https://www.echeat.com/ Christmas Christmas is an annual festival celebrating the birth of Jesus, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. The 25th day of December was chosen to mark His birthday by the Roman Catholic Church years after His death. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many countries. It is a religious day for many Christians and culturally part of many non-Christians as well. It forms part of the holiday season organized around it. Some theorists have surmised that the celebration of Christmas is related to the Jewish Festival of Lights, during which Jesus was born. Others associate it with the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, which was a celebration of the births of several Roman gods. This year in 2021 it will be on Saturday 25th December 2021. Some amazing facts about Christmas: 1. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. 2.Christmas trees were first used by ancient Egyptians and Romans. 3. The term ‘Xmas’ simply means Christmas 4. Santa Claus was known as Sinterklaas in Dutch. For children, Christmas is all about receiving gifts from Santa Claus. But how did Santa Claus come into existence? The character of Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas. As per a legend, St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who provided for the poor and needy. He also loved children and enjoyed giving gifts to them secretly. As his story spread, he was called Sinterklaas in Dutch, which later became Santa Claus. 5.Santa Claus did not always dress up in red clothes. Santa Claus initially wore clothes that were in green, purple, or blue. For many years, this was the common theme for the jolly old man at the North Pole. However, Coca Cola decided to dress him up in colors that matched their brand, and that stuck. So this is why he is always in red clothes now! 6. Rudolph, the ‘Red-Nosed Reindeer’ has helpers too! So you and your kids probably know Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, who pulls Santa’s sledge on Christmas Eve. But do you know other reindeers? It would be impossible for Rudolph alone to pull Santa’s sledge, don’t you think? It is filled with gifts to the brim for every good child in the world, and Rudolph can’t pull that all alone. Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, is, in fact, Santa’s ninth reindeer. And there are eight other reindeers who help him. These eight reindeers are Cupid, Dancer, Vixen, Dunder, Comet, Dasher, Prancer, and 2021-12-22T14:07:13.33-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Christmas-45535.aspx The Insights of Buddhists Religion Student’s Name Institution of Affiliation Inside the Buddharangsi Temple in Florida. Ever since its advent, the Buddhist religion has no restrictions on race, gender, sexuality, and nationality. According to LEFFERTS (2017), there is no existence of God as the Supreme being in Buddhism. Instead, it is a faith of the awareness which promotes own understanding, inner transparency, and pleasant demeanor. Precisely, Buddhists follow the teachings of Buddha all over the world for guidance. The doctrine focuses on ending suffering and perpetrates on living a life of happiness, compassion, wisdom, and joy. In Florida, they practice Theravada Buddhism which depicts spiritual attainment for the liberation of suffering. Before my visit at Wat Buddharangsi Temple, I reached out to the Bhikku, an ordained Buddhist religious leader informing him of my appointment and interest in researching their religion. Additionally, I inquired on the moral conduct and ethics expected from visitors to the temple to prepare accordingly. Later, I received an email from the monk indicating that I was only required to dress modestly, not to wear a hut or cover the head, and not to carry any form of weapons. Likewise, the monk stated the time and date for a visit and noted that I would learn the religious procedures on arrival. On the recommended date; Friday, I attended the sermon having complied to the expected morals and ethics. Before entering the temple, I noticed that every nun and monk was bowing three times at the statue of the Buddha. BURNS (2018) reviews that bowing to the Buddha’s sculpture is a sign of respect to his teachings. However, I was not to bend since it was not compulsory for non-Buddhists. When entering the temple, one would leave their shoes outside and uncover their heads by removing hats and scarfs. Given the sitting arrangement, members of different sex were to stay separate as it’s according to the ethics of the religion. The Buddhists wore different colors of the robe which represented various aspects of faith (LEFFERT, 2017). The colors varied from maroon, brown and orange. Along the temple walls, there was a decoration of various arts such as the lotus flower which signifies purity and enlightened. The second was the endless knot presenting eternal harmony, and third the golden fish meaning spousal contentment and liberty. Accordingly there the banner of victory portraying successful fights, and correspondingly the wheel of dharma representing 2019-04-12T18:08:12.7-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/site-visit-45484.aspx Buddhism and “No-self” Eastern enlightenment religions have been gaining popularity throughout the western world for the past few decades, with many people attracted to a "different" way of experiencing religion. As with many other enlightenment religions, Buddhism requires disciples to understand concepts that are not readily explainable: one such concept is that of no-self. In this essay I shall discuss the no-self from a number of modern perspectives; however, as no-self is difficult to describe I shall focus on both the self and no-self. Beginning with psychological aspects, and neurophysiological research on transcendental meditation, I shall discuss the impact of modern brain science on our understanding of the self and transcendence. Next I will outline the relationship between physics and non-locality, as this gives a western scientific explanation for no-self. Returning to the original source of Buddhism, I will briefly outline the discussion between Siddhartha and Vaccha regarding atman, then discuss the mind and no-self and their relationship to liberation. Finally I will summarize a few issues that the western mindset may face approaching this topic. The Buddhist concept of "no-self" is an essential element on the path to spiritual freedom presented by the Buddha Gautama Siddhartha Sakyamuni. It is claimed by many Buddhists that at the age of thirty-five Siddhatta achieved samyaksambodhi, a state of supreme enlightenment, while meditating under a tree. He had been born into excess and protected from life, and then chose to live as an aesthetic. He found that the former stifled to spirit and the latter stifled the mind the only answer was a middle path of moderation. Siddhatta then lived and taught his way for another forty-five years as a Buddha before dying, or attaining parinirvana, at the ripe age of eighty. (Hopfe & Woodward, 2007, p. 123-125) Modern psychology attempts to scientifically explain many aspects of our lives. Yet it seems that when psychology meets religion the result is rarely a fair compromise. As an example, if faced with a person claiming to have no sense of self a psychologist may suspect some form of dissociative disorder. An excellent modern example of spiritualism clashing with psychological diagnoses is that of the much-maligned Aleister Crowley; after years of searching for his own samyaksambodhi he entered into a period of silence and claimed enlightenment. The psychological description of Crowley is that of a paranoid schizophrenic who declined into bitterness. I simply wonder where the line is that 2018-04-26T13:38:44.603-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Buddhism-and-No-Self-45428.aspx 2017-01-24T07:27:45.197-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Marriage-and-devorce-in-islam-35268.aspx Lopez 1 Pablo Lopez Mrs. Huntley AP English Literature, Period 6 02 December 2016 Pnin: A Formalistic Approach Towards a Life Lesson “Everyone I know, goes away In the end”, meaningful yet simple lyrics from Johnny Cash’s Hurt. A song written upon a period of his life where he swore the moon didn’t hang as high as it used to. The truth is, everyone will get hurt one day, and all will pass away. The question now is deciding how people wish to go out, either occupying a happy, sad, or regretful life. This recurring theme has been imbued through countless novels and plays, but no work has analyzed the meaning more in depth than the novel Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov. Vladimir being born in 1899 had access to countless inspirations when writing Pnin, but being the Russian literary genius he his, decided to isolate his work within the text and use pure imagination. Many see no problem in his style of writing for the belief that it is not what influences a novel that defines it but what comes out of it. The aim for this piece of writing is to utilize the critical theory titled formalism or otherwise known as new criticism, focusing on the structure of the text and its use of rhetorical devices such as satire, flashback, and point of view, to unravel and expand on the novel’s profound theme: Love between friends and family brings happiness, not the desire to chase after this world’s picture of joy which demands wealth, success, and popularity. Pnin is a novel worth relating to, filled with high hopes and humor, yet embodied in tragedy. The novel goes through the mid 1900s by the life of an average fellow named Pnin, a 52 year old Russian refugee in America teaching literature at Waindell College. He has no proper english articulation nor customs, yet in his mind he is perfect and the rest of the world must Lopez 2 conform. As Vladimir mentions “If his Russian was music, his English was murder”. Picture the classical fictional character Mr. Beans, except Pnin enjoys researching, studying, and talking about literature. Ultimately it is all he has left. His ex-wife Liza fooled him into thinking they would live happily in America but it turned out months after arrival she married a man named Eric Wind. She had a son with him which she named Victor. However, it became clear Eric was more interested in being with Liza than with Victor. As a result Liza asks Pnin to support Victor financially despite Pnin being at the edge 2016-12-26T07:09:49.6-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/LAST-DAYS-AND-LORDS-DAY-ENGLISH-VERSION-35263.aspx Name Tutor Course Date Does God Exist? Introduction St. Anselm's Ontological argument in Chapter II of Proslogium attempts to provide proof that God exists. Anselm's focus begins with simple premises whose justification in no way relies on experience. Based on a reconstruction of the argument and a comparison of premises, he proceeds to draw the conclusion that God exists. Anselm's assertion is intended to refute some individuals who, in their hearts, think that God does not exist. This paper gives a brief summary of Anselm's argument, refutes the argument, highlights possible grounds on which Anselm could counter the refutation, and then finally refutes Anselm's possible refutation again, before drawing a conclusion. Anselm uses two important features to refute the claim that God does not exist. First, he states that the 'fool' who claims that God does not exist understands the claim being made about God's existence (Princeton 1). Second, he also points out that the 'fool' does not believe in the existence of God. Anselm intends to show that the combination of the two factors mentioned is unstable (Princeton 1). Anselm states that the fool clearly understands the concept of 'God,' a powerful being greater than all, but that such a person still denies the existence of God, even though the 'fool's' mind comprehends the very aspect of the powerful being (Anselm 1). The fool's mind which Anselm refers to as 'the understanding' can comprehend the existence of a powerful being. Such conception occurs both in the mind and in reality, two aspects that when in alignment, improve understanding and can act as proof. Finally, he notes that if the 'fool' can understand what it means when one speaks of Y, then Y exists in the 'fool's' mind or understanding. From this conclusion, the 'fool' clearly acknowledges that God, whom he knows exists in reality and in mind, exists. 2016-12-20T09:17:14.89-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Does-God-Exist-35261.aspx TABLE OF CONTENTS Framing 2 Investigating 4 Reasoning 5 Christianity 5 Islam 7 Judging 9 Appendix 1 12 Appendix 2 14 It can be hypothesised that, due to their common origin in the Middle East as well as their historical and traditional connections, Christianity and Islam will show numerous similarities concerning their ceremonies, beliefs and values in regards to the marriage ritual. FRAMING In a secular sense, the concept of marriage is defined as, "The legal union between a man and woman as husband and wife, and in some jurisdictions between two people of the same sex." (Oxford Dictionary; ONLINE; 6/10/14) However, in contrast to this, the definition varies vastly throughout the major world religions regarding their notions of unity between two people. The two key religions of Islam and Christianity will be analysed, compared and contrasted critically within this ethnographic investigation. The religions' perspective on the major ritual of marriage and its significance within the respective religious society will be explored and examined studiously in order to gain a diverse understanding on the topic. The definitive aim of this investigation is to prove the similarities, or possible dissimilarities, between the two religions concerning their beliefs and values on the marriage ritual. The most significant issues under investigation in this report will be analysed by incorporating and applying the theories of Victor Turner, Arnold Van Gennep and Terrence Lovat to effectively compare and contrast the ritual, meaning and symbols of marriage concerning marriage through the eyes of both Islam and Christianity. Victor Turner, ‘a British anthropologist best known for his work regarding symbols, rituals and rites of passage’(Britannica; ONLINE; 6/10/14) as well as coining the term "communitas", digressed that all rituals have four meanings: • The subjective, which is the text meaning and is explained by the person performing the ritual. • An objective meaning which discusses the purpose of the ritual within society. • Position, which denotes the symbols used and the relationships between them. • Hidden, which is in some way revealed to those belonging to the ritual community. Additionally, Van Gennep argued that the actual ceremonies within rituals are different however their meanings are ultimately the same, focusing on the fact that all rituals encompass a change of status within society. Moreover, Terence Lovat actively analysed rituals using his five step model that consisted of: • The participant leaves the ordinary or mundane world and enters the ritual • The participant engages in some type of prepatory rite. • The participant experiences a central or highpoint of the ritual. • The participant joins in some sort of celebration in the ritual • The 2014-11-14T22:22:08.39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Comparison-Between-Islamic-and-Catholic-Marriage-35063.aspx A comparison of Judaism and Christianity provide many interesting perspectives on the issue of faith that characterize and separates them .These two faiths have much in common yet there are glaring fundamental differences that separate them. What makes the contrasts between Judaism and Christianity so fascinating is that in spite of the much later origin of Christianity, the two faiths were in essence “separated at birth” because Christianity arose out of Judaism. An exploration of them both highlights where they have remained the same as well as where they have grown apart. The details of their beliefs comprise the difference between them. Some of the differences are obvious and significant of nearly any examination of the two groups. Other differences may seem to take only a second to most examinations and may be insignificant to the members of the two groups as well. Now lets discuss a little bit on the basics on Judaism so we can all have a better understanding of how it works. Judaism is one of the world’s oldest religions, dating back up to 2000 years BC from the time when God first called Abraham to leave his home and follow him. At that time, God made a covenant (or agreement) with Abraham in which he promised to make Abraham the father of a great nation and that one day his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan if Abraham followed him. Now through Moses, God gave the law of the people of Israel and the fulfillment of the promises became 2014-05-17T22:13:15.947-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Judaism-versus-Christianity-35036.aspx Doell 1 Religious War in Judaism, Christianity and Islam Religious Studies Throughout history, humans have had a tough time accepting other cultures and ways of life foreign to their own. The human race is a brutal and uncompromising species and when people do not respect what they do not understand, they have tended to take matters into their own hands using Gods will as an excuse to exact war. The only means of justifying their hatred and misguided perceptions is to validate that God is on their side. When one reads the Torah, Bible or the Qur’an, they can ‘choose’ to see texts under a completely different light compared to the person right beside them. The words of all three sacred scripts can be twisted and be completely taken out of context to vindicate ones feelings towards other races, ethnicities and cultures. History has provided many examples of monotheistic religious war and conquering, from the day Joshua and his army brought down the walls of Jericho all the way to where the world finds itself now with war in the Middle East. This paper will set out to answer the question of whether or not the Holy Wars that have taken place throughout history were sanctioned by God himself, or rather just the works of men who felt the need to take innocent lives to satisfy their own greed. In the words of American comedian Steve Allen “If there is a God, the phrase that must disgust him is - holy war.”1 This paper will compare these claims of divinely sanctioned warfare between the three powerhouse monotheistic religions that are driving the world today: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Doell 2 Judaism has seen its fair share of war in its long history and it can be argued that the legacy of the wars the Jews partook in live on today. Judaism has experienced both incredible victories and unspeakable defeats. The whole theme of Judaism had been exile and return, not only physically being taken from their promised land but also on a spiritual level, their relationship with God. Judaism saw its people turn away from God, worshipping other deities and idols, only to return to God once again. So all Israel was recorded by genealogies, and indeed, they were inscribed in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. 2 From 2014-03-25T18:25:01.703-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Holy-War-35011.aspx Sikhism is the world's fifth largest religion. Sikhism is one of the younger faiths of the world, as compared with religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity or Islam. It is a monotheistic faith, preaching the existence of only one God, and teaching ideals that may be universally accepted today and in the future: honesty, compassion, humility, piety, social commitment, and most of all tolerance for other religions. Sikhism is free from any claims and dogmas. To attain salvation, Sikhism rejects all rites, rituals, and fasts. It rejects the claims of mortification of body, self-torture, penance or renunciation. It does not believe in worship of gods and goddesses, stones, statues, idols, pictures, tombs or crematoriums. Devotees are supposed to desist from working miracles, uttering blessings and curses, and believing in omens. They wear God's name as a necklace and try to practice Nam (remembrance of God's name), Dan (charity) and Ishnan (purity), truthfulness and openness, self-restraint in temper, labor for the purpose of mutual benefit, profitable and edifying speech, humility and forbearance. Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the Punjab area, now Pakistan, founded the Sikh faith. He began preaching the way to enlightenment and God after receiving a vision. After his death a series of nine Gurus (regarded as reincarnations of Guru Nanak) led the movement until 1708. At this time these functions passed to the Panth and the holy text. The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, compiled this text, the Shri Guru Granth Sahib. It consists of hymns and writings of the first 10 Gurus, along with texts from different Muslim and Hindu saints. The holy text is considered the 11th and final Guru. Sikhs believe in a single formless God with many names, who can be known through meditation. Sikhs pray many times each day and are prohibited from worshipping idols or icons. They believe in samsara, karma, and reincarnation as Hindus do but reject the caste system. They believe that everyone has equal status in the eyes of God. Sikhs follow a strict code of conduct called the Sikh Rahit Marayada. Some of the requirements are: A Sikh is not permitted to have any allegiances to other religions. Sikhs must accept the teachings of the Gurus in their entirety. A person who does not follow all the requirements of Sikhism is not considered a Sikh and may be excommunicated from Sikh society. I was going through some article about the teaching 2014-02-11T09:57:50.113-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sikhism-The-World-s-Fifth-Largest-religion-35000.aspx 2013-08-13T15:18:03.13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/This-essay-explains-the-concept-of-faith-and-argues-that-science-misleads-the-world_-This-essay-will-give-one-a-greater-understanding-of-Christianity_-34945.aspx The teaching of ‘no self’ or anatta in Buddhism can be a misleading one. There are many different views and interpretations on the subject and over the course of this essay, we will discuss the various understandings of anatta. The first thing that is needed to do when examining this statement is to define exactly what ‘no-self’ or anatta in Buddhism is. Anatta literally means ‘no-self’. It its one of the key central teachings of Buddhism. What this doctrine means is that there is no ‘self’, in the since of a permanent, fixed, integral being, within an individual existence. In some religions, a person has an individual soul, which after death, lives eternally on either in heaven or hell. Other religions teach that the soul gets purified, by going through many lives, before being united with its particular deity, in a higher state of consciousness. However, Buddhism is unique in that it denies the existence of a soul. Another Buddhist teaching on ‘self’, is that an individual is a combination of five aggregates of existence, called the Five Skandhas. We will discuss what these mean in relation to anatta and ‘self’. This is an important aspect to understanding what Buddha taught about ‘self’. In addition to the Five Skandhas, we will discuss the suggestions that Buddha taught the concept of anatta, not as a metaphysical assertion, but as a strategy for gaining release from suffering. A third aspect of this which needs examination is the fact that the two main forms of Buddhism, differ in their interpretations of anatta. We will discuss in which ways and to what extent they differ. A final aspect to be explored on this topic, is the notion that ‘self’ is an illusion and also an obstacle to the realisation of truth. People often find the Buddha’s teaching of anatta or ‘not self’ a difficult and confusing doctrine to comprehend. The first thing needed to do to understand his teaching of ‘not self’, is to understand how the Buddha himself defined ‘self’. Buddha essentially thought of ‘self’ in a metaphysical way. An example of what that fundamentally means is that he thought of ‘self’ as something, “eternal, permanent, unchanging, perfectly pure, self-contained and not dependent on the body or the environment” (Denise Cush, 1983: 36). It is a permanent abiding essence that survives 2013-08-10T19:33:31.367-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anatta-in-Buddhism-34934.aspx The first thing that is needed to do when looking at this question is to define exactly what is meant when we say ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’. An insider in religion can be described as somebody who is a full participant in his or her religion and is devoted in the faith and teachings of his religion. Conversely, an outsider is somebody who has an objective view on religion, does not participate and merely views himself as an impartial observer. In addition to defining insider and outsider in the context of this question, we also must differentiate between what it is to understand and explain religion. To understand religion is to know and comprehend the aspects of it. However to explain it, requires a person to interpret his own understanding of religion and to be able to make clear the details of it. Over the course of this essay, we will take the views of both insiders and outsiders, as being better equipped in regards understanding and explaining religion. We will look at advantages and disadvantages of both these positions. Of course it will not be possible to cover all aspects of this broad topic in this essay, however we will cover the main features which validate the argument. As Kim Knott puts it, “we find ourselves considering the nature and limits of objectivity and subjectivity, ‘emic’ and ‘etic’ positions, ‘experience-near’ and ‘experience-distant’ concepts, empathy and critical analysis, the effect of personal standpoint and the process of reflexivity”(John Hinnells, 2005: 259). Main Body The notion that the religious insider is better equipped to understand and explain religion is fairly widespread. The thought behind this can be summarised as, because they have been devout to their religion, in most cases for all their lives, they have a familiarity and a certain feel for the religion that an outsider could never attain. Wilfred Cantwell Smith said on the matter, “no statement about a religion is valid unless it can be acknowledged by that religions believers” (Ross Reat, Sept 1983: 460). The above statement contends that the outsider cannot comprehend what it truly is to understand a certain religion because he simply cannot know what it means to have 2013-08-10T19:00:15.387-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Discuss-insider-and-outsider-in-religion-34929.aspx Clerical Celibacy versus Clerical Marriage: The Struggle for the Priesthood Throughout the Reign of the Tudor Monarchs Prospectus: pages 1-10 Works Cited: page 11 Revised Annotated Bibliography: pages 12-24 Primary Source Citation: page 25 Copy of Primary Source Document: pages 25-28 Stephanie Platner History 100 – Introduction to Historical Skills in Tudor England Dr. Stephanie Seery-Murphy May 24, 2013 Pages 1-28, Word Count: 10,592 Clerical Celibacy and Clerical Marriage: The Struggle for the Priesthood Throughout the Reign of the Tudor Monarchs Throughout the reign of the Tudor monarchs, the traditional Catholic ideal of clerical celibacy was completely opposed by Reformation proponents who supported clerical marriage. While Catholic monarchs demanded their clergy abide by celibate oaths, Protestant reformers used their platform to institute changes which allowed the clergy to marry. The vacillating religious ideologies of each of the Tudor monarchs made clerical marriage and clerical celibacy an increasingly complex issue; the creation of laws which allowed clerical marriage, and their subsequent repeal, created conflict and confusion within the church. In England, clerical marriage was one of the most fiercely debated issues of the Reformation, and caused deep divisions between religious leaders on both sides of the aisle. However, the maelstrom over religious ideology and practices had serious consequences, which tremendously impacted the lives of clergy members and their families. As of now, clerical marriage and clerical celibacy continue to be important topics in the study of Tudor England, while proponents of both views debate the impact their position had on the church and the priesthood. Even today, the issue of celibacy versus marriage within the priesthood is widely discussed, and therefore remains a timely and relevant issue. In order to clarify the sequence of events surrounding the controversy over clerical celibacy and marriage, I organized the results of my research chronologically in order to examine how the reign of each monarch directly affected the lives of clergy members. Beginning with Henry VIII, and continuing with Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, I looked at how each monarch’s reign impacted: a.) the position of the church regarding celibacy/marriage, b.) the laws, statues or articles created/changed regarding celibacy/marriage, c.) the arguments made for/against celibacy/marriage, d.) examples of clergy who were impacted by the above factors, and the impact/outcome on the clergy member and their family. I incorporated one primary source into the discussion of clerical marriage, an anonymous letter written by a witness to the execution of Thomas 2013-06-01T03:01:42.31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Clerical-Celibacy-Versus-Clerical-Marriage-The-Struggle-for-the-Preisthood-in-16th-Century-England-34890.aspx Arranged Marriage Kelly Luá Franklin AP Literature, Period 1 Talking about arranged marriage in India is as common as talking about travel plans over coffee in the United States. Marriages that aren’t arranged are seldom in the country. In fact, when these do occur they are called “love matches”. Although there are many benefits to an arranged marriage, love matches may be more beneficial. Families in India consist of parents, unmarried daughters, sons and daughters in law living in the same house. During the process of arranging a marriage, the prospective wife is sent to live with the prospective groom’s family in a sort of evaluation. This evaluation puts tremendous pressure on the prospect to exhibit all the qualities the ideal wife should have. I don’t believe that this type of stress is beneficial to any relationship because it causes emotional ties to be obligatory instead of voluntary. The marriage may work out in the end or it may have an unhappy existence due to its rocky beginnings. In a love match, marriages have a better chance of working out do to mutual expressions and pacing. Although providing or asking for a dowry is illegal in the country, it is still widely required as an unspoken social standard. I view this as a bribe for the young man’s family to go into an arranged marriage with a young woman. There are reports that some prospective wives have been pressured into asking their families for more gifts in place of a dowry. I find this “twisting of the arm” to contrast greatly with the way that two families bond in love matches. In the later gifts may be desired, but definitely not required like the way that they are in arranged marriages. It is widely known that love matches in the United States have a high percentage of divorces. Despite this, I believe that love matches are still better than arranged marriages. With arranged marriages, a person never really knows what they’re getting into and once they get in it’s a social disgrace to try to get out. In a love match, a person should know exactly what they’re getting into so if the marriage ends badly then it’s the person’s fault for making a bad decision and they can get out of it by means of divorce. I’m a strong believer in the notion that it is better to have loved and lost than to 2013-04-17T07:41:32.54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Arranged-Marriage-34861.aspx The literal term pagan comes from the Latin word Paganus, literally meaning country-dweller or rustic. If you were to ask other Wiccans (pagans) they would probably give you a different answer, but they would all have a ring of familiarity with each other. The reason they would all kind of sound the same after a while is because most of our values are the same. Pagans are very peaceful people; one of their rules are “An ye harm none, do as ye will.” See harm no one is the one main rule that all pagans follow and yet we are persecuted as devil worshiper’s who sacrifice animals and people for magic. WRONG! AS a fellow Wiccan I am quite upset at the way people treat us because if how the church has portrayed non-Christians or pagans for years.We believe in the threefold law if you have never heard it called this before it is because you wouldn’t think of it this way but karma will work however it desires. So remember “Three times three, what you put forth comes back to thee.” Wiccans have the Wiccan Rede, which speaks of the Sabbats, the guidelines of the use of magick, and the respect of higher powers. One of those Rules is pretty much self-explanatory “Three times three, what you put forth comes back to thee.” This is Karma; it can be good or bad depending on what you’ve done in life. You can see this a lot though paganism’s history and story’s. Another one is “An ye harm none, do as ye will.” As I mentioned earlier this rule is set in stone and is non-negotiable. This is how important another’s life is to us. Even if we do practice magick we would never use it to harm or negatively affect ourselves or another. Pagans can be monotheistic (the belief of one god) or polytheistic (the belief of one or more gods) depending on the belief of the individual. This can also lead to Pantheism and Animism. Pantheism is the belief that the landscape itself is divine, that nature is an inherit sacred being. While Animism is the belief that everything including inanimate objects have a soul or spirit, that we are all connected on a spiritual plan or connected by energy. Two of the most common deities, are the god and the goddess. The Goddess is commonly 2012-11-02T01:58:22.91-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Essay-on-Paganism-Good-or-Evil-34730.aspx Arati to Lord Ganesha – A popular Hindu Deity This Arati is a song of praise to Lord Ganesha, a popular Hindu Deity. The song is in Marathi, a language of a region of India. The state of Maharashtra is popular for worship of Lord Ganesha. In the British period, freedom fighter Tilak introduced the concept of public worship of Lord Ganesha for 11 day 2012-09-27T06:25:08.737-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Arati-Song-of-Praise-to-Lord-Ganesha-A-Popular-Hindu-Deity-Translation-from-Marathi-to-English-34650.aspx Concept of Daswand Meaning and Importance Daswand is an age old tradition of voluntary offering or rather (more aptly put) a sacrifice unto the Supreme Lord as mentioned in Gita. It means sacrifice of 10% of your earnings and is often misunderstood as Guru dakshina which it is not, it is a sacrifice unto the Supreme Lord, by virtue of which desired necessities of life are granted. Daswand is our need and not that of Spiritual Powers. We need to do this sacrifice to get Kripa or blessings. Daswand is purely voluntary and there is no binding upon anyone to opt for it. Daswand is often misunderstood as a method to earn money for the growth of the whole sect which is not true. Daswand is one's sacrifice unto religious deities for one's desired necessities of life to get fulfilled. This is an eternal truth and nothing new. All world religions like Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Judaism have this concept as integral part of their religion. One's own hard earned money is the true instrument meant for sacrifice. Because money is the only element that every human is most attached to. Its sacrifice is purest form of all sorts of dedications. Money earned by dishonest means cannot be isolated for daswand as it will be a meaningless effort. This money donated is not for the survival of the God. It is rather an opportunity to show our gratitude for the blessings we receive. Thus daswand offered by devotees to Nirmal Darbar is an expression of sacrifice and gratitude to Spiritual Powers of the universe present with Nirmal Baba. Giving correct amount at right time ensures kripa from Powers, provided other prerequisites like correct puja and karma are in order. Money donated cannot be questioned as to how it is utilized. Otherwise the purpose is defeated. Daswand is not money given to a trust for charitable work, it is for ultimate Powers. Likewise use of daswand dropped in golaks in temples or gurudwaras cannot be questioned by the giver. References from various scriptures QUOTE FROM CHAPTER 3 OF BHAGWAT GITA, VERSES NO.S 10, 11 AND 12 1. “In the beginning of creation, Brahma after generating all beings as a result of the performance of sacrifice unto the Supreme Lord said: by the performance of sacrifice may you evolve and prosper; let sacrifice bestow all that is desirable for you.” 2. “By this sacrifice unto the Supreme Lord, the demigods are propitiated; the 2012-08-27T08:08:33.117-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nirmal-Baba-explained-the-concept-of-Daswand-34632.aspx "Follow one religion but respect all" - Nirmal Baba It is very difficult to describe religion in few lines as no definition can contain all the attributes of all the religions, hence it will remain incomplete. But for the sake of understanding it can be said that religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values, defined by Wikipedia. Etymologically, the term religion is derived from Latin word religio which means "respect for what is sacred, reverence for the gods or “obligation, the bond between man and the gods” In our world there are numerous religions but the five major religions, based on following population are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Chinese folk religion and Buddhism. Every religion is built on the edifice of a thought, the thought of its founder. It is quite interesting to notice that though outer form i.e. the customs and traditions associate with every religion is different but the core of all the religions are same. Many philosophers, who have studied multiple religion in depth felt that the only difference between the core essence of most of the religions is that of the language. As a matter of fact, every individual on earth is bound to follow some or the other religion in one way or the other. Reasons to follow might be different but all of them hint towards the basic one which is belief in a supreme power-the "almighty". In other words, people have faith in what we term as magical power. But that very magic begins ones we start believing in it. Our faith in a belief is always attached to experiences. Initially I had this very idea that there's nothing like supreme power and used to always disconnect any religious idea from my life. But on insistence by one of my friends I attended Nirmal Baba's samagam and was deeply touched on seeing the way he helps out his devotees. Not just this, I also got greatly convinced by his thoughts. I am a completely changed person now and have started believing in the religious practices. Ram may not visit mosque or Rehman may not visit temple. However, Ram is a regular temple goer.Now this might be because of sincere and honest dedication to one religion, or may be because of disrespect to other religion. The very idea propagated by Nirmal Baba is, to 2012-08-22T02:08:34.587-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Follow-one-religion-but-respect-all-says-Nirmal-Baba-34630.aspx Nirmal Baba ,a religious guru is believed to be a spiritual saint by some ,religious leader by others and also a philosopher by certain other groups.His devotees provide evidence to prove his credibility as a religious protagonist. Nirmal Baba’s devotee expressing her support for him- I am the devotee of the Nirmal Baba ji ,as I have seen that false news has been forwarded against them, its very sad and disappointing as being devotee its hurting the feelings. If the experience are required I would like to say that with the grace of Nirmal Baba ji we are very happy.,mental peace is there. If one does not like the programs then he/she must not see the channel or program ,he/she must not play with "astha" of other devotees. I would request people to please stop this false advt. against baba ji ,its hurting us a lot. - Priyank Upadhyaya Not just this,,devotees of Nirmal Baba have more to speak in favour of him- I am a follower of Nirmal Baba Ji from past 7 months. My wife used to watch his programs on regular basis, Shortly even I started viewing his programs on TV. To be honest, there was lot of changes & comfort level in our day to day life after getting in touch with Baba Ji. I can share 2 instances which I feel was very important for me.I have a working experience of over 12 years now. All my career I used to travel long distances to my office. Latest being 100 KMS travelling up & down. With the grace of Baba Ji my travelling is reduced to just 2 KMS up & down. Me and my family have had great darshan of Sri Shiridi Sai BABA and LORD Balaji in Tirupiti by grace of Baba Ji. Request you to kindly start the telecast of his samagam on daily basis. - Vijaya Kumar I have been devotee to Darbar by last 7 years and benefited several times and watching Nirmal Darbars Program regularly on TV for several years. Now by doing negative propaganda against Darbar andgetting it off religious sentiments of lot of darbars devotees have been hurt. - Neeraj Tyagi For obvious, as i am an ordinary person of India, my voice would not be much louder. I would like to tell something about Nirmal darbar which every devotee knows very well; such as ---> 2012-08-08T05:21:17.74-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nirmal-Baba-Ji-What-devotees-have-to-say…-34619.aspx The story of Noah and the ark is in Genesis 6 through 8. This story teaches many lessons. It teaches many lessons with God, Noah, and madness. It teaches that everyone makes mistakes. Even the people you wouldn’t think would make mistakes. It is about how God wanted to destroy the world 2012-02-21T13:04:57.21-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Noah-and-the-Ark-34488.aspx Angels and angelology Angels belong to religions that have one god. And that god has spiritual servants and messengers. In Hebrew Scriptures the angels are sometimes described as the ‘sons of God’ (Job 1:6). Jewish, Christian, and Islamic theologians all agree that angels are spiritual creatures. They are not equal to God. The world was created on purpose and God made it. There was no one else with God when he created it. If you imagine a line between God and everything that he created, angels would be on the side with all the human beings, animals, and plants. (Jones 38). In the Hebrew Scriptures, they have generally placed the creation of angels at the beginning of all that was created. They begin with the words: ‘in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ (genesis 1:1). ‘The heavens’ came to be known as ‘all things invisible’, including the angels. ‘The earth’ was known as ‘all things visible’. This statement makes it even more explicit at a council in church during the Middle Ages: ‘creator of all things invisible and visible, spiritually and corporeal…angelic, namely, and worldly, and then human as it were, common, composed of spirit and body’ (Creed of Lateran IV, 1215 CE.)(Jones 41). There is an ancient difference of opinion among Christians about when the Angels were created. Some Greek-speaking Christians said that angels were created before the material universe. But Latin-speaking Christians said that angels were created at the same time as the material universe. Thomas Aquinas said that the Latin speaking opinion made more sense because angels are not a whole part of the universe all by their own; they and the material world together make one cosmos. Cosmos is the universe seen as a well-ordered whole. But Thomas Aquinas noticed that the answer to this question is unclear both from scriptures and from natural reason. There is an agreement among Jewish, Christian, and Islamic theologians that angels were created before the first humans were created. But there is no agreement on when the angels were created. (Jones 41). In the Hebrew Scriptures, in one of the psalms God ‘makes winds his messengers, fire and flame his ministers’ (psalm 104:4). Another idea maybe the burning chariot that takes Elijah to heaven (2 kings 2:11). There is a story in the book of judges when an angel appears to Gideon. Gideon offers him food but the angel does 2012-02-20T22:27:38.087-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Angels-and-Angelology_-Everything-you-Need-to-Know-About-Angels-34485.aspx According to Nyishi mythology, before the creation or evolution of universe, there was emptiness and nothing was existed. This particular phase was called Miim-Mama. After the phase of Miim-Mama there were two concurrent phases which were called as Kullu and Kurium. Among the Nyishis, there are three different hypotheses/stories of the creator or the supreme power that creates the entire universe and its components is concerned. In other words, there are three schools of thought relating to the origin and evolution of the universe (Changte-Dote/Nya ballah barnam) including the human race. One school of thought is, that believe in Jingbu-Pabu Abu as a creator, the second one is, that who name the creator as Kullu-Kurium, while, the third one is, that believe that the creation was through Poyub and Nyayub. First two are almost identical as their difference is just only in the name creator but the third one is little bit different even in the context of evolution process. However, all the three accept the belief that a miraculous spirit called Chene Rulum-Dola was used to create the universe and its components. Among the Nyishis, Jingbu-Pabu Abu as a creator is much admired. Out of oblivion/nothingness in the beginning, the universe was created in a fraudulent or messy shape. This artistic process of universe is explained in the following phrases as: Sachang Ngarngum Tapam Rulum, Nyudo Ngarngum Tapam Rele, Rulum Rele Pepa, Ho…Riumrium Riamriam Pepa… [The whole universe was in fragile state and was seems like a snow-capped objects. And there was a droplet of water everywhere as if it was floating on a leaves]. In such circumstances, Jingbu-Pabu Abu summoned his supremacy through diverse mystical means to create and evolve the present-day universe. It is noteworthy here that the Nyishis always been attached the creator as a male figure, which can be easily or clearly realise from the very suffix word Abu (father). Initially, the Lawngkh Chene Dola and Jingkio-Urh Chene Dola were called upon to furnish a tangible or substantial figure to the universe. The Kawmkh Chene Dola was engaged to create Sachang (earth), whereas through Kamchang Chene Dola the living beings including the man and animals were created. Invoking with the power of Dote Chene Dola, the heaven was created. The Ish (water) was created with the help of Kela Hariak Chene Dola. Biyang Chene Dola was invoked to create Donyi (sun), while Paa Chene Dola was engaged for the creation of Polu/Polo 2012-02-09T12:44:59.79-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nyishi-Myths-on-the-Creation-of-Universe-34469.aspx In my opinion religious belief is a fundamental want and not a need. The reason it’s a want opposed to a need is because religion is something that has been around for years. Over such years it’s been changed from generation to generation. The one thing that hasten changed is its moral principals. Such as good and evil right and wrong, I think that anybody from any religious background can agree on this. They all preach the same message of love, piece and forgiveness. All this does is give people structures and guide lines to live by. As a Christian I am a firm believer of Christ and all that he teaches. I utilize his word as a guide on how to live my life. I am not the only one that does; many people around the world are doing the same thing. Religion gives them structure in life that they seem to can’t find anywhere else. I think that this want comes from some innate need for a parental figure. The want to feel controlled; or rather have a dominant figure in our lives. When we grow up, there is a need for structure, which is usually provided by our parents or guardians, in most cases, the father is the one who enforces things. Once we grow up and move into the world we lose such structure and are forced to look elsewhere And religion is the place most look to. You are free to believe in any religion you want. You are also free to leave any religious belief at anytime. According to the Socialist critique of religion life is harsh so we rarely realize our collective potential or aspirations. So we create an ideal self we call God that is perfect in every way. He is all knowing and omnipotent. This is something that we as humans admire. We are scared of the unknown and so religion provides us with the security for the unknown. We need somewhere to run with our fears questions and problems. Life is uncertain and we need something to count on. To many people God is the only certainty in life. As humans we use religion as a way to live. It teaches us about right and wrong and how we should treat other people. It’s just like laws that we have to abide to in society. The difference is that these laws are from 2011-11-26T20:19:54.41-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Religious-Belief-a-Fundamental-Want-or-Need-34361.aspx This essay briefly examines the world’s third-largest religion, which isn’t a religion at all! I Introduction Hinduism is a system of belief that claims over 700 adherents, most of them in India. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the Code of Life, and is not strictly a religion. Nevertheless, it has influenced the conduct of men for millennia. This paper examines Hinduism, its influence, how it might help create world peace, and how it connects with other faiths. II Hinduism’s Influence Although it is unfortunately not a “good” influence in Western eyes, Hinduism is considered to be responsible for the caste system in India; that is, Hinduism had such a great influence that it created the entire societal structure. The caste system is actually based on distinctions among people as they progress in the religious life (Ross, PG), but has permeated all of society to the point where its origins seem largely forgotten. All that’s left is the injustice of a system that denies people the opportunity to advance through their own efforts. III Hinduism as a Way to Resolve Conflict Because Hinduism is not a formal religion but a way of life, those who practice it are free (as I understand it) to learn as much as they can; disagree as much as they desire, even with the scriptures; and seek for the truth in whatever way seems best to them. It is a search for perfection and truth, strongly influenced by Buddhist tradition. My positive scenario for the resolution of some of the world’s conflicts (Israel/Palestinians comes to mind) would be to encourage learning, growth and self-discovery. (OK, but it’s a fantasy.) When people are involved in the process of learning, they have little time to fight. Perhaps as they studied the Hindu religion, they would draw parallels to their own, and thus begin to find common ground with each other through the Hindu mediation. (Madras, PG). IV Hinduism and Other Faiths Other great faiths have characteristics that Hinduism shares. We’ll examine some common beliefs and what Hinduism has in common with them. First, many faiths deal with people’s relationship to the “unseen,” the world of spirits, gods and demons. In Hinduism, the gods speak directly to men by possessing certain members of the community, who then function as oracles and healers. The men chosen by the gods are known as “dhamis.” (Baker, 2011-10-30T21:04:39.553-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hinduism-the-Worlds-Third-Largest-Religion-34221.aspx Raphael: “Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints” c. 1504 This essay discusses Raphael’s altar piece I Introduction The birth of Christ, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Pieta; religious art has always been an important tradition in the West. This paper examines an altarpiece by Raphael, painted around 1504 (16.30 ab), first describing it briefly then considering it in more detail. II Description The first thing we notice is that the painting is in two pieces: the main subject, Mary and the Child, are in the center of the lower portion, which is a square. Above it is a semicircle with other figures in it. A heavy horizontal wooden bar, which is part of the structure that frames the entire work, divides the two. In the bottom portion are the Madonna and Christ, surrounded by five other figures, four adults and a child. The four adults all have halos, so we can assume they’re the saints of the title. The child, however, is not depicted as divine, which immediately begs the question: who is he and what is he doing in this group? In the semicircular section above the main picture are five more figures, which are clearly divine. In this section, God is flanked by two angels; there are two cherubim (or rather just their heads, which is rather disconcerting, particularly as they have rather sour expressions) floating one on either side of him as well. Thus the composition is balanced in the number of figures, five above and five below. The colors in the work are very rich, with deep reds, purples and blues predominating. The clothing is interesting, as the five figures below appear to be in contemporary Renaissance garb rather than traditional Hebrew or desert robes. God and his angels (except for those disembodied heads!) are portrayed in the flowing garments we tend to associate with depictions of heaven. III Discussion The first thing that draws the eye is the luminosity of the sky behind the figures. It is a glowing purplish-blue at the horizon line that shades into a deeper blue toward the top of the composition. This background tends to “pop” the figures out at the viewer. The two distinct parts of the painting house two distinct groups of figures, which serve to separate the human from the divine. Mary, the Christ, the saints and the little boy all still belong to the mundane 2011-10-30T21:03:11.007-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Raphael-Madonna-and-Child-Enthroned-with-Saints-34220.aspx This essay considers the way in which St. Luke portrays Mary I Introduction The Virgin Mary is one of the most important religious icons in all of Christianity, and yet the Bible makes very little reference to her. Mark mentions her only once; and she appears only briefly in Matthew. It is in the Gospel according to Luke that she is most fully realized. This paper discusses the way in which Mary is presented in this gospel, and argues that the presentation makes her seem to be the “first disciple.” II Discussion The term “first disciple” is from the Boston Theological Seminary website, which is kept current. In their discussion of the way Luke presents Mary, the theologians point out that she has undergone a “transformation” from the way she was portrayed in Matthew. The first thing of note is that St. Paul doesn’t mention Mary in his letters at all; and Mark puts both Mary and Jesus’ relatives “outside the circle of the disciples during Jesus’ public ministry.” (PG). According to both Paul and Mark, then, Mary is not presented as anyone special. Matthew was a bit kinder to her than Paul and Mark, because he knew of the tradition of the virgin birth. This made his gospel “less negative about Mary” that Mark’s writings. When it comes to Luke, things change dramatically. In Matthew, the focus is almost entirely on Joseph: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream …” (Matthew 1: 18-20). The angel of course told Joseph that his wife was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and that the child would be called Jesus, and that he was not to be with her until after the child was born. Thus, the annunciation as told here is really about Joseph, not Mary. (Still, considering the times in which they lived, he has to be credited with a great deal of courage in standing by a young woman who is pregnant before they 2011-10-26T23:48:29.54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Virgin-Mary-in-the-Gospel-of-Luke-34164.aspx This paper discusses the way in which Rebekah exerts her influence in the male-dominated society of her time. (5 pages; 1 source; MLA citation style) I Introduction The Book of Genesis formally relegates women to second-class positions in relation to men: the Bible tells us that Eve was made from Adam’s rib. She was thus seen as a part of him, and would never have existed if he had not been created. Then too, throughout the first chapters of the book, we are given the history of men and their descendents, thus: “These are the descendents of Shem. When Shem was a hundred years old, he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood; and Shem lived after the birth of Arpachshad five hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. “When Arpachshad had lived thirty-five year, he became the father…” (Genesis, Chapter 11, verses 10-12). The point is that the Bible is describing the line of descent from father to son to son to son; women are barely mentioned, and are unimportant in this society. However, women did influence society, but indirectly and very subtly. There was none of the activism familiar to us today. II Rebekah Rebekah (Rebecca) was the great niece of Abraham; she was the daughter of Bethuel, and Bethuel was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor. When Abraham grew old, he wanted to find a bride for his beloved son Isaac. However, he told his oldest and must trusted servant that he was not to find a bride for Isaac from among the Canaanites, but instead to go to Abraham’s country and family, and find a woman there. The servant did as he was told, and “took ten of his master’s camels and departed … and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.” (Chapter 24, verse 10). He waited outside the city, at a well where women came to draw water in the evening. He had decided that he would ask one of them for a drink for himself, and that if she agreed and also offered to water his camels, he would pray that she would be the one God had selected for Isaac. The women came to the well, and the servant immediately saw Rebekah. “The maiden was very fair to look upon, a virgin, whom no man had known.” (Chapter 24, verse 16). 