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LAST DAYS AND LORDS DAY (ENGLISH VERSION)

2016-12-26T08:00:03.687-05:00

This essay explains the concept of faith and that science misleads the world.

2013-08-13T16:26:10.623-04:00

THE RELEVANCE OF AFRICAN WORLD VIEW TO AFRICAN CONCEPTION OF ETHICS

2007-08-14T09:38:24-04:00

THE RELEVANCE OF AFRICAN WORLD VIEW TO AFRICAN CONCEPTION OF ETHICS INTRODUCTION Ethics (Greek, ethika, from ethos, “character” or “custom”), principles or standards of human conduct, sometimes called morals (Latin, mores, “customs”), and, by extension, the study of such principles, sometimes called moral philosophy. Ethics studies human conduct; it is concerned with questions such as “When is an act right?”, “When is an act wrong?”, and “What is the nature, or determining standard, of good and bad?” In asking these questions, ethical theorists have proposed differing accounts of the nature of ethical knowledge, the measure of it, the source of it, the means of knowing it, and how it ought to be applied. Ethics, as a branch of philosophy and religion, is considered a normative science, because it is concerned with norms of human conduct, as distinguished from the formal sciences, such as mathematics and logic, and the empirical sciences, such as chemistry and physics. The empirical social sciences, however, including psychology, impinge to some extent on the concerns of ethics in that they study social behaviour. For example, the social sciences frequently attempt to determine the relation of particular ethical principles to social behaviour and to investigate the cultural conditions that contribute to the formation of such principles.1 Furthermore, the Encyclopedia of Psychology defines ethics as “the study of distinction between good and evil, a branch of philosophy concerned with morals; it systematically examines the characteristics of value judgment such as “good”, “bad”, “right”, “wrong”, etc … Ethics as a system of relations and values is the basis of non-religious (and values is) structures”.2 However, with the above definition of ethics we see that it is related to the study of moral problems in relation to some critical moral questions like; “what things are good?” or “what things are desirable?” or better still what things are worthwhile? To determine things that are desirable there as to be some rules and principle that governs this concept both universally or otherwise especially since in this paper we are concerned with the African world view to African conception of ethics, we will also look at the conception of ethics in Africa. Moreover, we often use the words ethical and moral interchangeably i.e. we speak of the ethical or moral person or act but ‘ethics is not the same as morals but that it is a study of morals’, morals are a people’s beliefs of right and

THE ANALYSIS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT (HEBREW SCRIPTURES) AND NEW TESTAMENT (GREEK SCRIPTURES) CANON

2007-08-14T08:15:27-04:00

THE ANALYSIS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT (HEBREW SCRIPTURES) AND NEW TESTAMENT (GREEK SCRIPTURES) CANON INTRODUCTION Every theological position must involve a doctrine which has to be in a Holy Scripture or rather in oral tradition, whether explicit or conceal, for this the Jews and Christians faith can be sort in a Book, the Bible, also called the Holy Bible, the sacred book or Scriptures of Judaism and of Christianity. The Bible of Judaism and the Bible of Christianity are different, however, in some important ways. The Jewish Bible is the Hebrew Scriptures, 39 books originally written in Hebrew, except for a few sections in Aramaic. The Christian Bible is in two parts, the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. The Old Testament is structured in two slightly different forms by the two principal divisions of Christendom. The version of the Old Testament used by Roman Catholics is the Bible of Judaism plus 7 other books and additions to books, some of the additional books were originally written in Greek, as was the New Testament. The version of the Old Testament used by Protestants is limited to the 39 books of the Jewish Bible. The other books and additions to books are called the Apocrypha. 1 The term Bible is derived through Latin from the Greek biblia, (originally a neuter plural, but treated since the early middle ages as a feminine singular), or “books” it could also be said to be from the ta biblia, the diminutive form of biblos, the word for “papyrus” or “paper”, which was exported from the ancient Phoenician port city of Biblos. By the time of the Middle Ages the books of the Bible were considered a unified entity.2 What man knows today as the Bible is in fact a collection of ancient documents said to be divinely inspired. These were composed and compiled in written form over a period of 16 centuries. All together this collection of documents forms what Jerome well described in Latin as the Bibliotheca Divina, or the Divine Library. This library has a catalog, or official listing of publications, which is limited to those books pertaining to the scope and specialization of that library. All unauthorized books are excluded. So the Bible has a fixed catalog that contains 66 books, all said to be products of God’s guiding Holy Spirit.3 The Bible is said to be literary deposit

Finding Christ in Narnia

2007-03-05T20:08:18-05:00

C.S. Lewis’ Aslan in, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, exactly mirrors Jesus Christ. Aslan’s sacrifice for a crime committed by Edmund is an exact mirror of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for our sins. When Aslan is killed on the stone table and comes back to life he says, “That though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know” (Lewis, pg185). Christians see this “deeper magic” as the fact that Aslan, like Christ was there since the beginning of time, whereas the witch was not. The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe is the story of four children – Peter (14), Susan (12), Edmund (10) and Lucy (8) – who are evacuated to the countryside in order to protect them from air raids in London. In the house of Professor Digory Kirke they discover a room that contains only a wardrobe (Vincent). Surprised when the wardrobe door opens, Lucy steps inside the enormous closet to find a snowy wood at the back of it. Intrigued, she explores the wood, knowing that the safe wardrobe is still behind her. Eventually she meets a faun, a creature that is half goat and half man (Hourihan, Ch. 1-2). Then, all the children enter the wardrobe and discover the enchanted Land of Narnia. In this land, the White Witch has cast a spell that has plunged Narnia into a perpetual iciness where it is “always winter and never Christmas”(Lewis, pg118). But even under her curse, the beauty of Narnia remains evident. At Mr. and Mrs. Beaver’s house, the four children are told that “Aslan is on the move”(Lewis, pg141). At this point in the story, the children are only aware of the Witch and her evil spell over Narnia. They have never heard of Aslan, but the mere mention of his name provokes a curious and unique response in each child (Vincent): “And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken [his name] everyone felt quite different.... At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And

Confirmation Letter to the Bishop (jeski)

2007-01-28T03:43:05-05:00

Dear, Your Excellency, I, {****}, a member of [*PARISH NAME AND LOCATION*], ask you, Bishop Grahmann, to confirm me as a member of the Roman Catholic Church. I would like to receive the sacrament because I want to become an active member and participant in the Catholic Church. After I have received it, I will be recognized as a full member of the Catholic Community, enabling me to be involved in the parish with more depth. As a confirmed individual, I will be better able to participate in many events within my church community. Receiving Confirmation will also allow me to be closer to God. My preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation has been incredible. There were times when it seemed that I had better things to do instead of going to the Youth Ministry. But after going, I never regretted it. Every time I was there, I felt at home. The thing that was in my mind most of the time was just how mortal human beings are. It was a wonderful feeling to know God loved me and that He’d allowed me to be there yet another time. I’ve learned to appreciate everything God gives us. Sometimes we take what He gives us for granted. And we forget to thank Him. And sometimes we get mad because we can’t do what we want. But usually it is because God has something better in store for us. During my preparation, I was able to discover more about my true self. It was as if I was looking at myself from above. I deepened my faith and felt closer to God every moment I heard something new. I have chosen {******} to present me to you on the day of my Confirmation and to witness my commitment. I made a choice to be Confirmed because it is something I feel strongly about. When one choses to be confirmed, one is saying that the reason one goes to church is because one wants to, and not because one is being taken there. By choosing to be Confirmed, I am also choosing to love Jesus forever. You will seal my commitment to Jesus and his church by anointing me with oil and by calling me by my name. The name I wish to be called at my Confirmation is Augustine. I have chosen that name because, like Saint Augustine of

Confirmation Letter to the Bishop (jeski)

2007-01-28T03:42:47-05:00

The Soul of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

2006-12-18T07:33:50-05:00

How many of us at one point have tried to convince somebody of something way out there? Whether it be the boogieman, that monster in your closet, Easter bunny, Santa Claus, or even God, it boils down to “I swear I saw it! I swear!” That’s how Lucy from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe felt as she stepped out of the wardrobe and tried to explain to her siblings what had just happened. We have all found ourselves in this predicament, special recognition to theists. Somebody who believes in God often finds themselves in this situation, trying to explain spirituality to somebody who has never experienced it is like explaining color to a blind person, it’s impossible. The modernists, heirs to the Age of Reason, they refuse to accept anything if it cannot be proven logically. They live with a complete lack of faith. To them, Christianity is nothing more then irrational superstition, a matter of inner, subjective feelings rather than any kind of truth about what exists in the real world (pg 196-197, The Soul of the Lion…). This is nothing new to the world, masses of people have always thought “If I can’t see it, it’s not there” and many theists have gotten stuck on this answer. They have come up with “you can’t see the wind, but you can feel it and see the effects of it”, but with molecular research this has gone back to square one. So how can theists have any standing ground in the matter? There is one category of mysticism that everybody can relate to, story-telling. This is the one area that Christianity shines. The Bible is full of allegory, parables, love, death, salvation, you name it, it goes there. For thousands of years men and women have lived and died for this book and what it stands for. However with the Age of Reason it was left behind and labeled as creative story-telling. A man by the name of C.S Lewis published a book called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 1950. Since then it has been acclaimed as one of the greatest children’s books of all times, boasting a total of 7 books in the collection, a cartoon series, and even a newly screened movie. This story has become popular with people from all walks of life, especially the Christian community, but why? Aren’t Christians bent against

Bible; Propaganda

2006-10-31T02:04:03-04:00

The bible is quite possibly a recollection of historical facts mixed in with false history and used for religious propaganda. First of all, back In "Jesus' day", the churches had a larger influence over the people than the Government did. I believe that the church produced the 10 Commandments, beatitudes, and its lessons for many purposes, including the significant one of stability within society, like laws do today. In other words, the Commandments were the law back then. One of the 10 Commandments states that you must believe in God. In Revelations, it says that if you die believing in God, you will resurrect upon the "new" earth, where there is peace and harmony. There is supposedly a new earth because the first will have ended. The Revelation also proclaims that if you die and do not believe in God, there is no hope for you and you will be cast upon the lake of fire. Does this not sound like this was written to motivate people to believe? I assume that the majority of people that believe in God do for the reason in which I call the "comfort factor." It's comforting to think that there is life after death. Some people would give up on life if they were not told/taught that there is a better, more fulfilling life awaiting us all after this one (I believe that this is also why the church says that it is a sin to commit suicide). The only catch is that you "must" follow the rules of the bible and church and you must believe in God. If growing up you learned what I had just enlightened you on, you would have most likely immediately believed in God, especially with the encouragement of your very own family. Seriously, if you are told that you will suffer for doubting God, do you think that you would be very hesitant to consider God's existence? Of course not. This whole life after death obsession is a well-thought-out scheme to assist in giving people the ultimatum of following the rules of the church or burning in the lake of fire for eternity. When you are young and naive, this seems like a simple choice. Wouldn't you agree? Now the pieces are beginning to fit the puzzle. The churches may have interpreted that the people would

L. Ron Hubbard couldn't lie his way of this one: Scientology is a sham

2006-10-12T02:11:51-04:00

Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Sony Bonno and Lisa Marie Presley all have one similar lifestyle. Yes, they are all famous celebrities; however, this lifestyle has more effect on a person than any career possibly could. These celebrities, among many more, are part of what has been called “The Church of Hollywood.” They are all Scientologists.[1] The Church of Scientology is one manufactured by a former science fiction writer who could not stop lying about himself and his religion up till his death on January 24th, 1986.[2] L. Ron Hubbard lied about everything from his Boy Scout triumphs[3] to his heroism as a decorated soldier.[4] Hubbard is anything but a man of God and yet his followers see him as the ultimate being. Since December of 1953,[5] Scientologists have blindly followed this con artist in a cult based around hunger for money and power. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary defines a cult as an “excessive devotion to some person, idea or thing…regarded as unorthodox or spurious.” Scientologists are obsessed with L. Ron Hubbard, a man they refuse to believe the truth about. Scientology is not a religion. It is not conventional. It is not genuinely based around a belief of a God or Supreme Being. Scientology is a cult whose practices can be considered a joke and whose leader can be considered a pathological liar. The beliefs and methods of Scientologists may be easily laughed at by any sane mind. The “religion” has many cult-like activities and many unconventional needs and beliefs belonging solely to Scientology. An example of this is the very important one billion year contract. Members of Scientology who wish to be part of the “Sea Organization” must sign a contract for one billion years of service.[6] The peculiar thing about this is that most people who sign the contract actually expect to serve the full billion years of service. Scientologists believe that a “thetan,” or spirit, will never die and thus they will be able to fulfill their commitment. The Sea Organization is a large project created to “Clear the Planet.” Scientologists who join believe that after this planet is “cleared” there will be other planets in the universe in need of “clearing” (the term clearing meaning to convert to Scientology). Sea Organizations were given the nickname “Orgs” and they can be considered the

Paul's letters

2006-09-15T08:16:30-04:00

Paul, the greatest apostle, was also the greatest author of primitive Christianity. But he had no intention of being an author; his literary remains consist not of books but of genuine letters, although, apart from Philemon, they are not private letters. His place in literature is made plain by the fact that frequently his letters ascend from the immediate subject matter to become something of general validity in the manner of a sermon, and also by the fact that the intimacy of the correspondence is not lost. This is seen especially in the personal tone of the expressions they use and also in that they deal with the requirements of the people addressed. A large number of Pauline letters appear to have been dictated (Andrews 88). Frequently the remark "My greetings with my own, Paul's, hand," at the end of the letter, shows that Paul has himself taken the pen from the hand of the amanuensis who has hitherto been wielding it (Andrews 98). On one occasion, Romans xvi, 22, this amanuensis interpolates his own greeting. Indications of remarks written by Paul himself are to be found in 1 Cor. xvi, 21; Col. iv, 18; and 2 Thess. iii, 17. Probably Gal. vi, 11 is also to be understood in this way. This custom of Paul's (of dictating) is not without significance for the style of his letters. In reading them we must bear in mind that Paul usually, perhaps always, spoke these sentences aloud, and that they were intended to be read aloud in the assembly of the church. This fact conditions, e.g., the formulas of the prayers with which Paul occasionally concludes a passage ( Rom. xi, 36; xv, 6; 2 Cor. ix, 15; 1 Thess. iii, 11-13). Thus in many respects the style of the Pauline letters is that of spoken language, the characteristic formlessness of which can be traced in Paul's writings, e.g. in the interjected corrections of himself (as in 1 Cor. i, 16), in incomplete sentences ( Rom. v, 12), and in the heaping up pointed expressions (e.g. Col. ii, 20-3) (Rall 100). What are the writings which can be accepted as authoritative sources for Paul's teaching? In the first place, we have the four main Epistles, that to the Galatians, the two to the Corinthians, and that to the Romans. The authenticity of these are accepted by F. C. Baur (1792-1860) and the

The Protestant Reformation: It's Impact Today

2006-04-11T23:38:40-04:00

Julius Taylor 5/25/05 Protestant Reformation The Protestant Reformation: Its Impact Today “Whatever I do will be done, not by the prudence of men, but by the counsel of God. If the work be of God, who shall stop it? if it be not, who can forward it? Not my will, nor theirs, nor ours; but Thy will, O Holy Father, which art in heaven.” Martin Luther (What Started the…) The Protestant Reformation was a movement that began in the 16th century as a series of events to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions which included Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. But how did this all begin? Why did people feel the Catholic Church needed to be reformed, and how has it impacted society today? Throughout this paper I will answer all of these questions. During the earlier part of the 16th century, the Roman Church had made merchandise of the grace of God. Indulgences for sin were publicly offered for sale by Johann Tetzel1, who had the authority to do so from the Pope. Tetzel declared, ”by virtue of his certificates of pardon all the sins which the purchaser should afterward desire to commit would be forgiven, and that not even repentance is necessary.”(What Started the…) The doctrine of indulgences had been opposed by men of learning and godliness in the Roman Church. There were many who had no faith in pretensions so contrary to both reason and revelation. But no man dared to go against the authority of the Pope, even though their minds were becoming disturbed and uneasy with the ideas of these indulgences. Many people prayed that God would work through some instrument in order to purify His church. (What Started the…) These allegations enraged a man by the name of Martin Luther2. He felt that the Roman Catholic Church was corrupt and that it should be reformed. Luther also argued that a reformation was needed to accomplish other things. In particular, reformation was required with regards to: the language that the Bible was produced in, since most people could not read Latin; the selling of forgiveness, this was considered to be immoral by Luther but had been standard practice by some monks and priests for years. The ideas behind the Protestant Reformation were simple: The Church should be changed, or reformed, so that it was

Apology Given

2006-03-03T05:09:25-05:00

What the world has seen

Zoroastrianism

2005-11-13T22:12:53-05:00

Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest living religions. It was the religion of the ancient Persian Empire. Its origins are a mystery. Today, it is a relatively small religion with only about 250,000 followers. Even so, this religion cannot be overlooked because of its great contributions to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The major scriptures are the Gathas. These are hymns of early Zoroastrianism and are considered the very words of the prophet Zoroaster. All remaining scriptural books are based on them. The ancient inhabitants of the land that later became the Persian Empire are a group of people know as Aryans. The Gathas indicates that the Aryans were nature worshipers who venerated a series of deities. It also tells of the prophet Zoroaster. Little is known about his birth or early life, but it was said that he discounted all gods but one. Zoroaster grew up and became the only founder of a world religion to be trained as a priest. He preached that there was one true God and his name was Ahura Mazda. This name is translated to “Wise Lord.” He is understood to be the invisible and intangible creator and ruler of the universe. Zoroaster preached that Ahura Mazda revealed himself to mankind through six “Holy Immortals.” Western scholars have equated these “holy immortals” with the archangels of Christian theology. Zoroaster’s greatest contribution to the religions of the world was in the area of the problem of evil. The world is full of good and evil and it is easy to say that good comes from God-- but where does the evil come from? To solve this, Zoroaster taught that two spirits emanated from Ahura Mazda: one good and one evil. These spirits do not exist independently but meet in unity with the forces of both good and evil under the control of Ahura Mazda. People can relate these two spirits to yin and yang of the Islamic religions. Zoroastrianism is truly an influential religion. It remains monotheistic with the belief that even though there is a good spirit who is responsible for all the good in the world and an evil spirit who is responsible for all of the world’s evil, both these forces unite under the domain of one true God. Its sacred scripture, the Gathas, holds important information that is reflected in other biblical books. Zoroaster himself has devised many great concepts which have been adopted

My Inaugural Address on Judgment Day

2005-11-07T10:09:14-05:00

MY INAUGUAL ADDRESS AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT OF THE DEAD Alvin Miller September, 2005 http://www.angelfire.com/crazy/spaceman

Who Is YHVH

2005-08-10T22:13:46-04:00

Who Is YHVH YHVH is the personal name of the One and Only True Mighty-One. Nothing else can be called YHVH. The name YHVH has no plural. YHVH is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to the Almighty. YHVH is Merciful and Compassionate. He is the Only Mighty-One, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has begotten, and no one is equal. Not only is YHVH Merciful and Compassionate, He is also Just. He is Eternal and Everlasting, the First and the Last. He is the Creator of everything, the guardian over everything. YHVH has the keys of the heavens and the earth. There is only One Creator not two. He has not a son, nor any other gods. Many worship what they have carved for themselves. We need to turn our face to the One Who created the heavens and the earth and not

Debunking Arguments of Organized Skepticism Against Paranormal and Psychic Phenomena

2005-06-27T11:07:05-04:00

Debunking Every Argument of Christian Fundamentalists and Evangelists

2005-06-27T11:04:25-04:00

A Theory of Karma (Action and its Consequence)

2005-03-09T05:20:44-05:00

Islamic Culture - as displayed in Palace Walk

2004-12-12T02:46:12-05:00

When Naguib Mahfouz wrote Palace Walk in 1956, he probably did not suspect that it would win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988. The novel has become one of the most critically acclaimed works of the modern era. It has also become a cornerstone in the curriculum of many literature courses throughout universities worldwide. Mahfouz’s work details everyday life of an upper middle-class family in early twentieth-century Egypt. This makes it a powerful tool that helps to explain the Islamic culture through examples. This happens in part because Mahfouz is a practicing Moslem, and also because the novel shows how a typical Islamic family lives and works on a daily basis. There are important elements that undermine the basis of the religion, including the role of women, the role of the patriarch, dating and marriage customs, and also how the Egyptian people attempt to free their country from British rule. I would like to analyze these elements, so that the reader may understand more the culture that is being displayed not only in this brilliant novel, but in the world around us. THE ROLE OF WOMEN Women play a much different role in Moslem cultures than they do in traditional Christianity. In Palace Walk, one of the most important characters is Amina, wife of al-Jawad. She is displayed as a traditional Islamic woman; she is obedient, deeply religious, and very protective of her family. As a housewife, she is the first to rise every morning, and the last one to bed at night. She prepares breakfast, sees the children off to school and al-Jawad off to work, and cleans the house along with the help of the housekeeper. She takes care of everyone but herself, even though she is the true center of the household, as evidenced when she is sent away by al-Jawad. Even though she is confined to the house by al-Jawad, as the novel progresses she becomes more bold, until her injury on the visit to the Mosque. Her meekness returns, and she confesses to al-Jawad. This is a trait that is expected of Islamic women; they are to be obedient of their husbands, and are to yield to them with utmost respect. In fact, if a woman’s husband dies, she will have trouble remarrying. Widows are not desirable in Moslem

masterp

2004-12-02T17:27:42-05:00

Within this paper, I will discuss the necessity of free will as Aquinas saw it. I will attempt to show why Aquinas feels that the will does not desire instead of having to or because it should but rather it simply wants to. I will also attempt to show why humans are able to make free choices where as other creatures cannot and then I tell you why Aquinas feels that animals act out of instinct rather than free will. Over time thinkers tried to narrow down the meaning of free will and in doing so discovered various meanings for free will. First, St. Augustine felt that creatures acted out of instinct rather than taking rational steps to derive at a solution and that the will makes one sin as well as to enjoy life. But, Aquinas felt that there is a certain type of connection for the will to be free i.e. the will basically does what it chooses to do through a critical thought process. Thus meaning that the previous thinkers excluding Aquinas felt that man does not have free will. Let’s start with objection number one from The Summa Theologica. Most think that man does not have free will. They think that “ free will does what he wills. Objection number two states that “whoever has free will has in his power to will or not to will, or to do or not to do” owever, it is thought that this is not within mans power (Rm. 9-16). Next is objection number three which brings us to “what is the cause of itself” which is said to mean that what is not moved by another is not free. Objection number four is “whoever has free will is master of his own actions “ Please remember that man is not the master of his own actions (Jer.10:23) Objection number five states that it is “natural for us to follow some particular end therefore leading all of these objections to mean that we are not free. St. Thomas Aquinas believes argued that the objections above are not true. Aquinas shows us that man is one of the first things that God made and because of that man is left to his own

Christianity and The Meaning of Life

2004-10-21T11:32:32-04:00

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I belong....

