e n g l i s h 9 0 5

Final Exam

2009-07-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

Directions:
You will do a close read of one of the following eight spiritually-themed poems. You have two options for this exam: A) Do an explication from one of the sets of lines I have provided below (Note —“Atheist” by Yip Harburg is offered in its entirety), B) You choose any four lines from one of the eight poems. Again, your focus will only be on only four lines of a poem.

Find a sample explication here. Find more information on poetry explications here.

***

“God Says Yes To Me” by Kaylin Haught
Sweetcakes God said
who knows where she picked that up
what I'm telling you is
Yes Yes Yes

“Mother's Evening Prayer” by Mary Eddy Baker
O gentle presence, peace and joy and power;
O Life divine, that owns each waiting hour,
Thou Love that guards the nestling's faltering flight!
Keep Thou my child on upward wing tonight.

“Atheist” by Yip Harburg
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only god can make a tree;

And only god who makes the tree
Also makes the fools like me.

But only fools like me, you see,
Can make a god who makes a tree.

“Aubade” by Philip Larkin
Most things may never happen: this one will,
And realisation of it rages out
In furnace-fear when we are caught without
People or drink. Courage is no good:

"Before the Birth of One of Her Children" by Anne Bradstreet
And when thou feel'st no grief, as I no harmes,
Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms,
And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains
Look to my little babes, my dear remains.

“Written in Disgust of Vulgar Superstition” by John Keats
The church bells toll a melancholy round,
Calling the people to some other prayers,
Some other gloominess, more dreadful cares,
More harkening to the sermon's horrid sound.

“Within this Earthen Vessel” by Kabir
Within this vessel are the seven oceans and the unnumbered stars.
The touchstone and the jewel-appraiser are within;
and within this vessel the Eternal soundeth,
and the spring wells up.

“Prayer” by Henry David Thoreau
Great God, I ask for no meaner pelf
Than that I may not disappoint myself,
That in my action I may soar as high
As I can now discern with this clear eye.

Solar Eclipse Pits Superstition Against Science

2009-07-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

By Phil Hazlewood
Sun Jul 19, 10:23 pm ET

MUMBAI (AFP) – Indian astrologers are predicting violence and turmoil across the world as a result of this week's total solar eclipse, which the superstitious and religious view as a sign of potential doom.

But astronomers, scientists and secularists are trying to play down claims of evil portent in connection with Wednesday's natural spectacle, when the moon will come between the Earth and the sun, completely obscuring the sun.

In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to "swallow" the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its life-giving light and causing food to become inedible and water undrinkable.

Pregnant women are advised to stay indoors to prevent their babies developing birth defects, while prayers, fasting and ritual bathing, particularly in holy rivers, are encouraged.

Shivani Sachdev Gour, a gynaecologist at the Fortis Hospital in New Delhi, said a number of expectant mothers scheduled for caesarian deliveries on July 22 had asked to change the date.

"This is a belief deeply rooted in Indian society. Couples are willing to do anything to ensure that the baby is not born on that day," Gour said.

Astrologers have predicted a rise in communal and regional violence in the days following the eclipse, particularly in India, China and other Southeast Asian nations where it can be seen on Wednesday morning.

Mumbai astrologer Raj Kumar Sharma predicted "some sort of attack by (Kashmiri separatists) Jaish-e-Mohammad or Al-Qaeda on Indian soil" and a devastating natural disaster in Southeast Asia.

An Indian political leader could be killed, he said, and tension between the West and Iran is likely to increase, escalating into possible US military action after September 9, when fiery Saturn moves from Leo into Virgo.

"The last 200 years, whenever Saturn has gone into Virgo there has been either a world war or a mini world war," he told AFP.

It is not just in India that some are uneasy about what will transpire because of the eclipse.

In ancient China they were often associated with disasters, the death of an emperor or other dark events, and similar superstitions persist.

"The probability for unrest or war to take place in years when a solar eclipse happens is 95 percent," announced an article that attracted a lot of hits on the popular Chinese web portal Baidu.com.

Sanal Edamaruku, president of the Indian Rationalist Association, dismissed such doomsday predictions.

"Primarily, what we see with all these soothsayers and astrologers is that they're looking for opportunities to enhance their business with predictions of danger and calamity," he told AFP.

"They have been very powerful in India but over the last decade they have been in systematic decline."

Astronomers and scientists are also working to educate the public about the eclipse.

Travel firm Cox and Kings has chartered a Boeing 737-700 aircraft to give people the chance to see the eclipse from 41,000 feet (12,500 metres).

Experts will be on board to explain it to passengers, some of whom have paid 79,000 rupees (1,600 dollars) for a "sun-side" seat on the three-hour flight from New Delhi.

The eclipse's shadow is expected to pass over the aircraft at 15 times the speed of sound (Mach 15), said Ajay Talwar, president of the SPACE Group of companies that promotes science and astronomy.

"It's coming in the middle of the monsoon season. On the ground, there's a 40 percent chance of seeing it in India. On the aircraft you have almost a 90 percent chance of seeing the eclipse," he added.

Siva Prasad Tata, who runs the Astro Jyoti website, straddles the two worlds.

"There's no need to get too alarmed about the eclipse, they are a natural phenomenon," the astrologer told AFP.

But he added: "During the period of the eclipse, the opposite attracting forces are very, very powerful. From a spiritual point of view, this is a wonderful time to do any type of worship.

"It will bring about good results, much more than on an ordinary day."

Week 6

2009-07-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

Note: Three day week—No class Thursday

M 7.20
Class: Final exam prep (poetry explication); (Remaining ) Presentations
Due: Persuasive outline

T 7.21
Lab: Final exam (Poetry explication), (Remaining ) Presentations

W 7.22
Class: Course review; Evaluations

Episcopal Bishops Can Bless Gay Unions

2009-07-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

Approved Compromise Measure Stops Short of Creating Liturgical Rites

By William Wan, Washington Post
Saturday, July 18, 2009

Episcopal Church officials voted yesterday to allow bishops the latitude to bless same-sex unions -- the second vote this week in favor of gay rights and one that may further divide the worldwide Anglican community.

On the last day of the church's triennial national convention in Anaheim, Calif., officials stopped short of creating liturgical rites to bless same-sex unions, but approved a compromise measure that allows bishops, especially in states where same-sex unions are legal, to bless the relationships. The key portion of the legislation says bishops "may provide generous pastoral response" for such unions.

The vote came three days after the church passed a resolution allowing for the ordination of gay bishops. Both moves have prompted strong reactions among the larger worldwide Anglican Church, of which the Episcopal Church is a part.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the preeminent Anglican clergyman, had asked the Episcopalians before the convention not to take up issues that would further divide the church. This week, the influential bishop of Durham, England, wrote an essay describing the ongoing crisis as "a slow-moving train crash" and the most recent actions of the Episcopal Church as marking "a clear break with the rest of the Anglican Communion."

Meanwhile, gay rights advocates said this week's victories lay the groundwork for future moves. The resolution included a call for bishops to "collect and develop theological and liturgical resources" on same-sex unions to report to the next convention. Three years from now, they may consider creating a standard liturgy for same-sex unions with the eventual goal of including a rite for gay marriage in the church's prayer book.

Mike Angell, who is studying to become an Episcopal priest at the Virginia Theological Seminary, said yesterday's decision comes as a relief. "I have a number of friends -- straight and gay -- who requested me to perform their weddings once I'm ordained," said Angell, who believes in equality for gay parishioners. "I would have felt limited and compromised blessing hetero couples but not gay couples. It's an issue of justice."

The church's recent moves could also have a wider influence on denominations that are watching how the issue of homosexual clergy and marriage plays out among Episcopalians.

"These actions could show other denominations that progress can be made without destroying the church," said Harry Knox, religion and faith director at the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights group.

But some believe the recent moves have come at a cost. A number of parishes and dioceses have left the 2.3 million-member Episcopal Church and affiliated with overseas branches of the Anglican Communion. Last month, some conservatives who left the Episcopal Church over issues of Scripture and sexuality formed the Anglican Church in North America.

The Rev. John Sheehan, who leads the Church of Our Redeemer in Loudoun County, said his congregation decided three years ago not to leave the Episcopal Church even as several other similarly conservative churches in Northern Virginia decided to split.

"Now that the convention is over, we need to see what impact all this will have on us as a parish," he said yesterday. "This is something we'll talk over."

Assignment: Persuasive Essay Outline

2009-07-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

For this assignment, you will not write an essay, but construct a detailed outline. Though it is not an essay, your goal is still to persuade your reader of your position.

Prompt:
In Chapter 12 of Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller takes traditional Christian churches to task for being too negligent of certain segments of society (e.g. "liberals and homosexuals"). He argues that these churches have neglected these people to their own detriment. Miller also points out that his own church has been successful in attracting people from various walks of life.

Indeed, many critics believe that churches have been too narrow in their search for members, and that as a result, some populations feel left out of the religious experience. What can churches do to expand their bases in traditionally unreligious communities? In a persuasive outline, layout a concise argument for how you believe churches could better reach out to "untraditional" segments of society. Use specific examples from the book to support your thesis.

Though your outline can take any form (e.g. Roman numeral), however it must still contain a thesis and be detailed, specifying evidence (e.g. quotes from the book).

You can find examples of essay outlines here , and here.

Due: Monday, July 20th

Explore Japanese Culture at Buddhist Festival in Mountain View

2009-07-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

By Diana Samuels, Daily News
Posted: 07/16/2009 12:24:25 AM

The Mountain View Buddhist Temple will host its annual Obon Festival & Bazaar this weekend, an event that typically attracts thousands of people to sample food, watch dance and drum performances, and learn about other elements of Japanese culture.

Its organizers describe the event — held annually for more than 50 years to celebrate the Buddhist midsummer holiday of Obon — as an "all-in-one festival" that includes activities "to satisfy all your senses." The temple will organize crafts and games for children and adults, and host flower and book shops.

"It's just a fun place to be," said festival co-chairman Mel Inouye, who is organizing the event along with co-chairman Bryan Nishimoto.

