As we study William Shakespeare and read Romeo and Juliet in class, consider the following prompt: The concept of predestination is reflected in the work of Shakespeare. The lives of men and women are "mapped out in the stars", and attempts to transcend or disrupt this order, or chain of being, only lead to tragedy. Does belief in predestination exist in some form today? Do we subscribe to a similar or different philosophy? How does predestination relate to, or conflict with, the "American Dream"? How might you categorize the belief systems of our world today? Do you believe that your destiny is mapped out for you, or do you think that you control your own fate? (3-5 paragraphs; due via post and hard copy Thursday, 10-21).Friday, October 15, 2010
Shakespeare and Predestination
As we study William Shakespeare and read Romeo and Juliet in class, consider the following prompt: The concept of predestination is reflected in the work of Shakespeare. The lives of men and women are "mapped out in the stars", and attempts to transcend or disrupt this order, or chain of being, only lead to tragedy. Does belief in predestination exist in some form today? Do we subscribe to a similar or different philosophy? How does predestination relate to, or conflict with, the "American Dream"? How might you categorize the belief systems of our world today? Do you believe that your destiny is mapped out for you, or do you think that you control your own fate? (3-5 paragraphs; due via post and hard copy Thursday, 10-21).
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Predestination or no predestination that is the question. To some predestination is like having something come naturally to you, mean while others have to work hard at it.
Almost EVERY single person in my shop is good at fixing common problems and mistakes with computers, but is not passionate about it.There's a girl in my shop that was so-so at fixing computers and stuck with it for all four years, then after graduating she wanted to become a dentist. There was another senior in my shop that wanted to become a pc technician but after graduation he became a cop. I remember spending all 4 years with a basketball athelete who was excellent at fixing computers for 3 years and switched to accounting/office secretarial work which he loved. However after graduating he ended up being a fighter pilot who writes awesome poems.Freshmen year there was about 13 people in our shop and by the end of senior year there was about 8 or 9 people.
Philosophy comes in different ways. Sometimes it comes in lyrical and ironic form. And sometimes it comes in metaphors and quotations.For example I had a history teacher in my sophomore year who had a talent for teaching kids, but like everyday was like a philosphical puzzle.
Destiny is just a leap of faith that takes a lot of strength, passion, and work. You don't exactly know where it's going to take you. Sometimes it takes you to a positive realm and sometimes it doesn't.You just take a chance, and see where it takes you. I've done IT stuff since I was little and I've always thought that it was my destiny but turns out it's not.Turns out my destiny is being a martial arts instructor who privately tutors people in academics and speaks/teaches German.
Predestination is an idea in which people may or may not believe in. The definition of predestination is that a higher power has already decided what is going to happen in your life. Many people think God controls everything. Others may think that you can decide your own future and make it into whatever you want it to be. I believe that predestination is not true, but I can understand why people would believe deeply about it. In my eyes, people do have the power to change their future and be what they want to be. The people who do believe in predestination probably think highly about what their lives are going to be and do not want to change that. I think that each side can debate whether or not there is such a thing as predestination.
Today, there is not really one straight way that everyone looks at the world. Predestination, to me, existed back in the time when religion was an important part in everyone’s lives. It also existed during the time of Shakespeare. He said that people’s lives were mapped out in the stars. That is his idea of predestination. In the world now, people do not really believe that there is predestination. Now, people think they can make their own future and we have the power to change it if we want. That is how I see that people are different from the time of Shakespeare.
The American Dream is something that you as a person have to work for. Predestination is implying that you can’t change the way your life is. If you are born poor, you will die poor. There is nothing that you can do to change it. But if you do try to change it, bad things will happen. My idea of the American Dream is that you will go to school to get a good job, then someday have a beautiful family and live in a gorgeous house. As you get older, your family will expand and as you sit in your rocking chair looking at your grandkids playing you hope that their lives will be just as good as yours was. That is my idea of the American Dream. There is definitely some conflict between these two ideas. For one, the American Dream involves you controlling your life. Predestination is when someone else has already planned out your life. You cannot change predestination or that ruins the concept of the idea. There is not a really a good way to categorize our belief system now. Everyone believes in different things. If you were to take a survey on whom or what people believes in, there would be a lot of dispute. Not everyone would agree on one thing.
Usually, I can take sides on almost any debate. I believe that there is something out there that says that we will be a certain way, like our personality is already planned for us. I do believe that we can control our own fate. If someone wanted to be a teacher as a kid and were brought up with the idea of being a teacher, I think that they can change their job if they want to. You might be born on the same day as your mom’s best friend’s child and your parents have already told you that you are going to marry him/her; I think that you can decide to like or marry someone else. In my opinion, there is no predestination on how your life is going to be.
Shakespeare wrote about star crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet. There is no quote from him that he believed in predestination, but people say that he did. In his time, most people did believe that your life was already chosen for you. This idea still exists in the minds of people today, but not as many as the medieval times. I think that there is someone looking down on us and watching us, but they are not controlling how we react to situations. That is our job. Anyone can be whatever they want to be. They can do whatever they want. They just have to be prepared for the problems or events that follow. Whenever someone does something, it is because they want to, not because someone has already said what they will do. We control our lives and our future.
