Pause and reflect upon the questions below. Summarize your reflection for each number in at least 3 COMPLETE sentences.
- When we speak of our faith-experiences, can we simply think about them literally? Why is it important to use symbolic-thinking in making sense of our spiritual/faith experiences?
- Is truth reduced when we think symbolically rather than literally? Consider this story: “One day, the English poet William Blake was looking up at the sun. One of his companions challenged him: ‘Surely when you look at the sun you see a round, golden globe shining in the sky.’ Blake responded, ‘When I look at the sun, I see choirs of angels singing alleluia, and who are you to say that you are right and I am wrong?'”
FORMAT of REPLY:
Name
1.)
2.)
Cher Mercado's Space 
Hans Tsai
Hans Tsai
1.) Sometimes yes sometimes no, so we would not make things literal as they are.
2.) No it just depends on the reader or the one writing.
Richmond Young
1.) We should not think about them literally because some things are called figures of speech. An example of something that should not be taken literally is the Bible. we should not take it literally, because most things in the Bible is in metaphors.
2.) Truth is not reduced when we think of them symbolically because some things are supposed to be thought symbolically. Symbols depend on the perspective of the person. In the story above both people are right.
Zachary Sy
1.) Using symbolic-thinking when talking about our faith-experiences helps us to analyze our experience in a different way, and helps others to find greater meaning to what we have said that we may have not realised.
2.)The truth is not reduced, but enhanced and sometimes hidden in symbols, and that makes the whole thing more beautiful
Manuel Ayrton L. Sy III 9J 28
1. We can’t always think of something too literaly because you’ll miss the point. Thinking Symbolically is important because it can help you learn and reflect on something you’ve done. The Bible also makes use of many symbols so we should also learn to do so.
2. Truth isn’t reduced because what you see is true. William Blake is correct because it is what he sees. The other guy is also correct since that’s what he sees.
Carlos Louise Ngo
1) When we think of our faith-experiences, we shouldn’t think of them literally so that people won’t just listen to the message you are to say but keep it in their minds. We shouldn’t say it directly and/or literally because people may not take the message seriously.
2) Truth isn’t reduced when we think symbolically. I agree with the English poet William Blake. After all, who is there to know and interpret the truth rather than God. Also, each of us has his/her own perspective of things that each of us should respect.
Gilkevyn Palao
1.) When we speak about our faith experiences we do not take them literally instead we dissect the real meaning on what it wants to tell us. It is important to use symbols because there special to one person.
2.) The truth does not reduce when we think symbolically and literally.
1:)Yes, because you need faith if you really believe in something. It is important because ,For example, you believe in God but you do to have faith then that basically mean you don’t believe in God.
2:) no not all the time because as said there is a meaning for everything and people see things in different ways
Nigel Lim
1.It depends on our faith-experiences whether it was taken physically literal or technically figuratively meaningful.
2.In your own way you still may understand the truth completely
Angelo joshua Bennett
1.) God uses these symbolic materials to help us understand what he did in a respectful way and if we take things to literal we may make a fool out of our selves.
2.) We all have different insights and we see things trough iamgination, so we all have our on oppinoins on seeing this so there is no right or wrong.
Brandon Go
1) if we take things to literal we can make a fool out of ourselves. We use symbolic thinking because it helps us have better behaiviour and and when like how God show others in the past is through symbolic figures too.
2) the truth does not reduce when we think symbolically and literally because every person has their own way of seeing symbols.
Martin Prollamante
1.) Thinking faith experiences literally will be wrong because when thinking it literal we think it wrongly not religiously. Symbolic thinking makes sense because symbols describes something especially on sacraments so when we put the correct symbols on a sacrament, then we know the real meaning of the sacrament.
2.) truth is reduced when we think symbolically because thinking symbolically will be easier than literal. Thinking symbolically is just saying 1 word than thinking literal.
Udi Cue
1.no because it might make people not understand what you are trying to say.
2.no because one symbol can mean different things for people.
Mark Asprer 9J #2
1.) We can’t just simply think about them literally. It is important to use symbolic-thinking in order to understand more about our faith.
2.) I think that the truth is not reduced when thinking symbolically because it will depend on a persons perspective.
Ayrrton Tan
1. No we can’t. This is because sometimes their is a deeper meaning. This is because some experiences we have have a deeper meaning or God is trying to tell us something and without symbolic thinking we won’t understand it.
2. The truth for me is not reduced. This is because this the meaning for you but not others. other might say that it is wrong but it is right to you.
1)no if you take it literaly and it is imporant to use symbolic thinking because they can get the deeper meaning of what you’re trying to say.
2) no it depends on the reader
Enrico bana lim 9-J
1) We shouldn’t take our faith experiences literally, we should try to get into a deeper meaning. It is important to make sense of this because we won’t understand whta the Bible is talking about.
2) Truth is not reduced because it really depends on how the person absorb using hs common sense.
Lawrence Ang
1) It is important because the bible is full of symbolic words and stories so in order to understand you really need to know the symbolic meaning of the texts in the bible.