The festival will be held Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free and parking is available on the temple's grounds at 575 N. Shoreline Blvd.

Obon originated as a holiday for Buddhists to honor and remember their ancestors, and the temple held an Obon and Hatsubon Service on July 5 to honor loved ones who died in the preceding year.

At this weekend's festival, Japanese Taiko drummers will perform at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, and at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. On Sunday at 7 p.m., roughly 400 dancers will perform Japanese folk dances, called "bon odori."

Also on Sunday, children can participate in hands-on activities including flower arranging and origami.

For more information: www.mvbuddhisttemple.org.

Pope Gives Harry Potter Film His Blessing

2009-07-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

The Vatican has given a nod of approval to the latest Harry Potter film, saying it made clear that good would triumph in a battle with evil.

Tuesday July 14, 2009
SkyNews

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince arrives in cinemas on Wednesday and is the sixth installment in the fantasy series about the boy wizard and his Hogwarts school friends.

The official newspaper of the Vatical City - which is ruled by the Pope - said it was the best adaptation yet of JK Rowling's hit novels.

L'Osservatore Romano said the film's treatment of adolescent love achieved the "correct balance" and made the story more credible to the general audience.

However, the paper criticised JK Rowling for failing to make any explicit "reference to the transcendent" in her books.

Nevertheless, L'Osservatore said the latest installment made clear that good should overcome evil - a fight that sometimes "requires costs and sacrifice".

"In addition, the fitful search for immortality epitomised by Voldemort is stigmatised," the review said.

The Vatican's praise follows the sharp criticism of the Harry Potter series by a conservative Austrian priest at the centre of a church crisis earlier this year.

The Rev. Gerhard Maria Wagner claimed Harry Potter novels help spread satanism, while other Christian groups have argued that the books promote witchcraft and dark arts.

Many churches, however, see the message of good versus evil as being in line with teachings of Christian morality.

Spiritual Poetry for Week 5

2009-07-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

“God Says Yes To Me” by Kaylin Haught
I asked God if it was okay to be melodramatic
and she said yes
I asked her if it was okay to be short
and she said it sure is
I asked her if I could wear nail polish
or not wear nail polish
and she said honey
she calls me that sometimes
she said you can do just exactly
what you want to
Thanks God I said
And is it even okay if I don't paragraph
my letters
Sweetcakes God said
who knows where she picked that up
what I'm telling you is
Yes Yes Yes

“Mother's Evening Prayer” by Mary Eddy Baker
O gentle presence, peace and joy and power;
O Life divine, that owns each waiting hour,
Thou Love that guards the nestling's faltering flight!
Keep Thou my child on upward wing tonight.
Love is our refuge; only with mine eye
Can I behold the snare, the pit, the fall:
His habitation high is here, and nigh,
His arm encircles me, and mine, and all.
O make me glad for every scalding tear,
For hope deferred, ingratitude, disdain!
Wait, and love more for every hate, and fear
No ill, — since God is good, and loss is gain.
Beneath the shadow of His mighty wing;
In that sweet secret of the narrow way,
Seeking and finding, with the angels sing:
"Lo, I am with you alway," — watch and pray.
No snare, no fowler, pestilence or pain;
No night drops down upon the troubled breast,
When heaven's aftersmile earth's tear-drops gain,
And mother finds her home and heav'nly rest.

“Atheist” by Yip Harburg
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only god can make a tree;

And only god who makes the tree
Also makes the fools like me.

But only fools like me, you see,
Can make a god who makes a tree.

“Aubade” by Philip Larkin
I work all day, and get half-drunk at night.
Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare.
In time the curtain-edges will grow light.
Till then I see what's really always there:
Unresting death, a whole day nearer now,
Making all thought impossible but how
And where and when I shall myself die.
Arid interrogation: yet the dread
Of dying, and being dead,
Flashes afresh to hold and horrify.

The mind blanks at the glare. Not in remorse
- The good not done, the love not given, time
Torn off unused - nor wretchedly because
An only life can take so long to climb
Clear of its wrong beginnings, and may never;
But at the total emptiness for ever,
The sure extinction that we travel to
And shall be lost in always. Not to be here,
Not to be anywhere,
And soon; nothing more terrible, nothing more true.

This is a special way of being afraid
No trick dispels. Religion used to try,
That vast, moth-eaten musical brocade
Created to pretend we never die,
And specious stuff that says No rational being
Can fear a thing it will not feel, not seeing
That this is what we fear - no sight, no sound,
No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with,
Nothing to love or link with,
The anasthetic from which none come round.

And so it stays just on the edge of vision,
A small, unfocused blur, a standing chill
That slows each impulse down to indecision.
Most things may never happen: this one will,
And realisation of it rages out
In furnace-fear when we are caught without
People or drink. Courage is no good:
It means not scaring others. Being brave
Lets no one off the grave.
Death is no different whined at than withstood.

Slowly light strengthens, and the room takes shape.
It stands plain as a wardrobe, what we know,
Have always known, know that we can't escape,
Yet can't accept. One side will have to go.
Meanwhile telephones crouch, getting ready to ring
In locked-up offices, and all the uncaring
Intricate rented world begins to rouse.
The sky is white as clay, with no sun.
Work has to be done.
Postmen like doctors go from house to house.

"Before the Birth of One of Her Children" by Anne Bradstreet
All things within this fading world hath end,
Adversity doth still our joys attend;
No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,
But with death's parting blow are sure to meet.
The sentence past is most irrevocable,
A common thing, yet oh, inevitable.
How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend,
How soon't may be thy lot to lose thy friend,
We both are ignorant, yet love bids me
These farewell lines to recommend to thee,
That when the knot's untied that made us one,
I may seem thine, who in effect am none.
And if I see not half my days that's due,
What nature would, God grant to yours and you;
The many faults that well you know I have
Let be interred in my oblivious grave;
If any worth or virtue were in me,
Let that live freshly in thy memory
And when thou feel'st no grief, as I no harmes,
Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms,
And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains
Look to my little babes, my dear remains.
And if thou love thyself, or loved'st me,
These O protect from stepdame's injury.
And if chance to thine eyes shall bring this verse,
With some sad sighs honor my absent hearse;
And kiss this paper for thy dear love's sake,
Who with salt tears this last farewell did take.

“Written in Disgust of Vulgar Superstition” by John Keats
The church bells toll a melancholy round,
Calling the people to some other prayers,
Some other gloominess, more dreadful cares,
More harkening to the sermon's horrid sound.
Surely the mind of man is closely bound
In some black spell; seeing that each one tears
Himself from fireside joys, and Lydian airs,
And converse high of those with glory crown'd
Still, still they too, and I should feel a damp, -
A chill as from a tomb, did I not know
That they are dying like an outburnt lamp;
That 'tis their sighing, wailing ere they go
Into oblivion; - that fresh flowers will grow,
And many glories of immortal stamp.

“Within this Earthen Vessel” by Kabir
Within this earthen vessel are bowers and groves,
and within it is the Creator:
Within this vessel are the seven oceans and the unnumbered stars.
The touchstone and the jewel-appraiser are within;
and within this vessel the Eternal soundeth,
and the spring wells up.
Kabîr says: "Listen to me, my Friend!
My beloved Lord is within."

“Prayer” by Henry David Thoreau
Great God, I ask for no meaner pelf
Than that I may not disappoint myself,
That in my action I may soar as high
As I can now discern with this clear eye.
And next in value, which thy kindness lends,
That I may greatly disappoint my friends,
Howe'er they think or hope that it may be,
They may not dream how thou'st distinguished me.
That my weak hand may equal my firm faith
And my life practice what my tongue saith
That my low conduct may not show
Nor my relenting lines
That I thy purpose did not know
Or overrated thy designs.

Can Mormons Enforce 'No Kissing' on Salt Lake City Plaza?

2009-07-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

USA Today, July 12, 2009

There was a protest with a twist on Sunday -- a smooch-fest on the headquarters grounds of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons).

The call went out this weekend on social media to "swarm" the Main Street Plaza in Salt Lake City. Despite its public sounding name, the plaza is owned by the Church, which sets rules for "appropriate" behavior, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

On Friday, a gay couple was strolling by the lovely gardened plaza in front of the Mormon Temple when Matt Aune gave his partner, Dereck Jones a peck on the cheek -- and got handcuffed and cited for trespassing and inappropriate behavior -- or something like that. No police reports have been made public yet, the newspaper says. The men also admit to responding to the citation with profanity so no one may wind up looking good in that scenario.

Sunday, kiss-in participants were asked to gather with paper hearts on their sleeves or across their faces on masks, to engage in "gentle" displays of public affection on church-owned Main Street Plaza or nearby public sidewalks, former Salt Lake City councilwoman Deeda Seed told the paper.

According to the Associated Press, gay and straight couples "exchanged small kisses and pecks at the plaza's south entrance" and those who strayed on to Church property were ushered off by police and Church security.

The Salt Lake Tribune has interesting background on the very public-looking priave plaza:

The kiss happened on a former public easement given up by city in 2003 in a controversial land-swap deal. The easement became private property, allowing the church to ban protesting, smoking, sunbathing and other "offensive, indecent, obscene, lewd or disorderly speech, dress or conduct," church officials said at the time. In exchange, the city got church property for a west-side community center.

Week 5

2009-07-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

T 7.14
Read: BLJ, pg. 103-240
Lab: Book discussion; Lecture—“The Art of Persuasion: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos”; Presentations

W 7.15
Read: eR—Selected poetry
Class: Poetry discussion; Lecture—“How to Do a Close Read”

Th 7.16
Read: eR—Selected poetry
Lab: Persuasive essay; Poetry discussion; Guest speaker: Carrielynn Headlter from The Church of Christ, Scientist
Journal 5 Assignment: For your final journal, consider the role spirituality can play in sexuality. Some religions seek a prominent role in the sexual lives of their followers, while others prefer to stand in the background? Do you believe there should be a role for religion in sex? Why or why not? Can religion enhance sexuality? Can it detract? Articles to assist you can be found here, here, and here.
Due: Journal 5

UPCOMING
Week 6
Note: Three day week—No class Thursday

M 7.20
Class: Final exam prep
Due: Poetry explication

T 7.21
Lab: Final Exam

W 7.22
Class: Course review; Evaluations

Controversy Surrounds Country's Largest Sikh Temple rising in San Jose

2009-07-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

By Lisa Fernandez, San Jose Mercury News
Posted: 07/10/2009 09:17:05 PM PDT

Perched high in the hills of San Jose stands the country's largest Sikh temple — its rippling water fountain and onion-shaped roof are poignant symbols of the spiritual heart of a vibrant immigrant community.

