Language, Religion, & Art

We all communicate through language. Whether it is verbally speaking, sending a message on facebook/through email/text, or hand gestures/facial expression. In school, we can take classes to learn other languages, so when we go to another country we can understand at the very least the basic phrases/words. I've taken some spanish courses, but it was high school five years ago. I remember some words and phrases, but not a lot. English is my first language, but I still had to learn it. Whether it was my parents teaching me words/phrases, or I observed other people talking.

Some languages are just noises to us, but to those who speak it, they hear and understand complete words and sentences.

Just think, the click language is probably one of the oldest languages known to man. Some languages had been around for thousands of years, but no one even knew it. The civilization hadn't been discovered for a very long time.

The earliest known written language comes from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China. According to Miller, all the early writing systems used logographs. These were signs that indicate a word, sound, or syllable. Scholars believe that writing had to do with a civilizations development.



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Religion is a big aspect of a culture. Miller defines religion as beliefs and behavior related to supernatural beings and forces. Religion helps me view the world. If you believe in something, it will give you a view of the world. Ritual is a big part of religion too. A ritual for me is prayer. I'm a Christian, and I believe in Jesus Christ. One of the important components for me is prayer. I've been to Baptist churches, a Methodist church, and Non-denominational churches. Beliefs vary through the different denominations, but I am a member of a Baptist church.


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My mom was raised Catholic. My grandmother is Catholic. We've had talks about the different beliefs, and they can get heated, but we all respect what the other's denomination believes. The big difference between our beliefs come to prayer. Praying to the Virgin Mary is a big part of Catholic tradition. Going to confessional is a big part of Catholic tradition. In my belief, you can pray to God and be forgiven.


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Magic isn't a religion. Magic is a person's attempt to compel supernatural forces and beings to act in certain ways (Miller book). I can remember when I was younger, my stepfather ran a card shop. It was full of baseball, football, basketball cards. Also, in this card shop were magic playing cards. They were big back in the 90s. When the shop closed, he brought home some of the cards. I believe still in the garage are some of the magic cards. I don't know if they were just playing cards, or if people thought they could do something to someone for their own purpose.


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Other religions around the world include Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and Ras Tafari. Every religion has a myth, or a story that goes along with their religion. Islam has the story of the prophet Muhammad. Judaism has the teachings that God is one, unique, and all powerful. Hinduism has the story of the deities. These things all revolve around religion.


Art is part of our culture. This goes all the way to cave paintings. Art can be an artist who paints, or an artist can be someone who sings (Ex: Steven Tyler). Some people can create a painting with their lyrics. Some artists are in the world of theater. Some art is in the architecture of buildings. Art is for expression, mainly a mood. Lyrics will tell you how an artist is feeling. A painting will express what the artist wants you to feel. If its a dark picture, then they may want you to feel sad.


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Travel and sports are a big part of American culture. People are constantly on the go. I enjoy to travel. I've never been outside the United States, but I hope one day to be able to. I've been as far west as California and as far North as New York. A lot of people enjoy going to the mountains for a weekend trip, or taking a week to go to the beach.

Americans love their sports. NFL football is the main sport. The fact that the past two Super Bowls have set all-time television ratings in incredible. Sports, both pro and college, pull in a lot of money, and fans travel from all over the country, and in some cases the world to view them in person. I am a fan of the NFL, MLB, NBA, WWE, PGA Tour, Tennis, and sometimes watch MMA. Back in Roman days, their sport was in the Roman Coliseum with humans fighting for their lives. The times have changed, and now sports are made for game purposes, not life.


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