Post 20: Socrates

Socrates was convicted at the age of 71 for "[corrupting] the youth of Athens, sophistry (fraudulent teaching practices), and heresy"[331]. It's not very shocking that he was criticized for his teachings, since they violated every standard that was established in Greek philosophy at the time. Contrarian thinking has never been a socially-accepted practice and everything that is considered outside of the ordinary is a negative form of thinking. However, it's safe to say that Socrates could back up everything that he said to his following.

It's important to note exactly what Heresy is, however, especially since it is one of the lower circles of Hell (http://historylists.org/art/9-circles-of-hell-dantes-inferno.html). Merriam-Webster has two definitions of Heresy. The first is "adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma". The second one being "dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice" (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heresy). Since Socrates violated the ways of thinking in Ancient Greece, by definition, he earned his seat in the sixth circle of Hell. However, one question that rises in my mind is, "Is disagreeing a sin?" Socrates chose to teach lessons based on what he believed, and since it was considered outlandish, he was scorn by many and executed. However, it would be impossible to have every human agree to one method of teaching.

Post 19: Hell and Suffering

                    Dante's concept of Hell is what seems to be the generally accepted Hell, as far as literature goes. It involves a gradual descent into the "9 Circles of Hell", which are, in order, Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery (http://historylists.org/art/9-circles-of-hell-dantes-inferno.html). In a metaphorical and lyrical sense, Dante has to go through Hell in order to reclaim Beatrice. It also shows that Dante was willing to go through anything to rescue Beatrice, which could be one of the appeals of suffering. The fact that suffering and pain doesn't normally last forever and usually, after experiencing it and going through it, one is rewarded for enduring it is almost always enough to make it worthwhile.
                    Although a common sexual practice throughout most of history, domination and punishment, masochism and sadism, commonly known as BDSM (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BDSM), is a sex practice that is seemingly growing in popularity. It involves, most commonly and most technically (without getting into much detail) one partner being subject to emotional or physical torment by the other partner. This sexual practice is seemingly common among millennials and others, and is often used as a means of spicing up a couple's relationship. It can be said that there is something appealing about suffering, as stated above, since it seems to always offer a reward in the end.

Post 18: Jesus in the Quran

                    Jesus' role in the Quran and the Islamic faith varies from his role in the Christian faith and in the bible. He is referred to as a "messenger" in both texts, but it seems to take a more literal approach in the Quran, since he literally delivers the message from God to the people of the land. However, it does not seem that Jesus in the Quran performs miracles such as the ones that are performed in the bible. In fact, it seems that in the Quran, Jesus is not meant to be revered as a holy being like he is in the bible. The quran states that "If God should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him[...]" meaning that God alone is the figure that should be praised. Also, the Quran makes a statement that says "O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as deities besides God?’” He will say, “Exalted are You!" meaning that it is clear that God is the only figure to be worshiped. 

Post 14: Gods in Modern War

                    God and Gods played a very drastically different role in war from ancient history to now. For one, in ancient times, the gods directly impacted battlefields and characters in the war. If a God thought that a warrior or soldier was too strong, the god would debilitate the warrior or soldier in some way. Gods would also offer divine protection to warriors or soldiers in some cases, which could be compared to war in the modern era. Although a God does not directly impact battle nowadays, many soldiers and families of soldiers still do pray for that divine protection. Religion in general is also a reason that several countries to this day still go to war. Although God is not necessarily a physical factor in modern war, the concept is definitely still disputed.

Post 13: The War in Iraq

                            The Iraqi war in 2003 occurred for several different reasons. Some believe that it was an attempt to gain access to one of the largest oil reserves in the world. Some believe that it was to hinder the attempt of a nuclear attack on America. It is also believed that we invaded Iraq to debunk terrorism and to maintain governmental freedom in Iraq. In retrospect, many believe that this attack was just post 9/11 paranoia. (http://www.e-ir.info/2015/03/09/one-war-many-reasons-the-us-invasion-of-iraq/)

                    The Gita’s justification of war is based on the Hinduistic belief that good souls and bad souls will ultimately end up where they need to go. The ultimate goal of Arjuna after consulting with Krishna was to eradicate evil within his family and land. In this sense, the Iraqi war was justified because Bush believed that Iraq was a clear and present danger to the sanctity of the United States, and he wanted to hinder the plague of nuclear weapons from entering into the United States.

                    The Art of War was moreso a strategy guide to war. Morals were only considered if it was a beneficiary to the war effort. One of the main strategies of The Art of War was to gain an upper hand in any way possible, regardless of the circumstance. The Art of War also states that no one has ever benefited from prolonged warring because that only dulls one’s armor and weaponry. In either sense, The Iraqi War was not justified by the Art of War since it strategically only made sense in one of many aspects. America had the upper hand throughout the entirety of the war, but the time spent there was more counteractive than anything.