Chad: Filling the Judicial Gap in Eastern Region Article
Summary: The UN peacekeeping mission and the legal fraternity in Chad are joining together to make judiciary professionals in eastern Chad. They are giving a one-month training course that provides basic legal skills and a general introduction to the judicial system in Chad, to civil servants. Before, local level administrators, court clerks, and bailiffs had limited or no prior legal training in Chad, but it is expected that 148 local magistrates will be trained by June 2010.
Thinking: When I read this article I was confused when it said that Chad’s local level administrators, court clerks, and bailiffs barely had any legal training. Without any legal training, how could everyone in the legal system be on the same page? I wondered how the legal system worked, while being fair, if courts in one part of the country enforced the laws more, than other courts in the country. When I read this I was immediately grateful for how our judicial branch is set up and how everyone in judicial branch has been trained to work in our government system. I think that this program well be very good for Chad because it will help make their legal system more fair. Before, when their people in the legal system barley had any training, there was no way they were going to have a fair legal system, when nobody knew the laws. However, with this new program I think that Chad’s legal system will become more fair, and on the same page.
Darfur Crisis Draws Chad and Sudan toward Deeper Conflict Article
Summary: Chad is accusing Sudan of arming rebels on the on the Sudan-Chad border, and a war has broken out between the two countries. Sudan rebel groups are stung out along the border between the two countries, and Chad fears that a pro-Sudanese government could seize power in its capital, Ndjamena. Most of the battles have been fought in Darfur, and about 200,000 refugees have fled into the border line and at least 200,000 people have died. Chad says that it’s not interested in harming a single refugee in Darfur, but that they are only interested in changing the political system in their country.
Thinking: I think that this war is really affecting both of the countries a lot because so many people are dying or fleeing from their country. In Darfur, where arms are like sticks on the ground, it just shows you how violent this war really is and how many people are getting hurt in it. I wonder why Sudan would give arms to rebel groups and put them on the border when they knew that it was going to upset the people in Chad. The people in Chad had no choice, but to fight back because they couldn’t allow Sudan to just take over their country. This is similar to the war in Iraq, where hundreds of soldiers are fighting everyday. Many people have lost their lives or have fled from Iraq because of the war. This is a lot like the war between Chad and Sudan because so many people are fleeing or getting hurt just like in Iraq. This also reminds me of the war in Iraq because during the whole war Iraq is trying to change its government system just like how Chad is trying to change their government system.
Chad Says Rebel Attack Defeated Article
Summary: Sudan rebels were sent over the border into Chad to attack, despite a truce between the two countries. Chadian troops were able to defeat the attack in the volatile east. The estimated number of rebel vehicles ranged from 50 to 200, and there has been no word of any casualties on either side. All major towns were under control, and the rebels failed to gain any territory in Chad.
Thinking: This reminds me of the bombings in London because just like in Chad, people were coming into the country to attack you. The Sudan rebels reminded me a lot of the bombers in London because they were coming in the country to attack, just like the bombers were coming into London. I wonder how the Chadian troops were able to defeat the rebels with out causing too much panic to the country. The rebels had between 50 and 200 vehicles, and I think that it was pretty impressive for the Chadian troops to stop all of them with out causing too much damage to the people around them. I wonder what the people in Chad were thinking when they saw the Sudan rebels. I wonder if they were afraid that the rebels would take over their town, and gain territory in Chad. It confused me how a lot of people in Chad were pretty calm after the attack. If rebels came into my town to take control over our territory I would be very scared and in a panic. So, I confused when the article said that most the towns were calm and under control.
Monday, February 15, 2010
The Character Ted York in the Book "Love Sick"
In “Love Story” the ex-alcoholic, college student Ted York is a very caring person. For example, he didn’t tell Michael that he saw Erica getting ready to binge in the lounge. This shows that Tim cared a lot about Erica, and didn’t want to tell her father about what she was doing because he knew that Michael would make her move back to New York City. Therefore, he didn’t tell Michael about the things that Erica was doing because he knew that Erica wanted to stay in college, so since he cared about her so much he didn’t end up telling Michael what he was suppose to tell him. In addition, Ted tells Michael “I quit. I’m ending this, okay? Enough. I can’t take this, and-I’ll find a way to pay you back for the semester, and that’s it, okay?” This shows that that he cared about Erica’s feelings because he didn’t want to spy on her, for her dad anymore. Obviously, he truly cared about her because he gave up all the money to pay for his college education just to make sure that Erica wouldn’t feel betrayed by him. Finally, Ted paid a hundred dollars to barrow Debbie’s car so that he could drive to New York City to talk to Erica, after she found out that he saw spying on her and telling her dad about everything that she was doing. This shows that he cared so much about Erica that he was willing go to such extremes just to tell Erica exactly what happened. So, you can tell that he is very caring to other because he is willing to do what ever it takes to make people he cares about happy. Ted York cares about everyone he’s close with, and he’s will to do anything that he can to do to make sure that they are always smiling.
