Sabina Holtby - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a thought provoking movie. I was surprised to hear so many people talking about how much they loved the film and how it was one of their favorites. I found the movie fascinating; the concepts covered in the film were very real and relevant.
I found the mixing of myth and reality very interesting, they were so intertwined that it was quite a job to figure them out. I liked very much the strong colors and fast moving shots, it was a great tactic to allow the viewer to leave their world and be caught up in this one. Another factor that contributed to the ‘other world’ feel of the movie was the complex story line, if the viewer missed one line it was potentially fatal to the understanding of the story, so the viewer listened very closely.
The corruption of time was an interesting theme, the viewer came to understand that time is not linear, and that all time affects all other time. Take the scene when Joel returns to childhood and is hiding under the table, he brings Clementine to this place thinking that if she is there she will be safe from the future of being erased. He thinks that all that he has ever been is what makes up his present, so as long as something or someone fits into his life at some point it cannot be removed from his present.
The surreal-ness of the film made it seem fable like, the director and actors were trying to teach the viewers a lesson, embrace your past because you cannot escape it. Overall I feel that the film was beautiful and very interesting but too emotionally racking for repeated viewing.

Sabina Holtby - The Jacket

I already posted this one but I forgot to put my name so I am re-posting it:

I had a very strong emotional response to the film The Jacket. The opening scene of the movie was filled with strong images of violence and brutality. The oppressive colors and sounds were overwhelming my senses to the point of overload. Mere ten or fifteen minuets of the film I knew that I could not stand this assault on my senses. I found the montage in the institution for the criminally insane to be totally de humanizing. The total lack of respect for the main character was far too much for me to bear. The moment that caused me to leave was when the main character was dragged down the stairs and strapped into a stained jacket and put in the cold temperature chamber, the sense of claustrophobia and the raw mortality was too intense for me.

Sabina Holtby - The Practice of the Presence of God

I think hearing the stories of others is one of the most powerful connectors on earth. I love to listen to bad music with good lyrics; I like music that tells a story that shows emotion. I like to relate to the lyricist. This is the same feeling I got when I read The Practice of the Presence of God. I felt as though the book was a intimate exchange between friends, which it is, it was never intended to be published the first line in the first letter of the book is as follows;
“Since you desire so earnestly that I should communicate to you the method by which I arrived at that habitual sense of God’s Presence, which our LORD, of His mercy, has been pleased to vouchsafe to me; I must tell you, that it is with great difficulty that I am prevailed on by your importunities; and now I do it only upon the terms, that you show my letter to nobody. If I knew that you would let it be seen, all the desire that I have for your advancement would not be able to determine me to it.”
This is so neat to me that we are able to see into this conversation and I think that it is funny that so many copies of this book have been sold.
The power of this short book is so wonderful, we see so closely into the life of the man who wrote them, he was a monk, Brother Lawrence, he would have had ample opportunity to cultivate a ‘habitual sense of God’s Presence’ we get to benefit from his experience. This is the most important function of the church, to support and grow from one another, to be a community, to create an environment in which it is safe to ask questions and to hear the deep stories of another traveler on the road of life, to listen to their pain and learn from it. This community has been lost and Brother Lawrence seeks to cultivate in his reader the idea of community with God. I love the feeling of two spirits dwelling together; nothing can rip me away from a person who has made themselves venerable to me. Their stories are gold, so this communion with another human being means to be hearing their heart, to be experiencing their life feeling what they feel, so communion with God must be the same thing, but according to Brother Lawrence:
"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it." Brother Lawrence

Sabina Holtby - Wholeness

The biggest issue that I have had to deal with this semester is my stability in dealing with the world. That does not make very much sense so I’ll explain. I have mentioned several times how I attended a Christian school. Well, this has formed my way of approaching a situation, every time I get a new piece of information it should fit neatly into my worldview. Maybe I am not using the word worldview properly, I see a worldview as a big circular puzzle, if all the pieces are present then the puzzle can not break it can only be added to, I feel that my puzzle is missing pieces and when ever I get a new piece the rest of them fall to the ground and I must scramble to put them together.
I have not known too many strong intellectual Christians and having a class with Dr. Strehle last semester and a class with Dr. Redick this semester has been a very valuable experience. I have always felt as though Christians do a bit of a sham job when trying to explain the world through the scriptures. The thing I have taken away from this class most has been that it is possible to be a Christian and to have your puzzle all put together. I love to see how when Dr. Redick speaks it is as if to point us to something whole, a worldview into which everything fits and it is so refreshing and beautiful.

Sabina Holtby - Cold Fever

I have a strong reaction to the medium of film. I get entranced as the images dance across the screen. I also begin to identify very strongly with the characters. I would like to relate how I reacted to the film Cold Fever. I am prone to anxiety, I am at least a little bit afraid all the time, while I was watching the film I felt my fear creep up and cloud my thinking. The man was on a journey for peace. While watching the film I made a list of all the things that would make me the most happy that I could be, the list contained things like a green grass, bright colors, warmth, and a knowledge of God’s presence. I found that these things all had a direct connection to the film. I found myself being angry with the journey that this man was taking thinking that it was a foolish way to find peace. My ideas of peace were so different from this man’s and I felt angry that I could not offer anything to the world; I felt that my views on peace and wholeness were so elementary that they were foolish and not useful. I struggle with my strong personal reactions to films. I feel that they speak into my life, they show me people who I will never see, I want to know the people and I want what I see to fit into what I know, but especially in this class that has not been possible, challenging me to broaden my worldview and strengthen my faith in God, and his sovereignty and his wholeness. He created the world as a whole place that all fits together.

Sabina Holtby - Miracles

I have been reading C.S. Lewis’ book Miracles in which he argues for the existence of miracles. The chapter I read this week dealt with the human resistance to the idea that nature is not self sustaining. It was interesting for me to see Lewis’ view of nature, how he felt that it was profane to take any amount of power away from mother nature, and how he came to the conclusion that nature is a creature same as any other creature.
He concluded that nature has many different faces and moods, when watching a sunset one may call nature serene, and later when battling the sea call her a vicious master. He recalled that this juxtaposition made it difficult to understand nature, because many see nature as a deity, it is the unmoved, and from the deity we expect consistency. He recalls discovering that nature was a creature and that all creatures are unstable and is capable of many moods and seasons.
God created nature so she is subject to the rule of God but capable of many inconsistencies. Nature does play such a vital role in the lives of humanity and it is so large it is part of every life and is therefore difficult to see as a single creature.

Sabina Holtby - Spirited Away

I judge films by my emotional response to them. Of the films I enjoy I say, “I sat Indian style,” meaning that I enjoyed the film so much I began to get sucked in and ignored what was going on around me. I sat cross legged during Spirited Away, the film was beautifully animated and the story was interesting and moved quickly.
The best part of the movie for me was all the little details; I especially enjoyed the boiler room. The little creatures running with the coal and all the drawers, I loved the complexity of the bath house and the beautiful interior scenes. The very beginning when Chihiro walks down the long stairs and into the beautiful, dancing boiler room I was drawn into the story, I wanted to know everything I could about the place.
I find that I react first to the visuals of the film, even a story that I know ends happily is still painful and depressing to walk if the colors are filmy and dark. The Borrowers is a great example the filter used for filming makes the visuals very heavy, on the other hand Spirited Away begins with lively colors and interesting complex characters.

Sabina Holtby - Class as a Sacred Place

This class has made a huge impact on my life this semester. I attended a Christian high school and my faith has been stretched since coming to college. This class has been a tremendous stretching experience. I feel that this class has been a sacred place; I find it interesting that the class meets once a week, it feels like church. It is a sacred set apart time for people to come together and take in the same information and see how it speaks to them.
It has been astonishing to see how the topics covered each class have spoken so directly into my life. It is almost amusing at times. The night before we watched Spirited Away a friend had asked me why I have such a prejudice against Japanese culture and anime. The film was spoken of respectfully by a man who I admire and trust. It was a beautiful picture of community. Community is the goal of church and I feel that the brothers and sisters in Christ who I have in the class have the opportunity to speak truth to me through the lectures and the class forum.
The class has been such a wonderful encouragement and a great, at times difficult experience.

Megan Lekavich- Bridge to Terabithia

This film was amazing! The book, while a little more detailed, lines up almost exactly with the film. The film is about a young girl with a wild imagination who meets a young boy who because of certain family situations in his life has had to grow up more quickly. The two become best friends and are help each other through some of lifes hard times. Out of their desire to escape the structure of the world, they create an imaginary place, Terabithia, which ends up becoming their reality. As the film progresses we see parts of the "real" world entering in to the "imaginary" world. This film represents the idea in scriputure of becoming childlike. The bible tells us how faith should be like a childs. In the different families in the film you see the way that the world often crushes our dream, but you also are able to watch a new world of hope continue, as the imaginary world is passed on to the boys little sister

Anna Backens - Freedom Writers

The film Freedom Writers, teaches many lessons about the importance of forgiveness. The movie is set in the later 1990's and it profiles the hatred in a Long Beach, California high school, among teen gangs. Hatred has risen largely due to the racism of teens. The gangs are made up of mostly Asians, Hispanics, and blacks and each of the gangs have grown up hating eachother because of wrongdoings to each other in the past. A middle-class, white teacher, Erin Gruwell, who is a new teacher is full of enthusiasm for her class comes to teach at the high school and soon realizes that the bitterness and hatred has even to led to the students difficulty in education; if they can't stand the person sitting next to them because of their race, they don't want to be in the same classroom as the person. Therefore Gruwell works hard to figure out how to bond the group. She goes through several days of traditional teaching and realizes that the education of her students won't excel unless she can understand their hatred and help them come together in communitas. She initiates a game where she draws a line in the middle of her class and the students have to step on the line if her directions apply to them. She tells the students to step on the line if they have had a relative killed in a gang-related incident and then asks them if they have had friends killed as well. As the game progresses, more and more of the students realize that they are not alone and that others bear the same hardships and hurts that they do. After several weeks of breaking down the racial barriers, Gruwell, is able to create an environment of friendship and community within the classroom. The students start to act like family to each other and Gruwell herself begins to learn more about her students than she ever thought she would. For Gruwell, her role, was to help the students address the issues that they never talked about. Her character helped them to become better students and more enlightened individuals on moral issues, like hate and love. She was also inspirational for the students because she saw value in them when other teachers did not. Interestly, one of the honors students in another class asked to be moved into Gruwell's class because she saw how much fun they were having together.

