily, untrustworthy figure.

This word is an archaic term for Muslim, derived from Mahomet, a version of "Muhummad."

Rather than entertain the negative consequences of his creation, Victor imagines creating a race that will worship him.

There were a number of different denominations of Orthodox Christianity prevailing in Turkey at the time, which was predominantly Muslim under the Ottoman Empire.

Walton's imagined "paradise" of his own making suggests the power of imagination, yet also the possibility of creating a Hell of one's own. It is also one of the novel's many allusions to John Milton's Paradise Lost.

The religious connotations of the passage connect Victor to the human project of playing God, much as Adam was said to be formed of clay. Historically, Jewish rabbis were also thought to have created golems from clay to seek revenge on enemies. However, following orders literally, the golems inevitably became destructive. Cautionary tales about technology and hubris were not only frequent in Shelley's time but have proliferated. In Karel Čapek's R.U.R (1920), for example, robots confound expectations by violently rebelling against their creators. Cadavers for anatomical training in this period were scarce, and thus a medical education meant to study and extend life also fostered serial killers who committed murders for the sake of selling fresh corpses. Such killing sprees were ended by the Anatomical Act of 1832 in England, which made corpses legally available for medical research.

By citing Adam's question to God in John Milton's Paradise Lost, Mary Shelley makes Milton's epic the most important intertext of Frankenstein. In Book II, the Creature hears the poem read aloud, and begins to think of himself as either Adam or Satan.

Compare John 8:12: "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (KJV).

The concept of "eternal light" also resonates with the myth of Prometheus and the principles of Enlightenment as the simultaneous literal and figurative 'enlightening' brought by education, adventure, and discovery.

Paracelsus (1200-1280) was a medieval Swiss theologian and physician interested in alchemy and astrology, and a pioneer in the medical revolution of the German Renaissance. Albertus Magnus (1193-1280) was a German Catholic Dominican friar and bishop. Known as Albert the Great or later Saint Albert, Magnus also wrote on alchemy and was the first to comment on the writings of Aristotle and the teachings of Muslim academics, notably Avicenna and Averroes.

Victor refers to Italian Dante Alighieri's (1265-1321) Divine Comedy in which the poet journeys through the nine circles of Hell.

The 1818 edition cites popular romance heroes admired by the young Henry Clerval, but the 1831 text replaces these with a religious reference to the holy wars of the Crusades, which took place in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The "chivalrous train" refers to the Christian knights of Europe who sought to regain control over the Holy Lands of the Levant. This passage is one of many places where Mary's 1831 revision becomes more explicitly religious than was the novel's original text.

Dualité entre particulier (Beauvoir accepte son « incarnation particulière », voire singulière – c'est un euphémisme!) et universel.

Toujours ce vocabulaire pénétré de religion, auquel Beauvoir mêle fluidement la question de sa vocation (« sa destinée »).

Beauvoir prétend se sortir du catholicisme, et pourtant des traces bien vivantes de la religion continues de la hanter (comme les tabous sexuels)

conséquence d'avoir goûté au fruit défendu ?

Religion a grande importance pour son existence.

écrit pour se rapprocher de Dieu

Amour et religion se mêlent inextricablement dans cet imaginaire social.

Le dogmatisme peut être associé à la religion, ou à Kant, son principal représentant en philosophie.

Dans ce passage, c'est la lecture et la littérature qui sauvent Beauvoir.

Le rôle « spirituel » et « total » de la religion est remplacé par la littérature.

La métaphore religieuse est employée partout pour rendre compte d'une correspondance entre littérature et religion.

« Réalité » : la littérature est une forme du « réel » pour Beauvoir; elle comporte une forme d'accès au réel, voire d’accès à la connaissance (fonction épistémologique).