2) Yes because if everything we see is symbolic then we won’t be able to think logically because saying that the sun is choirs of angels singing alleluia is good when rioting a poem but when someone asks you a logical question like “What is the sun?” then you become an idiot.
Chanho Jung 9J
1) We shouldn’t take our faith experiences literally, we should try to get into a deeper meaning. It is important to make sense of this because we won’t understand whta the Bible is talking about.
2) Truth is not reduced because it really depends on how the person absorb using hs common sense.
Chanho Jung 9J
1) We shouldn’t take our faith experiences literally, we should try to get into a deeper meaning. It is important to make sense of this because we won’t understand whta the Bible is talking about.
2) Truth is not reduced because it really depends on how the person absorb using hs common sense.
Jose Hilario
We can speak our faith experiences in a very literal form, but it is best to use metaphors and symbols, to be able to explain it in a way where, it would also be interesting
It will not reduce, it depends on how a person sees this, but it may confuse people who cannot solve it, but, if your gonna be making serious information which needs to be detailed, it’s better literally.
Mark Chua
1.)We can’t simply think of our faith experiences literally. We can’t think of them literally because God mainly speaks through symbols, thinking literally would make us completely oblivious to what God is saying. Literal thinking would cause us to not fully understand the bible.
2.) The truth can or can’t be reduced in symbolic thinking. It can be reduced if we interpret the symbol in the wrong way. The truth also can be realized if we do interpret it in the right way.
Matthew Lim
1. Symbols are subjective. People can think of symbols one way, others another. This means that people have different ways of explaining concepts, or describing things, because everyone thinks of things different from each other.
2. Like I said, everyone thinks of everything differently. They each have their unique way of perception. Sometimes, this allows us to see things better, sometimes, it doesn’t. For all we know, William Blake might be right, and that there are choirs at the sun, but who knows.
Andrei Mui
1.) we should not think of them literally. We should not think of them literally because the bible should not be taken literally. Also because god speaks through a symbolic way
2.truth is not reduced in that statements because that guy used metaphors. It also cannot be be reduced because its depemds how you will understand it. It also cannot be reduced because
1.) No we can’t speak about our faith experiences literally. It is important because, the bible was written through symbols and was not to be taken literally.
2.) depends on the situation.
Anton Dagdag
1.) We cannot take these things literally. If we do, there will be no sense in the statement. It is important because most of the things in our faith is said in symbols else we will be confused.
2.) Sometimes because people see things differently. To one person this metaphor will reduce the truth. However to another it remains true because they see things differently.
Joaquin Manuel
1) We can’t think of our faith experience too literally. It’s going to change how the people we tell is going too look at our experiences. It’s important to use symbolic thinking in our experiences that are spiritual because it would make a lot more sense than thinking it in another way.
2) No I don’t think that when we think of ways symbolically it would reduce the truth about that object. Everyone has different ways of looking at things. No one knows if the guy is telling the truth about the angels singing but it is the way we think about the things we see.
Andre Regala 9-J#25
1) Of course we don’t just take them literally. We use metaphors to make it more meaning full than just saying I directly. Lots of the literal meanings of sayings are really crazy so to think of them like that makes people think something bad of our religion.
2)No it actually makes it have a deeper meaning. It also depends on the person because lots of people have different experiences with that certain object like the sun. To him it the sun was that but to others it was not because that is his personal experience and there is no wrong answer because that is what you believe in.
Jonathan Bertulfo
1. We shouldn’t take our faith experiences literally because if we do it wouldn’t make any sense. We should use symbolic thinking so that we can be able to understand these faith experiences better.
2. Truth is not reduced because everyone sees things differently and we all have opinions on different things
Tristan Uyco
1. We shouldn’t take our faith literally. If we do, we won’t understand a single thing in the Bible. We should symbolize so that we can make a comparison and decide what it means.
2. The truth isn’t reduced because we don’t know the truth and it’s merely what we think it could be. The truth is based on one’s own opinion. So it all depends on the person if it’s the truth or not.
Clynt Uy
1.We shouldn’t think of them literally because some require you to think of the deeper meaning and not the literal meaning. If we use symbolism we can have a deeper understanding of what the Bible has to offer for us.
2.No the truth isn’t reduced, it just states the different opinion/perspective of the person on the certain topic.
Inigo villegas
We or I shouldnt think of it literally because it will always have a deeper meaning or understanding for them or us to figure it out
No because it shows many kinds of opinions
Gabriel Ganzon
1) No we cant cause not all things are supposed to be understood in a literal way all the time.
2) No, because it depends on us
Nicolas Zarate
1. Taking things literally will confuse us, so we should use symbolical-thinking so we can find the deeper meaning of things.
2. People have different ways of thinking, so they also have different perspective of things such as the sun.
Vinz Lim
1.) No we cannot simply take them literally because sometimes the sentence or word used is not meant to be literal. We have to use symbolic thinking so we can understand more.
2.) It is upto the person because everone of us in this world have their own way of thinking and so there are countless meanings for just 1 word and that means for each and ever word that we say there is a different meaning for each person in this world.