2011-10-26T13:18:12.6-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rebekah’s-Influence-in-Genesis-34112.aspx This paper discusses one of the parables from the Gospel of St. Luke and the way in which it supports Jesus’ teachings. (4+ pages; 1 source; MLA citation style) I Introduction The Gospels are interesting because they tell the same story four different ways, using different techniques. In Luke, parables play an important part in Jesus’ teachings. These little mini-sermons get to the heart of the matter and exhort Jesus’ followers to consider their behavior and what it means to their future. This brief paper considers one of the parables from St. Luke and what it means to the rest of that particular Gospel. I’m using Chapter 18, verses 9-14. II Discussion I’ve chosen this parable because it seems easier to understand than the others that were suggested. I’m also using a Bible I’ve had for years, which may make a difference. In this version (Revised Standard), the parable is of the two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector: “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18, 11-14). The meaning of this parable is clear; in fact, it’s right there in the last line: “He who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” This is a strong admonition against the sin of pride, which is of course one of the seven deadly sins. In addition, however, there is an implied “threat” in the parable, if I might take the liberty to express it in those terms. It’s pretty clear that if man doesn’t mend his ways, God will humble him. Just exactly what sort of form the punishment will take is also fairly clear: man will not be able to get into heaven. This parable is only one of 2011-10-26T12:55:49.56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Parables-from-St_-Luke-34098.aspx The Morality of Birth Control In a time when women had no freedom other than being housewives and to birth babies, one woman took a stand for every woman’s rights as a human being. In the late 1800s birth control, a term coined by Margaret Sanger in her newspaper, Women Rebel, in 1914, was considered to be immoral by most religious groups. Sanger pleaded with society to implement some form of birth control to give aid to her fellow women who were looked on as nothing more than objects that would bend to the will of man. Margaret Sanger played an essential role in the political movement of women’s rights and freedom by advocating birth control contraceptives. Through the life that she led and the lessons she taught, many know her as the “one girl revolution”. Due to her strong influence in history, our society has increased health awareness for women, made sexual protection a choice for all people, and also introduced family modification as a choice for mankind. During the early twentieth century, the rate of unwanted childbirth was very high. Women in poor neighborhoods lived their lives in an almost constant state of pregnancy. Margaret Sanger recognized the need for women to be able to control their childbearing and believed that unintentional childbearing caused many problems. She felt it led to poverty, abuse, crime, alcoholism, and joblessness and saw the effect it had on the women’s emotional states and decided to make a difference. She provided women with the means and the knowledge to control their offspring and she gave them hope. In 1921, Margaret Sanger took to the podium in her town’s Town Hall. She began her speech, “The Morality of Birth Control” with a brief introduction of why they were all at the convention, and quickly hurtled into her effective monologue on why birth control and Planned Parenthood information must be put into effect. Although her speech was to originally take place one week earlier, it was postponed simply because one group of opponents of her speech’s subject sabotaged the meeting. Sanger supports the claims in her speech with her personal experience in the area of nursing, facts, and strong emotions to successfully demonstrate why birth control and planned parenthood information must be distributed among men and women in the United States. Although Sanger’s current audience for the speech was her colleagues at 2008-12-17T01:49:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Buddhism--33920.aspx THE SCIENTIFIC VERSES IN HOLY QUR'AN Moughera Waqas This is the age of science and facts. Since, from the day one of its creation the man has always sought to understand the nature. In its pursuance for the truth spanning over many centuries, the diverse civilizations and the organized religion has shaped the human life very much throughout the course of history. Since many of the religions are based on books, believed to be of the divine origins, by their believers. Al-Qur'an, the main source of the Islamic faith, is a book believed by Muslims, to be of completely Divine origin. Muslims also believe that it contains guidance for all mankind. Since the message of the Qur'an is believed to be for all times, it should be relevant to every age. Does the Qur'an passes this test? In this short article, I intend to give an objective analysis of the Muslim belief regarding the Divine origin of the Qur'an, in the light of established scientific discoveries/facts. Following is a register for the science-concerning verses the Holy Qur'an contains. There are no les than 6,666 verses in total. But there are approximately 1,000 verses speaking about the scientific facts. Some of them are given below. 1. Astronomy The Creation of the universe; "the big bang" "Do not the Unbelievers see That the heavens and the earth Were joined together (as one Unit of Creation), before We clove them asunder?| [Al-Qur'an 21:30] There was an initial gaseous mass before the creation of galaxies "Moreover, He Comprehended In His design the sky, And it had been (as) smoke: He said to it And to the earth: 'Come ye together, Willingly or unwillingly.' They said: 'We do come (Together), in willing obedience.' [Al-Qur'an 41:11] The spherical shape of the earth "Seest thou not that Allah merges Night into Day And He merges Day into Night?" [Al-Qur'an 31:29] "He created the heavens And the earth In true (proportions): He makes the Night Overlap the Day, and the Day Overlap the Night." [Al-Qur'an 39:5] "And the earth, moreover, Hath He made egg shaped."[Al-Qur'an 79:30] The light of the moon is reflected light "Blessed is He Who made Constellations in the skies, And placed therein a Lamp And a Moon giving light." [Al-Qur'an 25:61] "It is He who made the sun To be a shining glory And the moon to be a light (Of beauty)." [Al-Qur'an 10:5] "See ye not How Allah has created The seven heavens One above another, œAnd made the moon A 2008-12-06T04:46:32-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-few-Scientific-verses-in-Qura-n-33900.aspx [size=12:b444f73207]HELL HATH COME TO EARTH[/size:b444f73207] I was a child when it happened. A very small child. No one believed me, as you probably won’t. Quite frankly, I don’t blame you. At this point I must warn you that the experiences that I am about to relate to you are very disturbing (*see footnote at end of document), and you are forthwith proceeding at your own risk. If you are going to be upset about losing a full night’s sleep due to the horrors unfolding before your eyes through the succeeding document, then I must heartily suggest that you stop reading now. At the age of three, most children have this unexplainable desire to go to the circus. We all know the feeling. It is a curious intrigue, similar to the desire that most eight-year-old boys have to partake in the sexual experience in the fullest. I was no exception - neither to the three-year-old or the eight-year-old desire - and it just so happened that my desire was going to be satisfied the very year that it hit. It all came about when Nanny® showed up. Nanny® was my grandmother from New Jersey on my mother’s side. She drove out west to Michigan purposed only at one thing, that being, to take Heidi, Mark - that being myself - and John to the “Greatest Show On Earth”, playing at the Palace. The three of us were thrilled by the idea, and stayed up all the preceding night in anticipation, discussing the mystical wonders that we were going to be witness to in just a few short hours. My dad requested that he might accompany us in order to help Nanny® watch over us. I think this was actually just an excuse to cover up for the fact that the three-year-old circus-draw that he had experienced had never been satisfied. Regardless of all the details, I, Mark Pope, was going to the circus seventeen days after my third birthday. The morning of the circus was the longest I have ever experienced, partly because of the anticipation, but that was coupled with the fact that I was having trouble staying awake as I hadn’t slept the night before. This torturous experience was eventually over and we were in the car. I don’t remember much of the drive except for that I felt car sick from riding in the back of the station wagon. When we 2008-09-02T14:56:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Circus--33677.aspx We pay homage to the Buddha for revealing to us the eternal truths of liberation We pay homage to the Dhamma (the teaching of the Buddha) for making known to us the nature of existence. We pay homage to the Sangha (the order of monks) for preserving the teaching and practicing its precepts. INTRODUCTION In recent years Western visitors to Thailand have displayed an increasing interest in our national religion, Buddhism. “Who was the Buddha?” “What did he teach?” “What do Buddhists believe about life after death, good and evil and the beginning of the world?” To answer these and similar questions the present writing is intended. The Buddha’s teachings can be understood on two distinct levels. One is logical and conceptual and is concerned with an intellectual comprehension of man and the external universe. It is on this level that the above questions are more easily answered. The second level is empirical, experiential and psychological. It concerns the ever-present and inescapable phenomena of everyday human experience -- love and hate, fear and sorrow, pride and passion, frustration and elation. And most important, it explains the origins of such states of mind and prescribes the means for cultivating those states which are rewarding and wholesome and of diminishing those which are unsatisfactory and unwholesome. It was to this second level that the Buddha gave greater emphasis and importance. For its truth is demonstrable within the realm of everyday human existence, and its validity is independent of any world view or belief about life after death. However, as a means of introducing Buddhism to those who have little or no previous knowledge of the religion, this writing will give greater emphasis to the first level. The experiential and psychological aspects of the Teaching are outlined at the end. THE BUDDHA AND HIS TEACHINGS In this introduction we shall focus our attention on the teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Pali language. These scriptural writings form the basis of the Theravada school of Buddhism which predominates in Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Ceylon. About the year 623 B.C., in a region which is now the land of Nepal, a son was born to King Suddhodana, ruler of the Sakya clan. The child was named Siddhattha Gotama, and his father surrounded him with vast stores of material 2008-06-29T10:28:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Buddhism-Dhamma-the-Teacher-about-Buddha-33626.aspx Abraham, Terah and the idols The historical figure of Abraham Assuming that the father of the three current monotheist religions did really exist, he should have lived, according to the first historians having studied that issue, in the 20th century BC, date that other historians will descend finally to 18th century BC. And because Abraham, according to the Bible, was 175 years before dying (which is finally few compared to the 900 years and more that lived, for example, Noah) we are likely at the end of the 18th century BC when Abraham leaves respectively Ur and Harran for Egypt with Sara, period coinciding with the invasion of the Delta of the Nile river by the Kings Pasteurs originating from Asian (their name was, in egyptian, heka shasou, or heka khasout - namely «the kings from foreign countries » - better known as Hyksos). As for the episode in which Abraham, after having returned from Egypt to Canaan, raises an army so that to release his nephew (his name is Loth, a Loth who is, in this episode, the brother of Abraham), its learn us that Loth has been kidnapped by Kador Laomer (alias : «the Servitor of Elam») and by the other kings who accompany him. This Kador Laomer is probably the other name of Kudur Mabuuk (himself having been living in the 19th century BC, and himself having settle down into the city of Larsa, in Sumer, after haivng remained in the Iamutbal (area locating between the chain of the Zagros moutains and the Tiger river. And assuming Kador Laomer was an other historical figure, that figure was probably Kudur Lagamar. Lagamar being a goddess of the elamite pantheon, we can assume Kudur Lagamar was, as king, his servant. According to James Bell (cf. http://www.jameswbell.com/geog0050lnames.html) the goddess Lagamal (written also Lagamar) was a goddess of the hells who, with her conterpart Ishnikarab, welcomed and judged the dead on their arrival into the realm of dead. On the same topic, Sayce writes, according to the site mentioned below : [url]http://www.case.edu/univlib/preserve/Etana/hib bert_lectures_1887/L4p4.pdf[/url] Perhaps Mul-me-sarra [the sun of noon day or] is also the deity who is addressed in another hymn have “ the warrior-god (Erimmu), the bright one, the sword (now lightning) of Istar, ”and of whom it is said: “ May he give thee rest with kindly 2008-04-26T15:36:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Abraham-Terah-and-the-idols-33575.aspx The Elohim The members of some sects identifying themselves with the descendants of the Elohim, it is worth to know what they mean by Elohim. According to them, these elohim are divine creatures originating from other planets or galaxies, and they came, in old time, on earth, with their high intelligence, so that to bring men the civilization by building, for example, the pyramids, and by teaching them things like language, mathematics, astronomy, and finally all the sciences which were known by men of that time, as it is proved by the numerous documents exhumed so far by the archaeologists in areas like Egypt, Mesopotamia, the land of the Nascas, the land of the Mayas, of the Aztecs, of the Incas etc. etc. In brief, all we know and all we admire about ancient civilizations comes from the Elohim, themselves being divine creatures coming from others parts of the cosmos than the earth planet. As for the members of the sects who believe to origin from the the elohim, because themselves are, according to them, of the same race, they are now living on earth to continue the work of their ancestors, namely by cloning (or trying to do it) men with the purpose of creating a new human race similar to that embodied by the divine creatures named Elohim. Having said that, the word elohim belongs to an old sabean religion in which the elohim are themselves constellations instead of human creatures with flesh and bones. Whatever are the name of these extraterrestrials (elohim, nephilim, angels, annunaki, eons with ethereal body, etc), all of them, because they are stars or constellations having come down, from the northern celestial hemisphere into its southern counterpart (we simplify, here, our reasoning, in order to be more clear), appear, to the men who are living on earth and who are observing the sky during the nighttime, as men of divine essence having come upon the earth from the cosmos. Indeed, if we look at the sky during the night, we may observe that the ground of the celestial planisphere locates, in terms of altitude, as low as the earth planet itself. And because some of the constellations who regularly come «on earth », from the heights of the celestial planisphere, have a human shape, they look like men with both an extraterrestrial profile 2008-04-26T15:32:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Elohim-33574.aspx Do the Book of Exodus and other books of Pentateuch belong to History? Some scholars, by reading the Bible and the texts related to it, have expressed strong reserves as far as the historical veracity of events such as Exodus are concerned. But nobody can doubt, as Mr. Guy Rachet explains to us in his book La Bible, mythe et réalité, that the Book carries both real events (themselves referring to the history of the Jewish people) and mythical events. In other words, nobody can doubt that Israelites (who had an other name at that time) had emigrated into Egypt, from Canaan, at the time of the Hyksos; and nobody can doubt that the ancestors or the modern Jews (we have in mind, here, the sons of Jacob and their descendants born in Egypt, as well as the tribes living in Canaan at that time) had fought, under the name of Canaanites, against that people of the Sea named Philistines (since that tribe had settled down, on the coast, nearby the actual city or region of Gaza); and nobody can doubt that these Canaanites had probably refuged into the mountains whey they will found the small realms of both Israel and Judah (a matter which is not mentioned, in that way, in the Bible, a Bible expressing here in a way similar to the Annals of the kings of other peoples, by glorifying the victories, at that times, on the field, of the divine people and its leaders, or, if it was not the case, by converting their defeats in victories - as we can read in a Book of Exodus telling us how Moses had killed the elements of the army of Pharaoh who pursued him and his people, by drowning them with the help of a God (his name is Yahweh) who then cast the waters of the Red Sea onto them after having opened the latter in the middle to enable the divine troupe to move over it on dry foot. In short, if we read, in the Bible, that the hebrew nation has been freed from Pharaon with help of God and Moses, the historical reality is probably that the Ibris of Egypt have had to leave the Egyptian country and to refuge into the desert of Sinai after the invasion of the Delta of the Nile by the Peoples of the Sea, desert 2008-04-26T15:30:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Does-the-Exodus-Book-belong-to-History-33573.aspx Origins of the Christianity and veracity of the facts mentioned in the Bible To be objective, when knowing whether actors of the Bible did really exist or not, consists in studying documents and questioning scholars on these issues. But here is the problem : because themselves differ in their opinion, we have some good reason to doubt about the veracity of the facts we are reading in the Bible - at least when the documents produced by archeology, philology or literature don’t exist so that to prove it, or when they give an answer that does not match what we read in the Bible. And here is the key point : what do we know, about these events, when information does not originate from the Bible itself. In other worlds, what do we know about the historical existence of figures like Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Salomon, and later on, Jesus and his twelve apostles, by studying scholars who are here historians? Do the latter have found, by reading the annals of the kings, or by reading the documentation produced by their people, any evidence that Abraham did really lived in Ur or in the southern part of Mesopotamia at the beginning of his life; or any evidence that Joseph, the son of Jacob, was indeed a vizier or Pharaoh in Egypt; or any evidence that Moses has released, in Egypt, and on behalf of Yahweh, more than half a million of slaves from Jewish origin before leading them towards a promised land they will reach after 40 years in the desert; or any evidence that David have founded an empire which is supposed to have spread from Egypt to Mesopotamia at the time of Salomon; or any evidence, finally, that Jesus, before being three years, was taken into Egypt by Joseph and Mary so that to avoid the killing of an Herod who had decided to kill all the children of this age because he knew that the future king of the Jews (whose name is Jesus) was one of them, and because he was afraid to be overthrown by him in the future ? On all these topics, and despite the very hope aroused, in the environment of the Church, by a biblical archaeology whose Father Lagrange was a precursor, we haven’t 2008-04-26T15:25:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Origins-of-the-Christianity-33572.aspx Search for Atlantis of Plato Among all the theories which have emerged from the speech of Plato, to know where is located the Atlantis island, and why it has disappeared, there is one which is rarely evoked and located the Atlantis on the celestial planisphere. From now on, the issue is : where to locate that Island on that planisphere ? First of all, let us note that the heroes of the story told by Plato (who are, in his discourse, Athenians), these heroes were, in the antique sabean religion, stars or constellations. And these were the some constellations as those who belonged, under the name of Habiru, or Abiru, or Ibri, or Hebreux, to the divine army (an army ruled since the earth by Moses, and since the sky by Yahveh). As we know, Moses is the Centaur in the sabean religion. From now on, we can conclude that his fellowship are constellations who remain behind him on the celestial planisphere. And the same remark to apply to constellations who are the Athenians in the story of Plato. As for the kings who, under the name of Atlantes, are invading Africa, Asia and Europe, we can assume they are the clowds belonging to the Miiky Way. **** Let assume, from now on, that we are in antique april (we take account here of the precession of the equinoxes), and that we observe the sky at a night hour included between 22 et 24). In that case, we observe that clouds of the Milky Way are boarding the celestial planisphere on its left side. And one month, we observed that they have penetrated inside the planisphere, forming at that time a long plain located not too far away from the border of the planisphere . And the more that plain is to change its orientation and his position on the planisphere, the more the clouds of the Milky Way invade Africa, Asia and Europe (all of them being here celestial areas). In other words, we can assume that the Atlantes (who are here the kings of people named Atlantes) represent the same sabean figures as Amalek and his fellowship in the Old Testament of Bible). As for the Athenians, they will win the battle against the Atlantes for a reason easy to understand : they represent, in the story told by Plato, the divine troop (a troop whose elements have been chosen by 2008-04-26T15:19:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Search-for-Atlantis-of-Plato-33571.aspx Discourse from Pope Benedict XVI at Ratisbonne In his allocation of Ratisbonne, Pope Benedict XVI declares, among other things: (the translation in English – here from the french version of the discourse - is from us): In the seventh dialogue (dialexis - controversy) published by professor Khoury, the emperor [Manuel II Paléologue] approached the theme of jihad, the holy war. Actually, the emperor knew that in the sura 2, 256 we can read : « no constraint in religion! ». It is one of the suras of the firt period - tell the scolars - when Mahomet had himself at that time no power and was threatened. But indeed the emperor also knew the rules, developed afterward and fixed in the Koran, about the holy war. Without going into details, such as difference of treatment between those who know the Holly Book and the « uncultivated », the emperor, with a rather surprising harshness which amazes us, simply addresses his interlocutor with the central issue on the relation between religion and violence generally, by saying : « Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.» The emperor, after having expressed in a so “unkindly way”, explains then in details the reasons why diffusion of the faith by intermediate of violence is an unreasonable thing.[/color:8035286ca4][/color] [color=black:8035286ca4]This extract of the discourse of Pope Benedict XVI, in particular the text underlined, is to be correlated to an another text included in the New Testament of the Bible, and belonging to the Gospel according to Saint Matthieu, chapter X - which we read here in the digitized AV - 1769 Authorized Version )[/color:8035286ca4] [color=darkred:8035286ca4][i]32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that 2008-04-22T18:00:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Discourse-from-Pope-Benedict-XVI-at-Ratisbonne-33566.aspx Parker Cyle R. Mancastroppa February 8th 2008 History of Judaism, Christianity, & Islam Research Essay ONE WORLD, THREE SECTS, ONE FAITH? One can logically conclude that there are three dominate religions spanning across Earth’s oceans and many continents in the 21st century. Each of the three religions preaches tolerance towards one another as well as other religions in the sphere of humanity. However, these teachings are not always followed. While they all claim to be peaceful religions, each faith has fought wars in the name of their religion or their God. Scholars and students of the faiths find these battles interesting occurrences because essentially each of the religions prays to the same God. The relationship between the three: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, has been, at times, a strained one. There are several reasons for the variants prorogated by each faith; however the resonating fact is that each religion is interconnected by their teachings, practices and historical foundations. LESSONS LEARNED The Jewish people, although believing that a messiah will one day come, do not believe Jesus to be the chosen one. Christians, for whom Jesus is the son of God, are angered by this thus providing a platform from which Christian teachings have prorogated blamed the Jews for the murder of Jesus. The Christians are also upset with the fact that Muslims do not recognize Jesus as the son of God; they see him as a prophet just like Muhammad and Abraham. The Jewish people are also upset with the way Muslims view the prophets. The Qur'an states that "Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters." This angers the Jews who name Abraham as the father of Judaism. The main problem with viewing tolerance with in these religions is that the religious extremists are the least tolerant in each religion, yet they are the most vocal. This gives each religion a bad name in the eyes of the others. The prime example of this today can be seen in the radical members of Al Qaeda. Their extremist views in no way represent the views of the common Muslim however; they give the appearance that all Muslims want to kill all Jews and Christians. According to Patrick Comerford, “They were not always perfect or idyllic, 2008-02-11T14:01:36-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/ONE-WORLD,-THREE-SECTS,-ONE-FAITH-33518.aspx Christian Crusades and Muslim Massacres In the early part of the eleventh century, Christians led crusades to spread Christianity to the other religions of the world, mainly Muslims. However, the Crusades were not initially meant to be a religious war but instead to protect the Christians going on religious pilgrimages to Jerusalem from being persecuted by the Muslims who had also claimed Jerusalem as their holy city and destroyed the temple that was built in the city. In order to provide the protection that the Christians needed, Pope Urban II issued a plead for help. In his plead, the said that “God commanded,” that the Christians go and fight the infidels and expel them from the holy of holies. During this time that the Pope was calling for help to support the Christians, the peasants did not know how to read Latin which happened to be the only language that the Bible was written in. Therefore, because the church held so much power during these times, the people went to war, believing it was what God has told them to do so. This is where the problem about the Crusades comes about. The people believed that it was their job to protect the Christians in Jerusalem, and they did this through ways that no Christian should ever dream of doing. On their way to the holy city, the Crusaders who were easily identified by the crosses on their shields killed all the Jews who appeared to them along the way. Then, when they laid siege to Jerusalem, they killed all of its inhabitants. These actions of the early Christians are no different than the actions of today’s Muslims except that the Christians did not know that what they were doing was not commanded nor allowed in the Bible, and their Muslim counterparts believed it was allowed and required. The minorities of Muslims who lead Jihads around the world, are also killing thousands, and destroying the lives of millions around the world, just like the Crusaders did during the early Crusades. However, the Muslim Jihads the Christian Crusades are the same in all aspects. In a much stretched out way, Christian crusades can be justified as to say that the Christians honestly did not know that what they were doing was wrong because of their inability to read Latin, and they were protecting 2008-02-04T19:05:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Crusades-Vs_-Jihads-33515.aspx Cyle Parker History 444 Dr. Mancastroppa December 11th, 2007 Term Paper Often times I sit and while objectively listening to the arguments of my peers there are few moments metaphysically that I can honestly place myself in their mindset. Actions, scholarly debates, and just an over arching dissatisfaction with myself as a human realist prompts me to write not for myself but rather to expound upon the well reasoned ignorant posited by the world in general. Perhaps my term paper is a satire of sorts, or is it? Do I really believe in the heap of garbage my feeble brain is about produce? Lets begin with a sketch of myself and assert that in the 21st century United apple pie States of America. I am God fearing, African American, and Gay. ( I think…still can’t be sure, just going with what society tells me I am…personally I dig ladies equally on the dating stage but common ignorance impedes the progression of my dance card) With the notion that within the inner depths of my young impressionable mind resonates the notion that social religious reconciliation should be a top priority for every Christian within any sect or of any race or cultural background. However in the perfect Christian world (WSC campus) in which we live, does merely demanding for a "multicultural center of learning" produce a less prejudiced society? Multiculturalists insist on greater sensitivity towards, and increased inclusion of, racial minorities and women in society. Christians should endorse both of these goals. But the freethinkers of our vast region known as America advocating on the side of good (multiculturalism) grossly beyond these demands for sensitivity and inclusion leaving themselves susceptible to scathing criticisms’ from with their religious sects. One of the difficulties of accepting multiculturalists is that defining a multicultural society or institution seems to be determined by one's perspective. A commonly held view suggests that being multicultural involves tolerance towards racial and ethnic minorities, mainly in the areas of dress, language, food, religious beliefs, and other cultural manifestations. An influential group calling itself NAME, or the National Association for Multicultural Education, includes in its philosophy statement the following: "Xenophobia, discrimination, racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia are societal phenomena that are inconsistent with the principles of a democracy and lead to the counterproductive reasoning that differences are deficiencies. "(http://www.nameorg.org/ 2007-12-17T06:26:05-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Faith--33470.aspx Page 1 The Gospel of Judas A Concrete Attack from the Bible April 10, 2006 Abstract Citations have been selected from the Bible according to the contexts in the Gospel of Judas for the sake of semantic comparison of the two sources. It is shown that the two sources are not mutually consistent under a direct conceptual co-mapping. However, it is discovered that if the Bible is taken to be axiomatic, the main character of the Gospel of Judas has distinguishable features of one of the central Biblical figures. 1. What the Bible Says B.1.1. Jesus was sent by His Father God, and embodies His will [Luke 2:49] "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" [John 3:16] "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." [John 5:43] I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. [John 6:38] "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." [John 7:17] If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. B.1.2. Jesus wants His followers to obey the will of His Father God up to self-denial [Matthew 7:13-14] "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many ------------------------------------ Page 2 enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." [Matthew 16:24] "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [John 1:29] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! [John 14:15] "If you love me, you will obey what I command." [John 14:23] "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." B.1.3. God / Holy Trinity prefer mercy, and is willing to provide mercy to those who 'fear Him' (This evidently requires accepting the Creator as THE God) [Matthew 9:13] But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' 2007-11-09T10:45:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Gospel-of-Judas-A-Concrete-Attack-from-the-Bible-33401.aspx There are many different ways to interpret euthanasia – it can be a source of release for people alone and dying a slow, agonizing death and it can be a way to commit murder onto those who may have chosen death but may have ultimately wanted to live it through their pain for their family and friends. Through history people have had this sort of argument, not only about death, but about the quality of life and whether people have the right to take it for granted. In this part of the coursework, I am here to present to you the conflicting thoughts of people all over the world from different walks of life. Some of the reasons why people believe that euthanasia is wrong are that, for one, is that it is against nature and God’s will to take your life for the reason that you control your own life because ultimately you do not since God is the one that created you and you house the holy spirit which was placed inside you after the death of Jesus Christ. Another reason is because it can weaken the respect a person has on life by allowing them to destroy it because they think they cannot take the pain even though it can ultimately make you stronger and included positive events to occur in a person’s life, even though it may be shorter than one intends. Good palliative care can result in euthanasia being unnecessary for people who once wanted to be assisted in dying because it may bring a person out of their depressive state of mind and result in their thoughts on their life being clearer and far more optimistic than they once were. One of the more significant reasons why Christians and Non-Christians believe that euthanasia can never be justified is because it gives medics and relatives too much authority over another person’s life that is not theirs to control. Many people see this as wrong since only the person who lives their life can truly decide what happens to them, but by allowing others to overrule another’s decision because of medical belief may result in voluntary active euthanasia slipping into an involuntary active euthanasia, which is illegal in the UK. However, the opposing view is that euthanasia can be justified to people – many think that it is only right that places like the UK make euthanasia legal 2007-06-04T08:29:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Euthanasia,-is-it-right--33253.aspx Hospices are homes or houses committed to the wellbeing of terminally ill patients and which began in 1900 in Ireland by a group of Christian nuns, and today there are more than 100 nationwide. Many of these are Christian based because it is seen as a substitute to euthanasia. ‘Hospice’ comes from the word ‘the hospitium’ which is a part of a monastery or nunnery where the nuns or monks would care for travellers, the ill and the destitute in Medieval England. The first identified indication to palliative care (alike to hospice care) can be linked back to the Greek philosopher Hippocrates in 460 BC when he is quoted to have saying, “To cure sometimes, to relieve often, and to comfort always.” Then again in 1996, palliative care was told to be, ‘a concept where there is a shift of emphasis from conventional care that focuses on quantity of life, towards a commitment to care which enhances the quality of life.’ In other words, it is care given to make the quality of life better for terminally ill patients, and the aim of palliative care is to stop or treat a disease as premature as can be and to support any patients who have any psychological, social or other problems linked to the disease or its treatment. The modern hospice movement started in the year 1967 by the opening of St Christopher’s Hospice (now being an international movement) which began by the means of the woman Cicely Saunders, who was motivated by her job as a nurse and then a social worker, not solely to help with physical needs of the patients, but also spiritual and the emotional. And through her yearning to help people in pain she became a doctor. Yet, these homes are not only for the elderly but also for children who have untreatable illnesses and facilities are made especially for them so that they have a chance for a happy and caring life in a safe environment, with rooms being available for siblings so that they may have a chance to be together through the pain. The three main aims of any hospice are to relieve pain, to help patients and their family and friends to accept death, and to care for the needs of the family and friends of the dying. Through time, people have come to the conclusion that it is unnecessary for people to die in anguish, 2007-06-04T08:27:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Explain-What-Hospices-Do-33252.aspx Euthanasia has become common to people thanks to how time and people have progressed – ranging from how people live and how they are treated for medical problems. Yet, we still dispute over whether euthanasia should be legalised or if it is just so immoral that it should be considered something that should never happen. Yet, how many people out there actually understands what euthanasia is and how many different ways it can be performed? i) What is Euthanasia? Euthanasia comes from the Greek words ‘eu’ and ‘thanatos’ which both mean ‘a good death’, however there are people that do not see euthanasia or ‘mercy killings’ the best way of dying even if you are terminally ill. It is considered suicide because you are deciding that you want to die, and the only difference between suicide and euthanasia is that euthanasia entails two or more people. Voluntary euthanasia is when a failing patient expresses a desire for an easy and comfortable way to die instead of waiting for their inevitable death. Involuntary euthanasia is the complete opposite, where instead of the patient requesting for himself, their consent is not sought because they are incapable of deciding for himself (e.g. coma) and their family or next of kin decides on whether they should live or die in consultation with the doctors. Active euthanasia is when something is given to the patient to curtail his lifespan which usually means a doctor would provide fatal dosages of painkillers. However, this form of euthanasia is illegal since it is deemed murder and is not practised in the UK today. Passive euthanasia is when instead of giving something to kill a dying patient; they decide to withdraw treatment even if the only resort is death, however it is illegal to take away the basic needs of the body (water, food, oxygen). This usually means that a life-support machine is turned off, but whether this is a form of mercy killings is still not very clear. Indirect euthanasia is sometimes seen as the same as passive, however these two types of ‘mercy killings’ are very different. Whereas passive euthanasia is taking away something that is keeping them alive, indirect is giving pain relieving drugs that will numb the pain but ultimately will lead to death. This is practised today as a form of euthanasia by doctors told by the patients that they want to die an easy death. ii) What Christian teachings might 2007-06-04T08:26:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-is-Euthanasia--33251.aspx Analysis of the Six Major World Religions World religions are religions that are not only widely known but are also contrived of millions of worshipers. The six most popular world religions; Hinduism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are practiced by at least four billion people alone, almost three- fourths of the world’s population. These religions have many similarities among them, involving their practices, beliefs and structure. Hinduism is the oldest world religion, which originated in the Indus River Valley over 4,000 years ago. Hinduism does not follow any kind of sacred text, nor does it worship a supreme ruler. Instead, Hindus believe in. and practice, the principles of dharma and karma. Dharma is the moral force in the universe that gives everyone responsibilities and karma is the belief that, through reincarnation, the individual is reborn into a life which reflects the moral qualities of the last. Both of these principles help the Hindu to reach moska, or the state of spiritual perfection in which the soul can no longer be reborn. Also, the Hindus practice many public rituals, like the Kumbu Mela, which, every twelve years, brings millions to the sacred Ganges River to bathe, while others hold private devotions at home. Confucianism began around 200 BC and is centered on the teachings of one man, Confucius. He was deeply concerned about people’s suffering and created a code of moral conduct to prevent it. The central Confucius concept is jen, or humanness, in which one must always set their moral principles above self- interest. For example, the individual must be loyal and considerate to the family and likewise, the family must be aware of their duties to the larger community. Like Hinduism, Confucianism does not have a sacred writing to follow and has a goal of worldly social harmony. The religion of Buddhism mirrors both Hinduism and Confucianism. As in Confucianism, Buddhists are concerned with suffering, but of the individual, not society as a whole. Also, they follow the experiences of one man, Siddhartha Gauama, or Buddha, who invented his own rules for conduct known as the Eight Fold Path. Like the Hindus, Buddhists share in the practice of dharma and the goal of spiritual perfection or enlightenment. The Buddhist idea of suffering originated from Buddha’s travels in a society rampant with poverty. He concluded that wealth is not a solution to this problem. 2007-05-04T17:03:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Six-Major-World-Religions-33180.aspx Radical Islamic Revivalism And Nuclear Terrorism On September 11th, 2001, the world was shocked and appalled to learn of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A terrorist attack of such precision and magnitude was unheard of. In the wake of those attacks, individuals and nations alike have been forced to re-evaluate their perception of terrorism, especially the fanatical and seemingly amoral terrorism originating from the Middle East. Commonly referred to as Islamic fundamentalists, this group of radical theologians has been pushed from the shadows into the world spotlight. Even though September 11th was unique in its magnitude, it was not unique in its kind. Terrorist attacks linked to radical Islamic groups have seen an exponential rise not only in number, but also in casualties. This upward surge of violence is starkly represented in the events of the last decade alone. The 1990s saw the bombings of multiple Israeli embassies and organizations, the World Trade Center, the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and several other locations around the world. Planes have been hijacked and crashed adding hundreds more to the death toll. If nothing else, a situation that once could be brushed off as a purely regional conflict has become an issue of global concern. The first key to understanding this growing global threat is to discard the commonly held stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding it. We must be able to recognize and target the people responsible while keeping them apart from the cultural backdrop of the area in which they live. Also, we must recognize this cultural backdrop as a complex mix of political, religious, and economic conditions that has evolved from a long and tattered history. By understanding this history, and the nature of the Islamic religion, we can recognize that we stand upon a precipice. Radical Muslim groups stand poised to seize increasing amount of power as the traditional barriers against them wither and crumble. This power will not only come in the form of political influence and control, but also an increase in non-governmental groups and organizations, including ones with terrorist and revolutionary ideals. This increase in power comes at a very precarious time when access to the very worst tools of terror is reaching high tide. Weapons of mass destruction, and the details of how to build them, 2007-04-25T20:29:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Radical-Islamic-Revivalism-And-Nuclear-Terrorism-33144.aspx The Servant in the Book of Isaiah The series of four songs found in Isaiah that are referred to as the servant songs present an interesting question. Who is the servant that these songs are talking about? The suffering servant could be Jesus the Messiah, the collective righteous persons of Israel, the individual righteous person of Israel, or Jeremiah, who is one of the prophets. Who the suffering servant is not of the utmost importance when discussing these songs, what is important is that the nature of the servant himself be discussed, what is he supposed to act like? God is depicting a definitive person that he trusts to bear the burden of the sins of the people. The servant is depicted in as having several distinct qualities. In the first servant song of the book of Isaiah the servant can be seen as a gentle person. In the song it says, “He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street”(42:2). This particular picture is a prophecy of the quiet manner in which the servant would go about his ministry, shunning the attention of the crowds and not being interested in the fanfare of men. This makes sense if the servant is Jesus because there are many instances in which he has performed miracles and asked that the people not tell anyone of the gifts he has. The servant in the second servant song can be seen as the fearless warrior prepared to do battle with any foe. In chapter 49 of Isaiah the servant is depicted as “And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me” (49:2). The servant is a weapon of God, not necessarily to be used in destruction, but to use his sharp sword of a mouth to help save the souls of the people of Israel. He is a strong warrior willing to fight for the righteousness of the people of Israel. In the third servant song the servant can be seen as a true devotee to God because he is fearless, gentle, and has complete faith that God would not lead him astray. The servant himself contends, “Who among you fears the lord and obeys the voice of his servant, who 2007-04-25T20:18:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Servant-in-the-Book-of-Isaiah-33140.aspx What is Shari’a and what role does it play in the lives of Muslims? This essay primarily seeks to determine what Shari’a is through examination of its four main sources, or ‘usul. Firstly, the Qur’an and Sunna, which are generally considered divine law and the basic immutable truth for all Muslims. Secondly, Ijma (consensus) and Qiyas (analogy), which are methods of understanding the laws already believed to be present in the Shari’a. Ijtihad refers to the process of legal decision making through independent interpretation of the Shari’a by a Mujtahid. Taqlid is the “imitation” of a Mujtahid, the opposite of ijtihad. These concepts will be discussed in the context of their effect on the five main schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni and Shi’ite tradition. Once the roots of Shari’a are explored, the essay will progress to its secondary objective and discuss the role of Shari’a in the lives of Muslims in modern societies. Shari’a translates as “way to a watering place” which illustrates its purpose of helping followers achieve salvation. It does this by regulating society and the individual with a legal structure governing aspects of personal and public life, especially for those living under Islamic jurisprudence. Before examining what makes up Shari’a it is prudent to deal with a confusing issue around the term Shari’a and its roots, which the following quote from an Islamic scholar helps dissipate: “the concept of Shari’a has been thoroughly confused in legal and common literature. For some Muslims, Shari’a consists of the Qu’ran and Sunna, for others it also includes classical fiqh. Most encyclopaedias define Shari‘a as law derived from the Qur’an, the Sunna and classical fiqh derived from ijma and qiyas. This definition inappropriately lumps together the revealed with the unrevealed. This blending of sources has created a muddled assumption that scholarly interpretations are as sacred and beyond revision as the Qur’an and Sunna which constitute the immutable Basic Code, which should be kept separate from ever-evolving interpretative law (Fiqh). This analytical separation between the Basic Code and fiqh is necessary.” (Khan, 2003, 346) This illustrates the accepted mainstream Islamic distinction between fiqh; the “understanding of details” by Mujtahidun and Shari’a; the principles underpinning fiqh which are held to be divinely appointed, immutable and eternal. The ‘usul-al fiqh or roots of Islamic law are, in order of primacy: 1. The Qu’ran 2. The Sunna 3. Ijma (consensus) 4. Qiyas (analogical reasoning) The Qu’ran is the primary, 2007-04-24T11:42:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Shari-a-Law-and-its-Role-33115.aspx Critical Analysis of "The Rich Young Man" The Rich Young Man is a story about a young man who is attempting to reach the kingdom of God. The young man asks Jesus what he needs to do in order to gain eternal life. Jesus simply tells him to follow the Commandments. They are you shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not defraud and honor your father and your mother. The young man, being a virtuous man, states he in fact has followed these laws since he was young. In that Jesus turns to the young man and tells him that there is one thing he is missing in order to gain eternal happiness. Jesus tells him that he must give away all his worldly possessions to the poor and follow him. With this the young man grows sad because he is very rich and has much to give up. With this Jesus turns to his disciples and says, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” He then continues and states, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” At the end of the passage Jesus says something very important which is restated many times throughout the gospels. He says, “But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first. In the gospel story according to Mark, the rich man calls Jesus “good teacher.” Jesus responds to this reference by asking the man why he refers to him as good because in fact only God is good. There is a similar passage located in the book of Matthew 19, 16-17. In it the same rich man asks Jesus what good he must do in order to gain eternal life. Jesus tells him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.” Both passages show that God is the only one who is good. It is not capable for humans to achieve salvation but it is up to the goodness of God to present us with the gift of everlasting life. Without the 2007-04-23T03:48:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critical-Analysis-of-quot-The-Rich-Young-Man-quot-33091.aspx Popular Conceptions of Hell According to the dictionary hell can be defined as the place of the dead, or of souls after death. It is also described as the place or state of punishment for the wicked after death. Hell is a very abstract idea. We as humans can only ponder the idea of how hell would actually looks. Dante’s “Inferno,” which is part of Dante’s Divine Comedy, gives a detailed description of the landscape of hell and the punishments that one could expect to receive if they are banished to the depths of hell. It is very noticeable by simply reading the title, “Inferno,” that Dante uses the popular belief that hell is a place of extreme heat and fire. This idea of burning flames and smoldering lava is carried out throughout the work. However, Dante does introduce a new idea, Contrapasso that has influenced a number of writers and works. Contrapasso is the idea that the crimes committed in life will determine the appropriateness and severity of the punishment in hell. The universal belief that all sinners would burn in hell suggests that all sins have a universal punishment. In the “Inferno,” Dante emphasizes that there are different punishments for different sins. The part of hell in which someone would be banished to is dependent on the severity of the sin. According to Dante, the structure of hell is that of a slope. This slope begins at Achero with Limbo and proceeds down to the river of Styx. After the river, lower hell, otherwise known as the City of Dis is entered. The slope continues through nine levels and finally ends are the center of earth with those who committed the sin of treachery, the most severe sin. Thus, depending on the severity of the sin that was committed, a person will receive appropriate placement in hell. While walking through the woods in despair, Dante encounters the great Roman poet, Virgil, who informs him that he will be his guide. They first must pass through the place of eternal damnation, hell, and purgatory before they can reach heaven. The first place they visit is full of cries from suffering and torment. Virgil explains that these souls are of those who “lived without disgrace and without praise.” 2007-04-18T00:18:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Popular-Conceptions-of-Hell-32928.aspx As a Christian living today there are a number of voices who claim to be speaking for all of us, they assail science and insist that we must literally accept every word in the Bible as true. In doing so they fail both themselves and others for much in the Bible is parable or metaphor. When we, as Christians, insist that parable must be accepted as literally true we put a stumbling block of, well, biblical proportions in the way of earnest seekers. It is for such seekers that I write this article. Should you happen to visit the Answers in Genesis site you will find, among other things the following comment, [i:5fef07157e]"... We return to the question which forms the title of this article. Should Genesis be taken literally? Answer: If we apply the normal principles of biblical exegesis (ignoring pressure to make the text conform to the evolutionary prejudices of our age), it is overwhelmingly obvious that Genesis was meant to be taken in a straightforward, obvious sense as an authentic, literal, historical record of what actually happened..." [/i:5fef07157e] But are they right? Modern science shows that the earth is billions of years in age, it comes to this conclusion in a number of ways and I recommend the following site for information even a non-scientist can understand, [url]http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-age-of-earth.html[/url] . Is there then a meeting place between science and the Book of Genesis? Yes, there is and it comes from the understanding that Genesis is not a science text-book, that it was written in order to understand, not HOW the world came to be but WHY. Genesis 1 & 2 are parables, they are parables about why there is an earth, why humans and animals and plants share it in common and why there is pain and suffering in the world. Parables are stories which may or may not be literally true but which imparts to us an important spiritual truth. In the New Testament we have parables such as the Good Samaritan, the evil vine-dressers; the parable of the prodigal son. None of these New Testament stories are literal fact but they are true in a deeper, more meaningful way. So it is with the parables of Genesis 1 & 2. In them we are not being told that the world was created in six days, six thousand years ago. We are, however, being told that the world 2007-04-07T04:54:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Genesis-as-Parable--32902.aspx Historical VS Confessional Approach to the New Testament In looking at ancient Christianity through the eyes of history, one must distance themselves from their faith or biases in order to look at this religion objectively. For me this will be difficult because I do believe that the New Testament as well as the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God. I do understand that in looking at the New Testament historically, the student must realize that history only presents the facts while a person of faith tries to connect the facts to present their point of view. One of the differences in the historical and confessional approach is that the historical approach only deals with the facts of public record. They do not take into account rumors, myths, or hearsay. Historians reconstruct the past to see what probably happened. The problem with this aspect of historical approach is that it does not allow for feelings, or emotions. It just looks at the facts or the public record and than tries to recreate the past. A confessional approach, or a faith based approach takes the methodology of applying what is said or written and applying it to their lives and than that becomes truth to them. The problem with this is that it could give way to historical inaccuracies. It also does not allow the person to understand the culture or what was happening when the New Testament was being written. Too many Christians today read the Bible and treat it as if it were written in today’s culture and therefore take a lot of it’s meaning out of context. Another difference between the two approaches is that the historical approach looks at each book or writing individual and lets it speak for itself while the confessional approach practices what is known as hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is the study of scripture in the light of all other scripture. Meaning, that even though it may seem that two authors disagree on a subject, they may actually agree with each other. When looking at the New Testament historically can help the believer if the believer understands that these are merely the historical facts and that historians really have no idea of the thoughts, emotions, or spiritual aspects of the writers. The historian can learn from the confessional approach in the same way. I believe that the two can actually help each other in studding the New Testament by 2007-04-03T21:52:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historical-VS-Confessional-Approach-to-the-New-Testament-32895.aspx iracles are a logical impossibility. Discuss. A miracle is held to be an action of God, or an invisible agent, which goes against the laws of nature and has some religious meaning or significance. This is just one definition; there are many explanations as to what a miracle actually is. Hume says a miracle is: ‘ a transgression of a law of nature by a particular volition of the Deity or by the interposition of some invisible agent.’ R.F. Holland says a miracle is a coincidence that can be taken religiously as a sign and called a miracle. Mel Thompson believes that miracles are a matter of interpretation- how the person interprets the miracle. Aquinas held that a miracle was done by God, which nature could not do, or could not do in that order, or is done in nature but without the usual operation of nature, for example, the sun going backwards, or an instantaneous cure of someone who may have been cured in time naturally. Lastly Tillich believes a miracle is a sign event, which gives the mystery of a revelation, which does not destroy the rational structure of reality in which it appears. As you have established, there are many different views on what a miracle actually is. However, the definitions have various weaknesses. Hume in ‘An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding of Miracles’ says: ‘The Christian religion not only was the first attended with miracles, but even at this day cannot believed by any reasonable person without one. Mere reason is insufficient to convince us of its veracity; and whosoever is moved by faith to assent to it, is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts all the principles of its understanding, and gives him a determination to believe what is most contrary to custom and experience.’ That is, the Christian religion is based on miracles, both when it started and today. However, Christianity is based on faith and love for God. All through the New Testament miracles that Jesus performed, were upon people who had faith in God. Faith thus came first. According to Hume, Christianity is not reasonable, and any Christian belief flies in the face of (‘subverts’) all understanding and experience. Therefore, according to Hume, all religious belief is contrary to human experience and reason. Bultmann argues that all miracles are ‘mythological’. Bultmann held that the Biblical miracles were part of a story 2007-03-23T14:26:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Miracles-are-a-Logical-Impossibility_-Discuss_-32868.aspx ‘Our freedom to make ethical choices is only an apparent freedom’ It is sometimes argued that the freedom we feel as though we possess is merely apparent. Therefore, when we make ethical choices the actions we take have already been decided. A hard determinist would argue that all actions are explicable in terms of their causes, and are therefore inevitable. Whereas a soft determinist would argue that determinism may be true but humans still have a degree of choice. However, a totally different view, is the one of a libertarian, they believe that we are in total control of what actions we take and are therefore responsible for our own choices. If you are absolutely free to do whatever you choose, you can be held morally responsible for your actions. On the other hand are you ever free? A common form of defence offered by someone who has been accused of doing something, which is deemed immoral, is that he or she was not free to choose to do anything else. You may, for instance, find yourself acting as an agent, following rules that have been enforced by an individual, culture or even society. In this case you are conscious of what you are doing, but your actions are likely to be considered from a moral point of view only to the extent that you are deemed to be free to accept, reject or challenge the order you are given, or the function you are expected to perform in society. Thus, for instance, if you obey an order because someone is pointing a gun at your head, the fact that you will be killed if you disobey is a significant factor to be taken into account. Are you free in such circumstances? Another example is that of when people are culturally bound to do such actions that are seen as morally wrong outside the culture, such as female circumcision. You know consciously that it is morally wrong but you follow the rules to avoid punishment. Therefore, you are not free to make a moral choice, because of the values of the culture. It is sometimes asked, how free do we actually need to be? If we were completely free of all external causes and conditions, we would never stop to think about what we ‘ought’ to do, because we would never be influenced by anything that might suggest one cause of action 2007-03-23T14:22:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Our-freedom-to-Make-Ethical-Choices-is-Only-an-Apparent-Freedom-32867.aspx On the outside, you can decide what I am. On the inside, however, I am only one thing: myself. I think that if people were to see me for what I am on the inside, they would treat me differently. Part of them would most likely want to stay away, because I will be the first to admit that I can be rather cruel to some people. On the other hand, 2007-03-15T23:40:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/My-Soul--32797.aspx Understanding the Essence of Buddhism How can we begin to understand such a diverse and ancient religion? The width of Buddhism is immense. It is a religion without any written rules. Buddhism is based on self-discovery. Buddhists are born with the quest to find their true form. They believe that they are prisoners of the physical plain until they reach nirvana. Nirvana is the ultimate goal for a Buddhist. It is the state that saves them from all suffering and evil. They believe that only nirvana can remove them from the never-ending circle of life. The same circle that puts them back in a world of suffering and pain. The very thing they want to escape from. Buddhists must conquer the mind before they could ever reach nirvana. The mind is full of lust and greed. A Buddhist eradicates temptations like greed and lust by rejecting the source of evil. They live independently from most of the luxuries required by westerners. They rely mainly on the basic necessities of life. By removing temptation, they gain more control of the mind. Buddhists are very spiritual about their surroundings. They cherish all living things. They would remove all living organism with such care before an area is used for construction. Reducing the suffering of others provides a meaning to their lives. They believe that all things have the right to live. By doing good things they ease the mind from all the suffering around them. We cannot remove suffering. We can only reduce it. By controlling the mind, we control most of the suffering we create ourselves. We are neurotic beings that strive on suffering. Most people do not control their suffering. The suffering controls them. Most religions believe in different dogmas. A dogma is an informed idea of what the gods look like. We can never be absolutely sure what God really looks like. Still, we believe in it so strongly that we would start wars over the different dogmas. The Buddhist outsmarted the rest of the crowd by being the individual. They do not believe a god. A major misconception is where people think they worship Buddha. They only believe that the ideas of the first Buddha would lead them to nirvana. The first known Buddha was Gautama Siddharta. He was the first one to teach others the way of a Buddhist. Unfortunately his 2007-03-05T00:22:29-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Understanding-the-Essence-of-Buddhism-32732.aspx His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama “For as long as space endures And for as long as living beings remain, Until then may I too abide To dispel the misery of the world”(The Office of Tibet). He often cites this favorite verse, found in the writings of the renowned eighth century Buddhist saint Shantideva, to explain his greatest source of inspiration. He is the 14th Dalai Lama. His Holiness Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born on 6 July 1935 by the name of Lhamo Dhondrub, in a small village, Taktser in the northeastern part of Tibet, to a peasant family. His Holiness was recognized at the age of two as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama. He began his religious education at six and completed the Geshe Lharampa Degree, the Doctorate of Buddhist Philosophy, when he was twenty-five. His enthronement ceremony took place on 22 February 1940 in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. At 24, he took the preliminary examinations at each of the three monastic universities, Drepung, Sera and Ganden. He took the final examination in the Jokhang at Lhasa during the annual Monlam Festival of Prayer, held during the first month of every year in the Tibetan calendar. The Dalai Lamas are the manifestations of the Bodhisattva or Buddha of Compassion, who reincarnate, to serve the Tibetan people. As Dalai Lama, Lhamo Dhondrub was given the name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso that means Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith and Ocean of Wisdom. People call His Holiness, Yeshe Norbu that means the Wish fulfilling Gem or simply Kundun, The Presence (The Office of Tibet). In 1950 His Holiness was called upon to assume full political power after China's invasion of Tibet in 1949. In 1954 he went for peace talks with Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiaoping, in Beijing, which ended in disaster. But finally, in 1959, with the brutal suppression of the Tibetan national uprising in Lhasa by Chinese troops, the Dalai Lama was forced to escape into exile. Since then he has been living in Dharamsala in northern India (ABC News). Over the decades the 66-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner continued to seek autonomy for Tibet that China considers to be a part 2007-03-04T18:46:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/His-Holiness,-the-14th-Dalai-Lama-32716.aspx Presently, the three largest religions are Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It first struck me that these three all had a single person or prophet that “began” the motility which has lead them to their heights today. Christianity - Jesus, Islam - Mohammad, Judaism - “the nameless God”. Judaism's god Names is represented by the four-letter Name represented by the Hebrew letters Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh (YHVH) It is even stranger that their beginnings were within four to five centuries from each other. Two millennium's have passed and they are still the prevailing faiths in the world. And of those three, two were in the same location, Israel/Palestine. I will start this essay by explaining Christianity, and many things about it. The word Christianity itself, means Believer in Christ. If you are a believer in this religion, you are called a “Christian”. There are many different nongovernmental organizations of this religion, and the things they share are the belief that the Bible is the Word of God, and that Jesus Christ was the Deliverer sent by God through His love. It is hard to say everything about Christianity, because there huge amounts of different Christian groups and many different duty's and activity's. Christians have many beliefs plagiarized from the Bible. They believe in the Sacred Trinity, which is three persons in one Godhead; the Father (God), Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. They believe that Jesus was the Son of God, but Jesus is worshiped as God. They believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, and some nongovernmental organization's believe that Mary was also holy, and she is worshiped. Some nongovernmental organization's believe Jesus is now with God in Heaven, but other nongovernmental organization's believe His spirit is living here on Earth with all of us. Basically, the Christian Creation Story is saying that the world was made in 7 days; in which: In the beginning god created the Universe, the earth was full of darkness, so god hovered over the waters and said “Let there be light". And there was light. God divided the day from the night, naming them ' day' and 'night'. On the second day, god made the heavens to separate from the earth. On the third day, god raised up the dry land from beneath the waters and commanded the earth to bring forth new plants. On the forth day, god made the greater light for day and the lesser 2007-02-20T07:59:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysing-three-religions-32682.aspx An Analysis of Buddhism Buddhism is one of the more mainstream religions in the world and it is continually expanding throughout the world. Buddhism comes from budhi, which means “to awaken”, the goal of Buddhism. Like all religions, there are many sects of Buddhism. There are over 80,000 different types of Buddhism, the two main ones being Mahayanna and Theraveda. There are about 3-4 million Buddhists in America now (www.pluralism.org/resources/statistcs/tradition.php). Many people have found Buddhism to help them deal with their daily day life. And many others have found Buddhism as an enhancement to their own religion. Buddhism is rich in history and it is discovered by more and more people everyday. Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Who is Siddhartha Gautama? Siddhartha was a prince born around 563 BC in India. He realized at the age of twenty-nine how empty his life had been and how much suffering there is in the world. Therefore giving up everything he owned, he started on his conquest for the end of suffering. Meditating under the Bo tree one day, he reached the state of enlightenment. Finally reaching what he had been searching for all his life, he set out to teach and preach to others of what he had achieved. His body of disciples is called the Sangha. Individual males of the Sangha, monks, are marked by their shaved heads and orange robes. There is also and order for the nuns of Buddhism. The goal of Buddhism is to reach enlightenment. Enlightenment is not only for those who are extremely “good”. Every person has the potential to reach that state of Enlightenment. To reach the ultimate goal, all one has to do is follow the core teachings. The core teachings of Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths are as follows 1) “Life is suffering”, 2) “All suffering is caused by ignorance of the nature of reality and the craving, attachment, and grasping that result from such ignorance”, 3) “Suffering can be ended by overcoming ignorance and attachment”, and 4) “The path to the suppression of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path”. (Encarta) Hence, material wealth is not necessary to living. The Eightfold Path is crucial on the path to 2007-02-02T18:59:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Analysis-of-Buddhism--32579.aspx [b]Jewish History of the TorahPortion Emor[/b] Can you imagine living a life where hundreds of people look up to you and choose to follow in your footsteps. Where you have to live on a higher level of sanctity above everyone else. When becoming such a significant figure, have many restrictions on who to marry, how to act, who to interact with as well as the interaction between the death of a loved one and yourself. But on top of that, not able to say or express these restrictions because those are the rules that you chose to abide by when becoming such a significant figure. The first part of this week’s Torah portion, Emor, which means “speak” begins with the special laws pertaining to the Kohanim, the priests, but mainly, the Kohen Gadol, the "High Priest", and the Temple service: As you will see, this Torah portion restricts the Kohanim and the Kohen Gadol to follow strict rules. As mentioned earlier, both the Kohen Gadol and the Kohanim are involved in The Temple Service. This means that A Kohen may not become ritually impure through contact with a dead body except for the occasion of death of a close relative. A Kohen may not marry a divorcee or a woman with a promiscuous past; a Kohen Gadol can marry only a virgin. Restrictions go as far as deformities placed at the Holy Temple and animals. A Kohen with a physical deformity cannot serve in the Holy Temple, nor can a deformed animal be brought as an offering.A newborn calf, kid or lamb must be left with its mother for seven days; one may not slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day. The second part of Emor lists the annual callings of Holiness-- the festivals of the Jewish calendar: The 14th and 15th of Nissan, which are the bringing of the Passover offering as well as the seven-day Passover festival. The bringing of the Omer on the second day of Passover offering from the first barley harvest as well as the commencement, on that day, the 49th-day counting of the Omer culminating in the festival of Shavuot. On the 50th day; a "remembrance of shofar blowing.“ The first of Tishrei; a solemn fast day; and the Sukkot festival -- during which we are to dwell in huts for seven days. Emor concludes with the incident of a man executed for 2007-02-02T17:26:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Jewish-History-of-the-TorahPortion-Emor-32526.aspx Some people who say they are acting in the name of religion may misunderstand their religion or practice it wrongly. For this reason, it is a mistake to form any idea of that religion from the activities of these people. The best way to understand Islam is through its holy source. The holy source of Islam is the Qur'an; and the model of morality in the Qur'an is completely different from the image of it formed in the minds of some westerners. The Qur'an is based on the concepts of morality, love, compassion, mercy, modesty, self-sacrifice, tolerance and peace, and a Muslim who truly lives according to these moral precepts is highly refined, thoughtful, tolerant, trustworthy and accommodating. To those around him he gives love, respect, peace of mind and a sense of the joy of life. Islam Is A Religion Of Peace And Well-Being The word Islam has the same meaning as "peace" in Arabic. Islam is a religion that came down to offer humanity a life filled with the peace and well-being in which God's eternal mercy and compassion is manifested in the world. God invites all people to accept the moral teachings of the Qur'an as a model whereby mercy, compassion, tolerance and peace may be experienced in the world. In Surat al-Baqara verse 208, this command is given: You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you. As we see in this verse, people will experience well-being and happiness by living according to the moral teaching of the Qur'an. God Condemns Mischief God has commanded humanity to avoid evil; he has forbidden immorality, rebellion, cruelty, aggressiveness, murder and bloodshed. Those who do not obey this command of God are walking in the steps of Satan, as it says in the verse above, and have adopted an attitude that God has clearly declared unlawful. Of the many verses that bear on this subject, here are only two: But as for those who break God's contract after it has been agreed and sever what God has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption in the earth, the curse will be upon them. They will have the Evil Abode. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 25) Seek the abode of the hereafter with what God has given you, without forgetting your portion of the world. And do good as God has been good to you. And 2007-01-27T18:07:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-True-Islamic-Morals--32465.aspx Have We not given him two eyes…and shown him the two highways (Surat al-Balad; 8,10) All human beings seek a true friend. They look for people to share their happiness with, who will support them in times of trouble, who will show them solutions when they can find none, who will love them unconditionally, be loyal to them, protect them, treat their errors gently, and who will not abandon them when they are ill, in the same way that they will not abandon them when they are healthy, or when they grow old. However, a person has two ways of finding such a friend. One of these is the way of the Compassionate One, a requirement of Qur’anic moral values and the path chosen by believers who seek solely the approval of Allah. The other is the way of friends who seek to serve only their worldly interests, a path based on advantage. In this article, in which we look at the reasons underlying these two states of affairs, we reveal clear differences between the powerful bonds in relationships between believers and relationships between non-believers based only on worldly gain. Friendship that attaches importance to moral values: In order to be a true friend, a person must love someone else solely for their proper moral values. These are a person’s fear and love of Allah, faith, sincerity and takwa. Only friendships built upon these values are permanent. The friendship of people with such elevated moral values achieves an unshakeable nature. A never-ending friendship: There can be no doubt that the true friend that everyone feels the need for and seeks is a great blessing. A true friend is someone who will be there for a person in good times and bad, who unconditionally wishes the same for his friend as he wishes for himself, who wants him to be at least as happy and as well as he wishes himself to be. He is someone who avoids such emotions as jealousy, intolerance and rivalry, who loves the other party sincerely and always wants the best for him. A friendship aimed at the Hereafter: The precondition for being a true friend is to aim for the other party’s happiness in this world and in the Hereafter. One important attribute of such a friendship is speaking honestly and openly, telling the other party of any deficiencies of faith, and affectionately showing him ways by which 2007-01-27T17:58:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Two-Paths,-Two-Aims,-But-What-Kind-of-Friend-32464.aspx Your Lord says, "Call on Me and I will answer you. Those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell abject." (Qur'an, 40:60) According to the Qur'an, prayer, meaning "calling, giving expression, requesting, seeking help," is a person's turning sincerely to Allah, and seeking help from Him, the Almighty, the Compassionate and Merciful, in the knowledge that he is a dependent being. Illness is one of those instances when a person feels this dependence most and draws closer to Allah. Furthermore, sickness is a test, devised in His Wisdom, that takes place by His Will, and is a warning to remind people of the transience and imperfection of this life, and is also a source of recompense in the Hereafter for the patient and submissive. Those without faith, on the other hand, imagine that the way to recovery is through doctors, medicines or the advanced technological capabilities of modern science. They never pause to think that it is Allah Who causes their physical system to function when they are in good health, or Who creates the healing medicines and doctors when they are ill. Many turn only to Allah when they arrive at the opinion that doctors and medicines are inadequate. People in such situations seek help only from Allah, realising that only He can free them from their difficulty. Allah has revealed this mindset in a verse: When harm touches man, he calls on Us, lying on his side or sitting down or standing up. Then when We remove the harm from him he carries on as if he had never called on Us when the harm first touched him. In that way We make what they have done appear good to the profligate. (Qur'an, 10:12) The fact is, however, that even in good health, or without tribulations or other difficulties, a person must pray and give thanks to Allah for the comforts, good health and all the other blessings He has imparted. One very important aspect of prayer is this: In addition to praying out loud, it is also important for a person to make every effort to pray through his or her deeds. Prayer by action means doing everything possible to attain a certain wish. For example, in addition to praying, a sick person may also have to visit an expert doctor, use medicines that will be of benefit, and receive hospital treatment if necessary, or some 2007-01-27T17:52:29-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Prayer-Accelerates-the-Treatment-of-the-Sick-32463.aspx We are living in an era in which the world is desperately in need of peace, friendship, and solidarity. The tensions and conflicts that so defined the twentieth century continue in this new century, and innocent people all around the world continue to suffer from them. Despite the urgent need for solidarity and cooperation, certain circles are inciting conflict, particularly conflict between the world's two greatest and deep-rooted civilizations. This issue needs to be scrutinized, as the war of civilizations that they envisage would have disastrous consequences for humanity. One of the best ways of preventing such a disaster is to strengthen the dialogue and cooperation between these civilizations. This is not a hard task, as there are no fundamental differences between Islam and the Judeo-Christian western world. To the contrary, there is much common ground between them. Considering the current situation and the nature of the world's problems, these shared values will make the cooperation necessary for solving them possible. Today, ideological struggles continue to divide the world. However, Muslims are not at one pole and Jews and Christians are not at the opposing pole. In fact, one pole represents people who believe in God's existence and unity, and the other pole represents the unbelievers, who believe in such anti-religious ideologies as materialism and Darwinism. There is only one way to defeat the alliance of the various groups of unbelievers on an ideological level: eradicate the negative and destructive influences of anti-religious materialism and further the cause of a society dominated by morality, happiness, tranquility, security, and prosperity. This will be done by forming an alliance of all conscientious people, namely, sincere Christians, along with religious Jews and Muslims, who will come together and unite in this common cause. There have been conflicts and disputes between members of these three religions in the past, but those were the result of the erroneous reasoning and evil motives of certain states, nations, and individuals who pursued their own economic and political gain instead of the central beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. One of the common aims of these divinely revealed religions is to ensure the happiness, security, peace, and tranquility of all people by opposing conflict. Therefore, this dialogue and alliance will be based on the sincere believers' quest for justice, peace, and support for all people. The resulting dialogue will not be restricted to meetings and conferences, but will cement an alliance 2007-01-27T17:48:13-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Islam-s-Acceptance-of-Judaism-and-Christianity-32462.aspx "But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one..." (Qur'an, 20:124) When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam. When He desires to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and constricted as if he were climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah defiles those who have no faith. (Qur'an, 6:125) The failure of irreligious people in submitting themselves to Allah causes them to be in a constant state of ill-ease, anxiety and stress. As a consequence, they are afflicted by various psychological illnesses which reveal themselves in their physical selves. Their bodies wear down more quickly, and they age rapidly and degenerate. However, since believers are psychologically healthy, they do not fall prey to stress, or despondence, and their bodies are ever fit and healthy. The positive effects of their submitting to Allah, their trust in Him and fortitude, looking for the good in all things, and accepting what happens with the hope of His promise, are reflected in their physical selves. This, of course, applies only to those who live by the moral values of the Qur'an, and who truly comprehend the religion. Of course, they may fall ill and eventually grow old, but this natural process does not involve the psychological breakdown it does in others. Stress and depression, regarded as the diseases of our time, not only cause psychological harm, but also manifests themselves in various physical defects. The common stress and depression-related problems are some forms of mental illness, drug addiction, insomnia, skin, stomach and blood pressure disorders, colds, migraines, a number of bone diseases, kidney imbalances, respiratory difficulties, allergies, heart attacks, and brain swelling. Of course, stress and depression are not the only causes of these, but it has been scientifically proven that the origins of problems such as these are usually psychological. Stress, which afflicts so many, is a state of mental anxiety caused by such feelings as fear, insecurity, overexcitement, worry and other pressures, that damages the body's equilibrium. When people become victims of stress, their bodies react and sound the alarm, and various biochemical reactions in the body are initiated: The level of adrenaline in the bloodstream rises; energy consumption and bodily reactions reach their maximum levels; sugar, cholesterol and fatty acids are deposited into the bloodstream; blood pressure rises and the pulse accelerates. When glucose is sent to 2007-01-27T17:44:18-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Stress-and-Depression-The-Results-of-not-Abiding-by-the-Religion-32461.aspx God tells us that with the Qur’an, He brought “glory and honor” (Qur’an, 23;71) to human beings. He gives prosperity to everyone who practices the morality of Islam and follows the path that He has revealed in the Qur’an. And the only way for some women to escape all the anxieties that ignorant societies subject them to, and to gain the respect they deserve, is to be found in the Qur’an, revealed to our Prophet (saas) so that human beings could come out of darkness and enter into light. In many verses of the Qur’an, God protects women and defends their rights, removes wrong ideas about women current in ignorant societies, and grants them a respected place in society. The Qur’an tells us that in the sight of God, the measure of a human being’s worth lies not in gender; but in the fear of God, in faith, moral perfection, sincerity towards God and piety (taqwa). All these verses are proofs of our Lord’s incomparable generosity toward women. O Humanity! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah’s sight is the one of you who best performs his duty. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Qur’an, 49:13) Children of Adam! We have sent down clothing to you to conceal your private parts, and fine apparel, but the garment of heedfulness--that is best! That is one of Allah’s Signs, so that hopefully you will pay heed. (Qur’an, 7:26) Elsewhere in the Qur’an, God says “Whatever good you do, Allah knows it. Take provision; but the best provision is fear of Allah. So have fear of Me, people of intelligence!” (Qur’an, 2:197). He tells us that the best quality a human being can have is piety. Therefore, it must be piety, chiefly, that gives humans their basic value and superiority in God’s sight. In the Qur’an, God says: “The men and women who give charity and make a good loan to Allah will have it increased for them and they will have a generous reward.” (Qur’an, 57:18) This verse reminds both women and men that they will receive a true reward of supreme honor by living the moral life that God has directed. Women and men have different physical characteristics, of course, but this is not the reason for either gender’s superiority. In 2007-01-27T17:38:13-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Lord-s-Mercy-Toward-Women-32460.aspx BLACK HOLES The 20th century saw a great many new discoveries regarding celestial phenomena in the universe. One of these entities, which has only recently been encountered, is the Black Hole. These are formed when a star which has consumed all its fuel collapses in on itself, eventually turning into a black hole with infinite density and zero volume and an immensely powerful magnetic field. We are unable to see black holes even with the most powerful telescope, because their gravitational pull is so strong that light is unable to escape from them. However, such a collapsed star can be perceived by means of the effect it has on the surrounding area. In Surat al-Waqi'a, Allah draws attention to this matter in this way, by swearing upon the position of stars: And I swear by the stars' positions-and that is a mighty oath if you only knew. (Qur'an, 56:75-76) The term "black hole" was first employed in 1969 by the American physicist John Wheeler. Previously, we imagined that we were able to see all the stars. However, it later emerged that there were stars in space whose light we were unable to perceive. Because, the light of these collapsed stars disappears. Light cannot escape from a black hole because it is such a high concentration of mass in a small space. The enormous gravitation captures even the fastest particles, i.e. the photons. For example, the final stage of a typical star, three times the mass of the Sun, ends after its burning out and its implosion as a black hole of only 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) in diameter! Black holes are "black," i.e. veiled from direct observation. They nevertheless reveal themselves indirectly, by the tremendous suction which their gravitational force exerts on other heavenly bodies. As well as depictions of the Day of Judgement, the verse below may also be pointing to this scientific discovery about black holes: When the stars are extinguished. (Qur'an, 77:8) Moreover, stars of great mass also cause warps to be perceived in space. Black holes, however, do not just cause warps in space but also tear holes in it. That is why these collapsed stars are known as black holes. This fact may be referred to in the verse about stars, and this is another important item of information demonstrating that the Qur'an is the word of Allah: [I swear] by Heaven and the Tariq! And what will convey to 2007-01-27T15:49:01-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Some-Miracles-of-the-Qur’an-Relating-the-Universe-32447.aspx The Confessions of Peter in the Old Testament The great confession of Peter, as the representative Apostle, had laid the foundations of the Church as such. In contradistinction to the varying opinions of even those best disposed towards Christ, it openly declared that Jesus was the Very Christ of God, the fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecy, the heir of Old Testament promise, the realization of the Old Testament hope for Israel, and, in Israel, for all mankind. Without this confession, Christians might have been a Jewish sect, a religious party, or a school of thought, and Jesus a Teacher, Rabbi, Reformer, or Leader of men. But the confession which marked Jesus as the Christ, also constituted His followers the Church. It separated them, as it separated Him, from all around; it gathered them into one, even Christ; and it marked out the foundation on which the building made without hands was to rise. Never was illustrative answer so exact as this: 'On this Rock' - bold, outstanding, well-defined, immovable - 'will I build My Church.' Without doubt this confession also marked the high-point of the Apostles' faith. Never afterwards, till His Resurrection, did it reach so high. Nay, what followed seems rather a retrogression from it: beginning with their unwillingness to receive the announcement of His decease, and ending with their unreadiness to share His sufferings or to believe in His Resurrection. And if we realize the circumstances, we shall understand at least, their initial difficulties. Their highest faith had been followed by the most crushing disappointment; the confession that He was the Christ, by the announcement of His approaching Sufferings and Death at Jerusalem. The proclamation that He was the Divine Messiah had not been met by promises of the near glory of the Messianic Kingdom, but by announcements of certain, public rejection and seeming terrible defeat. Such possibilities had never seriously entered into their thoughts of the Messiah; and the declaration of the very worst, and that in the near future, made at such a moment, must have been a staggering blow to all their hopes. It was as if they had reached the topmost height, only to be cast thence into the lowest depth. On the other hand, it was necessary that at this stage in the History of the Christ, and immediately after His proclamation, the sufferings and the rejection of the Messiah should be prominently 2007-01-12T03:53:47-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Confessions-of-Peter-in-the-Old-Testament-32402.aspx Women's Rights in Islam In the midst of the darkness that engulfed the world, the divine revelation echoed in the wide desert of Arabia with a fresh, noble, and universal message to humanity: "O Mankind, keep your duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate (of same kind) and from them twain has spread a multitude of men and women" (Qur'an 4: 1). A scholar who pondered about this verse states: "It is believed that there is no text, old or new, that deals with the humanity of the woman from all aspects with such amazing brevity, eloquence, depth, and originality as this divine decree." Stressing this noble and natural conception, them Qur'an states: He (God) it is who did create you from a single soul and therefrom did create his mate, that he might dwell with her (in love)...(Qur'an 7:189) The Creator of heavens and earth: He has made for you pairs from among yourselves ...Qur'an 42:1 1 And Allah has given you mates of your own nature, and has given you from your mates, children and grandchildren, and has made provision of good things for you. Is it then in vanity that they believe and in the grace of God that they disbelieve? Qur'an 16:72 The rest of this paper outlines the position of Islam regarding the status of woman in society from its various aspects - spiritually, socially, economically and politically. 1. The Spiritual Aspect The Qur'an provides clear-cut evidence that woman iscompletely equated with man in the sight of God interms of her rights and responsibilities. The Qur'an states: "Every soul will be (held) in pledge for its deeds" (Qur'an 74:38). It also states: ...So their Lord accepted their prayers, (saying): I will not suffer to be lost the work of any of you whether male or female. You proceed one from another ...(Qur'an 3: 195). Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him will We give a new life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their reward according to the their actions. (Qur'an 16:97, see also 4:124). Woman according to the Qur'an is not blamed for Adam's first mistake. Both were jointly wrong in their disobedience to God, both repented, and both were forgiven. (Qur'an 2:36, 7:20 - 24). In one verse in fact (20:121), Adam specifically, was blamed. In 2007-01-12T03:36:58-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-s-Rights-in-Islam--32396.aspx St. Augustine: City Of God Saint Augustine was one of the foremost philosopher-theologians of the early Christianity and the leading figure in the church of North Africa. He had a profound influence on the subsequent development of the Western thought and culture. He also was responsible for shaping the themes and defined problems that characterized early Christian theology. Augustine was born at Thagaste in Numidia, which is part of present day Algeria. His father was a pagan, who was later converted, and his mother was a devout Christian. She pushed so endlessly for her son’s conversion who in fact was later canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. As a child he was schooled in Latin literature and later went to Carthage to study rhetoric, where he became a teacher. By the age of twenty he turned away from his Christian upbringing. He was repelled by its codes of behavior, but he never completely, but renounced it. At Carthage he became enthusiastic about philosophy after reading Cicero’s “Hortensius.” He considered becoming a Christian, but experimented with several philosophical systems before finally entering the church. For nine years, from 373 until 382, he adhered to Manichaeism, a Persian dualistic philosophy then widely current in the Western Roman Empire. With it’s fundamental principle of conflict between good and evil and it’s claim of a ration interpretation of Scripture, it seemed to supply Augustine with a reasonable amount of ethics. After he realized that the moral code of Manichaesism was unpleasantly strict, he abandoned this way of thinking and turned to skepticism. After reading “On The Two Cities”, Augustine’s thoughts on good and evil are very rational and fit together in my mind. Augustine makes a point that God created evil in order to contradict the good of the earth. There had to be a power or force that tries to draw you away from the right path. His thoughts and impressions of what God created are present in everyday life. If you really sit down and think about it, good and evil are in every movie, story, and tale from the beginning of time. In my own words this is what I believe happened when God created good. God is the supremely good creator of good natures, and he is also the creator of evil. God caused the devil to be evil. The devil was originally an angel that was teetering on the edge 2006-12-29T18:27:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/St_-Augustine-City-Of-God-32172.aspx The Influence of Gandhi Gandhi was an important man in India, who influenced much of the country. He was born in Western India in 1869 and was raised Hindu. At age thirteen, Gandhi entered his arranged marriage and a few years later went to attend law school in London. In 1893, Gandhi became an attorney in South Africa, where he first practiced passive resistance against the British law enforcers who oppressed the Indian race. In 1915 after Gandhi had made Indians lives better in South Africa, he went back to India to begin his struggle for independence from the British. Gandhi also helped to gain Indian independence, when it came, on August 15, 1947. To be such an influential leader in both South Africa and India, Gandhi had to get through many tough obstacles. Some obstacles are violence, religious persecution, racism, and discrimination of the castes. Gandhi opposed these things in order to attain the freedom of both countries. “To deprive a man of his natural liberty and to deny to him the ordinary amenities of life is worse than starving the body; it is starvation of the soul, the dweller in the body,” this quote is an example of how Gandhi firmly believed in freedom and equality for people. Gandhi believed his main obstacle in life was to end discrimination towards every one. South Africa was one stage in Gandhi’s life in which he tried to end racial persecution. Being thrown off a train when he sat in the first-class section, was the first time that Gandhi experienced racial persecution there. After his realization that the Europeans in South Africa did not want Indians to be in a high status position, Gandhi tried to oppose them. He did this by burning his “pass” that was issued only to the non-Europeans. Other Indians immediately followed him even though it was against the law. This event was the first of many times that Gandhi used passive resistance to illustrate a point. He set up meetings for Indians to gather and protest non-violently. Even in his young years, Gandhi believed that all people should be treated the same and learn to love each other. “In nature there is fundamental unity running through all the diversity we see about us.” Gandhi was arrested after burning 2006-12-19T04:10:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Influence-of-Gandhi--32072.aspx Philosophy of Religion There are laws of this universe that humankind do not understand the origins of. Humans are limited by their limited (but growing) knowledge. A God would be greater than the most unlimited force imaginable, for God would be omnipotent. God, if he exists, is perfect. Philosophers try to determine the indeterminable, such as whether or not God exists and what his ideas might entail. Whether or not this is something that is determinable is a better question to ask, considering the lack of limitations of God and the fact that evidence of God would lead to drastic constraints of humankind. As philosophers ponder the many metaphysical questions of the universe, it becomes worth questioning, “what are the ramifications of all humanity having definite answers to these questions?” If God and his will were proven on earth it would undoubtedly have many global ramifications. God, if he exists, is perfect. He is an all-powerful being with perfect morals and perfect understanding. If human beings disagree with a definite God, they must be incorrect. If we knew God, a lot in this universe would be clarified. Religious wars could end, for there would be a definite answer about what religion is most correct. Some (irrational skeptics) might still disagree with this God (or its existence), thus religious wars would ensue. “The sacredness of the cause sanctifies every measure which can be made use of to promote it.”(Hume, 90) If there is a God, he either created the universe or controls it. We would know that life exists for a reason and not due to some freak accident of nature. The universe must therefore be organized. Perhaps DNA is the manner by which God works. Is there any coincidence that solar systems and atoms appear to be designed similarly? There would be a definite reason for every natural law- God’s reasons, which we might not be able to comprehend. God doesn’t act without reason. God’s existence would hopefully enlighten us. Perhaps some scholars would even strive to understand God’s designs to gain a better understanding of the way he works and thinks. Some might claim that God could be indifferent. Would God create a universe or human reason if he didn’t care about either? God obviously 2006-12-19T03:22:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Philosophy-of-Religion-32057.aspx The Symbolism of Baptism Baptism is the introduction into the body of Christ, the Christian faith. All members of the body of Christ have at one time in their life been baptized. Baptism is a ritual, which brings an individual from a life of sin to a life of service through God, and welcomes individuals to the faith. Baptism also washes people of original in, a sinful state in which all people are born. Historically it has been administered to adults at the Easter Vigil. The adults who are going to be baptized are called the Catechumate, and they study for several months prior to baptism. Today infant baptism is becoming very popular. This has both a positive and negative side. The positive aspect is that the infant will be able to live almost its entire life with God in the body of Christ. Critics argue however that it takes away the free choice associated with baptism. In many ways baptism is very symbolic. Baptism can be both a positive and dark symbol at the same time. Baptism can be a positive symbol of life, as it brings people into a new life with Christ, very symbolic of creation. However despite its positive image baptism also has a dark image, death. Baptism is symbolic of death because the water used can represent flooding, and drowning, which is appropriate, because the baptized person leaves a life of sin. The movie The Mission is closely related to the conversion associated with baptism. The Indians very closely resemble the Catechumate or elect who take part the ritual of baptism, as they learn about, and prepare to enter the faith. Father Gabriel represents the life of loving service one enters into at baptism. Also he takes the role of a sponsor in the conversion of Rodrigo Mandosa who becomes a missionary. Mandosa is an excellent example of conversion. At the beginning of the movie he was a slave trader, who captured Indians and sold them for profit. He led a life of sin and darkness, until one day he caught his brother in bed with his lady friend and killed him. After this event he fell into the care of the Jesuits. Trying to rehabilitate Mandosa the Jesuits, led by Father Gabriel took him to the mission of San 2006-11-17T01:04:03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Symbolism-of-Baptism-31762.aspx Information on Hindu Practices and Teachings Hinduism has many ceremonies and rituals. First off, they all believe that the priest had to read the newborn baby’s horoscope to determine the name. The looked at the stars and drew the nights sky. That helped to show the baby’s future. If the name were not informed there would be a naming ceremony the following week where the priest chooses. There are lots more ceremonies like; the threading ceremony when the baby is nine or ten. There are also festivals like; the Raksha Banbhan, which is a family, feast that takes place in august. A festival Holil celebrates the coming of springtime. There are even festivals to this day, almost once a month. On January 14th, the holiday Makara Sankranti occurs. On February 22nd, the festival Maha Shivarati takes place. On march 9th, a feast on the holiday holi happens. In April, Rama Navmi, Souram, and Yugadi take place for the arrival of spring. Lots of Hindus believe that the festivals are good to help the children learn more about their teachings. The Hindus only had women for medics because they thought their gods wanted the men to do more important things. The Hindus thought very much of their gods. The people believed the gods acted as the sky. When it was sunny they were graceful. When the sky was when the sky was being black and blanketed they were being angry. When it rained they were crying. When it snowed the gods was very cold. The Hindus also believed the universe was like an egg and they were the egg yolks. All the Hindus have similar traditions like the medicine method called Ayureda. Most of the stories come from one of the Vedas. When they, make films they usually contain 18 or more songs. Agni is a sculptor the people worship. It is a sculptor of Agni one of the many gods. The word Hindu came from a word in Sanskrit, Sindu (“river” or the Indus). The religion of Hinduism really started with the Aryans when they came and brought horses and the language Sanskrit. With the religion they brought the belief of reincarnation. Every one thought the gods needed them to worship them so the gods could 2006-11-15T22:53:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Information-on-Hindu-Practices-and-Teachings-31756.aspx Issues Surrounding Atheism in Global Society Can we ever decide whether or not a certain world view is righteous and true? The society we live in has become misguided and confused. One of the many issues that stands to be faltering our religious stance from getting where we want to be, is the question of whether or not atheism is a realistic world view. How can we say we are ‘for’ a certain notion when we ourselves cannot even back up what we believe in? How much information must we hold before we entirely believe something? From today’s debate we were all bombarded with a load of information, and I’ve come down to this. Though I already believed that atheism was not a realistic world view, I knew I had to give the opposing team a say. I believe nothing is entirely true or just until I’ve heard both sides to the story, because for all I know I could be wrong. Despite the fact that everything I heard today comes only from theories, these theories could change the way our world/society sees everything. When evaluating a debate we must look for clarity and proof. When a reason is stated, we members of society must know why. This was the one main reason I chose to stand with the Government party. The Government party stated countless persuasive ideas which they, surprisingly, were able to elaborate thoroughly even within the limited 3 minutes. Many ideas which they stated, I had never even come across. There is really no way to prove whether God is real or not, He is a supernatural being and cannot be tested. How can we say we are accidents, more so the earth itself was an accident? It is no accident the earth was created the way we see it, the universe we belong to is way too perfect to be distinguished as an accident. When scientists, mathematicians, astrologists, etc.. do their testing, how is it that somehow in the end they are capable of coming across a perfect solution. It is no accident the universe was formed the way it was, if one minor portion of the earth was miscalculated when it was formed, there would’ve been no way we nor the creatures 2006-10-29T22:33:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Issues-Surrounding-Atheism-in-Global-Society-31626.aspx History of Stigmata In the last seven centuries the event of Stigmata has been recorded, how the patient reacts, feels, behaves and even speaks. Most of these qualities are very unusual and have no scientific explanation. Stigmata are a factual event that happens to very religious people of the church and comes from the Divinity of Christ and His heavenly father. Many people do believe that stigmata is just another way of saying “wanting to be like Jesus” but many others think that the wounds of stigmata come from Christ Himself. The event of Stigmata has been baffling scientists for centuries. Stigmata is a factual event that comes from the Divinity of Christ and His heavenly father. It has occurred to many people in the last seven centuries. Some people think that Stigmata is a hoax and is not a real occurrence. This event has to come from a supernatural force because the people affected by this are people of the church and it is against the Bible to self-inflict pain. Everyone knows the story of the crucifixion of Christ in the Bible. He was nailed to the cross through his hands and feet, stabbed in the side, and a crown of thorns made his forehead bleed profusely. Since the thirteenth century wounds identical to the ones on the body of Christ have been made on saints. These wounds have no place of origin and have been baffling scientists and men of the church for ages. Now the only thing to know is that these priests and priestesses know the suffering of the body of Christ. In a survey, when they were asked if they thought that Stigmata was a factual occurrence 17 out of the 20 people asked, believed that the wounds came from a supernatural force. The actual recorded Stigmata event numbers at 321 in which there is every reason to believe in a Divine action. All of the stigmatics don’t remember anything other than the pain of someone harming them. During trances of the Stigmata some begin to speak and write in Aramaic, the semetic language spoken by Christ and his Apostles. Some high clergymen believe that the Stigmata come from Jesus Christ himself. “Some of the wounds are from Christ himself. He wants to show and bless the 2006-10-28T19:01:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Stigmata-31580.aspx A History of Christianity Somewhere in the sixth century BCE Buddhism was born, born from a single man Siddhartha Guatama, the Buddha. After gaining his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha didn’t think that the rest of the world could handle all that he had learned. He did not want to teach others, nor did he want to spread his wisdom. Until at last his great compassion came over him and he started to gain the respect of few by going to his old peers first. By starting with other intellectuals he secured that they at least had the capacity to learn what he had to teach. From this point on he spread his philosophy on the middle path with everyone who would listen. He preached pacifism and that it was wrong to take any life be it a man’s or any lesser being’s. He taught that the noble eightfold path was the route to end all suffering, and that the individual was the most important factor in achieving enlightenment. The Buddha taught about the five aggregates, the notion that the human being is made up of matter, sensation, consciousness, perception, and mental formations. In all of his teachings however the Buddha did not do so much as a lay a groundwork for which his followers could build a society on. The Buddha was acting out of compassion in that he had found the way to end his suffering and wanted to help others do the same. He was not however trying to build himself up as a God, and create a religion under which he was the focal point. Since this was not his goal, he did not get into politics, social formations, or anything else of the like. However, sooner or later, with the rapid growth of Buddhism in India, and the whole of Southeast Asia, these were the things that would determine the survival of its followers. That is, an entire society of Buddhists had emerged, far greater numbers and organization than even the Buddha had imagined. With this emergence of community came more and more problems with which the leaders had no frame of reference to combat. For instance, what to do when pacifism doesn’t work in protecting your community. How to maintain peacefulness when outside forces are conquering violently. 2006-10-27T19:28:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-History-of-Christianity-31563.aspx The Need for Humans to Find Faith “Life is a battle between faith and reason in which each feeds upon the other, drawing sustenance from it and destroying it.” Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971), a famous American theologian, wrote this quotation. It is Niebuhr who understands the concept of faith and accepts it as reality. What binds faith into reality is the decision to believe. Faith is more than a concept of belief and disbelief; it is the comfortable acceptance of truth; however, the insecure nature of belief sometimes causes faith to be forgotten and lost. Faith is not gained or acquired; it is accepted through the belief in one’s true self. Faith gives reason to one’s questions and answers, with the hope of its truth. With reason one allows one’s mind to be free from congestion of worries, with faith. It is faith which allows one to take on tasks and adventures into the unknown; it is faith which allows one to make decisions, and it is faith, which allows one to love. This faith is what confronts Antonio Marez in the novel, Bless Me, Ultima, written by Rudolfo Anaya, the godfather of Chicano literature. In the novel Bless Me, Ultima, Antonio Marez is the protagonist of this coming of age adventure. Antonio is a young boy who at the tender age of six (through age seven) is faced with many challenges and temptations in his life. All of these obstacles deal with the concepts of faith and belief in what is right and what is wrong. Antonio grows up with the religion of Catholicism from his mother and is later exposed to the concept of dualism from his friend Cico. Ever since Antonio can remember, his mother has taught him to have faith and belief in God. His mother, Maria Marez y Luna is a strong Catholic who preaches faith in God, whenever and however she wants. Antonio doesn’t choose to have faith in God out of self-will but with his mother’s word. For Antonio to have faith, it must not be fed. It must come from his heart. Then the meaning of faith will be complete and accepted with understanding and reason. The novel then takes a course of action where Antonio experiences several deaths. These deaths cause Antonio 2006-10-27T19:25:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Need-for-Humans-to-Find-Faith-31562.aspx Siddhartha, Inner-knowledge And Self-realization Siddhartha realized that happiness comes from spiritual peace and he spent his entire life searching for spiritual completion. His quest for inner-knowledge and self-realization developed in four stages. The first stage is that of an orthodox Brahmin’s son. In this stage he read scriptures and performed ritualistic sacrifice. The second is ascetic stage in which he practices the Samana austerity of self-denial. In the third stage he is caught in the vortex of the material desires of the world, Samsara. The final stage is that of self-realization achieved in the presence of Vasudeva, the ferryman. It is through this cycle that Siddhartha discovered the path to salvation. Siddhartha’s life is based on experiences of its author, Herman Hesse and that of Gotama Buddha. It is imperative to point out that river is an important motif in his quest and has many meanings for Siddhartha. In the first chapter, the river is a place of symbolic cleansing and ritual, yet later it will act as a metaphor for boundary crossing of two worlds, a spiritual and material one. At the end of the book, the river becomes a symbol of oneness and unity. Siddhartha is a person of tremendous complexity. His motives are not religiously enforced. His goal is not to be one with God but one with himself. Although, some people are unaware of their personal quest, this cannot conceal the fact all of us are pursuing the inner peace and happiness. However, not all of us are going to desire the path that was selected by Siddhartha. According to the philosophy he utilized in his life, we would have been unable to achieve inner peace and happiness by reading about his experiences. We would have to go out and discover our own spiritual objective. However, we can be immensely influenced by Siddhartha’s approach to his mission of self-realization. I was given a chance to meet people that have become aware of their inner peace in their lifetime. In most cases this revelation happened because they believed in God. However, I have met people that have embraced religion but have never discovered their inner peace or happiness. Life can be a long journey to true inner peace as we can see in Siddhartha’s example. He got to be an old man when he finally understood who he really is and he achieved his inner peace. Only when he 2006-10-27T19:12:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Siddhartha,-Inner-knowledge-And-Self-realization-31561.aspx Responsibilities and Freedoms In Hinduism Hinduism is more of a way of life than a Religion. It abounds with every possible name and form for Truth or the Divine. This is because Hinduism requires that we see the same reality in all the diversity of creation - that we see the same Self in all beings. It is not because Hinduism is trapped in the diversity of name and form but because its sense of unity is inclusive. Hinduism is not attached even to its own names and forms, however diverse. It can accommodate the names and forms of all religions into its view. This universal view pervades the form of the teachings of Hinduism, which consists of many different approaches to the same One Reality. It allows the teaching of Hinduism to encompass all time and all religion, and affords it a characteristic tolerance and syncretic view of life. In this paper, I will be contrasting the freedoms with the responsibilities of Hinduism. Hinduism believes that freedom or liberation is the true goal in life. True freedom is freedom from all external conditioning influences, whether of body or mind. This is the freedom of Self-realization, complete independence of time, space and causation. We all seek freedom. One does not enjoy boundaries or limitations. However, often, we seek freedom in the outer world, through more possessions, power and pleasure, which, according to Hinduism are forms of limitation. It says we must redirect seeking of freedom within ourselves, where alone it can be truly realized. Freedom is not the ability to have more things or gain more experiences but the inner completeness, which no longer requires external support for happiness. Hindus have complete freedom in their spiritual life. They have any number of holy books to choose from and are not required to literally believe in any one of them. They have their sacred sites everywhere that they live. Hinduism does not require that we all have the same view of Divinity but encourages unique and diverse views for the complete unfolding of creative intelligence. It says that there is something unique about each person that is their special connection with the Divine, and that there should be no standardized religion for all people. According to scriptures, a Hindu’s mode of living is governed by what is called the ‘Caste System’. “The word Caste comes from Portuguese 2006-08-29T15:42:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Responsibilities-and-Freedoms-In-Hinduism-31377.aspx Indian Religion and its Influence on Daily Life Does your religion affect your daily life? In The Ramayana, gods and religion play an important role in the Indian life. Having an encounter with a reincarnated being, talking to one of the multiple gods, or assuming another form to make life easier are only three ways the Indian religion affected Rama’s daily life. Respect by definition means, “to feel or show high regard for”. As a result of their belief in reincarnation, Indians have a greater respect for life, animals, and each other. They know they will only be in their current form for one lifetime, so they cherish all life greatly. Most ordinary men would not explain right from wrong and good morals to a monkey, but Rama did. Since the Indian culture has respect for all beings, Rama knows a monkey possesses enough intelligence to understand this, and that is why he explains morals to Vali as if he were a human. While Rama explains this to Vali he says, “I am not misled by either your explanation or appearance of being a monkey…” Since this culture appreciates every tiny aspect of life, it has a god to go along with every phase of life. The Indian culture believes in multiple gods who each have different roles, such as the god of death, fire, wind, etc. Each god is addressed separately and has an important position. At one point in the story, Sita said, “O Agni, great god of fire, be my witness.” After that, Sita threw herself into the fire, and instead of dieing, the god of fire protected her and left her unharmed since she was pure. Because of her close relationship with her god, she was able to vindicate herself. Assuming other forms is a privilege of the gods, or a power hey can confer on others. This tremendous power is used to their advantage, but it is also deceiving to others. When Ravana wanted to capture Sita, his uncle assumed the form of a deer and lured Sita. Another time, Mahabali wanted to take over the world, so asked for land the size of three of his footsteps, then transformed into a giant! The most significant time this was used was when Hanuman made himself into a 2006-08-27T16:36:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Indian-Religion-and-its-Influence-on-Daily-Life-31319.aspx Freedom and Slavery in the Book of Exodus The book of Exodus is mainly about a liberator named Moses. Moses became one of the first liberators in the history of man. He was able to eventually free the slaves that were being used as slaves to build monumental building in the land of Egypt. I think that it is part of the human condition for people to want to be free. They want to have free will, as well as basic freedom and rights. This has always been the case throughout history. There has been slavery throughout history, and there have been people who thought that there should not be slavery. In the case of Moses it was his people, the Israelites who were being enslaved. It is part of the human condition to naturally assume that you are a free individual to be able to make your own choices, and that you have the right to live and do what you please. Moses grew up in the Egyptian court with pharaoh, but his own mother was paid to nurse him, so he knew of the condition of the Israelites pain and suffering. When Moses had grown up, he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite one day, and he killed the Egyptian. The pharaoh found out about this, and tried to kill Moses, but Moses then fled to the land of Midian. When he reached the new land, he settled down and married, and even had a son. One day while Moses was tending one of the flocks of his father-in-law, God came to Moses in the form of a burning bush, and told him that he had observed the suffering of the Israelites. He said that Moses was to go to the pharaoh in Egypt, and to set them free. God did not want to see the Israelites enslaved in Egypt, and chose Moses to free them. He knew that they were not happy, and he heard them crying out for someone to help them in their time of need. Although Moses was reluctant to do this, he conceded, and chose to trust in God. Like Moses with the Israelites, there are several examples of people in history who wanted to have their own freedom, and their own identity. Some in American included Washington 2006-08-25T17:07:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Freedom-and-Slavery-in-the-Book-of-Exodus-31266.aspx The Book Of Enoch : Authentic Or Heresy In studying Christianity many questions have been posed as to what text was truly intended to be included in the Bible. What was chosen to be included in the Bible by the Nicene Council is said to be divinely inspired. The Nicene Council was a group of people overseen by Constantine that elected what text was to be chosen to be in the Bible. Throughout times however there has been conflict over what has and has not been included in the Bible. Protestant and Catholic Bibles are not identical and yet they are all Christians. The Dead Sea Scrolls have brought up much discussion and controversy related to the Bible as well as other books that are called the “Apocrypha” and the “Lost Books” of the Bible. One of the lost books is the book of Enoch or Henoch. In the resurfacing of this text many biblical scholars are left with a challenge to the question of the text of the Bible and whether or not these “Lost Books” are acceptable or merely heresy. Enoch was from the lineage of Adam and Eve and is the seventh descendant or generation. He is also the father of Methusela. He was said to have “walked with God and he was not, for God had took him.”(Genesis 5:24) In his walking with God special revelations were made apparent to him. Encoh’s walking with God was considered a time when he was given revelations of prophecies to come on God’s people. His mysterious departure from earth, it is understood Enoch was assumed into heaven, is what lead to much of the apocolyptic literature that was written and attributed in his name. The Book of Enoch however, has many authors. The Book of Enoch (or 1 Enoch or Ethiopic Enoch) consists of seven sections. The first section introduces the theme of the book, which is God’s coming judgment of the world. The second section deals with matters of fallen angels and their punishment from God and also tells of Enoch’s journeys to places of final punishment and reward. The third section prophesies the coming of a Messiah who will pronounce judgment on all human and angels. This section also describes the heavenly kingdom of God. The fourth section includes revelations about the end times and all that will occur with heavenly bodies 2006-08-13T10:00:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Book-Of-Enoch-Authentic-Or-Heresy-31251.aspx Comparisons of Islamic Fundamentalism to Fascism This is the age of fear, inequality and extreme forms of government. The 20th century has seen the rise and fall of totalitarian governments and the terror and loss of human lives as a result. Today in the West, there is a new kind of terror – Islamic Fundamentalism, which in many ways mirrors Fascism of the past century. Even thought they are two completely different philosophies, they have some similar goals. Both ideologies require fanaticism of devotion to the causes of these regimes. Islamic Fundamentalism encourages suicide bombings, like the one we have seen in the tragic events of September 11, promising the one who dies a path to heaven and eternal glory of Allah. Fascism preached that fighting and dying for fatherland, killing Jews and their allies who were “threatening the civilized world” was an honorable thing to do and was strongly encouraged. Fascism tends to celebrate masculinity, mystical unity, and the regenerative power of violence, just like Islamic Fundamentalism. The ideals of Islamic Fundamentalism are opposed to human rights. Freedom of expression, information, freely choosing, changing and discarding one’s religion and the right to life are some of the fundamental Human Rights, which are threatened by fundamentalism, going to the extent of advocating death for non-believers and freethinkers. Fascism also rejects the liberal doctrines of individual autonomy and rights, political pluralism, and representative government, yet it advocates broad popular participation in politics and may use parliamentary channels in its drive to power. Both Islamic Fundamentalism and Fascism are involved in dehumanization and scape -goating of the enemy, seeing them as an inferior or subhuman force, perhaps involved in a conspiracy that justifies eradicating them. In the first instance, it is the non- believers and most importantly, it is the U.S. and the Americans, in the latter the hatred of racially inferior people like the Jews, gypsies, mentally disabled, homosexuals or any other group that did not fit a strict set of qualifications as a pure and loyal Aryan. Fundamentalism has been a major source of violent conflict in society. The amount of bloodshed inspired and motivated by religion has been terrible. Apart from open religious wars like crusades and jihad, there is also the problem of what are known as "communal riots" which are between two religious groups. During such riots, persons belonging to one religious group deliberately destroy life and property 2006-08-12T10:33:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparisons-of-Islamic-Fundamentalism-to-Fascism-31217.aspx Religion Essay on Sikhism Sikhism is the world's fifth largest religion. Sikhism is one of the younger faiths of the world, as compared with religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity or Islam. It is a monotheistic faith, preaching the existence of only one God, and teaching ideals that may be universally accepted today and in the future: honesty, compassion, humility, piety, social commitment, and most of all tolerance for other religions. Sikhism is free from any claims and dogmas. To attain salvation, Sikhism rejects all rites, rituals, and fasts. It rejects the claims of mortification of body, self-torture, penance or renunciation. It does not believe in worship of gods and goddesses, stones, statues, idols, pictures, tombs or crematoriums. Devotees are supposed to desist from working miracles, uttering blessings and curses, and believing in omens. They wear God's name as a necklace and try to practice Nam (remembrance of God's name), Dan (charity) and Ishnan (purity), truthfulness and openness, self-restraint in temper, labor for the purpose of mutual benefit, profitable and edifying speech, humility and forbearance. Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the Punjab area, now Pakistan, founded the Sikh faith. He began preaching the way to enlightenment and God after receiving a vision. After his death a series of nine Gurus (regarded as reincarnations of Guru Nanak) led the movement until 1708. At this time these functions passed to the Panth and the holy text. The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, compiled this text, the Shri Guru Granth Sahib. It consists of hymns and writings of the first 10 Gurus, along with texts from different Muslim and Hindu saints. The holy text is considered the 11th and final Guru. Sikhs believe in a single formless God with many names, who can be known through meditation. Sikhs pray many times each day and are prohibited from worshipping idols or icons. They believe in samsara, karma, and reincarnation as Hindus do but reject the caste system. They believe that everyone has equal status in the eyes of God. Sikhs follow a strict code of conduct called the Sikh Rahit Marayada. Some of the requirements are: A Sikh is not permitted to have any allegiances to other religions. Sikhs must accept the teachings of the Gurus in their entirety. A person who does not follow all the requirements of Sikhism is not considered a Sikh and may be excommunicated from Sikh society. I was going through 2006-08-12T10:32:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Religion-Essay-on-Sikhism-31216.aspx Ancient Religious Philosophy of Jainism Jainism is one of the world's oldest religions whose roots go back to times before recorded history. Those who follow Jainism are known as Ajaina or the followers of Jinas, from whom the teachings of this religion have been derived. Jainism's teachers of old whose wisdom and spiritual evolution are most revered are known as tirthankaras or "builders of the ford." The teachings of these builders ultimately lead humans across the endless cycle of rebirth to spiritual release. Symbolically, this endless cycle is compared to a river that only those enlightened by the teachings of the tirthankaras may hope to cross (Basham 100-101). Originating on the Indian subcontinent, Jainism -- or, more properly, the Jain Dharma -- is one of the oldest religions of its homeland and indeed of the world. Having prehistoric origins before 3000 BCE, and before the propagation of Indo-Aryan culture, the Twenty-four Crossing-Makers guided its evolution and elaboration by first achieving, and then teaching. The first Tirthankara of the present declining era was Lord Rishabhanath, and the last was Lord Mahavira (599-527 BCE) (Smart 80). In Jain philosophy, time consists of infinite millennia that come and go in cycles of several million years. In our current cycle, twenty-four tirthankaras have appeared and Mahavira the 24th, tirthankara has been the last to appear. Like all preceding tirthankaras, Mahavira, whose name means "the most courageous one," was an actual historical figure who lived some time between 599-527BCE. Mahavira was a contemporary of another great spiritual teacher--Gautama Sakyamuni--who would come to be known in history as Buddha. According to most accounts, Mahavira was also a highborn member of a warrior caste who renounced the world when he was thirty to pursue a life as an ascetic. His moment of enlightenment came after twelve years of spiritual pursuit. He then gathered twelve disciples around him, and it is through these disciples that his teachings were eventually documented and disseminated (Basham 100-101). Jain religion is unique in that, during its existence of over 5,000 years, it has never compromised on the concept of nonviolence either in principle or practice. It upholds nonviolence as the supreme religion and has insisted upon its observance in thought, word, and deed at the individual as well as social levels. Both in its philosophical essence as well as in its rituals, Jain religion invokes an intense and constant awareness of communion and understanding of not 2006-08-07T22:10:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ancient-Religious-Philosophy-of-Jainism-31154.aspx The Existence of God Periodically someone will say to me, "I don't understand how anyone can be an atheist. How else could one account for the origin of the universe itself?" The Christian apologist, Hugh Ross, makes an argument much like this. He argues first for the thesis that the universe had a beginning, the moment of the big bang. Second he assumes that there must be a cause for the big bang. Next, if all physical reality, including time and space, arise out of the big bang, then, whatever the cause may be for the big bang, it must be something that transcends the physical universe. Coupling this consideration with the apparent fine tuning of natural law which makes life possible and the claim that it would take a super intelligent being to so arrange natural law, Ross concludes that this transcendent cause is God. Those familiar with the traditional arguments for the existence of God will recognize that Ross' argument is a combination of the design argument (here from apparent fine-tuning) and the first-cause argument (the argument that the universe could not be its own cause). At a later time I will mention and discuss the hypotheses that atheistic scientists have been advancing to account for the origin of the universe—they do not accept the assumption that one must postulate a transcendent cause—but in what follows I will restrict my comments to an older objection to the first-cause argument, an objection which may be given the label "What caused God?" It is an objection that one often encounters in introduction to philosophy classes and one which the instructor usually takes to be persuasive. The philosopher Bertrand Russell is one of the many who have voiced the what-caused-God objection. In his essay, "Why I Am Not a Christian?"1 he states the first-cause argument as follows: "everything we see in this world has a cause, and as you go back in the chain of causes further and further you must come to a First Cause, and to that First Cause you give the name of God."2 According to Russell, the fallacy in the argument is that "If everything must have a cause, then God must have a cause." What's more, "If there can be anything without a cause, it may just as well be the world as God."3 Russell's argument can alternatively be stated as follows. The principle that everything must have a cause 2006-08-07T22:03:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Existence-of-God--31150.aspx Are Americans Over Influenced by Christianity in Society? How did Christianity originate? According to the official teaching of the Christian Churches, “it originated in certain unique events which occurred in Palestine under the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius” (Robertson 63). Christianity is a religion in which events are claimed to have occurred but which can never be proved. Those who practice it live by different morals than are preached by the most holy texts. It is an institution in which the most Holy Scripture is contradictory, and wherein the Supreme Being, by the very definition, cannot exist. Christianity is, therefore, a fundamentally flawed religion. According to the Bible, events have occurred which are even more miraculous than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Events such as the stopping of the sun by Joshua (Joshua 10:12-14), the reversal of the sun's course by Isaiah (Isaiah 38:7-8), the resurrection of the saints, and their subsequent appearance to many (Matthew 27:52-53) were witnessed by thousands of people. The stopping and reversal of the sun would have been visible worldwide. The idea that people could have witnessed these events without having been amazed by them is, quite simply, ludicrous. Other cultures having witnessed this would certainly have offered their own explanations in keeping with their own cultural and religious beliefs. Surely a society existing at the time would have documented this miraculous event. Yet nowhere have such works been found. In the instance of the resurrection of the saints, Matthew is the only person to mention this occurrence in the Bible. Surely other first-century Christians would have used this as further proof of Jesus' divinity. It would fall to reason that Paul and the gospels would have mentioned it. This is not, however, the case. Nowhere else in the Bible is this mentioned or even hinted at. These events are then, at best, highly unlikely to have occurred. The fact that Matthew is alone in writing of the resurrection of the saints leads us to believe that certain writers of the Bible had differing views on Christianity. Pannenberg said it best when he stated “that there is almost no other subject in modern theology so difficult to deal with as the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is” (13). The Christian Bible is highly contradictory, not just to modern day 2006-08-07T17:48:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Are-Americans-Over-Influenced-by-Christianity-in-Society-31146.aspx Biblical Significance of the Character Joshua Joshua’s personal history prepared him well as a leader for the great conquest. The conquest of Caanan began about 1405 B.C. Joshua’s leadership of Israel covered about twenty-five years. Living near the end of Israel’s oppression in Egypt, Joshua witnessed God’s dreadful ten plague judgments, the first Passover, the miraculous Red Sea crossing, and the supernatural signs and judgments during Israel’s wilderness journeys. Joshua served Moses as military leader in many battles of war, and he alone accompanied Moses up to Mt. Sinai when God gave Israel the Ten Commandments. As Moses’ assistant, Joshua demonstrated an intense devotion and heart for God by often tarrying long in the presence of God. Joshua was a mighty warrior who trusted God with all of his heart and soul. He had an earnest faith and trust in the great God Jehovah. He was a man who treasured the presence of God. Joshua learned much from Moses, his trusted counselor and guide, about the ways of God and the difficulties of leading His people to the promised land. At Kadesh-barnea, Joshua served Moses as one of the twelve spies that scouted the land of Caanan. Along with Caleb, Joshua gave to the people an encouraging report of victory. Under the direction of God, Joshua sent spies into Jericho, crossed the Jordan, fortified a camp at Gilgal, and kept the Passover. Many years before being chosen to replace Moses as Israel’s leader, Joshua demonstrated himself to be a man of faith, vision, courage, loyalty, obedience, prayer, and dedication to God and his holy Word. Joshua was God’s choice for completing Moses’ work. His task was to establish Israel as the covenant people in the land of promise. In his roll of leading Israel into the promised land, Joshua was an Old Testament type or foreshadowing of Christ, whose roll was to bring God’s people into the promised land and victories over their enemies. In a closing assembly of the Israelites at Shechem, Joshua delivered to the people his final address just as Moses had done before his death. He reminded them of their own wonderful history, of the many miracles God had done for them, and of the precious promises of God. Joshua highly exhorted them all to be 2006-08-01T20:36:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Biblical-Significance-of-the-Character-Joshua-30996.aspx Status And Role Of Women In Hinduism Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth, and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for independence. (Manusmriti 9.3) Historically speaking, whether it was in ancient India or medieval India, the status of women in the subcontinent was never good. A present day woman would feel outraged, and rightly so, if she goes through the contents of the Manusmriti, which is particularly harsh against women and treats them with disdain and suspicion. But we have no evidence to believe that the contents of the book were followed by all sections of the society. Probably the Brahmin women were its worst victims and suffered more compared to women of other castes. According to Hinduism, a woman is a form of energy (shaktiswarupini) or an aspect of Shakti. She is mata, the Mother Goddess, or devi the auspicious one. As a young child she is kanya, the goddess Durga. As a wife she is patni and saha dharma charini, a partner in her husbands religious duties. As a mother she is worthy of worship (matrudevobhava). As a child she is supposed to remain in the custody and care of her parents. Once married, she becomes a property and responsibility of her husband, who is supposed to take care of her needs and expectations and keep her in his custody. As his wife, she performs four roles: 1. as his servant (dasi) in duty, 2. as his minister (mantri) in decision making, 3. as a mother (mata) to his children and 4. as a lover (rambha) in his bed. And when she becomes old, she lives in the house of her son or sons and has to lead a very solitary and forlorn life. In ancient times, when a Hindu died, his wife either committed sati on his funeral pyre or retired into a life of social damnation, religious contemplation and perennial solitude. Now the situation has changed. Sati is illegal and an anathema. A widow can now keep herself busy in many ways, and if she gets an opportunity, like Mrs. Gandhi, she can join politics and dream of becoming the Prime Minister of India! The situation is gradually changing. In a changing world, Hindu society is trying to redefine the role of women in the institution of family and society. 2006-07-30T20:28:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Status-And-Role-Of-Women-In-Hinduism-30823.aspx Meaning of Buddha Images In keeping with their emphasis on the oldest and most fundamental teachings, Theravada Buddhists produce only a narrow range of Buddhist imagery. Nearly every Southeast Asian Buddha image is made in one of these postures (mudras) that can easily be identified by the position of the hands: Dispelling Fear: Hand raised with palm facing outwards and fingers extended in a universal gesture of protection, benevolence, and peace. Teaching: Hand raised with palm facing outwards and index finger forming a circle with the thumb. Teaching the First Sermon: Both hands together at the chest with fingers on one hand forming a circle representing the “wheel of law” while the other hand touches the wheel to set it in motion (representing the beginning of Buddhist teaching) Meditation: Hands resting together on the lap. The gesture symbolizes perfect balance of thought and tranquility. Calling the Earth to Witness: With palm inwards, the right hand touches the ground and “calls the earth to witness” the Buddha’s enlightenment. The gesture symbolizes unshakable faith and resolution and is the most common posture for Southeast Asian temple images. Passage to Nirvana: The reclining Buddha representing the Buddha’s death. The posture symbolizes complete peace and detachment from the world. Offering or Wish Granting: Hand points down with palm facing out. The gesture represents the offering of Buddhist teaching to the world. Sometimes the teaching, and its benefit, is symbolically represented by a small piece of medicinal myroloban fruit. One particularly majestic style of standing offering image with the robes flared out is also known in Thailand and Laos as the “Calling for Rain” posture. Each of these positions can be associated with a moment in the Buddha’s life that has an important lesson, although the description of these scenes varies considerably. For example, Burmese temple murals of the moment of the Buddha’s enlightenment depict the seated Buddha being challenged by an army of demons summoned by the devil, Mara. The Buddha’s hand touches the ground to summon the Earth Goddess who wrings out her hair to unleash a flood that sweeps away the demons. A substantially different version of the story has Mara verbally challenging the Buddha: “Who knows that you have attained enlightenment?” The Buddha touches the ground and 2006-07-25T12:30:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Meaning-of-Buddha-Images-30626.aspx Reflections and Questions on the Flood of Genesis The debate of the extent and authenticity of the Genesis flood is by no means close to a conclusion. Theories and assumptions of every kind from all directions of biased beliefs have been analyzed, supported and negated. Reviewing publicized scientific and literary texts of the last decade have, however, shined a bit more light on the issue of Moses’ account in the Pentateuch. Whether biblical or scientific, scholars do not argue the fact that a tremendous natural force of water did splurge into the lands of ancient Mesopotamia. Contrast between these analysis’ begin when measurements are attempted to be placed onto this vast natural disaster. Measuring where the shores of this flood began and ended or even if it had an ending are quite broad, it is debated using terminology of either local or universal ( Wolf 101). To support the universal flood assumption requires extensive analysis of the book of Genesis. For instance, chapter 7:19-20 says “ all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered to a depth of at least twenty feet.” How could water cover every high mountain without covering all the land? (Wolf 102). Also in Genesis, God commands Noah to take with him every single living creature. This preparation task would only be necessary if a world wide flood were to occur. Otherwise, the animals of the surrounding lands would survive and prosper. Other literary evidence enlightens an entire Earthly flood considering the size of the ark, which by Genesis’ calculations reaches its maximum of four-hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five wide, and forty-five feet high. Such a massive ship, according to Wolf, could house thousands of animals and would be excessive if only a local flood were in order. Scriptural and archeological accounts also coincide when God clearly states that the purpose of the flood was to wipe out all of mankind. Looking at the duration of the existence of humans, and archeological dating of remains, man was quite noticeable spread out over a vast continent. A thorough investigation into Biblical data can lead to the conclusion of a global flood. A paradox exists between the universal 2006-07-23T19:39:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Reflections-and-Questions-on-the-Flood-of-Genesis-30551.aspx The Nature of Transcendental Meditation A surface definition of Transcendental Meditation pictures it as a natural practice of relaxation for two 20-minute periods each day. During the process one repeats a word, known as a *mantra*, in such a way that its rhythmic repetition aids the relaxation effort. The promoters of TM present it as a "scientific" practice based on biological and psychological laws. They repeatedly declare that it is a nonreligious activity in which men of all faiths may participate with great benefit. After initiation and careful instruction in TM, for which one pays a fee, faithful use of the technique reportedly produces near-miraculous results in all areas of life-- physical, psychological, social, and spiritual. Advocates of TM present what purports to be research data, and numerous testimonials from politicians, educators, sports and theatrical celebrities, as well as religious leaders, to support their claims. However, an in-depth study of Transcendental Meditation reveals that not all of its story appears on the surface. Serious examination of TM materials shows it is more than a relaxation tool. It is a religious activity. Transcendental Meditation has its root in Hinduism. All of its teachings about reality, God, man, and salvation are from the Vedas, the scriptures of the Hindus. The inclusion of the ritualistic initiation ceremony and the use of the secret *mantra* in TM are in keeping with the mystical practices of the cults of the East. Maharishi, world leader of TM, explains the benefits of the technique in religious rather than scientific language. THE ROOTS OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION By definition, then, meditation is emphasized in TM as the best means of "transcending" or experiencing unity with Being. It is clear that Transcendental Meditation is a religions activity in point of origin. Aspects of it can be traced to Hinduism. There are seemingly millions of gods in Hindu worship, but three stand out among them as most prominent. The first is Brahma, the creator of all things material. The second is Shiva, the god of destruction, disease, and death, as well as the god of vegetable, animal, and human reproduction. In Indian thought, death is but a prelude to rebirth. Thus, the god of death is also the god of sexuality. The third is Vishnu, the god of love and benevolence. However, above these is the all-pervading, impersonal god-force, the being called Brahman. The literature of TM refers to Brahman as Creative 2006-07-23T17:42:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Nature-of-Transcendental-Meditation-30537.aspx The Voice of Authority in Religion The Voice of Authority by George W. Marston asks a very important question: “Is the Voice of Authority God or Man?” Everyone has their own believes on truth and conduct. Whatever generated those believes inside each person, is that person’s voice of authority. That generator is either God or man. People have numerous sources that they consider to have a voice of authority. Some of them are the conscious, public opinion, the church, parents, bosses, witchcraft, or God. All of theses sources derive from either man or God. For example: you cannot have public opinion unless you have human beings, you cannot have witchcraft unless you have someone to practice it, and You cannot have a church if their is no God. Sadly, for many the voice of authority is man. The main reason that man have made themselves the voice of authority is because of what happened thousands of years ago in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they not only disobeyed God, they rebelled against Him. Since then, this rebellion against God has been passed down through today’s generations, and will continue to be passed down to further generation. Rebellion against God is the foundation of the belief that man the voice of authority. Rebellion against God is the same as rejecting God and the Bible. Why do men reject God? There are two explanations. The first is that men cannot fully understand God. God is unlimited in power, wisdom, holiness and many other unnumerable characteristics. Man is so limited in those traits, that God is way beyond full comprehension. The second reason that men reject God is because He threatens their freedom to do evil or immoral acts and not feel guilty of what they have done. Also they don’t want to be responsible of their actions. Men do not want to face the fact that they are in need of a Saviour. They don’t want God, and don’t want anything to do with him. Those who make man the voice of authority, reject the paradoxes ( truths that cannot be explained by human reasoning) found in the Bible. If God says that certain things are true, we must accept them as true. Yet, there are some who reject God’s truths. The main truth 2006-07-22T17:52:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Voice-of-Authority-in-Religion-30473.aspx The “Spirit” and Its Role 1. Introduction What role does the Holy Spirit play in our lives? It played a big role in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. The people being addressed in the Dead Sea Scrolls are Jews and Christians, so they do not yet know the modern day Holy Spirit. However, they do deal with spirits that affect their lives the same way the Holy Spirit affects the lives of the Galatians. In both cases the audience is being tested by falsehood, vanity, freedom and slavery. The Holy Spirit is the tool used to bring the people back to the Word of God and the Gospels. 2. Leaders of the People There are some major similarities and dissimilarities between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the First letter to the Galatians. The Dead Sea Scrolls are addressing the Jews and preaching to them not to stray away from the teachings of God. The leader or preacher in the Dead Sea Scrolls is the Master or leader of the community (1QS, 4Q55-264, 4Q280, 286-7,4Q502,5Q11,13). This is the same role that Paul takes with the Galatians. The new Christians look to him for guidance and for the word of Jesus. The master in the Dead Sea Scrolls teaches and preaches from the Book of Community Rule. Paul is teaching the Galatians the Gospels. In the Dead Sea Scrolls, God Himself hands down His word to Moses and to his people. The word that Paul was preaching to the Galatians was given to him by Jesus Christ (Gal 1:11). Both the Dead Sea Scrolls and Paul’s Letters were addressing the people straying away from the Word of God and the Word of Jesus. Both sources are dealing with false missionaries trying to preach fallacies. 3. Vanity Paul’s letter to the Galatians and the Dead Sea Scrolls both address the issue of faith and vanity. Paul wants to know if the Galatians received their faith from the Spirit or from the works of the Law (Gal 3:2). The Galatians were crucified with Jesus and born with the Holy Spirit. But through vanity, and fallacy by false prophets they were becoming flesh. In the Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q255) the author tells the people to keep away from all things that 2006-07-22T13:27:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Spirit-and-Its-Role-30459.aspx Traditional Role of Women in the Christain Church Most roles in the Christian Churches are male dominated due to varied interpretations of the Bible. In some denominations within the Christian faith, such as Roman Catholicism, women are not allowed to have important religious roles within the Church. In some Christian Reformed Churches women are allowed to be elders and ministers, but in others, they are forbidden to do so. Some other denominations, such as United or Presbyterian, allow women to have religious roles within the Church and are viewed as equal to men. Each group uses the Bible to support their policy on women’s involvement in the Church activities. Women in the first century Church were very active. They preached, were elders and deacons, and were viewed as equal to men. This is shown best in Acts 2:17-18, “In the last days…your sons and daughters shall prophecy…even my bond slaves, both men and women.” This passage says that men and women will be leaders in the Churches and spread God’s word around the world. In 441 AD women’s roles in the Catholic Church were totally eliminated and women were to be silent in the Church. Women were told to serve but to never have authority over men. Since the mid 1900’s women’s roles in the Church have been looked at in the Bible, and many Churches have re-evaluated women’s roles in church activities. The Roman Catholic Church is against having women in clergy. The Catholics believe that women can never be priests due to the Bible and that Jesus excluded women from priesthood and the church has always followed his example by never ordaining women. There were never any priestesses, and some Catholics believe that female priests are contrary to the Lord’s plan. There are very many arguments that try to show that women should not be in clergy. The first is the icon argument, which is based on the opinion that the priest is an icon of Jesus, and those who preach about him must be males that represent him. Another argument is the Sovereign will of Christ. This argument is established on that “Jesus was not culturally conditioned, that he was not obliged by his surrounding culture and societal norms to choose only males to be his apostles.” Jesus was not worried 2006-07-19T12:53:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Traditional-Role-of-Women-in-the-Christain-Church-30395.aspx The Little Horn Of Daniel To clarify my view on the little horn, I am a Seventh-day Adventist and I believe the Roman Catholic Church is the little horn. I have always felt this way, and actually, I didn’t know that anybody else thought otherwise until I was in this class, Studies in Daniel. In this report I will try to prove the little horn is the Roman Catholic Church and not Antiochus Epiphanes. What or whom exactly is the little horn of Daniel? Well, it depends on whom you talk to. First let’s look at the views of other religions than Seventh Day Adventists. According to James Hastings, who was a Scottish minister and editor, the “Little Horn refers to Antiochus Epiphanes (Hastings, 587). Then further looking in the Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Bert H. Hall, Dean and Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Houghton College, claims, “Much of the historical material leading to the conclusion of a literal fulfillment of Daniel 8; 9-12 is found in the book of I Maccabees, which led expositors as early as Josephus to interpret the little horn as the person and activities of Antiochus IV” (Hall, 540). Then moving to the views of the Roman Catholic Church, we find that they also believe Antiochus Epiphanes to be the little horn, “This new symbolism for Antiochus IV Epiphanes is taken from [Daniel] 8:9. Three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it: This translation is based on the interpretation supposing that three of Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ predecessors died violent deaths so that he could succeed to the throne” (Brown, 416). In fact every Bible Commentary I looked at other than Seventh-Day Adventist claimed Antiochus Epiphanes to be the little horn. Can all of these denominations be wrong and Seventh-Day Adventists be the only one with the truth about the little horn? Seventh-Day Adventists believe the little horn is not just one person, but the Roman Church, or papacy. “It’s [Papacy] opposition to God and Christ is represented in the 2d vision under the symbol of a little horn with a blasphemous mouth, in the 3d by the little horn in its later phase, and in the 4th - according to one interpretation – as a willful king who exalts himself against God.” So, who is right, Seventh-Day Adventists or 2006-07-18T13:05:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Little-Horn-Of-Daniel-30355.aspx Analysis of Follies in Religion I believe that religion is a crutch for the weak minded. Religion extends to those who believe in it a sense of knowledge and understanding of the universe. It does not, however, offer any proof to back up its claims. Furthermore, people who devote all of their reasoning to a simple illogical answer are merely mindless automatons of a bygone era. It not only brainwashes countless people, but divides them into factions that wish to slay each other simply because their religion dictates. Any intelligent person can find falsities and outrageous absurdities within any religious text, and for that reason shun its simple answer to everything. I am Jewish by birth, but atheist by choice. During the first 12 years of my life I was raised in an environment that fostered strong religious dogma. It was not uncommon for me to miss several days of school for the myriad of religious holidays I would attend. All the people I knew, as well as most of my friends, also fit within the microcosm of Judaism. I can remember with clarity sitting across the desk from my rabbi as he translated the portion of the Torah that I would read during my Bar Mitzvah. It spoke of a man’s right to kill his son because he was being disrespectful. From that point on I no longer viewed religion as an infallible institution. It is why I now base my opinions on what I have experienced and deduced from my experiences. That is why I try to show others some of what I see when I view religion. For the purpose of this paper, Christianity will be the religion focused on. It is the most widely know and accepted religion in the western hemisphere. To the millions of people who are members of the religion, it is a simple and unquestionable way of life. Everything in the world happens for a grand reason only God knows. This simple ideology offers nothing in the way of answers that one would expect from an omnipotent being. It merely shows how easy people give up their ability to reason and to scientifically and philosophically explore this immensely complex but not entirely incomprehensible world in which we live. It is unfathomable to believe how so many people can have faith in a god whose grand plan involves letting children be born in such 2006-07-17T12:41:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Follies-in-Religion-30277.aspx Examples of how Creationism Portrays its Societies Stories of creation can be found in almost every culture and are the basis of most religions. Man created stories to explain where he came from and how the world came into existence. Though they originated in the same part of the world, the Babylonian Enuma Elish and the Hebrew book of Genesis are two very different stories about the creation of man. These two stories of creation portray the two societies that created them: the Babylonian society of brutal servitude and the society of the recently freed Hebrews. In the story of Enuma Elish, the gods are continuously quarreling and feuding for power. The gods acquire this power by killing other rival gods. The brutality of the struggle for power is shown when Marduk kills Tiamat, “he releases the arrow, it tore her belly, it cut through her insides, splitting her heart. Having thus subdued her, he extinguishes her life.” The Babylonian society is also governed by brutality and this is shown through the Code of Hammurabi. An example of these brutal laws is Code 195 “ if a man has struck his father, his hand shall be cut off.” The Code of Hammurabi suggests that the Babylonians created Enuma Elish to justify the brutal society that they live under. In the Book of Genesis the story of creation is portrayed very differently. The Hebrews believe in a single omniscient God. Unlike the Gods of Enuma Elish, the God of Hebrews shows mercy instead of brute force. God’s mercy is evident through his interactions with Adam and Eve. God states, “of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shalt not eat of it: for in the day that you eat of it you shall die”. However, when Adam and Eve do eat the apple, though he gives them a harsh punishment, he allows them to live. His merciful actions are also shown in the story of Cain. After Cain murdered his brother, not only does God not kill but also shows mercy in his punishment, “Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.” These stories in the Genesis suggest that the Hebrews believe that they were created by a merciful 2006-07-10T18:12:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examples-of-how-Creationism-Portrays-its-Societies-30190.aspx Religions of the Republic of Ireland In The Republic of Ireland 93% of the citizens are Roman Catholic, 3% are Church of Ireland, and 4% are either Presbyterian or agnostic. Religion affects all aspects of society, especially politically because nearly all of the political leaders in The Republic of Ireland are Catholic; therefore the Catholic Church guides the government. Non-Catholics have very little say in the governmental decisions made in The Republic of Ireland because of this strong presence of Catholic political leaders. In Ireland, a greater percentage of Catholic people attend church at least once a week than any other Catholic nation in the world. Priests are very important people to each town, families boast if they are related to a priest or a nun. The Irish people pray at holy wells, these wells were considered holy even before the Christians came to Ireland. Saint Patrick is a man who is believed to have converted many Irish people to Catholicism back in the 1600’s. Saint Patrick was captured by a Gaelic raiding party, then taken to Ireland where he tended to sheep on a mountainside for about 6 years. Saint Patrick then escaped and went back to England with his family, but he felt the Irish people were calling him back to Ireland. St. Patrick returned to Ireland as a missionary, he set up monasteries, and built churches. One church that is believed to have been built by St. Patrick is the cathedral at Armagh in Northern Ireland near an ancient Celtic capital of the North. St. Patrick is now remembered in Ireland and many other nations by the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day, which is celebrated on March 17th. Other Religions in Ireland are a small percentage of Church of Ireland and Presbyterians. The Church of Ireland came to Ireland as the Church of England, which was founded by Henry VIII than later got its name as The Church of Ireland. The Church of Ireland is much like Roman Catholic but is more liberal on topics such as abortion, and divorce. The Presbyterians arrived in Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries by Scottish settlers whose mission was to convert the Irish people to Presbyterianism. The Presbyterians are led by Lay’s and Clergy’s, both of them preach but only the Clergy can baptize and give 2006-07-09T14:21:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Religions-of-the-Republic-of-Ireland-30126.aspx Character Analysis from the Story of Adam and Eve Satan: The main dude of the story. He was a top angel who wants to rule Heaven. He hates having to follow or be second to God or his son, Jesus. Satan gets pissed when God’s son is given more power. After losing his revolution in Heaven, he can’t handle the loss, so he ruins the lives of God’s newest favorite creation, Adam and Eve. Satan’s not an ass all the time -- he doesn’t want to mess too badly with Adam and Eve, and misses the beauty of heaven, but he feels he has to do evil. He struggles to be free, but his huge ego and pride get in the way. Beelzebub: Another fallen angel, better known as Lord of the Flies. He supports Satan when he’s down in the beginning of the story. God: He knows Adam and Eve are going to sin, but is pissed at them for breaking his rule -- they weren’t supposed to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. He wants them to stay innocent, like children. But through his son’s pleading, he allows them to later be saved. He gives his power to his son, Jesus, to fight Satan. God’s Son: Jesus, though never called so in the story, since he didn’t come to the earth as a person until his virgin birth through Mary. He beats Satan and saves the future of mankind by his later sacrifice. He’s the middle-man between God and Adam and Eve. Raphael: An angel who is sent by God to warn Adam and Eve of Satan’s plan. He tells them all about the war in heaven. Adam: The first man. He’s loyal to God and really loves his wife, Eve. After she eats the apple, he knows she’s lost, but out of his love for her, he eats it, too. He’s also curious about the universe and creation, and asks a lot of good questions. Eve: The first woman and Adam’s wife, who really gets the short end of the stick. She takes the bite of the apple, but Satan does an amazing job of convincing her to become more knowledgeable. She was working all day in the hot sun, when Satan shows her the juicy fruit. How couldn’t she? PLOT Satan and all the other angels who fought against 2006-07-05T23:41:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Character-Analysis-from-the-Story-of-Adam-and-Eve-30053.aspx Themes Common among Angels in the North Country Angels are our guardians. They perform special acts of benevolence to help and assist people in their daily lives. Although humans may never see angels in their lifetime, they are here spiritually and play a special role in protecting them. Wolves, on the other hand, may be represented as a symbol of evil, but in fact, they are very much like angels. Like angels, wolves are watchers. They do not harm but are just there. The wolves were send as a cure to protect the people, much in the same way that angels are here to give them hope. Without hope, people are left with no desire to do anything. Angels do not need to resemble humans. In fact, in the film, Never Cry Wolf, the are just the opposite, they are wolves. Wolves have much the same characteristics as angels. They roam peacefully in search of tranquility. Their mysterious eyes are so intimidating and ominous yet the movie implies they are tame, innocent and peaceful. To illustrate this, the individual in the story, Tyler, was able to approach the cubs in the cave and they did not even make a threatening gesture. He was able to film and pictures of them without being harmed. Also, wolves are vigilant, always aware of their surroundings. In the movie, the wolf made sure that he and the person had their boundaries set. The wolf respected the man’s space. Although they have boundaries they are free and wild much as angels are free and know no limits. Tyler went to the North to do some research on the wolves. He was seeking out for the answers to the dwindling caribou population and believed that the wolves were the cause. After a period of experiencing the North, he uncovers the real truth; that is; humans are the real enemy and not the wolves. It is so ironic that men are killing what protecting them. Men are too arrogant to believe that it is their own wrong doing. They ignore the wolves, like how they ignore the angels inside their head. Angels are like our conscience. They try to help us distinguish between right and wrong. Though men never think about their actions, they usually go for the first that pops into their mind and this may be disastrous. For example, in the movie, that 2006-07-05T23:00:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Themes-Common-among-Angels-in-the-North-Country-30039.aspx The Sovereignty And Goodness Of God Several factors played a part as to why Mary Rowlandson endured her captivity. One factor was that she had good housewife skills. Her status in the English community was also a factor. Pure luck is always a factor in a situation such as hers. But, the single most important factor was her religion. Facing one of the most adverse times in her life, Mary never lost her faith in God. Her housewife skills made her useful to the Indians. She was asked to knit clothes for them. She knitted caps, shirts and socks for the Indians, as well as fix clothes that were either too big or that were torn. The Indians also had her help in gathering food such as corn, groundnuts and water. When the Indians decided to remove themselves from one location and move to another, they had Mary help them carry some their belongings on her back. Mary’s status also affected her captivity. Due to the fact that she was married to the minister of Lancaster, Joseph Rowlandson, she had a higher status than most in her community. Being a minister, Joseph achieved an elite status in Lancaster. He was addressed “mister”. “In status-conscience England and its’ colonies, “mister” was reserved for men of authority and learning such as magistrates, ministers, military officers, and the very wealthy merchants.” Mary was addressed “mistress”; in fact, she was the only woman of her town to be addressed in this manner, due to her being the wife of the minister. This status made her very valuable to the Indians. They could use Mary as collateral to bargain with the Englishmen to acquire food, supplies, possibly even land. During the first few days of captivity, Mary and her daughter were still suffering from the wounds that the Indians inflicted during the attack of Lancaster as well as being spiritually wounded. Her daughter, Babe, was extremely sick with a violent fever that was caused from lack of food, water, shelter and her wounds. They were forced to sleep outside in the snow. Mary credits the Lord for allowing them to awake in the mornings. Babe was closely encroaching death a bit more as each day passed. Mary continued quoting passages from the Bible to 2006-07-05T16:01:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Sovereignty-And-Goodness-Of-God-30021.aspx The Kibbutz Of The Eightneenth Century Long before the state of Israel was established in 1948, the pioneers beginning to settle in Israel at the turn of the century envisioned and eventually put into action their idea of a “perfect” society. Living by their motto “Work and Believe”, these immigrants established settlements, known as a kibbutz, where everyone, men and women, young and old, were given specific responsibilities to help the community function as a whole. All individuals living on the kibbutz were seen as equal and each do their job, and in a sense live their lives, to benefit their society. This ideal society, where social roles are innate and living for the community are the very essence of their survival, is depicted, in Swifts imaginative construct of the Houyhnhnms society in Gulliver’s Travels and throughout Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, particularly in The Chimney-sweeper (Innocence) and London (Experience). The Houyhnhnms society, as seen through the eyes of Gulliver, was pragmatically simple. Their principle virtues were based on friendship and benevolence. They are concerned more with the community than with their own personal advantages, even choosing their mates to promote the race as a whole. The Houyhnhnms believed in breeding industriousness, cleanliness, and civility in their young and exercise them for speed and strength. Gulliver reaches a stage in his stay with the Houyhnhnms were he no longer cares about mankind as an individual. He becomes consumed with the simplicity of the Houyhnhnms belief system and admires their style of living, to the point where he doesn’t want to return to his own homeland. Gulliver is forced to eventually leave the Houyhnhnms, however finds it very difficult to leave their society. Leaving aside their class system, amongst themselves and between the Yahoos, the satire portrayed in the Houyhnhnms culture resembles those ideas, which became the foundation for life on the kibbutz. Each individual, both on the kibbutz and among the Houyhnhnms, recognizes their place in the bigger picture. The Houyhnhnms would gather every four years to discuss what could be done to better their community. Similarly, when settlers on the kibbutz would meet their goals were more focused on improving their community life rather than their own individual lives. The love and sense of community imposed on the individual from birth, on the kibbutz and among the 2006-07-03T23:42:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Kibbutz-Of-The-Eightneenth-Century-29968.aspx Allusions (For The Handmaid's Tale) Imagine a time and a place in the future where women are not allowed to show their face and are forced to wear long red garments. A place where love and romance are forbidden and to participate in such a way is punishable by death. Margaret Atwood's novel "The Handmaid's Tale" shows what life would be like in a place like this. Atwood uses biblical allusions to show similarities between the society and the characters with the events in the bible. One of the first biblical allusions is the Republic of Gileade. In the Bible the Gilead is a land where families went to live because the soil was fertile and the livestock was prosperous. The Republic of Gilead was prosperous because of its fertile soil. However, in "The Handmaid's Tale", it was the woman who could have children, not fertile soil. The allusion applies in this society because their prosperity was procreation. If you could not have children, you were worthless, unless you were wealthy and have your children through your handmaid. Therefore, in this society the richest is not in the soil, but in the womb of a woman. Another biblical allusion is the epigraph "And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said unto Jacob, Give me Children, or else I die...he said...who hath with held thoe the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my maid Bibah, go in unto her, and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her." (Genesis 30:1-3). This allusion applies to "It's not the husbands you have to watch for, said Aunt Lydia, it's the wives, you should always try to imagine what they must feeling, of course, they will resent you. It is only natural. You must realize they are defeated women". (pg 61) Rachel was unable to bare children just as the commander's wife, Serena Joy, was unable to. The whole purposes of the Republic of Gileade is to procreate and those who couldn't were worthless or had a surrogate mother, the handmaids. Serena Joy, was angry and saddened that her husbands had to sleep with another women, which explains the attitude she has towards Offred. Biblical allusions are found throughout the 2006-07-03T23:22:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Allusions-For-The-Handmaid-s-Tale-29957.aspx In this essay I am going to talk about how the media portrays religious broadcasting. There are two main types of religious broadcasting these are worship and magazine, a religious programme will usually broadcast an entire Christian service. This service will include hymn singing, prayers, interviews and testimonials. A magazine programme will include a number a reports, interviews and features. Most religious programmes will be shown during a timeslot called the God slot. This time slot is positioned between 10:30am to 6:00pm on Sunday’s. Religious broadcasting is broadcasting religious organizations, usually with a religious message. In the United Kingdom, Christian organizations are by far the most widespread compared with other religions. Religious broadcasting is targeting a whole range of people, It depends on what programme you are watching. For example a programme like ‘Songs of praise’ could be targeting viewers who can’t go to there Sunday church like they would normally do. On the other hand programmes like ‘Tricks of the Bible’ could be targeting viewers who are not Christians but are curious into looking up Christianity. An example of a magazine type program is ‘Heaven and Earth’. In this program a women presenter presents a range of reports, interviews and discussions. This program is not completely Christian based; there are other religious views on certain subjects. Heaven and Earth are trying to use current affairs that could link in with religion. For example the program is using the topic of the football world cup. They are talking about Wane Rooney’s broken foot and how the tabloids and supporters are thanking God that his food was healed. In this topic there are several reports, two interviews and a chance for the viewers at home to email in and voice their opinion. The program is using viewer interaction which is very common in a magazine style program. Viewer interaction is when the presenter or presenters use technology like e-mail and phone to ask the viewers opinion on a certain subject. This shows that the program is not old fashioned and that they are up to date with modern aspects of human life. Most people believe that religious programmes are old fashioned are only about people singing and praising god, this program has defied this view. The presenter of the show is Gloria Hunniford, she is roughly in her 60’s and has appeared in many other programmes like; ‘This Morning’, ‘This is your Life’ and 2006-07-03T21:43:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Religious-Broadcasting-29945.aspx Comparing the Bible and the Rig-Veda The Rig-Veda is a collection of hymns, which contain the mythology of the Hindu gods, and is considered to be one of the foundations of the Hindu religion. The Rig Veda was passed on orally for many generations. When they were written down, they were first written in Vedic, an early form of Sanskrit. Then around 300 B.C. the Vedas were written down in the form we have them today. The Rig Veda, Book of Genesis, and the Book of Psalms are all fundamental to the thought of each of the followers. Although the Rig Veda and The King James Version of the Bible are quite different, they have a various quantity of similarities. The first similarities between the two texts (The Book of Genesis and the Rig Veda) are the ideas of creationism. The two manuscripts both imply that earth was nothing before our creator. The documents use sensory detail to include that before the creations of earth everything was dark there was nothingness. “And the earth was without form and, void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (1:2 The Book of Genesis.) “The non-existent was not; the existent was not at that time. The atmosphere was not nor the heavens which are beyond. What was concealed? Where? In whose protection? Was it water? An unfathomable abyss?” (Creation hymn from the Rig Veda) Each insisting that earth would be formed and flourish under the power of its creator. A further comparison with the idea of creationism is water. In and around the same point in both texts water was created. In each ancient script water was brought down from the heavens to earth through the rain. In the Rig Veda the creator of rain is also the god of war and the sky. “The one who, having killed the serpent, released the seven rivers.” This piece from the Rig Veda is praising the god for making rain after a very long drought, which released streams and gave the people water. “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” (1:6 in The Book of Genesis.) This shows how god wanted to create water for the earth. In the Bible God creates water 2006-07-02T22:18:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparing-the-Bible-and-the-Rig-Veda-29900.aspx Differences of Buddhism and Hinduism Throughout the history of mankind, most civilizations have had some kind belief system or religion. In Asia, two of the belief systems that they practice there are Buddhism and Hinduism. 