Even though the term "forgiveness" is never mentioned in dialogue in the film, it is shown in actions between the students. ThAlso, the students realize that when they start to work together, they get more accomplished than do as individuals. The movie depicts the reality of how violence can errupt from hatred and create an atmosphere of hostility among social groups, creating division. The Eccliastes 4:12 principle is also supported by claims made in the movie how a "three-strand chord is not easily broken". Forgiveness allowed for the teens to become more successful students and taught them how having prejudices cause destruction in life and keep them from loving.

Anna Backens - Hitch

Growing up, I was told that "honesty is the best policy" and I wasn't really reminded of that quote until I saw the movie hitch. In Proverbs 10:9, it states, "He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known." This principle can be applied to the main characters. In the beginning of the film Albert, an overweight financial advisor, falls in love with multi-million-dollar Allegra Cole. He hires a "date doctor" Alex Hitchens, to change his appearance so that Allegra will notice him at work. Albert tries to put on an appearance of the person he thinks that Allegra would be interested in, not himself. Ironically, the advice he follows from Hitchens only helps him a little, it is the moments when he is himself, splilling mustard on his shirt and throwing his inhaler down the street after being frustrated after a date, that causes Allegra to love him.
It was only when he was honest, that he found love. Alex, also had the same problem. He made a profession out of finding the perfect plan to have women fall in love with him, but as the proverb says, a person's way will be seen if dishonest. He made it a practice to figure out what others want, instead of just being who he was. When he thought he had relationships and life figured out, it suddenly came crumbling down.

Alex meets Sarah, who is a gossip columnist and when the two first meet each other, do not tell the other what they really do for a profession. Ironically, Sarah is investigating the "date doctor" but doesn't know its Alex because he doesn't tell her who he really is. Alex doesn't know what Sarah is writing about because she doesn't tell him who her next top story is about. The two fall in love, but their predicaments become horrible when they find out the truth about each other. Since, they weren't honest in the beginning, their lies became larger until it all came out and was much more hurtful than had ever been intended. The moral of the movie is to be honest with others so that your life will be seen for what it really is. It makes me wonder about images people put up in society and how we always are striving to plan out lives to prevent bad things from happening to us. The movie showed how, when people are honest, they run into less trouble than when they try to construct an image of their live that isn't true.

Querube Barber - Predestined?

The film Just like Heaven is a romantic and funny story about a young doctor, Elizabeth, and an architect, David. Elizabeth has a car accident, goes into a coma and is put on life support. While she is in the hospital, David rents her apartment.

The ghost of Elizabeth is present in the apartment and is able to go through closed doors and walls. The interesting thing is that Elizabeth does not know about her situation. David can see her and talk with her. This makes people suspicious of him because to them, he is talking alone since they cannot see nor hear Elizabeth.

Elizabeth cannot remember anything about her past. By digging through her past, David and Elizabeth find out about her identity and the fact that she is in a coma in a hospital.

As hard as it may be to believe, David and Elizabeth’s spirit fall in love. They find out that Elizabeth’s body will be taken off life support because Elizabeth had requested that on her last will and testament. David and Elizabeth’s spirit work hard to prevent Elizabeth’s body from being taken off life support. Elizabeth’s body recovers, but of course, she cannot remember what happened while she was in the coma.

After she leaves the hospital, she goes back to her apartment. She sees David working on the garden of the roof of the apartment. David gives the keys of the apartment to Elizabeth and through the touch of their hands, Elizabeth’s memory returns. Were they predestined to be together?

Garrett Dalton-Munich

The film Munich is one of Stephen Spielberg's best films and one of my all time personal favorites. The movie is an adaptation of a book titled Vengeance and follows the events that transpired after the terrorist hostage taking at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. The terrorist organization known as Black September took the Israeli Olympic team hostage and demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners as well as several members of the Red Army Faction in Germany. The hostage situation turned bad and left the entire Israeli team dead. In response, Israel assembled a secret group of assassins to eliminate the planners of the Munich incident. The team engages in a discreet war against Black September throughout Europe and at one time in the Middle East. Within the film can be found the idea of morality in the face of an extreme situation. At one point in the film one of the assassins poses the question to the others as to the legitimacy of their assignment. He did not see the difference between the killing that Israel was doing and the killing that the Palestinians were perpetrating. This is a moral question as to whether the laws of man are more important than the higher moral law. Is it right to kill for the security of one's people or does the is it morally unethical?

Garrett Dalton-Blade Runner

Blade Runner as directed by Ridley Scott is one of my favorite films. Blade Runner takes place on earth in the not so distant future. Technology is king and the natural world has taken a backseat to human advancement. At this time human beings have the technology to create artificial intelligence and human androids, which are used as laborers on distant planets. These replicants, as they are called, are programed with a lifespan of only 5 years. The film follows the Blade Runner Decker, played by Harrison Ford, as he attempts to locate and "retire" a group of rogue replicants that have escaped and are loose on earth. The replicants in question are searching for a means at extending their 5 year long lifespan. They have no idea when they are scheduled to die only that they have a limited amount of time to live. Though not human, the replicants are in fact more in touch with humanity. The replicants have come to the realization of their own morality and choose to live every last moment to the fullest. They have a greater understanding of life than do regular humans because they have such a limited life of their own.

Querube Barber - Freedom

Are you free?

Dr. Charles Stanley wrote about The Gift of Freedom. He starts his article by asking the reader, "Are you a free person?" Most of us would answer yes to that question because we are free to go almost anywhere we want to or do what we want to do or even say what we want to say.

We need to remember that many thousands of men and women in uniform have died while serving in the military in order to protect our freedom.

The article goes on to explain that many people think of having liberty because nobody will question their actions or activities. Dr. Stanley says that the truth of the matter is that these same people who think they have liberty are enslaved by different kinds of bondage, such as stress, bitterness, anger, anxiety, depression, etc. Dr. Stanley states that even though a country may experience liberty through a war won on a battlefield, that country will not be free until its citizens are free. “And no person is free unless he or she is free on the inside.” In John 8:36 Jesus says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Then we might think we are free because our country enjoys freedom, but are we really free on the inside?

Freedom is by no means free. Somebody has to die for that freedom. Just like many of our men and women in uniform have died to keep our country free, according to the Bible, Jesus died to provide freedom from sin to mankind.

Querube Barber - A Walk to Remember

How much impact can one person’s example have on another person’s life?

The film A Walk to Remember is a perfect example of Religion in the Movies. It is the story of a young man, Landon, and a young, lady, Jamie. They are in the same high school. Jamie’s father is the pastor of a church where Landon and his mother also attend.

Landon is a popular boy who gets enjoyment out of doing bad things. Jamie, on the other hand, is a living testimony of how a Christian should live a godly life.

Landon and his friends always make fun of Jamie because she always wears an old-fashioned sweater. One time when the bus is taking the students back to their homes, Jamie approaches Landon and tries talking to him. She has a Bible in her hands. Landon asks her if she doesn’t care what people think of her. Jamie tells Landon that she does not.

Landon gets in trouble in school, and as punishment, he is to help the custodian clean the school and be part of a drama club. Jamie is also part of the club. This club is practicing for a production. Landon is chosen for a part, so he asks Jamie for help memorizing his lines. Jamie tells him “yes, but you have to promise not to fall in love with me.” Landon thinks that this is easy for him since he would never even considering going out with a girl like Jamie.

In one scene, Jamie sings a song to him. This is when Landon falls in love with Jamie. After Jamie finishes singing her solo, Landon kisses her. This, of course, is not part of the play.

Landon asks Jamie out, and she tells him that she is not allowed to date. So Landon goes and asks her father for permission to take Jamie out. The pastor’ answer to Landon is a definite no. Landon tells him that all he is asking is for him to do what he preaches every Sunday; have faith. The pastor allows Jamie to go out with Landon.

Jamie also falls in love with Landon. Then, she tells him that she is sick and dying of leukemia. At first, Landon is angry and asks Jamie why she did not tell him before. She tells him that she did not want to be treated differently, and that she doesn’t “need a reason to be angry with God.”

Jamie’s faith in God was an example to Landon. He changes completely. One time when Jamie is in the hospital, she tells Landon that he is her angel to help her through her last days on this earth. Landon really loves Jamie and asks her to marry him. Landon wants to make Jamie’s last days on this earth beautiful and fulfilling. After they marry, Landon and Jamie spend one summer together. Then Jamie dies.