Now, the temple will become even bigger. Crews are building a 17,000-square-foot prayer hall, 12 classrooms, living quarters for temple priests and among the largest vegetarian kitchens in California. But behind the growing facade is an escalating controversy that has split the Sikh community and focused intense scrutiny on a one-time San Jose planning commissioner and twice-defeated City Council candidate who has staked his reputation on the controversial $18 million project.

Strolling through the sprawling compound on a recent morning, Bhupindar "Bob" Dhillon, remains undaunted.

"For Sikhs, this is the place where everything happens," said Dhillon, 67, the most powerful lay leader at the temple. "People take pride in building a nice temple. It shows how strong the community is.''

But as the new temple is being built, Dhillon and his camp are fending off claims of sloppy workmanship, financial secrecy, political back-stabbing, assault and suppression of speech. One temple elder accused a Dhillon ally of yanking his beard — a taboo in Sikh culture where hair is considered sacred — when he made an inquiry about temple donations. The battle at Sikh Gurdwara-San Jose has grown beyond typical church infighting— it's now a full-fledged battle over power and money.

At the center of it all is Dhillon, whom critics say saves his soft-spoken manner for guests but is quick to anger when questioned.

"He's intimidating and insulting," said Harbans Singh, 67, a temple member and pharmacology instructor. "I've been writing checks to the temple, and all of a sudden I realized that my money would be wasted. "... It's awful to have these dirty politics in a religious place."

Dhillon agrees about the dirty politics — only in this scenario, he's the victim.

"The people who were elected out want back in," he said of the temple board. "They're trying to create an impression on what a bad guy I am. They are either lying or nitpicking and blowing things out of proportion. I've always offered that if anyone else wants this responsibility, that I'll back down. No one wanted it."

A real estate investor who came to the United States in 1960 from Rajastan, India, Dhillon grew up on a cotton farm, the son of an attorney. He cites his experience as a former Realtor and homebuilder, coupled with degrees in industrial and business administration from San Jose State and Santa Clara universities, as ample credentials.

Despite his vocal detractors, Dhillon has a close circle of supporters, too. Pritam Singh Grewal, the temple "stage secretary" and a liquor store owner, is one of them.

A lack of trust

"He's a hardworking person," Grewal said. "And very honest. This temple is happening due to Bob."

But critics say they don't trust Dhillon's leadership on the new temple. And they point to what happened when he helped guide the first phase of construction on the Murillo Avenue temple, which opened in 2004. That project was supposed to cost $6 million, and ended up costing more than $10 million.

Hoping to prevent similar problems, six temple members hired Fremont attorney Mark Cohen to try to persuade Dhillon to turn over checks so the congregation can see exactly what subcontractors are being paid. Millions of dollars still need to be raised from the congregation to pay off the new construction.

Dhillon stands by his accountability: He said he's posted annual financial statements on the temple Web site and opposes calls for an independent audit because he argues that would cost extra money. He claims to have brought the temple's original price tag down from $40 million because of his connections.

As the camps bicker over motives and money, a few facts are clear.

Sloppy workmanship

The workmanship on the temple so far is sloppy. As two examples, metal studs were installed upside down and joists holding concrete floor slabs have been placed askew. Last month, crews were forced to yank out plumbing because they had laid the pipes down where a wall was supposed to go — something that wouldn't have happened with "highly trained journeymen," said San Jose building inspector supervisor Greg Rindfleisch. "They are not getting the type of work you'd get at Valley Fair or Santana Row. They're paying a primo price but getting pretty shoddy workmanship."

Rindfleisch was quick to add, however, that the city will ensure the building is safe.

"The work might not be pretty," he said, "but the building won't fall down."

Dhillon remains optimistic that the construction can be completed in six months.

His former project manager strongly disagrees.

"I told Bob, 'You have a train wreck on your hands,' " said Chris Rael Sr. of Bay Area Construction Management.

Dhillon fired Rael, 48, and his son, Chris Rael Jr., 25, on June 16 — just hours after the Raels spoke to the Mercury News about what they allege is Dhillon's mismanagement of the project and his unwillingness to hire skilled workers. It's also the day a portion of the site failed a city inspection. Dhillon said he didn't know the Raels had spoken with the Mercury News and fired them for "poor performance."

The following day, Dhillon appointed a 25-year-old San Jose State University construction management student as the new volunteer project manager. He called the student a "sharp guy," although he has no experience.

"All I need," Dhillon said, "is for someone to listen to me and do what I say."

Can You Believe in Evolution and Be a Christian?

2009-07-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

By Allen Epling, The Christian Post
July 10, 2009

If you want to get a Fundamentalist Christian riled up, just mention that you believe in Evolution. Immediately he will assume that: 1. you're not a Christian, 2. you don't' believe in God, and 3. you believe that all life is an accident of nature. How is it then that many faithful, believing Christians do believe in Evolution? To answer that, we have to first define what Evolution is.

It is a theory that was advanced 150 years ago by Charles Darwin in a book entitled "On the Origin of Species". Strangely enough, you will not find any reference in it to life happening by "accident", and you will not find that he states that man descended from monkeys. It seems that the "theory" of evolution has "evolved" into something different from the original concept as advanced by Darwin.

Though he confessed he was agnostic, Charles Darwin maintained to his death, his belief "that God was the ultimate lawgiver". The theories about how organic molecules in a soupy mixture of the early seas of Earth accidentally came together to form cells and DNA strands, are more a product of an overworked modern day imagination than the original Darwinian theory of Evolution. Such statements are based entirely on speculation and guesswork.

It is an idea that has never been achieved in the laboratory in any way except to create a few non-living organic chemicals, and is dependent strongly on the laws of probability. Even that argument is weak in mathematical circles.

Unfortunately, congregations are sometimes told from the pulpit that, "If you believe in evolution, you can't believe in God". Ask those pastors if they have read Darwin's "On the Origin of Species", and they most likely will say "no". They are certainly referring to the idea that life began by accident on Earth. This is an idea that they have either read in the newspaper or heard on the media.

So, what is the Theory of Evolution about anyway? The main idea behind the theory is that in order for an animal to survive it must have some quality that helps it to survive. By surviving, that quality is passed on to future generations. If an animal doesn't have that quality it is more likely to die early, and as a result, its genes die with it. The next generation will then have more of the quality that aided survival than the last. It's a simple idea that we see performed every day manually by horse and cattle breeders through selective breeding. It is true that some changes will occur given enough time, in a species that will aid it to survive. We have seen that happen with Gypsy Moths in England and the effect pollution had on that species. It's the part about life itself that bothers me.

I can understand how humans in isolation can change through adaptation. That's why we have different races. What is a mystery to me is the underlying complexity at the simplest level of life itself, the cell. I can believe that skin pigment can change due to sunlight changes, what I can't comprehend is how a single cell can have so much going on inside it by accident.

When geneticists examine life at that level the complexity climbs asymptotically. Every single cell is a miniature city of factories that produce hundreds of compounds that the body needs to stay alive. This is a different level of complexity from the normal argument of atheists and scientists that wings developed because some animals jumped from tree to tree and survived.

We are on the threshold of constructing machines so tiny as to be molecular in size. The technology of a cell is light years beyond that. If we can't even understand it, how can we dare to pretend to explain it?

The standard argument is that time is the factor here, that given the billion or so years life has been on this planet, things just came together. Most people accept that because they can't comprehend how much a billion years is anyway. I have a mathematics background and I know very well how long it is. I also studied probability in college, and I still find it hard to believe that the level of complexity that I see in the DNA code, the mechanism in the cell to "read" it, and the extreme ability of a cell to go in hundreds of different directions according to the code embedded in it, could happen by chance, even in 10 billion years. We can't even determine why stem cells work.

As a computer knowledgeable person I also know firsthand how complex computer "machine" code can be, and I don't accept that raw elements could produce anything resembling a computer in a trillion years. If we go to Mars and find computers lying on the ground everywhere, I may change my mind. An analogy I like to use is, what are the odds of going to another planet and finding a computer chip "made by Intel" just lying on the surface. Will someone say that in the 4 billion years of development, the elements just came together to produce it?

Any geneticist can confirm that making a single cell that lives and reproduces, is 99 percent of the work of making a complex animal. The DNA of the simplest organism on the planet is very similar to our own. Everything else is just "cosmetic".

After the first cell, the rest was adaptation. It is that first part, the part that scientists say happened about a billion years ago when the first cell formed, that is hardest to understand. It had to have DNA almost as complex as ours is today, to live and reproduce. The mechanism to read it and produce enzymes had to already be formed.

If it takes several billion dollars and tens of years of study for humans to just begin to understand a single strand of DNA, how long will it take us to understand fully how it all works together? Understanding is the easy part compared to "designing" the cell. How could nature do it by accident without help? Anyone who has seen computer code, understands the complexity involved, just in the code, let alone the process of "interpreting" of the code.

These are the arguments that allow me to accept that Evolution is a real process in nature, but that it could not have begun by accident without some form of design or blueprint. There are other arguments, such as the development of complex body parts, but I find sufficient evidence in the supposedly "simplest" form of life, to convince me that there is intelligence and design at work, helping nature to do its job. As a person with a mathematics and probability background, I cannot see how something so complex as a 'simple' cell could develop by accident in a hundred billion years.

The answer to the first question posed in this paper is "yes, you can be a Christian and believe in Evolution", but to do so you must know what you mean by "Evolution". Evolution to me is just another of God's processes by which he created all that we see today. To believe in Evolution doesn't necessarily mean "life by accident". In other words, study the process and know what you are talking about instead of accepting what "the media" thinks it is.