2006-06-27T03:44:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Differences-of-Buddhism-and-Hinduism-29888.aspx Christmas List of an Atheist AGAIN, we celebrate the "birth" of your child in the manger of an inn (with all your power, couldn't you have done a little better in selecting a birthplace?). Again, we celebrate the rise and triumph of commercialism, hanging $9.95 decorations on a $249.95 tree. And again, we pay tribute to empty pockets and devastated bank accounts. Amen. Forgive me for my atheism dear Mr. Christian God, as I celebrate the endless preaching of your preachers on this glorious day (for just how many homosexuals would live free and how many fetuses would feel safe without them?). I hope that in your total/partial wisdom you will hear my Christmas wishes on this O so majestic holiday. Since Santa Claus died yesterday (at least according to my mom), I can't ask him for anything. First, I ask that, if you in fact exist, that you hear my prayers through the hearing mechanism of your choice. I will be brief, as, if you exist, you must be pretty busy, given that you're probably answering the billions of letters sent by other atheists. Here is my wish list for the holiday season: 1. Dear Mr. Christian God, please give me some nice stuff. Maybe a sports car, or, if you have the power, a really good condo near a lake or ski resort or something. Even better, tell your carol singers to shut the hell up. 2. If indeed there is a complicated theological structure to the universe, and if that structure contains some kind of hell/fire-area/penalty box, please make sure that I don't go there. Since I admit that there is a probability that demons exist, I really would like to avoid being put in a position where they get to eat my lungs. So, please give me a hand in that department, if in fact you can. 3. Please heal my sick friend Jim. If you exist and have some kind of divine plan that calls for Jim's death, well that's kind of a bummer but I'll understand. However, if Jim is going to die then make his congregation take care of his illegitimate children as a result of some random molecular interaction, it would be nice if you could use any divine power which you might well possess to intervene. Thank you for your time and sincerity. I apologize for 2006-06-27T03:08:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Christmas-List-of-an-Atheist-29880.aspx Controversy over Religion in Schools The controversies are raging today as to whether prayer should be allowed, or even mandated, in public schools. People of religious control over secular institutions and public schools argue that it is well within the first amendment to allow prayer in public schools, while opponents argue that this changes the rights of others who do not wish to partake in such sectarian activities. Who is right, and should it really be left up to politicians to decide? This issue is hard to bare and complex for those who believe religious freedom is precious. These people make many competing demands to balance church and state and the right to exercise religion. On the side of the religious right, Newt Gingrich, current Speaker of the House of Representatives stated: "The Supreme Court's decision of 1963 was bad law...if the court doesn't want to reverse itself, then we have an absolute obligation to pass a constitutional amendment to instruct the court on its error." The decision-makers must get in the mind of the religious and the non-religious. Decision-makers look toward a vision of America that is opening and welcoming to everyone, even religious minorities. This subject is important and should be clear to everyone. School districts should set clear policies about religion in public schools that satisfy the First Amendment. Parents should become involved in the process of creating those policies with teachers and the whole staff involved in the education of all the students. An understanding of the mistakes underlie many of the problems that typically arise in this area. These prayer issues are still important and those are involved should not underestimate those extremely complex issues. They also should not shy away from their concerns. Yet, all if us should know that our common goal is going to be different but to ensure that our religious liberty is intact and preserved. Few Americans would disagree that our individual religious freedom is precious and important. Freedom is what this all comes down to, and whether you call it freedom of religion or freedom from religion, you are talking about the same thing. The Anti- Defamation League had been fighting for the rights of religious minorities to practice prayer and other religions freely and without government interference. The prayer practice of individuals at school is forbidden but some religious clubs are active today 2006-06-22T14:31:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Controversy-over-Religion-in-Schools-29803.aspx Defending God's Existence Does God exist? I guess that’s the question proposed to everyone at least once in their lives. It is a strange topic with so many views, opinions, and debates. If asked what a person perceived God to be or the ideas that God dictates, each individual scrambles from the depth of their mind to find a definition and words to describe the feeling of God that runs through their hearts. With that in mind, each individual’s own interpretation and feelings arise from their own personal intangible encounters of God and religion as they see it in all its entirety. God, in my heart and soul, does exist. He is a man, a soul, a creator, an all-knowing being. He knows the answers to the questions that have no obvious answers, and explains the unexplainable . He dictates my creation and provides me with everything and everyone that is significant in my life. In my opinion, no one can sit down and debate on the existence of God. It is impossible to discuss and differentiate one’s facts as a pro or con in regard to His existence. A person can only speak from their heart what God means to them, and how God affects their life. Although He is my creator and dictates my creation, He does not dictate my life. He has provided me with everything necessary for my existence but at the same time I control my own destiny. For example, I am allowed to make mistakes and learn from them; however, He gives me the strength to not make those same mistakes again. Though I do base my existence on the theory that God exists, He does not control my every thought and action. My existence is based solely on Gods will and power. Then, I suppose in terms of my existence, He is my creator and the only reason I am alive is because He is my lifeline. He gives my life meaning. Without Him, myself and the people around me would not be alive. God is real to me and I have opened my mind and heart to Him. On the other hand, if God does not exist, then my life does not have meaning, and there is no explanation as to why I am alive. If He does not 2006-06-21T16:36:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Defending-God-s-Existence-29776.aspx Ellen White and the Ministry of Healing Whenever I tell someone that I am a Seventh-day Adventist they immediately respond with, “Oh, you’re a vegetarian.” For some reason our faith has become widely known from the writings of the prophet Ellen White on health and diet. Her writings have directed many Seventh-day Adventists to a diet consisting of “grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables” which is the diet she says is “the diet chosen for us by our Creator” (113). She advocates this diet because she believes that this is the best way to provide “strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect that are 2006-06-21T15:23:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ellen-White-and-the-Ministry-of-Healing-29761.aspx Conflicting Beliefs in Islamic Religion According to much of the Western culture Islam has been seen as a backwards and dangerous religion. This may be because of the ignorance of the Western culture or just the failure to completely understand the teachings behind the actions. The Western culture also only looks at the aspects that make the Western culture seem better. The teachings of Islam came from Allah but from the mouth of Muhammad. To understand the teachings of Muhammad we can look into his past before he became the “seal of the prophets”. The tragedies began in Muhammad’s life as soon as he was born. His father had passed away a few day before Muhammad was even born this was to be the first but definitely not last tragedy to come to Muhammad. When Muhammad turned six his mother too had passed away leaving him in the care of his grandfather. At age eight his grandfather then also passed away and thereafter Muhammad’s uncle had adopted him. Because of financial situation in his family Muhammad at a very young age was forced to work hard minding his uncles flocks, but with all this misfortune Muhammad had found a loving welcome to this new family he had found himself a part of. All this misfortune that came to Muhammad had made him sensitive to suffering of all kinds. He grew to be loving, compassionate and charitable. This all affected the religion known as Islam and the religion hadn’t even been formed yet. With all the qualities Muhammad possessed he still kept separate from society because of all the evil and deception that he seen around him so Muhammad stayed mostly to himself despite being the good natured person that he was. This let Muhammad reflect upon himself, society and what would have to been done to make a change in the world of such disorder. Now whether what he taught to the people were actually the word of god or his own words I’m not going to discuss but it’s the purpose and the teachings themselves that I will shed light onto. With only a few exceptions the theological concepts of Islam are virtually identical to those of Judaism and Christianity. At the time Muhammad started his teachings the single hardest belief to teach was the belief that there was one and only one God who was everywhere at once yet at the same 2006-06-20T17:33:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conflicting-Beliefs-in-Islamic-Religion-29724.aspx Intracisies of Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India from 560 to 480 B.C, founded Buddhism Buddhism, one of the major religions of the world. The time of the Buddha was one of social and religious change, marked by the further advance of Aryan civilization into the Ganges Plain, the development of trade and cities, the breakdown of old tribal structures, and the rise of a whole spectrum of new religious movements that responded to the demands of the times (Cones 10). These movements were derived from the Brahmanic tradition of Hinduism but were also reactions against it. Of the new sects, Buddhism was the most successful and eventually spread throughout India and most of Asia. Today it is common to divide Buddhism into two main branches. The Theravada, or "Way of the Elders," is the more conservative of the two; it is dominant in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand (Berry 23). The Mahayana, or "Great Vehicle," is more diverse and liberal; it is found mainly in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and among Tibetan peoples, where it is distinguished by its emphasis on the Buddhist Tantras (Berry 24). In recent times both branches, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, have gained followers in the West. It is virtually impossible to tell what the Buddhist population of the world is today; statistics are difficult to obtain because persons might have Buddhist beliefs and engage in Buddhist rites while maintaining folk or other religions such as Shinto, Confucian, Taoist, and Hindu (Corless 41). Such persons might or might not call themselves or be counted as Buddhists. Nevertheless, the number of Buddhists worldwide is frequently estimated at more than 300 million (Berry 32). Just what the original teaching of the Buddha was is a matter of some debate. Nonetheless, it may be said to have centered on certain basic doctrines. The first of the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha held, is suffering, or duhkha. By this, he meant not only that human existence is occasionally painful but that all beings; humans, animals, ghosts, hell- beings, even the gods in the heavens; are caught up in samsara, a cycle of rebirth, a maze of suffering in which their actions, or karma, keep them wandering (Coomaraswamy 53). Samsara and karma are not doctrines specific to Buddhism. The Buddha, however, specified that samsara is characterized by three marks: suffering, impermanence, and no- self, or anatman. 2006-06-20T17:00:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Intracisies-of-Buddhism--29707.aspx Fundamental Beliefs of Hinduism Hinduism is the name given to a family of religions and cultures that began and still flourish in India. Like other Eastern religions, it doesn't fit comfortably into the same box as Western religions like Christianity. Hindus do not separate religion from other aspects of life. For Hindus in India, Hinduism is an inextricable part of their 2006-06-16T15:38:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Fundamental-Beliefs-of-Hinduism-29633.aspx Biblical Summary of The Book of Matthew MATTHEW 1 In the first chapter of Matthew at the very beginning of the chapter Matthew explains how the prophecy that Jesus would come from the line of David. It also explains the love and compassion that Joseph had for his wife. Because he did not know right away that Mary had not been with another man, but he did not make an example of her like most men in those days would have done. But when the angel came to Joseph and told him that it was the Holy Ghost that was inside of her and to take her as your wife he obeyed. MATTHEW 2 In this chapter Matthew tells us how the wise men came and found Jesus by the bright star that was over the place where He stayed. He also tells us how the wise men had a dream that they should not return to Herod the King because he wanted to kill the Savior. Also how God protected Jesus by giving Joseph another dream that he should go to Egypt until Herod is dead. But when Herod died God came to Joseph in a dream telling him that it was safe to go to Israel and as they left Joseph found out that Herod son was reining in Judea Joseph became afraid and took his family to Galilee. This was another prophecy fulfilled that Jesus would be a Nazarene. MATTHEW 3 This chapter talks about John the Baptist and how he would go from place to place baptizing people. There was also another prophecy fulfilled in this chapter, the prophecy was that someone very rugged would come out of the wilderness and prepare the way for Christ. As John the Baptist was baptizing these people he was dressed in camel hair the bible says. Toward the end of the chapter Matthew says that Jesus came to John the Baptist and asked him if he would baptize Him. And when John the Baptist had baptized Jesus the Bible says that the heavens opened and a dove came out and God said, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.” MATTHEW 4 The beginning of this chapter explains to us what we need to do when the devil tempts us the devil tempted Jesus three times and all three times Jesus quoted scripture to him 2006-06-16T15:35:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Biblical-Summary-of-The-Book-of-Matthew-29631.aspx Religious Comparison of Christianity and Islam You had to know history to understand what Bosnia and Kosovo were all about. That conflict proved that the war between Christianity and Islam has never ended. Over the ages, it simply took on different forms. Because we live in such a highly secularized society, we cannot believe that America could ever become involved in a religious war in this day and age. Yet ferocious religious wars have been going on all over the place: in Northern Ireland, Israel, the Balkans, the Sudan and Russia. But history is a very harsh taskmaster and refuses to let us Americans escape into our secular fantasies and hot houses for long. Thus, it is vitally important for us to reconnect with the human race's never-ending history of religious struggle. That a group of Islamic terrorists, living in a remote, war-torn, famine-ridden, hell-hole in Asia could organize the kind of mind-boggling attack against America that took place on Sept. 11, means that America is not only not exempt from history, but has been dragged kicking and screaming back into the middle of it. Back in 1588, Christopher Marlowe, master of historical drama, wrote his famous Tamburlaine 2. In it, there is a fascinating scene in which the Christian King Sigismund of Hungary and Orcanes, the Muslim King of Natolia, both former enemies, decide to establish peace between them in order to join forces to defeat Tamberlaine the Great, the cruel, pagan conqueror of Asia. Both men confirm their commitment with an oath. King Sigismund vows: "By Him that made the world and sav'd my soul, The Son of God and issue of a maid, Sweet Jesus Christ, I solemnly protest and vow to keep this peace inviolable!" King Orcanes vows: "By sacred Mohamet, the friend of God, Whose holy Alcoran remains with us, Whose Glorious body, when he left the world, Clos'd in a coffin mounted up the air, and hung on stately Mecca's temple-roof, I swear to keep this truce inviolable!" But as the story goes, it was King Sigismund who later broke the truce and was defeated and killed by the Muslims. While the history of the struggle between Christians and Muslims for control of Europe was for a time settled after the Muslims were expelled from Spain in 1492, and driven back from the gates of Vienna to Asia and Africa, the Islamic enclaves that remained 2006-06-16T15:15:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Religious-Comparison-of-Christianity-and-Islam-29620.aspx The Importance of Ibn Khaldun in Islam In the modern world Islam is seen as many things, but rarely is it viewed as a source of inspiration and enlightenment. Though it is a force of enlightenment and it is not only verses of the Quran that testify to that fact, but also the great body of scholarship produced during the middle Ages. While Europe was in the midst of darkness, it was the Muslims, spurred on by the light of their new Deen who picked up the torch of scholarship and science. It was the Muslims who preserved the knowledge of antiquity, elaborated upon it, and finally, passed it on to Europe. Although every person earns what they do and pass on, it is important for us to learn about and appreciate the contributions of the Islamic civilization by the early Muslims. Colonialism, the institution of the Western educational model, along with Euro centrism often portrays Islam as backwards, incompatible with science and technology and anti-educational. Muslim school children never learn of their glorious past and often the only thing passed on to them is the inferiority complex of the generation before them. From the past we can learn from our mistakes and use the analysis of those great examples such as Ibn Khaldun before us as role models to enrich us in the future. Ibn Khaldun is the most important figure in the field of History and Sociology in Muslim History. He is one of those shining stars and has contributes so much to our western world. In order to understand his work, one must understand his life. He lived a life in search of stability and influence. He came from a family of scholars and politicians and he intended to live up to both expectations. You can probably imagine what his family would expect of him. He would succeed in the field of Scholarship much more so than in any other field. Ibn Khaldun had many names. These are his names: Abdurahman bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Al-Hasan bin Jabir bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Abdurahman bin Ibn Khaldun. His ancestry according to him originated from Hadramut, Yemen. Through the help of Ibn Hazem he traced his ancestry. He learned about his grandfather who was the first to enter Andalusia. He also traced his ancestry 2006-06-15T22:49:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Importance-of-Ibn-Khaldun-in-Islam-29577.aspx Greek God of the Underworld, Hades Hades was the ruler of the underworld. Hades name means sightless or unseen. He was from the first generation of Olympian gods. His brother Zeus ruled the skies and his other brother Poseidon ruled the sea, which left Hades with the underworld. Hades ia always represented as a stern dark bearded man. He is always shown with tightly closed lips, a crown on his head, his scepter in one hand and a key in the other, the key was to show how closely he guarded those who entered his kingdom. No temples were dedicated to him, and statues of him are very rare. Hades ruled the underworld alone until he fell in love with the goddess Persephone. Hades abducted Persephone and whisked her away in his chariot, then married her. His most famous trip to Earth was to kidnap his wife. He did not frequent Olympus and remained mostly in his underworld empire and therefore wasn’t considered a ruling dietie. Hades’s symbol is a double pronged pitchfork which he used to shatter anything not to his liking. His other identifying possessions were the famed helmet which made him invisible, and his dark colored chariot drawn by 4 coal-black horses. Also the guard of the underworld gates was his giant three headed dog with a dragons tail (sometimes with snakes growing out of its back).His name was Cerberus. Hades also controlled the 5 rivers in the underworld the river are: Acheron (river of sadness), Cocytus (river of lamentation), Lethe (river of forgetfulness), Phlegethon (river of fire), and the Styx river (river of hate). Everyone was sent to Hades, the three judges decided who had a happy afterlife and who would suffer. Black sheep were sacrificed to Hades at this time. Those who offered the sheep could not look straight at Hades and the judges. They were made to turn their heads away. After the judges decided what your afterlife would be like, you would drink from the Lethe river and forget your past life. It became a Greek custom to bury a person with a coin in their mouth. The coin would be used to pay the ferryman, if you didn’t have a coin you would spend eternity wondering the shores . This is 2006-06-15T19:28:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Greek-God-of-the-Underworld,-Hades-29556.aspx Women Gospels There are numerous passages in the gospels dealing with women. Some of the images presented are almost casual in nature; but others are highly important as they present God's unchanging view of women. These passages form the foundation of a guiding teaching from which the apostles try not to stray. Women are portrayed as equal to men by the parables, teachings, healing, and treatment by Jesus Christ, and also in their roles in the events immediately following the crucifixion of Jesus, the Son of God. Matthew 24:39-41 and Luke 17:34-36 each give representations of the second coming of Jesus. Each shows both men and women being taken up to be with Jesus. The short story of 'two men shall be in the field' is followed by a one for women: 'two women shall be grinding at the mill'. With this, Jesus indicated women to be “co-heirs” to the Kingdom of God, an idea never shown in the Bible before. In the modern Christian churches, this notion is not unordinary, but the concept of "co-heirship" including women was not normal in the day when Jesus said it. Another example of the parallel of male and female stories is found in Mt 24:45-51 and Mt 25:1-13, where the parable of the honest and dishonest male servants is followed immediately by the tale of the wise and foolish virgins. Each account stresses the importance of being diligently prepared for the Lord's return. These stories are made to fit to the two genders. Both men and women are to be saved. Not only through his stories but also through his healings, does Jesus show the equality of men to women. One of Jesus' earlier healings in the Gospel of Luke was of a woman. Jesus healed her on the Sabbath. (Lk 13:10-17) He rebuked the ruler of the synagogue who showed scorn toward the Sabbath healing. In doing so, Jesus uses a rare phrase, "daughter of Abraham", to describe her. The phrase "son of Abraham" was commonly used to respectfully refer to a Jew, but "daughter of Abraham", was an unknown phrase. It occurs nowhere else in the Bible. Jesus promotes the equality of men and women with this phrase. Along with healing women, Jesus also shows us how to treat them. In the case of adultery, Jesus showed mercy when he freed a woman caught in the act (Jn 8:2-11). 2006-06-15T15:51:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-Gospels-29537.aspx Analysis of the Epic of Gilgamesh The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the masterpieces of world literature. Exploring mankind's universal longing for immortality, the poem tells the story of a Babylonian hero's quest for glory and flight from death. A feeling of resentment is something each and every one of us felt throughout our lives. Some say it is a phase we go through, I say it's common. The more you try to appease others the less you feel about yourself. Is it truly important to consider this hatred and opinion of others, as Dimmesdale has? Or, deny yourself opportunities, that as an end result you ruin. Originality can be discovered by accepting situations or can be dealt by revenge. By refusing to believe what truth may bring, you are always aware of your sins. You simply just blind yourself to the facts that surround you. Hence, trying to destroy the creative source only leads to self-destruction This is a brief discussion of the Gilgamesh epic as it relates to the Old Testament. The most well-known parallel between the epic and the Bible is of course the story of the Flood, in Genesis 6-7. This is essentially equivalent to the story that Utnapishtim, the Sumerian Noah, tells to Gilgamesh on Tablet XI. Even the way the narrative is laid out is similar – the gods put a bug in Utnapishtim’s ear; a description of how the ark is built (“daubed with bitumen,” a common glue or mortaring agent in Mesopotamia); everyone piles in, and it starts to rain. When it’s over, Utnapishtim releases a dove, then a swallow, and finally a crow, however – an interesting change of detail. However, the section of the Bible that really seems linked to Sumerian mythology is the book of Ecclesiastes. The writer of that book informs us, in Eccl. 12:9-10, that in the course of composing it he read widely, presumeably everything that he could get his hands on in those days before inter-library loan and the Internet. From internal evidence it’s obvious that he read some version of the epic of Gilgamesh. It’s fascinating to see that the story, already very ancient by Biblical times, circulated so widely in the Middle East. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (in the Revised Standard version) runs, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his 2006-06-14T23:25:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Epic-of-Gilgamesh-29497.aspx Summary of Article on Buddhism This article talks about the interesting religion called, “Buddhism”. The article talks about the history of Buddhism and how it was founded. The article is a very detailed article which makes reading the article very understandtable. Buddhism was founded in the forth or fifth century B.C. in northern India by a man known as Siddhartha Guatama, the son of a warrior prince. This article talks about Gautema’s life, he was troubled by the inevitability of suffering in human life, he left home and a pampered life at the age of 29 to wander as an ascetic, seeking religious insight and a solution to the 2006-06-14T20:58:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Summary-of-Article-on-Buddhism-29485.aspx Metaphors And Images Of Brahmanism And Jainism When I was young I was one of those kids who asked “Why?” about three million times a day. I feel bad for my mom now, but when I was younger I just wanted to know it all. I wanted answers for everything and I still do, and I don’t think I am alone. I believe that many other people share that same personality trait with me. My mom tried hard to answer as many as she could and she did this with stories, analogies and metaphors. Many belief systems are set up the same way just like Brahmanism and Jainism. When things are complicated and hard to explain people break them down into smaller concepts. Both religions broke each part of nature or occurrence in a person’s lifetime into a smaller thing. These things were either, in Brahmanism, controlled by a higher being whom they had to please by performing a ritual for or in Jainism, controlled by their own actions and karma they each created. Metaphors and imagery are the basis for almost every writing presented in Sources of Indian Tradition, vol. 1, revised edition. Using both allows people to understand very complex ideas at a smaller degree. If someone understands a story about a man trying to kill a snake it allows a channel for him or her to understand the struggle between good and evil. Religions are mostly all made up of simple ideas that yet are very complex and hard to believe. It is the way they are presented that can make them easier to understand and believe in. Creation is still a topic people discuss and cannot come to a conclusion about. The reasons are endless on why there is no answer; some people have beliefs that stem from religion others from science. In Brahmanism there are about 5 creation myths that attempt to answer the question of creation. Each myth has a different approach and base to its story but they all have the same outcome, the world and the creation. The first creation myth that is discussed in Sources of Indian Tradition, vol. 1, rev. ed. involves Varuna “the administrator of the cosmic law” (10). The passage states that he separated the earth and stars from the heavens to create everything. The second creation myth discussed tells a story involving Indra and Vritra. In the Rig Veda 1.32 2006-06-13T19:30:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Metaphors-And-Images-Of-Brahmanism-And-Jainism-29478.aspx Writings of Confucius, Hammurabi and The Book of The Dead Three of the most famous writings from ancient civilizations are the writings of Confucius, Hammurabi's code of laws, and Egypt's Book of the Dead. At first, they seem very different, they're from different times, regions, and religions, but they all offer a peek into what values ancient people considered important. One of the values that all three civilizations is justice and fairness. I feel that this is best viewed in Hammurabi's laws. All of the penalties for the crimes are very stiff, but fair. I feel that it is fair that "If he has broken the limb of a patrician, his limb shall be broken" It's like in the Bible "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." In Egypt, in the Book of the Dead, a man couldn't proceed into the after life unless he was found innocent of any wrong doing on Earth. In Confucius' writings, he never actually says the word "justice", but he does say "Great Man cherishes excellence; Petty Man, his own comfort. Great Man cherishes the rules and regulations; Petty Man special favors." To me, that mean "Great Man is fair, Petty man is unfair." The second of these three values is responsibility and respect to one's family and elders, and responsibility and respect to others families and elders. This is most evident in Confucius' writings. He is constantly stressing family values and responsibility. One quote that shows this is "Let the sole sorry of your parents be that you might become ill." This stresses personal responsibility and respect to your parents. Hammurabi showed responsibility by saying "If a builder has built a house for a man, and has not made his work sound, and the house he built has fallen, and caused the death of the man's son, the builder's son shall be put to death." That quote shows a man's responsibility for himself and his family. In Egypt, during the ritual of the dead, it is said that the dead man, in order to pass into the afterlife, must profess that he has not done anything to hurt anyone. This shows responsibility because if the man did not tell the truth, he was responsible for not entering the afterlife. Knowing that they 2006-06-13T18:37:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Writings-of-Confucius,-Hammurabi-and-The-Book-of-The-Dead-29444.aspx The Process of Transformation described in "Nutting" Throughout a person’s life, reflection upon an experience can bring about wonderful memories. In Wordworth’s “Nutting” he reflects on a day in the woods that changed his view on life and reality. During this reminiscence, Wordsworth experiences the relationship between man and nature. His specific usage of words distorts reality by giving the poem a dream-like feeling. “Nutting” affects the young boy by making him appreciate nature. At the same time he loses focus of reality which gives the poem a fairy tale quality which also reinforces his new-found love for nature. Wordsworth’s experience of entering the woods put him in touch with nature and childhood imagination. Before Wordsworth sets foot in the woods, he has a felling of excitement and childhood joy. He eagerly anticipates the journey in to the woods. “I left our cottage-threshhold, sallying forth…”(line 5). When the boy says he is “sallying forth”, he means he walking or skipping in a way that is happy or carefree. And even when he is telling his story to us, he is very particular by saying he singles out this day (which he remembers so clearly) from the many other days in his life. He is very excited about nature at this point and learns about the relationship between human beings and nature. Another aspect of this poem which adds to the wonderful experience that this child is having is the fact that he is one of the few people to see the beauty he is seeing. He mentions to us the “virgin scene”. Included in this scene is the untouched, unspoiled and even possibly unseen forest splendor. And knowing this only adds to his enjoyment. “The violets of five seasons re-appear And fade unseen by any human eye”(line 31-32). He tells the reader of how happy he is to see with his owns eyes something that not many people get a chance to see. When he mentions “the violets of 5 seasons” he tells the reader that five years could go by without any person seeing the beautiful flowers. The violets of five seasons also give the reader an idea of how secluded this place is, which makes it even more special for the boy. His attitude and feeling of utter joy can be seen through his description of the trip and the “virgin scene”. “A little while I stood, Breathing with such 2006-06-12T20:57:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Process-of-Transformation-described-in-quot-Nutting-quo-29375.aspx Denis Diderot’s Influence on the Enlightenment Denis Diderot was the most prominent of the French Encyclopdiasts, and his attacks on the political systems of France were some of the largest benefactors to the French Revolution. Diderot spent thirty years of his life compiling the Encyclopedie- an immense contribution to the Enlightenment of Europe- and dedicating his the rest of his life to helping others expand their realm of knowledge, thus adding Diderot to the list of prime initiators of the Enlightenment. The roots of the Enlightenment began in the 17th century, beginning with rationalism and the laws of Descartes and Newton. Discoveries in natural science alchemized into the Enlightenment; society began observing and making conclusions on these observations, rather than just accepting what is told to them. The analytic method which Newton, Descartes, Galileo, and the other great discoverers were using became applied to the entire field of knowledge and thoughts, leading to many remarkable ideas. “The real power of reason lay not in the possession but in the acquisition of truth,” said Lessings. Society began looking for truths, looking at everything logically, and breaking the demarcations of dogmatism. Furthermore, unlike Socrates, logic was applied to rid the society of evils and injustice, rather than to just point the wrongs out. The Enlightenment dislodged the majority of society from the grasp that government and religion bestowed upon them, which plays a role in the French Revolution. The Enlightenment is credited to a core group of intellectual people: Voltaire, Hume, LeMettrie, d’Holbach, Pascal, Gibbon, Pierre Bayle- writer of a dictionary of history, he was a Galileo of history-, Montesquieu, Leibnitz, and most importantly, Diderot. Denis Diderot, born in 1713, was educated by the Jesuits from 1728-1732, and then received the master of arts degree from the University of Paris. Diderot’s father wanted his son to study medicine or law, but Diderot wanted to be with books. Over the next few years Diderot had several jobs, mainly translating literature from English to French, married, and soon began writing texts. His first work was the “Essai sur le merite et la vertu” in 1745. During that same year Diderot began a job as an editor for an encyclopedia of math with Jean Le Rond d’Alembert. During that time he learned the encyclopedic process, which became valuable when he began work on his own encyclopedia. 2006-06-12T19:08:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Denis-Diderot’s-Influence-on-the-Enlightenment-29359.aspx Women have been an integral part of the expression, development and life of all religious traditions. During the early years of the life of Christianity and Judaism, women have made a contribution that has influenced their respective tradition’s expression. In this essay two important women Deborah and Mary Magdalene will be explored thoroughly with a concise analysis on how these two women responded to their founder or made choices that affected the lived expression of their tradition. The importance of Deborah and Mary Magdalene in their respective faiths is… Deborah was a prophetess and the fourth Judge and only female Judge of pre-monarchic Israel in the Old Testament. Her moral authority was regarded as appointed by the Lord, and her judgement was greatly sought and highly trusted. It was through Deborah’s knowledge she was able to grant advice to people. Her leadership was also what granted Barak the ability to go to war. It was in this way that she was able to protect and continue the religious traditions. The fact that she did not rely on her husband or male relatives also made her an example for contemporary Jewish women today. During the time of Deborah’s rule, the nation of Israel had been under domination by the Canaanites for twenty years. They had suffered terrible atrocities and finally began to cry out to God for deliverance from this enemy. (Judges 4:3) God heard their cries and so He sent forth Deborah to lead the Israelites against Jabin, King of Canaan (Judges 4 and 5). She encouraged her general Barak although outnumbered in strength to attack the enemy while the river was in full flood. The Canaanites were incapacitated by their iron chariots and the Israelites won a famous victory through God. Deborah became a legendary figure because of her faith in God and her charismatic inspirational leadership. She is seen in the Book of Judges 4-5 as one who is obedient to the Lord and who had an immense faith in Him. Her courage, humility and faith reinforced a great deal how the Jewish followers should serve God. Deborah’s song of triumph (Judges 5) is thought to be one of the earliest Hebrew poems in existence and is considered one of the few pieces of inspired writing unequalled by men, showing her faith in God. In the ‘song of triumph’ Deborah sings to the Lord with thanks and praise 2006-06-12T11:16:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mary-Magdelane-and-Deborah-29320.aspx Explain the importance of Ruth (Judaism) and Mary Magdalene (Christianity) to the lived tradition of their respective Religious Traditions, with specific references to variants where applicable? The importance of Rus [as it is spelt in the Jewish Tradition] and Mary Magdalene in their respective faiths can be seen in the way different variant have interpreted their stories into lived tradition [how you apply the stories in to our life or use the stories as an example]. Rus’s story applying mainly to the Orthodox variant of Judaism plays an integral role Jewish ritual and understanding of the past. Mary Magdalene’s, on the other hand, is interpreted differently in the three Christian variants of Lutheran, Catholic and Orthodox but the importance of her story is evident and how the variants receive and live out her message. According to a lecture by Tsiporah Heller "Great Women: Rus and Naomi" on www.torah.org, the book of Rus takes place in a time of anarchy where religion was lost to many of those in Israel. It was during a famine which is stated in the Midrash [text expression of Halakah] to have been sent by God as a “test of faith”. Judaism interprets the story of Rus as an example of laws [Mitzvoth and Halakah] and ways of conduct within the Jewish faith which are challenging but have to be adhered to. Rus is an example of a foreigner who accepted and lived out the rules but is symbolically Israel and how they should follow the laws of Yahweh. This is illustrated for example in Rus’ statements of commitment to Naomi. "Where you go, I'll go": According to the Midrash this refers to the travel limitation laws during “Shabbat” and that Rus is agreeing and committing to such laws as should the Jew in times of Shabbat. "Where you sleep, I'll sleep:" This verse refers to laws of "yichud," which regulate the time in which men and women can sleep together and Rus is pledging to the Jewish limitations of when she can sleep with a man in the same way in which the Jewish people should follow this law. In Ruth 1:16-18, Ruth commits herself fully to Judaism, in the same way through lived tradition so should a Jew. According to the Midrash Rus while she gleans in the field of Boaz is on bended knee as not to expose her legs and 2006-06-12T11:15:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ruth-and-Mary-Magdalene-29319.aspx Cross Religion Study Religion and Women THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN 1) a woman who helped from the history if the tradition or who contributed to the historical development and cultural understanding of the religious tradition; a woman who, by her life, teaching and attitude, challenged or preserved the tradition and in some cases made a significant impact on its development. As religious tradition developed there were significant changes taking place, meant the need to reaffirm key teachings or the opportunity to reinterpret another a) CHRISTIANITY: HILDEGARD OF BINGEN - one of the greatest & most original thinkers of medieval Europe. Her life, teachings & attitude, helped shape Christianity making a significant contribution & challenging/preserving traditions. - Performed a number of significant roles including abbess, scientist, leading medieval authority, musician, prolific composer, artist, visionary, high profile political and religious figure - an abbess who contributed to Christian wisdom in relation to creation - a scientist, renowned in Europe for her herbals, medical reference books & scientific treatises - a visionary who was one of the greatest most original thinkers of medieval Europe and helped the evolution of monasteries towards education, care of the poor and evangelism - a high profile political and religious figure who maintained correspondence with other leading medieval thinkers and became very involved in state and church issues - helped set up the scene for the 13th century reforms in the western church - Lived in era where the dominant culture of the church was patriarchal, and anything that threatened the hierarchy was put down, hidden or ignored - Referred to as a ‘renaissance woman several centuries before the renaissance’ - Interests and accomplishments in science, music, theology, painting, medicine and healing, commentaries, and prophecy and social justice and encouraged women with these gifts - Educated by a recluse called Juta, nun at 15, received visions and revelations (contained in the aforementioned scivias She took over as head of the convent which was not conventional as wore colourful ilk dresses and wore jewellery. Which did not seam worried by sin - The monks interfered and tried to prevent the nuns from writing and conversing with people who came to them for guidance - Spoke about abuse of power observed among the clergy attacked the fearsome emperor Frederick Barbarossa and encouraged other nuns to write and criticise. - Book of Divine works attacked anthropocentricism (human centre universe) as wanted readers to have feelings and celebrate the wonders of the world - Threw society of her time into turmoil as the convent became the centre of great change - Her books were banned and burnt. 2006-06-12T11:14:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cross-Religion-Study-Religion-and-Women-29318.aspx Compare and contrast the roles and importance of Mary and Aisha in their respective traditions Both Mary and Aisha are seen to adopt the role of ‘mother’ within their traditions. Mary was to become ‘mother of believers’ in John’s account of Jesus’ death on the cross when she was made mother of his favourite disciple, and in turn, mother of all the church. Aisha also is known as ‘mother of the faithful’ as having no children of her own she became the universal mother of all Muslims. Extreme reverence is thus afforded to both of them, and they indicate the need for a female figure within Islam and Christianity. They are also similar in their roles as learners and teachers. Aisha studied and was taught by Muhummad, going on to teach and become a theologian herself. In doing this, she contributed over 2000 sayings to the Hadith (a 1/6 of it) and thus was involved in the development of the tradition. Mary also learnt from Jesus, and when on to become a disciple of his, as seen in scripture at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to her and the 12 in the upper room, and she handed on the faith and taught the good news to others, however she did not contribute to laws and written scripture as Aisha did. They are also similar in their ability to change society. Aisha’s role as a ‘catalyst for change’ can be seen in her influence over the law stating that for women to be convicted of a crime there must be 4 witnesses to condemn her. As such, she improved the rights of women, the oppressed members of society. Mary is also seen to be a liberator, and an advocate for the rights of the oppressed and for social justice. In turning social structure on it’s head to support the lowly, and in her many apparitions such as that in Lourdes and Fatima, and in the title ‘Help of Christians’ she is seen to be legitimising the rights of the oppressed, and mediates on behalf of the needs of the community. The Magnificat (lk 1:46-55 the song of Mary) associates Mary with the lowly, aligning her with the type of Kingdom God wishes to establish, turning social structure on it’s head ‘he has pulled the princes down from their thrones and raised the lowly. He has filled the starving with good things 2006-06-12T11:13:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mary-and-Aisha--29317.aspx Compare and contrast the roles and importance of Mary and Aisha in their respective traditions Both Mary and Aisha are seen to adopt the role of ‘mother’ within their traditions. Mary was to become ‘mother of believers’ in John’s account of Jesus’ death on the cross when she was made mother of his favourite disciple, and in turn, mother of all the church. Aisha also is known as ‘mother of the faithful’ as having no children of her own she became the universal mother of all Muslims. Extreme reverence is thus afforded to both of them, and they indicate the need for a female figure within Islam and Christianity. They are also similar in their roles as learners and teachers. Aisha studied and was taught by Muhummad, going on to teach and become a theologian herself. In doing this, she contributed over 2000 sayings to the Hadith (a 1/6 of it) and thus was involved in the development of the tradition. Mary also learnt from Jesus, and when on to become a disciple of his, as seen in scripture at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to her and the 12 in the upper room, and she handed on the faith and taught the good news to others, however she did not contribute to laws and written scripture as Aisha did. They are also similar in their ability to change society. Aisha’s role as a ‘catalyst for change’ can be seen in her influence over the law stating that for women to be convicted of a crime there must be 4 witnesses to condemn her. As such, she improved the rights of women, the oppressed members of society. Mary is also seen to be a liberator, and an advocate for the rights of the oppressed and for social justice. In turning social structure on it’s head to support the lowly, and in her many apparitions such as that in Lourdes and Fatima, and in the title ‘Help of Christians’ she is seen to be legitimising the rights of the oppressed, and mediates on behalf of the needs of the community. The Magnificat (lk 1:46-55 the song of Mary) associates Mary with the lowly, aligning her with the type of Kingdom God wishes to establish, turning social structure on it’s head ‘he has pulled the princes down from their thrones and raised the lowly. He has filled the starving with good things 2006-06-12T11:13:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mary-and-Aisha--29316.aspx At the very core of every religion is gratitude, love and sincerity which are expressed in a variety of ways and yet they express and celebrate a shared essence. Good morning Sr. Margaret, Mr. Hazzaratti and Mr. Matek Today we will be explaining the common elements in religious expression in Australia highlighting religious harmony and interfaith dialogue and ecumenical developments within Christianity. Appreciation and respect for religious diversity and commonalities are an essential part of harmonious relationships within Australian multicultural, multifaith society. Interfaith dialogue is co-operation between people of different religious traditions. Examples of this in Australia are: -The Council of Christians and Jews (Victoria) which seeks to educate Christians and Jews to appreciate each others separate and distinct beliefs and their common ground. AND -The Muslim Christian council, who together held prayers in Martin place for peace in Ambon, Indonesia. Ecumenism is simply the movement towards the union of all Christians and eventually all people. Ecumenical developments within Christianity are evident on the world stage and on the local level. On the world stage the World Council of Churches was setup as a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures, and therefore seek to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The WCC brings together more than 340 churches, denominations and church fellowships in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world, representing some 550 million Christians and including most of the world's Orthodox churches and scores of denominations from such historic traditions of the Protestant Reformation. As members of this fellowship, WCC member churches: - are called to the goal of visible unity in one faith and one Eucharistic fellowship; and to promote their common witness in work for mission and evangelism;82 Current WCC programmes include a Decade to Overcome Violence, an international campaign to combat AIDS/HIV in Africa and the Justice, Peace and Creation initiative. Some of the notable successes of the World Council of Churches are in the area of increased understanding and acceptance between Christian groups and denominations. On 2006-06-12T10:52:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Interfaith-Dialogue-and-Ecumenical-Developments-29307.aspx Religion assignment Evaluate the impact of European colonisation on Aboriginal belief systems & society. European colonisation on Aboriginal people had a big impact on Aboriginal belief systems and their society. A great example of this is the movie Rabbit proof Fence. The Aboriginal people’s religion, language, and their lifestyles had to change. The British way of life was enforced onto the Aboriginals. In 1931 it was the official policy of the government, that all half-castes (which were children with one parent that was aboriginal and one that was white) are to be taken from their families and raised in orphanages. In these places they were grown up being taught to marry to a white person or to become a domestic servant. To Mr Neville (who was referred to as Mr Deville by the Aboriginals) this policy did not seem cruel, he believed that, that specific race must be helped. The story is basically about three half-caste girls, Molly (14years old), Daisy (8years) and Gracie (10years). Molly and Daisy were sisters and Gracie was their cousin. Molly, Daisy and Gracie were taken from their mothers to live in their orphanage at Moore River, which was more than 1200 miles away from their home. They were meant to learn ‘duty, service, and responsibility’ that every good Christian should abide to. Molly, Daisy and Gracie did not find their new home comfortable and decided to run away at any opportunity they had. In the movie there was a scene which was Molly, Daisy and Gracie were speaking their language and they were told off about it, and were told that the only language they were allowed to speak was English. They were told that it was shiburish. This indicated to us that their culture was not welcomed in their own land. During the movie we never see defeat in Molly’s eyes, indicating to us that Aboriginal people do not tend to give up and will do what they can to gain their rights back. Even though the British’s religion and lifestyle was enforced on them they were not going to give up and still had hope deep within them. These three girls are part of what we refer to do as the Stolen Generation. The reason of removing half-castes from their homes was to improve the Aboriginal people by placing them with white families, hoping to produce children of mixed races, and over the generations they would 2006-06-12T10:45:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Religion-assignment-29304.aspx Studies of Religion Topic: Religion is a worldview which acknowledges a Sacred Mystery that is imminent and/or Transcendent. Explain this statement. Religion is a worldview which acknowledges a Sacred Mystery that is imminent and/or Transcendent. Religion is a set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader, it can also be an activity practised with devotion or prayer. In this sense imminent means living within you and transcendent means beyond and outside the ordinary range. There are a variety of religions and they all can be put into two groups which are imminent and transcendent. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have transcendent religious worldviews whereas Buddhism and Hinduism are characterised under imminent religious worldviews. Judaism, Christianity and Islam focus on the transcendent religious worldview. They are all similar in the sense that they go back to Abraham. They believe in one God, who created the universe. They also believe that God made himself known to us by sending us prophets (messengers). The prophets showed and taught the will of God to the world. Buddhism and Hinduism focus on the imminent religious worldview. Buddhism and Hinduism have an Indian background. Buddhist and Hindus rely on their inner-self and their experience for religious truth; they do not rely on books or people that have to be followed. The Islam religion is transcendent in a sense that they believe in one God, Allah who has created mankind and all that exists. The Islam religion also believes that Allah is above the heavens raised over the Throne and separated from His creatures (which is a transcendent religious worldview). The Islam religion believes that Allah is settled over His Mighty Throne, but He is with them by His Knowledge, hearing, seeing and other powers. As He said: "Fear not verily! I am with you both hearing and seeing (V,20. :46), from this you get a sense of imminent as they belief that God’s knowledge, hearing, seeing and others are within them. Judaism is transcendent; it is the cultural, religious, and social practices and beliefs of the Jews. They practice together, religion, based on the Torah and the Talmud. It is one of the first recorded monotheistic faiths and one of the oldest religious traditions still practiced today. They believe in one God, Yahew and he is in heaven and they are still waiting for their messiah to come. The Christian religion is transcendent, 2006-06-12T10:41:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Studies-of-Religion-29302.aspx Choices between Good and Evil in the Bible Throughout the Bible there are many examples of which humans must make a choice between good and evil. If the Fall had never occurred humankind would never have the responsibility to make their own choices. The consequences of the Fall provide humanity with the knowledge and characteristics that make them human. While the knowledge may not always result in the right choices, it at least provides people with humanity. Without the freedom to make their own choices people are more like soulless beings. Knowledge is a key human characteristic that often leads to other humanlike qualities, such as modesty, fear, blame, and jealousy. The Fall provides people with those humanlike qualities. Adam is brought into the world when “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Lawall 52). However, it is arguable that Adam actually has a soul at this point because he is unable to think for himself. He must wait for God to give him instructions on the way he acts rather than making his own choices. A true soulful being would have the ability and the knowledge to react and do things of their own accord. Not until the Fall are Adam and Eve able to behave with real humanlike qualities. Before the Fall Adam and Eve act as if they do not have a care in the world and live to care for the earth and its animals. In fact, they have no judgments about anything and seem to live for relaxation. “They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed,” (Lawall 53). Being unashamed of ones nudity is a very unhumanlike quality. Not until the Fall occurs can Adam and Eve gain the modesty that will force them to feel embarrassed when they are naked. Modesty is an important human characteristic that would not exist if it was not for the Fall. Curiosity is actually a trait that becomes apparent even before the Fall. However, it takes a while for Adam and Eve’s curiosity to be aroused and when they first find out that “every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou 2006-06-12T01:49:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Choices-between-Good-and-Evil-in-the-Bible-29257.aspx The Symbolism of the Prodigal Son Jesus uses parables when teaching. Parables are earthly stories that have a heavenly meaning. Parables also have a spiritual meaning. In using parables, the Lord is able to teach a spiritual concept in such a way that even the most illiterate person is able to understand. The parable of the “Prodigal Son” is an earthly story that shows how pleased God is when a sinner repents and comes back to him. The “Prodigal Son” is a symbolic representation of Gods forgiveness or our sins, repentance of the sinner, and self-righteousness of everyman. The younger son - the prodigal son - represents the sinner who comes to God in faith and repentance. The prodigal son is impatient with the restraints placed upon him. Therefore, he wants his inheritance now to spend as he pleases. He wants to be free from the household rule of his father. This shows that a sinner is far from God and does whatever he wants without thoughts of the consequences. The prodigal son “takes a journey into a far country”. In this journey, he spends all that was given to him in a wasteful manner. After spending all he has, he lives in destitute feeding the swine and eating their leftovers. He realizes that he has sinned and decides to repent and returns home to ask his father for forgiveness. The father of the “Prodigal Son” represents God who gives his divine love and forgiveness. The father divides everything that he has between his two sons. The younger son - the prodigal son - takes all that he has and squanders it. Although the younger son sins, the father welcomes him home with open arms forgiving his sins. He shows his “fatherly love” by telling the servants “Bring forth the best robe and put it on him; and put a ring on his hands, and shoes on his feet.” “And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us be merry: For my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” His father shows him unmerited love as God does all his children. The older son is a representation of the self-righteousness of everyman. The older son faithfully remains home working for his father. 2006-06-11T20:16:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Symbolism-of-the-Prodigal-Son-29241.aspx How Business has Entered Religion in America As Moses knelt down before the Burning Bush to receive the Ten Commandments, the people were kneeling down before the golden calf to receive their cut. Money and religion have always been a paradox, a test, and a trial to those who struggle to live a spiritual life in this material world. To bring this spiritual life into existence, how much material is necessary? If one says, "one only need the word" then as the message is spread, the word needs to be accessible to everyone. As a result, books are printed for the people and Buildings erected to house the people as they read the books. From these small beginnings, huge corporation-like entities, with tax breaks, loopholes, tremendous budgets, with salaries to match burst forth into a red tape snake pit to rival any government. Religion in the late 20th century has become bigger business than ever. It is not only fleecing the choir, but the unsuspecting unbeliever as well. The famous Biblical account of Jesus over-turning the tables of the money-changes in the temple shows that money and religion have been strange, but necessary bedfellows for millennia. What started out, in Abraham's day, as an animal sacrifice to please God --by the Middle Ages had turned into buying a way into heaven. The clergy of the Church were sanctioned to sell indulgences-- which were payments to the Church to ensure a short wait in Purgatory. In the 20th century, pleasing God takes many forms and most of those forms are currency. Religion is very big business, and saving souls costs a lot of money. There are many ways that the religious money machine gets funds. There is the tithe--a percentage of a person's given to the church or religious organization for its up-keep. This is usually 10 percent. Then there is the sale of items from the innocent bake sale to raise money for the Church to the huge play/ park hotel complex of the Jim and Tammy Bakker of the late eighties. Waving the poor in the face of the rich has always been a good method to get money for corporate religion--but it is usually the poor who open up their wallet and give. Another popular method is the doctrine of "prosperity" taught by many of the more fundamentalist groups. There are stories in many religious traditions that say, "the more you give--the 2006-06-11T02:35:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Business-has-Entered-Religion-in-America-29180.aspx Paradoxes, Mythology, and Emotion in Western Religion Jung embarks upon a psychological discussion of religion through means of analysis, comparisons, and critiques of Western and Eastern tradition in hopes of finding a medium ground between the two cultures and a more stable, more fulfilled and healthy, spiritual self. As we shall discover, Jung, a Western Christian, places a great emphasis of enlightenment on the religions of the East while pointing out the inherent problems of Western discourse. The disjuncture between Jung’s biography and status as a 20th century European and his apparent praise of the Eastern self point to an inherent problem in the reliability of Western ideas for this particular Westerner. While we will take the time today to outline the basic tenants, as Jung sees them, of Western and Eastern religion, I shall begin with a discussion of Jung’s analysis of the Book of Job so that we might all be on an equal footing for the proceeding comparisons and analyses of the East. If we take Jung’s rather lengthy comments on the Western God, and more specifically of Yahweh (the Old Testament version), in comparison to the people of the Pre-Common Era world, we will see how Jung deviates from standard psychological analysis in favor of a literary one performing a character study of Christian mythological figures. Taking Job as his text, Jung applies the criticism of psychological thought to get at the literary, figurative, and performative aspects of the relationship between the God of the Old Testament and his most notable creation, man. While the “Answer to Job” is quite different from the style of Jung’s discussions to which we have become accustomed, let me suggest this text to represent Jung’s old age, his failure to reconcile his religious beliefs earlier, and the necessity to find the spiritual next step so common of elderly people. While not seeking to discredit this work, let me merely suggest that we take this text not as a precise and innovative psychological discussion but rather as a religious epithet of a man facing the Ever Lasting. That said, let me now turn to the summary of Job Jung provides and attempt to outline the conflicts of the text as Jung sees them. In brief, Job is the story of Yahweh’s approval of Satan to tempt a righteous man so that Yahweh might justify his 2006-06-07T16:26:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Paradoxes-Mythology-and-Emotion-in-Western-Religion-29101.aspx Analysis of Life, Death and the After-Life in Religion Do not stand at my grave and weep; I am not there, I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning’s hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there, I did not die. --Anonymous In today’s society our perception of death is generally very negative, not to mention our haunting associations with death. The human beings that we are, have the inclination to fear even the slightest thought of death and or loss. Yes, of course, it is a natural act to feel this way. In fact, it is usually expected, and most of the time anticipated that one would be afraid of what is to come of him in the next world. As we approach death one of the tantalizing feelings that we have is that of being afraid. For those of us that believe in an eternal life, the above poem creates the perfect image of how death will be in the after life. The author of this poem states, “I am not there, I did not die.” He or she is saying that after you die you are not necessarily dead, but you can make the most of your after life, it is what you do before you die that prepares you for the after life. The above poem allows our insight on death and we are now able to come to terms with death. Christians and certain Non-Christians both believe in an after life, so one must understand that only the after life can occur after death. It is of common interest for both people of the Christian faith and those of other beliefs to be concerned with the status of the soul after ones death. For this reason it is important that all people of the world continually face the ultimate question of death and the rebirth of the soul, Christians and Non-Christians alike both believe in hope for the soul after death. The Epic of Gilgamesh, as we come to find that life here on Earth is only a journey through 2006-06-02T15:40:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Life-Death-and-the-After-Life-in-Religion-29028.aspx The Individual's Goal in Buddhism and Hinduism I have always been intrigued by Chinese philosophy. As a little boy growing up on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, I would try to read my uncle’s college books on philosophy and try to understand what is going on. I had no idea what was going on. Maybe it was because I was young, but I did not understand anything I was reading. Let us now go to the present. I am now in college and I am studying Asian Philosophy. At this time I am studying the ways of Confucious, who speaks of humaneness, fillial devotion and ritual decorum. I am also learning about Mozi, who preaches of universal love, of Laozi, who teaches about simplifying life and being in harmony with the dao. Lastly there is Zhuangzi, who........... In Theravada Buddhism, the goal of the individual is to achieve Nirvana through the loss of individuality and cease to exist in the current world. In order to achieve this goal, Theravada Buddhists were taught to develop a state of mind in which any type of action towards them would not affect them in any way. They were taught to have a state of mind like the earth, for the earth if littered upon by men yet it does not get angry and hate. The same goes of water, air and fire, men defile all of these elements but these elements are not hurt by these actions. This way of thinking is useful because there will be encounters with unpleasant people throughout life, these such encounters, if not reacted upon in a neutral manner, can accumulate Karma, which for the Theravada Buddhist, means that Nirvana cannot be achieved. This is why having a passive state of mind could become useful. Furthermore, Theravada Buddhists should be conscious of the corruption of the body. This is important because passion will grow less. If passion grows less, then sin grows less. Also, meditation of the mind is exercised. This is done in order to develop the mind in such a way as to be conscious of even your last breath. Moreover, according to Embree,”A monk becomes his own lamp and refuge by continually looking on hid body, feelings, perceptions, moods and ideas in such a manner 2006-06-02T15:35:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Individual-s-Goal-in-Buddhism-and-Hinduism-29026.aspx Critical Analysis of Fundamental Buddhist Beliefs Buddhists believe in Buddha’s teachings of the Four Noble Truths. These lead to there belief in following the Eightfold Path in order to reach nirvana. Their art consists of statues of the Buddha, each part having its own meaning. Their music was for the temple and they had their own special way of singing. Buddhism admits no social class, no sex or race superiority. Most shrines are open to all. Buddhism is utterly tolerant, and seeks no converts. The Buddhist proclaims the Dharma to mankind. Anyone who wishes may accept and apply it - those who do not wish to do so pass with a blessing upon their way. Buddhism is a teaching of the Buddha who was born a prince of Kapilavathu, at the part of the Himalaya mountains near the border of Nepal in 623 B.C. He married and had a son. Although, he was surrounded by all the Court's glamour and luxuries, the sights of a decrepit old man, sick man, dead man and beggar monk, these four signs left such a deep impression upon his mind. At the age of twenty-nine, he decided to leave his palace and enter "the homeless life" of a monk to seek the truth and find a way to salvation for all conscious and alive beings. In his search for salvation among the teachers, he surpassed them and found that their doctrines were insufficient, not leading to awakening, to extinction and to enlightenment and insight. He departed those teachers and turned to practice self-mastery for six years with great willingness and effort. Buddha met five holy men who offered their services to him, and finally, the Buddha realized that the ascetic exercises were not the right way to attain salvation. He had practiced self-mastery to the limit of his endurance and felt very weakened without achieving anything. So, he partook of food, regained strength and began to practice meditation which finally led to His enlightenment under the Holy Bodi tree near the town of Uruvela, the present Buddha-Gaya when he was only thirty-five years old. Beliefs of the religion of Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The four parts to the Four Noble Truths are: (1) Life is suffering (Dukka). This recognizes that there is always suffering in life, may it be aging, death, sickness, grief, or separation from loved ones. (2) Desire 2006-06-02T03:36:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critical-Analysis-of-Fundamental-Buddhist-Beliefs-29020.aspx Ethical Dispute Regarding Creationism Versus Evolution Creationism is the theory that man, the earth, and the rest of the universe was originally created rather than randomly exploding from nothingness into chance existence. We reside on the surface of a small superbly crafted, autonomous self regulating space vehicle. Together with survival, conquest and death we bear witness to beauty, fragrances, love and music. Think about this. Mathematics, philosophy, springtime, depravity, farming, courtship, quasars, and bubble gum; all came from nothingness?, formed by chance......? Of all the generations thus far to inhabit the Earth, we have the least excuse for not recognizing the quiet presence of The Scientific Mathematician who set everything into motion around us. We should be in awe, not presumptuous and skeptical. About 3,000 years ago King David of Israel wrote (Psalm 8:3-4) "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that you are mindful of him? And the son of man, that You visit him?" Creationism is the product of a literal interpretation of the Biblical story of Genesis. It holds that God created the world in a single act approximately 6,000 years ago-and that human beings, animals, and other forms of life exist today much as they did then. To many creationists, the theory of evolution is heresy. They argue that fossil records and other scientific evidence of evolution are either false or were themselves created by God. "In the beginning, God created the heaven and earth."And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. "And God said, let there be light: and there was light. "And God saw the light, that it was good; And divided the light from darkness. "And God Called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. "And God said let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters. "Ands God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; And it was so. "And God called the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. "And God said, let the waters under the heavens be 2006-06-01T02:36:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ethical-Dispute-Regarding-Creationism-Versus-Evolution-28970.aspx The Difference Your Eschatology Makes Eschatology is a topic of serious theological discussion that has suffered rather badly in its’ narrow treatment by both ends of the theological spectrum. While liberals have tended to reduce the subject to symbolic mythology or a realized sociology, conservatives have been guilty of succumbing to the threat of Marx that religion in general and eschatology in particular would become the otherworldly opiate that sedates people with hope without engaging them in any significant present. When defined by either extreme, the serious student is left with either a bankrupt model leading to social activism or a commitment to revise his text on when Jesus is really coming every time the historical climate changes. In truth eschatology should never be reduced to either of these dead ends. It is a serious reflection that affects all parts of a theological system. If conservative theologians have been guilty of any persistent error it is to treat theological categories systematically rather than systemically. The difference is that systematic theology tends to create and sustain biblical or philosophical categories while systemic theology ( a term I have coined from systems theory) looks more at the interconnections between theological categories. In systematic theology we can tend to myopia and lose the fact that all things are connected in theology leading to a disillusionment with any part of the system. Systemic theology utilizes the basic categories of theology but allows them to be a bit more fluid. Its’ interest is pulling on the interconnecting threads between doctrines and see just how they are affected by each other. With this in mind, one can enter the system of theology at any given point and note the effect that that perspective has on the rest of the system. In order to understand why eschatology is important and how it affects the other parts of our theology, I have chosen to engage an older text, Eschatology and Ethics in the Teaching of Jesus by Amos Wilder. This text is appropriate because Wilder is a bit more liberal than evangelicals are comfortable with and will provide an excellent sounding board to pull out the connections we are seeking. Wilder's Eschatological Vision Amos Wilder strikes a very different chord concerning eschatology early in his book when he notes that its’ basic substance is that of myth read forward. By doing this, he is calling to our minds the idea of myth as 2006-03-20T21:20:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Difference-Your-Eschatology-Makes-28598.aspx Buddhism In reading this account on Buddhism, the goal is, for you (the reader) to understand a fascinating belief system, that has been around since before Christ ever set foot on this earth. This will provide a connection to the minds and hearts of the people who live and die in this sacred world, so that an understanding may be arroused and ultimatly give an acceptance as well as a clear path to minister to these people. The most important aspect of reaching out to people of other cults or religions could possibly be an understanding and common ground with your neighbor. Therefore, knowing Buddhism and learning about it will help give you a stepping stone in you mission on spreading the gospel of Christianity, plus expose you to some of the profoundly interesting culture of Asia. (Yamamoto 1) History We have all seen and heard about Buddha and the yin and yang, do to the exploitation of an ancient religion, however aside from this popular fad is a complex and ancient religion deriving from a place called Kapilavastu located in southern Nepal. It began with a man named Siddhartha Gautama, who in fact was the son of a chieftain of the Sakya Clan. Basically he was a prince, enjoying all the luxuries accompanying it. He was born in at about 560 BC, it is debatable as to the exact history of his life, because of the many different forms of Buddhism, however there are substantial bits and peace’s that are agreed on among the different Buddhists. (Mead 23) He grew up in a sheltered type of life, in that his father refused to let him see any human misery, so he was secluded from the outside world he was never meant know. However, one day at the age of twenty-nine he came to the conclusion of how empty his life had become. As an effect of this, he decided to renounce all his worldly possessions and break all attachments he had in order to set out on a journey. A journey in search of peace and enlightenment. He then, on one fateful day set out on his voyage, eluding the royal attendants his father had contained him with. When reaching the outside, he experienced the effects of human suffering, by veiwing an old man, a leper, a corpse, and an ascetic. 2006-03-19T10:21:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Buddhism--28592.aspx Islam is the True Final Religion People often wonder what the true religion is. All religions follow at least one basic concept, belief in God. While some believe in one God others believe in many. Muslims believe Islam is the true final religion. All religions have been changed; their scriptures and books have been changed, and their beliefs have been changed too. However, Islam is the only religion whose book, the Quran, has never been changed and will never be changed. It is God’s promise “We have revealed this Book and We will protect It”. (Quran 15:9) One example of Muslims belief not changing is they still dress the same way today as they used during the Prophets times. If you see pictures of Mary and Jesus, you will see that practicing Muslims still dress the way Mary and Jesus dressed. That’s because Muslims believe God’s laws never change. We are required to be modest that’s why Muslims still dress the same way. Some religions were not complete, like Judaism or Christianity. Judaism isn’t complete because they knew that a prophet was supposed to come who was supposed to be like Moses. Christians believe that the chosen prophet who was supposed to come was Jesus. However Jesus was not like Moses. Jesus was not born a natural birth, nor did he die a natural birth and Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God. He did not even live a long life to be an example for his people, to show people how to live. Muslims believe that Jesus is a prophet. They believe Muhammed was the chosen prophet who supposed to be like Moses and that Muhammed was the last prophet. Muhammed had many similarities to Moses; they both taught to believe in one God, they both married and had children, and both had to migrate to other lands. When the Prophet Muhammed was young, many people including Christians, just by looking at him could tell that he was going to be a prophet, because in their Bibles they had descriptions of how the last prophet would look like. He was very trustworthy and was known by all his people for being honest. He was never known to lie and he was very modest. He did not 2006-02-20T21:53:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Persuasive-Essay-28510.aspx Introduction “[quote:9ac110ab46]Even more so will you have to ensure that in the midst of a tautly educated and bred race you won’t make yourself a laughing stock through walking about scruffily crooked and lop-sided? When, at last, you recognise your unconstructive build, the high shoulders, the clumsy feet, and the soft round overall build as signs of bodily ruin, you will for a few generations toil towards your outward rebirth.”# [/quote:9ac110ab46]Any reader of this text will automatically believe these are the words of an anti-Semite. They would be far wrong for this is taken from an article written by Walter Rathenau, a Jew, and later foreign minister of Germany during the Weimar Republic, who was assassinated in 1922 by anti-Semites. Walter Rathenau’s essay “Hoere Israel” is a good indicator of the problems of the integration of Jews into the German society, which was understood by many liberal Jews as the complete assimilation of Jews to the German way of life. This pursuit of assimilation is probably the most tragic event of Judaeo-German history after the holocaust. It goes hand in hand with the tragedy of the German Enlightenment which led to two world wars and the attempted annihilation of the European Jews. I will show in this essay how close German Enlightenment and the emancipation of the Jews are connected and how this led to severe problems in the Jewish population of Germany. Further I will try to evaluate the effect this had on post WW I Germany and the rise of national socialism. The German Enlightenment and the emancipation of the German Jews Already chronologically, there is a tight connection to the emergence of the German Enlightenment with figures like G.E. Lessing and Immanuel Kant and the emancipation movement of Jews with its archetype and figurehead Moses Mendelssohn, who was a contemporary of the above named. The 18th century saw a rise of rationalism which was the basis of the industrial revolution and civil revolutions in America and France. A strong emphasis was laid on the ability of the conscience to pursue moral integrity consequently moving away from any external moral authority. This sparked wishes for an enlightened emancipation of the lower classes from authoritarian rule across Europe, hence the French and American Revolutions and other uprisings of smaller scale.# This change of thought did not stop at the gates of the Jewish ghettoes and especially the higher strata of Jewish society 2006-01-14T22:00:39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Jewish-Emancipation-in-19th-century-Germany-28419.aspx Evolutionism vs Creationism Questions on the origin of life and of the universe must have challenged human curiosity and imagination as soon as early man had time for activities other than survival. In 1859, Charles Darwin published the Origin of Species, and since then, people have debated between the creationism and evolutionism theories. The theory of evolution has been supported only through various religious writings, particularly the Bible. Creationists believe in a divine creator, God. Creationism has a broad range of beliefs involving a reliance on God’s miraculous work to explain the origin of the universe, of life, and of the different kinds of plants and animals on Earth. According to the creationist view, God willed everything into existence, and this is how humans came onto the Earth. Creationists say that the evolution theory is biased and incomplete. They believe that the fossil records fail to provide a link between diverse groups. To find out how old fossils are, scientists use a method called radioisotope dating, which measures the amount of uranium or lead lost over the years. Creationists deny evidence from this testing because they assume no uranium or lead has been lost over the years. The process of evolution, which all living things developed from unicellular organisms, over billions of years Exactly how evolution occurs is still debated but it is a scientific fact that it does occur. Most biologists believe that the modern theory of evolution arose from a history of mutations either physically or chemically and it is still occurring. All organisms can be traced back to a common ancestor from inanimate matter. The science of paleontology or the study of life provides the most direct proof of evolution in the past through fossil remains or impressions, usually in rock. Other evidence comes from comparative studies of living animals and plants, including their structure and geographical locations. “Mollusks and vascular plants account for more than 80 percent” (Futuyma 87) of the world’s species, with about “1.4 to 1.8 million species” (Futuyma 87) in all. Changes occur in living organisms to help increase their adaptability, or potential for survival and reproduction, in the face of changing environments. Evolution apparently has no built-in direction or purpose. A given kind of organism may evolve only when it occurs in a variety of forms differing in hereditary characteristics, or traits, that are passed from parent to offspring. By chance, some varieties prove to be 2006-01-05T06:35:35-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Evolutionism-vs-Creationism-28400.aspx Lessons From J. Hudson Taylor’s Life Hudson Taylor’s life reminds one of Jeremiah the prophet: “I was separated from my mother’s womb.” And his conversion was like everything else in his life, a monument to the power of prayer. Before Hudson Taylor was born his parents prayed for him. But as he grew in his life he did not follow the “Christian way.” However, at sixteen years old, as his mother lay, pleading with God to save her son, Hudson Taylor was saved by God’s grace. From that time on Hudson Taylor became a man who lived and breathed “he must move men through God- by prayer.” From what he did at the age of nineteen, to the end of his life, Hudson Taylor lived the promise in John 14:3 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” There are four primary areas in which Hudson Taylor’s life is an example to all Christians. The first has to be Hudson Taylor’s desire of getting closer to God. As one studies Hudson’s life one finds instances like: his deepest desire was to have the unfailing presence of His Lord. At one point Hudson Taylor became very dissatisfied with his spiritual life and viewed himself as a cracked cistern. He was convinced that there was a deeper experience of Divine fullness. He yearned for a life characterized by the filling of the Holy Spirit, unbroken fellowship with his Lord, peace in the storm, joy in adversity, and a holy life. On this point Hudson Taylor concluded that no matter how difficult his service, how sad his bereavement, how helpless he was, Jesus could meet all his needs. And there Hudson Taylor rested. A second area that was extremely important was that of preparation. When Hudson Taylor knew where God called him, he began to strenuously prepare for that field. He performed more exercise. He exchanged his regular bed for a hard mattress. 2 And he began to study the gospel of Luke in the Mandarin language and study Chinese. Hudson also began to study medicine. He obtained a job as an assistant for a doctor. He moved to Drainside, a poverty stricken area of England, to accustom himself to something of the loneliness and dangers of living in a strange land where only God would be his companion. An illustration serves 2006-01-03T06:41:37-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Lessons-From-J_-Hudson-Taylor’s-Life-28388.aspx Pre-Marital Sex: Why Not? Pre-Marital sex is a big issue when it comes to teenagers. Not only is it questioned by Pentecostal teens but it is also questioned by worldly teens. Everyone wants to know “Why not?” I think that we should take the time now to just further analyze this question. Instead of asking the question “Why not?”, let’s ask the question “Why?”. Why exactly should we have premarital sex. There is one main answer found why teenagers, both Pentecostal and worldly, think premarital sex is ok. And there are also many ways that pre-marital sex can affect YOU as a human being. There are physical, Spiritual, and Emotional effects it can have on you. Let’s figure out the reason why we think it is ok or not ok and then find out the different effects it could have on you. The answer found through a study conducted by Don W. Hills, was that premarital sex was just pure pleasure. Of course, sex is said to be fun. That attitude is as old as man-kind. But I think only half of that statement is true. Sex is obviously a pleasure, but is premarital sex really pure??? First of all let’s define what pure means. Pure in the “Webster’s New world College Dictionary” is defined as free from any adulterant; clear; free from sin or guilt; blameless. From the information gathered above, I would come to the conclusion that Premarital- sex and pure pleasure, being put into the same sentence and into the same context as above, is an oxy-moron. They go against each other and cancel each other out completely. The statement “sex is fun”, is another that concern’s me. Only a fool would tell a teenager to stop thinking about sex. My answer to that is money is also fun but responsablily goes along with it as well. Driving a car is fun but there are also certain precautions you should take along with that also. There is lots of room, while driving, for a serious mistake to occur. That is why we have so many laws to abide by while performing the task of driving. Driving remains fun only when the laws that go along with it are obeyed. While the carelessness of not abiding by the 2005-12-26T06:52:09-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pre-Marital-Sex-Why-Not-28264.aspx Jewish Figure I'd Like to Meet - Golda Meir It was difficult to choose a person in Jewish history who I would like to meet. I decided on Golda Meir because she was a strong political figure for women and Israel. Golda was a Russian like me who immigrated to America at an early age. Also she wanted to help Israel become a state and I want to help Israel become even a greater state then it is now. As a Russian I have a close tie with Golda Meir. We both were born in Russia at a time of Jewish discrimination. Our fathers wanted us to have a life free from discrimination and have a better future than we would have in Russia. Both of our fathers took us to America. When she was in America she became interested in Palestine because her sister had become a Zionist. She wanted Palestine to become Israel. I want Israel to become a haven to Jews not a place where they feel in danger of being killed. Golda Meir’s life in politics was a long and hard one. She faced many challenges for the nation of Israel. First she was the ambassador to USSR and faced the challenge of allowing the government to let her publish news about Israel and its current events. Also she had to fight the government for Soviet Jews to immigrate to Israel. Golda lost both of those battles. With nothing else left for her to do in the USSR and when David Ben-Gurion asked her to go back to Israel and become the Minister of Labor she quickly consented. She never knew what the new challenges were going to be. Her challenges were dept, lack of housing, unemployment, and absorbing the one thousand immigrants a day that came. These problems were slowly but surely contended with. I have a high opinion of Golda Meir and her challenges with which she faced with the noble intent of helping everyone. Then she became Foreign minister of Israel. In 1969 she was the first woman who became prime minister of Israel, during a time when so few women were in political power. As prime minister she had more problems to deal with but every problem 2005-12-24T19:12:06-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Jewish-Figure-I-d-Like-to-Meet-Golda-Meir-28229.aspx Jewish and Latina Immigrant Labor in the 20th Century American society has had to witness the immigration of people who were given asylum as political refugees, as in the case of Jewish women. American society has also had to grapple with the ramifications stemming from illegal immigration, such as was observed on the immigration of Latinas. The groups are comparatively different in terms of their backgrounds and aspirations, but the divergence in their respective patterns of settlement/adjustment in American society cannot be explained in terms of their differences alone. It is also a result of the way American society has treated each group. Therefore, the process of assimilation is a two way process and both ends of the bargain influence the outcome, even more so for the receiving end. The level of responsiveness and acceptance shown on behalf of the Americans guided and molded the pattern of settlement, and the existing differences between the two groups was an added reason for the divergence. In general terms, all immigrants share many reasons and characteristic qualities that lead them to migrate. Whether it should be an escape from a violent political environment or just a desire to make a better living, it is safe to say that once these groups settle in the US their main goal is to succeed and fulfill the "American dream." Both groups were heavily exploited for their labor and the societal expectations of these women stifled their individual development and success. Jewish women begin immigrating to the US in the 1880s and generally came as political refugees from Eastern Europe. (Takaki pg. 277) As an ethnic minority escaping persecution, the Jewish immigrants were forced to leave as settlers rather than sojourners. The majority arrived penniless and inadequately trained in a profession or craft. (Takaki pg. 282) However, they were able to find a niche in the garment industry and met the increasing labor demands that was the result of the modernization of garment manufacturing, which allowed for mass production in factories. Competition between contractors led to the cutting of wages and the slave-like treatment of these women. They were forced to work in dangerous and cramped conditions, working 11 to 15-hour days. In addition, many single women possessing sewing skills arrived before their families. In 1910, over 70% of daughters 16 years and older were working while the sons were encouraged to study and academically succeed. (Takaki 2005-12-04T02:03:44-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Jewish-and-Latina-Immigrant-Labor-in-the-20th-Century-28160.aspx History of Judaism, Rituals, and Holidays Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, known as the Patriarchs, are both the physical and spiritual ancestors of Judaism. They founded the religion now known as Judaism, and their descendants are the Jewish People. Abraham Abraham was born in the city of Ur in Babylonia in the year 1948 from Creation (circa 1800 BCE). He was the son of Terach, an idol merchant, but from his early childhood, he questioned the belief of his father and sought the truth. He came to believe that the entire universe was the work of a single Creator, and he began to teach this belief to others. Eventually, God talked to Abraham, and made him an offer...that if Abraham would leave his home and his family, then God would make of him a great nation and bless him. Abraham accepted the offer. And so, Abraham enabled the covenant between God and the Jewish People to be established. The covenant was basically, a contract, which involved the rights and obligations of the Jewish People to God and vice versa. Abraham, adopted a nomadic lifestyle, traveling through what is now the land of Israel for many years. God had promised this land to Abraham's descendants. Abraham was concerned, because he had no children and he was very old. Abraham's beloved wife, Sarah, knew that she was past child-bearing years, so she offered her servant, Hagar, as a wife to Abraham (which was actually a common practice back then). She bore Abraham a son...Ishmael, who according to both Muslim and Jewish tradition, is the ancestor of the Arabs. When Abraham was 100, God promised Abraham a son by Sarah. Sarah bore Abraham another son, Isaac. Isaac was the ancestor of the Jewish People. Isaac Isaac was the subject of one of the tests of Faith that God had given to Abraham: God had commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as an offering. This test actually shows Abraham's true demonstration of his as well as Isaac's faith in God (because supposedly, Isaac knew that he was going to be sacrificed, and did not resist, and was united with his father in dedication). At the last moment, God sent an angel to stop the sacrifice. Judaism uses this story as evidence that God does not like human sacrifice. Isaac later married Rebecca, who bore him two sons: Jacob and Esau. Jacob (Israel) Jacob and his brother Esau were at war 2005-12-04T01:35:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Judaism,-Rituals,-and-Holidays-28154.aspx Saul’s story is one we have all heard many times, but it is a story that shows that God can use us, even when we have tried to run as far away from him as we could. His story is found in the books of Acts, a book written by the one of the apostles. Without Saul’s conversion to Christianity, thousands would have not been saved. His ministry brought hope to many because they could see that Saul, or Paul, had not always been perfect. He is a great example for everyone who has been human because all humans make mistakes. Saul was a “…a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God”(22: 3). However, something turned Saul away from God. His first mention in the Bible is at the death of Stephen. Men had taken Stephen out of the city to be stoned. As a custom, the men laid the clothes at someone’s feet, which happen to be Saul’s feet, entrusting him with their clothes. After Stephen’s death, Saul “…made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison”(8:3). Saul became outraged because prophets were spreading God’s word. While “…breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem”(9:1-2). On his way to Damascus, suddenly a bright shined around him. “And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but 2005-11-22T02:33:13-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Saul-Becomes-Paul--28118.aspx All About Buddhism by :ayube hussain Buddhism is one of the biggest religions founded in India in the 6th and 5th century B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, also known as “the Buddha.” As one of the greatest Asian religion, it teaches the practice and the observance of moral perceptions. The basic teachings of “the Buddha” were mainly emphasized by the four noble truths. Since it was first introduced into China from India, Buddhism has had a history that has been characterized by periods of sometimes awkward and irregular development. In spite of these difficulties, Chinese Buddhism has come to have an important influence on the growth and development of Buddhism in general and this has occurred largely because of its own innovatory contributions. (Eliade16) “Buddhism begins with a man. In his later years, when India was afire with his message, people came to him asking what he was. Not ‘Who are you?’ but ‘What are you?’ ‘Are you god?’ they asked. ‘No.’ ‘An angel?’ ‘No.’ ‘A saint?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then, what are you?’ Buddha answered, ‘I am awake.’ His answer became his title, for this is what Buddha means. The Sanskrit root budh means to awake and to know. While the rest of humanity was dreaming the dream we call the waking human state, one of their number roused himself. Buddhism begins with a man who woke up.”(Smith 60) Buddha was born a prince named Siddhartha Gautama in a small kingdom in what is now Nepal in 563b.c.e. Gautama’s birth is described as a miraculous event, his birth being the result of his mother's impregnation by a sacred white elephant that touched her left side with a lotus flower. The scriptures claim that when Gautama was born “immeasurable light spread through ten thousand worlds; the blind recovering their sight, as if from desire to see his glory" (Evans 141) Shortly after his birth, his father consulted with a number of astrologers, all of whom declared that the newborn prince would become a great king and that he would rule the world in truth and righteousness. Among these astrologers, there was one who declared that if the prince were to see a sick person, an old person, a corpse, and a world-renouncing ascetic, he would become dissatisfied with life and become a wandering monk in order to seek final peace. King Shuddhodana decided he wanted his son to have the former destiny 2005-11-14T02:07:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/All-About-Buddhism--28107.aspx MY INAUGUAL ADDRESS AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT OF THE DEAD PREFACE What follows is a rough draft transcript (subject to change when I actually give it) of my inaugural address (presumably in Washington, D. C.?) before global television at the Great White Throne Judgment of the Dead, after I have raptured out billions! - corpses laying on the ground - a fairy dump - rabbits running in the ditch. Feel free to believe what I've set down here are the ravings of a madman, because that is precisely what they are! I have assembled this book in a series of vignettes. Norman O. Brown, my mentor, used a similar technique. You'll find I use terminology that may seem alien to Christianity: wizards, witches and fairies, etc. Part of the problem that the King James Bible mistranslated the word sorcery referring to potions. This is strictly adult material. This is off limits to children, and this means you. If your jaw didn't drop when you read my 1986 booklet, I 100% guarantee it will drop now. I repeat my annoyance at you 'Christians' who have repeatedly attacked my site. Jesus prophecied that all prophets must get stoned. Your scurrilous, underhanded attacks prove what you really are – Pharisees who observe the letter of the Law, but not the Spirit. You are shortly going to be rewarded by your Master for your faithful service! Get a life and stop giving me trouble! You know that if you faced me in a one on one debate, I would wipe you out! If you are angry at what I say, simply vent at my guestbook with specific criticisms. You'll note that in the PDF and RTF version of this, the paragraph tabs are often wrong. This is due to malfuntion of the the word processor. So, finally, it all begins next page! 2005-11-10T11:44:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/My-Inaugural-Address-at-the-Great-White-Throne-Judgment-of-the-Dead-28097.aspx In 1974 an organisation opened to help the elderly, sick and unfortunate, this organisation is called, Lifeline. Lifeline is a worldwide organisation, created to help others in times of need. They help the elderly with medical care, the poor with food and clothes, counselling and also other organisations that are trying to make a difference. Lifeline is the most trusted medical providers in the elderly community. As a world wide organisation, lifeline has many branches, located in various countries. These branches range from; hospitals, clothing and food donation shops, small schools and senior living areas. In the last 30 years over 2,500 hospitals and senior living areas have been built and over 200 donation shops and outlets have been established across Australia. Almost all of the employees that work in the lifeline branches are volunteers. Lifeline is a ‘true justice’ organisation, because they are a profitless organisation and they help the community by giving free advice and assisting all who are in need. Lifeline helps the senior section of our community by giving them medical aid and assisting in chores which are part of everyday life. Lifeline has created many homes and estates for the elderly community. Many of the exceedingly sick people have personal assistance. The volunteers help by buying groceries, medical assistance and cleaning around their home. Across Australia 200 donation shops and outlets have been opened and operated. The community donates different products to the shops, such as clothes, these products are then repaired and sold for cheap prices, so that the poorer community can buy them. Lifeline also has a child hotline, so the younger community can talk to councillors over the phone about personal issues. The calls are that are made are completely confidential and the children remain anonymous. This hotline has helped thousands of young children overcome some major difficulties in their life. Lifeline have four major goals, these are; to show leadership, provide services, promote learning and to build resources. They are trying to show leadership by positioning Lifeline as a community leader and placing opportunities to give and receive care from all Australians. They are providing services by adding phone lines and other communication technologies that help people that need counselling or advice. They promote learning by teaching Lifeline members and 2005-10-23T03:20:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Charities-Life-Line-Australia-28066.aspx Roman Catholic Baptism The ritual that I chose to attend was a Roman Catholic baptism. This ritual was held on a Sunday afternoon. As I approached the church, there were approximately ten babies in white garments being admired by proud parents and families. Finally, everyone entered the church and took their seats in the pews. The parents and godparents entered the first few pews with the child, directly in front of the altar. The first person to speak was a woman who was the wife of the deacon. Next to speak was her husband, the deacon. The couple both opened with welcoming all to their congregation. The first few words were very comforting and seemed almost impromptu and unrehearsed. The deacon made the church and the congregation feel very warm and inviting. The sound of the happy babies made the opening very inspirational. After this, the deacon first asked the parents what name they gave to their child. Next, the deacon asked the parents what do they ask of God's church for Gianna Nicole Brucato. Finally, the parents were asked if they clearly understood what they are undertaking. After this, the questions were directed to the godparents. The godparents were the brother and sister of the father of the baby. Both were asked if they were prepared to help the parents of the child in their duty as Christian parents. After the godparents responded, all ten children received the sign of the cross on their forehead by the deacon. The wife then read a scripture and the congregation was asked to join in prayer. Next, the sacramental rite was actually performed. The babies were asked to be presented to the altar in alphabetical order. The deacon poured holy water over the child's forehead three times and recited "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Next, the babies' head was anointed with chrism, consecrated oil used in Greek and Latin churches especially in baptism (Merriam-Webster dictionary). Also, a white garment was placed over the child. Finally, the parents were given candles and were told to "keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts." Once all the babies were baptized there were a few concluding words and the ceremony was completed. The deacon offered to take pictures with the child and family. All of the babies were brought up to the 2005-10-16T00:24:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Roman-Catholic-Baptism-28059.aspx Why I Believe People Should Go To Church And Believe In God Where are you on a typical Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m.? In the bed, on the lake, at the golf course? Maybe just sitting at home? Or are you in God's house? I was born on May 12th 1984 and I have been to church every Sunday since then. I go to church because I wish to go. Church is the best place to go. People think church is a waste of time, but personally I believe that if it wasn't for God some of us wouldn't still be here. Like when Gary wrecked his truck, he could have easily lost his life, but with God's help he made it through. God can do anything as long as you believe and have faith that everything will be all right. While we are all still living at home and don't have that much stuff to worry about, we sometimes depend on mom and dad, or even our grandparents. I have found from reading the bible and listening to many lessons and sermons, that God will be there for me even when mom and dad are gone. I won't always be a teenager still living with them. We all are dependent on someone, and want someone in our life that we can always call on. Friends may let you down, their phone line can be busy, but God is always there and his line is never busy. I have been told of all the miracles that God has preformed and I believe them all. God has healed the sick, raised people from the dead, and caused the blind to see. He has stopped storms, calmed the water, made the water into wine, and even fed 5,000 people with 2 fish and 3 loaves of