Students -
For this blog post, please take a moment and find an image or a video clip of Abraham and Isaac that you think helps illustrate what Kierkegaard writes about faith. Post the image (or a link to it), and write a brief paragraph addressing the following questions:
Why does this image capture Kierkegaard’s ideas?
What do you make of Abraham, given what Kierkegaard writes?
Has your view of him changed?
Has your view of faith changed?
This post must be completed by 8AM on Monday morning.
http://www.ldsfiles.com/clipart/data/media/50/abrahamisaac.jpg
ReplyDeleteThis image captures his ideas because Kierkegaard believed Abraham was about to kill his son out of faith for God. The image shows Abraham with his hand over his heart, illustrating his trust in God.
I think this point of view makes Abraham look kind of crazy. He is willing to kill his own son, who was supposed to provide him with descendants, because God told him to. Today, if someone killed their child because God "told them" to do so, they would be considered insane. This is kind of where my view on Abraham is pulling to.
My view on him has changed. There are so many views on God, but in the end he is a spirit. Abraham talking to a spirit and trying to kill his son makes him look crazy.
My view on faith has also changed. Kierkegaard's view on faith offers a different way to look at it in general. Having faith is different than taking a leap of faith. Many aspects in faith can make people seem mental. I had to kill my child because I had faith in God, or I needed to kill myself because I had faith in God. I'm not saying faith in God is bad. I think it's an important part of society, and is something I follow, but I can see how it could come off wrong in the eyes of someone who maybe didn't have such faith.
http://blogs.record-eagle.com/?attachment_id=1775
ReplyDeleteThis image illustrates Kierkegaard's ideas perfectly. He believed that Abraham put all of his faith into God. In this picture his hands are raised towards God portraying that all of his faith and trust was in God.
To be honest I think Abraham was crazy because he had wanted a child his whole life, the one thing he wanted and he once he finally got it, he was willing to kill it? To me, that doesn't make a lot of sense. Even if God was telling him to do it, I think he's crazy.
My views on God haven't really changed from this story, they pretty much just prove my point even more. I think Abraham is crazy and if God exists he wouldn't make Abraham kill his own son to prove his love for God. My views on faith are still pretty much the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvsm3dQGLmc&feature=related
ReplyDeleteThis clip illustrates Kierkegaard's idea, because it shows the idea of faith against reason. Abraham sacrificed his beloved son, because God asked him to. He knew that killing a life was wrong, but he chose to follow God instead of listening to his reason. Based on the statements of Keirkegaard, I believe that Abraham was a good man. I think their is a difference between doing something bad, because you want to, and doing something bad, because it is the "right" thing. Killing someone is never the right thing, which makes it difficult for me to understand why God would ask Abraham to commit such an act. However, I also think God has changed since the time Abraham was alive. After the death of Jesus Christ we have been given the gift of forgiveness and understanding. I don't think God would ask people to show our love for him by causing harm to other people. We show our love by following the ten commandments and trusting in him whatever happens. I don't think Abraham was crazy. I just think times have changed.
I had never thought about Abraham's situation in comparison to things that have happened in real life, which does change my view of the story. However, I was taught before the Abraham was a great follower, and I still believe that today. I think my faith only continues to grow stronger. I am learning new things about God every day. I am faced with new challenges that help me understand God and his actions more deeply.
http://www.saint-mary.net/jttb/images/abraham-and-isaac-zoom.jpg
ReplyDeleteI think that what Abraham did was the ultimate act of faith. This picture pretty much sums it up. He has his knife ready to sacrifice his only son, who is supposed to produce many grandsons for him to fulfill God's promise, all because God told him to. Then we all know the ram is sent by God and saves Abraham from sacrificing his son. I think Abraham is a true soldier of faith because he was willing to sacrifice his most precious possession, his son, for God. This has opened my eyes to what a faithful man Abraham was, and the sacrifice he chose to make for Christianity.