2004-10-19T19:17:56-04:00

Islam and terrorism

2004-09-23T12:57:34-04:00

ýEver since the September 11 incident in 2001, the media has been constantly ýýportraying Islam of being synonymous with terrorism, though the truth is right in front ýýof everyone, Islam is not a religion of terrorism but the exact opposite. ý ýThere is no exact definition of terrorism but there are general ideas of it. According to ýýPiceton University, terrorism is “The calculated use of violence against civilians in ýýorder to attain goals that are political or religious…” This means that terrorism is ýýmass violence to innocent people to gain goals that are political (Government wanting ýýpower), religious (Religion wanting followers).ý ýIslam is a religion of peace, the word Islam itself means peace, and it is a religion of ýýmercy and does not tolerate terrorism. The prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings ýýbe upon him, used to forbid soldiers of killing women and children he would say: ýý{…Do not betray, do not be excessive, do not kill a newborn child}(Narrated in ýýSaheeh Muslim, #1731). When presenting Islam it is not done as the Christians do and ýýsay “ accept this or you will not be saved”. Such as in the Crusade war of the Middle ýýAges when true Christians engaged in a “holy” war and brutally tortured and ýýslaughtered thousands of Muslims for there conquest of Jerusalem where Muslims, ýýJews and Christians lived under Islamic rule in peace until it became a of extensive ýýbloodshed. In Islam, the message is simply presented and then it is up to the others to ýýaccept it if they are convinced.ý ýIn sociology, there are functions of religion that are to provide a basis for social ýýcontrol, a social cohesion role, and to help people develop a sense of meaning and ýýpurpose in their lives. Islam provides social control by informing us on what not to ýýeat, what to wear and how to speak, it also provides a meaning and purpose in life by ýýtelling us that there is an after life and the reward is heaven and that this life is a test.ý ýThe West often gets some verses from the Qur’an and present them out of there ýýcontext that seem violent and connected that with terrorism, or take the example of ýýwhat they call “suicide” bombing. An example of a verse taken from the Qur’an is the ýýfollowing: {Soon shall we cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they ýýjoined companions with

God- freedom and slavery

2004-07-02T12:40:00-04:00

God, Lord, The Almighty- Powerful to do everything. Some kind of image, which gave us in the Thora (The first 5 books of the Old Testament) the 613 laws (according to the Jews myth). A lot of people in the time of the 2nd Temple and the Christians later told that we have the option to choose- we, human. Can decide what we will do in this life- follow the ways of God- or sin? We have freedom. And here is the question of this essay: GOD- FREEDOM OR SALVERY? Although secularism exists, many people keep and follow the way of god. Many of this people do not want to do it- buy they think they have to. Another group says that they’re afraid of god. And of course there’re the people who want to it and believe it’s good- but I won’t discuss them- the good people has to be left alone to make a good world. Lets go back to the question- if god gave us freedom why a person has to be afraid? And if they don’t want to keep the laws-why they keep them. Here is an interview we’ll discuses after. (I prefer to give no names) Interview 1: A (Interviewer): Hello B. I want to ask you some questions about you, religion and god. B: you’re welcome. A: Do you believe in god’s existents? B: I don’t know if he exists- maybe yes and maybe not- but I don’t take any risks. A: What do you mean by saying: “take any risks”? B: Well, although I don’t know about his existents I keep his laws. A: Where is the risk? B: If I won’t keep his laws- and he exists he’ll punish me. A: You mean you’re afraid? B: yes. ………………………………………………………… (The English Library of Israel, God and religion, Journey to find God- Aaron Rozenblum). In this interview Aaron talked to a man with a big debt: the existents of God. A doesn’t know for sure if god exists. But he prefers to keep the laws of god for

Dead Man Walking

2004-06-20T02:35:35-04:00

Clad in a black velvet suit, I came out of the house, my eyes red and swollen and my heart in pain. I carried with me my fatherâ€™s portrait. The embalmer upon seeing me told me to place the picture in the carâ€™s front window pane. I did what he ordered me and proceeded to join the funeral march. The solemn music of â€œAmazing Graceâ€? filled the air and the emptiness of my heart. I would have cried the instant that song played but I couldnâ€™tâ€¦ I would not dare to believeâ€¦ Iâ€™m not going to tell to the rest of the world that Iâ€™ve lost my fatherâ€¦ A great person Iâ€™ve lived with and lived for for 15 years. Days after, I sat all by myself thinking on whatâ€™s happening with him. It was the end, right? But many people out of nowhere would pop out and tell me all sorts of things like he took the form of a butterfly and a lizard. I laughed at them, telling them that my father rests now in the bosom of the Father and that heâ€™s not a part of this world anymore. I wouldnâ€™t want to believe that he passed away but my heart tells me that itâ€™s now a reality, that death can stab you at the back anytime. Though the pain still remains a hard rock on my heart, the memory I had of him made me accept my fateâ€¦ Those long years I had of him took away the worry and fear, unlike others who never saw the light of deathâ€™s candle. I got the greatest shock of my life when one of my aunts related to my family the story of my father getting back at her because of cigarette-smoking. Almost all my fatherâ€™s siblings are cigarette smokers. When he got sick of cancer, he told my visiting aunts and uncles not to smoke anymore because it would ruin their lives and their familyâ€¦ One day, my father â€œinvisibly lighted a cigarâ€? in the living room. My two aunts were having their snacks adjacent to that room. A gushing wind simply made its entrance unto their nostrils and they smelled the â€œsoothing cigarette fireâ€?. No one and nothing could decipher where that smoke came fromâ€¦ Goose pimples covered their thin skins and horrific faces shattered their sunny smiles. I started to question myselfâ€¦Iâ€™m unbelieving in ghosts so I dared

Dead Man Walking

2004-06-20T02:35:31-04:00

On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers - schleiermacher

2004-05-09T07:01:02-04:00

Friedrich Schleiermacher, a Protestant theologian, philosopher, and educator, who wrote On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers (1799), ventured into Christian dogmatics in a non-conventional yet avant-garde manner. His new approach to critically analyzing religion signaled the beginning of the era of Protestant Liberal Theology whilst simultaneously placing his book among the “classic” substantive works that speaks to “religion and Christian faith” (Schleiermacher vii). Schleiermacher, sometimes called the “father of modern theology,” believes shreds of faith are present in knowing (doctrine) and doing (ethical action), but it is most fully encapsulated by a kind of “feeling” or intuition, the “feeling (consciousness) of absolute dependence.” Faith belongs to two levels: the foremost, which is the “immediate” self-consciousness and the second, which is the “sensible” self-consciousness (Schleiermacher 36). The latter refers to the self in relation to the world. The ‘world’ consists of nature and society. Therefore, the two levels are inexorably linked. He proposed to the “cultural despisers” of religion that when they rejected traditional dogmas, they were not in essence rejecting the faith upon which it was founded. They despise dogma and its application in the societal realm which parallels to one’s distaste for the shell and not the peanut within; they are fixed upon its trappings. The same principle pertains to defenders of religion since they do not defend religion either; it is a mere buttress for morals and social institutions. To truly ascertain religion, one must close his/her eyes to false appearances and associations ingrained by history and society, and delve into the self-interior of one’s pious soul. Every human being is or has the potential to be to be a devout soul. The difficulty arises in the process of self-dissection or introspection. When one exhumes the “feeling” for the unity underlying the interconnectedness of all finite things, one experiences faith. [Schleiermacher uses faith, piety, and religion interchangeably.] Religion is the contemplation of the pious; it is about having life and knowing it a certain way. Religion, at its core, is not “the intellect” (i.e. objective knowledge) or “the will” (subjective knowledge). Objective knowledge refers to reason and one’s perception of the world whereas subjective knowledge is that which pours forth from experience and personal idiosyncrasy. As an infant the boundary between subject and object melts away; the synthesis

Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling

2004-05-09T06:57:30-04:00

What is a human person? How do human beings relate to God? Who am I? Why do I exist? I. Soeren Kierkegaard, a famous theologian of the 19th Century, wrote Fear and Trembling in 1843 in response to Hegelianism. Kierkegaard takes on the pseudonymous role of Jonannes de Silentio and speaks on modern peoples’ attitudes toward doubt and faith. He believes humans are creatures entrenched in reason and doubt but not in the same sense as Descartes, a French mathematician, scientist and philosopher. Descartes doubted everything he had ever learned; his way of thinking is called hyperbolic or Cartesian doubt. According to his philosophy, within the world of ideas there is clearance sale; everybody has a shop (their mind) and everything in one’s head is one’s ideas and beliefs. Reaching a point where one doubts everything is not easy to attain, yet humanity, on the whole, believes this is the starting point. Descartes denied himself of many things in order to reach such a state of being. He believed he had knowledge, whilst everyone else had beliefs. A belief only became knowledge when one had reasonable proved it via logical thought. Kierkegaard argued that knowledge is “understandable” whereas faith is “absurd.” This knowledge is useless unless one can make the “leap of faith.” When one is bound by knowledge and rational thinking, he/she is said to embody the universal because one’s individuality is made void for the sake of societal good. On the other hand, the individual characterizes a relationship with oneself in the case of the aesthetic and a relationship with God in the religious. The latter is highest relationship; therefore, humans will receive the most pleasure from it. Most men during Kierkegaard’s time followed Hegelianism; Kierkegaard believed that there were “stages on life’s way”: “the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious.” Hegel believed everyone should strive to be universal and embody the ethical. The ethical lifestyle is one of selflessness and commitment to the betterment of society. The universal is the enactment of the ethical. Man should strive to do the common good or that which benefits the most people. The ethical encompasses the laws that govern society (e.g. do not murder an innocent person). Although, Kierkegaard recognizes the inherent good in an ethical way of living, he still

Gay Marriages - Aquinas Style

2004-05-09T06:51:48-04:00

Question I First Article WHETHER THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSSETTS SHOULD RECOGNIZE GAY MARRIAGES? We proceed thus to the First Article:- Objection 1. It seems that the Bible, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, the majority of Protestants, and most major cultures are opposed to gay marriages. Marriage, as defined by the Code of Canon Law, “is the matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life and which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring…(CCC*, 1601)” Marriage is a bond between a man and a woman; therefore, gay marriage, the union of two individuals of the same sex, is intrinsically sacrilegious and should not be recognized by the church. Furthermore, men and women were created in God’s image and by virtue of their different genitalia they fit together as would a puzzle. “That is why man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife and they become one flesh (Gen 2:24).” Moreover, the vocation of a married couple and of humankind is to “be fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:28);” thus, homosexual relationships are an affront to the Creator’s plan with regards to marriage, family, and the survival of humankind. Obj. 2. Moreover, Sigmund Freud, a renowned psychoanalyst, says homosexuality is wrong. He maintains that every person has libidinal impulses, basic instincts, which are kept in check by the ego and superego. However, the anomaly of homosexuality can only be described as an inverted libido, a turning in of the libido on to an object like itself. Freud does not look upon homosexuality kindly; he sees it more as a defect in sexual development. Obj. 3. Further, when God wills something, it is willed for eternity. According to St. Augustine, God lacks nothing and through his ‘generative love’ he created mankind; there is no way to repay God; one may only give praise and worship to show one’s appreciation of God. Marriage is one of the sacraments instituted by God, by which humans make apparent to God their inward grace and their love for Him. God made no mistake in His delineation of marriage and its purpose. Matrimony cannot be fulfilled by homosexuals. On the contrary, Elizabeth Birch, director of the gay rights organization Human Rights

Augustine, Desert Fathers-What is required to be a good Christian?

2004-05-09T06:24:18-04:00

Such strong language seems to indicate a rejection of the body, of human relationships, of human reason, or any good which is not God. Is such a rejection required if one is to be a true Christian? Human relationships, the body, and human reason are presupposed to be good in Ms. Kreis’s statement. Although Saint Augustine, the author of Confessions, would not consider those to be of the highest good (God), he would be hard-pressed to deny that each does not maintain some degree of good. Sin is defined as a lack of good by Augustine; when someone abandons the highest good for a lower good, he/she is sinning. A lower good is any good that is not God (i.e. consumerism, science, astronomy, sex, fashion, societal recognition, pride and prestige, etc.). An inordinate fixation on or passion for a lower good quickly develops into a distraction from the highest good when left unchecked. If one does not control the proclivity to indulge in lower goods, they become habits or dispositions, which then become a way of life. Religion is a way of life. Christianity is dedicated to the praise and worship of God. The true, consummate Christian recognizes man is weak, hence, lives a life separate from human relationships, the body, and human reason. One cannot live a life for God alone when sidetracked by other lesser goods. Living one lifestyle fully and correctly is difficult, if not impossible; therefore, convoluting one lifestyle with another whilst trying to live out each fully is quixotic. According to Augustine, the potential to be a true Christian is present in everyone; however, succumbing to the highest good is very challenging. Being a true Christian is chimerical for most people because man is prone to three types of wickedness: lust for flesh, lust of the eyes, and lust for domination. Lust of flesh is an obsession with sensuality and the erotic (the lowest part of the soul); the solution is to regulate one’s libidinal urges. The thymotic part of the soul, which represents a burning desire to be respected and honored, is called a lust for domination; one should not desire to be in the right relationship with man but rather with God. Lust of the eyes is an inordinate fixation on intellectual and rational thought; God cannot be described

God is the Creator

2004-05-09T06:18:56-04:00

Christianity is a religion which embodies the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christ is completely divine and mortal. He is God. He is truly unique in that He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of a coming Messiah. The aforementioned prophecies were explicitly communicated through the Bible, a guidebook for followers of Christianity. Specifically, the Old Testament is the foundation of many religions (i.e. Judaism, Islam and Christianity). The Bible (the Scripture) is composed of several books; each book is regarded as both a historical as well as allegorical source. The Bible is the canon of the Scripture, the basis of Christian beliefs. Every story chronicled throughout the scripture is factual. Although each story has a separate author, they all share a common link; they were inspired by way of revelation; therefore they are the truth. The Bible can be interpreted in three different ways: the divine oracle paradigm, the historical paradigm, or the literary paradigm. These biblical interpretive techniques are described in an article by Carl R. Holladay called “Contemporary Methods of Reading the Bible.” Using “A Historical View of Texts” under the umbrella of the literary paradigm, particular claims of the scripture will secure credibility and further meaning. “A Historical View of Texts” does not take into account the Bible’s development over time especially in terms of cause and effect how those shaped the texts; rather, it scrutinizes the Bible in its entirety, as a “finished product.” More importance is given to literal than historical interpretation, “spatial rather than temporal (Holladay, p.138).” Historical references are only made when the text requires the reader or interpreter to do so. The net-effect of being oblivious to time whilst interpreting a piece is a purely literal breakdown of the text. This form of biblical analysis has two offshoots: diachronic and synchronic analysis. Holladay explains: In diachronic analysis, the interpreter thinks in terms of a linear time line along which the development of language and texts can be plotted. Synchronic analysis, by contrast, focuses on a single point in the time line and draws comparisons from other texts that are either roughly contemporary or otherwise relevant. In the literary paradigm, synchronic analysis may also involve comparing texts, or aspects of language, from different chronological periods, but doing so as if they occupied the same moment in

faith vs. religion

2004-05-09T06:13:18-04:00

Faith is not easy to find in this generation of lost souls. What prevents people from having faith? A Christian might answer, “The Fall of Man is where it began.” Corruption, self-centeredness, sloth, lust and an epidemic of amoral behavior has tainted humanity. As I wrote this paper in the study lounge of my Dormitory, I asked an open question to a bunch of freshmen attending Boston College: “What is something you really believe in? It could be anything.” Not one of almost twenty students had an answer. Thus with a waning of faith, ensues a deterioration of religion. Having a belief does not imply one has faith nor does having faith betoken religion. The relationship between faith and religion is definite but not one of equality. It is possible to have more than one faith, for faith impregnates a believer with individuality. Just as actions can define people, so can their faiths. To wholeheartedly believe is faith. Faith is characterized by an unconditional trust or confidence in something, whether it is inanimate or animate, abstract or concrete, physical or spiritual. Mark Miller, the author of Experiential Storytelling: Rediscovering Narrative to Communicate God’ Message, explains, “Faith is the eyes of being in love.” When in love, everything looks different, thus being outside of a faith (not in love) induces a lack of understanding. People often claim to believe in something, but, after brief self-analysis they discover that they are ridden with conflicting beliefs (e.g. homosexuality and Catholicism). As each belief is undermined, toppled, or unaffected by the preceding, it becomes apparent that their understanding of themselves is limited. Nevertheless, for every argument there is a counterargument; the key is to find where one stands; that standpoint is a belief. Once a belief is adopted fully, it translates to faith. Humanity uses ‘faith as a shield’ or a defense mechanism to protect the self. In terms of human relationships, trust is a precursor that imbues faith in relationships. For example, if a student continually enters the class late than the professor will have faith that he will be tardy all the time. The professor has no reason to trust the student to be punctual based upon previous attendance record. In contrast, religion does not prerequisite trust; in fact,

reincarnation

2004-03-26T09:25:20-04:00

Do human beings live only once, or are we granted the opportunity to return after death and experience many different lives? Reincarnation is an anglicized word of Latin derivation, meaning "reinfleshment," the coming again into a human body of an excarnate soul. Today approximately 30 million Americans, one in four, believe in reincarnation. The process of reincarnation is the continual rebirth in human bodies, which allegedly continues until the soul has reached a state of perfection and merges back with its source, either God or the universal Soul. The question of reincarnation has been examined for thousands of years and has been embraced to varying degrees by numerous religions. Although to some people the idea of reincarnation is ridiculous, others would call this reaction uneducated and boneheaded (Bache, 27). I will show evidence of evoked and spontaneous cases which, in light of my personal experiences, are creditable. The ideas of reincarnation are not concrete and can be difficult for present day culture to grasp. Many scholars point toward Hinduism as one of the earliest religions to offer explanations of reincarnation. Hinduism, originating sometime during the ninth century BCE, is the most ancient of the surviving great religions. The adoption of the belief in rebirth can be found in Hindu scriptures dating around 600 BCE. As time progressed, suggestions of reincarnation began to be found in Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, and Christianity (Ludwig 31). Though all of these religions do not fully embrace or teach the theory of rebirth, they do reflect a great desire among diverse beliefs and lifestyles to know what happens after death. With regard to the search about what transpires posthumously, many people see reincarnation as an explanation for many of the great questions about life. Such as, why do we suffer? Does life have meaning? How do we explain child prodigies? Are memories about past lives valid? The following discussion of how the theory of rebirth can answer some of life’s most difficult questions will provide supportive evidence collected throughout the years to appeal to Western minds that find the idea of multiple lives difficult to accept or grasp. “For better or for worse, we are a culture that deeply values the weight of evidence” (Bache 17). Religion in the Western regions of the world is predominately Christian. Among the people practicing

Gods

2004-02-12T12:01:17-05:00

Existentialism

2004-01-29T00:05:19-05:00

What is certain? The truth of stories written two-thousand years ago? That an invisible God exists above us? That all is pre-determined? That there is life after death? No, all that is certain is one?fs self and death. Existentialism makes the most sense of any of the beliefs. Billions of people across the globe worship or pray to some form of a higher being or, ?gGod,?h on a regular basis; I find this to be somewhat insecure behaviour. The fact that a person needs to go that far and waste that much emotional energy believing in something that never reacts, or responds in any way boggles the mind. The belief in a ?gGod?h is, in almost every case, a story passed through the ages. Smudged, poorly translated documents of exaggerated accounts with miracle-workers and great warriors have been passed down through the centuries, with each generation?fs scriber adding his own embellishments to the story, kind of resembling the telephone game you played as a child. For example, the story may have started off about a woman named Jessica who happened to be an excellent physiotherapist, and by the time it is halfway around the circle, it is about a man named Jesus who could ?greally work miracles?h (ha ha). Remember how silly the story became by the time it got all the way back around the circle? I have a good feeling that in a thousand years from now the story will have changed even more. And do not get me wrong, I enjoy the stories; however, I find them more amusing than enlightening. Existentialism, to me, is a much more intellectually sound and sophisticated way of living. It involves living through logical analysis, which I find gives it a fair amount of credibility since that analysis is left up to the individual as opposed to living by a set of rules created by a character in a story. An existentialist?fs life plays out according to the decisions he makes and the consequences that follow. The existentialist knows that life is not as complicated as it is made out to be and does not have to worry about anything that does not directly concern him/her. This makes for a very apathetic personality; however, apathy is merely a trait recognized by other people who, to a true existentialist, would not matter either since they cannot prove the existence of their own minds. It seems to

happiness

2003-12-10T13:21:31-05:00

The article started off by saying that no person chooses to be unhappy. If this is true, then we all must try to be happy. We all must search for some innate happiness to fulfill our lives and hearts. However, that’s not the point the spitzer brings up. Spitzer is trying to make people realize that there are different levels to happiness, and that each one greatly differs from the last even if they’re all forms of happiness. It says there’s material happiness, or happiness in a thing or possession that you own. Another happiness it tells you about is feeling superior, or better than someone else. I think that is a wrong kind of happiness. There’s another type of happiness where you feel happy about doing charitable works, or seeing the good in other people. I don’t think anyone can be truly content if they don’t believe that people are good. The last category of happiness is the one where you’re just completely content with yourself and your surroundings. This is true happiness. It can be achieved by love or goodness. I think that of the four categories, this is the one that everyone is striving for. The second essay goes even much deeper than that, telling us that there is something that we strive for more than even happines. It says that there is a thign that can fulfill us more deeply than the feelings that happiness gives to us. Kreeft brings up a very good point when he talks about how sex is often times subsituted for sanctity or something else that’s missing in a persons life. With my own experiences with it, I can definitely see how he has a point. I’ve known partners who seem to use sex to fill a void in their life instead of trying to fix it. He tells perople to get off of their butts and actually go out and find their joy, not just sit down and mope, longing for some type of joy. He seems to really believe that sex can be a good thing, under the right circumstances, but should never be substitued for your heavenly grace. That, above everything else, seems to be his main focus in the article Coming from the viewpoint of a “new age hippie”, or so I am called by many, I found these articles on happiness quite interesting. I find that I

Have you ever asked yourself these questions?