My Dear Odysseus
My dear, dear Odysseus
has left me alone,
with our beloved son, Telemachus,
for 20 lingering years.
Each night is restless for me.
I dream of waking up to see his smiling face,
and hearing his oh, so soft voice utter my name
from his lips.
But, I always wake up to the reality,
of wondering where my marvelous husband,
could possibly be.
Suitors fill my house,
Odysseus’ home, in every room.
They’ve taken away everything he worked so hard for,
and destroyed it all.
They disgust me,
and not a single one of them
can be compared to my sweet Odysseus.
I’ve given them and place to live and food to eat,
yet they disrespect my house, my son, and me.
The day I dread is looming close and closer.
Soon Telemachus will have his facial hair,
forcing me to choose a new husband.
I’ve have done all I can to stall,
unweaving every night,
but I made a promise to Odysseus,
and intend to keep it
no matter how much it hurts me.
I hope and prey to the mighty god Zeus,
that my beloved Odysseus is still alive,
and that he will soon return home to me, in Ithaca.
Telemachus needs his father,
and I need my husband.
He is needed at his palace.
The suitors are getting worse by the day,
and I couldn’t bear to be married
to one of those awful men.
I know in my heart that my Odysseus,
is still alive to this very day,
trying to find his way back home
to the magnificent land of Ithaca.
I ache for his return,
but when he finally comes home
I will embrace him
and never let him leave home again.
For I miss my dear Odysseus to much,
to watch him leave again,
if he ever returned back home to me.
has left me alone,
with our beloved son, Telemachus,
for 20 lingering years.
Each night is restless for me.
I dream of waking up to see his smiling face,
and hearing his oh, so soft voice utter my name
from his lips.
But, I always wake up to the reality,
of wondering where my marvelous husband,
could possibly be.
Suitors fill my house,
Odysseus’ home, in every room.
They’ve taken away everything he worked so hard for,
and destroyed it all.
They disgust me,
and not a single one of them
can be compared to my sweet Odysseus.
I’ve given them and place to live and food to eat,
yet they disrespect my house, my son, and me.
The day I dread is looming close and closer.
Soon Telemachus will have his facial hair,
forcing me to choose a new husband.
I’ve have done all I can to stall,
unweaving every night,
but I made a promise to Odysseus,
and intend to keep it
no matter how much it hurts me.
I hope and prey to the mighty god Zeus,
that my beloved Odysseus is still alive,
and that he will soon return home to me, in Ithaca.
Telemachus needs his father,
and I need my husband.
He is needed at his palace.
The suitors are getting worse by the day,
and I couldn’t bear to be married
to one of those awful men.
I know in my heart that my Odysseus,
is still alive to this very day,
trying to find his way back home
to the magnificent land of Ithaca.
I ache for his return,
but when he finally comes home
I will embrace him
and never let him leave home again.
For I miss my dear Odysseus to much,
to watch him leave again,
if he ever returned back home to me.
Vengeance in the Odyssey
They say that vengeance is the sweetest thing in life, but is that really true? The theme of vengeance is carried throughout the epic of The Odyssey. Once one character gets his vengeance on another one, that character has to get his vengeance and the viscous cycle keeps going on throughout the entire epic. Vengeance is what drives most of the characters to do what they do in this epic and is one of the main themes in The Odyssey. The theme of vengeance is placed throughout the epic; the gods, the people that Odysseus meets thoughout his journey and Odysseus himself takes the most vengeance.