Throughout the movie, Jamie is always at peace even though she knows she is going to die very soon. There are many symbolisms in this movie, for example, every time water is shown, it is peaceful. The branches of the trees are always still and not moving. This is representing the peace and tranquility of Jamie’s spirit.

The Bible verse that is quoted several times in this movie is 1 Corinthians 13:4 - 5, which says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Jamie’s life certainly showed that kind of love and patience toward Landon. As a result of her godly living, Jamie was able to witness to Landon, and Landon was changed from a mean boy without a purpose in life to a loving and kind person who went to medical school.

Do we show the kind of love mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5?

Garrett Dalton-Millions

The movie Millions follows two boys who come upon a treasure of sorts and the ethical dilemma that faces them. The main character Damien and his brother move to the country with their father after the recent death of their mother. The family is seeking a new start away from the memories of the past. Damien is a very religious boy and often has visions of saints while playing in his "fort" located nearby train tracks. One day a large black bag lands on Damien's home away from home, destroying it entirely. Damien is of course shaken, but to his surprise, the bag is filled with hundreds of thousands of British pounds. Damien believes the money to be a sign from God and wants to give it away to the poor. His brother on the other hand wants to use the money to make a better life for the family. The movie is filled with interesting characters and events that portray the precocious minds of a young boy. The movie has ethical undertones that seek to show the conflict between doing what is right and doing what is wrong.

Garrett Dalton-The Plague

The Plague is about the Algerian town of Oran and the horrible plague that ravages its inhabitants. The plague is the main antagonist in the book, killing of the local population in droves. The response to the destruction is slow and many die because of the authorities inability to grasp the magnitude of the situation. The people themselves respond in different ways to the plague. One character, Father Paneloux, accepts the plague as a sign of God's displeasure with humanity and believes that no one should attempt to stop the spread of the disease. Others decide to fight back and attempt to save as many people as possible. The book contains several key themes that are prevalent throughout. The book shows a struggle between the rational, humanity, and the irrational, the plague. There are elements that point to the suffering of humanity and the ability of humans to fight back against suffering. Humans have the ability to stop suffering in order to save human life.

Garrett Dalton-The Matrix

The Matrix is a blockbuster hit that spawned two sequels. The movie featured fantastic special effects and an intriguing science fiction theme. On the surface, the movie is about a post apocalyptic earth that has been taken over by machines. The human race is used by these machines as a source of energy and are kept in a sedate and state through the use of a computer simulation that appears as the real world. The Matrix also features religious undertones that serve to present another level within the movie itself. Christianity is featured heavily throughout. The main character of Neo is in a sense a Christ figure whose duty it is to show the human race the true light and to reveal to them the way to salvation. Morpheus is a father figure who sends his son, in this case Neo, to earth to save humanity. Trinity is in effect the Holy Spirit and her name refers to the holy trinity, which is the foundation of Christian belief. The film's main conflict is a representation of eschatological writings of the Bible and is seen as the last battle between good and evil.

Garrett Dalton-Spirited Away

The film Spirited Away follows the tale of a little girl Chihiro as she embarks on a magical journey to another world. While moving into her new home, Chihiro and her parents take a detour and come upon a mysterious entrance. The world turns out to be home to spirits. The movie itself is an exercise in the ability of greed to consume ones life. Chihiro's parents exhibit the symptoms of greed from the very beginning of the movie when they gorge themselves in food that did not belong to them. They end up turning into pigs and it is up to Chihiro to find a way to turn them back into humans. Greed is again seen in the scenes at the bathhouse where a strange guest gives out gold in exchange for services. However, the guest does more than receive a bath and eats any that exhibit signs of greed. Chihiro is an example of good within the movie as she does not seem to be effected by greed. She accepts her task of saving her parents and is not by gestures of gold.

Austin Magruder - Trancendence

On of the ideas we discussed in class this semester was the idea of transcendence. “Berger defines signals of transcendence as "phenomena that are to be found within the domain of our 'natural' reality but that appear to point beyond that reality" (59). Prototypical human gestures are defined as "certain reiterated acts and experiences that appear to express essential aspects of man's being, of the human animal as such" (59). Berger notes that they belong to the everyday world of human existence rather than unconscious Jungian archetypes (60).” The film Requiem for a Dream conveys this idea. The characters in this film are attempting to transcend their reality. They refuse to deal with or cope with what is real and use drugs to escape the “natural reality” that Berger talks about. The characters abuse drugs to make a failed attempt at trancendence, they are unable to get out of their natural reality.

Austin Magruder - Existentialism

Existentialism deals with the notion that human beings are responsible for creating meaning in their lives. The film Requiem for a Dream is about four individuals who struggle with drug addiction and it eventually gets the best of them. This notion of creating meaning in one's life is very prevalent in the film. The characters of this film lead boring lives, they do not have jobs, and apparently do not have many friends other than each other. The meaning in life that the four addicts are trying to create is in my opinion, happiness, they all want to be happy. They seek happiness through success, however this dream seems distant, so to be happy in the mean time, they use drugs to dull the pain that is their current unhappiness. We all want to be happy, and many of us do find some form of this, some people just choose the wrong path and get lost on the way.

Austin Magruder - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Ever known someone or something you wish you could just forget? Many people have, but if this option were a reality, would you take it? It seems like the easy way out, but as this film shows, it can come with harsh consequences. The idea of just erasing part of a person's memory is kind of like playing god. Coping with problems is part of life, and most times in the end it makes you a stronger person, "that which does not kill you, makes you stronger." THe female lead in the film ruins Jim Carey's characters life when she begins acting like she doesn't know him. She thought only of herself when she got the procedure done. It is a very selfish thing to do.

Austin Magruder - 300

The cinematography is spectacular. The battle scenes were breathtaking to watch. I think my favorite scene has to be the scene in the Council chamber, where the Queen kills Theron and gives him the same speech he gave her. For those looking for complete historical accuracy, this is not the movie. If you like great "history based", and I use that term quite loosely, this was a fantastic film. I am confused by the responses of those claiming to have been offended by the movie's bias against the Persians, what did you expect? The story is told from the point of view of a Spartan. I'm sure when the story is told from the Persian side, it is equally as biased against the Spartans/Greeks. If this was a modern day documentary and had the same bias, I could understand people of Persian herritage getting upset, but it is far from it. People really should learn to separate fiction from reality. When Braveheart came out, I don't remember people in England protesting and denouncing the movies as racist. 300 is a great piece of entertainment, let it be just that and nothing more.

Austin Magruder - Groundhog Day

Every day, Phil Conners wakes up at 6am, in the same
room to the same song. This constant cycle of the same day
repeating itself allows Phil to live each day as he pleases. In the
beginning, when he realizes that nothing he does matters, he begins
to live very selfishly, in profane time. He drives recklessly, seduces
women, and robs an armored truck. He does all of this for himself,
and after a while, he realizes that he has nothing to live for and
begins to repeatedly kill himself.
Phil eventually transcends profane time and enters sacred
time when he realizes life has no meaning if you are only out to help
yourself. The scene when he is talking to Rita in the restaurant, and
tells her not to let the cameraman take her away is his cry for help.
He can not live like this anymore and wants that real human
interaction. He later uses his ‘power’ to help the community of the
town he once hated. He helps old ladies with their flat tire, catches a
boy falling from a tree, and takes the homeless man out for dinner.
Phil has transcended profane time into sacred time, and he is no
longer living for himself, Rita really helped him with that change. The
scene when Phil finally realizes he has transcended is after the date
auction when he and Rita are outside and it starts snowing at a time
it never had before. This change in the weather signified a change in
Phil’s life.
Groundhog Day has always been a great comedy and I
have seen it many times. I have never thought that much into it but
now I see there is a very serious underlying message. If you only
live to better yourself, then what is the point of living? Is there really
any meaning to life if you are only living to serve oneself?

Austin Magruder - Babett's Feast

If you won the lottery what would you do? I do not know many people who would answer that question with, spend it all on one dinner for ten near strangers. Babett however shows true selflessness, Sending for all of the finest ingredients with wines for every course from france, she feeds the group. Amazingly they think she is the devil and is trying to poison them with evil, so if they can eat the food and not comment on it, they won't be subject to the evil. They adore the food, and not being able to comment on it, they talk about their own lives and bond as a community again. The old ladies sipping wine and licking their lips is great. You can see the joy in their eyes, but the angst of knowing it is "evil". Babett is able to bring together a community throught the love of food.

Austin Magruder - The Jacket

The Jacket is a soeewhat disturbing psycological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Can you imagine, being acussed of a crime, and not being sure if you actually committed it? The notion that the main character was put through terrrible 'treatments' and was able to control his fear and actually use the sitiuation he was put in to time travel is difficult to comprehend. This movie touches on the idea of predestination, he knows what is going to happen to him and he chooses to use his ability to help others rather than himself. This kind of selflessness is rarely found in the real world nowadays. I think we can all take a lesson from this movie.

Steven Hunter - Apocalypse

The theory of a complete apocalypse is the most interesting thing we have talked about this year. I think that the scariness and overall threat of the topic is what makes the topic so intriguing. In the book of Revelation it mentions that those people who are filled with love and joy and on the side of Jesus will enjoy peace in the eternal life. Those people who live in sin on the side of the devil will suffer in hell.

