It may help to observe the mind, and observe how it weaves a story about what you believe "me" to be. I am not that. Now watch as it weaves the story and identity of "you". What silently sees the story? Is it the story? Are you truly what you believe yourself to be?
James when I was in college, I had to take philosphy, religion, ethics, and all that jazz. Depending on which college I was at the philosphy and ethics changed with the professor. When I went to a Catholic college, their bent was their religion is right and you must believe in Mary as the Mother of God. If you wanted an "A", you answered the questions accordingly. When I went to a non-religious college, the professor was agnostic. He said you can't be an athiest because you really can't say if there's a God or not. He had challenge questions for the person that was an athiest and he had challenge questions for the person that was religious. I must tell you that I got a "C" in that class cause I was always questioning the professor. He was much smarter than me and had taught many classes and had heard it all before, so my questions were like answering a baby to him.
At the non-religion college, I studied the anthropology course Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion. Man was that an eye opener! Dr. Robarchek was something else. He didn't believe in religion and he was able to show the relationship with the fairies that the bushmen believed in with the relationship to American religion. I got a "B" in that class. I just couldn't believe he could relate fairies to God! Heh! Now, I'm seeing things differently.
Of course in Philosophy, you have to learn the father's of philosphy and ethics. Another thought evoking course. Each will teach you something and take you to some deep changes in thought processes.
After I became a nurse, those courses became handy. I had to learn not to believe what I believed, but what the patient believed. I was never to take away a "patient's hope", and to respect their culture.
The diversity course was another eye-opener. Read about the Gypsies, the Spanish, the Afro-American down South, the Mexicans, the Buddhist, the Moslems, the Muslims. Whoa buddy, I can't remember it all. I remember that many of the cultures mixed Catholism with their cultural religions.
One day when I went to work, I was given this black Muslim patient. He had heart surgery. No woman was to look at his body. How was I going to assess his wounds? He told me that the other nurse was very rude and that he didn't want that bitch back in his room. What to do? I told him my predicament. He told me that sense I was nice enough to explain why and what I had to do that he would let me look at his wounds.
I guess my point is "never take away a person's hope". Let them learn on their own. Many times, I'd just call the Chaplain because I didn't have time to discuss religious issues. I had to get to the next patient.
Bollenback, David Lawrence.
Teaching American Studies within an Anthropology Framework. Adviser: Dr. Robarchek
de Grasse, Jeanne Leslie.
1998. Tradition and Change: Mayan Textiles of Guatemala. Adviser: Dr. Robarchek.
Freeman, Antonio T.
1993. The Caribbean Shango-Complex: A New World Afro-Catholic Syncretic Religion. Adviser: Dr. Robarchek.
Ham, Amy Drassen.
1997. Teaching Anthropology (internship). Adviser: Dr. Robarchek.
Hashem-Zadeh Rasoul Khoras.
1996. Analysis of the Iranian Revolution as a Revitalization Movement. Adviser: Dr. Robarchek.
Kautz, Kay D.
1999. The Prospects of Ecotourism of Maya in the Toledo District, Belize. Adviser: Dr. Robarchek
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