Please do the highlighted part for my post and write 3 responses to the students posts below. Verbal Language: Think of a word about which you feel strongly. Write it at the top of your post. Then, respond to the following questions. What does the word mean--what does it denote? What does it connote? How did you come to understand the word in this way? Specifically, what experiences or personal connections to the word inform how you understand it? What does this suggest about the power of language? write a response to each students posts below. # 1. Verbal Language: "Brother" The word "brother" means a man or boy whose relation to someone is that they share the same parents. To me the word "brother" means not only my two sigblings, but my closest friends who I have known for most of my life. My brothers are not only related to me by blood, but my closest friends that I relate to in many ways and care about just as much as my blood relatives. When I was a child I had a small group of friends that were always there for me no matter what, whether I needed someone to talk to, somewhere to stay, or someone to just be around. To this day I consider my friends that have been there for me since the beginning as my brothers, I love them like family and they are major influences in my life. To many the word "brother" just means a sibling that is a man or a boy, but to me it holds a much more powerful meaning. To me, my brothers are people that I can rely on no matter what. The word "brother" shows me the power of language, that to some one word can seem, maybe, insignifcant yet it could mean everything to someone else. Start by saying, Dear #1…. # 2. Verbal Language: "Love" The word "love" means to have deep affection and fondness for someone or something. To me, it means vulnerability, acceptance, and feeling appreciated. It means that no matter the circumstances, you are comfortable and are willing to show all of you to this significant person. Back then, I used to have a partner and thought the connection between us was genuine. Sadly, I found that it was not the case. But of course, I was young and naive, so I didn't know how to differentiate between fake or true love. It wasn't until I met this unique individual that I truly felt the essence of love. To be more specific, what I felt was platonic, but it had meaning. I truly felt myself around them and had that sense of security. Though others may think of "love" just as a romantic attraction, to me, it has many forms, and each one of them is remarkable. The word "love" suggests that language can open up a world of new perspectives. Finally, I know you might want to know, so yes, this friend and I are still close. Dear # 2…… # 3. Verbal Language: Christian Verbal Language: Christian Formally, or denotatively, this word means of or relating to Jesus Christ and/or the religion based on his teachings. It refers to a religious orientation and how someone does or should conduct themselves. For me, personally, this word holds a lot of negative connotations and I have a visceral negative reaction to those who identify with it. This is something I am actively working to be better about. I grew up in a Christian household, and my mother and sisters identify as Christian. Though I don’t necessarily have negative relationships with them, I do tend to view their association with Christianity as a negative aspect of them. This is likely due to the ways in which I was taught about Christianity being anti- women, anti-gay, anti-sex, etc.: heavily rule based teachings that are meant to make you feel shameful and fearful. This naturally makes me associate the label and the people who identify with it as being judgmental, unaccepting, and people I don’t want to associate with. Rationally, I know this isn’t factually accurate of everyone who identifies as Christian (it isn’t even true of my mother), but my personal past connections with it tend to override my rational thought. This informs the power of language by recognizing how easily a word can be emotionally interpreted depending on who you are talking to. For me, this word draws up a heavy personal response, but in someone else it might signal community, charity, or other positive adjectives/nouns/ feelings. It makes it clear that we must always clarify our meaning and check for understanding, on both sides of a conversation, to better understand each other’s positions and to avoid miscommunication. If you identify as Christian, do know that it was not my intention to offend, and I hope that I was able to effectively communicate my position. As previously stated, I am getting better about allowing people who identify as Christian to show me who they are before I judge them away. Ill also note that I came to this conclusion about Christianity specifically after realizing that, even though I am not religious, I don’t judge people of other religions anywhere near as harsh as I tend to judge Christians. Dear # 3……
 

Discussion

           "Justice" refers to ensuring that the criminal is held accountable for their actions. It's best compared to vengeance and retribution. Justice is fair treatment of all members of society regarding a certain public issue such as equitable resource allocation. I recently finished reading John Crossan's book on how to reconcile scripture's seemingly opposing notions of a wrath God and a compassionate God. In the book, Crossan refers to "distributive justice" as the highest type of justice. He defines it as the equitable and fair distribution of the world's "resources” to everyone (Crossan, 2016, p. 10). He indicates that everyone is born with a natural right to partake in "God's world's bounty."

           Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers' song "Justice," from their 1997 album, explains the African descendants' quest to be treated equally by whites and the injustices they experienced. It compares justice to prayer, asking where justice for the average man is. Such music piqued my interest, prompting me to research further thus influencing my perspective on justice. This song also demonstrates how language can be used to undermine oppressive control by fostering critical thinking and inciting resistance. This ability to convey a concept and imbue it in listeners’ minds demonstrates the power of language as a tool of communication.

Responses

Response 1

           I agree with you that the word “brother” may resonate to some as just the male offspring you have a kinship relationship with. However, it bears more weight than that. I believe that a brother can also be found in a work environment. After working with someone for a while, you may begin to form bonds with them and trust them with things. If you look at the labour union, you will see that workers rely on one another to ensure that they have a safe working environment and fair wages. Fraternities are another place where you might find brothers. This is when brotherhood shines most. I presume that a brother is one with whom you have fellowship and alliance. I firmly believe that the word brother depicts the power of language as being a social phenomenon. Discovering this about languages can help us understand the core of humanity.

Response 2

 I really liked the way you said “love” takes many forms and each is remarkable and beautiful. I believe it should be given more importance than money as it is always everlasting. For me, love is the strongest underlying commandment in all religions. Religion demands that we love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. Taking that into consideration, I equate love to compassion. If you don't love, I believe you won't feel compassion. It shows in the scorn with which you speak to others, the respect with which you treat your boss, the profound, reverent salute with which you meet your guru, your desire for power, affiliation with a country, and the quest for resources. I believe that if you want to cease wars and reduce social turmoil, you must first admit that you lack compassion and thus do not love. Understanding this opens the prospect of building a world that isn't as chaotic and harsh as the one we live in now.

Response 3

           I agree with you that the controversies surrounding the word “Christianity” have caused some Christians to be judgmental hence affecting others’ views of the religion. I tend to think Christianity holds a positive connotation as it resonates as teachings on hope, salvation, peace, and forgiveness. Christianity, I believe, provides its believers hope by teaching them that there is an afterlife. This gives adherents hope because they know their good works will be rewarded in the afterlife. Because it motivates, inspires, and invigorates people to do right, hope is a vital component of human life. Moreover, the message of salvation gives significance to one's existence. Christians conduct their lives with the expectation that the afterlife will afford them greater happiness and contentment. In addition, Christianity emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and peace as prerequisites for leading an honest life. These peace teachings are founded on the Holy Spirit's work within believers causing them to make a better world.

"Justice" is fair treatment of all members of society. It advocates for social rights such as equitable resource allocation. I recently finished reading John Crossan's book on how to reconcile scripture's seemingly opposing notions of a wrath God and a compassionate God. In the book, Crossan refers to "distributive justice" as the highest type of justice. He defines it as the equitable and fair distribution of the world's "resources” to everyone (Crossan, 2016, p. 10). He indicates that everyone is born with a natural right to partake in "God's world's bounty."

Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers' song "Justice," from their 1997 album, explains the African descendants' quest to be treated equally by whites and the injustices they experienced. It compares justice to prayer, asking where justice for the average man is. Such music piqued my interest, prompting me to research further thus influencing my perspective on justice. This song also demonstrates how language can be used to undermine oppressive control by fostering critical thinking and inciting resistance. This ability to convey a concept and imbue it in listeners’ minds demonstrates the power of language as a tool of communication.