2003-12-08T19:10:54-05:00

What is the purpose of L I F E?" "My life?""Your Life?" People everywhere are asking the questions; "What is the purpose of life?" and "Why are we here?" You might be amazed to learn, that Islam is providing clear and concise answers for these questions. Most of those who reflect or think about life in any detail will consider and ponder these questions. There are as many different answers to these questions as there are people asking the questions. Some would hold that the purpose of life was to acquire wealth. Yet suppose they were to acquire millions of dollars, what then would they claim is their purpose after doing so? If the purpose of life is to become wealthy, there would be no purpose after becoming wealthy. The fact is that when people approach their purpose here in this life from the aspect of only gaining wealth, after collecting the money they have dreamed of their lives loose purpose and then they live in restless tension suffering from a feeling of worthlessness.How could wealth then be considered as the aim of life?Could the acquisition of wealth guarantee happiness? Of course not. When we hear of millionaires or members of their families committing suicide, how could we consider the purpose of life would be to gain great wealth?A child of 5 years would obviously prefer a new toy to a deposit slip for a million dollars.A teenager does not consider millions of dollars in the bank a substitute for movies, videos, pizza and hanging out with his friends. A person in their 80s or 90s would never consider holding on to their wealth in place of spending it to hold on to or regain their health. This proves that money is not the main purpose at all the stages of one's life. Wealth can do little or nothing to bring happiness to one who is a disbeliever in Almighty God, because regardless of what he or she would gain in this life they would always live in fear of what will happen to them in the end. They would wonder what would become of them and how they would end up. Wealth and its accumulation as a purpose would be doomed to a temporary success at best and in the end it would only spell out self destruction. So, what is the use of wealth to a person without belief? He would always fear his end and would

Islam Essay (over 1000 words)

2003-12-04T23:51:04-05:00

Islam is the Arabic term meaning “submission” or “surrender”, this is the will of their God Allah. It is interesting because the Islamic religion believes it was founded by through his first son, Ishmael while Judaism is believed to have been founded by his second son Isaac. It is said that after the birth of Isaac, Ishmael left his father’s country and went to live in Arabia with a group who were not of any religion of the time apart from their own belief, that there was only one God, the Hanifs. This group was and nomadic and for this reason as a child Muhammad is to have learnt of monotheism (the belief in only one god) through association with them when he was young. The Arab means nomad and this rightly describes the life style of the many Arab tribes that roamed the Arabian Peninsula. There was no government in the region and each tribe held their own small area. Early Arab Religion worshipped many Gods and nature spirits. During the early centuries of the Common Era there were although a minority of Christians and Jews in Arabia. “The Prophet” as he is know but he is actually named Muhammad had a difficult childhood as he was orphaned at a young age and then moved through two more homes before he was eventually adopted by his uncle. It is said that even at a young age Muhammad showed a deep and reflective character and often conversed with the Hanifs and also went in to the nearby hills for days on end to seek solitude, pray and contemplate what were possibly, the “big deep questions” in religion. As he aged he began to hold all night rituals at Mount Hira, a barren rock a few kilometres south of Mecca. He had many revelations at this spot, revelations, which eventually were the base of the religion he formed. The Qur’an is the Holy Book of Islam, which is worded by the actual commands given to the archangel Gabriel by God. The other authoritive text in the Islamic religion is the Sunna (traditions), which is based upon the Hadith (statements). This text is basically an autobiography of Muhammad who was considered to be the perfect Muslim and therefore is used as a role model in this text for other Muslims. This text contains various sayings, teachings and deeds of the prophet. The sunna

The Existence of God

2003-12-01T23:09:54-05:00

The Existence of God A definition of God is as follows: God-The infinitely perfect Supreme Being, uncaused and absolutely self-sufficient, eternal, the Creator and final end of all things. The one God subsists in three equal Persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. The non-existence of God cannot be proven through science because Christianity and science have no connection except for the fact that the are both religions. Also, science is proven through tests and experiments there is no way to experiment God or even to prove the existence of Napoleon. You can't go back in history and bring them back. However, just because this can't be proven it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. The paradox of God building a wall so heavy even he couldn’t lift it is a weak argument. If God were to build a wall so heavy even he couldn’t lift it, it would make the wall more powerful than God. Hence making the wall God, since the definition of God is that he is all-powerful. God could do whatever he wants but why would he want to diminish his own power. The argument : If God is all-powerful, he could do anything possible. Yet, it is impossible to add 2 and 2 together and get 9. is not a valid point. It is humanly impossible to add 2 and 2 together and get 9 but Jesus, which believers believe to be the same being as God, did take 2 fish and five loaves of bread and feed 5,000 people. The average person then could have probably eaten the two fish and five loaves himself. So the bread and fish were multiplied into over 10,000 fish and 25,000 loaves of bread with 12 baskets full left over. That doesn’t humanly add up. This would conclude that 2 plus 2 could make nine, with God, and therefore he can do things far out of human grasps. Because God is eternal and uncaused, he has no need for a creator since he is the ultimate creator. Look at the law of cause and effect. Every cause has an effect and every effect has a cause. R.C. Spoule explains, “being eternal God is not an effect. Since he is not an effect he needs no cause and

The Existence of God

2003-12-01T23:09:36-05:00

Anti-Christianity

2003-11-20T01:56:32-05:00

Believe in Nothing The depiction of Jesus we see all around us. We see him in books, we see him in churches. We see him on the internet, we see him on television. We see what is an assumption of Jesus' appearance. One man made a guess of what Jesus looks like based on the appearance of an average Jewish man. Since then, we have been using a mask to portray a man, if not a woman, that did not exist. We are always told of his existence, but not how we come about that conclusion. The Bible in fact, is our only proof of Jesus’ existence. Many simply rely on their faith, without need for evidence. However, knowing Christianity is not based on facts, it cannot be certain that those who follow are following the correct path. Actually it is certain that the belief in Christianity is the wrong path, for it causes more harm than good. Centuries ago, as Christianity gained an increasing amount of believers, the believers started thinking beyond the traditional beliefs. Many supposed great followers of the Christian religion, became betrayers of their religion. If one believes in a religion, they must obey its rules, commandments or such. Instead of for example Martin Luther, who formed a new type of Christianity, to satisfy his own will. His desire was for the people to worship God and Christ directly, instead of having a middle man such as the Pope. Later he was to create Lutheranism. Those who create and follow new forms of Christianity have betrayed their true religion. Believing in the Christ is bad enough, betraying Christianity and still believing in a new type is even worse. Throughout history and to the present day, the belief in Christianity has been the cause of many evil scams and tragedies. A perfect example would be the indulgences and fake relics sold during the Catholic Reformation. About 300 years ago, the church was selling false hope to satisfy their lust for money. Many believers however disagree and claim that churches improve communities. They create a true community where help is plentiful, and joy is most common. But is religion truly necessary for improving communities? The Priests and such could continue, but without religion. The goal for a better community is not only a religious goal, but also one in life. One thing that religion does to one's mind, it give a

The Negative Portrayal of Islam: Jihad, Terrorists & the American Media

2002-12-08T13:00:00-05:00

A student in the University of British Columbia writes: "HIJAB, the head to ankle covering that leaves only the face, hands and feet visible in public, has made me a very patient Muslim woman. [...] There are many who can't formulate words coherent enough to communicate their disapproval, and so, rely on simple gestures and sign language. Walking through downtown Vancouver, I've been fingered, spat on, scowled and cursed at." (Looks) Whether in Vancouver, Minnesota or any other place the 1.2 billion Muslims around the world live and work, they have been taking a lot of “disapproval”. From the gestures to the stares and even glares, Muslims of the world, and particularly the West, have a lot to put up with. Scenes like the one above are not only commonplace in today’s society; they are viewed as the norm. The hijab, an Islamic symbol of modesty, is constantly seen as a bad thing. In the streets of London to Downtown Minneapolis, a dark skinned man with a beard is seen to be hiding an Uzi beneath the folds of his Muslim dress. And Islam, well it is safe to say, Islam does not evoke the peaceful message it was meant to. Today’s American audiences disapprove. To them Islam isn’t peaceful or humble, it is violence and bloodshed. Islam, jihad. They know what the jihad is; they’ve watched it live on CNN. American audiences are “witnesses” to people who call themselves Muslims; fighting and killing in the name of a religion they call Islam. They saw the Pakistani army's excesses against Muslims (Bengalis) and the Mujahideen of Afghanistan and their mutual slaughter. (Khan) They know big bad wolf Saddam and his use of chemical weapons against Muslims (Kurds) and the massacre of thousands of innocent civilians when some men with beards plunged planes of them into great buildings. They see these “Muslims” killing in the name of a greater purpose on TV everyday. It must be true. However, the American audiences are being deceived. The “holy war” does not exist. What they are witnessing is in fact the confusion, hatred and in some cases, ignorance of terrorists/extremists. The negative portrayal of Islam and of jihad stems from bad people doing very bad things. Terrorists/extremists have turned Islam’s ideal of peace and harmony on its head. “Such actions, if not sanctioned by the religion, have no place with it. They are not Islamic

The Existence of God

2002-11-24T13:00:00-05:00

"A God or not a God," that is the question. If proof is what you need, then proof is what you will get. I will state the following information based on what I’ve experienced, what has been taught to me, and what has been revealed. My first attempt to persuade you will be in examples. I will state some reasons why or why not evolutionists, atheists, and other types of beliefs are right or wrong. Evolution: fact or fiction? If you are an evolutionist, I ask you to consider the following facts, that you would either stand more firmly upon its truth, or flee from its nonsense. At first glance, it seems logical; Over billions of years, micro-organisms grew and changed into greater creatures, with the peak being mankind. But look deeper than what is shown to everyone; are we really formed from a "primordial soup"? This negates our "magnificence" as human beings greatly (meaning we are just an advanced for of the bacteria that we clean off our teeth each day). Firstly, consider what the Bible says, even if you think it’s just a book. It says in Romans 1:20, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made." Because everything in nature fits so perfectly together; the weather system, the planetary system, photosynthesis, the food chain, the sun and the moon, and day and night, along with many other examples, it is illogical to believe it has all happened by time and chance. Secondly, if evolution was true, why isn’t there abounding evidence of it? Have you ever seen a half-evolved lizard, fish, bat, or human? A lizard knows what a lizard does; It climbs on trees, hides from predators, and snatches food very well. If its two front legs were to begin evolving into wings, it would have trouble! In the process of growing wings, the lizard would have trouble walking due to these large objects on its back, and yet it couldn’t fly because the wings have not fully grown. It is the same with all other creatures; if a fish begins to walk, if a horse begins to swim, or if an eagle begins to run, they will not perform their functions efficiently. Moving onward, I find Atheism to be an unsatisfactory belief. What hope is there in this? What joy, what peace, and what comfort can

Examine what Theists understand as the Problem of Evil.

2002-11-01T13:00:00-04:00

It is impossible to deny the existence of evil in the world as we as human beings experience pain and suffering every day. It is generally accepted that there are two different types of evil – natural and moral. Moral evil is caused by human beings and occurs when humans inflict suffering on other people (e.g. world wars, the Holocaust), animals (e.g. animal testing) or the environment (e.g. pollution, destroying the rainforests). Natural evil is not caused by humans and occurs naturally in the world – e.g. earthquakes, droughts and cancer. However, not all evils can be easily separated into these categories as humans can contribute to natural evils – i.e. although cancer is a naturally occurring disease, humans often do things which bring it about. The problem is not the evil itself but the fact that it exists in the first place. The problem of evil is a problem caused by the nature of God. If we believe that God created everything (‘creatio ex nihilo’), then he has total responsibility for the existence of evil as he must have created it. This provokes the question: why did God create evil or why does he allow evil to exist? The God of classical theism is all good and all-powerful. This suggests that he would want to remove evil for the good of the human race and is able to do so. Therefore, if God is all good and all-powerful then there should be no evil in the world. However, there clearly is evil in the world. This brings about the following possibilities and questions. God is not good all good – is he a malevolent God? God is not all-powerful – is he worthy of worship? God does not exist. This is the problem of evil. Augustine summed it up most effectively when he said, ‘Either God cannot abolish evil or he will not. If he cannot then he is not all-powerful. If he will not then he is not all good.’ Augustine viewed evil as merely the absence of good just as dark is the absence of light, a non-being – ‘a name for nothing but the want of good’. He looked to the Bible to account for the existence of God and believed that the fall of humanity from grace, as shown in Genesis, showed the origin of evil. He believed that evil came into the world because human beings had deliberately turned

Reason and Belief

2002-09-08T14:00:00-04:00

Human beings have all sorts of beliefs. The way in which they arrive at them varies from reasoned argument to blind faith. Some beliefs are based from personal experience, others on education, and others indoctrination. Many beliefs are no doubt innate: we are born with as a result of evolutionary factors. Some beliefs we feel we can justify, others we hold because of gut feelings. Obviously many of our beliefs are wrong, either because they are incoherent, or because they conflict with other beliefs, or with facts. Two thousand years ago, in Ancient Greece, the first systematic attempt was made to establish some sort of common ground for belief. Some Greek Philosophers sought a means to formalize human reasoning by providing unassailable rules of logical deduction. By adhering to agreed procedures of rational argument, these philosophers hoped to remove the muddle, misunderstandings and disputes that characterize human conflictions. The ultimate goal, to arrive at a set of assumptions, or axioms: self evident truths which all reasonable men and women accept to resolute conflict. It has been said this goal was never attained ever if it were possible. The modern world is plagued by a greater diversity of beliefs than ever, many of them eccentric or even dangerous, and rational argument is regarded by a majority of people as a pointless sophism (false argument) Only In Mathematics and Science have ideals of Greek philosophers been upheld. When it comes to addressing the really deep issues of existence, such as the origin and meaning of the universe, the place of human beings in the world and the structure of organization in nature, there is a strong temptation to retreat into unreasoned belief. Even scientist are not immune from this. There has been a long and respectable history of rational analysis. But ask yourself how far can reason take us? Can we rely on science to answer ultimate questions of existence or will we smack dead into a impenetrable mystery at some stage? Throughout history all cultures have marveled at the beauty of the physical universe. It is the only mathematical culture made to be systematic to the study of nature and the universe, our place within. It can blind us leading us to take for granted that our existence is rational in an ordered cosmos. Among the more ambitious goals of such reflections is the possibility that we might formulate a theory of everything as

Catholics and Protestants

2002-09-04T14:00:00-04:00

To all who care - I have noticed that over the years of my studies, I have seen Catholics and Protestans argue countless hours of non-stop debates over petty little things about the Catholic church. For example: "Do not worship Mary..." "Saints are not real..." "The pope is usless..." ETC. Now, I do not want to make anyone feel small here, because we are ALL mighty warriors for Christ when we accept Him...and there are NO labels in the eyes of God. However, I must say that I am disappointed in all

Religious Wars

2002-08-12T14:00:00-04:00

Religion has played a key role in wars and death. Religion is the basis of belief for humans, it is a belief that there is a higher being that watches over us guiding us, a belief that there is life after death and if we follow these beliefs we shall enter heaven the most beautiful place. However religion has also played a role in wars, religious conflicts in Ireland (Protestants and Catholics). Israelis and Arabs (Holy Land) and the Holy Crusades of the eleventh century (recapturing the Holy Land). In Israel Jews and Arabs have been in conflict for hundreds of years because they both share religious grounds in Israel. Since the founding of Israel in 1948 there has been continuous conflict between Israel and Arab states. This conflict has been marked by six bloody wars. On both sides, religion has again and again brought the peace process to the brink of annihilation. The first spark between the two sides started in Hebron, the site of the tombs of patriarchs, building sacred to both Jews and Arabs. Early in 1994 Baruch Goldstein, a religious Jew, opened fire and killed thirty nine Arabs while at prayer. In response to the Hebron killings, two Arab suicide bombers blew up Jewish buses in northern and central Israel. Fifteen died and seventy were injured (Peres 1995 p.177-178). There are still wars going on today, Israel against Palestine The Crusades were medieval military expeditions undertaken by European Christians to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims (Collins new English Dictionary 1997). The word crusade is taken from the Latin word crux (cross) this is a reference to the biblical injunction that Christians carry their cross. Crusaders wore a red cloth that was sewn on their tunics to show that they took on the cross and were soldiers of Christ (Runciman, Steven, A history of the Crusades, 3 vols 1951-1954; Rep 1987). The causes of the crusades were many and complex but religion was the main factor. It was regarded as justifiable war, because it was fought to recapture the places sacred to Christians. Charlemagne he made his wars of aggression definitely religious wars. All the world of north-western Europe, which is now Great Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, and Norway and Sweden, was in the ninth century an arena of bitter conflict between the old faith and the new. Nations were converted to Christianity by the

Why Believe in Religion?

2002-07-10T14:00:00-04:00

Firmly rooted to a Christian faith, I often ponder the meaning of a “proper” Catholic. I ask myself how one should act, what to say, think and most importantly FEEL. What does being a Christian mean for me? How closely does it tie in to my personal beliefs and ethical morals? Do I apply this religious knowledge on my everyday life, or is it actually another domain in my vast mass of principles altogether? These are redundant questions I ask myself everyday - not in the sense that I doubt my faith, but serves to evaluate my true feelings and changing attitude towards Christianity. So why is religion important to me? Simply because I believe it to be TRUE. It teaches us something vital about ourselves and serves as the ground for our hope in eternal life. You wouldn’t want to turn to religion merely for comfort, security or peace of mind. Because if religion isn’t true, then these desires will not be fulfilled anyways. If the religion accepted is not entirely true, then you can expect that the longing for truth will inevitably initiate one to pursue the evidence continually, wherever it may end. If God is God, it cannot be impossible for him to have given sufficient evidence to come to where he wants us to be. Looking for that evidence is the greatest mystery of life and the glorious journey that I believe we must undertake. In a world like the one we live in today, pure honesty is one of the most hardest virtues to locate and can only be experienced by others if the trait sparks fiercely enough in one’s heart. The state of honestly believing in God wholly and entirely partakes in that crescendo of peace that is so rarely felt in a lifetime. I believe that the strength of a Christian comes from the faith one possesses. It is the strong trust in God that helps and guides in hours of need. It is often considered a necessity to belong to a religious institution. This is because we are creatures made for the interaction in a community. The weaknesses of real communities force us to brave the difficulties and savor the joys of these organizations. There is no other reason for counting yourself religious, except that is says something about your place in the world. The Latin language offers five different terms for the

The existence of God - Approaches/Criticisms

2002-07-03T14:00:00-04:00

There are three major arguments that attempt to explain the existence of God. Firstly, it is important to establish a definition of God. According to philosophers God is an infinitely perfect being that upholds a divine unity of ultimate goodness and of ultimate power. God is referred to as Omniscient, Omnipotent and Eternal. God has unlimited knowledge and intelligence, so basically God is the ultimate model of perfectionism. Though all Philosophers agree with this definition of God, it does not state whether or not this ideal concept of God exists. The Ontological, Cosmological and Teleological have been developed throughout time to attempt to prove God existence. There have also been many criticisms into these arguments, which attempt to disprove each argument. The Ontological argument was developed by Anselm; a theist who argued for the existence of God. In his argument he refers to God as a perfect being, therefore ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’. He began his argument by saying that even a ‘fool’ (atheist) can grasp or understand the concept of a being than of ‘which nothing greater can be conceived’ as they already have an understanding or idea of what it means in their mind. Though this idea exists in their mind, it does not mean God doesn’t exist in reality. Anselm refers to God as a perfect being, and because he is so perfect he must have infinite perfectionism, therefore Anselm is arguing that if God lacked existence he would not be perfect, as he is perfect he must exist. There are many criticisms to why Anselm’s Ontological argument fails. Kant saw Anselm’s argument as merely a word game, playing on words and not reality. In this sense, Kant sees the Ontological argument as an exercise in verbal analysis, the means where anyone can anaylse the meaning of a word or concept, and draw a logical explanation from it. Therefore, Anselms’ words ‘necessary existence’ are logical part of a defined concept of God but they do not reveal whether God exists in reality. Kant’s second criticism outlines that an idea of something does not automatically make it exist in reality. Its actual existence is something additional to the idea of a thing. Kant referred to this concept where ‘existence is not a predicate’; that is it is not a defining quality of a thing like size, colour, shape and so on. The Cosmological argument

Aborigial spirituality

2002-07-03T14:00:00-04:00

The significance and meaning of the Dreaming is central to Aboriginal spirituality. Each Aboriginal group is connected with the Dreaming and is aware its unique identity is derived from it. Aboriginals today, continue to emerge from the Dreaming, yet they are still intensely connected with it till this day. The Dreaming includes all aspects of Aboriginal life, and because of the vast scale it encompasses, it is a challenging task to link it entirely to a specific typology in the study of religion. The ‘Dreaming’, is an English term which attempts to convey Aboriginal spirituality. There is no single term that can sum up Aboriginal spirituality, as it has infinite potential and relates to every aspect of Aboriginality. The term ‘Dreaming’, is translated into various languages of the Aboriginal people. The Ngarinyin aboriginal people in North West Australia call it Ungud, while the people in the North East Arnhem Land refer to it as Wongar. At the time of European settlement in Australia it was estimated there were over five hundred Aboriginal language groups. Each aboriginal group has its distinctive characteristics in connecting with the Dreaming, and defining it which makes Aboriginal spirituality so exceptional, as every Aboriginal is connected with it. One can never truly understand the meaning and significance of the Dreaming unless they are living their life as an Aboriginal connected with it. The ‘Dreaming’, has been around since the beginning of time. It is not confined to the remote past, but also to the present and future. Time, as a point in history is an unknown concept in traditional Aboriginal understanding, as ‘one cannot ‘fix’ The Dreaming in time: it was and is everywhen’. The beginning of time refers to when the ancestral spirits emerged from the formless earth in human and animal form. They traveled upon it, creating and shaping its physical features, as well as the people, plants and animals. This life force which was released at the beginning, is still present today, and is given off at special places on the earth according to the Aborigines. This is why, aboriginal people are still emerging from the Dreaming yet still deeply connected with it. The ancestral beings that brought the Dreaming about, belong to an eternal moment that is an ever-present reality which symbolises aboriginal life. Aborigines believe this unseen spirit world and the living landscape gives order to the world. The study of the Dreaming

The book of Genesis

2002-06-16T14:00:00-04:00

The book of Genesis draws many similarities between the character of Eve and the grandmother of Paul Auster. In the beginning of the Holy Bible, God created Adam and Eve. When he created them he forbade them from eating fruit from the tree of knowledge located in the center of the Garden of Eden. When Eve was approached by a serpent that persuaded her to eat the fruit, she removed the fruit from the tree and fed it to herself and Adam. When Eve was approached by God he asked her why she ate the fruit , she said that the serpent had made her eat the fruit and told her it would not harm her or Adam . God then punished them for their actions. The comparison between this excerpt from the Bible and Paul Auster’s grandmother is simple. When Paul Auster’s grandmother was faced with the decision to shoot and kill her husband, she performed the act and then explained that she did this because her husband was a threat to her and she was very frightened. In both instances both of the women in the stories explained their actions and insisted on blaming it on another person or thing. The only difference in the two stories is that Eve was punished for her actions and was given the horrible pain that comes with child birth. On the other hand Paul Austers grandmother was released from her crimes and did not receive any punishment but the hardship that comes along with being a single mother. The book of Genesis is greatly related to Paul Austers grandmother in many ways. She is presented to the reader as an Eve character. As stated before she is using the “Eve theory”, Paul Auster’s grandmother feels she is not responsible for the death of her husband, according to her she is insane, which seems to be very unlikely. Austers grandmother was very aware of her actions and what she was doing, just as Eve was. Eve did not need to a serpent to increase her curiosity of the tree of Knowledge. Just like anyone that is put into a situation where they are restricted from doing something, their curiosity is obviously increased. The reason why Austers grandmother was released of her charges probably lays upon the jurors. The Jurors in the case were obviously not only impressed with Austers testimony but were also

Ancient Religions: A Comparison

2002-06-15T14:00:00-04:00

As civilization has expanded and improved it has gone through many different religions. Some of the most interesting and different have been the Mesopotamian religion, the religion of the Greeks and finally Christianity. These three religions were practiced in different areas and different time periods and therefore they will be excellent for a comparison. Religion is a key part of every society and civilization. No matter how it is organized or what type of God they worship, a society would be nothing without some kind of deity to organize it. Through the units of study the amount that people rely on Gods has been evident and that is why this makes a very good essay topic. Three areas of religion will be used to compare each of the religions chosen, worship style, their temples or places of worship, and the nature of their God or Gods. Each of the three religions selected had very different ideas of how to worship their God or Gods. In the Mesopotamian religion worship was very straightforward and casual. They would give daily offerings of food and drink with sacrifices during special monthly and annual feasts. The most important of these feasts was the New Year’s festival, which later on during the first millennium came to include some lesser festivals as well. These worship events were held by the Priests and Priestesses who also took care of the great wealth stored in the Mesopotamian’s temples. The director of the temple cults was the Sheshgallu; all the sacrifices were performed by the Shangu-priests. Other classes of priests dealt with the other, lesser rituals. The priestesses varied from the Entu, the consort of the God, all the way down to the temple harlots (Garber, p204). The Greeks on the other hand, did most of their worship in private. They also had festivals and rituals, but their worship was much less organized. If a person wished to pray to a god, or invoke their intervention, they would go to one of the shrines or temples of that god and say a prayer and leave a small gift. These gifts varied from frankincense or a cake to large sacrifices of animals. There were also dedications of small statuettes or even large painted vases (Webster, p79). There was no class of priests nor any real religious teachings or texts. There were no real worship services as we think of them,

Hinduism: What is Ahimsa?