Christine Tamulis
Predestination is an idea in which people may or may not believe in. The definition of predestination is that a higher power has already decided what is going to happen in your life. Many people think God controls everything. Others may think that you can decide your own future and make it into whatever you want it to be. I believe that predestination is not true, but I can understand why people would believe deeply about it. In my eyes, people do have the power to change their future and be what they want to be. The people who do believe in predestination probably think highly about what their lives are going to be and do not want to change that. I think that each side can debate whether or not there is such a thing as predestination.
Today, there is not really one straight way that everyone looks at the world. Predestination, to me, existed back in the time when religion was an important part in everyone’s lives. It also existed during the time of Shakespeare. He said that people’s lives were mapped out in the stars. That is his idea of predestination. In the world now, people do not really believe that there is predestination. Now, people think they can make their own future and we have the power to change it if we want. That is how I see that people are different from the time of Shakespeare.
The American Dream is something that you as a person have to work for. Predestination is implying that you can’t change the way your life is. If you are born poor, you will die poor. There is nothing that you can do to change it. But if you do try to change it, bad things will happen. My idea of the American Dream is that you will go to school to get a good job, then someday have a beautiful family and live in a gorgeous house. As you get older, your family will expand and as you sit in your rocking chair looking at your grandkids playing you hope that their lives will be just as good as yours was. That is my idea of the American Dream. There is definitely some conflict between these two ideas. For one, the American Dream involves you controlling your life. Predestination is when someone else has already planned out your life. You cannot change predestination or that ruins the concept of the idea. There is not a really a good way to categorize our belief system now. Everyone believes in different things. If you were to take a survey on whom or what people believes in, there would be a lot of dispute. Not everyone would agree on one thing.
Usually, I can take sides on almost any debate. I believe that there is something out there that says that we will be a certain way, like our personality is already planned for us. I do believe that we can control our own fate. If someone wanted to be a teacher as a kid and were brought up with the idea of being a teacher, I think that they can change their job if they want to. You might be born on the same day as your mom’s best friend’s child and your parents have already told you that you are going to marry him/her; I think that you can decide to like or marry someone else. In my opinion, there is no predestination on how your life is going to be.
Shakespeare wrote about star crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet. There is no quote from him that he believed in predestination, but people say that he did. In his time, most people did believe that your life was already chosen for you. This idea still exists in the minds of people today, but not as many as the medieval times. I think that there is someone looking down on us and watching us, but they are not controlling how we react to situations. That is our job. Anyone can be whatever they want to be. They can do whatever they want. They just have to be prepared for the problems or events that follow. Whenever someone does something, it is because they want to, not because someone has already said what they will do. We control our lives and our future.
Christine Tamulis
Predestination is an idea in which people may or may not believe in. The definition of predestination is that a higher power has already decided what is going to happen in your life. Many people think God controls everything. Others may think that you can decide your own future and make it into whatever you want it to be. I believe that predestination is not true, but I can understand why people would believe deeply about it. In my eyes, people do have the power to change their future and be what they want to be. The people who do believe in predestination probably think highly about what their lives are going to be and do not want to change that. I think that each side can debate whether or not there is such a thing as predestination.
Today, there is not really one straight way that everyone looks at the world. Predestination, to me, existed back in the time when religion was an important part in everyone’s lives. It also existed during the time of Shakespeare. He said that people’s lives were mapped out in the stars. That is his idea of predestination. In the world now, people do not really believe that there is predestination. Now, people think they can make their own future and we have the power to change it if we want. That is how I see that people are different from the time of Shakespeare.
The American Dream is something that you as a person have to work for. Predestination is implying that you can’t change the way your life is. If you are born poor, you will die poor. There is nothing that you can do to change it. But if you do try to change it, bad things will happen. My idea of the American Dream is that you will go to school to get a good job, then someday have a beautiful family and live in a gorgeous house. As you get older, your family will expand and as you sit in your rocking chair looking at your grandkids playing you hope that their lives will be just as good as yours was. That is my idea of the American Dream. There is definitely some conflict between these two ideas. For one, the American Dream involves you controlling your life. Predestination is when someone else has already planned out your life. You cannot change predestination or that ruins the concept of the idea. There is not a really a good way to categorize our belief system now. Everyone believes in different things. If you were to take a survey on whom or what people believes in, there would be a lot of dispute. Not everyone would agree on one thing.
Usually, I can take sides on almost any debate. I believe that there is something out there that says that we will be a certain way, like our personality is already planned for us. I do believe that we can control our own fate. If someone wanted to be a teacher as a kid and were brought up with the idea of being a teacher, I think that they can change their job if they want to. You might be born on the same day as your mom’s best friend’s child and your parents have already told you that you are going to marry him/her; I think that you can decide to like or marry someone else. In my opinion, there is no predestination on how your life is going to be.