Revelation gives a lot of insight into how people should live their lives; however, it should not be because of fear that people should act kindly towards each other. People should want to act with kindness because it is right and you want to be treated nicely in return. If it takes the fear of an ultimate apocalypse to scare people into acting morally and ethically, that is fine too.

The ultimate apocalypse will supposedly bring fire, winds, and floods. I want to be on the side that will allow me to live in peace after that, instead of suffering for eternity.

Steven Hunter - Existentialism

We coud learn from Forrest

One of the major themes or ideas we talked about in class is existentialism. This idea of taking it upon yourself to create meaning in your life is very intriguing. I knew a little before the class, but never knew what it really meant. I think this should be a lesson taught to all the kids in schools. It would really teach them that no matter their current status or class in life, they can make something of themselves.

A movie that exemplifies this existential movement is Forrest Gump. The movie showed how a man of little intelligence, because of his decisions and actions to help people, made the world a better place. He rescued people in war, won football games for his school, and raised a son on his own. He really made something of himself, when others thought he would be nothing with his low I.Q. and handicapped legs.

Existentialism is a major philosophical movement that should be a basis for many people to live by. I think that everyone could accomplish their goals and dreams if they stood by this belief.

Steven Hunter - The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code is a great movie that was released in 2006 that was based off of a book of the same name. It tells the story of a man who has to unravel the truth that a woman he has come in contact with may be the direct descendant of Christ. In doing this he would prove that Christ had a wife or mistress, and disprove much of what the Christian faith believes in.

Though we did not talk about this movie in class, I felt this movie was worth writing about. Could you imagine if this movie depicted what really happened in history and was proven to be true? It would cause mass chaos. Many people would leave their religion because they would feel lied to by their church.

It would be so astounding because it would show that Christ was susceptible to human desires, which would perceivably take away from his omnipotence. It would do this by making people think that he could not control himself if he wanted to. I think this is the very reason the priests at my church advised everyone to not see the film. I think that it is good to see though, as long as it is viewed for entertainment and not taken as truth.

I know that this is based on fiction, but it does give you something to think about.

Anne Zagursky-Critique of Pure Reason (Kant)

Rationality of Jesus

In Immanuel Kant's book, A Critique of Pure Reason, he talks about the ability to understand Jesus in a different way than the traditional Christian view. He wants to make Jesus into a prototype or example of good life but not a hero or savior of any kind. Kant believes that humans must save themselves and that no one and nothing else can change a person's reality and make them better. People's choices impact who they are and therefore a person must choose to make his life better as well. Kant thinks that the true conversion and salvation happens to each individual internally just as it did to Jesus. The actual existence of Jesus is insignificant to Kant. He believes that Jesus’ significance comes from his perfect example of following the categorical imperative. The story of Jesus is a representation of how to live a moral life, according to Kant.

Kant believes in the "categorical imperative" which is like rules that must be obeyed no matter what. Kant says that Jesus is the best example of this obedience and that is waht makes him valuable. He doesn't care about the actuality of Jesus, just the best example of the categorical imperative. ). He says that this perfect moral being was not born but begotten of God and is that in which all other things are made. The duty of humans is to elevate themselves to the same level of moral obedience as that of Jesus. Jesus serves as a prototype or prime example of right moral living. He is the only person that is in full accord with the categorical imperative. Jesus, being God incarnate, had to lower himself to come to earth and set the example for other humans. He has no need to suffer since he has done nothing sinful or wrong; therefore he lowers himself to the status of humans in order to set the example for other humans in the world.

Humans are sinful and cannot raise themselves to the level of God; therefore God, through Jesus, must drop down to human level to provide a quality example. This example gives hope to humans that perhaps if they believe in God they will be able to overcome the same problems and obstacles that Jesus faced and also come through it victoriously. Jesus’ story gives hope to those who believe and help people follow the categorical imperative more closely. However, Jesus was more complex than Kant makes him out to be. He was a radical leader who did not always follow the rules and made the Jewish leaders uncomfortable and confused. Jesus had to be more than just a prototype if he actually existed. He would have been a liar if he was not also a savior and thus he would not be perfect role model for humans. Jesus must have been a savior if he was the epitome of perfection.

Anne Zagursky-Boondock Saints

Mission from God

In the film, The Boondock Saints, we are introduced to two Irish, pious, Catholic brothers who are thrust into the world of vigilanteism after killing two mobsters in self-defense. While they sat in jail to aviod the media, the two felt a calling from God to clear all of Boston of these kinds of people. They wanted to clean up the city of all the evil, dirty people that cause terror or seek self-interest. They begin by wiping out the Russian mob at a secret meeting. As they kill, they recite an old Catholic prayer that their father taught them as children. The brothers continue their vigilanteism and being taking out some of the Italian mob. Again they recite the prayer as the kill the leaders. They even begin to kill people that are just evil in general, not associated with gangers or mobs. As they are about to kill one of the Italian leaders a mysterious man comes in behind them and is about to kill them but hears the prayer and starts to say it with them. The boys realize it is their father whom they haven't seen in many years. The father joins the boys in the mission. Papa Joe, one of the Italian mob leaders, is sent to trial and the brothers come in to make sure he gets his just dues. They know that if he faces trial no one will testify or the lawyer will find some way to get him out. They want to make sure he doesn't get off. The brothers recite a speech about living a good life nad refraining from evil. Then they kill Papa Joe in front of everyone in the court. They men are dubbed saints by the media. The movie ends with people reflecting on what it means to be a saint.

The film is a powerful story that can be related to the Kierkegaardian idea of the knight of faith. These men lived in faith that they were doing God's will even if it went against the laws of man and against the Bible. They felt that they were sent by God to fix the problems in the court systems and police. They wanted to make Boston a better place for the good people even if it meant doing something very unconventional. This is similar to the Apocalypse Now problem where good and evil are not so clear anymore. They are sent to clean things up but must do dirty things in order to make that happen. This film makes you wonder if people really do understand the call of God or the commands of Him. The brothers did not want to wait on the court system to convict these highly professional criminals. There was too big of a chance that the criminals would get off free abd be back out harming people are creating problems in the city. The brothers just made sure that wouldn't happen anymore and trusted God that they would find the strength to do his work and save their city.

Anne Zagursky-Thomas Merton's Ascent to Truth

Finding Truth Through Contemplation

Thomas Merton’s book The Ascent to Truth gives readers a view of what it means to be ascetic and how one goes about becoming contemplative. Merton shares what one of the great pioneer Christian contemplators, St. John of the Cross, thought and how he became so involved in the ascetic life. Merton also covers the various false contemplators and explains ways that people might go about the idea incorrectly. The book provides a great bit of detail on the skills and practice needed to become contemplative while exposing how the techniques are misused or misunderstood. Merton says that to main goal of contemplation is to clear the mind of all else outside of God in order to find the truth. He says that God is able to share with the ascetics the deep truths that others may not be able to understand. Contemplation is not for everyone, but most people do seem to yearn for a deeper understanding of God and closeness with Him.

Throughout the book Merton discusses various religious groups and people that try to use contemplation but do so in an incorrect or unsuccessful manner. Groups like Manichaeism, Gnosticism, some of the Oriental religions and different types of Christians have tried to use contemplation in order to achieve something other than oneness with God and Divine revelation. They have perverted the ideas and used them for selfish reasons. Some are dualistic, some pair the gods with worldly desires and some want to do away with knowledge and understanding. All of these ideas draw the person away from the Divine and cause problems with true understanding. In order to truly become contemplative, one must surrender worldly desires and thoughts, but they ought to have a vast and deep knowledge of God or the Divine. To know nothing of the one they are trying to reach seems ridiculous and dangerous. The danger is that other thoughts or spirits can plague the mind of the uneducated causing the person to believe anything and everything that the mind brings forth. It may and often is not from God because they know little or nothing of him and would not be able to discern whether it were true or not. Contemplation is a skill that is used to join in unity with God in order to understand more about ones’ self. If one does not know God then he only knows the self and contemplation would be rendered useless.
I agree with what Merton has to say most of the time. Contemplation is not something for the Sunday-only Christian. It is intense and often life-altering, but can bring the most amazing results. The only thing I would have to say is that I believe there are other ways to become one with the Divine or God. As a Catholic I believe that through the Eucharist I am for a few moments divine. I have the literal body and blood of Christ in my hands and in my mouth. When I eat that flesh and blood, Jesus and I become one. I know Merton was also Catholic so he may have believed this also, but he seemed to lean toward a more unmediated experience of the Holy. Overall, the book was amazing and will help me as I draw closer to Christ in my own relationship. Merton and John of the Cross were amazing men of the Catholic faith and leaders in the thoughts on asceticism and contemplation.

Anne Zagursky-Fairy Tale, a True Story

Truth

Recently I had the opportunity to watch a movie call Fairy Tale, a True Story, about these little girls in England who can see fairies. The film is set in the early 20th century and features Houdini and other famous people of the time. Supposedly this is based on a true story and there is actual evidence of the girls' beliefs. The movie starts with a little girl coming to live with her aunt, uncle and cousin because her father is away at war. The family takes the girl in and the two girls begin to explore the surrounding hills and forest. They see fairies and tell the parents, but the parents don't believe it. The girls take the father's camera and take a picture of the fairies. The picture gets out to the media and people start exploring the concept of truth. At the same time the magician Houdini was presenting the same question through his magic. What is truth and reality? The little girls became instant celebrities and people around England flocked to their small town to see the fairies. But the fairies didn't come out for the adults. Only kids could see them. At one point in the film Houdini says that he doesn't like to deal with kids because they trust everything and expect nothing.