2002-06-13T14:00:00-04:00

Ahimsa is a state of being that has existed in Indian culture for many centuries. The basic doctrine of Ahimsa is to not inflict pain on any living being physically, mentally or verbally. The goal of Ahimsa is to eliminate the aggressive and cruel natures of humans by replacing them with love, peace and forgiveness. Ahimsa advocates the use of intelligence instead of violence to achieve wanted goals. Ahimsa is not just part of Hindu religion, it is a state of truly divine existence through higher consciousness. The guidelines of Ahimsa are very rigid, for example if a man expresses an aggressive tone of voice or a displeased facial expression he is exhibiting Himsa (violence). Ahimsa encourages acceptance and condemns behaviours that belittle other beings. The practice of Ahimsa is predominant in Hindu religion because of their belief of dharma, karma and reincarnation. Hindu gurus teach that it is a Hindu’s dharma or duty to be kind and welcoming to all of his brothers and sisters, or the universal community. By performing ones daily duties the Hindu can attain moksha or living in peaceful bliss because of karma; if a person causes no harm, they will receive no harm. As a result, if the person has lived their life in a constant state of Ahimsa, when they die they will be reincarnated into a superior being. Mahavira a revered Jain contemporary revealed the concept of karma and reincarnation in his quote “Non-Violence and kindness to living beings is kindness to oneself. For thereby one’s own self is saved from various kinds of sins and resultant sufferings and is able to secure his own welfare”. It is obvious that a state of mind similar to Ahimsa does not exist in North American society as a whole. A person must exhibit great willpower and sacrifice a great deal when trying to exists in Ahimsa, this is most likely why North Americans do not embrace Ahimsa; our society lives in such luxury that when we do without, disorder exists. Within Western society’s music, choice of cuisine and media there subsists a form of Himsa. Many of the lyrics that we listen to in our music are aggressive and full of hatred; the food that we eat is obtained by means of brutalizing animals in slaughterhouses; and daily, our media shows the anarchy that occurs in our communities and in the world. The North American

An Analysis of The Book of Job

2002-06-13T14:00:00-04:00

The book of Job is found in the Old Testament and is an epic poem written by many anonymous authors about a man of God named Job. Some Jews speculate that the author was Moses Rabbeinu other speculate the prophet Isaiah; others just accept that it was sent down by the Holy Spirit. Job lived in the land of Uz during the times of the Patriarchs; he was most likely a contemporary of Abraham. The structure of Job is in the manner of a poem, with a prologue at the beginning and the end of the book. Each verse is written in prose and many versus in the form of questions. This is most likely because the Book of Job deals with questions that mankind has; the questioning structure in the beginning and middle of Job foreshadows the end when God speaks and answers some of these questions. Job was a practical ordinary man who was not sinless, but knew how to deal with his sins in essence making him blameless. Job was renowned for his riches, his love of his children and God-fearing beliefs. Job lived a comfortable life until Satan begins inflicting pain and suffering upon him. The major conflict in the Book of Job occurs in the first few versus where Satan challenges Job’s commitment to God. Satan insisted that Job would curse God in his heart for taking away his possessions; God accepts the challenge and Job is put to the test. At first, God gives the condition that Job himself is not to be harmed, Satan concurs and Job’s crops, livestock and children and devastated. After these events, Job does not curse God but falls to his knees and gives thanks for the good times that he has had. Job acknowledges God’s right to give him things and take them away at his own whims. Satan then insists that since God put up the condition of not harming Job the test was biased in God’s favor. God then allows Satan to give Job sores all over his body contending that any man can give up his possessions but once his health is in jeopardy, he will denounce God. Satan uses Job’s wife as an instrument to convince him to condemn God. She tells Job to curse God so he can die and be rid of pain, but Job refuses still full of faith. While Job

The Non Existence of God

2002-06-11T14:00:00-04:00

God does not exist, it is a scientifically proven fact. There are many facts and paradoxes which exist to disprove this belief. Don't be led in by the bunch of fanatics and weak minded people who would have you believe that we're all being watched over by some divine being. "Can God build a wall that is so heavy he cannot lift it?" - Joseph Powell, Professor of Philosophy, Columbia University. This is a paradox which shows God cannot be all powerful, if he can't lift it then he is not all powerful, if he cannot build one at all, then he cannot be all powerful which many people and the Bible, claim him to be, this is the first step in destroying belief in God. Christians and followers of other religions have tried to destroy the arguments such as this for many years but have been unsuccessful, "What happens when the immovable object meets the unstoppable force?" Is one point commonly argued to show that paradoxes can be used either way. Why the answer is simple, the force would reflect off the object. Back to the drawing board for anyone who uses that one. If God is all powerful, he could do anything possible. Yet it is impossible to add 2 and 2 together and get 9. So their next argument is he could only do things that are humanly possible. What about the miracles he and Jesus [i]supposedly[/i] performed. Walking acrross water. A burning bush talking. Splitting the Red Sea. Mana. To name but a few of the events which could clearly not have happened. "If the Earth had to have a creator, then why should God not have a creator? If he doesn't, then why should everything else have a creator, ie God?" Brett Phillips, Agnostic. Again, the non existence of God is proved. This tells us that God cannot be the creator of the Earth, or that he has been created by some other divine power, a higher authority. The story about the Muslim student and his professor of Philosophy is a rather harder one to disprove, but it was really quite simple "Since we cannot see, touch, taste, smell or hear the Professor's brain, I conclude that it does not exist!" is the last line of the story. Just because we can't sense something, doesn't mean it isn't there, it is known that the human body needs a

13 reason for : "Why I am a Sikh"

2002-06-01T14:00:00-04:00

In the paper "Why Sikhism"? I discussed my personal experiences in how I had dealt with issues in my life. I focused on myself as a child and as an adult, and the primary conflicts that Sikhs face during these periods of their life. Acceptance as a child and as an adult, but love playing a greater role in our lives as adults. My focus was to highlight how Sikhs living in a western society have to deal with problematic issues, where certain western values don't blend with Sikh religious principles. I also brought up the point that I was "lucky" to know of the Sikh religion, which helped guide my decisions, but unfortunately many of today's young grow up ignorant to what Sikhism is. Below I have listed 13 points why I think Sikhism is the best religion in the world, and what it has to offer to Sikhs and to the World, and why Sikhs should not abandon their faith, but strive harder to understand it, learn about it, and they will realize once they do, that it is worth keeping, holding on to, prizing in our hearts and souls. 1. Sikhism does not look down upon people who follow other religions as "inferior, non-believer, etc". That is one reason why you don't see Sikh Missionaries actively pursuing conversions. 2. Sikhism is a religion of Equality. Equality between Men and Women and also stressing "universal equality" amongst all human beings. Which all other religions do not have. 3. Sikhism is a modern way of life, it doesn't subject people to valueless rituals. A few examples being the caste system, bathing in holy rivers, facing a certain direction for a prayer, slaughtering animals in the name of God, circumcision. (NOTE: I'm talking of Sikhism, not cultural practices.. which at times are not up to date with the teachings of the religion, as can be seen in all religions)) 4. Sikhism, is a religion of worship of One God. A God that has no 'chosen people', a God compassionate to all, God not bonded to a "single religion", God to be found and realized by all, God that is not pleased with ritualistic behavior, a God that is only pleased by "ANYONE" who with true devotion LOVES HIM, yes a God for all the UNIVERSE.. not of Jews, Sikh, Hindus, Muslims,etc. God himself spoke to Guru Nanak Dev Ji the

Muhammad - You Must Know This Man!

2002-05-03T14:00:00-04:00

You may be an atheist or an agnostic or you may belong to any of the religious denominations that exist in the world today. You may have been a Communist or a believer in democracy and freedom. No matter what you are, and no matter what your religious and political beliefs, personal and social habits happen to be— YOU STILL MUST KNOW THIS MAN! He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numberless social and political reforms, established a dynamic and powerful society to practice and represent his teachings, and he revolutionized the worlds of human thought and human action for all time. His name was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Almighty Creator be upon him)—and he accomplished all these wonders in the unbelievably short span of twenty-three years. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in Arabia in 570 CE, and when he died at the age of 63, the whole of the Arabian Peninsula had changes from paganism and idol worship to the worship of One God; from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion; from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety; from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living; from utter moral bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence. Human history has never known such a complete transformation of a people or a place before or since. The Encyclopedia Britannica calls him "the most successful of all religious personalities of the world." Bernard Shaw said, "if Muhammad (peace be upon him) were alive today, he would succeed in solving all those problems which threaten to destroy human civilization in our times." Thomas Carlysle was amazed as to how one man, single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades. Napoleon and Gandhi never tired of dreaming of a society along the lines established by this man in Arabia fourteen centuries ago. Indeed no other human being ever accomplished so much, in such diverse fields of human thought and behavior, in so limited a space of time, as did Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, a political thinker, a military genius, an administrative colossus, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a

The Progression of Christianity. From the Apostolic era - the Lutheran Reformation

2002-05-02T14:00:00-04:00

The Church was undoubtedly the greatest influence in medieval life, affecting not only the religious and moral codes of the period, but also the political and social climate, which in turn allowed the Church to flourish. The Christianity of the Middle Ages is a highly debated topic. Was it merely "a pragmatic religion, a matter of sensible insurance against the inevitability of death, fear of Hell and the penalties of Divine Judgement?" (Jones, p6) Or did it truly provide its participants with an inner peace, a knowledge that their salvation was assured in the eyes of God? Religion is often considered to be a helpful tool in the study of history, as it can illustrate the ideas, prejudices and wishes of a period. For example, the Middle Ages and the connections between Church and State. Churchmen maintained that their spiritual authority transcended political boundaries acting as an independant third party in disputes. Over time, however, this role seemed to change, with the Church taking on a more dominant role. There was a separation of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, who was both Priest and King - the powers now belonged to two different people, both being expected to keep out of the affairs of the other. The power of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages affected all aspects of life, and perhaps even the way people saw the afterlife. To truly understand the progression of Christianity through the ages, one need first examine the Apostolic period and the Christianity that it preached. Was the Medieval Catholic Church a natural progression of the New Testament teachings? Or did the Church ‘lose’ something over time? The Apostolic period established the basic theological concepts of Christianity, which do seem to be quite different to the theological teachings of the Medieval Church. For example, on a number of occasions, throughout his Epistles, Paul preaches the absolute necessity of faith.(See Gal 2:16; Rom 3:28; & 5:1-2; Heb 6:1, 12.) The Medieval (and even present Catholic Church) say this is not so - they say that faith alone is insufficient. This is where Medieval concepts, such as confession, penance and purgatory, come into the equation. Such ideas require faith to take a back seat to works and tradition. It was not until the first Century, after all of the Apostles and others who had been in direct contact with Christ were dead, that many Churches developed

LDS vs Assembly of God (Christianity)

2002-04-29T14:00:00-04:00

We are all children of God, yet so much diversity, change and contention are showing in the Christian religion today. Which church is true? As we look upon the handfuls of choices given before us the choice is in every citizen. Yet, the denomination chosen comes with consequences and verbal abuse from all the other churches that were not chosen. Many denominations feel in order to make their religion more secure, faithful, or right they must put down others to boost themselves up. The Assembly of God faith is a group of Pentecostal Christians who share the same faith. They believe that basically Jesus is our savoir, Christ is coming again, The Holy Spirit fills Christians with God’s power, and healing is possible through prayer. The church was organized in 1914 and was originally started by a group of Pentecostal revivalists meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In 1916 the basic beliefs were organized and issued. The statement of Fundamental Truths still stands as the guiding statements of all of the Assembly of God churches today. Worship is a major part in the Assembly of God churches, to show God their appreciation. Some members pray silently while others will cry, scream, or fall to their knees and pray out loud. Each style of worship is different between each individual church that is created by the community and the members who attend. The Assembly of God mainly worships by clapping and raising their hands. Hand clapping usually occurs during songs and choir presentation. By showing spontaneous clapping and lifting up hands to show adoration of God. They believe by doing so they show approval and pleasure to God and his work in the church. By showing raise hands during prayer is normal; for they show it as an outward sign of surrender to God and his will. The Assembly of God adopted the sixteen basic beliefs also know as the Statement of Fundamental Truths, and The four Cardinal Doctrines. These are some of the few beliefs that are constant throughout all of their churches of the Assembly of God.

16 Fundamental Truths

The scriptures are inspired
The one True God
The Duty of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Fall of Man
The Salvation of Man
The Ordinances of the Church
The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost
Sanctification
The Church and Its Mission
The Ministry
Divine Healing
The Blessed Hope
The Millennial reign of Christ
The Final Judgment
The New

Islam: Understanding the religion

2002-04-19T14:00:00-04:00

Did the Qu’ran or the sword accomplish the spread of Islam throughout the world? To me, the answer is obvious. It grew through the power of the Qu’ran, but to many the doubts are beginning to creep into their minds. After the events of September 11th, the media has been using Jihad as a replacement for the word terrorism. However, the people have no idea that the word Jihad is completely different than the word terrorism. Jihad, a holy war, when this word is heard, terrorism is a synonym which first comes to mind. So, what does the word Jihad truly mean? According to many Islamic Scholars, Jihad actually does not mean a holy war, it really means; “to try one’s utmost to control one’s own bad desires and intentions.” This is the real Jihad, which is concerned with establishing Maruf (right) and removing Munkar (evil) from our lives and from society. This demands the use of any means to achieve this goal, and in some circumstances even give our life for the cause of Islam. Still, this does not give the green light to kill innocent people, which is a punishable sin. In addition to understanding Jihad we now should analyze the other side, terrorism. A major problem in discussing terrorism is establishing a definition. Terrorism can be described as the unlawful use of fear or force to achieve certain political, economical, or social aims. This definition is not anywhere near the same as the definition of Jihad. The use of terror to achieve goals is not a new idea in history it has been happening for years and even centuries. Modern Terrorism still has some elements of terrorism from the past. However today, terrorism poses a threat to innocent people, and is a serious threat to democratic forms of government (U.S.A. and Israel). Nevertheless, the use of Jihad to justify acts of terror still happens. The western world has a very little background about Muslims. Academically, too, Islam was not put with other faiths such as Christianity and Judaism, but with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. After the events of September 11th, we began to see many generalizations about Muslims due to the lack of knowledge about the religion. It is like if all you see is headlines about the Mafia, and all Italians are now considered to be in the Mafia. Islam is a religion of mercy so it does

Luke 6:31 affect on my life

2002-03-19T13:00:00-04:00

There have been many verses that I have read and said, ”what a great verse!”, but nothing has ever impacted in my spiritual walk in God like Luke 6:31. The verse reads, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I had first read this verse when I was 8 and had to memorize it for some contest, but I had a greater feeling for its intensity. There and then I felt that I had found the one verse in my life that would impact me and challenge me to be a Christian, not some every Sunday church goer, but a person that could live up to the name Christian, or being like Christ. Christ loved every one no matter who it is or where their backgrounds were from. He treated people like he wanted them to treat others. I pondered over the feeling of hate, love and instinct, because they always would be fighting inside my

Hinduism Through Movies

2002-03-15T13:00:00-04:00

Today, you are one of the successful persons of Indian heritage, a Hindu. Today, can you be sure that your children & grandchildren will grow up in the faith of their forefathers? Will they practice the peaceful glory of Hinduism? Will they identify with its poojas, rituals and its wonderful traditions? There are good reasons why some of these questions should trouble you. We can do something about this for the good of our community as a whole. With a belief that every journey must

Are Science and Religion Compatible?

2002-03-02T13:00:00-05:00

The relationship between Science and Religion can be explained from two distinct points of view. Some would argue that scientific explanations are the only means of explaining our existence, while others would argue that religion and the story of creation found in Genesis I and II provide a sufficient account of the worlds conception. Religion and science can co-exist and can both be used in determining the beginning of our world and its people. Religion and science both have the same basis, which are truth and understanding, it is this similarity that allows a direct relationship between science and religion. Science provides answers that explain how certain aspects of our world came to be; through many theories and postulates scientists have analyzed and solved many ambiguities of our world. Unfortunately, science

Catholic Morality

2002-03-02T13:00:00-05:00

Morality can be defined as being able to be good in character or conduct; virtuous according to civilized standards of right or wrong; each person has their own ‘moral standards’ which they consider to be right. The Catholic Church also has a version of what being moral entails. The church believes that every person must recognize; freedom of responsibility, conscience and sin, God’s love for us, human’s made in God’s image, need for one another and human rights and human dignity. Each of the above goes hand and hand, freedom and responsibility along with conscience and sin refers to humanity’s liberty to make it’s own choices, whether they are moral or immoral, we must be able to take responsibility for our actions. Ones conscience enables them to make moral decisions based on what they know is right and wrong as well as to what the scriptures have told us about sins. Love of god and man being made in God’s image relates to Jesus sacrificing his own son and sending him to Earth, setting an example of how we should live our lives. Through Jesus, God showed us how much he loves every one because we were all made in the image of God, therefore we should all respect one another, because by disrespecting one another we are in fact disrespecting God. Our need for one another, being it between a man and a woman or just in times of need such as support of third world countries, is very important to God’s central message. God wants us to help one another and to compliment one another with our personal attributes. The sacrament of marriage, the union between a man and a woman is a perfect example of what God wants for us, together a man and a woman function creating a productive atmosphere because the two accept one another’s differences. In 1979, Pope John Paul II issued what the church today believes is moral: The right to life, liberty and security of person: the right to food, clothing, housing, sufficient health care, rest and leisure the right to freedom of expression, education and culture; the right to freedom of expression of thought, conscience and religion…the right to property and work, to adequate working conditions and a just wage…the right to participate in the free choice of the political system of the people to which one belongs (Donovan 14). With this, I fully agree,

Similarities Between the Islam, Christian, and Jewish Religion

2002-03-01T13:00:00-05:00

Have you ever wondered what the difference was between Christianity, Judaism and Islam? Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all major religions. They all have a holy book, and strong beliefs about their God. All of these religions were formed long ago. There are many similarities between all of them. Judaism helped form Christianity. Long ago, before Jesus was born, Judaism was the main belief in the Middle East. Jesus formed a new religion called Christianity with help from God. Then in A.D. 570 Muhammad formed Islam. Jewish people (Jews)

Athiesm - Persuasive Essay

2002-02-26T13:00:00-05:00

I am an atheist, but only just as I was an agnostic for a long time. An agnostic likes the idea of a god, however feels that it can’t be proved. but an atheist just doesn’t believe, whilst a theist does. I am supposedly catholic, but I have never really been religious, as my parents never took me to church or forced me to pray. However I did go to a catholic school as my primary school where there was a mass every week and I even got my 1st holy communion done. It was only when I was asked about doing my confirmation that I questioned it all. Why? Why do we have to be accepted to god…again? Surely baptism was enough? But no, then you have Holy Communion. Even that’s not enough you need to be confirmed. The cycle never ends. When I was little I used to read the bible especially the Old Testament as it was very story like. Again I realised that it was a story. Noah’s ark? Adam and eve? You have got to be kidding. The Old Testament is the Jewish holy book, in the bible and a large part of the Qu’ran. Yet it is just fairytales made up by the Hebrews to explain things they couldn’t understand. For example Noah’s ark. There was an ice age in the very early days of man. Most places where frozen over. The Hebrews could not understand how animals could survive the ice, so made up a story about Noah and his ark. Bringing two of each animal on the boat. However there are over 50 million types of animal, and if he was to create such an ark it would have to be the size of England. After extensive research I found there are loads of contradictions in the bible, Qu’ran and Hindu scriptures “the Vedas”. In the bible the classic example is Jesus saying in Matthew 5:22 “Whosoever shall say Thou fool, shall be in danger of hellfire” but then in Matthew 23:17, he says “Ye fools and blind”. In the Qu’ran and Vedas they both contradict themselves on matters such as who was the first believer, how humans where made, the correct way of worship and the like. There are two reasons why the ancient people needed to have a god. Firstly because they couldn’t explain things. Why did the sun come up?

Christanity and Sin

2002-02-20T13:00:00-05:00

How far do Christians go to explain the human condition?

Although there is a consensus that sin is that which sets up man in place of God, that same consensus does not exist when looking at all aspects of the nature, origin and consequence of sin. The earliest arguments can be seen with the views of Pelagius and Augustine. Pelagius believed that we were all born into the same state as Adam, in other words we had the ability not to sin. Because of conscious free will we could live as Adam did before he chose to sin. Augustine was fiercely critical of Pelagius’s claims; he developed what has become known as the realist theory of the transmission of sin. He emphasised the need for grace or divine help in rescuing people from sin, as humans cannot save themselves. John Calvin and the reformers as well as the Roman Catholic Church incorporated Augustine's theory of sin into their own formulations. One conservative view that was developed form the reformation was the basis for Westminster Larger Catechism. Rather the Augustine's realist theory they favoured a federalist theory, a development within Calvinism. Adams sin was imputed - transferred to all his offspring because Adam was the covenant head. A covenant is binding upon those who make and their children. The Westminster Larger Catechism refers to the nature of sin as falling short or rebelling against God’s perfect standards (Q24). It accepts Paul's argument in Romans 5 that sin is connected to an historical Adam. We sinned because Adam sinned (Q22). The consequences from sin are alienation from God, our neighbour and the environment and because of sin we will suffer and die because Adam sinned. “The wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23 However there are of course some Christians who cannot connect sin to an historical Adam. They believe that the theory of evolution shows evidence that we have evolved from simple life forms. They cant accept that view point of traditional Christians that the bible is the inspired, infallible and inerrant word of God. They understand that book of Genesis as mythological storybook. Liberal Christians Hanson and Hanson take the above stance in their book “reasonable belief”. They cannot connect sin with an historical Adam. They say story of Adam and Eve is a story used to connect sin with us all, it is a story with a religious meaning, or myth. As

Is it reasonable to expect people to believe in miracles in a modern scientific world?

2002-02-18T13:00:00-05:00

The idea of miracles came under attack in the eighteenth century when science began to reveal a universe which seemed to follow fixed laws. This left little room for the supernatural or for the events, which supposedly transcended or even contradicted the laws of nature. The term miracle is well defined by C.S. Lewis when he said “ a miracle is an interference with nature by a supernatural power”. In other words they are inexplicable in rational terms resulting in their validity being hard to prove. In this modern scientific society, the idea of miracles contradicts the whole philosophy of modern thought. A number of prominent thinkers regard scientific means; specifically empirical evidence (relying on evidence from the five senses) as the only reliable source of knowledge and truth. Some one who agreed with this was Scottish philosopher David Hume. Hume in his book “ enquiry concerning human understanding” made what is still considered to be the most damming critique against the belief of miracles. He stated that a miracle was a “ violation of the laws of nature and therefore cannot logically occur”. Although many people were impressed by Hume’s critique, for the majority of traditional Christians miracles still remained plausible and real. They responded to Hume by referring back to Saint Augustine who lived hundreds of years before the modern scientific era. Augustine looked on miracles, not as incidents that were violations of the ‘laws of nature’ but as violations of what was at present known about the natural world. Christians go on to say that by arguing that the laws of nature cannot be broken gives scientific statements a status they do not possess. These laws are not prescriptive - they do not say what must happen they are descriptive - convenient ways of describing what normally does happen. This provisional nature of scientific method is well illustrated by Boyles law which says that ‘the volume of gas at a constant temperature varies inversely with the pressure’ but there is nothing fixed and unaltered about scientific laws. If later experiments not fit in with the law then it needs to be corrected. It turns out that at high pressures Boyles law does not hold and a more complicated formula is needed. Conservative Christians believe it is more than reasonable to believe in miracles as any claim made against the existence of miracles would cats doubt over the

Women in the Catholic Church - The Great Debate - Affirmative

2002-02-06T13:00:00-05:00

SHOULD WOMEN BE ORDAINED IN THE PRIESTHOOD?