La religion parle d'une vocation.

indigenous peoples, religion,

Analogy Antiracism to Christianity

that is literally what it is

Sproat is extremely religious

Il désire s’identifier avec tous les opprimés de son pays et établir des liens avec eux avec le « secret des grandes communications. » Encore une fois, d’une manière biblique, Césaire se compare à Dieu. Tout comme dans l’Ancien Testament, Césaire contemple toutes les choses qu’il dirait comme « fleuve, […] tornade, […] feuille » et elles apparaîtront, comme s’il était Dieu. Avec ce pouvoir, il désire relâcher une terreur de catastrophes naturelles sur son pays pour qu’il puisse recommencer a nouveau. D’une certaine façon, Césaire ridiculise le catholicisme. C’est la religion des colonisateurs, ses oppresseurs, qu’ils ont imposée à son peuple. À mon avis, Césaire a une sorte de complexe de dieu tout au long de son poème. Pourtant, il se moque aussi du catholicisme en quelque sorte.

The Catholic influence in the area is deemed as worse than the Native religious influences

Natives believe missionaries bring sickness

Ayers says that moving onto a Mission feels like giving up their Native religion

This is how Ayers describes the decision of the Ojibwe band to not listen to Christian teachings

The religion of the Natives gets in the way of the Christianizing process

on Sabbaths when there was no interpreter, the children and anyone else free was collected to read scripture to

Sabbath exercise for the Natives at La Pointe

Boutwell sings hymns in the Ojibwe language, which surprises the Natives

Boutwell calls the Natives savages and essentially without religion

while this particular Ojibwe band shows signs of civilization, they are "far removed from all... catholic influence"

Boutwell (author) finally asks the question of the principal man (chief is gone) - if they would like a missionary to come and live with them, to instruct their children and teach them all about god? Principal man says only the chief can answer it

Does this mean that he has memorized some parts of scripture in the Native language of the people?

From this statement it appears that only the men of power truly practice the Sabbath, implying that the true practice of the Sabbath by the Natives is not as important as a conditioning toward the Christian "values"

a combination of Christian Sabbath and Native participation (with their own traditions)

Native offers tobacco to Menito spirit on the river

2/3 of Red River Settlement is under Episcopal influence, and David Aitkins believes the Hudson Bay Dept would favor and help to establish a mission

the author compares the lack of respect for the Sabbath of the french to how the Natives treat the Christian practice

expedition sees Spirit Island, which is uninhabited by Natives because of belief of a bad spirit there

the only way to improve all aspects of Native life (agriculture and politics mentioned) is to Christianize them calls their current practices "the besetting sin of the belief in magic" and "idolatry & spirit-worship"

objectives: schools, gospel, land cultivation

An orthodox Jewish publication wants to keep the full names of women hidden so badly, that it prefers to pay a lot money rather than address women as full human beings.

Apparently laypeople will often give their deceased family member's favourite food in these cases — often a sweet treat!

Oooo this is a very clever way to educate women so that they can support themselves. To serve God -- duh. Of course.

It's funny how today this view of how Christians should behave with/in society would probably be labeled as socialist (or, at least, not conservative).

Aaaaaand here is where de Pizan would probably give her a high-five.

More seriously, Christine de Pizan did something very similar to what I think Astell has done. They both seem to take the philosophical arguments made by famous male philosophers that were used against them/their sex/gender and instead make those philosophical arguments work with and for them/their sex/gender. Astell also seems to do this with religion.

Meaning "little Madonna" or "small Madonna." What is fascinating about this reference is the history behind the Madonnelle street shrines (little Madonnas) in Rome/other Italian cities. These little Madonnas were seen as the protectors of the communities in which they looked over (literally believed to be protecting them from evil). Also, lamps in front of the shrines were lit at night to guide passer-bys through the darkness, and, unlike other Madonna icons, these little Madonnas gazed directly at the viewer, establishing "a personal connection between the two." Maybe not such a ridicuous bluestocking figure to compare Mary Astell to afterall?

https://www.bing.com/search?FORM=SLBRDF&pc=SL11&q=hermeneutic

Me, at every Sunday school before I realized that was not where I'd find any answers and stopped going....