The innocence of kids opens them up to seeing things that others might miss. This kind of openness is desired by people of all ages because humans want to be able to believe in something. This movie really opens up the question about truth and faith. How do we know that what we see or don't see is true? Faith is a necessary part of humanity because we cannot always see everything.

Anna Backens - outside 2 - cultivation theory

I recently finished an article by Helena Bilandzic entitled "The Perception of Distance in the Cultivation Process", which describes the role television has played in American society. The Cultivation theory was developed and studied in-depthly by George Gerbner in the mid seventies. Gerbner believed that the more time an individual devoted to watching television, the more their perception of reality would change to mirror media's narrative. The article outlines how the Cultivation theory is used to study how heavy viewers' belief systems are changed because of the amount of television that they watch. Data had been given that viewers learn first-order effects, which are facts and then they can learn second-order effects which are attitudes that the viewer can believe about societal issues like materialism. As society uses and integrates movies and television more and more into their lives, media becomes the narrator of real life, when in reality, television gives only a virtual reality doesn't it?

Issues like consumerism or materialism that plague parts of American society on a daily basis are placed in programs and commercials, which only perpetuates the size of the issue at hand. The movie the Fight Club, incredibly popular within pop culture, deals with consumerism outright, teaching the lesson that more is not always better. But what about programs that don't point out the bad but encourage viewers to give in to the cycle of buying? The virtual reality that television and movies sets up for us in not really fair. Producers are able to romanticize life with money or big houses; what does that do for viewers? If media is now a source of knowedge and the narratives they give in films are taken as fact, individuals beliefs will be based on what they see not on what they experience everyday in the real world. Looks and money are among some of the most valued aspects in pop culture, yet that gives a distorted view of what is really important in life. I think that the idea of religion can also be misinterpreted by viewers. The idea of who God is has been narrated in several different ways. Sometimes religion can be interpreted symbolically, like in the movie the Matrix. On the other hand, films can be religious satires, such as in the movie Dogma. Both movies make strong statements about religion and about the culture. The problem lies if viewers make assumptions based only on their viewing experience and do not study through other sources such as the internet, journals, and books. There is importance in balance.

Anne Zagursky-The Will to Believe

Pasional Tendencies
In William James' essay, "The Will to Believe", he discusses the person's ability to choose or will faith into existence. He notes that a person is born with certain dispositions or tendencies that get a person to act upon those tendencies in different ways. Some people have the tendency to beleive things in order to know the truth whereas others believe things in order to not be wrong. The first tendency tends to allow people to be more open to other opnions and views and are more likely to change their views if they think the truth is somewhere else. The second is not interested in the truth but only in keeping their beliefs in tact. They are often close-minded and absolutist.

James believes that people have the ability to choose faith through options or hypotheses available to them.He says that there are three hypotheses for belief that dictate the importance or relevance of the option. The first kind of option is the living or dead option. In this type of belief a person may face options that are not even conceivable to them. For example, a person might be asked to choose between beets and radishes, but they, in reality do not want or like either. This option is dead to them. On the other hand a Christian might be asked to believe in Catholicism or Protestantism. These are two valid options for the Christian which makes it a live option.

Another kind of option is that of the avoidable or forced option. In the forced option, a person is asked a question that only leaves them two options. For example, a person might be told to either accept the universe in a religious way or not. There does not seem to be any third option or way out. Even if the person says they will choose neither, that goes with the “not”. In an avoidable option, there is a third or alternative choice. In the final set of options, James proposes the idea of momentous and trivial options. Momentous options are ones that are importance to the existence of a person. These options are things like moral questions, religion, and personal relationships. Momentous options are not reversible or impact the person’s life in a great way. Once a person chooses something like a religion, the rest of their life is impacted and dictated by that decision. This belief is momentous because it changes their life and creates new options and choices. People all face these kinds of decisions and to James it seems that that makes the belief in religion very important and logical.

Querube Barber - The Metamorphosis

If you have not read the novel The Metamorphosis, you should consider reading it. This novel was written by Franz Kafka, a very famous German author. The word metamorphosis comes from the Greek prefix meta (meaning after, changed) and the Greek base morph (meaning form, shape). Webster dictionary defines metamorphosis as change of physical form. Perhaps the most common metamorphosis you know about is that of an ugly caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly?

This is exactly the opposite of what happens to Gregor Samsa, the main character in the novel. Gregor is a traveling salesman who is very dissatisfied with his job. Unfortunately, Gregor cannot quit his job because he is the main provider for his family. His parents do not work, not because they cannot, but because they chose not to. Gregor has as younger sister whom he loves very much. He pays violin lessons for his sister.

One day, Gregor wakes up and finds out that he has turned into a “vermin” that is a big insect. At first he thinks it is a dream. Soon, however, he discovers that it is no a dream. His family also finds out what has happened to Gregor. He cannot talk but can hear and understand his family. His family, on the other hand, is not aware that Gregor can hear and understand what they say.

His family is disgusted with his appearance. One day, his father threw an apple at Gregor’s back which caused and infection. The family decides to leave Gregor shut up in his room. His sister is the one who brings food to Gregor and cares for him. But taking care of Gregor becomes a drag to his sister and the family. After a while, Gregor’s health begins to deteriorate. His sister does not see the creature as Gregor, her brother, anymore but only as an insect. One day when Gregor was out of his room, his sister announces that it is time to get rid of Gregor. He hears it and, saddened by this statement, Gregor returns to his room, lies down and dies because the lack of food and love and care from his family.

Throughout the novel, Gregor’s father is very critical and very demanding of Gregor. Therefore, father and son did not have a good relationship at all. The interesting thing about this situation is that Kafka himself did not have a good relationship with his abusive, critical and demanding father. It seems to me that the novel reflects this fact.

Although Gregor has metamorphosed into an insect, could not this be representative of becoming unattractive to one’s job or to one’s family by becoming unable to provide for them, because of illness, injury, or old age? Although sad at the end, it is an interesting novel to read and analyze.

Querube Barber - Madame Bovary

Is a materialistic society something new?

Madame Bovary is a novel written by the French Gustave Flaubert. When reading this novel, you may experience different feelings, such as anger, perplexity, confusion and pity. Even though it was written over a hundred years ago, you may notice similarities to our society today.

The novel starts with the story of a shy and not so smart boy named Charles. He grows up and, somehow, manages to become a doctor. His mother is controlling and arranges for him to marry a rich widow. Charles submits to his mother without any protest and marries the rich widow.

One time while Charles was visiting a patient, he meets Emma. He falls in love with her. But Charles’ wife finds out about his love for Emma and quickly puts a stop to that. After Charles’ wife dies, he marries Emma. Now Emma becomes the main character of the novel.

At the beginning of Charles and Emma’s marriage, things go well since Emma was poor and Charles could give her a better life than she had. Because Charles is a doctor, Emma is invited to balls and parties by rich people. Even though Charles gives Emma all that he can afford, and certainly this is more than she ever had, Emma becomes an extremely materialistic person. She starts noticing all the beautiful furniture, drapes and clothes the rich ladies have. She wants to have what they have. Her marriage becomes very dull. So her husband decides to move to another town. This still does not help their relationship.

Emma gets pregnant and gives birth to a daughter. Both Charles and Emma think that the daughter will help their relationship. It does not! Emma starts noticing other men and even falls in love with them. Emma begins to lie to her Charles. For example, she tells him that she is taking piano lessons, but instead, she goes to meet with a lover. All the time, Charles does not have a clue of what is going on. Emma borrows huge amounts of money. When the creditors start asking for their money, she asks one of her lovers for money. However, Emma can not get the money she needs to pay back her debts. She decides to end her life by taking arsenic. This is very devastating for Charles who really loves his wife but did not know how to be a husband.

This novel is a typical example of a materialistic society where people put their hopes and trust on things instead of God. Can you identify with any of these characters, or do you recognize others in the characters?

Steven Hunter - Good vs. Evil

Pan vs. Hook

One of the major themes or ideas in religion is the struggle between good and evil. Almost every religion has its own story of their god or gods in an altercation with an evil entity. The battle between David and Goliath is a good example of this in the bible.

This theme is also played out in many movies. One movie in particular is Hook. The Robin Williams film telling the story of Peter Pan clearly depicts the classic struggle. Peter, representative of good, has to bring down Captain Hook, the evil nemesis.

I think that the movies featuring this theme will always be around and always make money because everyone always wants to see the good guy, usually the under-dog, eventually overtake and defeat the villain. I think that this movie will remain a favorite for many years.

Steven Hunter - Reincarnation and The Lion King

Circle of Life

After researching Hinduism for my research paper, I found that their idea of reincarnation is really powerful. The movie, The Lion King, really demonstrates this constant cycle of death and rebirth. In the movie the king, Mufasa, explains that there is a circle of life. He noted that when the lions die, they decompose and become part of the grass. The antelope eat the grass and then are eaten by the lions; thus completing the circle of life.

This notion does not directly follow the exact outline of what the Hindu people believe, but has a similar foundation of living on. It is interesting that the people of the Hindu faith are actually trying to improve their karma to be released from this cycle. You would think they would like the idea of being immortal; however, their release from the cycle shows that they have fully be enlightened and detached from earthly possessions. I recommend others see this movie and research into other religions that are not their own.