The question of the ordination of women to the priesthood has moved to the forefront of theological controversy in recent years, prompting a swamping of books, and religious opinions. This controversial issue stems not only from the renewed interest of the Catholic Church in the nature of its priesthood, but also, and perhaps predominantly, from the efforts of women to achieve a new and deeper understanding of their religion. The question, should women be ordained as ministers in the church immediately implies many questions. What difference could female priests make to the church? Did Jesus allow for women to be priests? What has been the result of many centuries of male priesthood? However the first question you always have to ask when one has a controversial issue like this is what was Jesus’ view on the topic? Jesus, nowhere in the bible stated anything about women being subservient or lesser people to men. As a matter of fact from the beginning women were part of his disciples and according to the bible Luke stated that a lot of women supported his ministry. When religious based questions are asked the greatest source of information is the Bible. The Bible itself states on many occasions that women held religion as one of the highest priorities in their lives. To add to this, women participated in some of the most important roles in the church community such as Eucharistic ministers etc. The Catholic Church in the past centuries has been very male dominated. Male priests, male archbishops, male deacons, male popes. In fact in the Catholic Church most women have never held a higher perspective than a Eucharistic minister. This seems very odd, since these days women have exactly the same rights as any man. Why then, if a woman can get any job that a man can get, can manage a large company and can fight in a war, are they not allowed to become ordained in the priesthood? There is ample evidence in Scripture for women's leadership in the early church. Such leadership became increasingly prohibited as the church became a public institution, as it was not considered proper for women to hold leadership positions in public places. As the world has come to see the equality of women holding leadership positions in the civil public world; so it would be right for them to be

The Amish

2001-12-23T13:00:00-05:00

Both the Amish and the Mennonites were part of the early Anabaptist movement in Europe, which took place at the time of the Reformation. The Anabaptists believed that only adults who had confessed their faith should be baptized, and that they should remain separate from the larger society. Many of the early Anabaptists were put to death by both Catholics and Protestants, and many others fled to the mountains of Switzerland and southern Germany. Then began the Amish tradition of farming and holding their worship services in homes instead of in churches. In 1536, a young Catholic priest from Holland, Menno Simons, joined the Anabaptist groups, who were nicknamed Mennonites. In 1693, a Swiss bishop named Jacob Amman broke off from the Mennonite church. His followers were called the Amish. Although the two groups have split several times, the Amish and Mennonite churches still share the same beliefs concerning baptism, non-resistance, and the Bible. They differ in matters of dress, technology, language, form of worship, and interpretation of the Bible. The Amish and Mennonites both settled in Pennsylvania as part of William Penn's holy experiment of religious tolerance. The first sizeable group of Amish arrived in Lancaster County in the 1720s or 1730s. Since the early colonial days the Amish have lived in the United States preserving their distinctive culture, dress, language and religion in peace and prosperity. What does it mean to be Amish? Well, first and foremost is the inner renewal, having peace with God and with fellow believers. They see themselves as humans living as individuals under God and blending together in relation to Christ and his church. Also, they need to uphold a simple lifestyle where they depend on each other, the more they can maintain, the better the community. They are to be an example of one who cares for and considers others. And lastly, they must be separate fromt he world. In addition, they feel that training the child is very important. Obedience and respect of athority must be taught at home. The home, church and school should teach the same things. They're way of life should be in harmony with their faith and the Bible. The Amish are a very conservative Christian faith group, they believe Christ died for our sins. Many of their beliefs are the same as Fundamentalists and other Evangelical churches including baptism and a literal interpretation of the Bible. The Amish

Comparison of Judaism and Christanity

2001-11-20T13:00:00-05:00

There are many substantial and vital differences between Judaism and Christianity. Of course there are many similarities, because Christianity emerged from Judaism. However, the emergence was not a direct line. Christianity broke from Judaism, forming a new religion, so it is confusing, however comfortable the thought might be, to believe that the two religions are essentially the same, or to see Christianity as the continuation of Judaism (Ludwig 376). Judaism's main belief is that the people of all religions are children of God, and therefore equal before God. All people have God's love, mercy, and help. In particular, Judaism does not require that a person convert to Judaism in order to achieve salvation. The only requirement for that, as understood by Jewish people, is to be ethical. While Judaism accepts the worth of all people regardless of religion, it also allows people who are not Jewish but who voluntarily wish to join the Jewish people to do so (Liebman, Cohen 23-24). The Christian notion of trinitarianism [ Trinity ] is that God is made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In the book of Matthew, Jesus spoke to the disciples saying “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). These few words have been translated into a deep and sacred meaning of Christianity that God is all three combined. Judaism insists on a belief of monotheism, the belief and worship of one God. As Judaism understands this idea, God cannot be made up of parts, even if those parts are mysteriously united. Such a view, even if called monotheistic because the three parts are, by divine mystery, only one God, is incompatible with the Jewish view that this division is not possible. The Jewish main idea is that God is one. This idea allows for God's unity and uniqueness as a creative force. For Jewish people, God is the creator of all that we like and all that we don't like. There is no evil force with an ability to create equal to God's. Judaism sees Christianity's trinitarianism as a weakening of the idea of God's oneness. Jewish people don't have a set group of beliefs about the nature of God, therefore there is considerable,

Christianity Versus Islam

2001-11-17T13:00:00-05:00

Christianity and Islam are two of the most widely recognized and widely practiced religions in the world. Islams and Christians have many things in common, as well as various opinions on the application of religion in the day-to-day environment. What is each religion and how does one refer to God? What is the nature, purpose, and plan of each God? What is each religion’s view on the “Spirit” and of Jesus Christ? Both Christianity and Islam have a written book by which to live and only pray to one God. The difference between the two is the character of their sacred books, the religion’s effect on mankind, and their views of God and Christ. The term “Islam” refers to a submission to God or “a total way of life.” The followers of Islam worship Allah, meaning “The God,” who is also referred to as Wise, Merciful, and All-knowing. A Christian, however, is a disciple of Jesus Christ, or “a living sacrifice.” Christians refer to God as the Heavenly Father (meaning “Eternal”), Almighty, and Lord of Hosts. While both religions have Holy scriptures, the points portrayed in each are very different. Christians use the Bible, which is divided into New and Old Testaments, and written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Islamic version of the Bible is Al Qur'an which is composed of one-hundred fourteen suras (units). The Qur’an was dictated to Muhammad by Angel Gabriel and is considered their link to God. The nature of each God can be summarized in two short sentences: the first describing the nature of Allah, and the second the Heavenly Father. Allah is one; He does as He pleases. This means that Allah begets no one, has not begotten, and there is no one like Him. God is our Father. This phrase refers to Jesus as His physically and spiritually begotten Son. God’s plan is to bring all humans into the image of Jesus as His divine children. Islams believe everyone is sinless at birth with a capacity for unlimited moral and spiritual progress through belief in God. Conversely, as Christians everyone is sinless at birth, but prone to sin. Only the grace of God and the gift of His Holy Spirit can inspire humans to surrender their evil ways for good. The believers of Allah, are “His slaves,” and their concept of success is “to hear and to obey.” In contrast,

Hindu-Muslim Relations in India

2001-10-05T14:00:00-04:00

The strife between Hindus and Muslims date back to the 16th century. After the Mughals took over India, there was relative peace for some time between the Hindus and Muslims. This harmony between these two groups broke down, with the harsh Muslim rule at the end of the 17th century. Under the strict Mughal leader Aurangzeb, Taxes were imposed on all Hindus, after they had previously been abolished, Hindu temples were destroyed, and Hindus were forced to convert to Islam. By the 18th century the Mughal Dynasty had fallen apart, leaving the Indian subcontinent open and defenseless. Consequently the British moved in, yet as the British were gaining control, both Hindus and Muslims came together and fought against British rule. Tensions grew higher as both Hindus and Muslims were refused high-ranking jobs in the government and the military. By the end of the 19th century the Indian National Congress, had been formed. The Indian National Congress was comprised of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, yet it was dominated by Hindus because of the huge numbers of them. People backed by the Indian National Congress began to make demands for equal rights and freedom from colonial rule. During the 1920’s Hindus and Muslims banded together in a non-violence resistance lead by the head of the Indian National Congress, Mohandas K. Gandhi. In order the stop the resistance the British transferred some political power and more equal representation to the Indian National Congress. In the 1930’s Muslim leaders lead by M.A. Jinnah, felt that the Indian National Congress, which was dominated by Hindus, was making all the choices for British ruled India and were basically excluding any Muslim leaders from the decision making process. The Muslim leaders felt that in order to protect the heritage of Islam, they must have their own state to rule over. In 1940 the All-India Muslim League under Jinnah declared its want for its own state called Pakistan, meaning "land of the pure." Both sides started to become uneasy thus deteriorating the relations between the two. On August 16, 1946 in the demand for separate Muslim state, the Muslim League called for "Direct Action” a day where thousands of Muslims and Hindus clashed violently. As a growing unrest started to sweep the country, the British felt that it was their time to leave. On midnight, August 14, 1947 Pakistan celebrated its independence, the very next day India celebrated

Shroud of Turin

2001-10-01T14:00:00-04:00

Introduction: Millions of words have been written about the remarkable cloth preserved at Turin. More recently, most of these writings dealt with one basic question, was it the actual winding sheet of the crucified Christ, bearing an imprint of His body? Or was the whole thing a gigantic hoax? A fantastic forgery of the Middle Ages? Erudite men have lined up on both sides of that compelling query. Some of the facts about the Holy Shroud have something to do with the presence of human blood and other strong evidences of its authenticity, it intensified man’s curiosity. The researcher himself was also puzzled and came up with this study. In the words of John Walsh, “the facts here have always been available in newspapers, books, documents and human memory, but they have been difficult to gather. I have sought them, off and on, for four years, finally visiting Europe in the search. But I have not set them down here in any effort to convince. Indeed, the reader must come to his own conclusion.”(Walsh 1963, p: 1.) Being open minded to both parties the pros and cons plays an important part in conducting this research paper, as what authors Pickenett and Prince said “ Undertaking this study with a completely open mind, being equally ready to affirm that the shroud was absurd fraud, or to recognize its authenticity, but gradually forced to agree, on every single point that its markings were exact.”(Picknett & Prince 2000, p:5.). Thus, it was a test for scientist and experts to show how these evidences support the possibilities of its authenticity. Statement of the problem The purpose of this paper is twofold. It aims to excavate some of the evidences that supports the authenticity of the Holy Shroud of Turin specially for the skeptics, secondly is to furnish some brief and clear explanations to the evidences gathered. To achieve the said purpose the researcher formulated these questions: 1. What is Holy Shroud of Turin all about? its significance? 2. What is the history of the Shroud? Where does it come from? 3. What makes the Holy Shroud of Turin authentic? Significance of the Study If the Shroud was just an old piece of linen, something of little value then continued research would be a waste of time and effort. But because the potential meaning of the Shroud was so enormous, it compels continued focus until this “riddle of the ages”

Capital Punishment and Christianity

2001-09-14T14:00:00-04:00

Capital punishment has been stated as ‘murder in its worst form’ barbaric, disgusting, unusual and completely unnecessary. Should Christians really support the death penalty? Many Christians believe that the Bible has spoken to the issue, but others believe that the New Testament ethic of love replaces the Old Testament law. Some early Christian writers who discussed capital punishment were absolutely opposed to it. Christians were instructed to not execute a criminal, to not attend public executions and even to not lay a charge against a person if it might eventually result in their execution. One example is Lactantius (260 to 330 AD) who is primarily known for his books, ‘Introduction to true Religion’ and ‘The Divine Institutes’. He wrote in The Divine Institutes, Book 6, Chapter 20: “When God forbids us to kill, he not only prohibits the violence that is condemned by public laws, but he also forbids the violence that is deemed lawful by men. Thus it is not lawful for a just man to engage in warfare, since his warfare is justice itself. Nor is it [lawful] to accuse anyone of a capital offence. It makes no difference whether you put a man to death by word, or by the sword. It is the act of putting to death itself which is prohibited. Therefore, regarding this precept of God there should be no exception at all. Rather it is always unlawful to put to death a man, whom God willed to be a sacred creature.” Abolitionists believe that the offender should be required to compensate the victim’s family with the offender’s income from employment or community service. Their thinking is that someone can do more alive than dead. By working, the criminal inadvertently ‘pays back’ society and also the victim and/or the victim’s family. There is no reason for the criminal to receive any compensation for his work. Money is of no value in jail. One of the most well known examples of the criminal contributing to the betterment of society is the case of Leopold and Loeb. Leopold and Loeb were nineteen years old when they committed ‘The Crime of the Century’. In 1924 they kidnapped and murdered a fourteen year old boy just to see what it was like. They were both spared the death penalty and sentenced to life imprisonment. Together, their accomplishments include working at hospitals, teaching ill-iterates to read, creating a correspondence school, making significant developments

Education & Public Morality in Australia

2001-06-17T14:00:00-04:00

The Influence of Education & Public Morality in Australia during 1788-1900 While Christianity played a crucial part in all aspects of Australian society throughout the pre-federation years 1788 to 1900, it had a significant impact on education and public morality. Th influence of Christianity in education was evident through the establishment of a separate education system and, in public morality the formation of the temperance movement as well as other actions. Education was greatly influenced by Christianity during 1788 through to 1900. Settlers concerned to leave religious divisions in Britain believed that ties between church and state should be eradicated and that churches be supported by their own followers. Subsequently, with numerous denominations supporting this idea, concerns were partly met by the granting of financial aid to the major religious groups, including the Church of England. Individuals churches used this aid to maximise its religious and educational influence. Governor Bourke later extended the state financial aid and attempted to introduce government schools based on the national system in his native Ireland. However, non-Anglican Protestants, who had formed in 1835 a society for promoting schools where the Bible would be a basis for general education, insisted on its wider use in the proposed national schools than was permitted in the Irish system. Catholics supported the Governor's proposal which further angered the Protestants. The successive alliance between the Anglicans and the Protestant denominations favourably brought about an anti-Catholic move to condemn concessions to a religious minority at the expense of national school systems based on the religious teachings of the Bible. In 1839, when Bishop Broughton's agenda was completely revealed, it was brought public that he intended to include the teachings of Anglican evangelists. This was revealed when Governor Gipps attempted to enforce a Bible-based national system and separate Catholic schools. Broughton successfully organised a commotion against this plan in favour of the continuation of state support for Anglican schools. Using this success, Protestants called for government aid for their own educational programs. When an elite committee of the New south Wales Legislative Council proposed the Irish system in1846, Catholics, concerned that the schools could become completely empowered by Protestants, joined Anglicans and other denominations, especially Wesleys, in opposing it. A compromise in 1848 agreed to separate denominational and Irish-type national schools. Although this view was strongly supported, some influential colonists wanted the financial aid to end in order to eliminate duplication and ensure that

Obadiah the Prophet

2001-06-04T14:00:00-04:00

Prophet - One who utters divinely inspired revelations That is how the word prophet is defined in Webster’s dictionary, but a prophet is much more. A prophet is someone who is chosen by God to convey his message to the people; a middleman between God and his people. A prophet is someone who God selects as the embodiment of himself. Someone that people will listen to. Someone with a presence. Now the prophets did not all lead perfect lives, but they all had a bond with the Lord that could not be matched. The Prophets were holy people but they were in no way God-like. They were humble people that gladly served their God. This summary of a prophet is what most people believe the prophet Obadiah was like. Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament consisting of only one chapter, is the pronouncement of doom against an ancient and long-forgotten nation, the land of Edom. It was written in 587 B.C.E, after the destruction of Jerusalem. But there is more to this book than that. The Scriptures have that ability of appearing to be one thing on the surface, but on a deeper level, yielding rich and mighty treasures. This is definitely true for the short, but meaningful book of Obadiah. We know very little about Obadiah except that he was one of the minor prophets. There is a reference to a prophet Obadiah in the days of Elijah and Elisha and there is some thought that perhaps he is the same man. The name Obadiah was a very common name among the Hebrews though, and it is very likely this is not the same prophet, for in this book Obadiah mentions the day when Jerusalem was destroyed, captured by the alien armies, and that occurs long after the time of Elijah and Elisha. So most Bible commentators believe the author of this book was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, the last of the prophets before Israel went into captivity. The name Obadiah means "the servant of Jehovah;" He fulfills the position of a servant. He comes and does his work and fades into the background; he delivers his message and he is gone. That is about all we know about the man behind this book. The book of Obadiah tells the story of two nations, the nation of Israel and the nation of Edom, the country to the south

Belief Systems - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam

2001-06-01T14:00:00-04:00

Belief systems, or religions are perhaps the strongest force in society. All of these beliefs are important to each religion in there own way. They’re what make each religion individual and special. Each of these religions had its own beliefs and sacred texts, though all shared some concepts. In the Middle East, the three great world religions-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam had both share some similarities and differences. Judaism, a monotheistic religion, so as Christianity and Islam, originally came from the Hebrews. The Hebrews believed that God was their special protector and was everything, the most powerful, and present everywhere. Like the other two religions, Judaism also has a holy book called the Torah. The Torah is a sacred recording of laws and events in Jewish history. The Jews believe that God gave them the Ten Commandments through Moses, which he was called “the Lawgiver”. According to the Jewish tradition, God made a covenant, or agreement with Abraham, the founder of Judaism. One similarity between the Christianity and Judaism is that they both fast at a certain designated times of the year. Not only does Judaism had similarities between the two religions, the other two religions - Christianity and Islam were strongly influenced by Judaism. Christianity has the largest world’s cultural, religious and political development. As same as Judaism and Islam, Christianity is also monotheistic. People who follow the religion Christianity are known as Christians. Christians follow the teachings of a man named Jesus, who was born in Palestine in about A.D. 30. Through the belief in Jesus, people believe that humanity can achieve salvation. Judaism and Christianity are quite similar. The teachings of Jesus were rooted in Jewish tradition. For example, Jesus accepted the Ten Commandments that God had given to the Jews through Moses; he preached new ideas at the same time. Also, like the Torah from Judaism, the Bible was the Christianity’s holy book. Although there are a lot of differences between the Islam and the Christianity, there is, still, a little similarity. The founder of Islam was Mohammad who was born in Mecca in A.D. 570. Islam, also a monotheistic religion, has a book similar to that of the Holy Bible. It is called the Quran. To Muslims, the Quran contains the sacred text as spoken to Muhammad from god. The Quran not only teaches about God, but about how to lead a good, faithful, and life. The

Cosmology: Science vs Religion

2001-05-29T14:00:00-04:00

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Christian belief encountered significant opposition. Until then, most of the world shared the belief of the “Medieval world view” that not only was the earth positioned at the center of the universe, but that God was all knowing, all powerful and all good. God was thought to have created and sustained the wondrous workings of the universe. This belief told the people all they needed to know about the meaning and purpose of life. Then, scientific discovery and methods began to undermine religious beliefs. Scientists began to reveal that natural laws and natural forces governed the world. Opposing beliefs, e.g. the Marxism belief, criticized Christian views. People like, Bacon, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and Newton all played significant roles in challenging the recognized views at that time. In contrast to the “medieval world view”, the “scientific universe” is impersonal, governed by natural laws and understandable in physical and mathematical terms. Many people trust the information science offers rather than religion because science seems to be more reliable. Science has replaced religion as the dominant intellectual authority because science offers the chance to understand the universe, whereas religion just assumes things. Many believe, as was said by Richard Dawkins, “the truth means scientific truth”. Along with the logical Positivists, they claimed the only meaningful statements were scientific. It is unfortunate that such a view is seen by so many as it takes more than one view to understand the universe fully. Non-religious philosopher, Bertrand Russell, once quoted another example of the narrow-minded view non-Christians seem to share, he once said, “What science cannot discover, mankind cannot know”. Although science explains much about life and the universe, some people choose to believe religion. One major reason for the contrast in views is the difference of interpretations of the Bible. Extreme Christians take the story of Genesis purely literally and believe God created the world in six days, leaving no room for the arguments of science. Others still believe in the story of Genesis but that instead of six days, six periods of time. Others, however, completely reject Christianity. Despite claims that scientific discovery and methods have never really ‘challenged’ Christian belief, I personally feel that Christians have responded well to any attacks. Some Christians firmly believe that the universe has arisen completely through a miraculous act of God and completely reject scientific theories. This is called ‘creationism’. Another attack on scientific

Buddhist meditation

2001-05-29T14:00:00-04:00

Meditation is very difficult to describe and can only truly be explained once experienced. It is the practice of mental concentration leading ultimately through a sequence of stages to the final goal of spiritual freedom, nirvana. The purpose of Buddhist meditation is to free ourselves from the delusion and thereby put an end to both ignorance and craving. The Buddhists describe the culminating trance-like state as transient; final Nirvana requires the insight of wisdom. The exercises that are meant to develop wisdom involve meditation on the true nature of reality or the conditioned and unconditioned elements that make up all phenomena. The goal of meditation is to develop a concept in the mind. Learning to meditate properly, however, is very difficult and must be done under the supervision of teachers. A person who has not practised meditation before, finding it difficult to understand the nature of his mind, may think he is meditating while his mind runs disorderly. Counting is an easy method to control the wandering mind. If a person fixes his mind well on his meditation, he can maintain this counting correctly. New beginners, attempting to meditate without a teacher can take a number of ‘wrong paths’. For example, one can focus and concentrate on the ‘wrong thing’ and he would become sleepy and could become obsessed on the object, this being “wrong concentration”. Mindfulness is crucial to the process of meditation, as without its careful observation, one cannot see things “as they really are”. The Buddha recommended places such as a forest, hut etc because in order to practise, silence is an essential factor. There are four postures that can be adopted for meditation: standing, sitting, reclining and walking. Of these, the most suitable posture to practise at the beginning is the seated posture. Meditation is popular in western culture today as it helps us ‘chill’ and calm, as we are easily stressed in our hectic lives. As well as helping the Buddhist to relax and unwind, it allows them to concentrate on their inner selves and to show them how perfect Buddhist should behave. Meditation helps Buddhists to understand that the Buddha should be treated as their example, and the attachment on things and how to cope with the feelings of unselfishness and desiring. It helps Buddhists to develop genuine emotions, rejoice in the happiness of others, and do everything they can to free others from suffering. It can

Pacifism

2001-05-29T14:00:00-04:00

Pacifism is the belief that violence is not the way to resolve differences. They believe that war can be avoided and that there are better and longer lasting solutions to disputes. There are, however, various categories of ‘pacifist’. A ‘total pacifist’ is someone who completely avoids violence and believes it can never be justified, not even in self-defence or to protect others – this they see as the only morally correct view of war. A relative pacifist is someone who may use violence in certain situations but who supports disarmament. They are discriminating about WW1 but agree that WW2 had to be fought. Nuclear pacifists believe that conventional weapons are acceptable as a last resort if war is inevitable, as it is, but nuclear weapons should never be used. A nuclear deterrence pacifist, on the other hand, believes that one can only achieve peace through a position of strength and nuclear deterrence provides this peace. Many Christians are pacifists and many pacifists are Christian. They believe that, as stated in Mathew 5, “happy are those who work for peace; God will call them His children”. They claim that Christ’s teachings are very clear on the matter. “Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you”, “love your enemies”. Non violence and pacifism must not be confused with cowardice and inaction. Many of history’s greatest heroes have been pacifists, eg Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Gandhi. These people refused to resort to violence even when their lives were in great danger, and their reputation and influence are long lasting, as they did use other methods of trying to right wrongs. Martin Luther King and Gandhi deliberately broke laws that were about dividing people according to their race. These actions are ‘non-violent direct action’ meaning to act against something you believe to be wrong, but without resorting to violence. These are peaceful demonstrations such as labour strikes. Most pacifists are committed to finding new and imaginative methods of conflict resolution. “The Quakers”, for example, are a Christian group who are famous for their pacifist stance. This is not a doctrinal tradition and there is no rule to say that Quakers must not fight under any circumstances, they have chosen to follow this path, as they have done for over 300 years. Quakers believe there is something of God in all people. They believe that more can be accomplished by appealing to this capacity for love and

