Project+Mecha

Year 9 RE Assessment Team

 * 1) ====== Sean Wasiniak ======
 * 2) ====== Calvin Zhang ======
 * 3) ====== Tuiniua Tovo-Nagy ======

We have a variety of laws in place today, many of which are based off the Ten Commandments, and other codes of law from the times of the Bible. Some of these laws include:

 * ====== No murder or physical harm. ======
 * ====== No stealing or harm for other people's belongings. ======
 * ====== Fraud and treason incurs high penalties. ======
 * ====== Full consent is required for contracts and agreements. ======
 * ====== Trespassing is not allowed on most premises. ======

=
These are just five of the huge multitude of laws used in our modern society, and these laws may vary between different countries. These laws are all in place to control and safeguard our homes and workplaces, whether from unintentional or intentional harm. Regardless of how these different laws change, almost all of these are based off earlier laws, whether religious, military, or economic. Many of the laws today have evolved over a long period of time, making them more accurate. Laws were created many years ago and have been adapted to todays society due to technology advancements. ======

It's easy to assert that without laws, our civilisation would be in a very chaotic and un-peaceful state.
Law enforcement is typically carried about by the police and the military in most countries.



[[image:bible-5.jpg width="480" height="487" align="right"]]
A covenant, in the Bible, is an agreement between two people, often between God and a chosen follower. Examples of this include the Covenant between Moses and God in the Bible. The Ten Commandments were given to the Jews so they could create their own society, and remain faithful to God throughout all their future endeavours. They were also provided to set an example to live by, so that the Jews could be separate from the Egyptians; in culture, law, and philosophy. The Ten Commandments gave the Jews more of a purpose to their lives, and a purpose that held them in line with God's plan.
 * ====== What do you think a covenant is? ======
 * ====== Why were the 10 Commandments provided to the Jews at this time? ======
 * ====== How did having the 10 Commandments help the Jews to live out their covenant with God more faithfully? ======

====From the above list, one, three, and four are commandments about God. Two, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten are commandments relating to how we treat our family, ourselves, and our neighbours. Four relates to remembering the day of the Sabbath.====

//__Violations of the Commandments__//
(Pictures were reused due to upload system not working) ====Not everyone follows the commandments to the letter. As shown above, stealing is a prominent problem in society, and is still practised heavily by criminals, specifically young people. This could be solved by more laws and educative awareness against theft, in all cases. Armed robbery and assault is even more of a problem for modern civilisation. Physical and psychological harm is a very high risk in this regard, and fatalities have always been recorded here; as in all types of crime.==== ====Typically the commandments are a guideline for law and order in society, and a failure to follow them often results in a sour ending, for both victims, criminals, and at times, the law enforcement officers.====

__Challenge Two__
====Discussing The Beatitudes, our group read that, generally, The Beatitudes are a blessing reaching out to the poor, sick, weak, or otherwise afflicted peoples of the Earth. This continues on a well known topic of the Bible; to give praise and hope to all people, particularly those whom need the Lord's help most.====

Here are a list of synonyms for 'Happy' and 'Blessed.'
 * ===Happy=== || ===Blessed=== ||
 * Joyful || Praised ||
 * Cheerful || Helped ||
 * Pleased || Enlightened ||
 * Content || Cured ||

This Beatitude explains that people whom are persecuted for seeking the truth or light will be welcome in heaven.
==== "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." ====

__ Beatitudes in the Parables __
Our team selected this Parable due to its relation to the beatitude of those who are poor in spirit, as the Parable of the Sower teaches that even when failure rears its head, belief in the Lord will grant you success and happiness.

**Matt 13:3-23; Mk 4:2-20; Lk 8:4-15**
====Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, some an hundred. He said unto them, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.====

Below is a table representing the outcasts and marginalised people of the world, both in modern day life, and in the biblical times of the New Testament
==== Consider how someone, such as an unemployed, single mother, might feel in society. Constantly caring for her children, the mother is looked down upon, or ignored, by many people around here, typically, the taxpayers that fund her social security. Through all this stress and turmoil though, the mother will be looked up to by her children, and smiled upon by the Lord. ====
 * ====Modern Outcasts==== || ====Biblical Outcasts==== ||
 * ====Homeless people==== || ====Servants/Slaves==== ||
 * ====Prisoners of war==== || ====Unmarried Women==== ||
 * Unemployed people || Disabled people ||

Images of Good and Evil
====Here, we have compiled a list of synonyms for Good, Evil, and Conscience, in relation to these terms in the Bible. These are all very important terms, and should be considered by every right thinking Human on their pursuit of happiness.====

We were then asked to find two recent media events, and speculate the good and evil in each.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/07/joseph-kony-united-nations-report

====The above link files a report on Joseph Kony, a man convicted by the United Nations of capturing innocent children for various uses, and putting the civilian population at risk from attacks from his 'private army'. This would be typically regarded as evil, as Joseph's actions are completely selfish, and are harming innocent, law abiding civilians. Above all, his actions are largely pointless.====

http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/589202/bus-drivers-and-monitors-receive-special-gifts-at-the-mall/?ap=1&MP4

====This link, on the other hand, reports on a bullied bus monitor for a high school, whom was granted several donations as an apology and is now a public spokesperson for bus personnel, particularly for schools. This would be regarded as good, as the media and its viewers are taking actions to support a woman whom was just trying to do her job, despite continued bullying by students.====

"What is 'good' in society is not always 'good' in Christian terms"
====In many ways, this is very true in Human civilisation as a whole. Laws are generally stretched to allow more freedom, rather than completely ethical decisions and lifestyle choices relating to the commandments and the teachings of Jesus. Many activities, such as binge drinking, prostitution, and multiple person relationships are completely legal, despite the Bible's teachings against such things, and the emphasis on restraint. This can, and should, in mine and many other's opinions, be changed by the government. The Bible, in many aspects, is a guide to life, and should hold weight even for atheists or agnostic people.====