Christian Group Wants Cities to Ban 'Bruno'

2009-07-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

By Jessany Brown & Eva-Marie Ayala, McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Fri, Jul. 10, 2009

A pro-family group is calling on cities to ban screenings of "Bruno" because it says the movie is offensive and loaded with inappropriate sexual content.

"It's a pretty vile movie. The word I would use is `perverse,'" said Ted Baehr, publisher of Movieguide, which reviews movies, videos and television shows from a biblical perspective.

In "Bruno," Sacha Baron Cohen - he of "Borat" fame - plays a flamboyantly gay television host who moves to Los Angeles to become "the biggest Austrian star since Hitler." Many scenes depict a variety of sex acts.

Movieguide sent letters asking that officials watch the movie and "determine whether it should be banned because it does not fit the community standards in their area, as defined by U.S. Supreme Court rulings on obscenity and pornography," according to a news release.

Officials in the Texas cities of Arlington, Fort Worth and Southlake said they had not received complaints about the movie, which began showing in theaters Friday.

"It's a First Amendment issue," said Bill Begley, a spokesman for Fort Worth. "If we got calls of complaints about it, we'd have a right to take a look at it to see if it is obscene under the law."

The law says that if material is deemed obscene, action can be taken against the person showing it, said Paul Collins, assistant professor of political science at the University of North Texas in Denton.

"If local communities determined that they felt the movie was obscene, they could take steps to block it," Collins said. "It rarely happens. With an R rating, I think it would be an incredibly difficult hill to climb."

Jeremy Devine, vice president of marketing for the Dallas-based Rave Motion Pictures theaters, said the company has not been contacted about discontinuing the film.

"It is a rated-R film, so adults can choose to see it or not see it," he said.

Of about a dozen people watching a midday showing Friday at Rave Motion Pictures in Hurst, Texas, four left before it was finished.

The film includes frontal nudity of men and woman - all too graphic for viewers Elmer Phan, 20, and Hien Nguyen, 20, both of North Richland Hills, Texas.

"It's a little much," Phan said. "I wasn't offended; it was just a little too much. No other movie has taken it that far."

The movie should be rated NC-17, Baehr said.

"We are not expecting people to show up with signs," Baehr said. "... We are telling people to be careful and not go see it."

Week 4

2009-07-05T00:34:00.000-07:00

M 7.6
Class: Writer's workshop
Due: Literature analysis essay (bring three copies)

T 7.7
Read: BLJ, pg. 1-36
Lab: Book discussion; Presentations
Due: Literature analysis essay (final draft)

W 7.8
Read: BLJ, pg. 37-78
Class: Book discussion; Watch—“God's Close-Up” from This American Life

Th 7.9
Read: BLJ, pg. 79-102
Lab: Book discussion; Presentations; Guest speaker (TBA)
Journal 4 Assignment: Choose an article from the San Francisco Chronicle's "Finding My Religion" column by David Ian Miller (look for it under "Spirituality Resources" in the left sidebar), then write about your reaction to it. For example, what did you learn? What surprised you? What does the article tell us religion today? Also, feel free to use the article as the basis for a discussion about your own personal experiences.
Due: Journal 4

Turkish TV Gameshow Looks to Convert Atheists

2009-07-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

By Daren Butler, Fri July 3rd, 2009

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - What happens when you put a Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a rabbi and a Buddhist monk in a room with 10 atheists?

Turkish television station Kanal T hopes the answer is a ratings success as it prepares to launch a gameshow where spiritual guides from the four faiths will seek to convert a group of non-believers.

The prize for converts will be a pilgrimage to a holy site of their chosen religion -- Mecca for Muslims, the Vatican for Christians, Jerusalem for Jews and Tibet for Buddhists.

But religious authorities in Muslim but secular Turkey are not amused by the twist on the popular reality game show format and the Religious Affairs Directorate is refusing to provide an imam for the show.

"Doing something like this for the sake of ratings is disrespectful to all religions. Religion should not be a subject for entertainment programs," High Board of Religious Affairs Chairman Hamza Aktan told state news agency Anatolian after news of the planned program emerged.

The makers of "Penitents Compete" are unrepentant and reject claims that the show, scheduled to begin broadcasting in September, will cheapen religion.

"We are giving the biggest prize in the world, the gift of belief in God," Kanal T chief executive Seyhan Soylu told Reuters.

"We don't approve of anyone being an atheist. God is great and it doesn't matter which religion you believe in. The important thing is to believe," Soylu said.

The project focuses attention on the issue of religious identity in European Union-candidate Turkey, where rights groups have raised concerns over freedom of religion for non-Muslim minorities.

Detractors of the ruling AK Party government, which is rooted in political Islam but officially secular, accuse it of having a hidden Islamist agenda, a charge it denies.

Some 200 people have so far applied to take part in the show and the 10 contestants will be chosen next month.

A team of theologians will ensure that the atheists are truly non-believers and are not just seeking fame or a free holiday.

Julia Sweeney's Letting Go of God

2009-06-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

Part I here.
Part II here.

Track list:

Part I-

There is no Santa Claus
The Mormon boys arrive
My religious history in a nutshell
I wish I were a nun
I rededicate myself to the Church: The O.T.
Sodom & Gomorrah: Abraham & Issac
The Ten Commandments
The New Testament
St. Paul & the Book of Revelation
Psychologically true
Jesus suffered, But so did a lot of people
Father Tom blesses me & I get out of there
I begin to drift east, spiritually speaking
God is nature: The Galapagos
Sister Charatina's Theory of Evolution & God is not nature

Part II-

God is love
Deepak
I'm becoming so cantankerous!
How the mind works
Intelligent design
What if it's true?
Good-bye to God
So, I'm just another animal
Mom & Dad freak
Mulan arrives and Dad is sick
A funeral
More Mormon boys

Paleontologists Brought to Tears, Laughter by Creation Museum

2009-06-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

By Britt Kennerly, AFP – 6/30/09

Petersburg, Kentucky —

For a group of paleontologists, a tour of the Creation Museum seemed like a great tongue-in-cheek way to cap off a serious conference.

But while there were a few laughs and some clowning for the camera, most left more offended than amused by the frightening way in which evolution -- and their life's work -- was attacked.

"It's sort of a monument to scientific illiteracy, isn't it?" said Jerry Lipps, professor of geology, paleontology and evolution at University of California, Berkeley.

"Like Sunday school with statues... this is a special brand of religion here. I don't think even most mainstream Christians would believe in this interpretation of Earth's history."

The 27 million dollar, 70,000-square-foot (6,500-square-metre) museum which has been dubbed a "creationist Disneyland" has attracted 715,000 visitors since it opened in mid-2007 with a vow to "bring the pages of the Bible to life."

Its presents a literal interpretation of the Bible and argues that believing otherwise leads to moral relativism and the destruction of social values.

Creationism is a theory not supported by most mainstream Christian churches.

Lisa Park of the University of Akron cried at one point as she walked a hallway full of flashing images of war, famine and natural disasters which the museum blames on belief in evolution.

"I think it's very bad science and even worse theology -- and the theology is far more offensive to me," said Park, a professor of paleontology who is an elder in the Presbyterian Church.

"I think there's a lot of focus on fear, and I don't think that's a very Christian message... I find it a malicious manipulation of the public."

Phil Jardine posed for a picture below a towering, toothy dinosaur display.

The museum argues that the fossil record has been misinterpreted and that Tyrannosaurus rex was a vegetarian before Adam and Eve bit into that sin-inducing apple.

Jardine, a palaeobiologist graduate student from the University of Birmingham, was having fun on the tour, but told a reporter that he was disturbed by the museum's cartoonish portrayal of scientists and teachers.

"I feel very sorry for teachers when the children who come here start guessing if what they're being taught is wrong," Jardine said.

Arnie Miller, a palentologist at the University of Cincinnati who was chairman of the convention, said he hoped the tour would introduce the scientists to "the lay of the land" and show them firsthand what's being put forth in a place that has elicited vehement criticism from the scientific community.

"I think in some cases, people were surprised by the physical quality of the exhibits, but needless to say, they were unhappy with things that are inaccurately portrayed," he said.

"And there was a feeling of unhappiness, too, about the extent to which mainstream scientists and evolutionists are demonized -- that if you don't accept the Answers in Genesis vision of the history of Earth and life, you're contributing to the ills of society and of the church."

Daryl Domning, professor of anatomy at Howard University, held his chin and shook his head at several points during the tour.

"This bothers me as a scientist and as a Christian, because it's just as much a distortion and misrepresentation of Christianity as it is of science," he said.

"It's not your old-time religion by any means."

Kentucky Pastor Welcomes Guns, Their Owners, to Church

2009-06-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

Louisville, Kentucky (AP) —

For one day, at least, it was OK to pack heat in church.

More than 200 people answered gun-toting Pastor Ken Pagano's call to celebrate the Second Amendment at New Bethel Church in Louisville on Saturday. There was just one rule for the several dozen who brought their guns along: No bullets.

"We are wanting to send a message that there are legal, civil, intelligent and law-abiding citizens who also own guns," Pagano said during the 90-minute event, which was open to the public. "If it were not for a deep-seated belief in the right to bear arms, this country would not be here today," he told the crowd, drawing hearty applause and exclamations of "Amen!"

The "Open Carry Celebration" included a handgun raffle, patriotic music and screening of gun safety videos. Some gun owners carried old-fashioned six-shooters in leather holsters, while others packed modern police-style firearms. Kentucky allows residents to openly carry guns in public with some restrictions.

"I just believe in the right to protect ourselves," said Liz Boyer, who had a bright pink Glock in a black holster at her side. The 41-year-old isn't a member of the church but teaches a class on gun safety for women at a local range.

Brittany Rogers, 23, feared guns as a child. But her fiance encouraged her to go sport shooting with him about a year ago, and she said she has been hooked ever since. On Saturday, she brought her tiny Kel-Tec P-32 to church.

"It was a fear of the unknown," Rogers said, "but now I love it."