Christianity and the Just War theory

2001-05-29T14:00:00-04:00

Does the Just War Theory provide sufficient moral justification for Christians’ involvement in war? The Just War Theory is a set of criteria that are used to judge whether a war is morally justifiable. It was St Augustine in the third century that formulated the Just War theory, and was formalised 10 centuries later by Thomas Aquinas. There are seven criteria by which a war can be judged to be just. Among the rules are Just Cause – there must be a very good reason for going to war, such as protecting your country from invasion. There should be a formal declaration of war by the legal government. It has to be the last resort and all other alternatives must be exhausted. There must be a reasonable chance of success and great care must be taken to avoid injuring civilians. The Just War Theory is still believed today to be the only way that Christians can morally justify war and is often referred to by leaders of Christian countries when they make claims to be fighting a just war. There is widespread ignorance of the details of Just War but there is also much room for different interpretations of the criteria. I personally feel that it depends on each individual situation as one set of rules are not always applicable to all circumstances. In some situations, the causes may seem to be just but not according to the just war theory. A war can only be judged to be just if the criteria are met – not if those involved try very hard to meet them. The aim of the just war is to provide a way of showing that fighting a war can be morally superior to overlooking it. The basis of the just war is that justice and fairness are important virtues and that to protect your family, your country, and the weak and innocent from suffering are causes worth fighting for. This however is qualified by stating that war should be fought within certain rules to ensure that it is fought not only for sound moral reasons but also that it is fought in a morally defensible way. Thus they are justly and morally standing up for what they believe to be worth fighting for, in a moral way. The problems of morals are difficult enough when judging traditional warfare, but they are complicated further when applied to modern warfare

Science vs Religion

2001-04-24T14:00:00-04:00

Science and religion cannot co-exist. What are your views on this? In the begining there was darkness. Then there was light. Then there was consciousness. Then there were questions and then

Cults

2001-04-13T14:00:00-04:00

Cults have become a phenomenon in our world today. Each year "hundreds of Canadians join some of the 3,000 unorthodox religions of one type or another" (Fernell, Branswell, 189) all across North America. Like every organization, club or even in the common work place there is usually a person who is a figure of authority or other wise know as a "leader" and with every leader there are always rules and objectives that each and every member has to do and follow. The common psychological profile and objective of a cult leader is usually based upon power, control, domination and subjugation. Many cult leaders use forms of mind control such as thought-reform, brainwashing and hypnosis. The effects of these mind controlling techniques often mentally scar people and it is very hard to re-gain control of what use to be their “normal” personality, way of thinking and life. Unselfishness, kindness, gentleness and compassion should be a basic living principle, not just an ideal. When individuals claim to be “spiritually developed and put themselves in the role of a master or prophet” (Hassen, 01) cult members “become so subservient to their leader that they even tolerate murder” (Fennel, 185). Destructive cults want to have control and power over people and want to expand their temporal power and usually do it to make money. Leaders exist to serve totalistic dictators, not to serve the people and desire to rule through power, not with the power of love. Charismatic leaders often stray into temptation to exploit their power over others in many dangerous ways. The cult leader often relies almost entirely on rules, procedures, aggression, denial and mimicry to hide their lack of people skills. Cult leaders are able to exert a hold over people for a variety of reasons. The members sometimes feel they belong to a group or "family" because they feel secure and have a new way of thinking and believing the "real" way the world is or should be and as “the leader’s actions become more bizarre, so do the cult’s members” (Fennel, 186). Many people are thought to believe that the only type of people to become influenced or brain washed into joining a cult are those that are insecure, lonely and nieve. However, the people cult leaders actually strive for are the bright, intelligent people whom usually have 2-3 years of college or university education. Cult leaders and other

Islam

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00

Essay: Explain the practices and beliefs of Islam. Use historical Context. Islam is a religion that has existed for millions of years. The followers believed that there is one God and Muhammad is his messenger. Muhammad was deeply troubled by the idols worship of Arabs and the moral ills of society. When he was about 40, he was meditating and heard a voice. According to Muslim the belief the voice was that of the angel Gabriel it said, “Proclaim.” When Muhammad asked what should I proclaim the voice responded with proclaim in the name of God. Muhammad was a young man born in Mecca about the year 570. Orphaned at an early age, Muhammad was cared for by his uncle. In his youth he worked as a shepherd among the Bedouins. Later he led caravans across the desert for merchants. When he was 25, Muhammad married Khadija. It was at age 40 when he had his first vision. As spoken in paragraph 1, it was believed the angel Gabriel asking him to spread the message of God spoke him to. This left Muhammad puzzled. How could an illiterate merchant become the messenger of God? His wife encouraged him to accept his call. Muhammad devoted the rest of his life to spreading Islam. Islam has a book similar to that of the Holy Bible. It is called the Quran. To Muslims, the Quran contains the sacred text as spoken to Muhammad from god. The Quran not only teaches about God, but about how to lead a good, faithful, life. It sets harsh penalties for stealing or murdering. The Muslims also follow the strict rules of the Five Pillars. 1. There is no God, but God and Muhammad is his messenger. 2. Daily Prayer 3. Giving Charity to the Poor 4. Fasting from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan 5. To perform the Hajj Muslims believe that God sent other prophets besides Muhammad, including Jesus, Abraham, and Moses but Muhammad was that last and greatest prophet. The second pillar requires daily prayer towards the holy land of Mecca. Although Muslims can pray anywhere they prefer to pray in Muslims houses of worship called Mosques. The fourth is fasting during the holy time of Ramadan. The fifth pillar is to perform the hajj. The hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca. All Muslims are expected to visit the Kaaba at least once. Still some Muslims look on Jihad or effort in God’s service,

Hinduism

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00

Essay: Explain the practices and beliefs of Hinduism, include historical context. Hinduism is the religion of choice in some parts of the Middle East primarily India. Hinduism is known as the world’s oldest religion. And what makes it so unique is that it has no founders. It dates back more than 3,000 years. Unlike most other religions, Hinduism has no founders. Unlike Christianity, it has not one but several holy books. This religion also houses many beliefs and practices. Hinduism believes in reincarnation or when the body dies the soul lives on. Every time a person dies they are reincarnated into a new body. This can be mammal, insect, or even plant. This is called Karma, the natural laws of cause and effect. The goal is for

Biblical Allusion

2001-04-04T14:00:00-04:00

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23) The fall of man- it’s a common topic all throughout the Bible. Many allusions to this familiar Biblical theme are made in the war-time novel, A Separate Peace, by American author John Knowles. In this work, Knowles relates many of his experiences as a teenage boy attending boarding school during World War Two. He uses Biblical allusions to reveal much about human nature. In Genesis 4:3-5 the Bible says, “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Able brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry and his face was downcast.” Much like Cain’s jealousy toward his brother Abel in Genesis, the protagonist Gene is often placing himself in competition with his best friend and worst enemy, Phineas. Phineas, affectionately known as Finny is much like Able. He is innocent and pure in his views on life and others. Knowles says he “,Did abide by certain rules which he seemed to cast in the form of Commandments. (Pg 26)” Able was honest and wise by choosing to follow God’s orders. Thus, God was pleased with Able’s offering. Cain, on the other hand was quite the opposite. He is presented as being rather depraved and corrupted. In this way, Gene is similar to Cain. In the book Gene realizes the grip that sin has on his soul and claims, “It was just some ignorance inside me, some crazy thing inside me, something blind, that’s all it was. (Pg 183) ” Unfortunately, Gene, like Cain, becomes consumed with jealousy of Phineas, due to the realization that he can never be as good as Finny— morally or athletically. The reader sees this when Gene states that, “there never was and never could have been any rivalry between us. I was not of the same quality as he.” The pain of this knowledge cause Gene to be irrational. He allows envy and resentment to build within him. In one moment, he allows his subconscious to pilot his body and doing so makes the regret of his lifetime. Here, he relates this horrible sin: “Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step forward and

The Religious Implications of the Byodoin

2001-02-24T13:00:00-05:00

“Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future; it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.” Albert Einstein (Buddhism) Buddhism has affected many people. From the Buddha’s first followers to my next door neighbor, people everywhere have followed the teachings of Buddhism. Buddhism was started by a Prince; a prince who wanted more. Many different ways of showing appreciation to Buddha are present in today’s society as well as when Buddhism was first started. There are paintings, carvings, statues and buildings dedicated to Buddha, but one of the most prevalent of these ways of appreciation is the Byodoin Temple in Uji, Japan. This temple is a beautiful example of Japanese Buddhist architecture, including painting and carvings inside. To understand the full impact of this temple and its contents, we must first understand Buddhist thought. By starting with Buddha and going through Buddhist thought, art and the period in which the Byodoin was constructed, we will learn the true impact of this building on the Buddhist culture. Buddhism was born in a time when Hinduism ruled the streets. To many it seemed that somehow, somewhere, there had to be more. For one man, this puzzle would lead him on a journey through the countryside and towns of ancient Nepal and eventually into himself, where the true meaning of Buddhism lies. This is the story of that one man, Prince Siddhartha Gautama. Prince Siddhartha Gautama, born to Shuddhodana and Maya, the king and queen of the Sakyas, was born in Lumbini, Nepal around the year 563 BC. According to Buddhist belief, Siddhartha was “divinely conceived.” His mother had a dream one night, and in that dream an elephant with six tusks came to her with a lotus flower in its trunk and touched her right side. This is when Siddhartha was conceived. When Siddhartha was born, his father summoned Brahmins to tell what his future would hold. They gave him two options: he would either be a world conqueror or a great teacher. Wanting the first destiny for his son, Shuddhodana embellished his son with all the pleasures of life- not wanting him to see any death or disease. One day, Siddhartha asked his charioteer to

How has religion affected history and literature?

2001-02-24T13:00:00-05:00

“And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” With these words, penned by the eminent political scientist Thomas Jefferson, the struggling colonies known as the United States proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and began an adventure that would develop this small nation into a world superpower. With this “firm reliance”, her people embraced the unknown future and set out to advance their country politically, economically, and socially. Now, over two centuries later, many would argue that this “Divine Providence” has been almost completely eradicated from society. Yet, despite these many claims, the fact remains that religion has played a vital role in American public life and, despite the “demoralization” of the United States that so many individuals cry out against, religion continues to be a basic cornerstone of American societal life. Over and over again, both the history and the literature of the United States of America have taught her people and the world that religion has and always will have an incalculable effect upon the society of the United States. Historically, many see the United States as a “Christian nation” founded on Christian principles by Christian men with Christian motives. Therefore, they will argue that this heritage should be continued in the U.S. today by allowing prayer in public schools, outlawing abortion, or giving religious organizations special privileges. However, a closer examination of American history reveals that although the United States was founded with many religious guidelines, America is not a specifically Christian nation. This having been said, it is important to recognize how religion has historically affected American society. A chief example of religion’s impact is found in the landmark Supreme Court ruling of 1962 in the case of Engel vs. Vitale in which organized prayer in the public school system was declared unconstitutional. Steven Engel, a Jewish man in New York, had visited his son’s classroom in the fall of 1958 and was offended when he observed the entire class, including his son, with their hands clasped together and their heads bowed. Along with four other parents, Engel challenged the school board and its president, William Vitale, and, on June 25, 1962, the Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that organized prayer in public schools, regardless of whether they are a requirement or not, were unconstitutional

Hermes - Messager god

2001-02-21T13:00:00-05:00

The idea of gods and goddesses began as far back as the ancient Egyptians, but the ancient Greeks were the first group to form a religion based on gods and goddesses. They believed that the gods and goddesses were not different from humans. Some of the few ways humans were different from gods were that the gods were stronger and lived forever. Since the Greeks believe in many gods, they are Polytheists. The gods and goddesses were thought to control different parts of the universe. For example, Zeus is the king of the gods, controlled weather. Or like Athena who was the goddess of wisdom. You learn about different gods and goddesses in myths. A myth is a story about a god or goddess. Homer, a blind poet, is famous for telling myths. He told myths because no one could read or write. Hermes (Latin name Mercury) is the messenger of the gods. He is the fastest of all the gods and goddesses. He is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is a guide who knew the way to the underworld. So he would show the dead souls the way to the underworld. Hermes is also known as the patron of traders, merchants, thieves and everyone who lived by their wits. Some characteristics of Hermes include his ingenuity, knowledge, creativity, and is known to be very cunning. He is also quite good at gymnastics. Hermes is an incredibly clever god. He found a tortoise outside of his cave and displayed his godly talent by placing strings over the shell, inventing the first lyre. As a child he was very precious, even for a god. But he caused a great deal of trouble. But one day, he went too far and learned a very important lesson. Hermes is a master thief. He started his career as a thief before he was more than a few hours old! It was his intelligence and theft abilities in the following myth that won him recognition as a god. The worship of Hermes began in his birthplace, Arcadia. People of Arcadia would hold festivals called Hermaea in his honor. The sacrifices offered to him included honey, incense, cakes, pigs, lambs, and young goats. One of the most famous myths about Hermes shows his extreme intellect. One day after his mother fell asleep, Hermes tip-toed to the pasture where his brother Apollo kept a large heard of

Religion and Politics in the Revolutionary Era

2001-02-20T13:00:00-05:00

The Christians objective is not this world-certainly not the world of politics-but the Kingdom of God. Christianity is therefore essentially other-worldly. Jesus himself was entirely apolitical, and we, his, followers, must similarly hold aloof from the political arena. However, God is a political God, and a belief in God requires political involvement. (Davies 9) Consequently, the entanglement of politics with religion is inevitable. This concept is supported in Jon Butler’s article, Coercion, Miracle, Reason. Several colonies including Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware that lacked any kind of establishment used the law to uphold Christianity in general terms. For example, the Quakers in Pennsylvania forced office holders to affirm their belief in Christ’s divinity, banned blasphemy, forbade Sunday labor, and urged settlers to attend church so “looseness, irreligion, and atheism may not creep in under pretense of conscience.”(Butler 5) As if evident, the age of Revolution had motivations and justifications that were concerned with religion. The question is not whether politics and religion go hand in hand- that is apparent-but to what extent? Examining Christianity and its basis, the Bible or scripture, supports the notion that politics is unavoidably involved with religion. Looking at the Bible on can find a plethora of references that evade to the fact of God being political and that the acts in history. God is referred to as lord, king, and ruler, one who sit on a throne. He has made them a people, having delivered them from slavery, entered into a covenant with them and given them a land or country. He was to give freedom to the captives and the oppressed, to have all things subject to himself and he will reign as one having supreme authority. But if politics is what God is doing, then equally politics is what people must do in response to God. (Davies 11-12) According to Davies politics should and will be involved and such that to the extent of where it is used serving God and only God. How can one say that religion (especially Christianity) be aloof of politics and vice-versa when it is obvious that the two work together. This is evident in biblical history as mentioned above. Nevertheless, what does it mean to be a Christian? Some feel that saying their prayers and going to Church constitutes one as being a Christian. However, the Bible does not emphasize strictly religious acts but upon obedience

Taoism & Buddhism

2000-12-08T13:00:00-05:00

It is always present in you. You can use it anyway you want. ~Lao-tzu Taoism and Buddhism are the two great philosophical and religious traditions that originated in China. Taoism began the sixth century BCE. Buddhism came to China from India around the second century of the Common Era. These two religions have shaped Chinese life and thought for nearly twenty-five hundred years. One dominant concept in Taoism and Buddhism is the belief in some form of reincarnation. The idea that life does not end when one dies, is an integral part of these religions and the culture of the Chinese people. Reincarnations, life after death, and beliefs are not standardized. Each religion has a different way of applying this concept to its beliefs. This paper will discuss the reincarnation concepts as they apply to Taoism and Buddhism, and then provide a comparison of both. The goal in Taoism is to achieve Tao, to find "the Way". Tao is the ultimate reality, a presence that existed before the universe was formed and which continues to guide the world and everything in it. Tao is sometimes identified as "the Mother", or the source of all things. The source is not a god or a supreme being, as Taoism is not monotheistic. The focus is not to worship one god, but instead to come into harmony with Tao. Tao is the essence of everything that is right, and complications exist only because people choose to complicate their own lives. Desire, ambition, fame, and selfishness are seen as hindrances to a harmonious life. One can only achieve Tao if he rids himself of all desires. By shunning every earthly distraction, the Taoist is able to concentrate on the self. The longer the person's life, the more saintly the person is presumed to become. Eventually the hope is to become immortal, to achieve Tao, to reach the deeper life. This is the after life for a Taoist, to be in harmony with the universe, and to have achieved Tao. The origin of the word Tao can explain the relationship between life, and the Taoism concept of life and death. The Chinese character for Tao is a combination of two characters that represent the words as head and foot. The character for foot represents the idea of a person's direction or path. The character for head represents the idea of conscious choice. The character for head also

Buddhism

2000-12-04T13:00:00-05:00

Buddha taught that in order to live a life that is free from pain and suffering people must eliminate any attachments to worldly goods. Only then will they gain a kind of peace and happiness. They must rid themselves of greed, hatred, and ignorance. They strive to cultivate four attitudes, loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. The basic moral code prohibits killing, stealing, harmful language, sexual misbehavior, and the use of intoxicants. Morality, wisdom, and samadhi, or concentration form the cornerstone of Buddhist faith. By observing these, lust, hatred, and delusion may be overcome. This is known as Nirvana. It is a realistic goal only for members of the monastic community. The most devoted followers of the Buddha were organized into the monastic sangha. They were identified by their shaved heads and robes made of unsewn orange cloth. Many early monks wandered from place to place, settling down only during the rainy season when traveling was difficult. The Buddhist have lasted because they have the ability to adapt to changing conditions and to a variety of cultures. Monks are expected to

Opposition to Evolution

2000-11-19T13:00:00-05:00

Since the dawn of humanity, there has been a single question that has perplexed even the greatest of philosophers and scientists. Humans are, by nature, interested in their past. As a result every civilization through out time has sought to find the origin of life, and answered it to meet their needs. Early civilizations taught that there was a group of gods located on a far off mountain at the edge of the earth. These gods were responsible everything, ranging from the rising and setting of the sun to a young man winning a fair maidens hand in marriage. Civilizations grew more complex and learned more about the world around them. Soon events that were once looked at as magical or supernatural were explained and proven through logic, mathematical reasoning, and the evidence available. In the early to mid nineteenth century a scientist named Charles Darwin proposed a theory that broke the away from the common threads of reasoning that looked to deity or a higher force intervening with humans. Darwin?s proposition was labeled Natural Selection, or more commonly referred to as ?the survival of the fittest?. Darwin proposed that living beings evolve, or change, to meet the needs of the environment around them to allow the species to continue surviving if conditions such as the food source changes. Darwin?s theory was expanded later to a larger scale, to proclaim that live has evolved from a hydrogen that was present at the birth of the universe into all living things currently found on Earth. As with the theories and beliefs of early cultures, Darwin?s ?Theory of Evolution? must meet the same requirements in order to be viewed as plausible and believable. If the theory is logically based, mathematically supported, and there is either evidence promoting the theory, or a lack of evidence contrary to the theory it is accepted as a possible theory that explains life?s origins. However, Darwin?s theory fails to meet any of the regulations placed before it. Logically the concept of a living organism emerging from something that is non-living is challenged greatly from the scientific community. A community that insists life must come from life, just as motion must come from motion. Just as a billiard ball is incapable of rolling without a force being applied, a stone is incapable of give birth to an amoeba. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that left to it?s own devices, that

Does God Exist?

2000-11-17T13:00:00-05:00

In my life on this planet I have come to question many things that many take on as blind faith. We all know that someday we will 'physically' die, Yet, we continuously deny the forces working inside ourselves which want to search out the true outcome of what may or may not come after death. It's far easier for humanity to accept that they will go on to a safe haven and be forgiven for all, rather than to question the existence of a super omnipotent being. Fortunately, there are some of us who tend to question the why's and how's that come before us. We question the creation of humanity and the religious teachings received from our parents, our church and our society. This paper examines the many rational arguments for and against the existence of God. It is based on the views of some of the great philosophers and scientists of our world. I will show that there is no sufficient proof or comprehensive arguments for the existence of God. Some people search for eternal peace through the beliefs in God; but this is an impossible belief because of the chances, the plausibility, and because of science. ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENTS God generally refers to one supreme, holy, personal being,. The divine unity of ultimate good-ness and of ultimate reality. St. Anselm of Canterbury developed what we have learned to be the ontological argument. He began his argument by saying that even a fool can grasp or understand the concept of "a being than of which nothing greater can be conceived." He continues to state that a fool would say that the concept of this being's existence is only in his mind and in the mind of others but not in reality. However he also admits to the possibility of this being existing in reality. Whatever is understood by the fool is argued that than which nothing is greater can be conceived cannot solely exist in the mind but also in reality, hence, God exists. (Angelfire) This personally sounds like a salesperson's pitch to confuse and conquer for a sale. Gaunilo felt the same. He frequently debated with St. Anselm on behalf of the fool. He stated that it was not possible to visualize the concept of this perfect being because one can only imagine an image when one has an idea of what that image is suppose to resemble.