Shakespeare wrote about star crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet. There is no quote from him that he believed in predestination, but people say that he did. In his time, most people did believe that your life was already chosen for you. This idea still exists in the minds of people today, but not as many as the medieval times. I think that there is someone looking down on us and watching us, but they are not controlling how we react to situations. That is our job. Anyone can be whatever they want to be. They can do whatever they want. They just have to be prepared for the problems or events that follow. Whenever someone does something, it is because they want to, not because someone has already said what they will do. We control our lives and our future.
Christine Tamulis
Predestination is an idea in which people may or may not believe in. The definition of predestination is that a higher power has already decided what is going to happen in your life. Many people think God controls everything. Others may think that you can decide your own future and make it into whatever you want it to be. I believe that predestination is not true, but I can understand why people would believe deeply about it. In my eyes, people do have the power to change their future and be what they want to be. The people who do believe in predestination probably think highly about what their lives are going to be and do not want to change that. I think that each side can debate whether or not there is such a thing as predestination.
Today, there is not really one straight way that everyone looks at the world. Predestination, to me, existed back in the time when religion was an important part in everyone’s lives. It also existed during the time of Shakespeare. He said that people’s lives were mapped out in the stars. That is his idea of predestination. In the world now, people do not really believe that there is predestination. Now, people think they can make their own future and we have the power to change it if we want. That is how I see that people are different from the time of Shakespeare.
The American Dream is something that you as a person have to work for. Predestination is implying that you can’t change the way your life is. If you are born poor, you will die poor. There is nothing that you can do to change it. But if you do try to change it, bad things will happen. My idea of the American Dream is that you will go to school to get a good job, then someday have a beautiful family and live in a gorgeous house. As you get older, your family will expand and as you sit in your rocking chair looking at your grandkids playing you hope that their lives will be just as good as yours was. That is my idea of the American Dream. There is definitely some conflict between these two ideas. For one, the American Dream involves you controlling your life. Predestination is when someone else has already planned out your life. You cannot change predestination or that ruins the concept of the idea. There is not a really a good way to categorize our belief system now. Everyone believes in different things. If you were to take a survey on whom or what people believes in, there would be a lot of dispute. Not everyone would agree on one thing.
Usually, I can take sides on almost any debate. I believe that there is something out there that says that we will be a certain way, like our personality is already planned for us. I do believe that we can control our own fate. If someone wanted to be a teacher as a kid and were brought up with the idea of being a teacher, I think that they can change their job if they want to. You might be born on the same day as your mom’s best friend’s child and your parents have already told you that you are going to marry him/her; I think that you can decide to like or marry someone else. In my opinion, there is no predestination on how your life is going to be.
Shakespeare wrote about star crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet. There is no quote from him that he believed in predestination, but people say that he did. In his time, most people did believe that your life was already chosen for you. This idea still exists in the minds of people today, but not as many as the medieval times. I think that there is someone looking down on us and watching us, but they are not controlling how we react to situations. That is our job. Anyone can be whatever they want to be. They can do whatever they want. They just have to be prepared for the problems or events that follow. Whenever someone does something, it is because they want to, not because someone has already said what they will do. We control our lives and our future.
Christine Tamulis
Predestination
The definition of predestination is the act of God foreshadowing every event for a human being. It is most commonly known as fate. People strongly believed in predestination when religion was the main focus of life. Today, predestination is not perceived as it once was back then. As many others today, I do not believe in this predestination. I think that anyone can choose what they want to do with their lives. Still, many people today do believe in predestination. My theory is that it is in their culture to think that their whole life is already planned out or that their life is just too perfect to have anything change it. But both sides have the right to express their opinions in their predestination argument.
Predestination conflicts with the “American Dream” in a very big way. The American Dream is the concept that says you need to work hard to earn a good house, good family, and to make good money. The way that predestination conflicts with this is that fate has already planned out your life and that no matter how hard you work; you will still end up the way you are or worse. Some may argue that your fate is that you are supposed to end up happy from all the work that you did.
In Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, he mentions star crossed lovers. A star crossed lover is when somebody has feelings for another person, but cannot be together for a reason. Back in Shakespeare’s time, when predestination was believed in greatly, if there were to be two star crossed lovers, many would think that something tragic would happen to these two people because it was not their destiny to be together. These days, people are not that worried about what could happen if they are together with someone that the gods of their religion disapprove of.
I could categorize the belief systems of today by what major religious character each religion believes in. Christians believe in God and his son Jesus. Jews believe only in God and that Jesus was not his son. Muslims believe in Allah. Buddhists believe in Buddha. Islamic people believe in the Great Muhammad. And Atheists believe that there is no such thing of a god. You could have one group of religions that believe in God, one for belief in Buddha, and so on and so on. I would put myself in the belief in God section for I am a Protestant. That is how you could categorize the belief systems of today.
