The+Pernicious+Paternity

By Ajon S.
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==If you were to take your unaware son to his sacrifice, what kind of conversations would precipitate? The redactors of the Bible illustrate Abraham to be an extremely religious man. God tests Abraham's loyalty by requiring that he sacrifices his son, Isaac. In the following, Abraham and Isaac venture to Moriah, and the conversations along the way do not fall short of awkward. == 



Audio Recording of Conversation
media type="file" key="Pernicious Paternity.mp3" width="240" height="20"

Dialogue
**Genesis 22 : After Abraham lies to Isaac by saying that God would provide the lamb for the offering when Isaac is really the victim of the sacrifice.**

 **Isaac**: Are you sure God is gonna get the lamb, because it’s okay if you forgot father.


 * Abraham**: Child! Do not question me. I know what I am doing.


 * Isaac**: I apologize father…So dad, do you wish to go to the lake tomorrow? For some father-son bonding time ...?

**Abraham**: Really? I would love- wait… I have something to do tomorrow. I cannot do that with you…


 * Isaac**: (Disappointed) Oh. Okay. I still love you father. You have always been so good to me.


 * Abraham**: Okay. Do not love me more than God though. He is Lord of all and I would do anything for him.


 * Isaac**: I never said no to God… Additionally to where I love God, I love you father. I love God for giving me a gracious father like yourself. I will always do whatever you say because I know you will never hurt me.


 * Abraham**: Child, you need to calm down. Your life is going to overfill with disappointment as you grow old. Or by the end of the day.


 * Isaac**: Wait, what?


 * Abraham**: I am Abraham and I am a slave to the Lord.


 * Isaac**: What are you saying father. Why are you saying these things?


 * Abraham**: Don’t worry about it. (Under breath) You’re gonna die…


 * Isaac**: I’m really hungry. I could eat an entire lamb. Father do we have any food?


 * Abraham**: You can eat when we get there, Isaac.


 * Isaac**: No I won’t go further until we eat father. I might die of hunger.


 * Abraham**: Oh, don’t die…(awkward) I would be so lost without you. But we’ll eat when we get there. Look its right there. That’s Moriah.


 * Isaac**: I feel today’s going to be a very good day. How do you feel father? 


 * Abraham**: Oh, I agree…Hey, how about we have a race to that mountain right there.

**Isaac**: Oh that would be wonderful. Lets go old man.


 * Abraham**: Ready, set, go.

(Race Commences)

(At the top of the mountain)


 * Isaac**: You're no match for your son.

(Whack Noise)

(Isaac wakes up from his blackout)


 * Abraham**: I'm so sorry my child. But while you were sleeping I built the pillar that you lay on. You are tied and now I will offer you to the Lord.


 * Isaac**: No, It's time to stop.


 * Abraham**: Forgive me my child!

(Sound of drawing knife)


 * Abraham**: My Lord! This sacrifice is made in your name!


 * Isaac**: Father! NO! NO! Please! Forgive me for what I have done! I'll be better!


 * Abraham**: I love you son (whisper)

(ENTER ANGEL)


 * Angel**: Yo yo yo yo yo. God just gave me the word. He is impressed with your passion and dedication Abraham.


 * Abraham**: He's impressed now? Just wait until I actually kill Isaac. That'll show real devotion.


 * Angel**: Oh, you really don't need to do that. You're good.


 * Abraham**: Oh, are you sure? Because I'm pretty devoted. I'll do it.


 * Angel**: Don't do it.


 * Abraham**: Uhm. Okay. Hey son, let me untie you there.


 * Isaac**: Uhm. Thanks.


 * Abraham**: I knew the Lord was going to tell me to salvage your life. He is a good God.


 * Isaac**: No dad. It's fine.


 * Abraham**: Guess what though. You are going to unlimited descendants. Doesn't that make you feel just great.


 * Isaac**: Yeah father. Except, maybe I might not try to sacrifice one my children maybe. I don't know. Does not seem like that's the nicest thing to do.


 * Abraham**: I'm sorry son, forgive me. My passion for the Lord has blinded me from the respect for my family.


 * Isaac**: Would you do it all over again?


 * Abraham**: Absolutely.