Sikhism

2000-11-12T13:00:00-05:00

This is my personal thinking about my Religion, Cultural, Tradition and my land Punjab. I didn't mean or think of criticizing other peoples from other religions or cultural. If you did find any mistake, than please point out my mistake to me so that I can be able to understand it and made it correct. There is no copyright, feel free to copy or share it with others. Who is Sikh? Introduction: In today’s world every Sikh person faces lots of trouble on both sides West and East world. Whenever a person talking about Sikh religion or heard a name "Singh" or Kaur, every person most in every part of the world took a virtual memory of a person wearing a TURBAN with full mustaches and beard or a female wearing Salwar Kamiz with Chuni. Sikhism is considered to be a newest religion in this world. There are approx. 25 millions Sikhs all over the world, most of them living in Punjab, India. Ancestors of our Sikh Religion? From 2500 A.D. to 1400: As you know that Sikh religion born in the early of 14th centaury, so naturally you can guess that mostly all people living at that time are particular Muslims or Hindus or Non-Religious. Many great rulers invaded India. First India was invaded by Aryans from Europe, came through the west side of India. Aryans drove Dravidians to the South. Aryans settled in the whole north region from Punjab to Delhi. The most meanest and dirtiest thing Aryans did was the Caste System. Than India was regularly invaded by Persians, Huns, Arabs (Mughals), Turks, Greeks, Sythanians, British.... and so on... So you now pretty much got the background History of our Ancestors. What are the problems that Sikhs faced from the beginning till now? From 1400 - NOW: Sikh is the Caum (kind of race) which barely most Non-Sikh people can figure it out. Let me start this way: Most of every Sikh was very very great warrior, they are still now and they will be. If Sikh can't able to get justice, they will get it in various ways, and they did get it many times in the past hundred years. Sikh holiest Shrines called " Darbar Sahib" " Golden Temple" has been attacked two times, once in the time of Mughals Rule and once by Hindu Fundamentalist in late 1984. Current Issues: Sikhs in this centaury: There are many Problems that Sikhs

Science vs Religion

2000-11-10T13:00:00-05:00

Since the beginning of human history there have been many explanations for events that seem out of human control. In recent civilized history, religious and since the beginning of human history there have been many explanations for events that seem out of human control. In recent civilized history, religious and scientific views have often clashed with one another. Religious ideas are usually presented first and then enough scientific evidence accumulates to dare religious beliefs. These findings of science are met with incredulity and most are considered a heresy. Since the middle ages until the 18th centuri, religious ideology was the most accepted way of explaining the unexplained. During the next couple hundred years, many members of academia(a school of philosophy), using science to back them up, came up with new ways of dealing with the unanswerable questions. When the church had the greatest power, men and women of science were viewed as the "wicked guys." In most cases it was safer to believe in the church and their ideas, in order not to be excommunicated or shunned by society, than to place their trust in charlatan scientists. As a result, many conflicts arise between men of religion and men of science. Even if a scientist set out to prove the church wrong and show some very strong evidence contrary to popular belief, he was usually shunned and his ideas denounced publicly. It is not until many people have similar evidence and findings do they gain any credibility with normal people and the church. Nowadays people believe that if a scientific view is false, then by continuing study and research the truth may be discovered. one may conclude that if no one presented new ideas, then intelligent thought would have no place in a society like that. Scientists like Darwin accepted the risks involved in presenting new ideas. Voltaire also was a revolutionary thinker. Although, he presented ideas of his own, he decided to satirize science and religion. Each society, church, men of academia, believes that their ideas are correct and therefore are the best of the world. It is true, even to this day, that each nation has a different set of standards, reasoning, and beliefs on how life works and what are the best possible things to believe in. In some cases, nations try to push those beliefs on other nations. This results in a push for new scientific

Christian Teens

2000-10-22T14:00:00-04:00

Teens reflect a culture all of their own within American society. The language that they speak, music that they listen to, and many aspects of their lives differ from that of past generations (Linehan 3). Therefore, many people of older generations tend to make judgments and assumptions about teenagers. These assumptions are typically based on the manner in which teenagers speak, dress, and present themselves. Because of these generalizations, faith of many teens is commonly overlooked. In a society where violence seems to be accepted and many teens are lost about who they are, faith can be the one bond interlinking a group of many. Despite occurrences such as the shootings April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School, and other negative aspects surrounding teenagers’ lives, there are still many young people involved and/or seeking a life with faith in Christ. Although there are many instances of violence and hate in society today, one that shocked the nation more than most was the massacre at Columbine High School. Some people say that the boys’ families caused them to kill, some say it was other students, however there was also another ingredient... a lack of faith in their lives (Grace and Mitchell 58). In a world where many teenagers are surrounded by things such as materialism and discrimination many have the strength to maintain a spiritual life. However Klebold and Harris, the shooters at Columbine High School, had a loss of a sense of sin. They killed innocent people, one of whom was Cassie Bernall, a devout Christian. When a Columbine gunman asked Cassie Bernall if she believed in God, she allegedly replied, “Yes, and you should too.” Moments after hearing this reply, one of the gunmen put the gun to he head and took her life. Such a strong testament of her faith in Christ cost young Bernall her life (58). Because of this strong commitment, many consider Bernall a martyr of sorts, and say that she is a testament to their own faith (Grace and Mitchell 58). Many teens and younger youth have been greatly influenced by Bernall’s decision to stand up for her beliefs, this is a large encouragement to teens everywhere, especially because we live in a society where teens’ identifies are greatly challenged (59). Susan Teran is one student to whom Bernall’s act spoke out to. “If there were a shooter in my school,” says Teran, “I’d

The Attributes of the Christian God

2000-09-24T14:00:00-04:00

According to Christianity, the attributes of God can be organized into two categories: Physical and ethical or moral. Some terms address God’s transcendence of physical ideology, others address God’s Devine intellect and will. There are a multitude of terms from which to choose when labeling the attributes of God. Therefore, this paper will only deal with the fundamental terms that are put forth by the sacred scriptures. God is, according to the Old and New Testaments: Omnipotent, eternal, Immense, Incomprehensible, and infinite in intellect and will The omnipotent characteristic of God is often referred to in the Bible. God is said to have all the power for the benefit of man . According the John, God said that men could have no power against him . Christians believe that god has the power to free people from the most trying circumstances and single handedly defeat great nations . God can, in the eyes of Christians, do anything. Numerous biblical personalities have said that God is eternal. The Lord is said to be and ever lasting father that will reign forever . God is said to be a king in an everlasting Kingdom . God has always been and always will be. He coexists with time; he does not exist in time. The Omni presence of God is one argument that is difficult to uphold; it is extremely reliant upon people’s interpretations of the most elementary Biblical passages. Most Christians will testify that God is always everywhere. There are no shortages of passages that say that God’s eyes are here and there, and that his eyes are everywhere . There are also several scriptures that say the Lord’s kingdom is in the heavens above and those who believe will be in his presence . However, as far as I can see, there are no passages that say that God is always everywhere . Is the Holy Trinity the Only way to support the Belief in the existence of an infinitely immense God? No. The Trinity is based on the idea that God can manifest himself through various mediums. God’s presence may be in burning bushes; it may be in the body of mortal beings such as Jesus of Nazareth. God could, according to the Trinity, be in many places at once, being in many beings . However, we will run into a problem when we use the Holy Trinity to explain the words

Are Religion and Science One?

2000-08-18T14:00:00-04:00

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 of what is around us. For instance when

Early Christianity

2000-07-31T14:00:00-04:00

The earliest recorded text teaching Christianity has its roots buried deep within Judaism. The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, created a new ideology of worship. The Messiah is the savior for all people and of all sins. Paul carried the message of the Messiah to the Gentiles. His missionary journeys and establishment of churches enabled the spreading of the message throughout the Roman Empire. Christianity grew in acceptance; those that believed in the Messiah separated and began to worship on their own. This marked the beginning of the split of Judaism and Christianity. Christianity experienced many pitfalls along the path to fulfillment. As in history, today we find ourselves learning Christ’s lessons all over again. The earliest Christian worshipers endured many hardships not experienced by society today. These differences in science, technology, and lack of practicing our beliefs have caused a rift between early Christianity and Christianity today. Christianity borrows many aspects from Judaism. The Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures were used in the early teachings, however the Christian believers interpreted the scriptures in a different manner. This interpretation leads to a fundamental shift in ideology between Jews and Christians. In addition to scripture, Christianity adopted many worship rituals practiced within the Jewish synagogue; such as prayers, baptisms, and communion. Christianity of today still practices these sacred rituals. As the Christian faith began to spread, so too did the fear the Romans had as to what was Christianity’s underlying goal. Imperial persecution became wholesale throughout the Empire. Initially the Jewish community was the instigators of this persecution of Christians. The book of Acts outlines several incidents involving such persecution. During the decade of 60 A.D., periods of Roman persecution occurred, however this persecution was sporadic. For example, Nero was ruler of the Roman Empire, under his reign Rome was set on fire and burnt to the ground. Christians became the scapegoat for this cowardly act. Tasitus wrote that perhaps Nero himself started the blaze, as an excuse to persecute the Christians. Nero’s acts of persecution were contained within the confines of Rome. In contrast to the persecution experienced by early Christian followers, Christianity today does not experience the level of outward persecution. Christianity is practiced in an atmosphere nearly void of violence. It was not until the reign of Constantine when Christians were authorized to practice their chosen faith. The “Ediet of Milan”(313 A.D.), gave official recognition to

How can we be sure that what we are taught about Jesus is true and not just made up?

2000-07-05T14:00:00-04:00

There are several ways in which we can be assured that what we are taught about Jesus is true and not just made up. These are called our faith sources. These sources, like the Bible and other sources of information about Jesus have accounts of Jesus’ life. The most important part of these faith sources is the Christian Scriptures. Although the Christian Scriptures are one of the most valuable tools we have to learn about Jesus there are also the Gospels, and also other non-biblical, and non-Christian accounts of Jesus’ life that we can consider when trying to answer the question How can we be sure that what we are taught about Jesus is true and not just made up? The Christian Scriptures is the entire Christian Bible. It is composed of both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Testament. The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) is composed of several books all containing stories about Jesus, and the Christian Testament (New Testament) which contains the stories of Jesus and the earliest Christian Communities. Although these stories cannot confidently prove to us that they are true there are several distinct similarities, which are contained in nearly all of the books. These similarities are so frequent that their constant occurrence seems more than coincidence. Although these similarities occur often in the books of the Hebrew Scriptures, there are four short books included in the Christian Testament, which we must rely on to understand Jesus’ ministry and life. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the origin of nearly everything the Christian Church teaches about Jesus. The Gospels, in turn, serve as the scale or test of truth and authenticity of everything the church teaches about Jesus. It is said that the Gospels are the link between Jesus of Nazareth and the people of every age throughout history who have claimed to be his followers. Although the Gospels teach us about Jesus’ life they may not provide concrete evidence that what they speak of is true there are several other sources. Several non-biblical and non-Christian sources are available to help bear out the fact that Jesus actually did exist as a historical person. These sources are of an array of backgrounds: Josephus, a Jewish historian; Tacitus, a Roman writer; Pliny the Younger, a Roman writer; and Suetonius, also a Roman writer, all spoke of Jesus of Nazareth in their records. Despite the fact that these

What Does it Mean to Keep a Day Holy?

2000-07-05T14:00:00-04:00

To understand what it means to keep a day holy, one must understand what holy is. Dictionary.com defines holy as spiritually whole or sound; of unimpaired innocence and virtue; free from sinful affections; pure in heart; godly; pious; irreproachable; guiltless; acceptable to God. According to this definition to keep a day holy would be to make the day acceptable to God. Making a day acceptable to God will unquestionably vary with religious beliefs. For the Christian, Sunday is above all an Easter celebration, illumined by the glory of the Risen Christ. It is the festival of the "new creation". Yet, when understood in depth, this aspect is inseparable from what the first pages of Scripture tell us of God’s plan in the creation of the world. If the first page of the Book of Genesis presents God's "work" as an example for man, which it does, then the same must be true of God's "rest." “On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done" (Genesis 2:2) It would be clichéd to interpret God's "rest" as a kind of "inactivity". By its nature, the creative act, which founds the world, is unending and God is always at work, as Jesus himself declares in speaking of the Sabbath principle: "My Father is working still, and I am working" (John 5:17). The divine rest of the seventh day does not allude to an inactive God, but emphasizes the fullness of what has been accomplished. It speaks, as it were, of God's lingering before the "very good" work. The book of Exodus tells us that we need not cease all work to keep the lords day holy but only remember: "Remember the Sabbath day in order to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). Before commanding that something be done, the passage urges that something be remembered. It is a call to awaken remembrance of the grand and fundamental work of God, which is creation, a remembrance that must inspire the entire religious life of man and then fill the day on which man is called to rest. Rest therefore gains a sacred value: the faithful are called to rest not only as God rested, but to rest in the Lord, bringing the entire creation to him. In so far as this "remembrance" is alive, full of thanksgiving and of the praise of God, human rest on the Lord's Day takes on its full meaning. It is then

Maharaja Ranjit Singh: The Sikh Ruler, in the eyes of non-Sikhs

2000-06-27T14:00:00-04:00

According to the famous historian Carlyle, a worthy sovereign should be judged from a sole factor as to how he employs his sword after being victorious. ********** Le Griffin writes that: "Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled his kingdom exactly according to the Sikh way of life and Sikhism considers everyone as friends and talks about the welfare of all irrespective of caste and creed." ********** The spirit of Gurbani couplet, "The one Lord is the Father of all and we are the children of the one Lord rules supreme in every Sikh heart." Charles Hugal, writes in his book, "Travels in Kashmir and Punjab", that, "probably no person in the world could have established such a large empire with minimum bloodshed as Ranjit Singh has established his kingdom." ********** Affirming Hugal's views, Prinsep, also writes in his book, "Origin of Sikh Power in Punjab", that, "Ranjit Singh's whole career was free of any blemishes like unnecessary atrocities and cruel bloodshed." ********** Historian R.S. Kanungo praising all the aspects of the Kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in his writings says, "his empire was the kingdom for 'Welfare for All', in which all were equal sharing partners. In his kingdom there was no special love for Sikhs and no animosity for non-Sikhs. There were no special taxes on any caste to show it down from the other or to label it inferior." ********** W.G. Osborne writes that, "Maharaja Ranjit Singh was so compassionate that outside a battle he did not kill anyone, so much so that in generosity he even forgave those who tried to kill him and felt happiness in forgiving." ********** Charles Hugal in his book, "The Court and Camp of Ranjit Singh", writes that, "Ranjit Singh ruled his kingdom according to the Sikh tenets. All the important positions were given to Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, entirely based on merit. Even his main advisors were three famous Muslim brothers: Fakir Aziz-ud-Din, his foreign minister; Fakir Nur-ud-Din, his home minister; Fakir Imam-ud-Din, his custodian of the arsenals. Forty-six senior Army officers and two top ranking Generals were Muslims. One General was French and score of military officers were Europeans. In police and civil services he has about one hundred Muslim officers alone. Hindus too, used to hold many key positions in Sarkar-e-Khalsa. Ranjit Singh was secular through-and-through. Since he had lost his one eye in childhood, due to small pox, he used to remark jokingly about himself that, "God Willed that as a true Sikh

What is Religion?

2000-06-03T14:00:00-04:00

According to the dictionary "religion is the service and worship of God or the supernatural."1 I challenge that definition. It is true that all religions do involve the worship of some supernatural force, however, it is also true that no religion in history has ever stopped at that. For a more complete definition of the word religion we also have to examine two other aspects. How has it affected man over the centuries? And what is the true motivation of its leadership? Some would have you believe that it has brought peace and harmony to the world and that its leaders are motivated by the service of their god. I suggest that a more accurate definition of word would be as follows. Religion, a feudal system of government which uses fear, hate and sometimes lies to control and manipulate people for the betterment of a select group of individuals. To better illustrate this point let's look at just three of the countless examples that human history has to offer. The Inquisition, "judicial institution, established by the papacy in the Middle Ages, charged with seeking out, trying, and sentencing people guilty of heresy."2 Heretics were considered enemies of the state. The penalty for heresy was torture and death. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, "Jesus was taken to Golgotha and nailed to a cross, the Roman punishment for political offenders and criminals."2 The Crusades, "The name Crusade (from Latin, "Cross") was also applied, to the wars against pagan peoples, Christian heretics, and political foes of the papacy."2 All three examples illustrate how man has used God to justify his greed and quest for power. When the leadership was challenged, it used devine decree to justify the murder and torture of the innocent. We are expected to believe that a non-physical being order the religious leadership to aquire riches and land, often at the demise of the poor and helpless. The misuse of God isn't limited to the Ancient world. Today we have people like Louis Farakahn and Adolph Hitler and David Koresch who use god to propagate racism and hate, there by giving them the power unite and control a given segment of the population. As you can plainly see, religion is much more than the worship of a supernatural force as its leaders would have us believe. It is in fact, a method by which a society is governed and controlled.

Science vs Religion

2000-06-03T14:00:00-04:00

Definition of Religion: Religion is norms,values, or a way of life to an individual or community. A spiritual guide that governs the way a person lives from day to day by giving that person hope, belief, and reason to exist in this world. Religion can be whatever that person makes of it. Religion can be a persons assets, family, or other individuals or possessions, it can be many things besides worship to a "God" or "Deity". It can be whatever a person deems holy or sacred. Defense: "Religion is norms, values, or a way of life to an individual or community". This can be defended by taking a look at they way most religious people live. Many people live accordingly to there religions rules and regulations. This includes Buddhists, Muslims, Mennonites, and Amish just to point out a few. Not only in dress and in possessions but people who respect their religions live by their religion's rules. "A spiritual guide that governs the way a person lives from day to day by giving that person hope, belief, and a reason to exist in this world." Religion can give an individual codes to live. It can give a person hope, belief, and a reason to exist by making the individual feel loved or cared about by their religion or their religious deities. It can also give them hope and belief by feeling included within a group of individuals that share their same views. By giving them a reason to exist religions give an individual something to look forward to after death and purpose for being on earth. "Religion can be whatever a person makes of it. Religion can be a persons assets, family, or other individuals and possessions, it can be many things besides worship to a "God" or "Deity"." Religion can mean different things for different people. It can be a rich mans money, poor mans shelter, a mad mans weapons. Many people or cultures worships numerous "gods" for different occasions. Some people worship the earth or animals while many other individuals worship other "people" or "mortals". A persons religion can be what they make it. "It can be whatever a person deems holy or sacred." By determining what is holy or sacred to the individual they can choose to make that their religion. Whether it be a feeling of enlightenment or a persons bank account, the individual has the right to make what they consider holy

An examination of the question of the impeccability of Jesus Christ

2000-06-03T14:00:00-04:00

The New Testament authors had no qualms about declaring that Jesus was truly human and telling us that Jesus committed no sin. Bible passages such as 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22 and 1 John 3:5 “witness that He [Jesus] did not give in to temptation, nor violate the moral standards of God, nor was He inconsistent with the nature of his character.” That is, Jesus was sinless. It is vital to our theology that Jesus was sinless. For only if Jesus was sinless could His death have been a vicarious substitution and fulfil God’s redemptive plan for man. If Jesus had not been sinless, then it would mean that He died for His own sins and not those of mankind. Had Jesus died for His own sins then His death could not have been accepted by the Father as a vicariously substitution for the punishment and judgement each of us are entitled to receive. Even though there is no serious debate that Jesus was anything but sinless, theologians have discussed the question of whether Jesus could have sinned if He had wanted. This is called the peccability of Christ. The opposing argument, i.e., impeccability, being that even if He had wanted, Jesus could not have sinned. Upon first consideration, one might view this question as being trivial; something to simply keep the theologians “out of mischief” when they have nothing better to do. However, there are some very appropriate reasons for examining this issue. The first reason to examine the issue of Christ’s peccability/impeccability is so that we might obtain a better understanding and a more in depth knowledge about both Jesus Christ and God, just as God has invited us. This is the same reason that we study Theology proper. When we arrive at an answer to this question, we will have additional knowledge about Jesus’ preincarnate state and a better understanding of the meaning of the statement “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever .” Second, some theologians have argued that the peccability of Jesus has a direct impact on the humanity of Christ. That is, if Jesus was not peccable then just how “human” was he? Could he have been “true man” if he were not able to sin like the rest of mankind? (Note: this is a question of whether Christ could have sinned; not that Christ had to have sinned in order to

Social and Political Reactions to Mormon Polygamy

2000-06-03T14:00:00-04:00

"We are a peculiar people," Elder Bruce R. McConkie once said (McConkie 25). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of a few "odd" Christian religions. Many of its practices have created much persecution and political reaction, polygamy being one of these. It created much social and political persecution of the Mormons. Most of this persecution had come from anti-polygamist Christians. This is ironic because the anti-polygamists believed in the Bible, but not polygamy, one of its teachings. Many of God’s righteous followers in the Old Testament practiced polygamy. Abraham married Hagar, Sarai’s handmaiden (Genesis 16:1-3). Jacob was married to Leah, Rachel, Billah, and Zilpha all at the same time. In the Doctrine and Covenants, a book of modern revelation used as scripture by the LDS church, it states that "in nothing did they [the Old Testament prophets] sin save in those things they received not of me [God]"(132:38). Quickly one sees that God gave those women to the prophets of old because they were righteous. So what exactly is the justification and reason for polygamy? Mormons believed that when a couple or family is sealed in the temple of the Lord by one holding God’s priesthood keys of sealing, that the bond is not "until death do us part," but rather for all eternity. If this is true, then when a man is widowed and he marries a second wife, he then has two wives. The Mormons believe that if a man can have multiple wives in heaven, then the same should be true on Earth. "According to the Lord’s law of marriage, it is lawful that a man have only one wife at a time unless by revelation the Lord commands plurality of wives in the new and everlasting covenant" (McConkie5770). If a woman who is sealed in the temple is widowed, she not allowed to be resealed: only a man is allowed a plurality of spouses. Before the founding and organizing of the LDS church and introduction of polygamy, Joseph Smith received bitter persecution. He was tarred and feathered by a mob, but this was nothing compared to the treatment the saints received when their practice of polygamy became well known (Arrington JS 26-7). In order to escape the torture, Joseph Smith led one hundred and fifty or more saints from New York to Kirtland, Ohio in 1831 (Arrington JS 21). After living in harmony with the

The Old Testament

2000-06-03T14:00:00-04:00

The Old Testament is a compilation, and like every compilation it has a wide variety of contributors who, in turn, have their individual influence upon the final work. It is no surprise, then, that there exist certain parallels between the Enuma Elish, the cosmogony of the Babylonians, and the Book of Genesis, the first part of the Pentateuch section of the Bible. In fact, arguments may be made that other Near Eastern texts, particularly Sumerian, have had their influences in Biblical texts. The extent of this 'borrowing', as it were, is not limited to the Bible; the Enuma Elish has its own roots in Sumerian mythology, predating the Enuma Elish by nearly a thousand years. A superficial examination of this evidence would erroneously lead one to believe that the Bible is somewhat a collection of older mythology re-written specifically for the Semites. In fact, what develops is that the writers have addressed each myth as a separate issue, and what the writers say is that their God surpasses every other. Each myth or text that has a counterpart in the Bible only serves to further an important idea among the Hebrews: there is but one God, and He is omnipotent, omniscient, and other-worldly; He is not of this world, but outside it, apart from it. The idea of a monotheistic religion is first evinced in recorded history with Judaism, and it is vital to see that instead of being an example of plagiarism, the Book of Genesis is a meticulously composed document that will set apart the Hebrew God from the others before, and after. To get a clear picture of the way the Book of Genesis may have been formed (because we can only guess with some degree of certainty), we must place in somewhere in time, and then define the cultures in that time. The influences, possible and probable, must be illustrated, and then we may draw our conclusions. If we trace back to the first appearance of the Bible in written form, in its earliest translation, we arrive at 444 B.C.. Two texts, components of the Pentateuch referred to as 'J' and 'E' texts, can be traced to around 650 B.C. Note that 'J' refers to Yahweh (YHVH) texts, characterized by the use of the word 'Yahweh' or 'Lord' in accounts; 'E' refers to Elohist texts, which use, naturally, 'Elohim' in its references to God.1 But 650 B.C. isn't

Satanism

2000-06-03T14:00:00-04:00

I am hoping I can somehow make this seem like a psychological report without making it lose any of it's important details. My goal in writing this paper is to hopefully make people understand and agree that Satanism is not a "Devil Worshipping," animal mutilating, child scarifying cult organization. The psychological thing comes in when people say Satanism is wrong or evil, they hear the word Satan and automatically assume that it must be bad. They make these assumptions without even taking the time to find the facts and understand them. I'll start off by saying that Satanists do not worship the devil! A Satanist believe that he or she as an individual rule their own destiny and are the god of their own lives. Satanism is a religion based on the reality that man is an animal, like all others. They choose to separate themselves from a society where natural behavior is suppressed and the strong support the weak. The average Satanist disagrees with much of Christianity. In many ways Christians are considered the enimies. Christians say Satan is a fallen angel, not a God. All religions have gods and demons, some of which are forbidden by a typical society. Satan is one among these, originally conceived by the Hebrews, long before the birth of Jesus. Most Satanists are familiar with the teachings of Christianity, and have read the Bible or part of it. They simply consider the Bible to be false and disregard it much like Christians would disregard books which represent the foundation of another religion. Satanism is not considered a religion for the white race and should not be confused with or grouped together with skinheads, The KKK, Nazi's, Neo-Nazi's, or people who support white power. Satanists are not teenage vandals, not gang murderers, not psychopathic murders, not child molesters or vicious rapists. Satanists do not sacrifice young children or animals. The ninth and tenth of the Eleven Satanic Rules of The Earth forbid this, in fact, animal sacrifices are primarily used in the Afro-Caribbean syncretistic religions such as Voodoun, Candomble', and Santeria. Child Sacrifices are used in Television and by journalists to improve ratings. A Satanist does not practice baby breeding or child molestation. Evidence does not support what is said to occur. If the number of murders said to be committed by Satanists' was accurate some bodies would have been found by now. Members of the