I think this meaning is that "Resurrection" is the return of a Manifestation in another human frame. And this is stated to be clearly more glorious than the literal interpretations of past scripture.

Why is it clearly more glorious?

1. Everyone has access. And it leads to empowerment.
2. It allows us to keep science, which is pretty awesome.
3. It doesn't allow us to just wait for the rapture - see point 1 about empowerment.
4. It allows us to see all religions as united in spirit.
5. Related to point 3 and 4, it allows us to unite with non-religious people.
6. All of this without "doing violence to the facts".

Find out more about what Paine means here and how he framed independence in cosmological terms in Anthony DiLorenzo's essay, "To Begin the World Over Again”: Common Sense and the English Radical Tradition"

In his story, religion is completely abolished and along with this, is a sense of morality, what is good and what is bad. To a degree, it may not even be religion that is the basis of being human, rather it is just spiritual and moral values overall that holds the foundation for emotion and growth to take place.

This is a fascinating statement because Rowlandson is having the realization that God is behind the abundant provision that the Indigenous people. God holds no bias against who may receive His provision, so long as they seek to receive it. Let us consider Luke 12:24

"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!"

In this moment within the book of Luke, Jesus is assuring His disciples that God will always provide for them, but also for all the living beings on earth.

Focusing on the specific word "way", Jesus Christ states in the book of John "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. It seems to me that Mary is finding comfort or "revival" within these specific verses because they have to do with submission of one's human will to that of God's will.

"Mine eyes have seen" is a phrase that comes up numerous times throughout scripture (Luke 3:20) and it is also in the popular hymn, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord" A song which evokes a lot of faith and patriotism for many Americans

Again, hunger comes up. Mary speaks of both the need for nourishment both physically and spiritually.

Having a strong belief system is naturally integral for humans. Religion is by far the most common, profound form of human belief systems, so it is relevant to propose the question of transhumanism and religion being incompatible. While it is possible that the basis of each religion can contribute to an individual's probability of simultaneously believing in transhumanism, having a belief system that consists of both beliefs would presumably be rather conflicting for any individual to concurrently believe in.

The author further increases the gap between transhumanism and religion by stating that transhumanism goes against relying on faith which is the core value of most religions. furthermore we can come to a conclusion that the concept of transhumanism requires absolute dedication of individual people to progress.

In reading this I almost suspect that it may have been more valuable to have had a book-length version of this a la JD Vance's Hillbilly Elegy to have become popular before the 2016 election than to have had Hillbilly Elegy.

And of course this also likely the source of American mores which have delivered us the power struggle that results in abuses which have boiled over into the MeToo scandals.

I haven't directly experienced this patriarchal religious background to the extreme that the writer has, but I grew up in "Jesus Land" and know it exists. I suspect he's largely correct here.

...I remain convinced that if American civil society and the American press fail to come to grips with just how radically theocratic the Christian Right is, any kind of post-Trump soft landing scenario in which American democracy recovers a healthy degree of functionality is highly unlikely.

...

readers of major news outlets are presented with an unrealistically benign picture of a darkly authoritarian, cult-like branch of Protestantism.

n. Easter

n. Saint Melchior, or Melichior, was purportedly one of the Biblical Magi along with Caspar and Balthazar who visited the infant Jesus after he was born. Melchior was often referred to as the oldest member of the Magi. He was traditionally called the King of Persia and brought the gift of gold to Jesus.

n. castrated male cow; one usually found on Christmas nativity scenes

n. Denis of Paris;Saint Denis was a legendary 3rd-century Christian martyr and saint. According to his hagiographies, he was bishop of Paris in the third century and, together with his companions Rusticus and Eleutherius, was martyred for his faith by decapitation.

n. donkey; one usually found on Christmas nativity scenes

n. the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, were, in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition, a group of distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

n. The typical virgin on a manger is usually one with a sky blue mantel. In Cuba, the Virgin most commonly associated with the Virgin of Charity.

n. Lamb that the Israelites were commanded to eat with peculiar rites as part of the Passover celebration. It has always been the constant belief in the Christian tradition that the Paschal Lamb prefigured symbolically Christ, "the Lamb of God," who redeemed the world through the shedding of his Blood, and particularly at the feast of the Eucharist, or new Easter.

