Civics Classes Continued

Tuesday, 01 December 2009

• Civics Classes continued

  Dave is still teaching the Civics class at our homeschool group.  We have gotten behind in sharing the notes and pictures with you, so it is catch up time!
  

  Notes on Rome

  • Rome began as a village near the Tiber River in present day Italy.
  • 753 B.C. to 509 B.C. it was ruled by kings

  -Senate – men who advised the King
  

  • 509 B.C. to 27 B.C. Rome was a republic

  - elected 2 consuls annually
  - plebians – lower class
  - patricians – higher class
  287 B.C. plebians gained equal rights
  88 B.C. reforms needed – Civil wars
  49 B.C Julius Caesar became dictator
  44 B.C. he was assinated
  27 B.C. Augustus Caesar is declared Emperor
  27 B.C. – 476 A.D. – Rome is an Empire
  14 A.D. – Augustus Caesar dies and is declared a God
  106-43 B.C. – Marcus Tullius Cicero lived
  He was a Roman statesman, attorney, orator, former consul who defended the Republic and opposed dictatorship.
  

  November 6^th Class Notes

Rome has fallen!!
2 primary reasons for the fall of Rome
1). Corruption- (massive bureaucracy, inflation, political law)
2). Multi-culturally over-extended (they forgot what it meant to be Roman)
we discussed what it means to be an American?????
Cicero – 106 BC – 43 BC - Roman attorney, orator, and formal consul, who opposed
Rome’s drift toward dictatorship. Opposed Julius Caesar.

• recognized rules of "right conduct" from a Supreme Creator
• believed that Natural Law is the Creator’s order in how the world should work
• believed man’s ability to reason is from God and will lead to common sense conclusions in gov’t, justice and human relations
• believed that the foundation of Justice is love for our fellowman
• believed that what holds society together is love of God.
• was murdered for his political ideas

What happens when gov’t passes laws that violate Natural Law?
Cicero was getting a glimpse of truth
Truth
1). That which corresponds to reality as perceived by God
2). Conformity to fact or reality in exact accordance with that which is or has been or shall be
We act on what we believe is really real
History can be rewritten and distorted (historical revisionism)
Examples: Matt. 28:11-15
Denial of Holocaust
If you believe a lie you can be controlled by others!
Absence of truth brings bondage and manipulation
John 18:37
Romans 1:25
Insanity – lose of touch with reality and believing the lie is real.
World leaders can lose touch with reality and disregard Natural Law
Examples: Hitler, Mao
Also discussed whether feelings about something is more important about God’s truth claims.
**************
One of the students giving a current event...

Student who gave a report on Athens...

Our November 20th class was so excellent, as was the Nov. 6th class.  I (Brenda) have been thoroughly enjoying being in Dave's class. 
 

November 20^th Class notes

Europe falls into the Middle Ages or Dark Ages, after the fall of Rome.
Much of Europe develops a political and economic system called feudalism.
fiefs - tracts of land granted by powerful lords to loyal nobles called vassals (Prince, Baron, Duke or Count) in exchange for supplying knights.

• each fief had a manor (self sufficient agricultural community)

Serfs – peasant farmers who gave much of their agricultural products to the lord in return for use of land and protection.Some characteristics of the Dark Ages were:

little commerce or use of money

trial by ordeal

castles

poverty

lack of or no education

loss of the middle class

war, disease and famine

30 year life expectancy

less then 20% of the population ever traveled more then 10 miles from place of birth

***Although the Middle Ages are interesting times, I have chosen to study it only briefly. Before we get too far along in history we must go back to discuss the most influential person who ever lived and has directly effected American society and government. –Jesus!
Jesus never did what most influential people in history have done. He was not:

a mighty military leader

was not born into nobility

did not write books

no great scientific discoveries

never traveled far from home

when he left the earth, He did not have an extremely large following

Yet He changed the world like no one else.
Are all religions the same?
Are religions different ways of comprehending the same truth?
Can all be true?
3 Characteristics that are unique to Christianity

it teaches that it is impossible to satisfy our relationship with God by human efforts

Christ claimed to be divine

It is dependent on miracles (virgin birth, resurrection).

Some teachings of Jesus that effect our society today:
1.) One God for all men
2.) "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s" - this is foundational to the idea of separation of church and state and limited Gov’t

3. Human dignity – Jesus reached out to the lowest classes of people (lepers, poor, etc.) Mankind could now have a meaningful valuable life. They could now see themselves created by God for a purpose and to have a relationship with Him, regardless of wealth, status, race, etc.. This is the foundation of true human rights.

4.) equality of women – marriage was exalted as an intimate companionship, having high ideals of personal sacrifice and service to one another. Women gained more honor and respect under the teachings of Jesus.
5.) service to others is noble – Luke 22:27, Mark 10:41-45. What a radical idea would have been for His day. Imagine Caesar viewing himself as a servant to others. This is the foundation of public servants.6.) all men are fallible; man has a sinful nature. Romans 7:19 Even people elected to public office or in roles of leadership have this sinful nature. All societies would do well to recognize the truth that the nature of man is sinful and the nature of gov’t is to become tyrannical. This is the root of the idea of balanced powers

7. compassion – because of Jesus, throughout the centuries there was better care for the poor, sick and widows

Atheists will try to undermine belief in God and claim to have science and reason on their side. They believe that it is foolish and unreasonable to believe in God and that miracles are impossible, but remember Christianity is dependent on miracles. There are 2 ways to confront an atheist, using reason.

1. because something exists today, something would have always had to exist, because you cannot get something from nothing. Therefore, that something could reasonably be an eternal God.

   2.) Because even the most intelligent scientist would admit that they know only a small percentage of everything there is know. It is very reasonable to believe that God exists in what they do not know.
*****
A student presenting a current event...

and another....

We have a class this friday, so I will update you on that later.
Until next time.......