Second Subject
A subject that I think I am going to enjoy. It is religion and politics in contemporary society. The focus will be on Christianity, Islam and Hinduism however other religion will be looked at. The first lecture was right into the think of things with a look at Islam, Mohammad and its origins, very interesting. The subject doesn’t have an exam so I am really stoked on that.
Since I am dropping the geography subject I need to work out what I am going to pick up, at the moment I am thinking about another sociology subject focusing on families in contemporary society or doing my own research project in conjunction with the field placement.
I see a lecturer tomorrow about it all and then I will decide. I hope I will choose the right subject.
Since I am dropping the geography subject I need to work out what I am going to pick up, at the moment I am thinking about another sociology subject focusing on families in contemporary society or doing my own research project in conjunction with the field placement.
I see a lecturer tomorrow about it all and then I will decide. I hope I will choose the right subject.
posted by justinrigby at 2:22 pm
2 Comments:
For a boy who likes religion and politics and doing in class debates about it all... ; )
FIJI TIMES
Church tells of role in impasse
Sunday, December 24, 2006
THE Methodist Church in Fiji will continue to be involved and provide advice to ousted President Ratu Josefa Iloilo and ousted Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase because they are members of their church, says church secretary Reverend Ame Tugaue.
He said there had been reports and criticism from the public and other stakeholders on why the church had been actively involved in the impasse.
"What can we say, it should be understood that these senior government officers are members of the church and it is our duty to advise and help them when they are facing problems. We cannot run away from that responsibility," Mr Tugaue said.
He was reacting to comments by academic Sudarsan Kant that the church was once again caught in the limbroglio between religion and politics.
"This is unfortunate for an institution that is deeply embedded in the nation's history and remains for all practical purposes the spiritus rector of the vanua," Mr Kant said.
"The season of Advent and coups is probably an opportune time to reflect on two serious failings of the church, which in the first instance is tragic, and the latter downright disgraceful," he said.
He said the church, in numerous times had for reasons never fully articulated, chose to theologically provide justification to regimes amendable to its agenda regardless of the merits of said regimes.
Mr Kant said the Taukei Movement in 1987 followed by the coup in 2000 where the church created penumbra of spiritual legitimacy for the political situation on the ground.
"It is possible that the presence of the clergy and church personnel may have inadvertently generated a casual connection where none existed but that it did should be troubling for the church."
"However, aside from isolation voices in the intervening years, what is troubling is how untroubled the church is judging its current engagement with politics in Fiji," he said.
He said the church, instead of criticising the many failures of the states and regimes of the day these many years, had often chosen to rationalise, validate and legitimise the many depredations and excesses of the political order.
And this from a former military commander-turned-coup-leader-turned-president-recently-aquitted-turned-editorialist... But some nice words and more evidence that everyone knows (or is related to?) everyone in Fiji... Ahhhhhh... its nice to read the paper in the morning. Merry Christmas Justin.
Fiji Times
Watching what we say and do
Sitiveni Rabuka
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Something to smile about . . . Commodore Bainimarama
GOOD morning! I hope you will have a very good Sunday. I have just realised that I have never before, written my greetings to you who read my Sunday contributions, and I apologise.
So much is happening in our nation that we run the risk of having our personal plans derailed by events not of our own designs.
It is important that we make our own plans on how we are going to spend time doing what we like doing, and it is equally important that we make plans on how we are going to spend time if what we wanted to spend time on is not
possible, i.e. Plan B.
My granddaughter Lavinia had been really looking forward to spending time with her best friend, Talei, during this school holiday period.
Unfortunately for them, in the first few days of the holidays, Lavinia had to be in the courthouse with me just keeping her eye on my water bottle and making sure I had another bottle ready when His Lordship ordered a break.
After that time she had wanted to be with Talei and Talei was also looking forward to the end of my court case so that they could spend time together.
Unfortunately, Talei also now wants to be with her grandfather and grandmother, just to help make sure they too are comfortable.
So because Talei was with her grandparents, Lavinia had to go into her Plan B.
She took her younger brother and both became very involved in the Butt Street Church youth program that included a great carpark concert based on a Christmas bed-time story" that a sleepy Iva managed to get her Bubu Mere to tell her. Each night after rehearsals, their Sunday school teacher, Di Lusi, would bring them home in her car. On Friday night my grand-children surprised me when they said the youth program at Butt Street Church was continuing because they are preparing for a youth camp early in the New Year and Di Lusi is also still very much involved with her young charges.
In the meantime, my daughter, who was also with me at the courthouse and was also a surety during my recent detour, still manages to get with her best friend and classmate all the way from Saint Anne's to Saint Joseph's Ban, the name Bulou calls her.
They always get together to celebrate other classmates' birthdays, anniversaries and go to families' celebrative gatherings like roqoroqo, tevutevu as well as share in their grief at funerals.
They always manage to have a great time regardless of their national surroundings.
I have learnt as much from my children, grandchildren and their friends, as I have from books and studies.
When I get upset by what people say about me, I do not react as quickly as I used to because I think about how my children and grandchildren might think about what I say about their friends' parents or grandparents.
I have become more circumspect about what I say and do now. That's probably what Talei (not Lavinia's friend but the one who enjoys writing against me in the open column) has recently noticed in my opinions about happenings in Fiji.
We live and learn. I am reminded about what a great writer, poet and Methodist Hymns composer Rudyard Kipling wrote as a part of his great reflection titled If:
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their
doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise,"
(etc, etc and the last of the four verses)
"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the earth and everything that's in it,
And which is more you'll be a man, my son!"
I also commend to our leaders and you readers, two great Methodist hymns that this great man composed Hymn 889 God of our fathers, known of old (also known as Lest we forget) and Hymn 899 Land of our birth, we pledge to thee.
And before I forget, my daughter Bulou's friend, Ban, is Frank's
eldest daughter and my granddaughter's friend Talei is Lai and Leba's granddaughter and my grandchildren's youth group and Sunday school teacher is Di Lusi, the Radi-ni-Bau, wife of Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi.
So, during this festive season, if your Plan A has been hamstrung by recent happenings try Plan B, but let us all just be careful about what we say and what we do it might just impact hurtfully on one close to our hearts.
And, from my family to your families, Merry Christmas.
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