Hypothesis:

            In today’s world, many people are straying away for their religion.  Only so many people realize what is in there “rules” and “regulations”.  Most religions have to do with the dragon, and no one really knows about the dragon.  The dragon is a serpent of the ground and air and is known as an evil character in Christianity and Judaism.  Many people today are not informed about this.  So what exactly does the dragon have to do with everyone’s religion?  It is talked about in most of the books people go to church with, and some of them do not even know it.  Most religions either shun the dragon or they worship the dragon.  My hypothesis is that many of today’s kids and parents do not have the same religion and are also not informed about how the dragon and their religion are related.  This may show that not many people are devoted to their religion.  

Context:

            Most of my target audience was teens in high school ages 14 – 18.  This helped me to find out how many teens are actually informed about their religion.  This can also help me learn how the world is changing due to people in today’s society.  This causes people to change and not want to go with what their parents tell them, but go with what their friends tell them or what others tell them.  This can also mean that some of them are sheltered, or someone does not want them to know the truth in the matter.  They also do not realize what they know and do not know.             

Results:

Question Boys (15/35) Girls(20/35) 1.      What do you think the biggest religion is? Non-Religious….0 Traditional……...1 Judaism………...3 Christianity……11 Islam……………0 Non-religious……0 Traditional...…….4 Judaism………….1 Christianity….....15 Islam…………….0 2.      What is your religion? Non-Religious…………3 Traditional…………….0 Christianity…………..11 Judaism………………..0 Islam…………………..1 Choose not to Answer…0 Non-Religious…………5 Traditional……………..0 Christianity…………...11 Judaism………………...1 Islam………………...…0 Choose not to Answer…3 3.      Most reptiles today are related to the Ancient Chinese Dragon. True…….3 False…..12 True…….6 False.….14 4.      In the order that you see best, which religion do you think has the most hatred towards the dragon today?  (Average) Top: Christianity Bottom: Judaism Top: Christianity Bottom: Hinduism 5.      If you could choose to change your religion, which one would you choose? Non-Religious…..2 Islam……………1 Christianity……..1 Judaism…………0 No Change……..11 Non-Religious……3 Islam……………..0 Christianity………3 Judaism…………..1 No Change………13 6.      Do you and your parents have the same religion? Yes……10 No……..5 Yes……..9 No……..11 7.      If not, what is it? Non-Religious Catholic, Non-Religious 8.      In a way, do you think that all of the religions are the same? Yes – 9 No – 6 Yes – 6 No – 14 9.      On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, how would you rank your knowledge of the ancient beliefs? 1  -  0          2  -  1 3  -  0 4  -  0 5  -  6 6  -  0 7  -  5 8  -  0 9  -  3 10  -  0 1  -  7 2  -  3 3  -  0 4  -  0 5  - 5 6  -  3 7  - 0 8  -  2 9  -  0 10  -  0 10.  Opinionated question. None of the boys knew about the dragon and how if falls in their religion. Only three girls knew abbot the dragon and how it related to their religion.

Data Analysis:

            Most of the people agreed that the biggest religion in the world in Christianity.  This is not the correct answer to this question.  The correct answer to this question is actually Islam.  Although people may think that Christianity is the biggest in the United States, this question asked which one was the biggest in the world.  Many people would not agree, but according to the 2011 Census, that is correct.  Another trait that I realized people chose the most for was if your parents and they share the same religion.  Many of them did not, and it was almost equally the same.  Many people in the school get their religions from someone outside of school other than their parents.  This is because they can be proven wrong, or they just do not want to agree with their parents.  One last occurrence that I noticed was that no one knew what the dragon had to do with their religion.  This was shocking to me.  It even says in many religions what the dragon has to do with their religion.  This also shows that many people do not know that much about their religion.     

Conclusion:

            What I found in my research is that many people did not know what a dragon what and how it affiliated with their religion.  This shows that many of the kids today do not know much about their religion.  They are either not informed about it, or they have refused to learn about it.  My hypothesis was correct because people were not devoted to their religion.  This shows that people have no morals and they need to connect more to their religion.  This was because they did not know that much about religion, and they did not know that there was a dragon in it.  I thought that some of the people took my survey would actually know A little about their religion, but they did not.  Some people who go to church every day could not even explain to me what they were learning, and they could not comprehend what I was asking them. 

Follow Up:

            What I want to continue is to find out about all of the different religions.  I want to see how many religions actually compare the dragon to something more vauge.  The question that I would like to work on next is; “How do different religions view the dragon?”  I have not changed any of my questions because these questions cannot be found with research alone.  It takes time to do this, and many of the questions have to be found through my survey questions.  I think that books and research from a religious professor will help out with the next section.  This will help me by finding out what people know about their religion and what they do not know.

           

Religion and You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4O03qldW9I&feature=plcp

Works Cited

1.      Attridge, Harold W. "Pollution, Sin, Atonment, and Salvation." Sheekh. N.p.,
     2010. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. <http://sheekh-3arb.org/library/books/up_coll/
     Anci_Relig.pdf#page=90>.

2.      "Aztecs." History Channel. HIstory Channel, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2012.
     <http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs>.

