STAB 2018

Spicer : What makes Christianity so popular -- the texts? the churches? the stories? Abby  and  Griffin : If all the religions teach a version of the Golden Rule, then why is there fighting between the religions? Tatiana : Why do people fight with each other, even though it’s a sin? Alex : Why is there so much forgiveness in Christianity? Isn’t negative punishment more efficient than positive punishment, if you want a person to stop bad behavior? Artwork by James Isabella  and  Whit : In Christianity, doesn’t the idea of H*** contradict what Jesus said about forgiving people? Artwork by Henry Henry : Who wrote the Bible? Where is the original copy of the Bible located? William : In Bible stories, why do a lot of the men have long hair? Jackson : Why are there so many different types of Christianity?  Nik K. :Which type (denomination) of Christianity has the most followers?  Martha : If God had to choose one specific denomination within Christianity, which o...

This week we have been learning about Christianity. The students read excerpts from the Gospels and discussed the accounts of Jesus's miracles .  We focused on the story in the Gospel of Matthew that states Jesus cured Peter's mother-in-law by putting his hands upon her, as well as the story in which Jesus calms a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. The students came up with a range of explanations (scientific and non-scientific) for the miracles. The students also shared a variety of opinions about whether  more people  or  fewer people  would have become Christians if the Gospels  had not  included descriptions of Jesus performing miracles.

This is a photo of the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel . We have been talking about Jerusalem  and its important role in the religion of  Judaism .  Jews believe that Jerusalem is the most sacred place on Earth, and many Jews strive to take a pilgrimage there at least once. ------------ As we study Christianity and Islam , we will learn the reasons that Jerusalem is also very important to followers of those religions. Artwork by Whit S. Yesterday, President Trump announced his plan to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv (its current location) to Jerusalem.  During Core 2, several students engaged in a spirited discussion about whether they agree with the President's plan to move the Embassy.  Some students feel that President Trump is wisely supporting America's allies in Israel. Other students believe that the President may be unnecessarily angering Muslims who live in Israel. I was quite impressed with the respectful way that Peyton ,...