What is the Meaning of Life?

What is the meaning of life? Does anyone know? Have you ever thought about what the meaning of life is? In my opinion, everyone has their own meaning of life. According to me, the meaning of life and the main point is to be completed. One day, as I get older and I am lying in bed dying, I want to look back at my life and ask myself if I was happy and did I complete the goals I had set for myself throughout that life time. If I had done the things I wanted such as finish my education and get a degree, get a good paying job, and start a wonderful family with successful children, then my life has been completed. I had live the life I wanted, so I can go on and let the young generation continue on. In my opinion, being completed is the meaning of life, but according to ancient times and different religions the meaning is a little different.

According to the ancient Greek philosophy, in Platonism, the meaning of life is in attaining the highest form of knowledge. This is the Idea of the Good, from which all good and just things derive utility and value. Human beings are duty-bound to pursue the good. According to another philosophy, the East Asian philosophy, Legalism, this has a different view of the meaning of life. They believed that finding the purpose of life was a meaningless effort. To the East Asian philosophy, Legalists, only practical knowledge was valuable, especially as it related to the function and performance of the state. In the 19th century, the philosopher, Nihilism suggests that life is without objective meaning.
There are also different perspectives of the meaning in life in the religious views. Life's purpose in the Christian religion is to seek divine salvation through the grace of God and intercession of Christ. In the Muslim world, man's ultimate life objective is to worship the creator Allah by abiding by the Divine guidelines revealed in the Qur'an and the Tradition of the Prophet. In the religion Judaism, the meaning of life is to elevate life, both in this world ('Olam HaZeh) and in the world to come ('Olam HaBa).
In conclusion, the meaning of life is different for everyone. As you can see in the video below, everyone’s believes are different. If you believe in a religion or follow a philosophy your meaning of life might differ from everyone else’s around you. For me being complete at the end of my life is everything. This is what is most important to me. Life is what you make it, so it is all up to you as a person to create it. In the end it is your life and you have to be happy with it.

By: Nevena Ronell

Common Characteristics of Religions

There are many different religions over the world.  Of course all these different religions have tons of different characteristics. Surprisingly there is one characteristic that they all have in common.  That is that there is a higher power, someone or something that is superior to mankind.  In most cases the people refer to this as their God or Goddess.  It may be a live person, it can be a statue or figure, or it can be spiritual being which is something that cannot be seen or heard but is believed to have a higher power.  However, the number of Gods may differ between the different religions.  The belief in only one God is to be considered monotheism, and the belief in many Gods is referred to as polytheism.

                An example of using a spiritual source as a god would be Christianity.  Christianity is a Monotheistic religion, they only believe in one God.  The god Christians worship has never been seen or heard in today’s society but the Christians believe that he has a higher power. The trees, the moon, and the stars were all believed to be created by their God.  These are all things man in incapable of.  Many Christians pray to god for healing or other miraculous wants.  There are also many photos and statues made, but the Christians do not actually worship those, in fact it is a sin to do so. 

                In the Hinduism religion has only one ultimate reality, the Brahman.  The Brahman would be considered their higher power.  The Hindu believes that Brahman is the creator of the universe and the creator aspect of the divine.  The Brahman is often presented with four arms and a red skin color.  Although they have only one ultimate God, there is existence of other Gods which represent the different aspects of the Brahman. 

            

  Buddhism is a religion that does not have a God, or creator. The Buddha is its higher power.  The Buddhists pay respects to the Buddha, but not in worship.  The Buddha was such a higher power because he was believed to have achieved enlightenment.  He also led the path to enlightment and Nirvana for the Buddhists from his own experiences.  Nirvana is the state of being free from suffering.   The Enlightment and to attain nirvana is the ultimate mission of the Buddhism religion.

I have only named a few religions but all of them believe in some sort of higher power, even ones I haven’t named.  They may have different rituals and other characteristics but they all believe in some type of higher power.  For some that higher power is considered to be a creator of the world, and for some it is not.  There are about 21 different religions some believe in one or many different creators.  My biggest question of all is:  If more than one religion believes that their God created the world or is in fact the highest power, which one is correct?

Gothic Cathedrals by Savannah Carson (Art & Culture #2: Architecual or Literary work)

    Over the course of history, human beings have created some of the
most beautiful and unique pieces of art. Some of them plain and simple
such as the classical Greek sculptures, and some of them of the most
intricate detail, like the massive pyramids of Egypt, all created with
an important reason or meaning to that particular culture. From the
large statues of Easter Island to the stained glass that covers church
walls, the various types of art all have fascinating stories or
purposes behind them. One type of art I found to have the most
significance and the most beautiful of appearances would be gothic
cathedrals.
    The start of gothic cathedrals began around 1200 and lasted about 300
years until 1500. Gothic cathedrals were developed from, and inspired
by, Norman architecture. Cathedrals alone began in the reign of
William the Conqueror. In this time the cathedrals built were
appointed Norman bishops by William, so naturally the cathedrals had a
Normandy style influence. Built by poorly skilled Saxons, the details
on these cathedrals were limited, using large blocks of stone and
creating large hollow walls. A man named Abbot Suger believed that the
churches or cathedrals at that time were too dull; he imagined a
church so enormous and incredible that everyone would want to attend
and it would appear to reach the heavens. This idea, along with the
increased knowledge of architecture and engineering over time, began
the era of gothic cathedrals.

    
The architects began a new method of building; with more advanced
tools the architects were able to shape stone more precisely allowing
them to put each stone in place with a more perfect fit to the stone
beside it. They also used these advancements to create solid walls and
pillars which allowed the cathedrals to withstand more weight and made
them much stronger. They not only paid closer attention to the
structural security of these massive buildings but also to the ornate
detail that makes them so astonishing. Some of the most obvious
details are the large pointed arches and the ribbed vaulting, but if
you take a closer look you will find some very fascinating details
which show just how dedicated the people were to their religion and
their place of worship. The carvings of the exterior were precise and
almost skeletal-like, some of the detail appearing to be symmetrical.
They added much more stained glass to the cathedrals giving the inside
a luminous glow, however, with the addition of this excessive glass
came a much more complex building style; flying buttresses were
created to allow the buildings to stand higher creating the more
vertical architectural design they sought after while still being able
to incorporate the beautiful glass designs. The invention of these
flying buttresses allowed for higher ceilings, which in turn made it
possible for a larger interior, which are just as beautifully detailed
and unique as their exteriors. The height of these buildings had much
significance, like Abbot Suger had imagined them; the cathedrals were
intended to appear to reach the heavens. Although the pointed arches
that the cathedrals are so well known for today are beautiful and help
to create the overwhelmingly large and captivating appearance, they
were not just designed to be stunning, they hold much architectural
logic. The large arches are flexible enough to be at such heights
without the fear of them breaking, and they direct the weight of the
cathedral to the most structurally sound areas at the base at a steep
angle, creating a more stable structure. These magnificent creations
were primarily used for daily religious services and as the seat of
the local bishop or archbishop but were also used for weddings,
christenings, and funerals.
    By examining the complexity of these large buildings it becomes
apparent that they are much more than large churches, they are
magnificent pieces of art, arguably the most beautiful of the world.