Character Analysis Through Genesis and Artwork
Though at times Abraham uses deceit to accomplish his goals, his passion and devotion for God justify his actions. While Abraham takes an unknowing Isaac to his own sacrifice, Isaac questions his father on the location of the lamb for the burnt offering. Abraham decieves and assures Isaac that “‘God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering’” (Gen 22.8). This quotation illustrates Abraham’s pure piety by showing that he will sacrifice his own child for God and lie to him before Isaac’s planned death. Abraham’s actions prove righteous because he acted in the name of God. He repeatedly deceives his son because his devotion for God outweighed all other emotions. Abraham utilizes the word, “provide”, to suggest that God will uphold and advocate the element of good in all situations that Abraham encounters; including a situation in which he attempts to sacrifice his own son, which never actually happens.The fact that the redactors describe God as always acting with good intentions justifies any methods of deception Abraham used on the journey to sacrificing Isaac. God’s good intentions justify Abraham’s deception because clearly God’s omnipotence dignifies him as the most powerful character in the story. Man and woman must obey God’s commands because God, ultimately, has control over the lives of every person. This idea continues throughout the entire Bible and that fact illustrates why immoral actions performed in the name of God are, in fact, justified. This proposition can also be supported by the painting, //Abraham and Isaac, //  by Tiziano Vecelli, in which the scene depicts Abraham acting with passion and to certain extent, infatuation. In the picture, the author depicts Abraham as looking to the sky almost as reassurance for his actions and in return, an Angel halts his blade. The act of Abraham’s looking to the sky represents Abraham’s dependency on his faith in God. This depiction of the attempted sacrifice illustrates the importance of God throughout the entire story. Abraham looks to the sky because he realizes that his son’s sacrifice will be morally wrong, but nonetheless God’s will holds the highest importance purely because God’s power has no limits. In this way, Abraham’s passion and love for God vindicate his deceitful nature along his journeys and eventually through his entire life.

Though Isaac shows loyalty towards his father in all situations, his prime cause for his near death experience consists of the fact that he is naïve. After God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham and Isaac trek to Moriah, but not before Abraham “[takes] the wood of the burnt offering and [lays] it on his son Isaac”(Gen 22.6). Abraham adds later that the burnt offering will be provided by God. When the redactors used the word, “laid” to describe Abraham laying the wood on Isaac, the reader gets the impression that Isaac receives discreet and gentle treatment from his father. But Isaac’s innocence did not able him to perceive the small hints that his father left for his son. Because Isaac did not understand, he just remained loyal and did as told. In this quotation, Isaac illustrates how a son naturally obeys his father. But what Isaac does not notice due to his naiveté, could have cost him his life. Isaac carries the wood for the sacrifice because his father told him to do so. Isaac does not question the order because in those days, most children followed the commands of their parents. Abraham lies to Isaac and tells him that the burnt offering will be provided by God, but in fact, Abraham will provide the burnt offering, his own son. Isaac, mainly because of his age, is too naïve to realize that there is no offering because he is the item of sacrifice. Another piece of work that illustrates this side of the argument consists of the painting, //Abraham and Isaac Climb Mount Moriah //  by Gustave Dore, which depicts Isaac mindlessly carrying wood up Mount Moriah. Isaac, due to his gullibility and innocence, easily became manipulated by Abraham for the sacrifice because Isaac would never question the word of his father; And Abraham would never question the word of God.

Character Analysis of Dialogue
= = Similar to the thought process in the actual Genesis, the inexistent conversation named, “The Pernicious Paternity” reveals the ways in which Abraham misleads Isaac in order to prove his loyalty and devotion to God.

<span style="color: #1e8406; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">During the venture to Moriah, after Isaac finishes his glorification speech of his father, Abraham curiously states that “[he] is Abraham and [he] is slave to the Lord” (Singh 1). Abraham specifically uses the word “slave” to represent his binding loyalty to God and to illustrate his lack of support towards the task of sacrificing his own son which God is requiring him to complete. But if one analyzes the quotation carefully, one would recognize that Abraham does not simply state his devotion for God for no reason. Singh illustrates that Abraham reciprocates Isaac’s tribute with this statement because Isaac’s words touched him emotionally. Abraham said what he said in order to a reassure himself that the actions he would have taken part in were all God’s good intentioned wishes. Because Abraham truly loves Isaac, this fact may explain why Isaac forgives his father immediately and never resents him for it. This event holds importance to the entire Bible because this event depicts one of the first events where a person does something immoral due to the will of God. This clash between Abraham’s love for Isaac and love for God become one of his biggest mental obstacles and represent the battle between the natural and supernatural.

<span style="color: #1e8406; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">Another line from the dialogue that advocates this argument arrives immediately after Abraham ties Isaac to the pillar for his sacrifice. Before the angel stops the sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham exclaims that “this sacrifice is made in [God’s] name…Forgive me my child!” Clearly, Abraham does not have a choice in the sacrificing of his son and does it purely due to the request of God. As said in the Genesis character analysis, Abraham cannot oppose God because God is the creator and omnipotent being of the Universe. Abraham does not kill his son out of spite or hatred, but purely because God required him to do so. For characters in the dialogue and the Bible, any characters that wish to move towards independence, end up moving away from being loyal to God and Abraham makes the decision that he would stay away from those risks. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">

<span style="background-color: #808000; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 37.5px; line-height: 38px; text-align: left;">**A rtists' Background **

<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Tiziano Vecelli] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> : <span style="color: #05ad17; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Tiziano Vecelli, also known as Titian, painted and lived during the 16th century. The Italian painter constructed some of the most influential works offresco art in the Santa Maria della Salute and gained most of his credibility from these projects. Titian called one of the works Abraham and Isaac which the Genesis analysis above refers to. Art historians consider Titian as one of the first baroque artists, though he performed this style subtlety.