The Jacket

I had a very strong emotional response to the film The Jacket. The opening scene of the movie was filled with strong images of violence and brutality. The oppressive colors and sounds were overwhelming my senses to the point of overload. Mere ten or fifteen minuets of the film I knew that I could not stand this assault on my senses. I found the montage in the institution for the criminally insane to be totally de humanizing. The total lack of respect for the main character was far too much for me to bear. The moment that caused me to leave was when the main character was dragged down the stairs and strapped into a stained jacket and put in the cold temperature chamber, the sense of claustrophobia and the raw mortality was too intense for me.

Anne Zagursky-Spirited Away

Love and beauty

The film, Spirited Away, was an interesting movie about a little girl who finds herself mixed up with a bunch of dirty spirits in a Japanese bath house. This little girl made a huge impact on everyone she met. At the same time, the people or spirits around her helped her grow and become a better person as well. At the beginning of the movie, the girl was rather shy and scared. She was not comfortable with new environments and did not want to move to the new village that she was headed toward. She and her parents discovered an abandoned amusement park and began to explore. When her parents were turned into pigs for overeating, the little girl did not know where to go or what to do. A little boy came to her rescue and helped guide her throughout her adventures in the spirit world. It seems that all the spirits were pretty dirty and needed to be cleansed at the bath house. The little girl got a job and was determined to do her best to help and eventually earn the right to get her parents back.

She ends up helping all kinds of spirits along the way and grows into a brave little girl through it all. She helps this spirit that appears to be a "stink spirit" but turns out to just be a polluted river spirit. She risks her life to save him and make him clean. He gives her a gift that she thought could help her save her parents, but she ends up using it to save the little boy and the no face spirit. They needed to be purged and the river rock helped them. The little girl made all the spirits realize they were selfish and gluttonous. She helped purify them in a great and lasting way. She did all this because she loved everyone. Her love transformed the spirit world and her own life. Love like that is what we should all strive for. Sacrificial love can heal wounds and clean the dirtiness we all have within us.

Jonathan Hughes-Spirited Away

Spirited Away is a Japanese Anime film that focuses on a young girl, and an abandoned theme park which serves as a gateway between the spirit world and the human world. The film serves a coming of age tale, which features a young girl who is suddenly tossed into a situation where she has to grow up, or basically be destroyed. A main theme in the film is greed, this is evident when Chihiro comes back and finds that her parents have transformed into pigs from eating so much. At the beginning of the film Chihiro was scared and timid, but at the end of the film she is courgious and saves her parents from the grasp of the spirits. The film really shows the transformation when someone is put into a tough situation where they are either forced to sink or swim.

Jonathan Hughes-A Scanner Darkly

A Scanner Darkly is a film based on a novel by Phillip K. Dick that was written in the 1970's and has been compared to the famed novel 1984. The movie takes place in future Las Angeles, and its focus is on a small group of friends, one of which is an undercover narcotics officer. In this future period, government survalliance is everywhere, all phone lines are tappped, as well as cameras are everywhere at all times. However this group of friends is able to almost continuously be involved in the use and sale of illegal narcotics. This is because the government allows the small fish to get away in order to hook the big ones, one of which is a member of the group, Barris. John Arctor, the undercover agent, has began to use Substance D, in order to fit in with the group, but now great neurological damage has began to occur due to his prolonged use. At the same time due to new technology which prevents the identity of undercover agents from being leaked, Arctor begans to become confused with who he is and why he is doing what he is doing. This all leads to Arctor eventually narcing on himself, and being sent away to a drug rehabilitation center. This movie is interesting because of the way it is filmed. It was filmed with real life actors, and then animated overtop to create a trippy, but gripping effect.

David Wilder - Free Topic 5: Spirited Away

I thought it was a pretty good movie. This is the third time I've seen the movie, so the events weren't a surprise to me. I did find myself smirking a bit as I heard people around me a little confused or guessing on events that wouldn't happen. Nevertheless, I did notice a few things I had not noticed before. I had not noticed the headband glitter in the final scene. It means a lot more now. I also had not realized the connection between day and night, and off the layers leading to the bathhouse from the human world: the tunnel, river, steps, and bridge. I also didn't really pay attention to the eating and food themes presented in the movie. This was mainly because I had previously viewed the movie as entertainment, and not critically.

David Wilder - Free Topic 4: Jingle all the Way

Few might remember this older movie, but I still due. Beneath the comical and often clashing antics of the two main characters, Schwarzenegger and Sindbad, lies a powerful message. The movie entails a ritual, the ritual of buying presents at Christmas time. Both men struggle effortlessly to find the perfect gift for their sons, but turn out to be difficult rivals and fearful enemies. The character played by Arnold has troubles in the beginning of the movie, finding it difficult to please his family and friends, he needs a change. Nevertheless, during this journey at Christmas time he finds it. Through the ritual of shopping for presents, he learns what the holiday of Christmas is all about, and becomes a better person for it. The movie definitely shows aspects of the religious ritual.

David Wilder - Free Topic 3: X-Men 3

X-men 3 had a few powerful references to religion. For example, the rebirth of Jean Grey into the Phoenix. It definitely has some Buddhist undertones in which a person returns to life as a higher life form after death. In a similar way, Jean is reincarnated as the Phoenix. another concern comes up regarding Professor Xavior who returns to life by taking over the body of a man in a vegetable state. This can create alot of interesting ethical questions: whether it is right to do so. Nevertheless, it was a fascinating movie, and makes a strong point of reincarnation.

David Wilder - Free Topic 2: Minority report

I was kinda surprised we didn't view Minority report in class, since it has strong sin and justice themes as well. The premise is that crimes can be realized before they happen, and as such, criminals are arrested before they commit the crimes. As the main character discovers, the system may not be as great as they think. Is this kinda of justice actually just? I really hoped to have a discussion on this in class, we'll see. Maybe it will be tonight's movie.

David Wilder - Outside Assignment 5: Fearless

In my opinion, this movie was amazing. Thinking back on it, it had a very powerful theme that coincided with one subject we spoke about in class. Huo Yuanjia, a chinese martial artists begins his life by seeking to become the strongest. He wishes to become champion and never ever lose. That is his goal and focus in life. He focuses on this every waking moment and appears to the audience to be a real jerk, both to his friends, and to his enemies. His whole life changes when his wife and daughter is killed and he then wanders China pointlessly. He nearly dies, but is saved by a kind family from a rural village where he stays and works. He slowly opens up to them and gains a new reason for living. This is all similar to a ritual. He finds a new place and eventually opens up to it along his journey. Finally, he decides to return home, for he has never visited his mother's grave. Thus he sets out, and completes his ritual. He then lives kindly, and for a greater purpose. To defend China against the foreign countries which are trying to destroy its moral. I think it posed an excellent example of Huo's journey, ritual, and transformation.

David Wilder - Outside Assignment 4: Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni

This was another anime I've viewed over the course of the semester, and perhaps my favorite thanks to its puzzling and intelectual content. Its genre is closest to psychological suspence and mystery and revolves around a group of young kids in a rural village. However, a murder occurs and the characters and viewer alike are plunged into a classic "who done it?" However, unlike many stories of this genre, events are shown differently throughout the course of the series, each adding a few more pieces to the puzzle. The anime ends before the final conclusion of hte story and it's left to the viewer to piece it together. I found it enlightening to watch it through again, finding things I had not seen before or had missed and/or forgotten. A very enjoyable series indeed. Nevertheless, it is filled with several relavent themes pertaining to religion. throughout the series, the murder is often referring to Oyashiro-sama's curse, that is, punishment by the Villiage's guardian for various sins or crimes commited against him personally or against the villiage. This is thrown out as one possible solution to the mystery. Furthermore, the repitition of events give the viewer a feeling of the mundane. The story continues, but seems to reset before a conclusion can be achieved. Nevertheless, the series ends with a glimpse of sacred time, a possible solution. Of course, the series only allows a glimpse, and it is ultimately up to the viewer to figure it out. However, the end of the story is being made into a second season which will air this year, and will undoubtedly reveal the puzzle many have sought after.

David Wilder - Hot Fuzz

I recently went to see this movie and I personally found it very entertaining. Although the majority of the film lacks religious themes, one theme stood out to me. The main character, a sergeant in the police force, is an atheist. However, he is sent to a little country town where the people seem to be deeply religious and centered around good living and church. The people there want a perfect community. They seem to live religiously while he lives a life of atheism. Nevertheless, things aren't as they seem. The Policeman discovers the town's secret. In their zeal to maintain a perfect community, they have resorted to killing off anyone who lowers the standard, hoping to be England's best village every year. Near the end of the movie, he confronts all of them, one of them being the preacher. What an ironic situation. The preacher believes the main character to be wrong; what they are doing is for the greater good. However, the policeman replies that even though he's an atheist, at least he knows right from wrong. I thought it was a very interesting movie that portrayed these two sides with an interesting twist. I highly suggest the movie.

David Wilder - Free Topic 1: Spiderman 3

I'm pretty excited about the upcoming movie Spiderman 3. I was a big fan of the cartoon series growing up and I'm thrilled to finally see Venom on the big screen. In the movie, Peter will come into contact with an alien symbiont known as Venom. While Peter's "new suit" will make him increasingly powerful, Venom also brings out the worst in people, making them more aggressive, hateful, and prone to revenge. Venom in a sense represents the dark side of every human heart. This is very similar to the primal and dark side of men shown in Heart of Darkness and in Apocalypse Now. Peter may be battling the new Green Goblin or whatever other villains may arrive on the scene, but he will also have a battle raging within his heart between good and evil. I only wish the movie had come out sooner so that I would be able to write a more complete post on the movie and it's relations to good and evil.