bread. You see, with God all of these things are possible. What do these have to do with us today? I have two friends who both have had miracles in their lives. My friend, Pam, was diagnosed with leukemia about 9 years ago. She went to the Cleveland Clinic for treatment and stayed for months, leaving her children, her home, and friends. Pam was thought to be in remission, and then the disease came back. This time, when she went to Cleveland, she had to have a bone marrow transplant from her brother, Scott. After this transplant, 2005-10-16T00:07:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-I-Believe-People-Should-Go-To-Church-And-Believe-In-God-28053.aspx Religious Imagery Religion was a very vital part of life during the time of Hagar Shipley in the novel, The Stone Angel. It comes as no surprise that there is a strong presence of religious imagery throughout the novel. Through the positive and negative views on the church and religion portrayed by the characters and the comparison between the story of Hagar Shipley and the biblical Hagar of Genesis, Margaret Laurence makes the religious imagery very clear. There are many similarities between the stories of the two Hagars. The story of the biblical Hagar is very similar to that of Hagar Shipley in the novel. The two are not only similar in the events, but also in the characters of both Hagars. The parallels between the Hagar of Genesis in the bible, and Hagar Shipley are clear. Both women work as maids at one point in their lives, Hagar Shipley for Mr. Oatley and Hagar of Genesis for Sarai and Abram. Another similarity between the two characters is that they both creatures of the wilderness. In the bible, Hagar ran away from her home because "Sarai treated Hagar so cruelly" (The Good News Bible, Gen. 16.6). Hagar also left her father's home for the wilderness of the Shipley farm. Hagar Shipley shows us what the Shipley place was like when she says, "The Shipley house was square and frame, two-storied, the furniture was shoddy and second-hand, the kitchen reeking and stale, for no one had scoured there properly since Clara died" (Laurence 50). This shows the reader that the life at the Shipley house was nothing like the life that Hagar was used to. One of the major similarities in both stories that is not very well known is that the two characters of Hagar both encounter a theophany. For Hagar of Genesis, her theophany came when she was confronted by an angel of the Lord at a spring on the road to Shur. The Angel said to Hagar, "Go back to [Sarai] and be her slave…I will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them" (The Good News Bible, Gen. 16.9-11). Hagar of Genesis realizes the reasons for her getting pregnant and goes back to be Sarai's handmaid and bares Abram's son. In the case of Hagar Shipley her theophany is not quite as straight forward. Earlier in the novel, when Hagar and John are 2005-10-02T17:33:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Religious-Imagery--28036.aspx The Ideas Of Confucianism Explained Confucius (Kongzi, 551-479 B.C.), the founder of Confucianism, stresses “Ren” (benevolence, love), and “Li” (rites), referring to respect for the system of social hierarchy. He attached importance to education and was a pioneering advocate for private schools. His teachings were recorded by his students and placed in a book called “The Analects”. “By the 12th century, Confucianism had evolved into a rigid philosophy that calls for preserving heavenly laws and repressing human desires” (MSN Encarta.com). Confucianism is often characterized as a system of social and ethical philosophy rather than a religion. “Instead, Confucianism is built on an ancient religious foundation to establish the social values, institutions and transcendent ideals of traditional Chinese society” (Berling, 1982). It stressed that subjects owed obedience to their rulers, sons to their fathers, and wives to their husbands. “Confucianism changed the attitude of the ruling class with the idea of ‘Virtuous rule’, this consisted of applying strict control over the populace, but tempering it with teachings of benevolence and morality” (MSN Encarta.com, 2002). Confucianism ideals and culture held strong for many centuries until foreign imperialism and the introduction of Western learning stimulated the rise of the modern Chinese nationalism. In the presence of foreigners, increasingly Chinese people became conscious of their common racial background and national identity. Feelings against the ruling dynasty, the Manchu’s, spread quickly. In fact, modern Chinese nationalism expressed itself in the form of an anti-Manchu attitude. The ideas and beliefs of a Confucianism society grew weaker with the downfall of the Manchu dynasty in the winter of 1912. Viewed as a period, the years between 1900 and 1918 brought both chaos and hope. Unrestrained by authority, all sorts of new theories were aimed and experiments tried. When Confucianism beliefs started to collapse, because of the overthrow of the dynasty, ideology inevitably loosened. “Henceforth, modern educated men and women would increasingly demand social changes that included the right of individual choice in careers and money. Upper-class women revolted against foot binding and modern educated women demanded equality with men” (Goff, 2002). These new alterations in society changed Confucianism ideology and shaped China’s long-lasting culture. [i:ad29de3bfc]References 2005-09-25T05:04:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Ideas-Of-Confucianism-Explained-28026.aspx Old Testament - Is God Vindictive? One idea of God in the Old Testament is that he is a wrathful being, a vengeful being with very little forgiveness in Him. Take, for instance, the first murder. Cain murders Abel and God does not forgive him, or show mercy on him, but brands him and sends him off into the world for all to see and know that he was a killer. Next, is the flood. God sees man as evil in all he does and thinks, and therefore plans to kill man and all living beings, save those that he put with Noah, the one mortal to be in favor with God. In the first murder, Cain was a tiller of the ground and Abel, his brother, was a keeper of sheep. There came a time when Cain did bear the fruits of the earth and his Brother Abel did the same from the sheep, they both brought there offerings before God, and God favored Abel’s offering over Cain’s. This made Cain full of anger and his face darkened. God said to Cain “Why are you angry and downcast? If you are doing right, surely you ought to hold your head high! But if you are doing right, Sin is crouching at the door hungry to get you. You can still master him” (Genesis 4:6-7). This is an obvious reprimand by God to Cain. He might have well said you must do better to gain my approval. There were no words of encouragement; there was no comforting, just cold hard rejection. Cain was obviously upset at God and directed his anger at his younger brother Abel. “Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out’; and while they were in the open country, Cain set on his brother Abel and Killed him” (Genesis 4:8). God did hear the blood of Abel crying up to him from the ground and questioned Cain on where Abel was, Cain said he was not his brothers keeper, and God did grow very angry for he knew what Cain had done. God then cursed Cain from the Earth, and branded him for all to know what Cain was, and that no man was to kill Cain for he was, in a sense, protected by God so he could suffer his punishment. In the story of 2005-08-31T20:24:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Old-Testament-Is-God-Vindictive-27841.aspx An abortion is he premature termination of pregnancy ending in the death of the embryo or foetus. However abortion can also be defined as the death of the embryo or foetus without human interference. This essay will be discussing induced abortion and the effects they have on both mother and unborn child. The ethics and morality of induced abortion has become the subject of an intense debate in the past fifty rears. No matter how you look at it, abortion is simply he murder of a living human being and therefore should not be tolerated. When is life, life? This is a very relevant question and one which should be answered as scientifically accurately as possible. According to the Oxford Australian Student’s Dictionary the tern life is defended as a period during which something exists or continues to function. According to the same source human is defined as having the qualities that distinguish mankind, not divine, or animal, or mechanical. One scientific argument is that by three weeks the unborn’s heart starts pumping it’s own circulatory system and by sic weeks brain activity can be recorded. If doctors measure death by brain death then life should at least be measured by brain life. Going back to the Oxford Australian Student’s Dictionary it says that life is a period during which something exists or continues to function. Since the embryo’s heart functions at three weeks then that’s when life should become life. The Catholic church would take this even further and say that life starts at the point of conception. This is quoted from What’s wrong with Abortion? By a new Zealand Bishop in 1989, “Because of their creation in the image of God every human being is special, unique, and has his or her origin, nature and destiny to fulfil. Rich or poor, strong or weak, young or old, born or unborn, every life is sacred.” Despite all this there is a very successful argument for abortion. This involves the rights of women. They claim to have the right to keep the government out of such personal issues. If the woman chooses not to have the baby, then that’s her choice. But many do believe, especially Catholics, that aborting the pregnancy is simply killing and innocent life. Everyone knows that 2005-08-31T10:12:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Abortion--27831.aspx Analysis of Bible's 10 Commandments - A Good Definition Or Not? In the Bible, one of the Ten Commandments states: “Thou shalt not kill.” Regardless of religious preferences and beliefs, everyone knows of this Supreme command; but do they know what it means? Consider this: does “Thou shalt not kill” and “Thou shalt not murder” mean the same thing? By its common definition, to “murder” means to kill unlawfully or at least unjustifiably. However, centuries ago, the Ten Commandments handed to Moses simply mentioned "kill". There was no mention at all whether “to kill” distinguished between the lawful or unlawful taking of a life, or for that matter if the life even had to be that of a human. In today’s society, it appears “Thou shalt not murder” is more appropriate than “Thou shalt not kill,” as “kill” denotes a just and lawful reason to take a life. It then becomes clear that the way each person defines a certain word affects the meaning and intent of a statement or discussion. It is essential that a word be defined in a way that clearly illustrates its true essence. To make a definition successful, three criteria must be followed to avoid confusion. Possibly the most difficult condition to preserve when explaining a word’s meaning to someone is to not give that person only examples of the word. When an example is the only source of knowledge of a word’s meaning, a problem occurs. One must take into account that those examples could encompass ideas other than the true nature of the word, or perhaps not fully cover other characteristics of the word. This leads to the second criterion of a successful definition. A definition cannot be too general, yet at the same time it cannot be too limited. Finally, the third condition of a successful definition dictates that a form of the word or an equally obscure word cannot be used to redefine the word. To break the cycle, terms more familiar than the one being defined must be used. Though these three conditions are not absolute, they do lead to a clearer, less vague definition of words. As seen in the initial example, “murder” is commonly defined as killing unlawfully or unjustifiably. However, it is not specified if this definition is dependent on what 2005-08-29T02:34:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analyzing-Bible-s-10-Commandments-A-Good-Definition-Or-Not-27815.aspx Searching for an Appropriate Relation between Religion and Curriculum Design By Grace Hui Chin Lin Texas A&M University, Dept. of Teaching, Learning, and Culture Tunghai Christian University,Taiwan. Dept. of Foreign Language and Literature Introdution Recent years, increasing diverse attitudes to religion education in the classroom make many private and public school have to face the controversy of ¡¨should religion be taught as a subject at schools?¡¨ (e.g., Kaiser, 2003; Slattery & Rapp, 2003; Wallace, Forman, Caldwell & Willis, 2003). As a result, many administrators and teachers are making efforts in searching for an appropriate relation between religion and curriculum design in order to ensure that they handle this sensitive issue in a democratic fashion. Indeed, religion topics make teachers feel nervous when introducing the conflicts in religions to students in difference races in class (Joanne M. &Kappan, 2003). Especially, at the current sensitive moment after 911 event happened, both the teachers and administrators have to learn how to face the challenge of explaining the confronting positions between Islam and Christians. Difficulties and Problems to Investigate Generally speaking, both teachers and students have their problems in religious education that probably only a perfectly designed curriculum can resolve. For teachers, they don¡¦t know how much they are allowed to lecture about the religion subjects in class and what are the best applicable pedagogies for teaching religions. For students, they are too young to recognize if their teacher introduces a certain religion with personal prejudice, and to identify if the teacher has an intention to preach for his own religion. In other words, it is possible that students are misled to favor or disfavor a religion because of complying with their teachers¡¦ thoughts. A Problem of Religion Textbook Kasier (2003) argues the inappropriate religion introductions might perplex students toward a religion if the teacher does not instruct it in a neutral attitude. He believes the wrong adoption of textbooks for teaching religions is one of the serious problems. Accordingly, he points out that a religion subject textbook like ¡§ A History of Western Society¡¨ might not be a proper religion material, because it creates a negative impression to students that Islam is disfavored. [i:c28ee89d86]Text with Bias[/i:c28ee89d86] In reality, Kaiser (2003) indicates Mckay¡¦s seventh edition religion textbook as well as the popular ¡§ A History of Western Society¡¨ is indeed an improper religion textbook choice because it establishes a negative impression for the Islamic prophet Mohammed. Actually, 2005-08-20T17:46:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Religion-Can-be-Taught-at-School-27751.aspx Author: Grace Hui Chin Lin, Texas A&M University, Dept. of Teaching, Learning, and Culture Catholic Schooling is a significant issue in the early American history. After Christopher Columbus landed in 1492, the English people, French, and Spaniard extended their territories and assimilated Indian by assigning missionaries and governors to develop Catholic schools in the New World. The Catholic schools in European colonies were established not only for educating European¡¦s own Catholic descents but also for making Saint Mary and Jesus Chris known by Indians. Spanish priests had accomplished better missionary tasks than the other European colonial empires like France and England. Their Catholic preaches arrived the in southern parts of the Mississippi River before 1700, and the west and south area of the Mississippi after 1700. I believe the reason why Spanish accomplished the missionary job more successfully than the others is that they paid enough reverence to Indian¡¦s tribe traditions and customs. Spanish missionaries understood that the tribe people have to retain their habits like complex cosmology worship, hunting game, and defending practice; therefore, they preserved Indian¡¦s traditional activities when converting them into Catholics. Spanish bishops transformed Indian¡¦s superstitions into Christianality step by step gently and gradually. At the same time, the Spanish missionaries traveled and fight together with tribe military soldiers from hostile attacks and introduced new industrialization technique to improve Indian¡¦s agriculture. This apparently revealed Spanish¡¦s determination to assimilate Indian and to transfer Spanish civilization to improve Indian¡¦s daily lives. Compared with French, Spanish missionaries were more effective and lucky because they encountered stronger and bigger tribes like the Mayans, the Incas, the Aztec, and the Sioux. Bigger tribes were more stable and their people were willing to learn and assimilated. They arrived in these stronger tribe areas in the US from Mexico and West Indies and transmitted the grace and love of God to settled communities such as the Pueblo of New Mexico. On the contrary, the French missionaries came across weaker nomadic tribes like the Mi'kmaq the Algonquian in Maine, New York, Illinois and Louisiana from Canada and finally did not Christianized them aggressively and effectively. In 1694, a French explorer, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac took control of the area around Detroit, and urged that the northern tribes come to live in the settlement, mingle with the French settlers, learn the language, and intermarry. He wished to lead mixed force of 2005-08-20T16:54:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparison-and-Contrast-between-Spanish-and-French-27750.aspx Christian Symbolism in The Matrix The Matrix is a futuristic, post-apocalyptic story of a man who struggles with the notion that he is the “One” chosen to liberate the world. Indeed, when Neo learns he is trapped in a computer controlled world where nothing is real, he must accept his fate (a concept which he does not believe in) as the savior of mankind. In the beginning of the movie Neo, a.k.a. Thomas Anderson, finally meets Morpheus, a man for whom he has been searching for quite some time. Upon their meeting, Morpheus frees Neo from the Matrix and tells him of his destiny as the “One.” Neo learns that Artificial Intelligence (AI) have taken over the world, and possess complete control over mankind. It is Neo’s destiny to free the people from the AI and lead them into a better place, the real world. Said to have come before, and believed to eventually return, Neo learns that the “One” has the power to bend the rules which have been programmed into the world he was born into, the Matrix. As the movie progresses, the action intensifies and pulls the viewer in, however The Matrix is much more than an action-packed sci-fi thriller. After one views this film for the second and third time, he/she starts to notice a great deal of symbolism. This symbolism starts to paint a completely different picture than the images of humans battling machines. It is a religious story, with symbols deeply set in the Christian faith. The Matrix contains religious symbolism through its three main characters, Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity, in that each character solidly personifies the “Father,” the “Son,” and the “Holy Spirit” of the Christian beliefs. The Matrix uses the connections of the main characters to the Holy Trinity to parallel a belief which many people have about modern American culture: people need guidance from a higher being. Morpheus, the leader of the rebellion is a father figure to the rest of the “free” people, thus he is compared with “the Father.” One character, Tank even makes a direct reference to this: “Morpheus, you were more than a leader to us, you were a father.” Morpheus acted as a protector and a mentor, in much the same way that a father would to his children. In Christianity, God is the Father. 2005-08-15T08:39:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Christian-Symbolism-in-The-Matrix-27671.aspx Sarah, Role Model And Mother Of The Jewish People Role models surround us; they are those who possess the qualities that we would like to have and those who have affected us in a way that makes us want to be better people, to advocate for ourselves and our goals and take leadership on the issues that we believe in. We often don't recognize our true role models until we have noticed our own personal growth and progress. In the midst of the modern world, we often look to our matriarchs and patriarchs for moral guidance. Just as we look to them as role models to be emulated in our lives and in the resolution of our own moral dilemmas, so do we learn from them when they falter and we may then learn how not to act. When thinking about significant influence in my life my mind often wonders to Sarah Imeinu, the mother of the Jewish people. Sarah Imeinu's life was anything but easy. She faced many hardships that could have sent anyone fleeing from the right derech. Yet, throughout her entire life she stuck with the light of Hashem, the flame only growing brighter as time went on. Sarah connected every movement to divine service, even in the midst of the most challenging circumstances. Our first real encounter with Sarah is her journey with Avraham down to Egypt during a time of famine. We learn that a person can risk his life to save another from Sarah Imeinu saying that she was Avraham's sister thereby risking herself to save Avraham. Once there, her beauty is noticed by the people and she is taken to Paro's palace. When Paro realized Sarah was indeed Avraham's wife, he returned her and ordered them both to leave Egypt. (Bereishis 12:14-20) Sarah's test in Egypt was overwhelming. She found herself at Pharaoh's side, with access to what was considered the world's most advanced, alluring and cultured civilization. Throughout this test, Sarah remained unassimilated in body, mind and spirit. Moreover, given her singular commitment to sanctifying the physical realm, she was distraught at seeing such abundant opportunities for holiness dedicated to the wrong cause.(1) Withe her luck, a similar situation occurs with Avimelech, the king of Philistine. Yet, Sarah is once again returned to her husband unmolested.(Bereishis 20:3-18) There is no greater example of Sarah's remarkable relationship with Avraham than the fact that, being 2005-08-10T04:47:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sarah,-Role-Model-And-Mother-Of-The-Jewish-People-27588.aspx Protestant and Catholic Reformation At the beginning of the 16th century, the Roman Catholic Church, modeled upon the bureaucratic structure of the Late Roman Empire, had become extremely powerful but internally corrupt. From early in the 12th century onward, there were calls for reform. Between 1215 and 1545, nine church-councils were held with church reforms as their primary intent, yet the councils all failed to reach significant accord. Around the beginning of the 16th century, the Roman Catholic Church experienced a wide range of social, artistic, and geo-political changes, which was termed the Reformation. Catholics and Protestants both demanded change; however, the way in which they fought for change differed immensely. The Protestant's approach was aimed at undermining the Catholic Church politically, economically, and socially, whereas pressure from the Protestants forced the Catholics into constant struggle to bolster their own claims and improve their corrupt nature. With help from Ignatius of Loyola, Gian Matteo Giberti, and members of the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church launched a somewhat successful counter attack. However, the division of the universal Catholic Church would be the ultimate hardship that Catholics had to endure as a result of this awakening of new ideas. The battle to monopolize people's beliefs would create a culture of religious pluralism, as it is known today. The Reformation began on October 31, 1517, when a German monk named Martin Luther unwittingly sparked a revolution. The Catholic Church had been selling indulgences for the purpose of raising money, "dirty" money that was used to carry out certain endeavors that they were interested in. For example, they sold a jubilee indulgence near Wittenburg Castle in order to generate funds for Saint Peter's in Rome. Luther became disgusted with the Catholic Church's practice of selling indulgences, thus he responded to his own inner aversion of this practice by posting a list of grievances against the Catholic Church, called The Ninety-Five Theses. Consequently, he started a religious revolution that came to be known as the Protestant Reformation. Luther's teaching of Sola Fide successfully undermined the Catholic Church's attempt to gain economic prosperity by means of remitting sins and shortening visits to purgatory for profit's sake. He accomplished this by preaching that faith alone can bring salvation. He taught that man's salvation is totally dependant upon God's activity and is in no way conditioned by the action of man. Man's choice of sin 2005-08-10T04:30:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Protestant-and-Catholic-Reformation-27585.aspx Seyyed Hossein Nasr, one of the world's leading Islamicists and an Iranian professor of Islamic Studies (previously of Tehran University and currently of George Washington University), and president of the Foundation for Traditional Studies, has presented the world with written and published eighteen books on the topic of Islam. Throughout his books, professor Nasr offers a clear introduction to Islam, and certain basic aspects of this rich and diverse religion, tradition, culture and civilization of more than a billion believers. His book, “Islam, Religion, History, and Civilization”, takes the reader on a journey throughout the history of Islam from initiation to today where he explains Islamic beliefs, practices, institutes, and schools of thought. Professor Nasr also discusses the relationship between Islam and other religions and also spiritual and religious significance of Islam based on traditional Islamic beliefs. He intellectually represents Islam in such way that it would be acceptable by majority of Moslems as well as non-Moslems. Through the introduction of this book, professor Nasr expresses the importance of knowledge of Islam for those who are concerned with situation of contemporary humanity and believers of essentiality of a bond between East and West; especially considering the large number of Moslems with racial and cultural diversity. Also individuals interested in reality of religion and spiritual world, as well as those attracted to birth and nurture of different cultures, can benefit from the knowledge of Islam. Considering the crucial rule of this religion in development of different cultures including the Western civilization, Nasr believes that all man-kind can benefit from the knowledge of Islam. In the first chapter of the book, Nasr explains that penetration of the reality of Islam in the consciousness of Westerners, in various forms and from different directions, which has led the world become aware of the significant of Islam now a days. Westerners have realized the need of the true Islamic knowledge. Professor Nasr strongly believes that true Islam has yet not been portrayed, in an unbiased manner, as in each period through the history "Islamic studies has been distorted and tainted by a particular set of errors and deviations". Hence the urge of an unbiased and realistic look at Islam, providing a clear and intellectual introduction to the religion as well as the history and civilization, has encouraged Nasr to create his overviews. He declares that his books are written and based upon 2005-08-03T03:45:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Islam-by-Seyyed-Hossein-Nasr-27533.aspx Was Jesus Sent To Be Crucified? One of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus had died and allowed for the shedding of his blood for the sake of granting forgiveness to people. In other words Jesus had died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Let us investigate this topic from the Bible, and find out whether Jesus was sent to be crucified or that he was crucified: 1. Willingness of Jesus Christ to Die for Our Sins: Peter and the two sons of Zebedee were with Jesus Christ before the elders of the people and the chief priests came to take him to crucify him. Jesus at this point talked to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee as in Matthew 26:38 "Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." Then Jesus went a little further way from them and prayed to God as in Matthew 26:39 "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." It is very clear from the above verse in Matthew 26:39 that Jesus had no intention of dying. In this verse it is shown that Jesus was praying strongly (Matthew mentions that Jesus repeated these prayer three time) to have this death removed from him. Had Jesus Christ been sent to be crucified he would not have hesitated to be killed at all. When I relate this to my Christian brothers, they tell me that this hesitation comes from the flesh side of him (in other words he was tempted), and that his soul which is godly does not have this hesitation at all. When we look at Matthew 26:38 we see that Jesus is contradicting this idea by saying, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." (Matthew 26:38). He himself says that it really his soul that is hesitating and not his body. These are Jesus' own words. 2. God Answered the prayers of Jesus Christ: After Jesus made the above mentioned prayer he was answered by God according to Hebrews 5:7 "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save 2005-08-01T02:25:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Was-Jesus-Sent-To-Be-Crucified-27485.aspx About Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) Muhammad (pbuh) was an illiterate but wise and well-respected man who was born in Makkah in the year 570 C.E., at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. His first years were marked by the deaths of his parents. Since his father died before his birth, his uncle, Abu Talib, from the respected tribe of Quraysh, raised him. As Muhammad (pbuh) grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. His reputation and personal qualities also led to his marriage, at the age of twenty-five, to Khadijah, a widow whom he had assisted in business. Thenceforth, he became an important and trusted citizen of Makkah. Historians describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad (pbuh) never felt fully content to be part of a society whose values he considered to be devoid of true religious significance. It became his habit to retreat from time to time to the cave of Hira', to meditate near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the "Mountain of Light", near Makkah. At the age of 40, while engaged in one such meditative retreat, Muhammad (pbuh) received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as the Qur'an, the faithful recording of the entire revelation of God. The first revelation read: "Recite: In the name of your Lord Who created man from a clot (of blood). Recite: Your Lord is Most Noble, Who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know." [96:1-5] It was this reality that he gradually and steadily came to learn and believe, until he fully realized that it is the truth. His first convert was Khadijah, whose support and companionship provided necessary reassurance and strength. He also won the support of some of his relatives and friends. Three basic themes of the early message were the majesty of the one, unique God, the futility of idol worship, the threat of judgment, and the necessity of faith, compassion and morality in human affairs. All these themes represented an attack on the crass materialism and idolatry prevalent in Makkah at the time. So when he began to proclaim the message to others the Makkans rejected him. He and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so 2005-08-01T02:23:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/About-Muhammad-Peace-Be-Upon-Him-27484.aspx Do You Believe That Evolution Is True? If so, then provide an answer to the following questions. "Evolution" in this context is the idea that natural, undirected processes are sufficient to account for the existence of all natural things. 1. Something from nothing? The "Big Bang", the most widely accepted theory of the beginning of the universe, states that everything developed from a small dense cloud of subatomic particles and radiation which exploded, forming hydrogen (and some helium) gas. Where did this energy/matter come from? How reasonable is it to assume it came into being from nothing? And even if it did come into being, what would cause it to explode? We know from common experience that explosions are destructive and lead to disorder. How reasonable is it to assume that a "big bang" explosion produced the opposite effect - increasing "information", order and the formation of useful structures, such as stars and planets, and eventually people? 2. Physical laws an accident? We know the universe is governed by several fundamental physical laws, such as electromagnetic forces, gravity, conservation of mass and energy, etc. The activities of our universe depend upon these principles like a computer program depends upon the existence of computer hardware with an instruction set. How reasonable is it to say that these great controlling principles developed by accident? 3. Order from disorder? The Second Law of Thermodynamics may be the most verified law of science. It states that systems become more disordered over time, unless energy is supplied and directed to create order. Evolutionists says that the opposite has taken place - that order increased over time, without any directed energy. How can this be? ASIDE: Evolutionists commonly object that the Second Law applies to closed, or isolated systems, and that the Earth is certainly not a closed system (it gets lots of raw energy from the Sun, for example). However, all systems, whether open or closed, tend to deteriorate. For example, living organisms are open systems but they all decay and die. Also, the universe in total is a closed system. To say that the chaos of the big bang has transformed itself into the human brain with its 120 trillion connections is a clear violation of the Second Law. We should also point out that the availability of raw energy to a system is a necessary but far from sufficient condition for a local decrease 2005-08-01T02:22:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Do-You-Believe-That-Evolution-Is-True-27483.aspx Human Rights In An Islamic State [Since God is the absolute and the sole master of men and the universe, He is the sovereign Lord, the sustainer and nourisher, the Merciful, whose mercy enshrines all beings. Men are substantially the same and no tangible and actual distinction can be made among them, on account of their accidental differences such as nationality, colour or race. Every human-being is thereby related to all others and all become one community of brotherhood in their honorable and pleasant servitude to the most compassionate Lord of the Universe. In such a heavenly atmosphere the Islamic confession of the oneness of God stands dominant and central, and necessarily entails the concept of the oneness of humanity and the brotherhood of mankind. Although an Islamic state may be set up in any part of the earth, Islam does not seek to restrict human rights or privileges to the geographical limits of its own state. Islam has laid down some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed and respected under all circumstances whether such a person is resident within the territory of the Islamic state or outside it, whether he is at peace with the state or at war. The Qur'an very clearly states: O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not there be hatred of others to make you swerve to wrong and depart from Justice. Be just: that is next to Piety:” and Fear Allah. For Allah is well acquainted with all that you do. 5:80) Human blood is sacred in any case and cannot be spilled without justification. And if anyone violates this sanctity of human blood by killing a soul without justification, the Qur'an equates it to the killing of entire mankind: ..... Whoso slays a soul not to retaliate for a soul slain, nor for corruption done in the land, should be as if he had slain mankind altogether. It is not permissible to oppress women, children, old people, the sick or the wounded. Women's honor and chastity are to be respected under all circumstances. The hungry person must be fed, the naked clothed and the wounded or diseased treated medically irrespective of whether they belong to the Islamic community or are from amongst its enemies. When we speak of human rights in Islam we really mean that these 2005-08-01T02:20:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Human-Rights-In-An-Islamic-State-27482.aspx A Complete Way Of Life ! Islam is a religion, but not in the western meaning of religion. The western connotation of the term "religion" is something between the believer and God. Islam is a religion that organizes all aspects of life on both the individual and national levels. Islam organizes your relations with God, with yourself, with your children, with your relatives, with your neighbor, with your guest, and with other brethren. Islam clearly establishes your duties and rights in all those relationships. Islam establishes a clear system of worship, civil rights, laws of marriage and divorce, laws of inheritance, code of behavior, what not to drink, what to wear, and what not to wear, how to worship God, how to govern, the laws of war and peace, when to go to war, when to make peace, the law of economics, and 2005-08-01T02:19:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Islam-A-Complete-Way-Of-Life-27481.aspx Misconception: Muslims are violent, terrorists, and extremists! This is the biggest misconception in Islam, no doubt resulting from the constant stereotyping and bashing the media gives Islam. When a gunman attacks a mosque in the name of Judaism, or a Catholic IRA guerrilla sets off a bomb in an urban area, or Serbian Orthodox militiamen rape and kill innocent Muslim civilians, these acts are not used to stereotype and bash an entire faith. Never are these acts attributed to the religious teachings of the perpetrators. Yet how many times have we heard the words 'Islamist or Muslim fundamentalist' linked with violence. Politics in so-called “Muslim countries" may or may not have any Islamic basis. Often dictators and politicians will use the name of Islam for their own purposes. One should remember to go to the source of Islam and separate what the true religion of Islam says from what is portrayed in the media. Islam literally means 'submission to God' and is derived from a root word meaning 'peace'. Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion doesn’t dominate everyday life in the West, whereas Islam is considered a 'way of life' for Muslims and they make no division between secular and sacred in their lives. Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock. No where does Islam or the Qur'an enjoin the killing of innocents. The Qur’an says: "Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors." (Qur’an Chapter 2: Verse 190) And also, "If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things." (Qur’an, Chapter 8: Verse 61). War, therefore, is a last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term 'jihad' literally means 'struggle'. Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad. The other 'jihad' is the inner struggle of the soul which everyone wages against egotistic desires for the sake of attaining inner peace. Misconception: Islam oppresses women. The image of the typical Muslim woman wearing the 2005-08-01T02:18:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Top-Misconceptions-About-Islam-27480.aspx Definition Of Islam The word ISLAM has a two-fold meaning: peace, and submission to God. This submission requires a fully conscious and willing effort to submit to the one Almighty God. One must consciously and conscientiously give oneself to the service of Allah. This means to act on what Allah enjoins all of us to do (in the Qur'an) and what His beloved Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) encouraged us to do in his Sunnah (his lifestyle and sayings personifying the Qur'an). Once we humble ourselves, rid ourselves of our egoism and submit totally to Allah, and to Him exclusively, in faith and in action, we will surely feel peace in our hearts. Establishing peace in our hearts 2005-08-01T02:16:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Definition-Of-Islam-27479.aspx Are Religion And Science One? Is it possible that in our search for some basic reality, we humans may discover that although religion and science have always seemed to be in different places, the conclusion they will ultimately reach will be the same thing? What is God? Energy, Spirit, Universal Consciousness, Singular, Unilateral? According to David Hume, God is not different from the order that exists in the universe1. Training our thoughts along this line, one might doubt the commonly held view that Science and Religion are entirely different and exist at the opposite ends of a spectrum. Science is based on observation. Religion on the other hand makes arguments analytical in nature (like the Ontological Argument by Anslem) and requires some unquestioned faith. In spite of leading us through somewhat different paths, both try to find the basic stuff2. The goal thus in both cases is to determine the constituents of what form the reality. The routes though may not seem similar. In the essay, The Dynamic Universe, Fritjop Capra explores the philosophies on which various eastern religions like Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism are based upon. He is of the view that the world is conceived in terms of movement, flow and change2. He then cites the examples of sub-atomic physics and the field of galaxies and heavenly bodies. Science studies them as units, which are in a state of constant motion. By doing this, he tries to class Science as well as Religion under the same heading, which is concerned with finding the basic reality. The next question that comes to the forefront then is what is the thing that we are after? What constitutes this reality that we all are in pursuit of? A scientist might call this as the order in the universe or the Energy, which is diffused in the world we live in. Religions like to call this ultimate reality as God. The order that the scientists describe implies a mind working behind it. This entity capable of setting an order in the universe is nothing but what religion defines as God. Science and Religion then appear to be tied up like two versions of the same notion. God, I feel, is the ultimate quest for which both these allegedly opposite views are after. His physical form is not visible to us. But his existence could be argued using aposteriori arguments based on the observation 2005-08-01T02:07:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Are-Religion-And-Science-One-27475.aspx The Image of Jesus The image of Jesus can be viewed from many different perspectives. Each individual person has developed his or her own images of Jesus the Christ. Every individual has been shaped or formed in some way, whether they comprehend it or not. We have all had individuals enter and exit throughout our lives that have made a significant impact on us, explaining who we are and our future destiny. Being a Christian, clearly, one of the individuals that have entered and made a significant impact in my life is Jesus Christ. He is one who performs miracles and teaches in parables. But, most importantly, he has brought his teaching aspect into my life recently. I have learned many different lessons over the last year of my life, and have begun to understand where his teachings are taking me. The aspects of Jesus and how they are implicated in my life is one of the most important lessons that I can learn from my mentor. Obviously, we view almost everything that Jesus says or does as a miracle. His life and in fact how he was born is a remarkable and welcome event that seems impossible to explain by means of the known laws of nature and is therefore attributed to a supernatural agency (78). In order to receive a miracle of God, there must be openness to his power. Without this openness, we cannot experience his power. This openness can be known as the gift of faith. Do we believe in Jesus, and if we do, this faith is a miracle within itself. It is offered to all that is willing to receive and nurture it. And, once it is received, it offers new vision and new perspective whereby one may be receptive to the power of God working among people and in the world (95). Faith is the willingness to recognize the power of God in operation. In this operation and the receiving of faith, is what is adequate in miracles. Jesus' ultimate miracle was his resurrection. Death was overcome when Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead and glorified as Son of God and Savior (97). His followers viewed him in a different light, and for some reason, when he was resurrected, they believed that he 2005-08-01T02:01:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Image-of-Jesus--27472.aspx All About Buddhism Buddhism is one of the biggest religions founded in India in the 6th and 5th century B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, also known as “the Buddha.” As one of the greatest Asian religion, it teaches the practice and the observance of moral perceptions. The basic teachings of “the Buddha” were mainly emphasized by the four noble truths. Since it was first introduced into China from India, Buddhism has had a history that has been characterized by periods of sometimes awkward and irregular development. In spite of these difficulties, Chinese Buddhism has come to have an important influence on the growth and development of Buddhism in general and this has occurred largely because of its own innovatory contributions. (Eliade16) “Buddhism begins with a man. In his later years, when India was afire with his message, people came to him asking what he was. Not ‘Who are you?’ but ‘What are you?’ ‘Are you god?’ they asked. ‘No.’ ‘An angel?’ ‘No.’ ‘A saint?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then, what are you?’ Buddha answered, ‘I am awake.’ His answer became his title, for this is what Buddha means. The Sanskrit root budh means to awake and to know. While the rest of humanity was dreaming the dream we call the waking human state, one of their number roused himself. Buddhism begins with a man who woke up.”(Smith 60) Buddha was born a prince named Siddhartha Gautama in a small kingdom in what is now Nepal in 563b.c.e. Gautama’s birth is described as a miraculous event, his birth being the result of his mother's impregnation by a sacred white elephant that touched her left side with a lotus flower. The scriptures claim that when Gautama was born “immeasurable light spread through ten thousand worlds; the blind recovering their sight, as if from desire to see his glory" (Evans 141) Shortly after his birth, his father consulted with a number of astrologers, all of whom declared that the newborn prince would become a great king and that he would rule the world in truth and righteousness. Among these astrologers, there was one who declared that if the prince were to see a sick person, an old person, a corpse, and a world-renouncing ascetic, he would become dissatisfied with life and become a wandering monk in order to seek final peace. King Shuddhodana decided he wanted his son to have the former destiny and went to no ends to 2005-07-29T06:00:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/All-About-Buddhism--27430.aspx The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Flood in Genesis 6-9 Compared and Contrasted In The Epic of Gilgamesh and in the Bible’s The Flood in Genesis, a great flood overwhelms the earth. These two stories each tell about a righteous hero who is told by the deities that a massive flood will overtake the earth. In both stories vessels are built for protection against the global flood so that life will be sustained. The Gilgamesh flood tablet has clear parallels to the biblical flood story in Genesis 6-9, from the waters that come, to the boat, even to the birds that are sent out the window to look for dry land. And as did the protagonist in the biblical story, so does the hero in Gilgamesh make a sacrifice to the divine after they abandon the boats. Utnapishtim, the main protagonist in this epic, tells the story of a flood in a city called Shurrupak, on the banks of the Euphrates River valley. The gods consider the noise made by man in this city to be intolerable, so they agree to exterminate mankind. Ea, god of the waters, warns Utnapishtim of their plan in a dream. He tells him to tear down his house and build a boat, giving precise measurements, and to take into it the seed of all living creatures. She tells Utnapishtim not to bring any treasures with him on his journey but he ignores her and does so anyways. The boat is built and loaded, and the rain comes. Like The Flood in Genesis, The Epic of Gilgamesh also includes animals as passengers to ensure the continuation of these species after the flood. The storm rages fiercely for six days and six nights. On the seventh day the storm subsides and Utnapishtim opens a hatch and sees water all around. The boat is grounded on the mountain of Nisir. When it has been calm for seven days, he releases a dove, which finds no resting place and returns. A swallow is then released who finds no perch. A raven is sent out but never returns. Utnapishtim makes a sacrifice and pours out a libation on the mountaintop. Although the test to find land in both Genesis and Gilgamesh is the same; i.e.; release of birds, the types of birds used differ. In Genesis, a raven and three doves are released whereas in Gilgamesh, a dove, 2005-07-25T07:07:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Epic-of-Gilgamesh-and-The-Flood-in-Genesis-6-9-Analyzed-27378.aspx Religion and Violence Religion, which is a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices, serves the purpose of establishing rules and principles in a society. When studying various religions, it becomes apparent that the principles instilled are those that are morally just. Each major religion specifically addresses the issue of violence, and the vast majority condemns such actions. Individuals following a particular religion are expected to follow the rules and principles established which theoretically should create a world that is morally righteous and free from violence. Such is not the case, however, and society must constantly correct immoral actions performed by certain individuals. These individuals originate from diverse backgrounds and religions, and therefore no specific religion can be solely liable. Therefore, it becomes necessary to determine how violence and religion can simultaneously exist because the natures of these two elements seem to be contradictory. Two particular explanations, which introduce historical examples, illustrate how these two entities can coexist. One explanation states that certain individuals feel that violence is relatively harmless, and therefore feel no remorse in performing violent acts. This explanation incorporates classical historical texts, which imply that violence is an essential element of life. Another explanation states that certain individuals feel that violent acts are justified as a means of propagating faith. This explanation points out that survival and expansion of religion through violent acts is acceptable. These two rationalizations help explain how such variance can exist between religious dictation and the actual practice of individuals in society. The concept that certain individuals regard violence as relatively harmless provides one explanation of how these two issues concurrently exist. These individuals feel that violent acts are not as immoral as perceived by other members of society and by certain religions. Violence, from their perspective, is an act that cannot be avoided because survival demands some forms of violence. These opinions are somewhat validated by the Bhagavat Gita, which is a classic Hindu epic which contains several meaningful elements. In this epic, the main character named Arjuna is preparing for battle with persons against whom he must fight which include family, friends, and respected acquaintances. The struggle in the Bhagavat Gita is an internal moral struggle within Arjuna, because he does not wish to inflict harm upon those that he respects. Arjuna, longing for the moral answer to the dilemma, asks the Hindu god Krishna for assistance with the situation. Krishna then 2005-07-10T04:12:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Religion-and-Violence-27275.aspx What Divine Comedy Reveals About Christianity The truth about the soul of man and his justice after death can be debated among all types of religions ranging from Hinduism to Christianity. However, in Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy: Inferno, the author takes the liberty of unveiling a different and extremely intricate view of one of the greatest questions of humanity: the existence of an afterlife and the consequences of our lives on earth. The Holy Bible explains how man should live his life and the results of it. The Divine Comedy: Inferno reiterates that doctrine as well, yet it is different in its view of divine judgment and also promotes another viewpoint for Christian readers about the eternal justice of God. This Comedy is a work that displays the many facets of Hell that one would not be able to extract from simply reading the Holy Bible; it also provides plausible explanations for aspects of the Bible that are somewhat ambiguous. For example, when one contemplates the possible fates of infants and people who die without ever knowing God, you have to wonder if they still suffer eternal damnation of fire and brimstone, which is a result normally projected for those who do go to Hell. This thought, however, can be clarified when Dante describes what exactly happens to such people, "……..The sighs rose from sorrow without torments out of the crowds of infants, women and men…………they did not sin and yet they did not have merits, that's not enough, because they lacked the baptism, the portal of faith that you embrace, and if they lived before Christianity, they did not worship God in fitting ways" (Alighieri 1313). This particular phrase uncovers the uncertainty of what happens to souls in that situation, whereas in the Bible Christian readers would still be left to ponder. The Bible being a figurative text is direct and indirect with the messages it delivers, and therefore leaves readers a bit perplexed. However, the obscurity of the Bible may possibly have been created that way in order to make man actually think about life and what it encompasses instead of just drifting through it. God blessed mankind with ability to learn and acquire knowledge, if he gave man a straightforward mandate displaying what we need to do to attain divine justice, then there wouldn't be room for thought. Dante possibly took the liberty of addressing such intricacy 2005-07-02T23:06:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-Divine-Comedy-Reveals-About-Christianity-27207.aspx Christ in the Old Testament Erroneous beliefs and preconceived ideas are a lock on the door of the human mind; they have proven to be very effective in keeping the truth at bay. In the past, the belief systems of most people were acquired directly from their parents as they grew up. Countless generations clung to their inherited beliefs with great tenacity, vigorously promoting them as bequeathed truth. Yet in the vast majority of cases, the origin of these beliefs was not based on fact, but rather on supposition or hearsay. Unfortunately, this has been doubly true in the case of religious convictions. Most who have professed to be Christians have not studied God's Word to prove or disprove their beliefs, as God commands and expects (I The. 5:21; Acts 17:11). Instead of the Bible, many have relied on their priest, pastor, or minister to explain God and His purpose to them. Some of those who did look into the Bible for themselves sought out "proof texts" that seemed to substantiate their original views. Usually taken out of context, these "proof text" verses were esteemed at the expense of the rest of the Bible. Any Scripture which appeared contradictory to their beliefs was ignored or rationalized away. Satan the devil has used this prevalent flaw in human nature to deceive almost the entire world about one of the central topics of the Bible, the prophesied Messiah. The identity and activities of the one to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given (Matt. 28:18; I Cor. 15:27) remains a mystery to most of the world. However, the Bible discloses who this being is and what he's been doing to accomplish God's plan for mankind. In this article, we're going to see what God's Word has to say about the Messiah before his birth to Mary. Many believe that God the Father was the one who interacted with ancient Israel personally, appearing and speaking to the patriarchs and to Moses. Yet the Bible plainly and absolutely contradicts this belief: JOHN 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (NKJV) JOHN 5:37 "And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form." (NKJV) JOHN 6:46 "Not that any man 2005-06-21T03:25:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Christ-in-the-Old-Testament-27054.aspx Hinduism Pantheism is the religious world view of the East. It includes Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. In its Westernized form, pantheism is the basic assumption of Transcendental Meditation and some aspects of New Age mysticism. Pantheists view reality like naturalists in the sense that both are monistic theories. Monism means that reality has one dimension. In contrast to the Western perspective, Hinduism rejects the existence of matter. Hindus believe only the spiritual dimension exists and according to R.C. Zaehner”nothing, however in the Veda or Hinduism is nicely cut-and-dry.”