My persuasive essay on Religious Symbology including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam outline (boy that was a mouthful)

Persuasive Essay
1. Introduction
1. Open with general history of pagan symbols and religious symbology
2. Persuade people to believe that many religions borrow from eachother and are essentially very simila, as last sentence. Maybe different in the way that one person is different from the next.
3. Credibilty will be mentioning talk with Sybologist, if can find one.
2. State the facts, this will be 3 paragraphs, one for each religion
Be unbiased. Order the facts from the least to the most dramatic.
1. Start with Islam, least info, not so interesting
2. Next will be Judaism, explain about how similar to both Christian and Islam
3. Last will be Christianity because most info, most interesting, most stolen
3. Give brief outline of argument to follow
For example, "Given these facts, I will demonstrate how/why . . ."
1. Stolen from Pagan cultures
2. Many signs that they have been stolen, connections to religions, no credit, obliterated Pagan gods
3. Ploy to convert non-beleivers
4. Address arguments of the other side
One by one, show why opposing arguments are not reasonable, logical, etc.
1. Many religious ignorants don't realize that there symbols were stolen
2. No actual proof, just similarities
3. Many religious people do realize why stolen though
5. Summarize your argument
Show the audience why your arguments are right and just. Often it's effective to end this section with an appropriate quotation.
1. Restate all connections in religions
2. Find quote about religion, maybe by famous scientific or art figure

Yeah this is my awesome outline. If you wanna know how to make it go to the bottom of the post below this one.

♥

Muslims Rock!

Okay, since I didn't really get any info on the Islamic symbols yesterday, I am gong to fill you in today. I am sure that no one read my blog even though they should have because all the info and my comments put together made a really good blog. It actually wasn't boring and today is your lucky day, because you can still read it. Anyway, here is some info for you. Also I am going to get some more info that will tie all of my other information together. Like the beginning history of symbology and other general information.

Islam:

okay heres something interesting. All of y'all have seen the star and moon symbol, so here is how it came about:

The crescent moon and star symbol actually pre-dates Islam by several thousand years. Information on the origins of the symbol are difficult to ascertain, but most sources agree that these ancient celestial symbols were in use by the peoples of Central Asia and Siberia in their worship of sun, moon, and sky gods. There are also reports that the crescent moon and star were used to represent the Carthaginian goddess Tanit or the Greek goddess Diana.

The city of Byzantium (later known as Constantinople and Istanbul) adopted the crescent moon symbol. According to some reports, they chose it in honor of the goddess Diana. Others indicate that it dates back to a battle in which the Romans defeated the Goths on the first day of a lunar month. In any event, the crescent moon was featured on the city's flag even before the birth of Christ.

So basically, they took it from earlier cultures, just like Christianity and Judaism. They all have very similar ideas, because that is the way you get people to listen to you. I think I will also get some info on pagan cultures to tie things up. But first more on Islam.

For hundreds of years, the Ottoman Empire ruled over the Muslim world. After centuries of battle with Christian Europe, it is understandable how the symbols of this empire became linked in people's minds with the faith of Islam as a whole.

Based on this history, many Muslims reject using the crescent moon as a symbol of Islam. The faith of Islam has historically had no symbol, and many refuse to accept what is essentially an ancient pagan icon. It is certainly not in uniform use among Muslims.

So, because the Ottoman empire ruled them, there is kind of a conflict of interests, because the Ottoman ruled them, and it was there sign first, but they did fight alongside them in the christian wars, so it is kind of a part of them.

here is the citation:

Huda. "About.com." Crescent Moon: Symbol of Islam?. 04 Nov. 2005 http://islam.about.com/library/weekly/aa060401a.htm.

I think I will go onto general history now and come back to Islam.

Here is a link to a bunch of symbols.

I have to do an outline now. So I will find more info later, I will probably just do it on the same post though.

Ok I am about to post my outline. If you cool cats wanna make one like mine you can go on inspiration, file, open templates, language arts, persuasive essay and make a cool one like mine. awesome!

Christianity, Judaism, Islamic, oh my!