David Wilder - Outside Assignment2: Matrix

This may be overdone, but it’s a good illustration. Neo begins his life in a fake world, the Matrix. However, when he’s pulled out he learns the truth, that machines have taken over the world and that all humans are in subjugation. Within the movie, he represents their savior. Like Christ, he even dies and returns to life. He has amazing powers, godlike powers, within the matrix, which allows him to triumph over the symbol of evil within the movies: the Agents. In the end, he sacrifices himself for the good of humanity, and through which buys their freedom from their slavers. This is just as Christ redeemed humanity through his own blood on the cross. He was lifted up for our transgressions, just as Neo is lifted up in the final moments of the third movie. This is a powerful movie, clearly illustrating a supernatural redemption of mankind.

David Wilder - Outside assignment 1: Deathnote

This is an anime tv series that is ongoing in japan currently. What’s interesting is the dymanic and the concepts that arise in it. One high school student finds a notebook, called a Deathnote. If any person’s name is written in the book, he or she dies. Light, the main character seeks to use the book to make the world a better place, killing off criminals and similar people. However, while some regard him as a savior, others regard him as a murderer. The Japanese police force join with other investigators to try to bring him to justice. This group is led by a mysterious detective known only as L, hiding his identity to avoid becoming a victum himself. This brings up a very interesting concept of sin and justice. However, I believe Light turns terribly evil when he kills the people who are trying to catch him, with no other crime of their own. I think I definitely side with the side trying to bring Light down, and that their justice is correct, despite the fact that Light’s methods have lowered crime. He is just using murder as a way of keeping control, just as the murders use crime to further their ends.

Garrett Dalton-Constantine

The film Constantine features a combination of Hollywood special effects and a story incorporating Catholic Dogma and other religious mythology. The story centers on the chain-smoking loner John Constantine who is charged with defending the humanity from the forces of darkness. The movie states that humanity is caught in a game between heaven and hell in which humans are constantly being influenced by either side. Most theologians would have complaints on the subject matter, which portrays Christianity in a less than ideal light. One example of this would be Gabriel the Angel and her allegiance with the son of the devil. There also seems to be no grey area with concern to sin and salvation. When someone commits a sin they are doomed to eternal damnation, which is the case of John Constantine who attempted suicide at a young age. The films makes great emphasis about the hypocritical nature of Christianity. Human beings are not supposed to commit sins, but are constantly bombarded with the opposite. There are quite a few interesting easter eggs to be found within the film. The opening scene shows a couple of men scrounging around in a dilapidated church. One falls through the floor only to discover the Spear of Destiny. The Spear of Destiny was said to have been used to wound Jesus Christ while he was on the cross. Popular mythology holds that whoever possesses the Spear will be invincible in the face of their enemies. In the movie the spear was wrapped in a Nazi flag. Adolph Hitler was a firm believer in the occult and in fact captured the Spear of Destiny when Germany annexed Austria prior to WWII. The film implies that the Spear was smuggled to Mexico after the fall of Nazi Germany. There were in fact former members of the Nazi party that fled to South and Central American after the war, however the Spear itself was recovered by the American army during the capture of Nuremburg.

Anne Zagursky--Fear and Trembling (Kierkegaard)

Faith and Reason

Reason and faith are always topics debated in religion. It is hard to say which ought to take more precedence or have more influence. Some believe that reason is more important and that faith is secondary. These people tend to find things like miracles and charismatic experiences as doubtful or impossible. On the other end are those who are purely based on faith. These people tend to believe whatever their religion tells them whether it makes any sense at all. There are many who are in the middle. There are some that still use faith to understand reason and others that use reason to find faith. I think that I use reason to understand faith most but sometimes I have faith without reason at all. Some things just make no sense to believe but I believe it anyways. That is what faith truly is anyway, believing in the unseen.

Kierkegaard believed that faith must surpass reason because you cannot arrive at a belief through calculations and reasoning. He did believe that reasoning was important in that it led people to think about their lives and reflect upon the events that have brought them to the place they are at. However, faith must be supreme. In his book Fear and Trembling, he talks about the process Abraham goes through from being a man of the law and infinite resignation to a knight of faith. Abraham made a choice to listen to God's voice and ignore the laws and his own common sense. He took Isaac to be sacrificed because he had that much faith in God. And through that faith his son was spared. Had he used reasoning, he most likely would not have brought his son up on that mountain and he would not have had that test. However, that would have left him without faith in God. He trusted God to provide and protect him and his son. It is difficult to imagine that kind of faith, but that is what Kierkegaard thought was the ultimate in human experience. Have faith above all else.

The last three posts-Jonathan Hughes

The last three posts: Cold Fever, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Slaughterhouse Five were all posted by Jonathan Hughes on April 23.

Slaughterhouse Five

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a masterpiece of a book that examines the life of Billy Pilgram through several different times, including the future where Billy is abducted by aliens and put on public display for their ammusement. The story jumps from World War II, and the fire bombins in Dresden, to the future on Tralfamadore, and Billy's fantasy life that makes his family think that he is going crazy. Slaughterhouse Five examines the importance of time and how many people waste thier lives by becoming comfortable and never experience anything extraordinary. This is why Billy creates Tralfamadore and his life there, which he says he experiences at the same time his life on earth is occuring. He created this life as an escape, as a way of creating an environment that is new an exicting.

Outside Reading: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, is the journey of a journalist and his attorney to Las Vegas in search of the American Dream. The journey is takes place in the 1970's and serves to show the harsh break between the freedom associated for many Americans during the 1960's, and the Vietnam War years of the 1970's. The characters use mind altering drugs throughout the entire film, which in their opinion serves to help them see through the fog and make the American Dream visible. After searching with little success, Raoul Duke, the journalist, realizes that the wave of the American Dream had come in, and the tide was quickly going out. Maybe this explains their use of drugs, as a way of escaping the new tide that was surly to follow.

Cold Fever

Cold Fever is an intriguing film that serves to show the importance of ritual and sacred place and time. It is the seven year anniversary of Hatsuri's parents death, and instead of venturing on a golf vacation in beautiful Hawaii, Hatsuri is confronted with the obstacle of completing a ritual in the rugged terrain of Iceland in order in insure the peaceful resting of his parents. Hatsuri's journey to complete the ritual, eventually is transformed into a ritual itself, that tests his resolve as well as dedication, and in the end transforms him, and shows him the importance of the ritual and the sacred place where it must occur. As the journey moves along, Hatsuri becomes less and less aware of the harsh weather and terrain, which is symbolic of this transformation.

Greg McCracken- Outside Reading 5- Symbols

In this class we have discussed how movies communicate with us beyond the typical form of language. In my family interaction book, it said "Communication can be thought of as a process involving the exchange of information through the use of symbols." I thought this was interesting since symbols in movies have been one of the primary discussions of our class. Still, there have been times when I have wondered if symbols in the movie were created before or after the picture was completed. I think many times, a director will shoot something and subconsciously put in some kind of symbol which portrays a higher meaning into the movie. For example, in Apocolypse Now, the shadow which was constantly on Colonel Kurtz was shot as a result of Brando's weight, yet the shadow did a perfect job of symbolizing the characters mysteriousness. I know that there has been times in this class when a symbol in a movie seemed more like coincidence than anything else. I also think it is typical of people to over analyze certain pieces of art. As a writer of music, sometimes I do not know exactly what i'm expressing until I am halfway done the song. These songs for me tend to have the most meaning. Maybe this is a way in which the subconscious expresses itself. The same could be said about direction in a movie.

Still, there is definately more cases where directors use symbols to convey meaning in movies. The best example of this I saw this year was also in Apocolypse Now, when Coppola directed Martin Sheen's character to leave the killing of Colonel Kurtz with a knife in one hand and a book in the other. This was the perfect symbol to represent the characters split between primal instinct and high society. It was also a great symbol when he chose to drop the knife and go home to where he was from.

Greg McCracken- Personal Reflection #5- Dreams and Sacred Time

Greg McCracken- Personal Reflection #5- Dreams and Sacred Time
In class we have discussed sacred time and as I contemplated on the subject, I realized that experience Sacred Time almost every night. I know times when I have slept 8 hours and felt like I have drempt 8 seconds, and other times when I have took a 20 minute nap that seemed to have a 5 hour dream. It is amazing to wake up from these experiences and to realize that each moment seemed to transcend time.

Also, this made me realize that time is not as stable as it seems. It is pretty common knowledge that "time flies when you are having fun," and that time seems to drone on forever when you are in a painful situation. Kinda sucks, doesn't it?
But still, it is nice to stop and reflect on the concept of time as something that is unstable. It seems to give the world a little bit of edge. And it is certainly possible that it is not just our mind that makes time change, but that the world around us is tellng us something. Though the good times feel good, maybe it is the most important to really understand the bad times. And maybe we were meant to experience pain in a slow form so that we could find some kind of meaning within it. Maybe that also explains why life changing moments tend to be bad things, and those moments make us stronger.