(Zaehner 19) Since this is such a difficult concept for us in the West, we will need to explore Eastern religious worship in comparison to Western religious worship a bit further. While subtle differences exist between Eastern and Western religions, they are unified in the view that ultimate reality is spirit. But it would be a mistake to interpret the Eastern concept of the spiritual in Western monotheistic terms. Eastern pantheists believe spiritual reality is ultimately impersonal and unknowable. Spirit is more like energy than a personal God as we conceive him in the West. Strange from our perspective, is fact that most of the Hindu religion involves devotion to a host of gods. The practice of Hinduism, for example, consists of devotion to three hundred million nature deities. Hindu scholars recognize that devotion to these deities is simply an attempt to explain the unexplainable, and to make Hinduism accessible to the popular, uneducated masses. Ritual and devotion to nature gods is to be understood wholly in light of the philosophical categories of the Upanishads (Hindu scriptures), not in Western monotheistic terms. As D.S. Sharma, a noted Hindu scholar states, "The particular name and form of any deities are limitations which we in our weakness impose on the all pervading spirit which is nameless and formless. The supreme being is a person only in relation to ourselves and our needs....the highest theism is only a sort of glorified anthropomorphism, but we cannot do without it." Sharma means that all attempts to personalize the ultimately impersonal are the product our human propensity to ascribe to reality attributes that we observe in ourselves. Because we are persons, we personify the cosmos. ( Internet) Nothing is more foreign to us in the West than the denial of the material realm. But it is equally strange from the Eastern viewpoint that Westerners deny the spiritual realm. Materialism and pantheism 2005-06-20T00:48:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hinduism--27020.aspx Great victories are sometimes won by small battles. In Ireland there has been an ongoing religious battle between the Protestant and the Catholics for hundreds of years. These battles result in shootings, bombings and other deaths. But the most horrific thing is that the children of Ireland help in the death of their enemies. There are also other battles that are much smaller but most definitely going towards a Hugh cause. These little battles are for peace between the two religious sides in both adolescent and adult ages. In the novel “Twelfth Day of July” and the movie “Children in the Crossfire” these little battles are shown. In the video “Children in the Crossfire”, there was two church leaders one Protestant and the other a catholic. These two ministers organized a program where they would get Protestant and Catholic children and send them to a country, which did not have too much religious hold around the people, in this case they were sent to America. The aim of this program was to put a protestant boy in a house with a catholic boy for six months and to get the result of them having a close relationship between each other by the time they came back to Ireland. The point in the long run was to try and stop the violence in the children’s generation, so when they grew up and they were the parents they would not teach their children to dislike the other religion. With this happening they would gain some peace between the two religious sides. This happens in “Children in the Crossfire”, two boys are sent to America and hosted by a family with mixed religions; Protestant and Catholic so it was just like the two boys and it shows how two of the opposite can still get along. While the two boys are in America they are getting along quite well for a while until an incident in Ireland where there was a bombing which was on TV and the two boys started to fight. The father that was hosting the two boys came out and tried to breakup the fight, but he could not so he pushed them into the pool. After the boys had had the fight they agreed to be good and enjoy America while they are still here. After that it was smooth running for the two of them and they made they 2005-06-19T06:33:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Irish-Religion--26950.aspx Christianity and The Roman Catholic Mission In Africa Despite the beliefs of many early Christians, religion in Africa is everywhere. Traditional African beliefs and rituals, as in recourse in sacred objects when an individual is about to embark upon a journey or the worship that one pays to natural objects, such as the Hottentots who dance in the moonlight in praise of the moon, is not understood by Christians (New Advent 7). Many early Christians believed that there were tribes without any form of religion in African as well as tribes like the Hottentots, who believed in the wrong God, and took it upon themselves to bring them the word of their God. African Christianity began as early as 180 by a group of martyrs and has pushed on ever since (Early African Church 1). Several hundred years later, Roman Catholic missions in Africa began with Portuguese explorations down the west coast of Africa. In the 1490's Kongo became a Christian kingdom. Many political leaders, like Manikongo the Christian King of the Kongo, pushed devotion toward Christianity. With this devotion came an interest in Western medicine, education, and technology and with it came the trouble of the white man. Shortly after this time the Portuguese clergy began to do more harm than good to progress Christianity among the Kongo. Slave trading went into full swing and Manikong appealed to the Pope for support against the slave trade, but to no avail (Pre-Col 1). Other missionaries began to spend more time in trade than teaching or preaching and the number of Christian slave trade supporters grew. The Christian kingdom then collapsed in 1665 (Kongo Christianity 2). By the 1840's the Roman Catholic Missions experienced a great revival with the founding of two new missionary orders in Africa, The Congregation of the Holy Ghost and the White Fathers (Pre-Col 1). More and more white settlers continued to come into Africa, from Belgium to France, with their government or church supported missions to ensure their compliance in the world of colonial pacification. Most Africans did not take these intruders well, yet some did and were surprisingly helpful. As one missionary wrote in 1906, "The blacks are far form ignoring that the colonial authorities are hostile to us and that our religion is not that of the whites who live in the [French] Sudan," (Colonial 2). Either way, with or without support, the missions kept 2005-06-16T22:18:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Christianity-and-The-Roman-Catholic-Mission-In-Africa-26887.aspx Rastafarianism's Connection To Judaism The Rastafarians Little is known about the Rastafarian religion other than that Bob Marley was a Rasta who had dreadlocks and enjoyed smoking Marijuana. During my trip to Jamaica I found that there was so much more that connected to my own personal experiences a Jew. I decided to discover more and what I found was astonishing. I began to strike up discussions with local Rastafarians. A Rastafarian cab driver that I was speaking with claimed to be from the tribe of Judah and had a Star of David on his dashboard. When I came back to the U.S. the importance to me of what I discovered had not changed. I began to look at the similarities of the two religions. I discovered that in many ways the two religions are almost, if not, identical. The two religions of Rastafarianism and Judaism embody many of the same characteristics, as well as their ancestry. Although the Rastafarians, at times, inaccurately explain the bible, their belief in the Old Testament is still prevalent. Many of the customs are almost identical, but the rationale behind the traditions and laws contrast greatly (Rastafarians). In order to understand all the connections within the beliefs, rituals, and symbols between Rastafarianism and Judaism it is extremely important to understand the origin of Rasta. Rasta has its roots in the teachings of Jamaican black nationalist Marcus Garvey, who in 1920 said "Look to Africa when a black king shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is at hand" (Chevannes, Rastafari 98). Many thought the prophecy was fulfilled when in 1930, Ras Tafari, was crowned emperor Haile Selassie 1 of Ethiopia and proclaimed "King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the conquering lion of the Tribe of Judah". Haile Selassie claimed to be a direct descendant of King David, the 225th ruler in an unbroken line of Ethiopian Kings from the time of Solomon and Sheba (Chevannes, Ideology 99). It was 1930, the year of the Great Depression, and the Jamaican people were opening their hearts and minds to new possibilities. During this time of economic instability the downtrodden black Jamaican was receptive to the economic communal ideas and strong positive emphasis on being black and African. Garvey preached a message of black self-empowerment, and initiated the "Back to Africa" movement. Which called for all blacks to return to their ancestral home, and more specifically Ethiopia. He 2005-05-23T08:30:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rastafarianism-s-Connection-To-Judaism-26712.aspx A Philosophical Approach to Finding God The question of God’s existence has been debated through the history of man, with every philosopher from Socrates to Immanuel Kant weighing in on the debate. So great has this topic become that numerous proofs have been invented and utilized to prove or disprove God’s existence. Yet no answer still has been reached, leaving me to wonder if any answer at all is possible. So I will try in this paper to see if it is possible to philosophically prove God’s existence. Before I start the paper there are a few points that must be established. First is a clear definition of Philosophy of Religion, which is the area of philosophy that applies philosophical methods to study a wide variety of religious issues including the existence of God. The use of the philosophical method makes Philosophy of Religion distinct from theology, which is the study of God and any type of issues that relate to the divine. Now there are two types of theology, Revealed and Natural Theology. Revealed Theology claims that our knowledge of God comes through special revelations such as the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the Koran. Saint Thomas Aquinas indicates that Revealed Theology provides what he calls “Saving Knowledge”, which is knowledge that will result in our salvation. Now Natural Theology is our knowledge of God that one ascertains through natural reasoning, or reasoning that is unaided by special revelations. Saint Thomas noted that this type of reasoning can provide knowledge of God’s nature, or even prove his existence, but can never result in the person attaining salvation for as he states, even demons know that God exists. A note must be made before we press on; as one might notice Natural Theology is akin to philosophy of religion in the sense that both use human reasoning in their attempts to explain the divine. The main difference between them of course is the range of the topics considered. Ontological Argument The Ontological Argument, which argues from a definition of God’s being to his existence, is the first type of argument we are going to examine. Since this argument was founded by Saint Anslem, we will be examining his writings. Saint Anslem starts by defining God as an all-perfect being, or rather as a being containing all conceivable perfections. Now if in addition of possessing all conceivable perfections this being did not 2005-05-21T03:03:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Philosophical-Approach-to-Finding-God-26693.aspx THE BUDDHA, TWO LESSONS Almost everybody I have ever met can recognize a Buddha statue, but few folks who I have ever associated with understand the meaning of the Buddha. Myself included was one of those folks blessed with such ignorance. When the term Buddha was brought up, all I thought about was the pudgy bellies of myself and fellow offensive lineman on my high school football team. Nirvana! Hey isn't that one of the great rock bands of the early nineties? Right? In this paper, I will explain who the Buddha was and the deep meaning of the message that Prince Guatama preached. The Buddha defined the Middle Path as a way that leads to insight, which leads to wisdom, which conduces to calm, to knowledge, to the Sambodhi, to Nirvana (76). These words meant that all else was linked to some sort of suffering, that true peace and happiness could only be achieved through your mind and true pain and suffering could be achieved through reality. The Buddha illustrated this idea through his Four Noble Truths. The first of these is the Noble Truth of Suffering. These sufferings included natural situations of life, including birth, decay, death, presence of objects we hate not to obtain what we want, and finally, mere existence (76). There is a pattern that is developed in this order. Birth is the beginning of reality that has its good as well as bad times. The Buddha appears to focus on the hardships of reality that Prince Guatama knew of in this world. As life would carry onward, the hardships would pile on top of one another, eventually leading to a life of misery. The second of these four truths is the Cause of suffering. The idea illustrated here is the thirst that consumes everybody. The thirst for pleasure, existence, and prosperity was the threefold that he explained (76). Pleasure being a cause for the fact that it leads to lust, which leads back to birth. Existence, like the last paragraph, is mere suffering. Prosperity, trying to achieve what we desire, stepping on other people to get what we want, is a cause of suffering. Releasing yourself from these causes, from all worldly desires, is what Prince Guatama could define as true peace and happiness. The Third is the Noble Truth 2005-05-15T08:03:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Buddha-Lessons-and-Nirvana--26616.aspx Modern Buddhism Visit to A Buddhist Center The Buddhist Center visited had a plain and simple building. The outside was concrete and glass. There was a living room style set up with various couches and chairs. Offices were all surrounding and the meditation room was upstairs. Tufts students lined up to donate the suggested five dollars to the Center. The man at the basket was in his forties and balding. Typically I would imagine American Buddhist to be of younger age. I found this to be false as well as other misconceptions I had about what a real modern American Buddhist Center. On the way upstairs we took our shoes off a s a sign of respect to the Center. Just the thought of removing shoes makes one infer the ground of the meditation room is sacred. Silently everyone filed upstairs through a winding staircase. I entered the room, then bowed toward the alter as a sign of respect. I immediately observed everyone already sitting down in their meditation positions. The room was perfectly quiet except for the rustling of clothes as people filed in to sit. There seemed to be an odd peaceful silence surrounding the meditation room. The alter consisted of a table with two pictures of old smiling Buddhist monks. One man was the founder of the center, so people bow to his picture as a sign of reverence. There were small glass jars containing water in front of the pictures. Dead center was a large scroll with a single character written on it. Two more smaller scrolls were on either side of the large character in the middle. An older woman with gray hair faced the twenty or so congregants in the meditation room. People were also seated in a row at the back of the room in chairs. The night was an open house, so many new faces were in the crowd. The veteran meditates could easily be spotted by their perfect posture and quiet, content, stiffness. To see each person in their own position was amusing. Most had their legs in front of themselves, crossed and slightly below their hips. Their gaze was typically a few feet in front of their eyes. Some had their eyes closed and some were simply staring. One woman to my right was sitting with her arms resting on her bent legs, a unique approach. Her old age and heavy weight prevented 2005-04-24T08:03:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Modern-Buddhism--26556.aspx The Intrinsic flaws of Christianity Christianity is a religion in which events are claimed to have occurred but which can never be proved. Those who practice it live by different morals than are preached by the most holy texts. It is an institution in which the most holy scripture is contradictory, and wherein the supreme being, by the very definition, cannot exist. Christianity is, therefore, a fundamentally flawed religion. According to the Bible, events have occured which are even more miraculous than the resurection of Jesus Christ. Events such as the stopping of the sun by Joshua (Joshua 10:12-14), the reversal of the sun's course by Isaiah (Isaiah 38:7-8) , the resurrection of the saints, and their subsequent appearance to many (Matthew 27:52-53) were witnessed by thousands of people. The stopping and reversal of the sun would have been visible worldwide. The idea that people could have witnessed these events without having been amazed by them is, quite simply, ludicrous. Other cultures having witnessed this would certainly have offered their own explanations in keeping with their own cultural and religious beliefs. Surely a society existing at the time would have documented this miraculous event. Yet nowhere have such works been found. In the instance of the resurrection of the saints, Matthew is the only person to mention this occurence in the Bible. Surely other first-century Christians would have used this as further proof of Jesus' divinty. It would fall to reason that Paul and the gospels would have mentioned it. This is not, however, the case. Nowhere else in the Bible is this mentioned or even hinted at. These events are then, at best, highly unlikely to have occured. The fact that Matthew is alone in writing of the resurrection of the saints leads us to believe that certain writers of the Bible had differing views on christianity. The christian Bible is highly contradictory, not just to modern day christian beliefs, but in and of itself. Today's society is of the belief that all people are created equal, and Christians submit that their god is of the same belief. Modern Christians believe that their god loves everyone, and that they are all equal. However, after Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree forbidden by god, this deity said to Eve "I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your 2005-04-14T04:44:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/the-Intrinsic-Problems-Errors-in-Christianity-26498.aspx World Religions There are many different types of religions in this world. Some of them are monotheistic, meaning that they only believe in one God, and some are polytheistic. Some examples of world religions are Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and Confucianism. Most of these religions have been practiced for years and they are still practiced today. Judaism is oldest known monotheistic religion still practiced in the world today. Its fundamental teachings have been influential and are the basis for more recently developed religious such as Christianity and Islam. Abraham is generally recognized as the founder of Judaism due to his covenant with God. However, Moses is also considered a founder due to his role in the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt, and his delivery of the Ten Commandments from Mount sometime around 2000 BC. Judaism was developed in the Middle East in and around the area that is currently Israel. The Holy Scriptures in the Jewish religion are the Torah and the Talmud. Jews worship in temples called Synagogues and mass is conducted by Rabbis. Islam, which when translated from Arabic, means "to submit to the will of Allah," is the youngest of the world's major religions. Worshippers of this monotheistic religion are know as Muslims, which means "one who submits to the will of Allah." Islam is currently the second most practiced religion in the world, and experts predict that it will overtake Christianity as the most popular religion in the world sometime in the future. Islam was founded by the prophet Mohammed and it was developed on the Arabian peninsula in the year 622 AD and quickly spread to other regions. Islam is the most dominant throughout the Middle East, including Southwest Asia and North Africa. The teachings of Islam are collected in the Qur'an. Muslims gather to worship in temples called Mosques. Christianity is currently the most popular religion in the world based on the number of worshippers found throughout the world. While this monotheistic religion developed from Judaism, there are several key differences in the teachings. Christianity was founded by Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples who help spread his teachings. It was developed in Israel around the year 30 AD. Christianity is the dominant religion in North America, South America, Europe, and Russia. The teachings of Christianity are collected in The Holy Bible, The New Testament, and The Old Testament and Christians practice their faith in temples known 2005-03-29T00:20:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-Religions--26424.aspx What is Karma? "It's like the first law of thermodynamic energy by sir Isaac Newton, energy is neither lost nor destroyed it is merely transferred from one party to the next." This quote relates to karma, karma meaning- a distinctive aura, atmosphere, or feeling. Fundamental consciousness can be compared to a ground that receives imprints or seeds left by our actions. Once planted, these seeds remain in the ground of fundamental consciousness until the conditions for their germination and ripening have come together . . . The linking of the different steps of this process, from the causes, the initial acts, up to their consequences, present and future experiences or causation of actions. In the sense that good or positive energy omitted by one individual will transfer that energy among another being until such a time even if that energy has morphed into different forms it will eventually return to the person that created it. This is also true to it's opposite. (use examples such as if you were to cheat on a significant other hurting them while you are unharmed , in other words something done that is negative towards someone, that energy is then brought back to you in a negative way also, kind of like paying you back for the wrong you have done) Just like the saying "what goes around comes around". Buddhist strongly believe in karma their definition is- the law of karma, says only this: `for every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its cause was skilful or unskilful.' A skilful event is one that is not accompanied by craving, resistance or delusions; an unskilful event is one that is accompanied by any one of those things. Therefore, the law of Karma teaches that responsibility for unskilful actions is born by the person who commits them. A criminal, for example, incurs more than legal punishment or terror of discovery; the results of his crime affect his personality either by coarsening it or by afflicting him with remorse; that coarsening or affliction will in turn produce results; and those results, yet others. Thus, whether or not legal punishment follows, the consequences of wrongdoing are severe. A Buddhist, knowing that his severest judge and executioner are himself and that sentence by this judge is mandatory, understands that virtue and 2005-03-27T11:03:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-is-Karma-26422.aspx Conservative Judaism: Inception, History and Way Of Life "The term "Conservative" had been attached to the moderates by the Reformers because the moderates had branded them as radicals. This name hardly describes the movement aptly. Conservative Judaism, is the American version of the principles of positive historical Judaism. The conservatives accept the findings of modern scholarship that Judaism is the product of a long period of growth and evolution. However, this process did not result in broken or inconsistent lines of development; quite the contrary, the major currents of Judaism run consistently through the extensive literature of the Jewish people, created in successive ages." (Rudavsky 338) Conservative Judaism is one of the largest of the various sects of Judaism. Conservative Jews make up about 40-45% of those Jews who affiliate. Conservative Judaism accepts the idea that Jewish law is binding upon Jews. Conservative Jews have an obligation to obey all the teachings and commandments of Judaism., For example, Conservative Jews emphasize the laws of keeping the Sabbath and keeping kosher. Conservative Jews believe that Jewish law is capable of evolution as humans learn more about interpreting the Torah. Therefore, Conservative Jews have changed some of the earlier interpretations. Men and women worship together in Conservative synagogues, people may ride in a car on the Sabbath to attend services, and women can be ordained as rabbis. "Issac Leeser is generally regarded as the principal forerunner of Conservative Judaism in the United States. A native of Westphalia, Lesser acquired his religious and secular education before coming to American in 1824. He settled in Richmond, Virginia, where he was employed for several years in his uncle's business. At the same time, he assisted the hazzan in the religious school of the local Sephardic congregation. During this period, he gained prominence by publishing numerous articles in defense of Jews and Judaism in American and foreign journals."(Dimont 231) Some Jews who affiliate with the Conservative sect claim that their main reason for belonging is the fact that they don't want to be Orthodox nor Reformed. "While some individuals describe themselves as Conservative because of their alienation from Orthodox practices, others define themselves from the opposite direction - they point out that they are not reform." (Sklare 206) For the most part, Conservative Jews feel that if one were to be reformed they would not really be Jewish. The Reformed sect, unlike the conservative do not obey most of 2005-02-28T02:40:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conservative-Judaism-Inception,-History-and-Way-Of-Life-26344.aspx Krishna Worship And Its Place In Indian Religion In the Gita Govinda one must be able to look though the graphic eroticism to truly see the religious message presented by Jayadeva. Unlike other Indian religious text or teaching such as the Dhhammapada and The Laws of Manu, which are more direct in delivering their messages the Gita Govinda uses symbols to illustrate its religious principles. The Gita Govinda is an example of Bhakti or devotional Hinduism. In the Gita, Rada's love for Krishna the supreme incarnation of Vishnu represents mans ability to have a personal relationship with his god. The images presented and the messages of the Gita Govinda are quite different from Buddhist and Upanishadic teachings but one can still see aspects of their influence on the Bhakti tradition. The form of both the Dhammapada and The Laws of Manu is more along the lines of teacher reciting rules and consequences if rules are broken to a group of students or knowledge seekers. The Gita Govinda on the other hand is the poem with very special meter that should to be accompanied by a dancer and music when recited. The Gita is much less direct in it messages which is told through an erotic love story. The Gita can reach a greater audience than the other previously mentioned works simply because of its appeal as story as well as an art. In the Dhammapada and Laws of Manu passion and desire are seen as evil. This view is not shared in the Gita Govinda where Rada's passion for Krishna is the constant theme and focus of the poem. In the Dhammapada the Buddha says things such as "...passion will break through the unguarded mind." (Dhammapada 36) while Manu, in the Laws of Manu comments on desire saying, "Acting out of desire is not approved of..." (Laws of Manu 16) Rada's desire to be with Krishna and to share his love becomes her only reason for wanting to live. This devotion to Krishna is what eventually beings them back together and is also what defines the Bhakti religious movement in Hinduism. In the Gita Govinda the idea that Krishna is not simply the supreme deity but also that he is capable of having a one on one spiritual relationship with a human is what makes this religious story unique. 2005-02-23T08:35:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Krishna-Worship-And-Its-Place-In-Indian-Religion-26318.aspx Buddhism/Hinduism Comparison Report The world has many different religions. Asia has had many religions spring up. Out of these Buddhism and Hinduism are the most popular beliefs in the general population. Hinduism is the oldest known religion and is very rich with literally hundreds of gods, symbolistic rituals and beliefs. It is believed to have been established around 1500 B.C. but one person never founded Hinduism as it evolved over a long period of time. Buddhism on the other hand has a definite founder, Siddhartha Gautama who is otherwise known as the Buddha or Enlightened One who lived from 565 to 483 B.C. Both these religions originated in India. Siddhartha Gautama was a Hindu who found Hindu theology lacking and after years of searching for truth created a religion now known as Buddhism. Because of these basic similarities, the two religions have much in common, but in the same light they differ immensely. Hinduism and Buddhism both have numerous gods and both follow the same paths to ultimately achieve Nirvana (a place where all the enlightened beings reside). "He set himself forty-eight vows to fulfill, which, he proclaimed, would allow him to reach Nirvana." (Encarta 98, "Amitabha,") This is about one man who makes rules for himself so that he can get into Nirvana. The concept of a god or gods in Buddhism is almost void and therefore in the eyes of some not even a religion. Hindus have many gods governing different aspects of Hindu life. The three main gods in Hinduism are Vishnu who is the sustainer; Brahma is the creator and Shiva the destroyer. They are referred as Trimuti. Most Hindu gods are associated with animals and therefore Hindus feel that being a vegetarian is vital. Cows are sacred in Hinduism and are worshipped as the divine mother, making eating beef taboo. Buddhism involves meditation and prayer. In Buddhism, one must understand the four noble truths which are the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of cessation, and the truth of the path. These all follow the Eightfold path, which describes the ways in which one must live. Hindu scriptures advocate the pursuit of many goals in ones life including righteous living, wealth, prosperity, love and happiness. The ultimate goal is to achieve Nirvana. Following these steps and pleasing all these gods ensures ones ticket to achieving Nirvana. Both Hinduism and Buddhism have 2005-02-23T08:21:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Buddhism-Vs-Hinduism,-Comparison-Essay-26309.aspx Some of the most important writings of the Apostolic Age were those of the new testament and the Apocryphal writings. These apocryphal writings resembled the New Testament writings, and many of them fell into the literary categories of gospel, acts, letters, and apocalypse's. These writings did not belong neither to the New Testament canon nor did the writings recognize any of the fathers of the church. Some of the documents were written for initiates in groups such as the Gnostics. For the groups that claimed knowledge derived from a secret tradition, the works were genuinely apocryphal, which means, "books kept hidden." Others were written for open and general use in the churches of which their authors were members. Many of these simply failed to become accepted as part of the orthodox canon of the Bible. There are many different views toward Christians. From an intellectual point of view, Christians agree with others as far as to follow Christ, and many have viewed them as a people who believe in the divine inspiration of the entire Bible and that this bible is sufficient enough to guide us in the right direction concerning all of our matters of faith. They view us (myself being a Catholic) as a people who believe that the moral principles of Jesus are the absolute truth, and that the New Testament must be our only guide in religious faith. On the other hand, there are those who view Christians. On the other hand, There were those who had sworn that Christians were atheists. They claimed that Christians were Atheist because they did not worship traditional religion. People actually believed that Christians supported no religion at all and were nothing other than non believers. They had also claimed that Christians practiced incest among one another because of their family gatherings at dinner time. Although not everyone believed these stories, they were still spread throughout many of the religious communities. The celebrations and the belief in the real, physical presence of Christ in the Eucharist grew from the teachings of the evangelists and St. Paul. They made it plain to the apostolic Church that the Eucharistic elements were literally Jesus Christ continuing His saving mission among men. The Eucharist celebrations began because of the Christians devotion and faith of the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. The celebration of the Eucharist is founded on our Catholic doctrine 2005-02-03T00:57:34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Varying-Views-Toward-Christians-26256.aspx The Spread Of Lutheranism In 1517, Martin Luther challenged papal authority and what he saw as the commercialization of his faith. Luther's primary concern was the sale of indulgences--papal grants of reduced punishment in the afterlife, including releases from purgatory. Luther challenged the secular orientation of the Roman Catholic Church and, more fundamentally, the authority of pope and church in matters of faith, affirming instead the authority of Holy Scripture and salvation by faith alone. In the process, Luther changed the course of European and world history and established the second major faith in Europe-Protestantism. Luther's disagreements with the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church set off a chain of events that within a few decades destroyed the Catholic Church religious unity. Although one of the most influential figures in German history, Luther was only one of many who were critical of the Roman Catholic Church. However, because of the power of his ideas and the enormous influence of his writings, it is he who is regarded as the initiator of the Protestant Reformation. Luther quickly acquired a large following among those disgusted by rampant church corruption and unfulfilled by mechanistic religious services. Many warmed to his contention that religion must be simplified into a close relationship of human beings with God without the extensive mediation of the Roman Catholic Church and its accretion of tradition. Luther magnified the inherent potency of his ideas by articulating them in a language that was without rival in clarity and force. He strove to make the Scriptures accessible to ordinary worshipers by translating them into vernacular German. A less exalted reason for the wide distribution of Luther's doctrines was the development of printing with movable type. Luther's doctrines spread rapidly throughout Germany and most of Europe. The Reformation created a demand for all kinds of religious writings. Luther's ideas soon coalesced into a body of doctrines called Lutheranism. Powerful supporters such as princes and free cities accepted Lutheranism for many reasons, some because they sincerely supported reform, others out of narrow self-interest (many German princes, hoping to subordinate a German national church to the authority of the sovereign states and thus further consolidate their power). In some areas, a jurisdiction would adopt Lutheranism because a large neighboring state had done so. In other areas, rulers accepted it because they sought to retain control over their subjects who had embraced it earlier. Nearly all the imperial cities became 2005-01-06T03:07:41-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Spread-Of-Lutheranism-26128.aspx Throughout Athanasius’s account of St. Anthony’s life, Anthony is besieged by demons sent by the Devil to destroy him. His religious devotion is unwavering and he remains in perfect shape even though he seems to be starved and prays all day. Anyone reading that today would immediately say it’s a romanticized account of someone’s life with some obviously fictional accounts. One of the main reasons ancient peoples would be more likely to regard the story as truth was a belief in mysticism. Even when the church was much more developed in Europe in the middle ages the masses still believed in spirits and magic. Today our society has embraced logic and science and there is no room for a story like this to make it into the mainstream. In a society where there is a strong belief in the Devil and a lack of much scientific understanding many bad events will be blamed on the Devil or some other evil force. The stories in which Anthony is attacked by demons sent by the Devil or is confronted by the Devil disguised are only credible to people living in such a society. Today many religious people still believe in the Devil or in some cosmic force of evil they don’t attribute every bad occurrence and decision to the Devil and most don’t believe the Devil comes down and tests people. The Enlightenment brought the idea of using scientific reasoning to explain problems to the general public. In school we learn what is rational and what is not. Kids sometimes even like to trick each other into thinking things that aren’t true. By finding out the truth kids learn not to be gullible and they use their past knowledge and experiences to evaluate everything they hear and determine whether they think it’s true or not. All of these factors make questioning the story of St. Anthony a no-brainer for a modern audience. When a movie comes out that’s based on a historical event or someone’s life it’s factualness is immediately questioned in the media. It is assumed that the filmmaker has a certain bias and is trying to market the movie to a specific audience. In the movie A Beautiful Mind the story of mathematician John Nash was watered down to make the story appeal to more moviegoers. If that was the only record of his life historians had to look at they may 2004-12-28T07:33:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Athanasius’s-Account-of-St_-Anthony’s-Life-26067.aspx St. Augustine wrote about many different aspects of his life he considered sinful. The first part of the book is mainly autobiographical and it’s only later when he talks about his conversation to Neo-Platonism and then Christianity that he classifies his previous behavior as sinful and bemoans many of his previous actions. By the time his conversion was complete he viewed every act in which he put himself ahead of God as sinful. A sin he faults himself greatly for committing is allowing himself sexual freedom and having numerous partners. Although this is one of the sins he most condemns he also writes that it was the sin hardest to give up when he was trying to decide if he wanted to formally convert to Christianity. Augustine also attempts to provide another reason for his previous actions by speculating that these actions where a result of his love for God being somehow misdirected. In the beginning of Confessions Augustine writes about an incidence when he was a young boy and stole some pears with a group of boys from someone else’s tree. Theft is a fairly clear-cut sin. The issue of sexual relationships is a little more complicated. If both parties are willing participants then there is no victim from a legal standpoint. In Neo-Platonism all actions are considered good or evil. Under that definition it’s impossible to classify a voluntary sexual act as evil. Christianity goes deeper and asked the question of why the people are committing the sexual act. The answer to that would be to satisfy their selfish desires instead of acting on God’s will. Augstine also felt that the pursuit of sexual pleasure acted as a distraction from concentrating on religious matters. The victim under Augustine’s view of sin would be the souls of each participant. Some historians would argue that sex out of wedlock was only forbidden in Christianity because the founders of the religion wanted to set up families in such a way that would facilitate large numbers of children. Augustine’s arguments about how such sexual actions should be considered sins effectively defeats this argument. In fact using Augustine’s definitions of sin it seems to me that some sex inside wedlock could also be considered sinful depending on the motivations of the people involved in it. If the actions are purely for sexual gratification they can still fall into the sinful category. As much as Confessions can 2004-12-28T07:31:42-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/St_-Augustine-s-Confessions-26066.aspx Why was Abraham willing to sacrifice Isaac, and should he be considered an abusive parent? The question of why Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac goes directly to the question of how morals came about. Jews and Christians take their moral foundations from the Bible so it is hard to fault Abraham for being willing to sacrifice his son before he was told what was right and wrong by God and before the Ten Commandments were even dictated. Even so the idea of killing one’s own son is so horrifying to us today that is hard to imagine how anyone, in any time period could not be wrong in doing so. The fact that Abraham’s hand trembled when he moved his knife towards Isaac shows he deeply loved the boy, yet he didn’t hesitate in the task God put before him. The only explanation for his actions is that his devotion to God was stronger than any connection he could have with another human, even his son. I don’t think he can be considered an abusive parent for those actions in a time period without a legal system that forbad such actions. Not because a law makes something right or wrong but because among the Israelites there was no well-developed set of morals that could be compared to what God said. Today Abraham would have been jailed for those actions. Some murderers have claimed that they killed because God told them to, yet no effort has been made to validate their claims. Instead they have been locked up or executed (I think we can safely ignore the charges of animal cruelty in this example). I don’t think this contradicts the argument that our legal system was formed out of a Judeo-Christian moral foundation. It simply shows that because of our separation of church and state and more developed ideas on morality, some which actually come later in the Bible, those actions should now be considered criminal. If we analyze this part of Genesis by treating it as a myth we can ignore the question of what kind of father Abraham and ask the question of why it was put in the Bible. The Old Testament tells the history of the Ancient Israelites and it also teaches a set of morals and traditions. The ancient Israelites lived in a time when human sacrifices were practiced in many other surrounding cultures. This story 2004-12-28T07:27:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Abraham-Abusive-Parent-to-Isaac-26062.aspx Buddhism Research Paper In Life there is suffering. This spurs on the unending search for universal truth and meaning. Jodo Shinsu is an answer to this search. The "practice" of Jodo Shinshu is the recitation of the Nembutsu with self-reflection. It involves hearing the call of Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Eternal Life and Infinite Light, Compassion and Wisdom, within others' or ours recitation of the Name. Which calls us to raise our spiritual perspectives beyond immediate ego interests to universal concerns for compassion, justice in the human community and concern for the life of nature. The hole of life is Nembutsu. A life lived in awareness, that we ourselves are the expressions, the manifestations, of interdependence and compassion and dedicated to bringing that reality to others as we have experienced it. The Nembutsu is a spiritual shrine, which can be transported and reverenced wherever one may be. Time or space does not bind religious practice. Rather, from within the deep recesses of one's spirit the call of Amida Buddha can be heard, bringing our attention back to the very source of life itself, and evidencing its presence in the very act of living itself. http://www.mew.com/shin/doc/txt/pax.html Buddhism is one of the world's great religions. The religion is based on the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as The Buddha, who lived approximately 557 BC to 477 BC. The word "Buddha" means a Supremely Enlightened One or Fully Awakened One (also a Tathagata) who has won the realization of the True Permanent Absolute Reality, the ultimate truth. Buddhism is built on a framework that consists of the Four Noble Truths, four fundamental principles of nature (Dhamma) that emerged from the Buddha's honest and penetrating assessment of the human condition and that serve to define the entire scope of Buddhist practice. These truths are not fixed dogmatic principles, but living experiences to be explored individually in the heart of the sincere spiritual seeker: To each of these Noble Truths the Buddha assigned a specific task, which the practitioner is to carry out. The first Noble Truth is to be comprehended dukkha (suffering, unsatisfactoriness, and stress): life is fundamentally fraught with unsatisfactoriness and disappointment of every description. The second is the cause of dukkha: the cause of this dissatisfaction is tanha (craving) in all its forms. The third is the cessation of dukkha: an end to all that unsatisfactoriness can be found through the 2004-12-26T00:58:59-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Buddhism-Overview--26046.aspx Jesuits As Servants The Jesuits serve God and the community in various different ways. They educate many young people in many different high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation. They also serve through many types of ministries. There are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities across the United States, with more than 185,00 students enrolled. These schools include Loyola University and Xavier University. There are also 46 Jesuit high schools in the U.S. These high schools educate more than 35,000 students per year. Two of these Jesuit high schools are Belen Jesuit Prep. and Tampa Jesuit. All these Jesuit schools give the students a great education, and they also teach the students about the Catholic religion and how to live a morally good and holy life. Jesuits also serve in spreading the word of God throughout many diverse 2004-12-25T23:50:08-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Jesuits-As-Servants-26034.aspx The Seven Deadly Sins have been in existence since man’s exile from paradise. Ever since the days of Adam of Eve, we encounter Lust, Pride, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, and Envy. Throughout the Bible, we read stories that teach us the difference between good and evil, but all you need to know is in the first book of Moses… Genesis. Genesis tells us that; in the beginning, God created the heavens, separated light from dark, and gave earth life. God also created two trees in the Garden of Eden. One was the “tree of life” and the other was the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Adam was given life for the first time, and as a special gift, God created Eve. Moreover, God gave mankind freewill, allowing them to do whatever they pleased, so although God had forbidden Adam and Eve to touch the tree of knowledge of good and evil, He knew that it was their own choice whether or not to obey Him. In the story of the First Sin we see this first sign of LUST. lust n. Intense or unrestrained sexual craving. An overwhelming desire or craving: a lust for power. Intense eagerness or enthusiasm: a lust for life. The crafty serpent convinced Eve into eating the forbidden fruit by telling her, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3.4). Eve was curious to know what this “evil” was, and hence she lusted for knowledge to be powerful like the almighty God. Eve took her chances and put her faith in the serpent and not the Lord. After she ate the forbidden fruit, she offered it to her husband who was also curious as to what it would do to them. Now the Lord came down to confront Adam, and for the first time, Adam was afraid and hid. They were punished accordingly and now had to live knowing the darker half to life -- evil. wrath n. Forceful, often vindictive anger. Punishment or vengeance as a manifestation of anger. Divine retribution for sin. Cain and Abel are sons to Adam and Eve. Cain, the first-born son, was a tiller of 2004-12-11T08:40:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Genesis-And-The-Seven-Deadly-Sins-25821.aspx It may seem similar and it may not, but what we do know, is that they both believe that they are Muslims. The Islamic beliefs of the black American male and the males of the Middle East are the same. My argument lies in the question of whether or not Africans can call themselves true Muslims, believers and followers of the Islamic faith. To be considered a true Muslim you must follow the rules and regulations of the Islamic faith. What is Islam? Islam is defined as the complete acceptance of and obedience to the teachings of Allah (I. A. Ibrahim 45) As a Muslim you are to believe in Allah, who is incomparable. He has no son nor does he have a partner, he is unique and he is one. You shall not worship, magnify, or pay tribute to any other, for all others are false. Yet we see otherwise in Africans who call themselves Muslims. In John S. Mbiti's book, Introduction to African Religion he states traditional African beliefs mixes those of Islam to suit the requirements of the people concerned so they get the best out of both religions (188-189). How can one say such a thing? To believe in something is to fight for it, is to die for it. You can not get the best of a religion if you do not fully believe in it. You should not adopt the way of dress and some other cultural forms (Mbiti 189), just to suite a community. Religion is something that is held dear to the heart of many people and to mix and mingle them does not allow you to truly believe in one. When you convert to a religion it is not to convert halfway, it is not to convert three- fourths of the way, but to convert all the way. It is stated that even if Africans convert to another religion, they do not completely abandon the traditional religions (Mbiti 14) Here we see that the first real defiance has already occur. By mixing the two would not you be doing an injustice to the true believers of the Islamic faith and defying Allah the leader of the Islamic faith. in addition, are you not doing an injustice to the rites and rituals to the Gods, Spirits, and Divinities of the African religion? How can you please the leader/leaders of these separate religions 2004-10-30T05:31:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Muslim-vs_-Muslim--25644.aspx Buddhism is one of the biggest religions founded in India in the 6th and 5th cent. B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha. One of the great Asian religions, it teaches the practice of and the observance of moral precepts. The basic doctrines include the four noble truths taught by the Buddha. Since it was first introduced into China from India, Buddhism has had a history which has been characterized by periods of sometimes awkward and irregular development. This has mainly been the result of the clash of two cultures, each with a long history of tradition. Most of the difficulties have arisen due to the transplanting of an Indian religious/philosophical system onto a culture strongly dominated by indigenous secular, philosophical and religious systems. In spite of these difficulties, Chinese Buddhism has come to have an important influence on the growth and development of Buddhism in general and this has occurred largely because of its own innovatory contributions. (Eliade, M. p.16-29) The spread of Buddhism into China began in Central Asia and was facilitated by the efforts of the Indo-Scythian king Kanishka (Encyclopedia Britt. 273-274) of the Kushan dynasty which ruled in northern India, Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia in the 1st and 2nd centuries (Encyclopedia Britt. 274). He is said to have undergone an Ashoka-like conversion upon seeing the slaughter caused by his campaigns. Around the beginning of the common era, Buddhism started to filter into China from Central Asia via the Silk Road, brought by monks, merchants and other travelers. It also entered later via trade routes around and through Southeast Asia. It was nurtured in the expatriate community of Loyang and other northern cities. (The Encyclopedia of Religion p58-62) Siddhartha (Buddha) was born around 563 B.C.E. in the town of Kapilavastu (located in today's Nepal). Siddhartha's parents were King Shuddhodana and Queen Maya, who ruled the Sakyas. His history is a miraculous one... One night, Queen Maya dreamed that an elephant with six tusks, carrying a lotus flower in its trunk, touched her right side. At that moment her son was conceived. Brahmins (learned men) came and interpreted the dream. The child would be either the greatest king in the world or the greatest ascetic (a holy man who practices self-denial). The future child would be named Siddhartha, which means he whose aim is accomplished. (Snelling, J. p 12-19) Later when Queen Maya was going to 2004-10-30T05:28:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Buddhism,-the-worldwide-religion-25643.aspx A great man was born in the small Italian city of Assisi in the year 1182. This man is Francesco Bernardone or Francis of Assisi. Francis came from a wealthy family where his father was in the textile business. He sold cloth and marketed it on the street. His father was in the south of France when he was born and on his trip home thought of the name Francesco or “the Frenchman.” The Crusades were going at time of his birth so he had strong influences to become a knight in shining armor. His parent’s names were Giovanna but they called her Pica and Pietro was his father’s name. Growing up he was sent to Saint George’s a school right next to the town walls but rather far from home. He learned a lot from this school but seemed to show an interest in an old canon named Guido who told him the story of Saint George and the Dragon. This was the story that gave Francis his drive to become a famous knight. In his down time as a kid he would help out his dad selling woolen cloth at the local markets. His parents spoiled him and spent enormous amounts of money on their son. He liked to wear very bright clothes so that he would stand out. When he turned twenty a war broke out between the cities of Assisi and Perugia. He joined so that he could fight in it he was captured and imprisoned for a year. He was freed when his father paid a hefty ransom to get his son out. When he returned to Assisi he became very ill and had to remain in a bed for several months. After coming out of his illness he began to work in the fields around Assisi and started to pray a great deal. He even gave some of his money to lepers, who he started visiting on a daily basis. Francis started going to a little broke down church called San Damiano. He asked the lord, “ What do u want of me.” The crucifix said, “ Francis repair my church, it is falling down.” This marked the point in Francis’ life where everything had changed and he realized that he had to live a more spiritual life. Francis had stole some clothe from his father and a horse and sold it in 2004-10-30T03:29:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Francis-Of-Assissi--25623.aspx Gnosticism, Docetism and kenosis are all words which were originated from the Greek civilization. Even though the three words have entirely different meanings, these words are used widely by Christian theologians through out the world in describing the relationship of soul and body. Defining Gnosticism is a difficult task, since modern writers use the term to cover a wide variety of religious phenomena. For instance, in Nature of Gnosticism by Grant, the writer describes Gnosticism as a system, which influenced Christianity in the second century. Another definition points out Gnosticism as a philosophy, which is related to a body of teaching. In both the cases however, the acquisition of “gnosis” or inner knowledge has been stressed. The knowledge sought might not be strictly intellectual, but definitely mystical. The gnosis is considered as “inner and esoteric mystical knowledge of ultimate reality”(Grant 33). Gnosticism is believed to be derived from the Greek word “gnosis” which means “knowledge”. The emphasis here is on knowledge, as the means for the attainment of salvation. Therefore Gnosticism could be defined as a spiritual power, which seeks to detach from the physical body in search of salvation (wallhausser notes). Gnosticism also conveys the message that the physical body is something in which the soul should be rescued from. Docetism is derived from the Greek word “dokein” which means, “to seem”(Wallhausser notes). This again, like Gnosticism has been a broadly used historical term. Therefore defining the term is a tedious task. Ancient theologians named Docetists, as those who believed that Christ’s divinity was irreconcilable with his actually having been physically born. It should also be noted that some theologians use the term “docetic” to describe Christologies that lack sufficient historical grounding. In any case, the most widely believed definition seemed to suggest that the human appearance of Christ is more illusion and has no objective reality. It’s interesting to note that the word “appearance” refers to Christ’s whole earthy career. Therefore in other words, it means that the spirit cannot be crucified and it’s only the physical body, which can(Jonas 56). Moltmann, refutes Gnostic concept throughout the article. The physical body and soul seems to be interwoven and not used as two separate concepts. For instance, he questions passionate devotion and his answer is, “it’s not the yearning of the soul for life free of pain in heaven, but the love of the kingdom of God in the 2004-10-29T10:05:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gnosticism,-Docetism-and-kenosis-25596.aspx I have chosen to write St. Thomas Aquinas’ proof citing motion as proof of the existence of God. Although I must admit to being a little confused the wording, I see it as being in terms of ability too, act of, and the first to act. The ability too, is the potential of the object to act. This potential cannot be converted to the act unless acted upon by another object already in the state of action. An example, as used in the book, of the object that would be considered to have potentiality would be wood, it is potentially hot. This wood cannot become hot until that which is hot, the fire, acts upon it. When this meeting occurs the action of the wood becoming hot is a movement or change in the object. The object in the act of in the above mentioned example is the fire. It is in the state of action. The fire is the initiator of the woods action. It transfers its energy to the wood allowing the wood to fulfill its potential. In this case, or any other, neither the object that has the ability too nor the object in the state of action can be the first to act. The wood cannot be the first to act, as it is in the state of ability too. When the wood is in this state, it has no action to transfer, and therefore is obviously not the first to act. The fire, although able to transfer the action, must have been at one time in the state of ability too, and therefore was acted upon, making it not the first too act. The first to act is understood to be God. God is that which has action, but did not receive the action from another object. God was never in the state of ability too. God is only action, making God the beginning action. Aquinas developed a proof that I can, in some ways, agree with. He basically argues that, although there doesn’t necessarily have to be an end to something, there has to be a beginning. He argues that all things are in a state of both the potential to be changed as well as the state of action, but the one understood to be God 2004-06-10T00:43:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/God-in-Terms-of-Motion-25064.aspx