Kenny Voegtlin
Does belief in predestination exist today? I think the belief in predestination exists today in people’s religion. Many people believe that everything happens for a reason or according to “god’s plan” and that they have little control over the events that happen in their life, that God determines the fate of the universe. But what about free will? We are Catholic and I believe in a little of both. I believe that God has a plan for everyone and that everything happens for a reason – his plan. We may not realize it at the time, especially if it is a tragedy or something sad, but there is always a reason. Do we make choices that affect our future? Absolutely, but I think that all of that is still part of the bigger plan.
We do not know our destiny, as individuals or as a whole society. Does God? I believe so, but many do not. I think life is an adventure of tests that shape who we become based on our choices and on the “results” of those tests. For example, my brother and I are almost three years apart in age. For ten years we had our four person family and my parents planned on this as being what it would be forever. But three years ago, we found out we were having a little brother or sister (turned out to be a brother). Was this predetermined, fate? I think that even though they weren’t “planning” on it so late in their lives, it was still meant to be, part of our destiny as a family. It’s an example of how our choices changed our lives, but that it was also what God had planned for us.
How does predestination compare or conflict with the “American Dream”? The idea that your life is predetermined and that you have no control over what happens to you is the opposite of the American Dream. The American Dream is, according to James Truslow Adams in the book The Epic of America, “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement….in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable…”. In other words, anyone can achieve what they want if they work hard enough. The American Dream is different than predestination because it is the belief that no matter how poor you are or how bad your life may be, you can change your life with hard work. Predestination says that life is already mapped out for us. It is a conflict, but I think it can be a little of both in today’s world. I definitely think the choices we and especially our government make have a big impact on people achieving the American Dream.
Do our choices sometimes lead to tragedy like Shakespeare believed? Are those choices and decisions disrupting the order of our predestination? Maybe. Leading only to tragedy? I don’t know about “only”, but definitely sometimes. For example, when people choose to drink and drive. Most often times this choice will lead to tragedy, either for the driver or for some innocent person/people. But is this destiny? It is incredibly hard to believe that someone’s destiny is to have their life suddenly end so tragically! These kinds of things test our faith and make us question these things almost daily. Look at all of the cancer in the world. What about all of the other disease? Is this all part of the big plan? How we handle these tests are part of it all? This is where it gets really tough. I still believe that God has a plan for each of us and that the choices we make are a part of that plan. That there is some free will as part of the plan too, part of the predestination. I think we do in some ways control our fate, but the big picture is already planned out for us.
Does belief in predestination exist today? I think the belief in predestination exists today in people’s religion. Many people believe that everything happens for a reason or according to “god’s plan” and that they have little control over the events that happen in their life, that God determines the fate of the universe. But what about free will? We are Catholic and I believe in a little of both. I believe that God has a plan for everyone and that everything happens for a reason – his plan. We may not realize it at the time, especially if it is a tragedy or something sad, but there is always a reason. Do we make choices that affect our future? Absolutely, but I think that all of that is still part of the bigger plan.
We do not know our destiny, as individuals or as a whole society. Does God? I believe so, but many do not. I think life is an adventure of tests that shape who we become based on our choices and on the “results” of those tests. For example, my brother and I are almost three years apart in age. For ten years we had our four person family and my parents planned on this as being what it would be forever. But three years ago, we found out we were having a little brother or sister (turned out to be a brother). Was this predetermined, fate? I think that even though they weren’t “planning” on it so late in their lives, it was still meant to be, part of our destiny as a family. It’s an example of how our choices changed our lives, but that it was also what God had planned for us.
How does predestination compare or conflict with the “American Dream”? The idea that your life is predetermined and that you have no control over what happens to you is the opposite of the American Dream. The American Dream is, according to James Truslow Adams in the book The Epic of America, “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement….in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable…”. In other words, anyone can achieve what they want if they work hard enough. The American Dream is different than predestination because it is the belief that no matter how poor you are or how bad your life may be, you can change your life with hard work. Predestination says that life is already mapped out for us. It is a conflict, but I think it can be a little of both in today’s world. I definitely think the choices we and especially our government make have a big impact on people achieving the American Dream.
Do our choices sometimes lead to tragedy like Shakespeare believed? Are those choices and decisions disrupting the order of our predestination? Maybe. Leading only to tragedy? I don’t know about “only”, but definitely sometimes. For example, when people choose to drink and drive. Most often times this choice will lead to tragedy, either for the driver or for some innocent person/people. But is this destiny? It is incredibly hard to believe that someone’s destiny is to have their life suddenly end so tragically! These kinds of things test our faith and make us question these things almost daily. Look at all of the cancer in the world. What about all of the other disease? Is this all part of the big plan? How we handle these tests are part of it all? This is where it gets really tough. I still believe that God has a plan for each of us and that the choices we make are a part of that plan. That there is some free will as part of the plan too, part of the predestination. I think we do in some ways control our fate, but the big picture is already planned out for us.
During the Elizabethan era, predestination was a huge concept. They believed that everybody’s lives were mapped out in the stars, and if you didn’t anything to change the pattern, it would end in a tragedy. Once you were born they believed that your whole life was already chosen. You already had your marriage arranged, and if you were born poor, you stayed poor, if you were rich, you stayed rich.