Pagano's Protestant church, which attracts up to 150 people to Sunday services in a conservative neighborhood of southwest Louisville, belongs to the Assemblies of God. He thought up the event after some church members expressed concern about the Obama administration's views on gun control, though the president hasn't moved to put new restrictions on ownership.

Across town, a coalition of peace and church groups concerned about Pagano's appeal to gun owners staged their own gun-free event.

"I think when people first learned about this invitation to wear guns to church, many people were deeply troubled," said Terry Taylor, one of the organizers. "The idea of wearing guns to churches or any sacred space I think many people find deeply troubling."

Pagano's event also troubled his church's longtime insurance carrier, which declined to insure the event and informed him it won't renew the policy. He found a new carrier at a cost of $700 for the day, but guns had to be unloaded.

Despite that snag, he said the event went off without a hitch. Asked what type of gun he himself was carrying, he smiled and touched a bulge on his hip.

"Cellphone," he said.

Assignment: Literature Analysis Essay

2009-06-30T00:27:00.000-07:00

Prompt:
Throughout The Rapture of Canaan, people or things are consistently bound. For example, Grandpa Herman and the Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind make it their primary goal to bind different aspects of the community together, including Ninah and James. Explore three examples of boundness, either literally or figuratively, in The Rapture of Canaan. Use specific examples from the novel to support your thesis.

Requirements:

MLA format, including parenthetical citation
2.5 pages minimum

Due: Monday the 6th—Draft 1 (bring three copies); Tuesday the 7th—Final draft

Week 3

2009-06-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

M 6.29
Read: RC, pg. 251-273
Class: Book discussion; presentations: Mariela T. (Catholic Molestation Scandals); Preview—Comparative analysis essay (Midterm); Watch—“Muslims and America” from 30 Days

T 6.30
Read: RC, pg. 274-317
Lab: Book discussion; Presentations: Jospeh V. (Transubstantiation), Ann Y. (Conservatives and the Morning After Pill), Stephanie R. (The Gnostic Gospels); Preview—Literature analysis essay

W 7.1
Listen to/Read: LGG, 0:00-1:00; Excerpt from Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Class: Monologue and short story discussion; Presentations: Alex T. (Scientology vs. Anonymous), Freddy P. (Corporal Mortification)

Th 7.2
Listen to: LGG, 1:00-2:06:30
Lab: Comparative analysis essay (Midterm); Guest speaker: Tim Buchanan, Christian youth worker
Journal 3 Assignment: Open topic—Write about whatever spirituality-themed subject you like.
Due: Journal 3

Pastor Defends Video of Exorcism of Gay Man

2009-06-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

(Warning: Video may be disturbing)

Fri Jun 26, 2009 1:57pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - A U.S. pastor defended a video posted on YouTube of an exorcism of a gay man, saying the Manifested Glory Ministries church does not hate gay people, it just does not believe in their lifestyle.

The video, which has sparked outrage among gay rights advocates, shows a young man writhing around on the floor at the Stamford, Connecticut, church.

The video, which was taken six or seven months ago, has been removed from the website. It is not clear who posted it.

Pastor Patricia McKinney said the man told the church "he did not want to live this way."

"Every Sunday we call people up to the altar who want to be delivered from any spirit that causes them to not be able to function," she told the CNN television network. "We were just beginning to worship the Lord and all of a sudden he hit the floor."

She described the unnamed man as very religious and spiritual.

"Manifested Glory Ministries is not against homosexuality. We do not hate them. We do not come up against them. We do just not believe in their lifestyle," McKinney explained.

One expert said he understood the man's situation because he went through the same experience.

"(The Manifested Glory Ministries) were acting out of ignorance by equating homosexuality to demon possession," Rev. Roland Stringfellow, of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry of Berkeley, California, told Reuters in an interview.

Stringfellow said he was exorcised twice at a different church when he asked for help to deal with his own homosexuality.

"This young man who obviously went for help ended up being damaged I believe," he said. "I am concerned about the emotional and spiritual scars he has. I felt what they were doing was casting not a demon out, but casting shame."

The uproar over the video coincides with gay pride week, marking the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City's Greenwich Village that triggered the modern U.S. gay rights movement. The annual march through Manhattan is set for Sunday.

A push for gay marriage to be legalized has gathered momentum around the United States and is already allowed Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa. Gay couples will be allowed to marry in Vermont starting in September and New Hampshire in January.

Some states provide for same-sex unions that grant many of the same rights as marriage. Forty-two U.S. states explicitly prohibit gay marriage, including 29 with constitutional amendments, according to Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Patricia Reaney)

Red Sex, Blue Sex

2009-06-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Why do so many evangelical teen-agers become pregnant?

by Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker
November 3, 2008

In early September, when Sarah Palin, the Republican candidate for Vice-President, announced that her unwed seventeen-year-old daughter, Bristol, was pregnant, many liberals were shocked, not by the revelation but by the reaction to it. They expected the news to dismay the evangelical voters that John McCain was courting with his choice of Palin. Yet reports from the floor of the Republican Convention, in St. Paul, quoted dozens of delegates who seemed unfazed, or even buoyed, by the news. A delegate from Louisiana told CBS News, “Like so many other American families who are in the same situation, I think it’s great that she instilled in her daughter the values to have the child and not to sneak off someplace and have an abortion.” A Mississippi delegate claimed that “even though young children are making that decision to become pregnant, they’ve also decided to take responsibility for their actions and decided to follow up with that and get married and raise this child.” Palin’s family drama, delegates said, was similar to the experience of many socially conservative Christian families. As Marlys Popma, the head of evangelical outreach for the McCain campaign, told National Review, “There hasn’t been one evangelical family that hasn’t gone through some sort of situation.” In fact, it was Popma’s own “crisis pregnancy” that had brought her into the movement in the first place.

During the campaign, the media has largely respected calls to treat Bristol Palin’s pregnancy as a private matter. But the reactions to it have exposed a cultural rift that mirrors America’s dominant political divide. Social liberals in the country’s “blue states” tend to support sex education and are not particularly troubled by the idea that many teen-agers have sex before marriage, but would regard a teen-age daughter’s pregnancy as devastating news. And the social conservatives in “red states” generally advocate abstinence-only education and denounce sex before marriage, but are relatively unruffled if a teen-ager becomes pregnant, as long as she doesn’t choose to have an abortion.

A handful of social scientists and family-law scholars have recently begun looking closely at this split. Last year, Mark Regnerus, a sociologist at the University of Texas at Austin, published a startling book called “Forbidden Fruit: Sex and Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers,” and he is working on a follow-up that includes a section titled “Red Sex, Blue Sex.” His findings are drawn from a national survey that Regnerus and his colleagues conducted of some thirty-four hundred thirteen-to-seventeen-year-olds, and from a comprehensive government study of adolescent health known as Add Health. Regnerus argues that religion is a good indicator of attitudes toward sex, but a poor one of sexual behavior, and that this gap is especially wide among teen-agers who identify themselves as evangelical. The vast majority of white evangelical adolescents—seventy-four per cent—say that they believe in abstaining from sex before marriage. (Only half of mainline Protestants, and a quarter of Jews, say that they believe in abstinence.) Moreover, among the major religious groups, evangelical virgins are the least likely to anticipate that sex will be pleasurable, and the most likely to believe that having sex will cause their partners to lose respect for them. (Jews most often cite pleasure as a reason to have sex, and say that an unplanned pregnancy would be an embarrassment.) But, according to Add Health data, evangelical teen-agers are more sexually active than Mormons, mainline Protestants, and Jews. On average, white evangelical Protestants make their “sexual début”—to use the festive term of social-science researchers—shortly after turning sixteen. Among major religious groups, only black Protestants begin having sex earlier.

Another key difference in behavior, Regnerus reports, is that evangelical Protestant teen-agers are significantly less likely than other groups to use contraception. This could be because evangelicals are also among the most likely to believe that using contraception will send the message that they are looking for sex. It could also be because many evangelicals are steeped in the abstinence movement’s warnings that condoms won’t actually protect them from pregnancy or venereal disease. More provocatively, Regnerus found that only half of sexually active teen-agers who say that they seek guidance from God or the Scriptures when making a tough decision report using contraception every time. By contrast, sixty-nine per cent of sexually active youth who say that they most often follow the counsel of a parent or another trusted adult consistently use protection.

The gulf between sexual belief and sexual behavior becomes apparent, too, when you look at the outcomes of abstinence-pledge movements. Nationwide, according to a 2001 estimate, some two and a half million people have taken a pledge to remain celibate until marriage. Usually, they do so under the auspices of movements such as True Love Waits or the Silver Ring Thing. Sometimes, they make their vows at big rallies featuring Christian pop stars and laser light shows, or at purity balls, where girls in frothy dresses exchange rings with their fathers, who vow to help them remain virgins until the day they marry. More than half of those who take such pledges—which, unlike abstinence-only classes in public schools, are explicitly Christian—end up having sex before marriage, and not usually with their future spouse. The movement is not the complete washout its critics portray it as: pledgers delay sex eighteen months longer than non-pledgers, and have fewer partners. Yet, according to the sociologists Peter Bearman, of Columbia University, and Hannah Brückner, of Yale, communities with high rates of pledging also have high rates of S.T.D.s. This could be because more teens pledge in communities where they perceive more danger from sex (in which case the pledge is doing some good); or it could be because fewer people in these communities use condoms when they break the pledge.

Bearman and Brückner have also identified a peculiar dilemma: in some schools, if too many teens pledge, the effort basically collapses. Pledgers apparently gather strength from the sense that they are an embattled minority; once their numbers exceed thirty per cent, and proclaimed chastity becomes the norm, that special identity is lost. With such a fragile formula, it’s hard to imagine how educators can ever get it right: once the self-proclaimed virgin clique hits the thirty-one-per-cent mark, suddenly it’s Sodom and Gomorrah.

Religious belief apparently does make a potent difference in behavior for one group of evangelical teen-agers: those who score highest on measures of religiosity—such as how often they go to church, or how often they pray at home. But many Americans who identify themselves as evangelicals, and who hold socially conservative beliefs, aren’t deeply observant.