In the The Odyssey the gods Poseidon and Zeus get their vengeance more than once. For example, Poseidon sinks Odysseus’ ship after Odysseus gets off of Calypso’s Island. This shows that Poseidon was still angry at Odysseus for blinding his son the Cyclops, Polphemus, and he was swarmed by rage. Obviously, he wanted Odysseus to pay for blinding his son, so out of vengeance he wanted to make it harder for Odysseus to get back home to Ithaca so that he couldn’t see his son, Telemachus. In addition, Zeus creates a storm for Odysseus and his crew after they eat one of the son god’s cattle, which only Odysseus survives. This shows that Zeus was upset when the sun god told him that Odysseus and his crew ate one of his sacred cattle. So, in return for eating one of the sun god’s cattle Zeus created an enormous storm to punish Odysseus and his crew therefore getting his revenge against Odysseus. Finally, Poseidon turned the Phaeacians’ ship into stone after they helped Odysseus get back home to Ithaca. This shows that Poseidon was outraged when he found out that the Phaeacians were willing to help
Odysseus, who was someone that he hated. Obviously, he wanted the Phaeacians to know to that he didn’t approve of them helping out Odysseus, so he turned their ship to stone, sinking it into the harbor.
People that Odysseus meets throughout his journey also take vengeance more than once against Odysseus. For example, Aeolus won’t give Odysseus another bag of winds after his crew opened the first bag of winds Aeolus gave to them. This shows that Aeolus wanted Odysseus to be punished for not listening to the strict instructions that he gave to him, to not open the bag of winds until he got to Ithaca. Therefore, he wouldn’t give Odysseus another bag of winds when he came back to him, as vengeance for not listening to what he was told to do with the winds. In addition, Circe turned some of Odysseus’ men into pigs for coming on to her island. This shows that Circe doesn’t want people to come on to her island, so she made sure that Odysseus and his men would never want to return to her island. Plus, she was bitter that Odysseus and his crew would step on to her land, so out of vengeance she turned some of the men into pigs. Finally, the families of the suitors, who Odysseus killed, came to Laertes’ orchard to attack Odysseus. This shows that the families of suitors were overcome with vengeance when they found out that all their sons were killed by Odysseus. Obviously, the families wanted to do something to avenge their sons, so they went after Odysseus to show to him that they were angry and wanted him to pay for what he did.
Odysseus also took a lot of vengeance on people in The Odyssey. For example, he blinded the Cyclops, Polyphemus, after Polyphemus captured him and his crew, and after
Polyphemus ate two of his men. This shows that Odysseus was driven by vengeance to blind Polyphemus and if Polyphemus never captured Odysseus and his men, Odysseus would have never hurt Polyphemus. Also, if Polyphemus never ate two of Odysseus’ men, Odysseus wouldn’t have blinded Polyphemus, but since he did Odysseus was taken over by vengeance to attack Polyphemus. In addition, Odysseus killed all but two suitors that were in his house when he returned back home to Ithaca. This shows that Odysseus was infuriated when he found out about how all the suitors were destroying his home and trying to win his wife’s hand in marriage. Obviously, he was overcome with vengeance and wanted the suitors to pay for trying to take away everything he worked so hard for, so he killed them in return for everything that they tried to steal from him. Finally, Odysseus killed all of his maids that were disloyal to him while he was gone on his journey. This shows that Odysseus was furious that his maids would help and be with the suitors when they were supposed to be loyal and only serve him. So, Odysseus’ vengeance took over and he wanted to kill all his maids that were disloyal to him because he wanted them to pay for betraying his trust.
Vengeance was what leads most of the characters in The Odyssey to do what they did, but it also ended getting the characters into trouble. The gods, people that Odysseus meets on his journey, and Odysseus were all driven by vengeance many times through out the epic. They acted on their vengeance instead of thinking it through and it often got them into trouble, but it also got them rewarded too. The theme of vengeance is threaded into The Odyssey, and is what made the epic so interesting. Wondering if they would act on their vengeance, or think it
through is what helped develop the complex plot of The Odyssey. It made the relationships between the characters way more complex and fun to read, so the theme of vengeance is a big contributor to making The Odyssey such an amazing epic.