Today the belief in predestination exists in some aspects. Our predestination unlike theirs which was mapped out in the stars is fate. People believe everything happens for a reason, and that reason you will never know. We don’t have pre-arranged marriages, and we defiantly aren’t born with our husbands already chosen. Unlike back then, we have options, and we get to make out own choices without something tragic happening to us.
In my opinion, the “American dream” and predestination do conflict with one another. Every American as a child dreams of having the perfect life, with a good job, a big house, and a perfect family. Life throws you curve balls that you aren’t expecting and it can throw you off track, so “fate” sort of conflicts with it, because I believe that everything happens for a reason.
However, I don’t believe my destiny has been mapped out for me. I do believe everything happens for a reason though. I think the decisions you make will either help you or hurt you, but in the end you learn from everything you do. This I believe predestination still exists in some ways, just not as heavily as it use to.
Brittany Lefebvre
Chelsea Willcott
Predestination is a different view in every ones eyes. Predestination is when someone’s believes that their future is already mapped out in the stars. In Romeo and Juliet’s time, the people believed that your future was mapped out in the stars. In my mind predestination is not real. I think that people have the power to make and change your future the way you want it to be. You can map put your own future, the way you want to, by making different decisions in your life. If you believe in predestination, you believe that your future is gonna turn out a certain way, and whatever happens, happens.
In my eyes many people in this world today, do not believe in predestination. Whatever decisions they make in their lives are reflected on their future. They affect the outcome of their future. Back in Shakespeare’s times, when religion was a big part of everyone’s everyday life, I think predestination existed. When they really didn’t think that their futures where in there own hands. The medieval people didn’t even think about doing anything about their future, because they believed that there futures were already mapped out in the stars before they were even born. For example, if you wanted to be a police man, and all of your life you thought of being that, you could easily change your dream job if you wanted to. Now a days, if you start talking about how your future is mapped out in the stars, and how God decides your future. From Shakespeare’s time to now, beliefs in your future have changed.
Predestination and “ The American Dream’ are two totally different things. Predestination is when your future and whatever happens in your life are already mapped out in the stars. The American Dream is something you have to decide on your own, and make what you want of it. When I think of the american dream I think of living in a huge Victorian House, and having a wonderful family, and nice job, and just watch your family grow and grow while you live your life. Predestination and The American Dream do have some conflict between each other. Predestination is when someone else, usually God, already has your future mapped out. Messing with Predestination, can result in bad events. In Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, Rome and Juliet were star-crossed lovers. Which means that they aren’t destined to be together, so something is bound to go wrong in that relationship. The American Dream is what you yourself make of it. If you make a bad decisions, that outcome might be bad. The American Dream and Predestination are totally opposites of each other.
Some people believe in Predestination, and some people don’t. If you asked different people if they believed in Predestination, you would get different answers from everybody. In my eyes it doesn’t exist, but I believe in the American Dream. I made an easy decision on which side to take on Predestination. Believing and not believing in Predestination is different decisions in everyone’s mind. What’s your idea on Predestination?
I think that predestination rarely exists today. I feel this way because now a days usually people find out who they are meant to be with, without the help of the stars. I think many people have a different philosophy. Most people think the way to get what you want is not already mapped out for you but you must work for it. Although, in a way it still does exists because if your family is wealthy and owns many things you have a better chance of being the same when you get older.
I would say predestination is a conflict to the “American Dream”. I would say this because if someone believes in predestination they would feel it’s very wrong to get things by working hard even if your family is poor. Also those people would also expect something very bad to come out of it which we have no belief to today. If I had to categorize the beliefs of people today I would most definitely say most people per fer the “American Dream” and almost no one I know would want there destiny picked out for them.
I do not feel that my destiny is mapped out for me because if i decide to go to school and get a good job my destiny did not pick that because i can decide not to do it. Also I know people who had poor families growing up and now have stable life and good income. Even though i don’t think my destiny can be mapped out with big situations like this i do feel like fate does play a role in other things that happen in your life. I believe fate brings you and a person together but not by having the person selected and given to you.
Also that some opportunities that are handed to you could be because of fate. Although predestination is unpopular and rarely believed now a days I would definitely say it has a role in our lives still. I definitely do not think something bad is going to happen to me if I decide doing something on my own. I think the “American Dream” will always be the more popular choice for the United States.
i dont think that it still is belive to be mapped out in the stars today. peple more think that they controll there own destoniy.
we subscribe a differnt philospoy because now we dont belive that is ture now. people people that they all have free will and we choose what we do in life.
predestination relates to the american dream alot because everyone wants to have the american dream mapped out for them. people have to work at it or dont at all. but it does relate alot to the american dream in manny different and starge ways.
i would catagerize the beilfe system today free will. everyone is either christan , catholic, jewish or nothing at all and just go with the flow. our beilfe system is very open minded in our world today.
no i dont belive that my destonity is maped out for me. i think i can do whatever i want in life. my destionty is what i want it to be and is reflected on my actions and where i desided to go in life.