Even more important than religious conviction, Regnerus argues, is how “embedded” a teen-ager is in a network of friends, family, and institutions that reinforce his or her goal of delaying sex, and that offer a plausible alternative to America’s sexed-up consumer culture. A church, of course, isn’t the only way to provide a cohesive sense of community. Close-knit families make a difference. Teen-agers who live with both biological parents are more likely to be virgins than those who do not. And adolescents who say that their families understand them, pay attention to their concerns, and have fun with them are more likely to delay intercourse, regardless of religiosity.

A terrific 2005 documentary, “The Education of Shelby Knox,” tells the story of a teen-ager from a Southern Baptist family in Lubbock, Texas, who has taken a True Love Waits pledge. To the chagrin of her youth pastor, and many of her neighbors, Knox eventually becomes an activist for comprehensive sex education. At her high school, kids receive abstinence-only education, but, Knox says, “maybe twice a week I see a girl walking down the hall pregnant.” In the film, Knox seems successful at remaining chaste, but less because she took a pledge than because she has a fearlessly independent mind and the kind of parents who—despite their own conservative leanings—admire her outspokenness. Devout Republicans, her parents end up driving her around town to make speeches that would have curled their hair before their daughter started making them. Her mother even comes to take pride in Shelby’s efforts, because while abstinence pledges are lovely in the abstract, they don’t acknowledge “reality.”

Like other American teens, young evangelicals live in a world of Internet porn, celebrity sex scandals, and raunchy reality TV, and they have the same hormonal urges that their peers have. Yet they come from families and communities in which sexual life is supposed to be forestalled until the first night of a transcendent honeymoon. Regnerus writes, “In such an atmosphere, attitudes about sex may formally remain unchanged (and restrictive) while sexual activity becomes increasingly common. This clash of cultures and norms is felt most poignantly in the so-called Bible Belt.” Symbolic commitment to the institution of marriage remains strong there, and politically motivating—hence the drive to outlaw gay marriage—but the actual practice of it is scattershot.

Among blue-state social liberals, commitment to the institution of marriage tends to be unspoken or discreet, but marriage in practice typically works pretty well. Two family-law scholars, Naomi Cahn, of George Washington University, and June Carbone, of the University of Missouri at Kansas City, are writing a book on the subject, and they argue that “red families” and “blue families” are “living different lives, with different moral imperatives.” (They emphasize that the Republican-Democrat divide is less important than the higher concentration of “moral-values voters” in red states.) In 2004, the states with the highest divorce rates were Nevada, Arkansas, Wyoming, Idaho, and West Virginia (all red states in the 2004 election); those with the lowest were Illinois, Massachusetts, Iowa, Minnesota, and New Jersey. The highest teen-pregnancy rates were in Nevada, Arizona, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas (all red); the lowest were in North Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Maine (blue except for North Dakota). “The ‘blue states’ of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic have lower teen birthrates, higher use of abortion, and lower percentages of teen births within marriage,” Cahn and Carbone observe. They also note that people start families earlier in red states—in part because they are more inclined to deal with an unplanned pregnancy by marrying rather than by seeking an abortion.

Of all variables, the age at marriage may be the pivotal difference between red and blue families. The five states with the lowest median age at marriage are Utah, Oklahoma, Idaho, Arkansas, and Kentucky, all red states, while those with the highest are all blue: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey. The red-state model puts couples at greater risk for divorce; women who marry before their mid-twenties are significantly more likely to divorce than those who marry later. And younger couples are more likely to be contending with two of the biggest stressors on a marriage: financial struggles and the birth of a baby before, or soon after, the wedding.

There are, of course, plenty of exceptions to these rules—messily divorcing professional couples in Boston, high-school sweethearts who stay sweetly together in rural Idaho. Still, Cahn and Carbone conclude, “the paradigmatic red-state couple enters marriage not long after the woman becomes sexually active, has two children by her mid-twenties, and reaches the critical period of marriage at the high point in the life cycle for risk-taking and experimentation. The paradigmatic blue-state couple is more likely to experiment with multiple partners, postpone marriage until after they reach emotional and financial maturity, and have their children (if they have them at all) as their lives are stabilizing.”

Some of these differences in sexual behavior come down to class and education. Regnerus and Carbone and Cahn all see a new and distinct “middle-class morality” taking shape among economically and socially advantaged families who are not social conservatives. In Regnerus’s survey, the teen-agers who espouse this new morality are tolerant of premarital sex (and of contraception and abortion) but are themselves cautious about pursuing it. Regnerus writes, “They are interested in remaining free from the burden of teenage pregnancy and the sorrows and embarrassments of sexually transmitted diseases. They perceive a bright future for themselves, one with college, advanced degrees, a career, and a family. Simply put, too much seems at stake. Sexual intercourse is not worth the risks.” These are the kids who tend to score high on measures of “strategic orientation”—how analytical, methodical, and fact-seeking they are when making decisions. Because these teen-agers see abstinence as unrealistic, they are not opposed in principle to sex before marriage—just careful about it. Accordingly, they might delay intercourse in favor of oral sex, not because they cherish the idea of remaining “technical virgins” but because they assess it as a safer option. “Solidly middle- or upper-middle-class adolescents have considerable socioeconomic and educational expectations, courtesy of their parents and their communities’ lifestyles,” Regnerus writes. “They are happy with their direction, generally not rebellious, tend to get along with their parents, and have few moral qualms about expressing their nascent sexuality.” They might have loved Ellen Page in “Juno,” but in real life they’d see having a baby at the wrong time as a tragic derailment of their life plans. For this group, Regnerus says, unprotected sex has become “a moral issue like smoking or driving a car without a seatbelt. It’s not just unwise anymore; it’s wrong.”

Each of these models of sexual behavior has drawbacks—in the blue-state scheme, people may postpone child-bearing to the point where infertility becomes an issue. And delaying child-bearing is better suited to the more affluent, for whom it yields economic benefits, in the form of educational opportunities and career advancement. But Carbone and Cahn argue that the red-state model is clearly failing on its own terms—producing high rates of teen pregnancy, divorce, sexually transmitted disease, and other dysfunctional outcomes that social conservatives say they abhor. In “Forbidden Fruit,” Regnerus offers an “unscientific postscript,” in which he advises social conservatives that if they really want to maintain their commitment to chastity and to marriage, they’ll need to do more to help young couples stay married longer. As the Reverend Rick Marks, a Southern Baptist minister, recently pointed out in a Florida newspaper, “Evangelicals are fighting gay marriage, saying it will break down traditional marriage, when divorce has already broken it down.” Conservatives may need to start talking as much about saving marriages as they do about, say, saving oneself for marriage.

“Having to wait until age twenty-five or thirty to have sex is unreasonable,” Regnerus writes. He argues that religious organizations that advocate chastity should “work more creatively to support younger marriages. This is not the 1950s (for which I am glad), where one could bank on social norms, extended (and larger) families, and clear gender roles to negotiate and sustain early family formation.”

Evangelicals could start, perhaps, by trying to untangle the contradictory portrayals of sex that they offer to teen-agers. In the Shelby Knox documentary, a youth pastor, addressing an assembly of teens, defines intercourse as “what two dogs do out on the street corner—they just bump and grind awhile, boom boom boom.” Yet a typical evangelical text aimed at young people, “Every Young Woman’s Battle,” by Shannon Ethridge and Stephen Arterburn, portrays sex between two virgins as an ethereal communion of innocent souls: “physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual pleasure beyond description.” Neither is the most realistic or helpful view for a young person to take into marriage, as a few advocates of abstinence acknowledge. The savvy young Christian writer Lauren Winner, in her book “Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity,” writes, “Rather than spending our unmarried years stewarding and disciplining our desires, we have become ashamed of them. We persuade ourselves that the desires themselves are horrible. This can have real consequences if we do get married.” Teenagers and single adults are “told over and over not to have sex, but no one ever encourages” them “to be bodily or sensual in some appropriate way”—getting to know and appreciate what their bodies can do through sports, especially for girls, or even thinking sensually about something like food. Winner goes on, “This doesn’t mean, of course, that if only the church sponsored more softball leagues, everyone would stay on the chaste straight and narrow. But it does mean that the church ought to cultivate ways of teaching Christians to live in their bodies well—so that unmarried folks can still be bodily people, even though they’re not having sex, and so that married people can give themselves to sex freely.”

Too often, though, evangelical literature directed at teen-agers forbids all forms of sexual behavior, even masturbation. “Every Young Woman’s Battle,” for example, tells teen-agers that “the momentary relief” of “self-gratification” can lead to “shame, low self-esteem, and fear of what others might think or that something is wrong with you.” And it won’t slake sexual desire: “Once you begin feeding baby monsters, their appetites grow bigger and they want MORE! It’s better not to feed such a monster in the first place.”

Shelby Knox, who spoke at a congressional hearing on sex education earlier this year, occupies a middle ground. She testified that it’s possible to “believe in abstinence in a religious sense,” but still understand that abstinence-only education is dangerous “for students who simply are not abstaining.” As Knox’s approach makes clear, you don’t need to break out the sex toys to teach sex ed—you can encourage teen-agers to postpone sex for all kinds of practical, emotional, and moral reasons. A new “abstinence-plus” curriculum, now growing in popularity, urges abstinence while providing accurate information about contraception and reproduction for those who have sex anyway. “Abstinence works,” Knox said at the hearing. “Abstinence-only-until-marriage does not.”

It might help, too, not to present virginity as the cornerstone of a virtuous life. In certain evangelical circles, the concept is so emphasized that a girl who regrets having been sexually active is encouraged to declare herself a “secondary” or “born-again” virgin. That’s not an idea, surely, that helps teen-agers postpone sex or have it responsibly.

