Culanculan, Joseph Jordan R.

Philo 104 B April 15, 2011 Strange but True As what I have learned recently in class, Roman Catholicism is not supposed to be a religion but a denomination of it. This means that what I had written in all forms about my personal information in the past on what is my religion was wrong. Nevertheless, it is not that important as long as the people who read it understood the answer that I had written. I didnt realize that it is not supposed to be a religion, like going to mass where the priest rarely refers the people as Roman Catholics but instead as Christians. They talk about what is the role of a human being with a Christian Faith in this world. Being this and that is what a Christian should do, as the priest says, according to the scriptures. Therefore, my religion is Christianity. My religion is a bit like the preface of the book we read in class. Often strange because mysteries happen rarely, sometimes appearing to you when you least expect it. But still, it contributes to your humanity since it is for the better. An example of the things that I did not expect but it happened is when I took the AdZU entrance exam. I just did my best on the exam. Then, the results arrived and I saw that my some of my classmates received a letter which grants the Blue Eagle Scholarship. I felt down at that moment thinking that my best was not good enough for me to acquire the scholarship, but when I opened my envelope, I was surprised that I also received a letter that had the scholarship grant. At first I thought that it is strange, but its true. About the religion sometimes being wild, I can say that the best example here in our country is that of the Festival of the Black Nazarene. You can really see people going wild just to touch the sculpture. I really dont seem to get the

point why they really want to touch the sculpture and end up fainted or maybe dead on that day. It is probable because these people are solid devotees who are doing anything just to be able to experience a miracle in their lives. They also believe that every part of the sculpture contains powers like the rope that is pulled to move the platform during the festival. They say that the rope contains healing powers when they eat it or boil it to make tea. It may be that they went overboard with this belief but because they really put their mind to it so they are able to encounter miracles that help them physically and make their faith stronger than ever. Strange it seems, but that is the truth. Religion surely is powerful because it can change things greatly. Like when you put your faith into it, miracles that you ask from the Lord will surely happen. Anything is possible; as long as you do everything that you can and rely to the Lord. But some instances where obstacles are given instead of miracles which is a test of faith, for us to be reminded that we are not great, that we are just empty shells without God. There are many values that I learned which make me a better person. Also, these teachings are also responsible why there is peace present in our community where we live happily with our family.

Culanculan, Joseph Jordan R. Philo 104 B April 18, 2011 Personal Religion Impersonal religion may likely be a religion where one sees only God as divine. The characteristic that would be associated with the divinity is that He is at the top of everyone else, that any person is not capable of reaching Him. But this thinking is merely seeing God as a King and not as a friend. Like Jesus Christ who is said to be 100% human and 100% divine. We dont only look at Jesus as a transcendent being but also as a person, who is like us, a person that can be a friend to whom we can share our happiness and sadness with. It is also presence that contributes to the human existence and gives meaning to life at its fullest. Example of an impersonal religion is when a person only turns to God in times of need; one who notices God in his life is when he faces life and death situations. Such thinking is impersonal because this type of person does not look at God as his friend that is present to him everyday in his life which contributes to his existence but as a divine being that is really busy and only appears as when he mostly or slightly expects it. In my opinion, I think that impersonal religion is more common than personal religion nowadays. As we discussed it in class, maybe there are more people who are less religious than religious because of our day and age. One would turn to God when He is only needed at the time being. Also because more people are living practical lives, which only thinks what are essential to him at that time and may not think of others which is less related to him. I think that religion sect would does not affect a person mentality or spirituality of having a personal religion. It is because every person is unique in dealing with this personal religion. It can only affect him at first when it is not yet clear,

but as he matures, he can decipher for himself what a true personal religion is.

Culanculan, Joseph Jordan R. Philo 104 B April 27, 2011 Life is like a Variable In my opinion, I think that life is in the contingency state. It is because even though God has the will to do things, we his creatures are given the freedom to choose anything we want to happen in our lives. As what I have learned in my past philosophy subject, our freedom works in every way either we make our choices for us or other people does. Freedom is still present whether it is in me or in other people. I think that there is a reason that I was born in this world is that I have a mission to contribute in this planet. It may have not been determined yet but time will come when I am able to acquire the mission that is to be fulfilled. It is necessary for me to be alive now because it is by the freedom of my parents which made me what I am now. They chose to meet in their past and mad me as their son. Although there could be other possibilities that I may be born someplace else, but for now, I came from my present parents. I also think that my death is not yet fixed; it is because life is a mystery itself and no other things that can determine the exact date of my death. Its like when I saw the movie The Bucket List which the doctors had determine how many months that has remained for the protagonists left to live, but they even lived many months after that. It shows that no human being can be able to determine ones fate by estimation, I also believe in this statement. One reason I may have that made me think that I have a basic attitude of contingency is because there are infinite possibilities of life. I sometimes think that if I had took a different subject, would I still be able to write this requirement paper; or if I took another course or enrolled in another school, will I still be able to meet my present friends.

My mindset is on the infinite possibilities of life, where God only guides us in everything that we do and gives us the freedom to choose what we want. It goes by the saying, Nasa Dios and awa, nasa tao ang gawa. When we also say to God Your Will be Done, it does not mean that we just leave everything to what the Lord will decide for us, we have the capability to do the things and make a change within us for it is what God had given to us, Freedom. Life is not fixed, its full of infinite possibilities, and that is why, Life is like a Variable.

Culanculan, Joseph Jordan R. Philo 104 B May 12, 2011 Prejudice This may be the issue the movie which is trying to portray to the viewers about the prejudices of the Christian and Muslim community. It is because even at childhood we have already formed these biases in our minds which I, as a Christian, thought that the Muslim people are dangerous. It really was the case when I was a child because our barangay always had troubles between the Muslim people and causing many rivalries and deaths between them. The Muslim, as portrayed in the movie, cannot be stereotyped as such because there are still innocent Muslims who are affected by the conflict between the MILF and the military. Many conflicts between the Christian and the Muslim have been revealed in the movie like the scene of Rashid and Francis with the belief of the Muslim people on Mama Mary and Jesus. This kind of misunderstanding would lead to conflicts between the two groups and that is why it ends up in fighting between the two and the surrounding viewers tend to label them with terrorism. But the true fact behind the movie is just that these two groups are always caught up with clashing beliefs and that is why biases exist. Also, innocent people are always caught in the crossfire and that is why the Christian and Muslim views tend to stereotype that whole group even to those who would only want peace between the two. That is why the movie aims to make a clear statement between the Christian and Muslims that they should understand each other for these differences will be settled. We need to learn the culture of each other so we would not end up misunderstanding each other. These conflicts exist

because none of them would like to understang what the two groups really want to have. So we should learn from this movie that there can be no war between the people in Mindanao as long as the two groups will have the chance to converse with the other and to exchange the goals that they would want. As what the article from wikipedia stated that In the end, one realizes that nobody really wins in a war. A just peace is better than a just war.