http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/abraham/abraham.html
ReplyDelete(Third Picture Down)
This image captures Kierkegaard's ideas because Abraham is looking towards god signifying his status as a Knight of Faith. He is acknowledging that God, not ethics, is the higher power by taking a leap of faith and deciding to listen to God's message to kill his son, however irrational it may be. I believe that Abraham has a large amount of faith to be able to listen to God's command to kill his son. He understood that killing his son was wrong, but that not obeying the command of God was a sin. If he were to not obey, he would be acknowledging that ethical decisions have a higher power over God. By understanding the views of Kierkegaard, my view of Abraham has changed. I see him now as much more courageous than I had before. I had never questioned the difficulty nor the motives behind his action. With a better understanding of those two things, I have more respect for Abraham. Likewise, my view of faith has changed because now I realize that it has a bigger magnitude than I had previously thought. The faith that Abraham had gave him the courage to lose what he loved most dearly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r0pROzHY5M&feature=related
ReplyDeleteThis video captures Kirkegaard's ideas on faith because much like Abraham trusted God when he was told to kill his son, this man trusts his equipment and the people running the zip line to keep him safe. This video is a literal leap of faith, sort of like Abraham's leap of faith when he committed to killing his only child. I believe that Abraham is a knight of faith just like Kirkegaard says, because I know that I would not have the faith to kill someone just because a voice told me to. My views of faith have therefor changed because this is a whole new dimension of faith that I have never really considered before. My views on Abraham however are much the same as they were before, because I have always thought of him as a great man and great spiritual example due to his faith.
http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/abraham/abraham.html
ReplyDelete(scroll to the middle of the website page for the picture)
In this Picture its shows both how much he loves his son and also how much faith he is putting towards god.THis makes me think of truly how much faith he really has. It almsotis a miracle one man can have so much faith in something he loves so much. Everyhting in his life that he hd faith in was taken away and put on a stool to kill. My views on faith have stayed the same. Now my views on faith have grown becsue it shows someone no matter what dont give up and if you belive in something and have faith that it will come true then your odds of completing such a thing have jsut gone in your favor. My view on abraham have stayed the same becuase if he had enoguh faith to wait that long for a son then he had enough faith to put in god that he will provide another sacrifice
http://www.catechismclass.com/lessons/334/preview
ReplyDeleteThis image captures Kierkegaard's ideas because it shows that Abraham loves Isaac so much and is torn with having to kill him, but does it for his faith. I think that Abraham is a strong man he obviously has devoted his life to God, but i think he needs to consider his family in that too. I have always thought of Abraham as not even caring that God asked him to do this, and never questioning why God would want something like this to happen. It makes me view him actually being a father, rather than a follower of God doing something wrong. I don't and have never viewed this story as faithful. It is not right to kill someone you love, it bugs me that Abraham is looked up to because what he is attempting to do is huge sin.
http://www.biblepicturegallery.com/free/Pics/Abraham3.gif
ReplyDeleteThis picture captures Kierkhgaard's ideas because it shows how Abraham was full of doubt most of the time. Kierkgaard's ideas of how Abraham felt about the situation of the trip to the Promised land and sacrificing his son fluctuate, but one thing he says over again is how Abraham doubts alot. This picture shows doubt in his facial expression. Kierkgaard's ideas of Abraham made me think about how Abraham probably felt doubt and fear when all this happened to him. He grew more and more doubtful as he had to wait longer and longer. It did not change my ideas.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jMVOb0AAPzk/SwK5WbNGqiI/AAAAAAAACd8/Udyib9FkfWk/s1600/abraham-and-isaac-on-mount-moriah2.jpg
ReplyDeleteThis image captures the essence of the moment on the mountain with Abraham and Isaac because Abraham is looking up to God in the heavens. My interpretation of this image is that Abraham is looking up to God saying, in a way, this is for you. I think that a child is more precious than anything can be promised. A child is what is and a promise is flexible, even from god. Especially at his time when he was the only one, historically known, to believe in the Christian and Jewish god. My view of him has not changed because I always knew he did what he did because of his belief in god. No my view of faith has not changed because there are many different forms of faith and extremities of faith.