The “pro-family” efforts of social conservatives—the campaigns against gay marriage and abortion—do nothing to instill the emotional discipline or the psychological smarts that forsaking all others often involves. Evangelicals are very good at articulating their sexual ideals, but they have little practical advice for their young followers. Social liberals, meanwhile, are not very good at articulating values on marriage and teen sexuality—indeed, they may feel that it’s unseemly or judgmental to do so. But in fact the new middle-class morality is squarely pro-family. Maybe these choices weren’t originally about values—maybe they were about maximizing education and careers—yet the result is a more stable family system. Not only do couples who marry later stay married longer; children born to older couples fare better on a variety of measures, including educational attainment, regardless of their parents’ economic circumstances. The new middle-class culture of intensive parenting has ridiculous aspects, but it’s pretty successful at turning out productive, emotionally resilient young adults. And its intensity may be one reason that teen-agers from close families see child-rearing as a project for which they’re not yet ready. For too long, the conventional wisdom has been that social conservatives are the upholders of family values, whereas liberals are the proponents of a polymorphous selfishness. This isn’t true, and, every once in a while, liberals might point that out.

Some evangelical Christians are starting to reckon with the failings of the preaching-and-pledging approach. In “The Education of Shelby Knox,” for example, Shelby’s father is uncomfortable, at first, with his daughter’s campaign. Lubbock, after all, is a town so conservative that its local youth pastor tells Shelby, “You ask me sometimes why I look at you a little funny. It’s because I hear you speak and I hear tolerance.” But as her father listens to her arguments he realizes that the no-tolerance ethic simply hasn’t worked in their deeply Christian community. Too many girls in town are having sex, and having babies that they can’t support. As Shelby’s father declares toward the end of the film, teen-age pregnancy “is a problem—a major, major problem that everybody’s just shoving under the rug.”

Week 2

2009-06-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

M 6.22
Read: RC, pg. 123-160
Class: Book discussion; Lecture—“Spirituality on Film: The Secret Life of Bees, The Blair Witch Project, Shadows and Fog, Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace, and others”

T 6.23
Read: RC, pg. 161-188
Lab: Book discussion, Presentations

W 6.24 Read: RC, pg. 189-212
Class: Book discussion; Watch—Jesus Camp (2006)

Th 6.25
Read: RC, pg. 213-250
Lab: Book discussion; Presentations, Guest speaker: Kamal Krishna Prabhu from The Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram
Journal 2 Assignment: This week, consider prayer in public forums. Where should we pray together and where should we not? For example, is it okay to start a class with a prayer? What about a prayer to open a graduation? Is there a place for prayer at work? Should a football team pray together in the locker rooms before a game? When is public prayer okay and when is it not—and why?
Due: Journal 2

Pagans, Partygoers Gather for Stonehenge Solstice

2009-06-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

By Nardine Saad, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, June 20, 2009

(06-20) 14:45 PDT STONEHENGE, England (AP) --

Thousands of neo-Druids, New Age followers and the merely curious were flocking to Stonehenge on Saturday to await the sunrise over the prehistoric monument and celebrate the longest day of the year.

The ancient stone circle in southern England is the site of an annual night-long party — or religious ceremony, depending on perspective — marking the northern hemisphere's summer solstice.

"They come for a complete range of reasons," said archaeologist Dave Batchelor of English Heritage, the site's caretaker. "Some belong to the Druidic religion and think of it as a temple, others think of it as a place of their ancestors, or for tranquility and others come to see it as a way to celebrate the changing of the seasons."

Stonehenge, which sits on Salisbury Plain about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southwest of London, is one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions, visited by more than 750,000 people a year. It was built in three phases between 3,000 B.C. and 1,600 B.C.

More than 20,000 people are expected to greet the sunrise just before 5 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Sunday.

Mystery surrounding the monument has long prompted speculation about its original function and gives it even more of an allure, Batchelor said.

Some theories hold that the stone circle was a grave site because 350 burial mounds surround the structure.

In May, archaeologists found evidence indicating that pilgrims perceived the stones to have healing powers. And some assert that the structure was part of an ancient astronomical calendar.

Still other experts believe the stones were aligned by a sophisticated sun-worshipping culture that possessed the ingenuity to move the several-ton stones, some of which came from 150 miles (240 kilometers) away in the Preseli Mountains in Wales.

But because it was built so long ago, there is no record of why the monument was erected, said Batchelor.

"All of that sort of stuff we don't have, so when it comes to ascribing a modern-day reason depends on the viewpoint ... that's the fascination," Batchelor said.

The solstice is one of the few times during the year that visitors can get close enough to touch the rocks. With record numbers set to attend the free festival because it falls on a weekend, police officers are set to be on patrol.

Police closed the site in 1984 after repeated clashes with revelers. English Heritage began allowing full access to the site again in 2000 and the celebrations have been largely peaceful.
Last year 17 arrests were made for minor public disorder offenses.

English Heritage said revelers would only be allowed to bring in four cans of beer or a bottle of wine each, and advised that "illegal drugs are still illegal at Stonehenge as they are anywhere else."

A teen book burns at the stake

2009-06-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

A Christian group hopes to set fire to library copies of Francesca Lia Block's novel about a gay boy coming of age.

By Laura Miller, Salon.com

Jun. 16, 2009

Francesca Lia Block, an award-winning author of young-adult books (the "Weetzie Bat" series among them), has known for a while now that one of her novels, "Baby Be-Bop" is at the center of a controversy in West Bend, Wis. A few days ago, she found out that it might be burned at the stake. "Baby Be-Bop" is on a list of titles that a local group calling itself the West Bend Citizens for Safe Libraries objects to seeing in the public library.

In February, the group asked the library's board to remove a page of recommended titles about gay and lesbian issues for young people (including "Baby Be-Bop") from the library's Web site. Then they demanded that the books be moved from the youth section of the library and placed with the adult collection, "to protect children from accessing them without their parents' knowledge and supervision."

"My publisher brushed it off at first," Block said, "but now it's starting to look really serious." When the board refused to immediately comply with the requests of West Bend Citizens for Safe Libraries, the town's common council voted not to renew the contracts of four recalcitrant board members. A second group, West Bend Parents for Free Speech, formed to oppose the plan to segregate the books.

At a June 3 public hearing, the library board received two petitions (700 signatures supporting the restriction, 1,000 opposed) on the issue and listened to dozens of statements. Then it voted unanimously to leave the books where they are.

But the controversy isn't over. Now an outfit called the Christian Civil Liberties Union has gotten in on the act, suing the library for, according to the West Bend Daily News, "damaging" the "mental and emotional well-being" of several individuals by displaying "Baby Be-Bop" in the library. Since attempts to label the novel as "pornographic" have failed, the (somewhat shadowy) CCLU hopes to brand it as hate speech, in part because it contains the word "nigger." The complainants, described as "elderly" by the newspaper, claim that Block's novel is "explicitly vulgar, racial [sic] and anti-Christian." They want the library's copy not only removed but publicly burned.

"Baby Be-Bop," a title from the Weetzie Bat series that describes the youth of Weetzie's best friend, Dirk, is, in Block's words, "a very sweet, simple, coming-of-age story about a young man's discovery that he's gay." Dirk is beaten by gay bashers but steadfastly clings to the possibility of finding love. Block finds the disingenuous charges of racism particularly distressing. "Obviously I use those words, including 'faggot,' which is also in the book, to expose racism and homophobia, not promote it," she said. "It's a tiny little book," she added, "but they want to burn it like a witch."

"I'd like to show my support for the librarians with any statement I can make," she said "They're the unsung heroes in our society. My brother works on a hotline for gay youth and every night he's talking people down from suicide because they're gay and they're not accepted by the communities they're in."

Assignment: PowerPoint Presentation

2009-06-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

As you know, this term you will be responsible for a 10-minute faith and spirituality-themed PowerPoint presentation.

Requirements:

Must be a minimum 10-minutes in length
Should have no less than 8 slides minimum
Must include a handout outlining your presentation (about 30 copies)

The best presentations will:

First contextualize information, then present relevant facts
Avoid a heavy use of animation and effects, choosing instead a simpler style (illustrations are highly recommended)
Engage the class through a conversational style, utilizing questions and/or activities
Utilize multimedia, such as YouTube (encouraged, but NOT required)

Remember, presentations must be PC-friendly and be on either an external hard drive or ready via email.

PowerPoint Presentation Schedule

2009-06-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

Here is the schedule for this summer's presentations. Completed presentations are in yellow.

Week 2
T 6.23 OPEN

W 6.24: Alex W. (Christian Responses to Climate Change); Cameron C. (Opus Dei); Brianna T. (Possessions)

Th 6.25: Sean C. (Sikhism)

Week 3
M 6.29: Mariela T. (Catholic Molestation Scandals)

T 6.30: Joseph V. (Transubstantiation); Ann Y. (Conservatives and the Morning After Pill)

W 7.1: Alex T. (Scientology vs. Anonymous); Freddy P. (Corporal Mortification)

Week 4
T 7.7: Cang T. (History of Buddhism); Leann P. (Secular vs. Religious Rights); Ryan N. (Homosexuality and Christianity)

W 7.8: Giang D. (Modern Buddhism); Emily C. (The Religious Response to Torture)

Th 7.9: Jane N. (21st Century American Christianity); Hollie R. (Art vs. Religion); Stephanie R. (The Gnostic Gospels)

Week 5
M 7.13: Multezem M. (Muslims in America); Leticia E. (Religion in Gangs); Pamela S. (The Amish)

T 7.14: Matt D. (Religion on Film); Isaiah P. (Day of the Dead); Harmanjeet C. (Creationism vs. Evolution)

W 7.15: Jim S. (The Kama Sutra); Justine S. (Abstinence); Alisa L. (Prayer and Fasting)

Th 7.16: Siavash (Zoroastrianism); Leo Q. (Falun Gong), Amber G. (Parallels Between Jesus and Horus)

Week 6
M 7.20: Carlos B. (Proposition 8); Didio M. (Women's Roles in World Religions)

Oops...

2009-06-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Here's the other required text I forgot to add... Julia Sweeney's monologue, Letting Go of God.

Find it for download at Audible.com and iTunes, and in CD on Amazon.com.

Also, look for your midterm to now center on this monologue.

