ConfiBlog

This week marks the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan.

The first part of your assignment for this week is to give a BRIEF description of what happens during Ramadan, and what significance Ramadan has to the followers of Islam. You may find the following link helpful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

The second part of the assignment is to consider, as Islam and Christianity are related faiths, if there is a Christian holiday or season that is in some way similar to Ramadan, and state how so.

In your assigned reading for this week from Martin Luther’s sermon “How Christians Should Regard Moses” you read that Martin Luther believes that the 10 commandments do not apply to Christians, and that Christians are not bound by the 10 commandments. Yet Luther also included the 10 commandments in the small Catechism, and suggests in this sermon that Christians should keep the commandments.

The first part of your assignment for this week is to explain Martin Luther’s reasoning. Why does Luther think that the commandments are important if he also thinks that the commandments do not apply to Christians?

The second part of the assignment has to do with the contemporary fight in America over the placement of copies of the 10 commandments in public places. Many people who identify themselves as Christians, feel that the 10 commandments should be placed in a variety of public places like court rooms, libraries, and public parks for example. If, as Martin Luther suggests, Christians are not bound by the commandments, why then would Christians advocate for the public display of the commandments, particularly in places where non-Christians would encounter them?

Last week a gunman entered an Amish schoolhouse and shot 10 young Amish girls, killing at least 5 of them, before killing himself.

The almost immediate response from the Amish community was to forgive the shooter for his actions, and more recently members of the Amish community have been seen grieving the loss of the gunman, and comforting his family.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/04/amish.shooting/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/07/amish.mourners.ap/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/06/amish.funeral.ap/index.html

Your assignment for this week, using as many (or as few) resources as you like – including your bible – is to explain why the way the Amish community has responded is or is not the proper Christian response to such a tragedy. You should be prepared to support your position, and provide attribution if you quote outside sources.

You may, as a part of your answer, wish to compare and contrast the way the Amish have responded with the way that President Bush, who also describes himself as a Christian, has responded to the senseless acts of violence that have taken place during his term in office, and explain how his response has or has not been the proper Christian response.

Describe one problem you see within your local community (Jo-Davies County, your school, your group of friends or similar) AND describe one way in which the church (either as an institution or as individuals) can work to help correct that problem.

Be specific.