3.      Baines, John R. "Egyption Religion." History Channel. History Channel, Winter
     2011. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.history.com/topics/egyptian-religion/
     page4>.

4.      Beaudry, Mitchell. Personal interview. 13 Apr. 2012.

5.      Bellah, Robert N. "CIvil Religion in America." Berkley.edu. University, 12 Feb.
     2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. <http://studio.berkeley.edu/coursework/moses/
     courses/FS108F10BBk/Robert_N._Bellah_Biblical_Reli.pdf>.

6.      "Biggest Religions in the Wolrd." Census. Census, 2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.
     <http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/mysticism/world_religions_pie_chart.gif>.

7.      Bronte, Anne. "The Doubter's Prayer." Poetry Archive. N.p., 1848. Web. 7 Apr.
     2012. <http://www.poetry-archive.com/b/the_doubters_prayer.html>.

8.      Cunningham, Lawrence. "Roman Catholics." History Channel. History Channel,
     Winter 2011. Web. 16 May 2012. <http://www.history.com/topics/
     roman-catholicism/page8>.

9.      Geetz, Clifford. "Religon as a Cultural System." Harvard.edu. Harvard, 2009.
     Web. 29 Mar. 2012. <http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/
     icb.topic152604.files/Week_4/Geertz_Religon_as_a_Cultural_System_.pdf>.

10.  "Hanukkah." History Channel. History Channel, Winter 2011. Web. 15 May 2012.
     <http://www.history.com/topics/hanukkah>.

11.    The Universe - God and the Universe. History Channel, 2009. Hisotry Cahnnel.
                Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <http://www.history.com/shows/the-universe/videos/
                universe-god-and-the-universe#universe-god-and-the-universe>.
12. The First Amendment. Youtube. Youtube, 2008. Web. 22 May 2012.
                 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAdGkojK4As&feature=related.
13.     Giffords. The First Amendment. Youtube. Youtube, 2009. Web. 22 May 2012.

       http://www.youtube.com/watch?.

14.   Religion and the Presidency. History Channel. History Channel, 2012. Web. 22 May

2012. <http://www.history.com/videos/

religion-and-the-presidency#religion-and-the-presidency>.

Argumentative Paper

Allison Jenkins

Ms. McKoy

English II

10 May 2012

Coexist With the World

            With hundreds of religions in the world, we must learn to Coexist with other religions and people in the world.  This is very hard for us to do because everyone thinks that they are right in a way, but in reality, we do not know the right way, we just know that we could be wrong in the back of our heads.  “Arguing with a religion is like arguing with your imaginary friend” (Beaudry).  This shows that you should not judge a religion just because you think you are right.  There are many religions in the world, and the only way to know them is to explore.  We are still trying to find all of the religions in the world, and many of them are connected, but those that branch off of the original, they are the ones that have more to say.

            An example of a religion that branches off is Christianity.  The biggest religions that branch off are Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Anglicans.  These are important because they decided to have different rules, but keep the religion.  All of the other religions that other people think branch off of Christianity do not because they branch off of the Roman Catholic.  Roman Catholic has adopted every other religion such as Catholic, Methodist, and Baptist.

            One of the religious holidays that impact people every day is Hanukkah.  Hanukkah has many similar traits to many of the other religions with holidays.  Many people think that this is a holiday where they get presents for 8 days, but it is not.  Instead, it is a holiday that celebrates the rebuilding of an altar.  For the history of the religion, it is important to the people because they erected a new temple for their god Zeus.  After this, some of the Jewish people started a rebellion.  “Led by the Jewish priest Mattathais and his five sons, a large-scale rebellion broke out against Antiochus and the Seleucid monarchy” (History Channel).  This shows that many of the people that were Jewish did not agree with the new religion that tried to take over them.  This is why they decided to form a rebellion, and they did not want to be influenced by another.  When they won the war, and they returned back to their original religion, they went to celebrate.  They lit eight candles.  “Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the menarch’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply” (History Channel).  This is why they have the Hanukkah, or eight days or celebration dedicated to their religion.

One of the religions that have faded out due to the rapid increase of Christianity is the Egyptian religion.  This religion was based on mummifying their king, believing he could go into the afterlife with all of his possessions, servants, wives, and be promoted a god.  “Their rick spiritual world included complex beliefs about the afterlife and multiple deities with specific associations, such as the sun god, Ra, and Osiris, ruler of the underworld” (Baines).  They were very devoted to their gods, and believed that the Pharaoh was the only connection that they had.  They would refer themselves are “The son of Ra” because they were affiliated with the gods (Baines).  “Egyptian gods are renowned for their wide variety of forms, including animal forms and mixed forms with an animal head on a human body” (Baines).  This is because they also have monuments built for the main gods in their honor.  One last thing that this religion is widely known for is their rituals on the Pharaohs after death.  They must put a mask of the underworld god, Osiris, for respect, and preserve all of the body parts that are important to the Pharaoh in the afterlife such as their heart, stomach, and their eyes.  When they get to the underworld, the way they will be let in is if their heart is as light as a feather.  If it is, they will be let in to live in paradise, if not, they will serve as a slave forever.