Week 1

2009-06-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion.
—Abraham Lincoln

M 6.15
Class: Syllabus review; Introductions

T 6.16
Read: RC, pg. 1-42
Lab: Book discussion; Sample presentation and sign-ups; Lecture—“Steps of the Writing Process, Pt. I”

W 6.17
Read: RC, pg. 43-71
Class: Book discussion; Lecture—“Steps of the Writing Process, Pt. II”

Th 6.18
Read: RC, pg. 72-122
Lab: Personal essay (diagnostic); Book discussion; Writing center visit
Journal 1 Prompt: For your first journal, consider the times when one person's personal beliefs might infringe on those of another. For example, if a person asks another not to swear around him or her, or that one refrains from speaking about certain topics, how much should that request be accommodated? When is it okay to accommodate, compromise, or refuse, and when is the a request an infringement on another's rights?
Due: Journal 1

Welcome to English 905

2009-06-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

Glad you could make it.

Summer 2009 Syllabus

2009-06-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

ENGLISH 905: THE SEEN AND UNSEEN—EXPLORING SPIRITUAL WRITING
WEST VALLEY COLLEGE, SUMMER 2009

INSTRUCTOR: DANIEL HENDEL DE LA O
SECTION: 82320; UNITS: 3
TIMES AND PLACES: MW 10:30–12:35 PM IN LA 40;
TTH 10:30–12:35 PM IN CAW LAB
COURSE LENGTH: 06.15-07.22.09
OFFICE HOURS: TH 12:40–1:40 PM, LA WORKROOM
EMAIL: DHDELAO@GMAIL.COM
BLOG: THREEPOINTEAU.BLOGSPOT.COM
TWITTER: TWITTER.COM/PROFDLO

COURSE THEME
This semester’s 905 course will examine the phenomena of spirituality and faith. We will examine various facets of spirituality and faith, including:

How does spirituality and faith both divide and unite us?
What is the difference between being spiritual and being religious?
What happens when spiritual interests intersect secular society?
Can religion and science coexist?
How are those who believe (and those who don’t) portrayed in the mainstream media?
What place, if any, should spirituality have in our politics?
Does the existence of God need to be proven?

This semester, we will read a diverse assemblage of texts exploring these issues and others. An open mind, and a willingness to express your thoughts, will serve you well in this venture.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of English 905, you should be able to:

Generate ideas and topics for your essays
Organize, focus and develop your ideas around a well-defined thesis
Write unified, coherent, adequately developed paragraphs and essays that are generally free of grammatical errors
Evaluate points of view, development of arguments and ideas in texts

REQUIRED MATERIALS
English 905 required texts:

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller (ISBN: 0785263705)
The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds (ISBN: 0785263705)
Letting Go of God by Julia Sweeney (ASIN: B000MM107I)*

English 991 required text:
Prentice Hall Reference Guide by Muriel G. Harris (ISBN-10: 0131856405)

*Audio book, not available in the WVC Bookstore.

ENGLISH 991 CO-REQUISITE
Co-Requisite Course Overview
When you enrolled in ENGL 905/1A/1B/1C for 3.0 units, you also enrolled in the corresponding lab for this course: ENGL 990/991/992/993 (Writing Skills Lab) for 0.5 unit (CR/NC). This lab provides supplementary instruction that will help you succeed in this course and any course with a writing requirement.

Assignments
When you work in the WVC Writing Center (WC), you may complete required exercises assigned in MyCompLab or use tutoring to help you develop essays for any of your courses. To earn the 0.5 unit for this co-requisite, you must:

Buy the Prentice Hall Reference Guide by Muriel Harris which will include a personal access code to MyCompLab for three consecutive years and for use in each of the Writing Skills Labs that you will take as co-requisites in future composition courses at WVC (available at the campus bookstore).
Record a minimum of one hour per week in the WC and one hour per week off site. By the end of the semester, you must complete 14 hours on-site in the WC and 14 hours off-site.
During the first week of the semester, drop by the WC to examine the self-guided Orientation materials and complete a self-assessment activity. Please plan to spend about 30 minutes in the WC during your first visit. It is located in the Library annex between the Media Center and Television Studios. Please enter via the Television wing of the Library and follow the signs.

Computer Assisted Writing (CAW) Lab
The CAW Lab is located in the lower level of the library. 905/980 students may use the lab free of charge. You may use the computers to complete assignments, work on tutorials (e.g. typing, grammar) or check your email. Each time you use the lab, you should check-in.

CLASS POLICIES
All writing assignments are due on the dates indicated on the Website, which contains the most up-to-date schedule and information.

A missed writing assignment can be turned in no later than the following class meeting after the due date; however, it will be lowered one letter grade. Writing assignments will not be accepted beyond the following class meeting after the initial due date.
Without prior notification, missed in-class essays and presentations cannot be made up; if you must miss your presentation date, make prior arrangements with a classmate to switch days.

PARTICIPATION
As there is a participation component to you grade, active involvement in class is very important. Additionally, you are responsible for all materials assigned, presented, and discussed in class. You are expected to study the material beforehand and come prepared to discuss the readings in class. The use of laptops during class is restricted to note taking only. If you come to class after the first 15 minutes, please wait for an appropriate moment to enter so as not to disturb the class.

THREEPOINTEAU & TWITTER
I maintain a this blog, ThreePointEau, as a centralized location for assignments, reminders, documents, important dates, links, and general class information. It also contains an easy-to-reference archive of the course work. In addition, this website will be the location of the course’s e-Reader (eR). These Web articles will be required to complete some assignments. On the homepage, click on “West Valley College: English 905” to be routed to our page. Also, feel free to use the “Comments” function in each posting; it is often a helpful way to communicate with classmates.

Twitter is a useful social networking tool that allows me to communicate with you instantaneously. I may use it if class has to be canceled unexpectedly, or if there is an important change to our agenda. If you already have a Twitter account, search for “ProfDLo” under “Find People.” If not, go to Twitter to register for free. Twitter membership is not required for this course, but it is recommended.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Plagiarism is knowingly presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own. Cite your sources when you use any quoted or paraphrased material from sources, such as books, the Internet, etc. Having another person write, or extensively edit your paper is also plagiarism. This kind of dishonesty will cause you to receive a NoCredit in the class and can result in further disciplinary action. Your goal is to become a better writer and editor of your own work. In this pursuit, I will assist you as much as is necessary.

STANDARDS FOR PRESENTATION OF WORK
All typed work must be in MLA format. On ThreePointEau, look for an MLA page format sample under “Writing Resources.” Please note, unstapled work will not be accepted. Please follow this heading for all typed work:

Name

ENG 905

Assignment

Date

GRADING
English 905 is a Credit/No Credit course. Students earning Credit may enroll in English 1A; while students with No Credit grade may repeat English 905. Also, please understand that completion of every assignment is the minimum requirement to receive a Credit, not a guarantee for it.

COURSE WORKS
Class sessions will employ a combination of lectures, class discussions, presentations, group activities, and writing workshops:

Personal Essay (Diagnostic): This in-class essay will be my first opportunity to evaluate your writing. (15 pts./800 words)
Literary Analysis Essay: You will write a literary analysis essay based upon Reynold’s The Rapture of Canaan. (20 pts. /1000 words)
Persuasive Essay: You will write an in-class persuasive essay based upon Miller’s Blue Like Jazz. (20 pts. /1000 words)
Comparative Analysis Essay (Midterm): In this in-class essay, you will compare, contrast, and analyze stories of coming to and leaving God based upon Sweeney’s Letting Go of God and an excerpt from Martels’ Life of Pi (30 pts./1000 words)
Poetry Explication: You will explicate one of the spirituality-related poems we’ll read in class. (20 pts. /1000 words)
Final Exam: This in-class essay will be on one of the five modes of writing we will have studied: Personal, Literary Analysis, Persuasive, Comparative Analysis, and Poetry Explication. (30 pts. /1000 words)
PowerPoint Presentation: You will create a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation and class hand-out based upon either some aspect related to our reading or a travel-related subject (e.g. fundamentalism, atheism, the separation of church and state). Presentations must be PC-compatible and be either emailed to yourself or on an external hard drive, such as a memory stick. (15 pts.)
Reflective Journals: You will write five 2-page responses to either one of the week’s assigned readings, an in-class discussion topic, or a spirituality-related topic of your choice. (5 @ 10 pts each/2000 words)

COURSE SCHEDULE
Consult this web page for the most up-to-date information and schedule.

Key: RC—The Rapture of Canaan; BLJ—Blue Like Jazz; LGG—Letting Go of God; eR—eReader

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

M 6.29
Read: RC, pg. 251-273
Class: Comparative analysis essay (midterm, topic TBA); Book discussion; Presentations

T 6.30
Read: RC, pg. 274-317
Lab: Book discussion; Presentations; Preview—Literature analysis essay

W 7.1
Class: Book discussion; Watch—“Muslims and America” from 30 Days
LA40

Th 7.2
Lab: Writer’s Workshop; Guest speaker (TBA)
Due: Literature analysis essay (draft 1; bring 3 copies); Journal 3

Week 4

M 7.6
Class: Book discussion
Due: Literature analysis essay (final draft)

T 7.7
Read: BLJ, pg. 1-36
Lab: Book discussion; Presentations

W 7.8
Read: BLJ, pg. 37-78
Class: Book discussion; Watch—“God's Close-Up” from This American Life

Th 7.9
Read: BLJ, pg. 79-102
Lab: Book discussion; Presentations; Guest speaker (TBA)
Due: Journal 4

Week 5

M 7.13
Read: BLJ, pg. 103-174
Class: Story discussion; Lecture—“The Art of Persuasion: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos”

T 7.14
Read: BLJ, pg. 175-240
Lab: Persuasive essay; Book discussion; Presentations

W 7.15
Read: eR—Selected poetry
Class: Poetry discussion; Lecture—“How to Do a Close Read”

Th 7.16
Read: eR—Selected poetry
Lab: Poetry discussion; Guest speaker TBA
Due: Journal 5

Week 6

M 7.20
Class: Final exam prep
Due: Poetry explication

T 7.21
Lab: Final Exam

W 7.22
Class: Course review, Evaluations