P. 6 Between The World and Me Opener by Jane Hawley https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q “I could not retreat, as did so many, into the church and its mysteries. My parents rejected all dogmas… And so I had no sense that any just God was on my side… My understanding of the universe was physical, and its moral arc bent toward chaos then concluded in a box” (28). How do you react to this passage, from the perspective of your own moral and/or spiritual beliefs? Do you believe that the universe has a moral arc—and if so, does it bend toward justice (as Martin Luther King famously said), or toward chaos, as Coates suggests? en-us 2020-11-01 22:02:37 UTC 2020-11-03 19:41:06 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4da.png https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887582280 I think personally coming from a family with not strong religious beliefs but the idea that something is up in the universe whether it be god or not I don't really associate with Coates idea of the moral arc being chaotic. Rather a moral arc. I think that is me just being optimistic, though. ]]> 2020-11-03 19:35:27 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887582280 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887585930 I think that humans have a moral arc, not the universe. Further, I believe that humans tend to lean towards chaos and an "do whatever I need to, to get to the top" mentality. I would like to believe that the universe has a bend toward justice, but especially taking into account Coates' point of view, I have yet to see evidence to prove this perspective true.]]> 2020-11-03 19:36:27 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887585930 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887586159 I think there is a sort of moral arc in the universe but there is no true idea of what is right and wrong it's kind of just what we as humans have grown to believe.]]> 2020-11-03 19:36:31 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887586159 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887586312 I do personally believe that there is a sense of morality to the universe, otherwise how would we be able to know or sense what is good and evil. There is no inclination of the universe towards justice though. There tends to be a balance in which good wins out sometimes and evil others.

]]> 2020-11-03 19:36:34 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887586312 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887586316 I can really relate to where Coates is coming from in this quote--I wasn't raised in a religious environment and have decided for myself that I am agnostic, and I definitly agree with never feeling that there was any "just God" on my side either. I agree with Coates saying that the moral arc is bent toward chaos. I think there is room to become better and just as a society but those movements toward justice are constantly struck down, so I find it hard to believe that we could, one day, reach the end of a moral arc toward justice. ]]> 2020-11-03 19:36:35 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887586316 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887586447 I thought this passage was really interesting because I was raised with a strong religious background, so I have always believed in Heaven and Hell and that the universe bends towards justice. I have a sense that a just God is on my side, unlike Coates, so I cannot relate to his understanding of the universe. I have both a physical and spiritual understanding.]]> 2020-11-03 19:36:37 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887586447 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887586772 I think that the universe does have a moral arc, and it used to be bend justice but lately it feels like it bends more towards chaos. Personally I don't really have religious beliefs that much so I understand and agree with this passage. ]]> 2020-11-03 19:36:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887586772 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887587328 I think it does somewhat, but it also reflects on destiny ]]> 2020-11-03 19:36:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887587328 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887587900 I believe that the universe does not have a moral arc. The universe doesnt seem to bend any which way. It is hard to say that the world has a sense of wrong or right due to the destruction and the death being brought upon everywhere. While there is some good and justice there is also undeniable chaos]]> 2020-11-03 19:37:02 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887587900 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887589048 As a person who feels that I have a strong relationship with my religion, I cannot disagree with what Coates says, because I am painfully aware of the hypocrisies and disappointments present in religious faith. I have always been a positive person, so I choose to believe that there is a moral arc leaning towards justice. But that arc is unorganized and doesn't go down a defined path; there is so much bad in the world I can't blame people to believing there to be no justice now and no justice coming.

]]> 2020-11-03 19:37:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887589048 I feel as though there is somewhat of a sense or morality in the universe hence the reason why we comprehend what is good and what is bad. I think its the people who take this further and create new versions of this. They manifest their own ideas of what is good and bad creating somewhat of a chaos. https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887589719 2020-11-03 19:37:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887589719 I can relate to this passage coming from a family who isn't religious. I can see where coates comes from with his thinking, he doesn't believe in a religion and relies on his thinking. But I would have to disagree with there being a moral arc that leans towards chaos. I do think there is a universal arc that applies to the world and the people who reside. https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887590730 2020-11-03 19:37:54 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887590730 I believe that the universe has a moral arc. I think that it is easy to be short sighted and not be able to see this arc; however, overtime this arc that bends toward justice naturally becomes visible. https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887590926 2020-11-03 19:37:58 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887590926 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887592232 I do believe the universe has a moral arc. I think religion can be the foundation of morals. Spiritual texts all have good basis of morals they abide by. I feel it takes time, but the universe always eventually reaches justice.]]> 2020-11-03 19:38:22 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887592232 https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887593561 I think that the universe does have some sense of a moral arc, but only in some occasions. Like right now our world has turned towards a more chaos approach but we have been on the more justice side of the arc. ]]> 2020-11-03 19:38:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jhawley2/me8auunogoz53u4q/wish/887593561