Roman Catholic is one of the three branches that are connected to Christianity.  It is one of the most highly sophisticated and one of the most organized.  In this category, Roman Catholic is one of the biggest branches, which is why it helps keep Christianity at number two in the world.  The one way the Catholics decided if a church was a real church was based on three rules of conduct: The Church is recognized as a society of fellowship with God, the sacrament of salvation, “The people of God established as the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit” (Cunningham).  Back when the church had major power, it was over the king, and they told him what to do.  After 800 years of ruling, the Catholic Church gave the rights back to the king.  Today, the Catholic Church still has some say in what some of the things the king does, but they do not rule over top of him, and he must respect them. 

In the Aztec history, they received a sign, the eagle on a cactus, and they decided to build their settlement there.  They settled in Tenochtitlan, what is known today as Mexico City.  For the next several years, they built up the land so that they could live on it, and they thrived.  “The Aztec language, Nahuatl, was the dominant language in central Mexico by the mid-1350s” (History Chanel).  After the original leader died, with the start of a new one, they expanded and had over 150 colonies throughout Mexico.  “By the early 16th century, the Aztecs had come to rule over up to 500 small states, and some 5 to 6 million people, either by conquest or commerce” (History Channel).  About 300 years later, they started to pan off, and they developed a new language call Spanish.  This is the language that we know today, but when the Spanish started to come from over seas, they decided they wanted to take Mexico from the Aztecs, and they kill all of them that lived in the small estates.  Throughout all the years, they found the last Aztecs and killed them off by the 1800’s.

When someone is thinking of a religion, they do not think about how many connection they have with another, they are thinking of what differences they have to there is.  Sometimes, when someone is thinking of a religion, they will think that it is their own religion and it does not connect to another.  Most of the religions in the worlds branch off from another.  Many of them are made from many religions combined into one, but in the end, only one will prevail.     

THE DOUBTER'S PRAYER

by: Anne Bronte (1820-1849)

TERNAL Power, of earth and air!

Unseen, yet seen in all around,

Remote, but dwelling everywhere,

Though silent, heard in every sound;

If e'er thine ear in mercy bent,

When wretched mortals cried to Thee,

And if, indeed, Thy Son was sent,

To save lost sinners such as me:

Then hear me now, while kneeling here,

I lift to thee my heart and eye,

And all my soul ascends in prayer,

OH, GIVE ME--GIVE ME FAITH! I cry.

Without some glimmering in my heart,

I could not raise this fervent prayer;

But, oh! a stronger light impart,

And in Thy mercy fix it there.

While Faith is with me, I am blest;

It turns my darkest night to day;

But while I clasp it to my breast,

I often feel it slide away.

Then, cold and dark, my spirit sinks,

To see my light of life depart;

And every fiend of Hell, methinks,

Enjoys the anguish of my heart.

What shall I do, if all my love,

My hopes, my toil, are cast away,

And if there be no God above,

To hear and bless me when I pray?

If this be vain delusion all,

If death be an eternal sleep,

And none can hear my secret call,

Or see the silent tears I weep!

Oh, help me, God! For thou alone

Canst my distracted soul relieve;

Forsake it not: it is thine own,

Though weak, yet longing to believe.

Oh, drive these cruel doubts away;

And make me know, that Thou art God!

A faith, that shines by night and day,

Will lighten every earthly load.

If I believe that Jesus died,

And waking, rose to reign above;

Then surely Sorrow, Sin, and Pride,

Must yield to Peace, and Hope, and Love.

And all the blessed words He said

Will strength and holy joy impart:

A shield of safety o'er my head,

A spring of comfort in my heart.

"The Doubter's Prayer" is reprinted from Poems By Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Charlotte, Anne, and Emily Bronte. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard, 1848.

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus...Spoken Words

This Video Affected me when I wached it.  I feel like this can express how i feel about religion, and the rules that poeple put out for being a Christian.

Survey

Survey

1.      What do you thing the biggest religion in the world is?

a.       Non-religious

b.      Traditional

c.       Judaism

d.      Christianity

e.       Islam

2.      What is your religion?  (Check all that apply)

o   Non-religious                  __ Judaism

o   Traditional                        __Islam

o   Christianity                       Choose not to answer

3.       (True/False) Most Reptiles today are related the Ancient Chinese Dragon.

a.       True     b.   False

4.      In the Order that you see best, which religion do you think has the most hatred towards the dragon today? 1 being the most important.

a.       ____ Christianity                         ____ Islam

b.      ____ Non-Religious                    ____ Judaism

c.       ____ Hinduism

5.      If you could choose to change your religion, which one would you choose?

a.       Non-religious                                d.   Christianity

b.      Islam                                               e.   Judaism

c.       No Change                                    

6.      Do you and your parents have the same religion?

a.       Yes               b.   No

7.       If so, what is it?   __________    If not, what is it?  __________  (part B to question 6)

8.      In a way, do you think that all of the religions in the world are the same?

a.       Yes                  b.   No

9.      On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, how would you rank your knowledge of the ancient ways and beliefs?      _______________

10.  In your own words, explain your feelings about the dragon, and how it categorizes in your religion.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________