Nicole MacDonald
In Shakespeare’s time they believed in “predestination”, which basically is your life was mapped out in the stars. They believed that the family you were born in determined your fate, like if you were royalty you were automatically a royal. Today most of us don’t believe in predestination, we believe that we have control over our life, instead of fate. Personally I agree with today’s standard on how we choose our own fate. If you decide to pursuit a career that you are interested in, and work really hard you will achieve. Your future is not in the hands of fate but in your hands. If you choose bad decisions it will affect you life and your future.
Today predestination is a religious concept which involves a relationship with god and its creatures. Today forms of predestination are mostly seen in the form of religion. In America we all have this vision of the “American dream”. The American dream is basically like the white picket fence, The good job, the perfect home, perfect family etc. The American dream is based on being perfect, not like predestination. In predestination its already mapped out to be, but in the American dream you work hard and to get to to your achievements. I believe that predestination and the American dream do conflict with each other.
Predestination is something that everyone has an opinion on. I don't believe that our lives were mapped out, i believe that life's what we make of it. even though people in Shakespeare's time believed in predestination doesn't mean that everyone still does today. Life is a like a domino effect. The more work and effort you do the better you achieve, or the worst you do the less likely to achieve. With predestination you know exactly what your going to be and marry, whats the fun in life if you don't make your own decisions?
Ashley Cibotti
English: A
The definition of predestination is someones fate or destiny. That means that your whole life is planned out for you. In Romeo and Juliet predestination is stressed a lot throughout the story. An example in Romeo and Juliet is when in the chorus they say that two star crossed lovers are made to be for each other. In life today predestination is still shown. We use a different philosophy. An example is when people check their horoscopes. Horoscopes are known to be a map in the stars, looking at the placement of the planets and in what month and day you were born on. Another example is how different religions believe in different things. Such as Catholics, they believe that once you die you pass on to either heaven or hell. The American Dream is pretty much a perfect life. Stable in financials, good living conditions, great family, perfect everything. Predestination is in conflict and relates to the American dream. People choose what they do with their life. If you have a good job, make money, handle it well and make the right choices you can live the American dream. If you choose not to do those things and make the wrong choices then you probably wont be living it. That is why predestination is both in conflict and relates to the “American Dream.” In today’s time you can categorize the belief systems into predestination, or you can look at your life from the facts. You can believe in destiny, or you can look at what you are making your life as. People who think their lives cannot be changed and are already mapped out for you believe in predestination. While others think that you can defiantly change what happens in ones life. People think many different things, but the main two categories of belief systems I think can be predestination, and going with what the facts in your life are. Many people believe in predestination, and their whole life planned for them. While others believe the complete opposite. In my opinion, I choose the second one, I think that you have complete control over your life. Your the one who makes the decisions, the choices and the actions. You choose what you do in life. You control it. I don't think that it is all planned out for you. Yes, you can make the wrong decisions, but you always have the option to start over and try again. That is why I believe that you have control over your life and it is not mapped out for you.
Brad Wry
I believe its little bit of both. I think predestination does have something to do with how your future turns out but its also the thing you do and the decisions you make in your lie that affects the outcome of your life.
If your decisions are smart, say you choose to go to high school and get an education so you can go on to college and then get at good job. That is changing your destiny because your putting yourself in a better place were you can thrive and succeed.I do what i want to do in my life I will receive what I have put into it so whatever I do in my life will determine the outcome of it or my destiny.That is one way people see predestination about some other people completely do believe in predestination.
People believe in predestination because of there faith. I do believe God does have something to do with how are lives turn out in the long run but I do not think he has every little thing we do planned out I still think you can change your destiny if you want to and try to.With some of the very big things that happen in life i think God has something to do with the outcome of that situation. Some people want to live the “American Dream” but to get there you have to do what you think you have to do to get to that dream because that dream is can be very different for everybody.So I believe that it is a little of both, your future is not exactly mapped out in the stares but God is there and has a say in what your destiny will be.
Brad Wry
I believe its little bit of both. I think predestination does have something to do with how your future turns out but its also the thing you do and the decisions you make in your lie that affects the outcome of your life.
If your decisions are smart, say you choose to go to high school and get an education so you can go on to college and then get at good job. That is changing your destiny because your putting yourself in a better place were you can thrive and succeed.I do what i want to do in my life I will receive what I have put into it so whatever I do in my life will determine the outcome of it or my destiny.That is one way people see predestination about some other people completely do believe in predestination.
People believe in predestination because of there faith. I do believe God does have something to do with how are lives turn out in the long run but I do not think he has every little thing we do planned out I still think you can change your destiny if you want to and try to.With some of the very big things that happen in life i think God has something to do with the outcome of that situation. Some people want to live the “American Dream” but to get there you have to do what you think you have to do to get to that dream because that dream is can be very different for everybody.So I believe that it is a little of both, your future is not exactly mapped out in the stares but God is there and has a say in what your destiny will be.