Well, I am back with more interesting information. I've gotten really far in the Da Vinci Code and whether it is true or not, that is a really good book. Of course, Christianity developed from Judaism as did the Islamic religion. We know this becuase Jesus himself, which the religion is based on, was a Jew. Because of this there are very close ties between many of the religions. Here are some interesting facts:

Symbols were widely used by the early Christian church. Symbols were inscribed on Christian tombs from the earliest days. One of the most widely used in the early church was that of the fish, which derived from a Greek acrostic Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour. Interestingly the cross (which is today one of the most widely recognised symbols in the world) was not commonly used as a symbol until later.
In Eastern Orthodox churches icon paintings have symbolic significance.
Water has specific symbolic significance for Christians. Outside of baptism, water may represent cleansing or purity. Fire, especially in the form of a candle flame, represent both the Holy Spirit and light. The sources of these symbols derive from the Bible; for example from the tongues of fire that symbolised the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and from Jesus' description of his followers as the light of the world.
Other Christian symbols include the dove (symbolic of the Holy Spirit), the sacrificial lamb (symbolic of Christ's sacrifice), the vine (symbolising the necessary connectedness of the Christian with Christ) and many others. These all derive from specific allegories in the Bible. Many are also used within Judaism.

Also common in most Christian religious symbolism are emblems, figures or ideas drawn from the cultures which Christianity has superseded, so that symbols existing in those cultures have been adopted but imbued with Christian meaning. The phoenix standing for the Resurrection, or the Egg representing rebirth, are examples of this incorporation of pagan symbols, for use in Christian art and customs. Often a pagan symbol was given a Christian meaning allowing incorporation of traditional practices into the faith of the new converts.

This is also very important and mentioned in the Da Vinci Code often. To convert the pagans (which means people who celebrated like ancient Roman, Egyptian, and French gods based on nature) they made Christian holidays on top of pagan holidays, making the transition of the people more smooth. It worked very well.

For example: Christmas, Christ's birthday is the same day as Osiris's, Adonis's , and Dionysus's, creating a day that could be worshipped by many. Also, SUNday was originally created to celebrate the sun god. Christian powers moved it from saturday (the jewish day) to sunday to coincide with the pagans. Also Horus and Jesus's lives have been noted to be very similar. The sun disk of the Egyptian gods becam halosof saints. The pictures of Isis nursing Horus became Mary nursing Jesus. Many everyday church acts were taken from the pagans like "eating the body of Christ."

So basically that means that many of the religious symbols today were taken from earlier more simple symbols that have a more understandable meaning.

Half of the info here is from the Da Vinci code and half is from this website that i will site later in the blog, but here is more from the site.

actually I just found this really cool site showing just how closely related Jesus and Horus. It's midblowing they practically lived the same lives. Wonder who copied who, or maybe Jesus is believed to be the reincarnate of Horus, or maybe they just want to convert the egyptian pagans. Who know, but click here if you want to find out. It's kind of at the bottom of the page. It is so alike. If you just take a quick glance you can see. Wow, that is so cool.

here is the citation and then some info on Judaism.

actually here is some cool stuff about Christmas trees.

On the one hand, trees that remain green in the winter have been symbolic of life in the midst of death, and of rebirth, in many cultures. The Christian folk-religious custom of erecting and adorning evergreen trees in the middle of winter was borrowed directly from existing practice, regardless of whether the custom had pagan roots. Some of the existing meaning has been carried over into Christian culture, together with these practices.

Ok now the citaion:
"Christian Symbolism." Wikipedia. 01 Nov. 2005. 03 Nov. 2005 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_symbolism.

are you ready for it........JUDAISM!

The Hebrew word for symbol is ot which in early Judaism denoted not only a sign, but also a visible religious token of the relation between God and man.

That basically means they thought their signs were a connection between them and god. Very spiritual.

The Jews believed that numbers have sacred powers (kind of like munerolgy), here is a portion of what they believed on numbers.

The number three was the symbol of holiness. The Holy of Holies occupied one-third, and the Holy Place two-thirds, of the entire Temple. The tapestries were ten times three ells in length, and there were three vessels each for the altar of burnt offering, the altar of incense, and the Ark. The candlestick had twice three arms (besides the shaft, which also held a lamp), and each arm had three knobs. The blessing of the priest consisted of three sections (Num. vi. 24, 25), and in the invocation of God the word "holy" was repeated thrice.

"holy, holy, holy, glory hallelujah"

there are many other symbols, that I can find on the page. Some of the more important are:

Gold was the symbol of the divine or celestial light, the glory of God (Zech. vi. 11; Dan. xi. 21). Silver was the emblem of moral innocence and of holiness (Isa. i. 22; Jer. vi. 30). Brass symbolized hardness, strength, and firmness (Lev. xxvi. 19; Jer. xv. 12; Job xl. 18). Brass was a substitute for gold, and iron for silver (Isa. lx. 17).
Salt was declared to be necessary in every meal-offering, in which it takes the place of the blood in the animal sacrifices (Lev. ii. 13; but comp. Ezek. xliii. 24). In the Talmud salt symbolizes the Torah, for as the world can not exist without salt, so it can not endure without the Torah (Soferim xv. 8).

