What have I really learned in this class?

by: Dan Baxter

            This first semester of Junior Theology, Faith has taught me some very important lessons which I hope to remember and hopefully apply to my own life.  Of everything I have learned in this class I think the most important thing and the one that had the most influence on the way I think is Time magazine’s article of the interview of Marwan, the Iraqi suicide bomber.  Reading this article gave me a completely new perspective on those which we are fighting in the Middle East.  These people are not terrible people who are simply out to kill innocent people as many people believe.  In fact, although I completely disagree with his methods, I find Marwan to be an excellent example of faith.  Marwan is willing to give his life to the cause he truly believes in of getting the troops he believes are invading his homeland out of his country.  His faith in Allah is so great that he is willing to die to do this.  While I do find what Marwan plans to do completely wrong, in no way do I believe him to be a bad person.  As he himself said, “I pray no innocent people are killed in my mission, but if some are, I know when they arrive in heaven, Allah will ask them to forgive me.”  Marwan, therefore, is a character I truly wish to remember because he is a reminder to me that even if someone seems to be evil to me they are not necessarily an evil person and the reasons for their actions should be observed.

            Another lesson from this course which I found to be extremely influential in my life was the story of Plato’s allegory in the cave.  Not only have a few of my other classes referenced the story already this year but I can draw a great deal of meaning from it which I hope to apply to my own life.  The story taught me that simply going with conformity and accepting what society tells us is not always right.  I need to challenge society, no matter what the cost, as Socrates did, and seek the truth.  The truth is the only thing which matters in the end.  Like in the story, it is possible that seeking the truth will lead to ridicule but it is what really matters.

            The Right Speech Experiment was also very important to me because it taught me a lot about myself.  From this I learned how people lie frequently.  It gave me insight into how much I lie because I had never realized it before.  I found that I lie unconsciously and extremely often and realized that I needed to reexamine my daily life in order to somehow change this.  This experiment was extremely valuable and meaningful to me and I found myself repeating it multiple times to check my progress.  Now that I am aware of how much I lie, I find that I am able to control it a little more.  The right speech experiment therefore has had a considerable influence on my life.  After realizing how often I lied and reflection upon the implications that had, I was able to more closely observe how I act and what I say.  Now, I feel I have made progress in that I am a more truthful person in life.  Of the many things I have learned this semester I find the story of Marwan, Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” and the Right Speech Experiment to have had the greatest influence on my life.  All three of these were very meaningful metanoias and I have tried to apply them to my everyday routine.