Biblical Series III: God and the Hierarchy of Authority

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_GPAl_q2QQ

The title of Sambo here changes from Slave to Negro. The change happens directly after the master enlightens Sambo on the ways of Christianity. This indicates a newly found freedom. The knowledge of Christianity has, to some degree, made both Sambo and the Master equals.Master's title would imply that nothing has changed, but this can be attributed to a change in the meaning of master. Now master takes on the role of teacher and invokes the religious inflection of imparting wisdom.

Another piece of evidence that states thanksgiving and fast days were religious occasions. very important and consistent theme within the argument

thanksgiving was more of a religious experience; one where the relationship between God and the people was reflected upon and strengthened.

Its interesting that both translations use the word "superstitious" here. Something tells me the Spanish would have used "religious".

I wonder what Bible did the Spanish carry with them. According to reformed.org the Geneva Bible was the most popular book of testimony in England during the 15th and 16th centuries. Perhaps the Spanish carried and studied the Geneva Bible as well. A verse from the book reads, 1 Corinthians 10:31-32 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, orwhatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:" This verse states that other religions should be tolerated. If so, why didn't the Spanish tolerate the spiritual beliefs of the natives?

Another verse from the book reads, "17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." From my understanding, in this verse Peter, (Jesus's apostle) states that he was sent to preach but not to "baptize" or convert others. If the Spanish practiced the verses of this book then why did they harshly force Christianity to the natives?

The authors of the Rockfish Gap Report affirm that religious worship is not conducive to a truly liberal arts education, going so far as to propose "no professor of Divinity." Yet religious language is smatter throughout the document (such as "blessings," "faithfulness," and "religious worship.") In the Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom which Thomas Jefferson also drafted, it is written,"all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities." In this way, the assertions of both texts are consistent, but the biases of the authors are apparent in their use of religious language. This demonstrates that a collective view of what a society should be is not necessarily reflected in individual beliefs.

I wonder what the authors of the Rockfish Gap report meant by "all sects of religion?" Did they mean all different kinds of religion, such as Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, or did they merely mean the various sects of Christianity? I do think that the authors meant all different kinds of religions. However, the authors' meaning of "religion" can be called into question just as Thomas Jefferson's meaning of "men" in the Declaration of Independence because of its broad nature as a word. Furthermore, I wonder if there really was equality of "all sects of religion" in practice at the University of Virginia because UVA, similar to the United States, often times did not practice what it claimed to practice in reality. It is worth noting that while the Rockfish Gap Report did not specify the religious practice of the University's founders and only covered the topic of religion briefly, the founding charter of Yale University specifies the faith of its founders as followers of the "Christian Protestant Religion." Did Yale place a greater emphasis on religion or even favor Christian Protestants, while UVA treated all religions equally? -- David Gazewood

I was surprised to see that Hebrew was on the course list. At this point in time, the American Jewish population was very, very small. I suspect this would have been taught in the context of history, relating to the bible, as the old testament was written in biblical/classical Hebrew. From what I know about Western education historically, many of the "humanities" type subjects were very interdisciplinary, so I could understand religion and history being incorporated into this course.

It is noteworthy that the authors of the report choose to place these matters of religion under the jurisdiction of the department of ethics. It sets up an interesting relationship between religion and ethics. The document suggests that it is more responsible to think in terms of ethics than in terms of religion. This reminds me of Jefferson's personal Bible, in which he omitted anything miraculous or scientifically problematic. I think we see strong traces of his influence in this paragraph.

This follows with the vision that learning the central tenant of the University as opposed to religion like it was at others. While "rooms for religious worship" are mentioned, they are simply one entry on a laundry list.