In the The Odyssey the gods Poseidon and Zeus get their vengeance more than once. For example, Poseidon sinks Odysseus’ ship after Odysseus gets off of Calypso’s Island. This shows that Poseidon was still angry at Odysseus for blinding his son the Cyclops, Polphemus, and he was swarmed by rage. Obviously, he wanted Odysseus to pay for blinding his son, so out of vengeance he wanted to make it harder for Odysseus to get back home to Ithaca so that he couldn’t see his son, Telemachus. In addition, Zeus creates a storm for Odysseus and his crew after they eat one of the son god’s cattle, which only Odysseus survives. This shows that Zeus was upset when the sun god told him that Odysseus and his crew ate one of his sacred cattle. So, in return for eating one of the sun god’s cattle Zeus created an enormous storm to punish Odysseus and his crew therefore getting his revenge against Odysseus. Finally, Poseidon turned the Phaeacians’ ship into stone after they helped Odysseus get back home to Ithaca. This shows that Poseidon was outraged when he found out that the Phaeacians were willing to help
Odysseus, who was someone that he hated. Obviously, he wanted the Phaeacians to know to that he didn’t approve of them helping out Odysseus, so he turned their ship to stone, sinking it into the harbor.
People that Odysseus meets throughout his journey also take vengeance more than once against Odysseus. For example, Aeolus won’t give Odysseus another bag of winds after his crew opened the first bag of winds Aeolus gave to them. This shows that Aeolus wanted Odysseus to be punished for not listening to the strict instructions that he gave to him, to not open the bag of winds until he got to Ithaca. Therefore, he wouldn’t give Odysseus another bag of winds when he came back to him, as vengeance for not listening to what he was told to do with the winds. In addition, Circe turned some of Odysseus’ men into pigs for coming on to her island. This shows that Circe doesn’t want people to come on to her island, so she made sure that Odysseus and his men would never want to return to her island. Plus, she was bitter that Odysseus and his crew would step on to her land, so out of vengeance she turned some of the men into pigs. Finally, the families of the suitors, who Odysseus killed, came to Laertes’ orchard to attack Odysseus. This shows that the families of suitors were overcome with vengeance when they found out that all their sons were killed by Odysseus. Obviously, the families wanted to do something to avenge their sons, so they went after Odysseus to show to him that they were angry and wanted him to pay for what he did.
Odysseus also took a lot of vengeance on people in The Odyssey. For example, he blinded the Cyclops, Polyphemus, after Polyphemus captured him and his crew, and after
Polyphemus ate two of his men. This shows that Odysseus was driven by vengeance to blind Polyphemus and if Polyphemus never captured Odysseus and his men, Odysseus would have never hurt Polyphemus. Also, if Polyphemus never ate two of Odysseus’ men, Odysseus wouldn’t have blinded Polyphemus, but since he did Odysseus was taken over by vengeance to attack Polyphemus. In addition, Odysseus killed all but two suitors that were in his house when he returned back home to Ithaca. This shows that Odysseus was infuriated when he found out about how all the suitors were destroying his home and trying to win his wife’s hand in marriage. Obviously, he was overcome with vengeance and wanted the suitors to pay for trying to take away everything he worked so hard for, so he killed them in return for everything that they tried to steal from him. Finally, Odysseus killed all of his maids that were disloyal to him while he was gone on his journey. This shows that Odysseus was furious that his maids would help and be with the suitors when they were supposed to be loyal and only serve him. So, Odysseus’ vengeance took over and he wanted to kill all his maids that were disloyal to him because he wanted them to pay for betraying his trust.
Vengeance was what leads most of the characters in The Odyssey to do what they did, but it also ended getting the characters into trouble. The gods, people that Odysseus meets on his journey, and Odysseus were all driven by vengeance many times through out the epic. They acted on their vengeance instead of thinking it through and it often got them into trouble, but it also got them rewarded too. The theme of vengeance is threaded into The Odyssey, and is what made the epic so interesting. Wondering if they would act on their vengeance, or think it
through is what helped develop the complex plot of The Odyssey. It made the relationships between the characters way more complex and fun to read, so the theme of vengeance is a big contributor to making The Odyssey such an amazing epic.
My Letter to an Author
Dear Catherine Gilbert Murdock,
Your book Dairy Queen really showed me another part of the world I never would have thought of. Your character D.J. Schwenk was very likeable and gave me a different perspective of looking at things. She proved that a girl is strong and can do anything that a guy can do, if not better. She was tough and a great role model to look up to.
I always thought that football was a guy’s sport, and that no girl could compete against a 250 pound guy chasing you around trying to shatter you to the ground, but D.J. defiantly proved me wrong. She showed me that if you want to do something bad enough, no matter what it is, you can do if you work hard enough for it. She proved to me that a girl can thrive in what’s considered to be a man’s sport if she really puts her mind to it. She showed me how to be strong and never give up.