Nick Clegg
A
10/20/10
Predestination
I do not believe in God or in any godly force out there. I think that the whole idea of god or
some force is rediculous. How can one being God or not control everyones life. How can He be
everywhere at once and control everything that happens in this world. Everything that God
apparently did can be explained by science, and i am more of a i-need-to-see-the-evidence sort
of person. And there is no evidence of His existence except for what people think they saw
thousands of years ago. That is why i do not believe in predestination or God.
The absence of His existence just makes me believe that He definately does not exist.
For all we know someone just made up the whole thing, is it really that hard to believe. The only
proof that we have is the word of people who lived thousands of years ago. And if He does exist
then why does He have this world have murderers, rapists, etc if He loves us so much then why does
He have these people? Why does he create these bad people? Or if he hates us then why wouldn't he
start over create a new race? That is another reason why I think we control our own lives.
Predestination exists in religion. People believe that their lives are being controled by god(s)
or some force. Why would someone want that why wouldn't they want to believe that they were
running their own lives. I just don't get it, which is why i think i'ts all so stupid. And the American dream,
i think it varies for each person but people probably just want to be happy. They want to have the perfect
body, job, family, etc just a perfect life and to have fun. If predestination does exist then if these things
are ment to be then they will happen. i think we have to make these thing happen for ourselves,
instead of waiting for it to happen. Those are several other reasons why i do not believe in predestination.
Alexa T.DosReis
Predestination is an act of predestinating the fate of others. It is a religious concept which leaves your fate to the power of God. The idea is unreal to some people, they believe that it is more than believing that God will decide how your life will turn out, they believe in the power of free will. To others religion is very important and believes strongly about in it and is willing to put up an argument about what may or may not be true. These people believe that God is the higher power that decides your fate, and that you may not be able to change what life has in store. In England, back in the time of Shakespeare, religion was very important in life, and so predestination was believed in. With the famous play Shakespeare wrote “Romeo and Juliet”, predestination was something people liked to believe was to be true. There are many forms today that people believe to be true such as fate and destiny. Fate is considered to be destiny, so the concept of destiny would be predetermined course of events, and predetermined future. The two concepts of predestination back then the concept today are not that different from one another. Today we just do not look at it as your fate being mapped out in the stars like in “Romeo and Juliet”.
I feel that most do subscribe to a similar philosophy, such as soul mates. Two people destined to be together. When people feel so passionate about one another they might come to believe that they were meant to be together in each other’s lives. Another way I feel we have a similar philosophy is fame; some people are just born to be famous. They have the drive and the passion for it and want to be seen by people and be known. You could say that some people are born with their own destiny, or predestination, and others just have a harder time finding it.
The “American Dream” and predestination are too completely different concepts. The theory of predestination is your destiny being decided for you, it being decided by God, to people today that believes in the full concept of it all. The “American Dream” is the complete opposite. It’s you deciding who you are going to be, how you will run your life, and how it’s going to happen. These two theories do conflict with each other because if predestination were to be true then you cannot change what will happen in your life you’re stuck with it. You are born with it and it will stay with you. Your “American Dream” is what you want to make of it you have to work hard for it. It’s your life and you can change it, make what you want it to be it’s all up to you. My idea of the “American Dream” is that if you want a good education you can get it, you want a nice house it’s yours; the only thing is that you have to work for it and it’s not going to just be handed to you.
Our belief systems have definitely changed throughout the years, the centuries. Our country now has many different religions here because America has freedom of religion and ever since that had been established. We have been gaining more and more new cultures that we learning about and understanding. What about their belief on predestination? One group that has an opinion on predestination is Calvinism. Calvinism doctrine of predestination, they deal with the questions of the control of God exercises throughout the world. I would have to say that more people believe in the “American Dream” than predestination. Some may believe predestination is a likely concept.
I personally do not believe in predestination. I feel you have to make your own decisions in life and take that chance in making what you want happen. To make that happen you need to have some sort of drive and passion for it. I do not know what I am destined to be, but later on I will come to realization with it and pursue it. It is my job to get there. Nothing will be deciding that for me. I of course can get help along the way, but we need to decide it for ourselves to be positive it is what we want. It is up to us to decide our future.
We can make it what we want.
Part A:
1) #1-opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
2) life expectancy- 44.4 years; 153.14 deaths/1,000 live births
These statistics suggest that Afghanis have poor healthcare and an unsafe living environment.
3) It has no coastline. This could have been a problem for industry and trade; all of it must have gone through parts of other countries.
4) Afghanistan has numerous issues including international ones, terrorists and other illegal activities; sociological issues, feuds of different ethnic groups and illicit drugs, huge opium industry.
5) Afghanistan’s government has failed to effectively take care of its people in numerous ways, which include financial, health-related, and homeland security purposes.
-Justin Glass
Part A:
1) #1-opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
2) life expectancy- 44.4 years; 153.14 deaths/1,000 live births
These statistics suggest that Afghanis have poor healthcare and an unsafe living environment.