Greg McCracken- Outside Reading 4- Freud

As a psych major, I practically read Freud on a monthly basis and I figured some of his theory should be blogged on. Though his theory is pretty strange, he does make some very good points. His ideas of id, ego, and super ego have particular relevance to the idea of religion. The id is the primal instincts of the individual and the super-ego is the moral basis. A person takes these two parts of their self and controls it using their ego. In comparision, the id is seen as the little devil on your shoulder while the super-ego is your angel. According to Freud, "The hysterical ego fends off a distressing perception with which the criticisms of its super-ego threaten it, in the same way in which it is in the habit of fending off an unedurable object-cathexis- by an act of repression. It is the ego, therefore, that is responsible for the sense of guilt remaining unconscious."

As a religious being, I have experienced this sense of guilt from not following my moral sense. Primarily, I do not follow the moral sense out of laziness than anything else. Because truth be told, it is tiresome to be good all the time. I recommend trying. You get exhausted mid day and you practically force yourself to do something wrong just to relax yourself. It is possible that this is only something that happens to me, and the trained religious being probably learns to calm the anxiety of constantly being moral. But it is also always true that when I put in the effort to be a moral being, I always feel great about myself.

One thing I found very interesting that contradicts Freud's theory was found in movies like Fight Club. These individuals actually found the religious within their primal instincts, and rebelled against the moral imperitive found in society. With this in mind, it makes one wonder which shoulder one is supposed to follow, the id or the ego.

Greg McCracken- Personal Reflection #4-Progression Straying from the Holy

Many times during this semester's film studies, I have got the distinct impression that human progression is straying away from the holy. This could be seen in both war movies we saw (A Thin Red Line, Apocolypse Now) as well as Fight Club. In A Thin Red Line, much of the war took place with the backdrop of nature. Nature was seen as calm, and maybe even perfect, while the war was hectic and filled with pain. This hectic environment was caused by the flying bullets and radio discussions which has improved the speed of war. It reminds me of people in offices who have learned to multitask. They become so busy talking on the phone, answering e-mails, and thinking of dinner at the same, that they have forgot to calm down and enjoy living. In Fight Club, an large group of people end up giving up their lifestyles to try to attain a primal existance. In this primal existance, they find a holy experience compared to the consumer lifestyle they used to live with. The void that was caused by trying to buy their lifestyle was filled when they gave their consumer goods up. With this in mind, I ask the question: Does societal progression cause our holy selves to move backwards?

I feel that this is an important question to reflect on, and I know many people who would like to give up their material selves to gain a holier lifestyle. Still, I don't know anybody who has actually accomplished this. It reminds me of addiction. You want to give something up to better yourself, but you are so attached to the addiction that the idea of getting past it becomes impossible.

Greg McCracken- Outside Reading 3- Drifting Back to Tradition

In my Family Interaction class, we read a book by two authors named Rhodes and Wilson called "Surviving Family Life." One thing that I thought was very interesting was that people tend to leave their families when they become independent, only to return to their families when they need them. I have seen many individuals who have done this with the religion they grew up with. They get to a point of independence, and decide that the religion they grew up on was not right for them. They end up becoming athiests or find a new religion for a period of time. It seems after they have experiences with these new religions, they end up going back to their old religion with a new amount of faith. Sometimes it seems like they end up being the most active members of their churches.

Though I find this to be a interesting trend, it does not surprise me. It is understandable for a person to test new waters once they realize that what they considered to be truth is more an option than anything else. Of course, this is after a long period where that religion was accepted whole heartedly as the truth. After searching for new forms of faith, a person probably ends up looking back at their faith of origin. Because they found sense within this religion before, it would make sense that they would feel a high connection to these ideas once again. In fact, I think their faith would be increased after this experience, and it may be beneficial for all people to have a questioning of faith before accepting a particular religion.

Greg McCracken- Personal Reflection #3- God and Death

With an increasing amount of people seeming to lose faith in a higher being, I am intrigued with the thought that many people find God for the first time after they have an experience with death. One thing that has become apparent to me is that belief in God is found within faith, and not reason. Yet, it is reasonable for a person with faith in nothing to come to God when they realize that they are mortal. The idea of not existing is too hard for these people, and religion allows a person to continue living life normally without the burden of future non-existance. Other people find religion after their life hits rock bottom, and I find this to be a reasonable human action as well. Most people who hit rock bottom do so because they have no guidelines in their lifestyle. Once a person finds religion, they have guidelines to help them get on a good track. Once they are on a good track, they can say that they were directly helped by God because of their faith.

I am not saying that these people's faith is impure, because that is not the case, but instead I am saying that most people find religion because it is a reasonable thing to believe in. It would be too hard to think that there is no life after death. So much of living would seem worthless. And maybe if a person is unable to fathom this idea, they may rationalize their way to a belief in a higher being. What I am saying is that many of us say we are searching for truth, when instead I feel that we are searching for what makes life the easiest to live. Hopefully, the easiest path is in all actuality, the truth.

Greg McCracken- Outside Reading 2- The Sick Soul

Another chapter in William James' classic book "The Varities of the Religious Experience" discusses the religious workings of the sick soul. In discussing the sick soul, James discussed how these people find religion in misery. But one particular part of the book interested me. In writing about religion, James quoted Tolstoy saying, "One can live only so long as one is intoxicated, drunk with life; but when one grows sober one cannot fail to see that it is all a stupid cheat." To me, this statement is a open expression of the athiest view point. The religious being drinks religion in order to exterminate the bad feelings that occur when one rationally thinks about the existance of God.

Of course, it can be said that God is found outside of the rational or reasonable. Instead, God and religion are reserved for the faithful. I find this to be the primary distinction between a religious being and an athiest. It would be hard for me to understand the rationale of a person who believes in God through reason alone. To me, it is not logical to believe in a higher being. However, I do have strong faith in God and a very weak faith in reason. And with that being said, I think Tolstoy is kind of right. Without religion, life could seem like nothing but a stupid cheat.

Greg McCracken- Personal Reflection #2- Perception v. Truth

Many scholarly individuals are on a search for truth. Coming into college, I was the same way, but after many religious, philosophical, and psychological classes, I am starting to get the impression that truth for the human being as a whole is not realistically attainable. Instead, we are learning from what we perceive to be truth and building upon those ideas our own individuals worlds. With that in mind, the truth we are searching for is not global, but personal.
One of the primary examples I could think of to examine this idea would be the usage of hallucinagenic drugs. When a person is on these substances, their brains dynamic's literally change which causes the person to perceive a new reality. There is no way to say that this reality is any less "real" than a person's reality without drugs.
The reason I bring this idea up for this class is that many religious experiences that have been discussed in class have been under a state where brain functioning is different than usual. Tribes who mutilate their bodies could be experiencing trancendence because of extreme exhaustion. Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammed all fasted during their lifetime and attained transcedence. Once they found truth in these experiences, they were able to relate to common people a truth which they discovered. It is certainly possilbe that these truths were only the truth for them, and the people who relate to these religious beings are using these holy people's realities to guide their own search for reality.
My conclusion from this is that human beings will never find the global idea of "truth." Instead, we will each relate to common experiences and live our lives based on our perceptions.

Querube Barber - outside reading

A different kind of novel

Moderato Cantabile is a novel written by Marguerite Duras and compiled in a book called Four Novels. Marguerite Duras is a French playwright, novelist and filmmaker who is well recognized as a literary figure in France. In music, moderato cantabile means moderately and melodiously. In the story, these terms are a source of contention between a piano teacher and the son of the main character. This novel was first published in 1958. Before writing Moderato Cantabile, Duras used realism as her writing style. But with this new novel, she switched to existentialism.
The novel is narrated by a narrator who just presents the facts. It is up to the reader to interpret what is been narrated. At times, the reader does not know who is talking. Other times, the reader does not know where the action is taking place.
This novel is about a woman called Anne Desbaresdes, her son, mentioned throughout the novel as “the child”, and a man named Chauvin. Anne is a wealthy woman from the upper class who is not satisfied with her marriage and is bored with her empty life. She keeps herself busy by taking her son to piano lessons, walking by the seashore and along the Boulevard de la Mer and by going to a café where she drinks lots of wine with Chauvin, a middle-class worker.

Anne has a strange relationship with her son. While reading the novel, at times you think that Anne loves her son; but other times, you wonder if she has second thoughts about why she brought him into this world. For instance, in talking with Chauvin Anne says sometimes she thinks she has invented her son.

At the beginning of the novel, the child is taking piano lessons. It is apparent that he doesn’t want to take the lessons, and he tells his mother so. But his mother insists on him learning to play the piano. The child’s teacher, Mademoiselle Giraud, gets frustrated and impatient with the child because he is very stubborn and doesn’t want to learn the notes or the songs. Mademoiselle Giraud is very critical of the way Ann Desbaresdes raises her son. On one occasion, she tells Ann, that the way Ann brings up her son “is absolutely appalling.” Mademoiselle Giraud makes these comments in front of the child.

One day while the child is taking piano lessons, a murder takes place in a café near the apartment where the child takes the lessons. A woman was murdered by her lover. Anne spends many hours in the same café trying to find out why, how and by whom was the woman murdered. She attempts to make sense of the event. This is where she meets Chauvin. Anne Desbaresdes and Chauvin developed some kind of sexual relationship. The relationship is not a physical relationship, but rather through the exchange of words and thoughts or fantasies.

To me, the novel is a critique of the division of classes in the French society and the lack of affection of wealthy husbands towards their wives. This lack of involvement between husbands and wives leaves the women wondering and getting involved with extramarital affairs.