Reading about all the time she spent training and working on her skills, I realized that I could do the exact same thing that she did. I figured out that I shouldn’t listen to people who tell me I can’t, but that I should only listen to myself saying that I can. D.J. faced many obstacles with trying out to be on the football team and she could have given up at any of them, but she didn’t and that’s what I inspire to be. Now, when I face grueling obstacles in my life I try to get through them, by thinking about how D.J. got through hers. I straight on attack them instead of trying move around them.
D.J. also gave me a new perspective on how people act. When she first related cows to people, I thought that she was ridiculous and that there’s absolutely no comparison there what so ever. However, after I thought about it, I realized how true this really is. People spend their whole lives taking order from their parent, bosses, teachers, siblings, and even strangers and it comes to the point where they always do what they are told. I never would have though of it, but cows are the exact same way. They follow every thing that they are told to do, without trying to run away or attack someone. I never would have though that humans and cows acted so much alike, but your book really showed me that they do.
After looking at my life I could see that what she was saying is true. I took orders from everyone around me, without even thinking about and it just became a part of my life without me even noticing it. I was just like a cow doing what I was told, but after I read your book that all changed. I decided that I didn’t want to be like a cow stuck on a farm, but like a bird free to go where ever I want. There are still certain orders that I have to follow, but with everything else I make my own decisions, and it’s because of your book that I do.
Reading your book has changed the way I look at my life, and the way I look at life in general. It has taught me that I can do anything that I set my mind to no matter what the odds are, and that I shouldn’t listen to the people who say that I can’t. It has also taught me that I’m the only person in control of my life, and that I shouldn’t take orders from everyone I meet. Your book impacted me in ways that I can’t explain, and I’m very grateful that you wrote Dairy Queen.
Your book Dairy Queen really showed me another part of the world I never would have thought of. Your character D.J. Schwenk was very likeable and gave me a different perspective of looking at things. She proved that a girl is strong and can do anything that a guy can do, if not better. She was tough and a great role model to look up to.
I always thought that football was a guy’s sport, and that no girl could compete against a 250 pound guy chasing you around trying to shatter you to the ground, but D.J. defiantly proved me wrong. She showed me that if you want to do something bad enough, no matter what it is, you can do if you work hard enough for it. She proved to me that a girl can thrive in what’s considered to be a man’s sport if she really puts her mind to it. She showed me how to be strong and never give up.
Reading about all the time she spent training and working on her skills, I realized that I could do the exact same thing that she did. I figured out that I shouldn’t listen to people who tell me I can’t, but that I should only listen to myself saying that I can. D.J. faced many obstacles with trying out to be on the football team and she could have given up at any of them, but she didn’t and that’s what I inspire to be. Now, when I face grueling obstacles in my life I try to get through them, by thinking about how D.J. got through hers. I straight on attack them instead of trying move around them.
D.J. also gave me a new perspective on how people act. When she first related cows to people, I thought that she was ridiculous and that there’s absolutely no comparison there what so ever. However, after I thought about it, I realized how true this really is. People spend their whole lives taking order from their parent, bosses, teachers, siblings, and even strangers and it comes to the point where they always do what they are told. I never would have though of it, but cows are the exact same way. They follow every thing that they are told to do, without trying to run away or attack someone. I never would have though that humans and cows acted so much alike, but your book really showed me that they do.
After looking at my life I could see that what she was saying is true. I took orders from everyone around me, without even thinking about and it just became a part of my life without me even noticing it. I was just like a cow doing what I was told, but after I read your book that all changed. I decided that I didn’t want to be like a cow stuck on a farm, but like a bird free to go where ever I want. There are still certain orders that I have to follow, but with everything else I make my own decisions, and it’s because of your book that I do.
Reading your book has changed the way I look at my life, and the way I look at life in general. It has taught me that I can do anything that I set my mind to no matter what the odds are, and that I shouldn’t listen to the people who say that I can’t. It has also taught me that I’m the only person in control of my life, and that I shouldn’t take orders from everyone I meet. Your book impacted me in ways that I can’t explain, and I’m very grateful that you wrote Dairy Queen.
Daoism and Confucianiam
You may think that Daoism and Confucianism are nothing alike, but is that really true? Sure Daoism and Confucianism seem like they’re from two different planets, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Even though there are more differences between Daoism and Confucianism than similarities, I think that the two religions are still a lot alike. The two religions have sides that make them seem like brothers, while the other side makes then seem like total strangers. Daoism and Confucianism are a lot alike yet different by their types of religion, their beliefs on deities, their origins, their founders, their writings, what they follow, and what they believe in.
