Fabian Fucan Rejects Christianity

In Fabian Fucan's attack on Christianity, he adresses various cultural, social, political, religious, and historical aspects. As far as historical aspects go, Fucan mentions how Japan is the land of the gods, and that the "Divin Regalia" became the protector of the Japanese empires. Fucan explains, on the premises of a political aspect, that the Japanese rulers were given their right to rule by the Gods. He also highlights how the adherents of Desus reject the authority of the Japanese. As for social aspects, he mentions how Europeans, or rather "barbarians", have spread their barbarism to various new lands such as Mexico and the Philippines. Altogether describing their ways of life to be animalistic. In addition, Fucan, enforces the fact that they believe their religion to be superior to all others and are constantly attempting to spread their flawed faith.

Al-Ghazzali on math and religion

1.) The selections on mathematics and the scientific description of smallpox describes to me that Islamic values do not relate to math and science. It is only man's choice that can prove the logic behind Islamic values, rather than science and math.

2.) According to Al-ghazali, math and religion should should not be separated necessarily. He believes religion should not condemn mathematics, which should also not condemn religion. He believes that if the two errors of mathematics in which man believes religion is illogical because of math's logic and or man believes religion is illogical because other believers in math think it is, becomes nonexistent; then there is no reason for religion and mathematics not to be together as one.

Map of the Expansion Islam

The Quran's teachings contrasted with Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism

The Quran is written based on Allah and his expectations of Humankind. The script basically establishes an ideology that Allah is the one and only god that is superior to all. He must be worshiped through devotion and sacrifice. In addition to this the Quran also states that those who do not worship Allah are considered astray and will not be in the mercy of Allah. In comparison, Christianity and Judaism are completely different. Jesus's teachings is focused around a concept of being kind and forgiving. According the th ideology of Christianity and Judaism, those who refrain from seeking revenge for harm done, treat evil with kindness, and pray for those who hate will be blessed by god. According to Jesus's teachings, blessed are those who do good, give mercy, struggle through hunger poverty, etc. But unlike the teachings the Quran supports, Christianity and Juadism does not require sacrifice in order to be blessed by god. On the other had, the teachings of Zoroastrianism are indirectly similar to the teachings of the Quran. The reason being, in Zoroastrianism it is taught that those who follow Ahura Mazda by being good will be rewarded on Judgment Day but all those that do not follow him are evil and worship Angra Mainyu. So in Zoroastrianism there is sort of a lack of choice where people get an opportunity to choose to follow a god, because those who end up choosing not to worship Mazda are automatically considered worshipers of Angra Mainyu, which leads to no rewards or blessing; Similarly, the Quran teaches that those who are not followers of Allah and his Apostle are considered astray and will receive no blessing or mercy from god (Allah).

India and Greece by William McNeil

1. McNeill’s establishes the point, about how India and Greece were taken over by foreign Eurasian population and given structure and order at the same time, but developed, over time, in a completely different way. His argument is that the Indian caste and the Greek territorial sovereignty had enormous effects on the Indian and European society.  

2. McNeil defines the cast system as a system of division amongst a group of people that separates them by some feature or mark. He states that the system establishes difference in power amongst a population. The book defines the cast system to have emerged as the Aryans established settlement though India where the Aryans established a difference in color between the Dravidians and themselves; over time the different populations mixed until they were all the same. Both, the book and McNeil’s definitions for a cast system are different.

3. Three feelings and thoughts that helped maintain the idea of caste.

1. Ceremonial purity, a fear of contaminating oneself by establishing contact with a member of a lower caste
2. All castes of people, except the lowest of the lowest, had a caste to look down upon.
3. The doctrine of reincarnation and of “varna” gave the idea that all men were divided into different castes, naturally.The Brahmins at the top, then the Kshatriyas, followed by the Vaisyas, and at the bottom is the Sudras.

4. Yes, the cast system was indeed convincing due to the fact that reincarnation made logical sense when it came to explaining the natural separation in castes. The logical basically surrounded the principle of how castes were based off punishment for whatever sin a person may have done in a past life. So, basically a person was led to believe he/she exist in the cast they do, based on weather they have lead a good or bad life in a previous existence.

5. Caste itself did not allow for strong political organizations to form because people were so divided, into their separate caste, that they refused to follow any ruler or king from a different caste. The caste became a primary government for each separate population. Taxes and legislation were only followed when they are applied within the same caste; anything else was seen as foreign and unnecessary to follow.

6. The idea that, by performing a ritual perfectly, brahmans could compel the gods to grant their demands was the cause for Indian religion to shift from diety pleasing to the act of worshiping, itself.

7. The Upanishads changed the nature of Indian religion by stating that a persons only goal is to break free of the cycle of reincarnation. This changed the goals of Indian society by making it a necessity that people live conservative lives in order to break free of the cycle of life and be spiritually enlightened.

8. McNeil defines “Territorial Sovereignty”  as self governing city states that the Greeks used as method of government, and division.

9. The Greeks turned away from religion as an explanatory factor in organizing society, because philosophers who pondered about the creation of the world did not like mythical ideas but rather wanted a theory derived from the laws of nature.

10. The consequence of the Greeks’ adherence to the polis was the limitation of ideas being approved by society due to the lack of seekers of knowledge being able to be accepted in the polis system.

11. I do agree with McNeil’s argument because I feel he has made a good case on how indian and Greek societies have developed so differently, in areas of religious and scientific understanding of the world, political system, and social structures.

Bahagvad Gita Compare and Contrast

Bhagavad Gita

• Live life selflessly
• perform action without desire for reward
• focus on the duty not the fruit
• way of life
• Krishna & Arjuna
• there is a soul
• if all requirements are met soul will go to heaven (reach moksha)
• if requirements are not met soul will be bound to repeating cycle of birth and death

Confucianism

• way of life 
• Confucius
• 5 relationships
• Father-son
• Elder brother-younger brother
• King-minester
• friend-friend
• husband-wife
• 5 virtues
• ethics and politics the key to "the way"
• ancestor worship

Zoroastrianism
there is a soul (needs to be saved)
way of life
cosmic balance between good and evil
Judgment day in 12,000 years (good souls go to heaven, bad souls burn forever
enjoy the world and its pleasures in moderation
honesty towards others, good thoughts and deeds, be a good person
Ahura Mazda (good god)
Angra Mainyu (bad god)

Conclusion: The information provided in the Bhagavad Gita is similar to that given in the teachings of Zoroastrianism since they both discuss the human soul and how it can receive salvation. Unlike these two religious teachings Confucianism stands as a non-religious teaching for how to live, focusing more on earthly bound duties.