The influence of Judaism upon Christian symbolism as early as the 2nd and 3rd centuries C.E., is apparent both in painting and in sculpture, the most frequent motives being those which occur in the Mishnah as formulas for prayer on fast-days. The prayer beginning with the words "Mi she-'anah," which was included in the selihah at an early date, was adopted in the Christian ritual as the litany "Libera domine." This litany was figuratively used in a certain sequence as a symbol, for the sacrifice of Isaac was regarded as a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus, since the early Church considered Isaac the prototype of Jesus, and the act of sacrifice emblemized the death on the cross.

see, just like I said. Closely related, here is the citation:

"Jewish Symbolism." Wikipedia. 01 Nov. 2005. 03 Nov. 2005 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_symbolism.

and before I go some on Islam or Muslim (are those two the same, I meant Islam):
something about gardens: uh oh, ok here it is. the citation is:

"Islamic Symbolism." Wikipedia. 01 Nov. 2005. 03 Nov. 2005 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_symbolism.

Religion?

Wow, the Da Vinci Code is so interesting.

Especially all of the dirt on religion.

Because I am such a good person, I am going to bring you all the info I can find on this. Are you not completely engrossed???

For my project I am going to focus on the biggies (in religion) being Christianity, Judaism, and Islamic. Okay, if you want to look up some info on it here you go. Symbols are cool!

Sorry I got to go now, but more info later!

Reflections on life

Research projects are hard to write. It has been more difficult to find information than I thought it would be. Because I am doing symbolism, I get a lot of websites from my searches that are like fortune tellers or something that is completely irrelevant to m project.
I also had to change my topic. I orginally wanted to do symbology, I just had forgotten the name for it, so I settled on Numerology. After restarting The Da Vinci Code (I've read it before) I realized that I wanted to study symbology. This is the kind of thing that gives me goosebumps when I read about it, so to do a project on it is like my dream come true. I really like using the internet instead of having to write down the information I get that is just going to be transferred back to the computer. It also keeps me more organized which is really helpful. I think after a little more info on the history, I will be able to start writing out an outline and start on my introduction for the project. Getting this information might take a couple of days though. Hopefully, since I am writing this in Latin, I can get ahead in my research and get some new info. Since I switched topics only yesterday, I don't have much info on it yet.
I am really excited about getting started on this project and hopefully it will be interesting to all of y'all who read it.
♥

Oops, I meant to say symbology...

Well, when I first set out to do my project I wanted to do this subject I just didn't know the name. So now I am starting a new project on SYMBOLOGY. That is from the Da Vinci Code, I am rereading it for ideas and a source, becuase all of the info is correct. In the book he is a symbologist and I realized that that s what I want to study. Now here is some info for you. And I promise this will be really interesting if you like the Da Vinci Code.

Here is some info from the Da Vinci Code:
Robert Langdon is a symbologist and throughout the book there are signs of sybology related to the church and art and the prioy of sion. Because this book is based on fact, I can use some of the information in this book to figure out about symbology. These can be the facts of specifics about symbology.

here is the citation:
Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. New York: DOUBLEDAY, 2003.

Symbolism is the systematic or creative use of arbitrary symbols as abstracted representations of concepts or objects and the distinct relationships in between, as they define both context and the narrower definition of terms. In a narrow context, "symbolism" is the applied use of any iconic representations which carry particular conventional meanings.

"Symbolism." Wikipedia. 30 Oct. 2005. 01 Nov. 2005 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism.

Okay I am officially studying symbolism, which is the symbology of or in art and litereature, but mostly I will be studying symbolism in religion. These two things are closely tied in but I will focus on religion. Maybe I can find, a professor or something that I could interview. Oh my gosh I am in live with my topic, this stuff is so interesting. Also there is a lot more info so here is the citation.

And for Da Vinci Code fun click here.

If you have the book, it is like the codes and stuff, I am currently in the middle of trying to figure it out. Just go to 'uncover the code' and solve away!

What to do...

Hey I have decided that I probably need to make my quetion more specific. I think I am going to do the history of Numerology because that is the kind of stuff that intereests me. To give me some ideas I am rereading the Da Vinci Code. I really love that book. I mean like that is the kind of book that I cannot put down. Kind of like Madeleine L'Engle I would totally reccomend those books. Anyway, I am going to consult with liz. Well, that was short, but I like history and even though liz says I shoudln't do that I am.

NUMEROLOGY!!!!