= = = = = <span style="color: #1e8406; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 26px;"> [| Paul Gustave Dore] <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-weight: normal;">: Born in France in the 19th century, past artists have recognized Gustave Dore for his many book illustrations but mainly for his illustrated depictions of the Bible. In 1867, Gustave exhibited his English Bible in London. British publishers postulated the original idea of illustrating the Bible in drawings, and because Dore found this assignment intriguing, he decided to complete it. The picture in the Genesis analysis originally lies in Gustave's illustrated English Bible. =

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">I initialized my working on this assignment by constructing a Webspiration diagram which organized all my thoughts into potential arguments and evidence. Though Webspiration charts often help me extensively when constructing papers, the chart I generated depicted weak traits and evidence from the book which lacked substance for proving my arguement. Once I realized the shoddiness of my Webspiration chart's traits and evidence, I instigated myself to rethink all my ideas during the process of composing my analysis. For this reason, the thought process in my actual Genesis analysis strays from the thought process in the Webspiration chart below.



<span style="color: #05ad17; font-family: Georgia,serif;">I believe this wikispaces assignment can be dignified as one of the most helpful and productive projects I have done this entire year. But the individual parts do not make this project important to me; The entire project as a whole really opens my eyes to the amount of English knowledge I have gained this year. The wikispaces project basically required me to integrate all the different writing methods and skills I had developed over the course of the year. For example, when I look at the project as a whole, I almost see something resembling an organized paper. At the beginning of the wikispace page, the teacher required me to write an introduction. After the introduction, I placed my script and sound recording which could symbolize the equivalent of evidence in a paper. Following the script, I meticulously wrote the analyses for both the Genesis and my script. These analyses could represent the supports in a paper and the artists’ information could act as a type of background which would maybe lie in the introduction. Now as I look at the reflection, the deeper insight that I should form here could be the essence of a conclusion. Just these small realizations allow me to understand how this project assesses an entire year’s learning of analytical writing.

Along the process of constructing this page I encountered several obstacles which would stymie my ability to work diligently. On the other hand, these obstacles also benefited me because they taught me patience. Most of these obstacles included glitches with the actual wikispace website. Initially, I thought I solely faced these issues, but at school, I learned that many people had trouble with the site’s sporadic formatting. The hardships I suffered with the program, Audacity, annoyed me a bit as well. Due to the fact that my computer has old Microsoft programming, the new version of Audacity failed to download; Therefore, my computer forced me to work with the old, retro Audacity which proposed many issues. This frustration caused me to record my voice with Audacity and email it to myself enabling me to manipulate the recording with Garageband on the school’s computers. Garageband proved far more comfortable to work with than Audacity. This technological problem educated me to be diverse with my resources and not just continue to fail with one program.

Not only did I enjoy completing this project, but I felt it held the most learning value out of many of the assignments I have finished over the year. The completion of the wikispace page helped me realize and marvel at the amount of material I have actually learned this year.

=<span style="background-color: #04432b; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: left;">Works Cited =

"#10. Abraham Offers Isaac on Mt. Moriah (Genesis 22:1-19)." //Bible Study -- the JesusWalk Bible Study Series//. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.jesuswalk.com/abraham/10_sacrifice.htm>. Copan, Paul. //How Do You Know You're Not Wrong?: Responding to Objections That Leave Christians Speechless//. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 2005. Print. "File:ReuternAbraham.jpg." // Wikimedia Commons //. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ReuternAbraham.jpg>. // Gustave Dore Art Gallery | GustaveDoreArt.com | A Tribute to the French Artist, Engraver, Illustrator and Sculptor | Blevins, AK 71825 //. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.gustavedoreart.com/>. // Paul Gustave Dore Illustrations - A Gallery of Illustrations by Paul Gustave Dore //. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.doreillustrations.com/>. "Sacrifice of Isaac by TIZIANO Vecellio." //Web Gallery of Art, Image Collection, Virtual Museum, Searchable Database of European Fine Arts (1000-1850)//. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.wga.hu/html/t/tiziano/01b/4isaac.html>. "Titian." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titian>. "WebMuseum: Titian." //Ibiblio.org - Travel and the Outdoors//. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/titian/>. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 9px; line-height: 18px;">"Why Did God Tell Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac?" //Rational Christianity - Christian Apologetics//. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.rationalchristianity.net/abe_isaac.html>.