First, both Daoism and Confucianism are a type of religion that many different people practice every day. They are both major religions known all over the world by millions of people, and they’re both a non-theistic religion, meaning that neither one of them believe in any deities. Since both Daoism and Confucianism are such a major part in millions of people’s lives, it brings them closer together to each other, which gives them something that they have in common with each other. They are also similar to each other because they both have the same beliefs on deities. Both Daoism and Confucianism share the one thing that’s at the center of any religion with each other, and that’s their belief on deities. Deities, or gods, are what most religions base
their entire teachings around, but not Daoism or Confucianism. Since both the religions are non-theistic, they don’t believe in any form of deities. They believe that there are no gods that exist, which makes their religions very connected to each other. Having the center of both their religions the same, makes two religions very similar to each other.
In addition, both Daoism and Confucianism are similar because of their origins. Both of the religions started in ancient times, when the first civilizations were being built. They were also both started in China, during the Zhou Dynasty. Knowing that both the religions were started in the place, during the same time makes you think that there is something that’s the same in both of the religions. There are obviously several similarities between Daoism and Confucianism, but on the contrary there is a great deal of differences between the two religions too.
First, even though their origins are the same Daoism and Confucianism have two different founders. Daoism was founded by a man named Laozi or “Old Master,” while Confucianism was founded by a man named Kong Fuzi known as the Confucius. Little is known about Laozi, but he has been credited with coming up with the philosophy that turned in to Daoism. While, Confucius was born in 551 B.C.E.; he was a brilliant scholar and came up with a philosophy that turned in to Confucianism. Daoism and Confucianism are also different because of their writings.
People, who follow Daoism, follow the writings of the Dao De Jing or The Way of Virtue. The Dao De Jing was written by Laozi, and it’s a book that had enormous influence on Chinese
life, and the people of Daoism. On the other hand, people who follow Confucianism follow the Analects. The Analects are a collection of many of Confucius’ sayings by his students, since Confucius never wrote down anything that he said. Following two different writings is a significant difference between Daoism and Confucianism because it’s at the center of the teachings for any religion, which makes the two religions totally different.
However, Daoism and Confucianism are also different because they follow different meanings of life. People, who follow Daoism, follow the Dao or “the way” of the universe. The Dao was hard to understand fully or put in to words. Laozi explained, “Those who know of the Dao do not speak of it. Those who speak of it do not know of.” While on the other hand people, who follow Confucianism, follow the Five Key Relationships. The Five Key Relationships are subject to ruler, husband to wife, parent to child, elder brother to younger brother, and friend to friend. They believe that in each relationship one person is superior and the other one is inferior, except in friend to friend where they are both equal to each other. Since Daoism and Confucianism follow two totally different meanings of life, they defer from each other a lot making the two religions different from each other.
Meanwhile, even though both Daoism and Confucianism don’t believe in any deities, they believe in two entirely different things. People, who follow Daoism, believe in being one with nature. They believe that nature is an example of how they should live their lives, and that they should turn away from anything that is “unnatural” in their lives. They also believe that every one is equal to each other, and that no one person is superior to anyone else. They think
that everyone has the right to be an individual, and that you shouldn’t try to bring any extra attention to yourself.
On the other hand, people who follow Confucianism believe in li or proper behavior. The religion of Confucianism, centers around the idea of having the proper behavior for each of the Five Key Relationships. They also believe in filial piety, or respect for one’s parents. Confucius put the respect for one’s parents above all other duties, and it’s a main focus in the religion of Confucianism. People, who follow Confucianism, also believe in having the values of honesty, hard work, and concern for others. Confucius declared, “Do not do to others, what you do not wish yourself.” Believing in several different things shows another significant difference between the religions of Daoism and Confucianism.