Ok, since I am so sure everyone wants to know what numerology is, I am going to ost some info for me to use on my project and of course it will be really interesting because I'm really interesting. Anyway, leave me a comment and here's the info:

Pythagoras, the Greek mathematician who live from 569-470 B.C., is said by many to be the originator of much of what we call numerology today. The actual origins of numerology predate Pythagoras, the most popular being the very old Hebrew Kabbala. In the twentieth century, the old science seems to magically reappear in the form of a series of books published from 1911-1917 by L. Dow Balliett and it was helped along in the 30s by Florence Campbell, and within the next few decades a wealth of literature was available to the public. Indeed, if you look at the past 90 years, it would seem that the science has moved very rapidly. But perhaps all of this was known at a much earlier time, and it was just hiding from us for a while.

and that came from:
McClain, Michael. "Numerology." Astrology-Numerology.com. 24 Oct. 2005 http://paganwiccan.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=paganwiccan&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.astrology-numerology.com%2Fnumerology.html.

In standard addition, you add 7+8=15 for the correct answer. In Numerology, this is not enough: it uses a further method of addition known as the "Fadic" system, or "natural addition."
This simply means you keep adding two or more numbers together until you arrive at one single digit. Taking our example of 7+8, 7 and 8 adds up to 15, but in Numerology you add 1+5, for a final answer of 6. You must then know what each number from 1 to 9 represents.

"History of Numerology." Numerology Guide. 24 Oct. 2005 http://www.numerology-guide.com/history_of_numerology.htm.

so with my name, m+a+y+a= 13+1+25+1=40 so 4+0=4
so 4 means (if i'm doing this right, it's just for show really, I don't really know how to add things up or analyze. It just gives you an idea of how people use numerology with their names and birthdays and such.)

4 - PRACTICAL
Traits:application, determination, serious BUILDER, doer, manager, traditional
The number 4 symbolizes the principle of putting ideas into form. It signifies work and productivity. The 4 is constructive, realistic, traditional and cautious. It is the number of system, order, and management.
Gifts: Concentration, realistic values, system
Challenges: Rigidity, too cautious, limited viewpoint
Personal Goal: Accomplishment, security
Fears: Sudden change, deprivation, loss
Succeeds as: Earth scientist, business owner, developer, lawyer, administrator, office worker, body worker

"Meanings of Numbers." Numerology Guide. 24 Oct. 2005 http://www.numerology-guide.com/numerology_number_meanings.htm.

ok some of these are from the same site (like organization), but different pages, so do I need a different citations?

I guess I don't know if that's like me but anyway:

The New Testament writers symbolically applied all the basic numbers to express their ideas, but made more references to specific numbers relating to the seven-fold human body, to the divine potential of the human mind and soul and to spiritual destiny.

hmm... numerology in the bible, who woulda thought
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
"Biblical Numerology." Numerology Guide. 24 Oct. 2005 http://www.numerology-guide.com/biblical_numerology.htm.

okay this is getting really long and I doubt if anyone is reading it, but if you are it is pretty interesting huh?

oh I did that thing earlier wrong if you want to find out what your name means go to this site and learn how to do numerolgy with 3 simple steps :) its in the citation:

"Introduction to Numerology." Astrology-Numerology.com. 24 Oct. 2005 http://paganwiccan.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=paganwiccan&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.astrology-numerology.com%2Fnumerology.html.

check it out here like that link, it's cool huh? and have fun finding out about numerology, leave me a comment and tell me how cool you think it is. ♥

and for me here is ms.goode's link click here

What a day.

So, so, so, today has so far been really boring (I mean except Ms. Goode's class), but luckily I have alot of exciting things coming up so this boredom will not last. Yeah! i have halloween, homecoming, spirit week, and Romeo and Juliet and I love feild trips!!!!! So, I am going to make the best of today though, because I only have one more track practice in CC so yeah!! Those things are so hard, we had one yesterday. I did pretty well though. Anyway, I am excited about spirit week and getting dressed up every day. That will be so much fun. Especially dressing up with my friends at color guard. I went to the thrift store yeaterday to get my halloween costume and I found everything I neede like right there. It was so lucky, even though it wasn't half off day so it cost more money, even though that money was my moms. Well, blogs are probably the coolest things around. I used to have one, but then I gave up on it. Anyway. I totally love fall and everythinga bout it. The weather, halloween, that's what got me thinking about how halloweeen came about that got me thinking about numerology (weird I know). I just think stuff like that is really cool. For my research I will probaly use the internet and books, but if I could find someone who knew abou it, that would be sooooo cool. I would love to talk to someone who studies it. Anyways, now I am going to go explore everyone else's blog.
leave me a comm,
maya