3) It has no coastline. This could have been a problem for industry and trade; all of it must have gone through parts of other countries.
4) Afghanistan has numerous issues including international ones, terrorists and other illegal activities; sociological issues, feuds of different ethnic groups and illicit drugs, huge opium industry.
5) Afghanistan’s government has failed to effectively take care of its people in numerous ways, which include financial, health-related, and homeland security purposes.
-Justin Glass
Part A:
1) #1-opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
2) life expectancy- 44.4 years; 153.14 deaths/1,000 live births
These statistics suggest that Afghanis have poor healthcare and an unsafe living environment.
3) It has no coastline. This could have been a problem for industry and trade; all of it must have gone through parts of other countries.
4) Afghanistan has numerous issues including international ones, terrorists and other illegal activities; sociological issues, feuds of different ethnic groups and illicit drugs, huge opium industry.
5) Afghanistan’s government has failed to effectively take care of its people in numerous ways, which include financial, health-related, and homeland security purposes.
-Justin Glass
Woops! I posted my comment on the wrong blog; please do not send that through Mr. Kefor.
-Justin Glass
In todays world, many would claim that more "advanced" societies, or those perhaps further along in the progression of a society as brought up by Lenski in the early 20th century, are moving away from structured religion. As knowledge of the material world continually grows at a nearly exponential rate, it has become common for one to turn to science as a means of responding to many of the questions answered by religion. Regardless this turn to science can be considered a "religion" in itself and the question of predestination remains. Physical science stresses a world in which the physical boundaries are impossible for any being to tamper with. As atoms and quarks assemble in a hierarchal manor, the laws of the universe seem laid out. It is clear through science that we are not capable of perceiving all physical qualities of the universe through the senses which each of us hold. For example, the theory of relativity deals with the relativity of matter and time beyond what is perceivable by any individual, as what is perceived depends on the location and time of the viewer them self. With this understanding, the world seems unchangeable beyond the finite amount of matter and energy within the system of the universe. The individual human does hold the ability to craft themselves in time, in the juxtaposition of their own life and existence to the universe as a whole. One's own progression can be decided, just as the organization of matter has created the life that brought that person into being. Their thought process consists of no more than the chemical reactions, atoms, and quarks that make up the rest of the physical world. While the basic play of time and progression of energy and matter can not be tampered with, we are a part of this system ourselves. I feel the question is not a matter of whether we have the ability to control our future, but to what degree. We are an integral part of a closed system bounded by physical laws. We play our role in the continuation of the universe through time. The human world which we believe in is merely a product of our own creation and a system of social symbols. The world is a beautiful place and I am no longer afraid to die.
"Be exactly who you want to be, do what you want to do
I am he and she is she but you're the only you
No one else has got your eyes, can see the things you see
It's up to you to change your life and my life's up to me"
- A student very interested in the question you have presented who is not actually in the class this is for, who wishes to remind everyone to think for themselves once and a while. Do so anonymously and won't worry about sounding naive haha. Excuse my random garble of only somewhat coherent thought...
PART A
In todays world, many would claim that more "advanced" societies, or those perhaps further along in the progression of a society as brought up by Lenski in the early 20th century, are moving away from structured religion. As knowledge of the material world continually grows at a nearly exponential rate, it has become common for one to turn to science as a means of responding to many of the questions answered by religion. Regardless this turn to science can be considered a "religion" in itself and the question of predestination remains. Physical science stresses a world in which the physical boundaries are impossible for any being to tamper with. As atoms and quarks assemble in a hierarchal manor, the laws of the universe seem laid out. It is clear through science that we are not capable of perceiving all physical qualities of the universe through the senses which each of us hold. For example, the theory of relativity deals with the relativity of matter and time beyond what is perceivable by any individual, as what is perceived depends on the location and time of the viewer them self. With this understanding, the world seems unchangeable beyond the finite amount of matter and energy within the system of the universe. The individual human does hold the ability to craft themselves in time, in the juxtaposition of their own life and existence to the universe as a whole...
PART B
...One's own progression can be decided, just as the organization of matter has created the life that brought that person into being. Their thought process consists of no more than the chemical reactions, atoms, and quarks that make up the rest of the physical world. While the basic play of time and progression of energy and matter can not be tampered with, we are a part of this system ourselves. I feel the question is not a matter of whether we have the ability to control our future, but to what degree. We are an integral part of a closed system bounded by physical laws. We play our role in the continuation of the universe through time. The human world which we believe in is merely a product of our own creation and a system of social symbols. The world is a beautiful place and I am no longer afraid to die.
"Be exactly who you want to be, do what you want to do
I am he and she is she but you're the only you
No one else has got your eyes, can see the things you see
It's up to you to change your life and my life's up to me"
- A student very interested in the question you have presented who is not actually in the class this is for, who wishes to remind everyone to think for themselves once and a while. Do so anonymously and won't worry about sounding naive haha. Excuse my random garble of only somewhat coherent thought...
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