There are two sides to Daoism and Confucianism that once you look at one side all you see are similarities, while when you look at them again all you see is nothing but differences. Knowing that they are both non-theistic religions, they both don’t believe in any deities, and they were both founded in China during the Zhou Dynasty makes you think that they have so much in common. Yet when you know that one was founded by Laozi while the other one was founded by Confucius, one follows the writings of the Dao De Jing while the other one follows the writings of the Analects, one follows the Dao while the other one follows the Five Key Relationships, and one believes in being one with nature while the other one believes in li, you think that they have nothing in common. Learning about Daoism and Confucianism has not only taught me about how each religion is practiced, but also that the two religions are can be very
different and yet so similar at the same time. I also learned that all the religions are connected to each other because no matter what religions you compare there is always going to be similarities that bring them together, and differences that separate them apart from each other.
their entire teachings around, but not Daoism or Confucianism. Since both the religions are non-theistic, they don’t believe in any form of deities. They believe that there are no gods that exist, which makes their religions very connected to each other. Having the center of both their religions the same, makes two religions very similar to each other.
In addition, both Daoism and Confucianism are similar because of their origins. Both of the religions started in ancient times, when the first civilizations were being built. They were also both started in China, during the Zhou Dynasty. Knowing that both the religions were started in the place, during the same time makes you think that there is something that’s the same in both of the religions. There are obviously several similarities between Daoism and Confucianism, but on the contrary there is a great deal of differences between the two religions too.
First, even though their origins are the same Daoism and Confucianism have two different founders. Daoism was founded by a man named Laozi or “Old Master,” while Confucianism was founded by a man named Kong Fuzi known as the Confucius. Little is known about Laozi, but he has been credited with coming up with the philosophy that turned in to Daoism. While, Confucius was born in 551 B.C.E.; he was a brilliant scholar and came up with a philosophy that turned in to Confucianism. Daoism and Confucianism are also different because of their writings.
People, who follow Daoism, follow the writings of the Dao De Jing or The Way of Virtue. The Dao De Jing was written by Laozi, and it’s a book that had enormous influence on Chinese
life, and the people of Daoism. On the other hand, people who follow Confucianism follow the Analects. The Analects are a collection of many of Confucius’ sayings by his students, since Confucius never wrote down anything that he said. Following two different writings is a significant difference between Daoism and Confucianism because it’s at the center of the teachings for any religion, which makes the two religions totally different.
However, Daoism and Confucianism are also different because they follow different meanings of life. People, who follow Daoism, follow the Dao or “the way” of the universe. The Dao was hard to understand fully or put in to words. Laozi explained, “Those who know of the Dao do not speak of it. Those who speak of it do not know of.” While on the other hand people, who follow Confucianism, follow the Five Key Relationships. The Five Key Relationships are subject to ruler, husband to wife, parent to child, elder brother to younger brother, and friend to friend. They believe that in each relationship one person is superior and the other one is inferior, except in friend to friend where they are both equal to each other. Since Daoism and Confucianism follow two totally different meanings of life, they defer from each other a lot making the two religions different from each other.
Meanwhile, even though both Daoism and Confucianism don’t believe in any deities, they believe in two entirely different things. People, who follow Daoism, believe in being one with nature. They believe that nature is an example of how they should live their lives, and that they should turn away from anything that is “unnatural” in their lives. They also believe that every one is equal to each other, and that no one person is superior to anyone else. They think
that everyone has the right to be an individual, and that you shouldn’t try to bring any extra attention to yourself.
On the other hand, people who follow Confucianism believe in li or proper behavior. The religion of Confucianism, centers around the idea of having the proper behavior for each of the Five Key Relationships. They also believe in filial piety, or respect for one’s parents. Confucius put the respect for one’s parents above all other duties, and it’s a main focus in the religion of Confucianism. People, who follow Confucianism, also believe in having the values of honesty, hard work, and concern for others. Confucius declared, “Do not do to others, what you do not wish yourself.” Believing in several different things shows another significant difference between the religions of Daoism and Confucianism.
There are two sides to Daoism and Confucianism that once you look at one side all you see are similarities, while when you look at them again all you see is nothing but differences. Knowing that they are both non-theistic religions, they both don’t believe in any deities, and they were both founded in China during the Zhou Dynasty makes you think that they have so much in common. Yet when you know that one was founded by Laozi while the other one was founded by Confucius, one follows the writings of the Dao De Jing while the other one follows the writings of the Analects, one follows the Dao while the other one follows the Five Key Relationships, and one believes in being one with nature while the other one believes in li, you think that they have nothing in common. Learning about Daoism and Confucianism has not only taught me about how each religion is practiced, but also that the two religions are can be very
different and yet so similar at the same time. I also learned that all the religions are connected to each other because no matter what religions you compare there is always going to be similarities that bring them together, and differences that separate them apart from each other.
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