Life After Death

2000-04-25T14:00:00-04:00

The Afterlife is an area of human consciousness we all enter upon leaving the physical world at physical death. Throughout history we've questioned if there is a life after death. Along the way, our religions and various philosophers offered beliefs and opinions to answer this commonly asked question. However, many of the answers contradict each other making it hard to figure out. "Belief in life after death is a source of personal security, optimism, and spiritual betterment" (1 John 3:2). Nothing offers more courage than the confidence that there is a better life for those who use the present to prepare for eternity. While some believe it's impossible to know whether there is life after death, belief in immortality is a timeless phenomenon. Through the years there have been many philosophers that do not believe in life after death. Among them is David Hume. David Hume was a British imperialist to the extreme. He only believed in what he could see. He felt that if you can't see your soul or god then they must not exist. The same holds true for the after life, or heaven. He felt that when you died that was it, your life was over and there was nothing more. Buddhist's also do not believe in life after death meaning heaven. Buddhist's believe that when one dies he is reborn again and this continues until the person reaches Nirvana. "The properly ultimate goal for man, no matter how much he may line his way through birth-death by flower beds of temporary betterment or pleasure, is to escape world process completely in timeless, space less, distinction less Nirvana." (King 21). Nirvana is the state in which one has attained disinterested wisdom and compassion. In the Buddhist religion there is no god to save you or to show you the way. To reach nirvana you must achieve insight and wisdom. "The Buddha was not saved by a revelation or from any god. He was the self-enlightened one; by the power of his own post virtue, which finally produced piercing insight and wisdom, he came to the knowledge or the saving insight into things 'as they are.' He literally made himself a Buddha and subsequently entered Nirvana." (King 23) One of the great philosophers that did believe in life after death was Spinoza. Spinoza believed there was a heaven and a hell and the life here in the physical realm

Zoroastrinism

2000-03-26T14:00:00-04:00

Zoroastrinism is a small religion made up of about 140,000 people. even though there is only a small amount of people practicing this religion, zoroastrinism has made a great impact on the religious world. it has brought beliefs such as god, satin, the soul, heaven and hell, saviors, final judgement and resurection to many other world wide religions. it is one of the oldest religions still alive, and was the first monotheistic religion. the religion was founded by zoroasthra. no noe exactly knows when zoroasthra lived, but historians generally date his life to be sometime between 1000 and 1500 bc on the basis of his style of writting. he lived in persia, which is modern day iran. he started out preaching monotheism in a polytheistic world, and was attacked by his preachings. he finally won support

Comparison Of Judaism And Christianity

2000-03-14T13:00:00-04:00

There are many substantial and vital distinctions between Judaism and Christianity. Of course there are many similarities, primarily because Christianity emerged from Judaism. However, the emergence was not a direct line. Christianity broke from Judaism, forming a new religion, so it is misleading, however comfortable the thought might be, to believe that the two religions are essentially the same, or to see Christianity as the natural continuation of Judaism. Judaism's central belief is that the people of all religions are children of God, and therefore equal before God. All people have God's love, mercy, and help. In particular, Judaism does not require that a person convert to Judaism in order to achieve salvation. The only requirement for that, as understood by Jewish people, is to be ethical. While Judaism accepts the worth of all people regardless of religion, it also allows people who are not Jewish but who voluntarily wish to join the Jewish people to do so. God Judaism insists on a notion of monotheism, the idea that there is one God. As Judaism understands this idea, God cannot be made up of parts, even if those parts are mysteriously united. The Christian notion of trinitarianism is that God is made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Such a view, even if called monotheistic because the three parts are, by divine mystery, only one God, is incompatible with the Jewish view that such a division is not possible. The Jewish revolutionary idea is that God is one. This idea allows for God's unity and uniqueness as a creative force. Thus, for Jewish people, God is the creator of all that we like and all that we don't. There is no evil force with an ability to create equal to God's. Judaism sees Christianity's trinitarianism as a weakening of the idea of God's oneness. Jewish people don't have a set group of beliefs about the nature of God; therefore, there is considerable, and approved, debate within Judaism about God. However, all mainstream Jewish groups reject the idea of God's having three parts. Indeed, many Jewish people see an attempt to divide God as a partial throwback, or compromise with, the pagan conception of many gods. The Jewish View of Jesus To Christians, the central tenet of their religion is the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, part of the trinity, the savior of

The Meaning of Life -Opinion

2000-03-14T13:00:00-04:00

My beliefs on the meaning of life in religion and interpretation of such things. In approaching the question of 'the meaning of life' we have to examine the nature of meaning itself. Meaning, is by definition the point, or the intended goal. Consider the point of humans and the universe as seen from monotheistic religion. If life and the universe is some sort of toy or form of entertainment for some greater being, his point, his own entertainment, would then be the meaning of humans and the universe. Consider the goals of the deities of various cultures. Some strive for a balance between the forces of 'good' and 'evil'. This balance seems to simply be a choice of the deity, the way he thinks it ought to be. The concept of a greater being as a source of the meaning of life is flawed, because in talking about an actual point to absolutely everything, we are simply considering the goals of a being more powerful than ourselves who has chosen one of many possible goals that humans can conceive. This is to say that, if a god like this exists, his goal for life and the universe is not necessarily valid as a meaning of life, the universe, and himself. For instance, the Bible claims that the Christian deity created the universe and placed humans in it that they might be in awe of his power. If this is so, why is worship the correct response? The meaning of the universe as created by God is the entertainment of God, but what is the meaning of the larger system containing God and his creations? We could conceive of an even greater being, but that simply takes us all the way back into the wall of infinite regression. When I first read the Bible, it struck me as neutral on the idea of worship. The Bible flat out tells you that God created humans so that they would be in awe of him, which amounts to saying God created us to inflate his ego. We are to God as our pets are to ourselves, sources of unconditional love. In the book of Job, God essentially makes a gentleman's bet with Satan that Job's worship is genuine and not inspired by God's kindness. In other words, you throw a rock at my dog and I'll swing my arm so it looks I threw it, and

Sikhism

2000-02-20T13:00:00-05:00

A way of life and philosophy well ahead of its time when it was founded over 500 years ago, The Sikh religion today has a following of over 20 million people worldwide. Sikhism preaches a message of devotion and remembrance of God at all times, truthful living, equality of mankind, social justice and denounces superstitions and blind rituals. Sikhism is open to all through the teachings of its 10 Gurus enshrined in the Sikh Holy Book and Living Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Who and What is a Sikh? The word 'Sikh' in the Punjabi language means 'disciple', Sikhs are the disciples of God who follow the writings and teachings of the Ten Sikh Gurus. The wisdom of these teachings in Sri Guru Granth Sahib are practical and universal in their appeal to all mankind. "I observe neither Hindu fasting nor the ritual of the Muslim Ramadan month; Him I serve who at the last shall save. The Lord of universe of the Hindus, Gosain and Allah to me are one; From Hindus and Muslims have I broken free. I perform neither Kaaba pilgrimage nor at bathing spots worship; One sole Lord I serve, and no other. I perform neither the Hindu worship nor the Muslim prayer; To the Sole Formless Lord in my heart I bow. We neither are Hindus nor Muslims; Our body and life belong to the One Supreme Being who alone is both Ram and Allah for us." (Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Granth Sahib, Raga Bhairon pg. 1136) "Any human being who faithfully believes in: (i) One Immortal Being, (ii) Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh, (iii) The Guru Granth Sahib, (iv) The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and, (v) the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru, and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion is a Sikh." (Reht Maryada, Sikh Code of Conduct) Philosophy and Beliefs

There is only One God. He is the same God for all people of all religions.

The soul goes through cycles of births and deaths before it reaches the human form. The goal of our life is to lead an exemplary existence so that one may merge with God. Sikhs should remember God at all times and practice living a virtuous and truthful life while maintaining a balance between their spiritual obligations and temporal obligations.

The true path to achieving salvation and merging

Sikh Dharma

2000-02-20T13:00:00-05:00

Sikh Dharma, the youngest of the world religions, is barely five hundred years old. Its founder, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469. Guru Nanak spread a simple message of "Ek Ong Kar": we are all one, created by the One Creator of all Creation. This was at a time when India was being torn apart by castes, sectarianism, religious factions, and fanaticism. He aligned with no religion, and respected all religions. He expressed the reality that there is one God and many paths, and the Name of God is Truth, "Sat Nam". Guru Nanak's followers were Sikhs (seekers of truth). He taught them to bow only before God, and to link themselves to the Guru, the Light of Truth, who lives always in direct consciousness of God, experiencing no separation. Through words and example, the Guru demonstrates to followers how to experience God within themselves, bringing them from darkness into light. Guru Nanak was a humble bearer of this Light of Truth. He opposed superstition, injustice, and hypocrisy and inspired seekers by singing divine songs which touched the hearts of the most callous listeners. These songs were recorded, and formed the beginnings of the Sikhs' sacred writings, later to become the "Siri Guru Granth Sahib". Guru Nanak taught his way of life:

Nam Japa - To get up each day before sunrise, to clean the body, meditate on God's Name and recite the Guru's hymns to clean the mind. Throughout the day, continuously remember God's Name with every breath.

Dharam di Kirat Karni - To work and earn by the sweat of the brow, to live a family way of life, and practice truthfulness and honesty in all dealings.

Vand Ke Chakna - To share the fruits of one's labor with others before considering oneself. Thus, to live as an inspiration and a support to the entire community. The Golden Chain The foundation of Sikh Dharma was laid down by Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak infused his own consciousness into a disciple, who then became Guru, subsequently passing the light on to the next, and so on. The word "Guru" is derived from the root words "Gu", which means darkness or ignorance, and "Ru", which means light or knowledge The Guru is the experience of Truth (God). Each one of the ten Gurus represents a divine attribute:

Guru Nanak - Humility

Guru Angad - Obedience

Guru Amar Das — Equality

Guru Ram Das - Service

Guru Arjan - Self-Sacrifice

Guru Hargobind - Justice

Guru Har

Comparison of Buddhism and Taoism

2000-01-18T13:00:00-05:00

Taoism and Buddhism were born in the same century. Siddhartha reached enlightenment in approximately 535 B.C. and Lao Tzu’s teachings were recorded around 500 B.C. There are many similarities in the basics of these two religions. Some of the similarities can be seen clearly when examining the three meaning of Tao. The first definition of Tao is "the way of ultimate reality." This means that Tao cannot be percieved, defined, talked about, or thought of. It is too big a concept for humans to comprehend. As in the first line of the Tao Te Ching (the Taoist text meaning The Way and Its Power): "The Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao." This is very similar to the Buddhist idea of Nirvana or Enlightenment. Nirvana cannot be understood by one who has not attained it. Even when one has reached Nirvana, he cannot describe it to others, but only help others to reach it as well. In its second sense, Tao means "the way of the universe." Tao is something that goes through all beings, all of the earth. It is everywhere, all the time. It is something that flows through everything. This flowing idea links with the idea in Buddhism that Nirvana can be reached by anyone, as long as one is devoted enough and has lost all attachments. Thirdly, one life must be a certain way to work with the Tao: Tao also refers to "the way of human life" as it "meshes" with the universal Tao in its second sense. This fundamental idea of Taoism has much to do with the "view of unity of man with Heaven and Earth, that is, with Nature." Buddhists also believe that one must live in a certain harmony with nature and the universe to reach Nirvana, or, as it is in Taoism, be at one with the Tao. Another vital concept of Taoism is that of the wu-wei which is to achieve action through minimal action or inaction. Action is friction and inaction is pure effectiveness in Taoism. This concept compares with Buddhist meditation in which one remains perfectly still and uses only one’s mind. In this state, one may reach enlightenment. Also, in the Tao Te Ching (13) an idea close to the Buddhist idea of reincarnation is illustrated: Attain to the goal of absolute emptiness, keep to the state of perfect peace. All things come into existence, And thence we see

Sikh Religion

2000-01-06T13:00:00-05:00

The Muhl Mantara describes as one ,infinite,undying and unborn. Jaap sahib says is substainer,liberatoe,enlightener,infinite,destroyer,creator,nameless and desireless.all these qualities are entirely beyond the human realm. Guru is one who takes you to

The Survival of Jesus' Teachings in the 3rd Millenium

1999-12-12T13:00:00-05:00

Will the teachings of Jesus Christ be able to survive the 3rd millennium? Jesus emphasized the actions and teachings of God by using his life as an example of God's ways. He was an exact representation of God which made him God as well. Jesus referred to the history of God in his teachings. He used the basis of God's teachings that God demonstrated through Adam, Abraham and David. There were approximately 4000 years between the start of man up to the time of Christ's birth. Then for the last 2000 years after Christ, the church has risen steadily. So, in total, that is 6000 years of Jesus' teachings or the basis of his teachings, which have become more popular now then when they first started out at the beginning 6000 years ago. So my question is, why wouldn't the teachings of Jesus be able to last into the 3rd millennium when the basis of his teachings have already lasted for 6000 years? In my opinion, I fully and truly believe that the teachings of Jesus Christ will be able to survive well into the 3rd millennium. Now I'm going to continue by explaining why I think this, through these next 3 points.Firstly, Jesus at 12 years old was able to amaze all the teachers of scripture who's biblical knowledge was perfect and all of those who heard him speak. This id according to Luke 2: 46-47: "Three days later they finally discovered him. He was in the temple, sitting among the religious teachers, discussing deep questions with them. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers." If Jesus' knowledge was able to amaze learned men then, how much more could his teachings inspire us today in this changing and difficult time? The bible is what inspires us today even despite the fact that it was written so many years before. It applies to the human heart and experiences just as much today as it did nearly 2000 years ago. And in saying this, these days we have many problems ranging from economic dealings to violence at an even greater extent then they were at the start of man. The bible was written especially for every generation after Jesus Christ, including us. Jesus' teachings and experiences were recorded for the whole purpose of our reading it and applying it to our lives. Poets from every

Beliefs and Practices: Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism

1999-12-09T13:00:00-05:00

The religions of Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism all have there own beliefs. These beliefs play a big role in a person’s everyday life, and influence aspects of their culture such as holidays, diet, social structure, art, and music. In Judaism, they believe that the Sabbath day should be kept holy, and that you should follow the Ten Commandments, the laws of G-d. Their diets consist of kosher food, and have there own New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Hindus believe in Brahman and Karma, which are both a part of the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. They’re vegetarians, and have a fairly complex social structure called the caste system. 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. Two basic beliefs in the religion of Judaism are that the Sabbath is holy, and that you should follow the Ten Commandments. Sabbath, or Shabbat in Hebrew means "cease" or "desist." It takes place from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday, and you are prohibited from doing any work, unless it severely effects your life or health. The mistress of the house lights two white candles and says a blessing. An Omeg is held after Friday night or Saturday afternoon services, where there’s usually refreshments, songs, and lectures. It took G-d six days to create the world, and on the seventh day he rested. When G-d gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, he asked that the people also rest on the seventh day of the week. The Ten Commandments are the laws of G-d given to Moses at Mount Sinai. They state that: (1) You shall have no other g-ds before me, (2) I am the only g-d, (3) You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain, (4) Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, (5) Honor your Father and Mother, (6) You shall not kill, (7) You shall not commit adultery, (8) You shall not steal, (9) You shall not bare false witness against your neighbor, and (10) You shall not covet (be jealous of) your neighbor. The first four are covenants between you and G-d, and the last six are between you and

The Flogging of Jesus

1999-12-03T13:00:00-05:00

John 18:39- but it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release `the king of the Jews'?" King of Jews- He's not the king of the Jews, He's slapping them in the face. The same thing Jesus was being accused of Barnabbas did. JN 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. [2] The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe [3] and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. This is your Messiah people, this is not VBS, or bible study, this is the Messiah that is in love with you. MT 27:27 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. [28] They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, [29] and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. [30] They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. [31] After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. Flogging- basically they tied his hands and tied him against a pole. And his buttocks were shown to the audience. He is completely and totally naked. They have the whip of the 'cat of nine tails'. It has bones and steel balls in it. The bones are put in so that, when he is whipped the bones will stay in his body. And they will rip it back and rip his skin apart. He's been awake for over 24 hours. And now he's standing there, as the steel balls hit him and start hammering away at his bones. And as they rip it back there is blood and skin flying all over his body. His bones start sticking out of his chest and his back. As they continue to hit him… 1, 2, 3,… 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 times.

Codes of Law

1999-12-03T13:00:00-05:00

Of the three Codes of law we have studied, we think the Old Testament is the fairest. The Code of Hammurbi was much too violent. Hammurabi's solution to just about anything was to kill people. Too many innocent people died in Hammurabi's code. Fore example, " if

Buddhist Monks

1999-11-29T13:00:00-05:00

Sai Baba

1999-11-15T13:00:00-05:00

On November 23, 1926, in a remote village in southern India, Sai Baba was born and given the family name of Satyanarayana Raju. Many stories

Follow the Commandments - Or Else

1999-11-14T13:00:00-05:00

There are public institutions that want the Ten Commandments displayed. If that is done the penalty for breaking a commandment should also be displayed. The New Testament teaches that the Old Testament should be obeyed. This includes both the Commandments and the results of not following the Commandments. Jesus said in John 10:35 "Scripture cannot be broken." This statement was made after he had said in John 5:46-47 "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" First Commandment, Exodus 20:3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." The punishment - Deuteronomy 17:3-5 "And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die." More punishment - Exodus 22:20 "He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed." New Testament punishment - Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Second Commandment, Exodus 20:4-5 "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God." Third Commandment, Exodus 20:7 "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." The punishment - Leviticus 24:16 "And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death." New Testament punishment - Matthew 12:32 "And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the

The Two Visions of St. Augustine

1999-11-09T13:00:00-05:00

A common thread of faith and reason runs through the two different theological visions of St. Augustine in his Confessions. This can be seen by comparing the ascent, the vision, the descent, and language in the two visions. Although other parts of the text will be referred to, the central part of these visions are as follows: Vision 1: "... in an instant of awe, my mind attained to the sight of the God who IS. Then, at last, I caught sight of your invisible nature, as it is known through your creatures. But I had no strength to fix my gaze upon them. In my weakness I recoiled and fell back..." Vision 2: "And while we spoke of the Eternal Wisdom, longing for it and straining for it with all the strength of our hearts, for one fleeting instant we reached out and touched it. Then, with a sigh, leaving our spiritual harvest bound to it, we returned to the sound of our own speech,..." (Page 197) The two excerpts are written in similar styles. Both contain strong Platonist language, such as references to the line (the image of climbing to knowledge in the second vision, page 197), the cave ("confusion of images," in the first vision, page 151), and the sun (the transient quality of the first vision, page 152). The language in each vision also refers to the method of ascent. In the first vision, Augustine makes his ascent by reason, seen through words like, "my thoughts," "the power of reason," and "bodily sense." In the second vision, Augustine and his mother, Monica, make the ascent by the power of love. This is seen by words such as, "flame of love," "our hearts," and "strength of our hearts." (Page 197) The method of ascent to each vision is significant when considering the role that faith and reason play in each. Together, the method of ascent, faith, and reason represent Augustine's journey to faith. The first ascent is necessarily made by the mind and reason, necessarily because Augustine has not yet received faith, which would enable him to go farther. (Page 151) Augustine begins his ascent with questions about the nature of his mind. He tries to answer these through the consideration of material things, the soul, and reason itself. (Page 151) Everything that he deliberates is arrived at by a reasonable chain of thought that takes place in his mind.

Chapter 15 of the Book of John

1999-11-08T13:00:00-05:00

This chapter takes place in the upper room in Jerusalem. This was during the Passover feast, though some scholars say otherwise. Jesus was speaking only to the disciples. The first part of the chapter is devoted to the analogy of the vineyard and it's branches. The second part is talks about the future relationship with the "world". This is an important chapter, which deals with not only relationship with Jesus and the Father, but also with the outside community. 1. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. egw eimi h ampeloV h alhqinh kai o pathr mou o gewrgoV esti The scene must be kept in mind. The Lord and his disciples had just eaten the last supper. He had said, "Arise, let us go forth" (John 14:31). They had risen, but were still standing in the room. On the table, from where they had just risen, was the "fruit of the vine,"(wine) and the Lord had said he would never drink it again upon the earth. (Matthew 26:7) (Johnson) There are numerous Old Testament passages, which refer to Israel as a vine: Ps. 80:8-16, Isaiah. 5:1-7, Jeremiah. 2:21, Ezekiel. 15:1-8, 17:5-10, 19:10-14, and Hosiah 10:1. The vine became symbolic of Israel, and even appeared on some coins issued by the Maccabees. The Old Testament passages which use this symbol appear to regard Israel as faithless to why and/or the object of severe punishment. Ezek. 15:1-8 in particular talks about the worthlessness of wood from a vine (in relation to disobedient Judah). A branch cut from a vine is worthless except to be burned as fuel. This appears to fit more with the statements about the disciples than with Jesus' description of himself as the vine. Ezek. 17:5-10 contains vine imagery that refers to a king of the house of David, Zedekiah, who was set up as king in Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah allied himself to Egypt and broke his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar (and therefore also with God), which would ultimately result in his downfall (17:20-21). Ezek. 17:22-24 then describes the planting of a cedar sprig, which grows into a lofty tree, a figurative description of Messiah. But it is significant that Messiah himself is not described in Ezekiel 17 as a vine, but as a cedar tree. The vine imagery here applies to Zedekiah's disobedience. Jesus' description of himself as the "true Vine" is to be seen against this background, but

The Story of Noah's Ark

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00

In Judeo-Christian mythology, one of the best recognized stories from the Old Testament is the story of Noah and the Ark, and how they survived God's great flood. This story is a common one throughout many mid-east cultures, both past and present. The most notable of these is in the ancient Mesopotamian mythology, with the story of Utnapishtim and his story of survival of the gods wrath. Though both are telling what is assumed to be a tale of the same event, there are many similarities as well as differences in certain details of the story. Although some of these differing aspects are for the most part, fairly trivial, some of them are quite drastic from one version to the other. The source of the myth in the two cultures is quite different, as well as the way the story narrated. In the case of the ancient Mesopotamian version of the myth, it is found in The Epic of Gilgamesh. It is told to Gilgamesh by Utnapishtim when Gilgamesh encounters him while on his quest for the plant of everlasting life. Here we have a first hand account of the flood, by one of the sole survivors of the flood, the tale itself is found in an epic of a great king, which wasn't exactly revered as a sacred book in the Mesopotamian culture, but was still treated with a great deal of respect. This is quite from the ancient Hebrew account of the flood. In the Old Testament, it is presumably Moses who is telling the story of Noah in the book of Genesis. In this case, we have a second hand account of the story, found in what is considered to be a sacred piece of scripture, as written by one of the most important figures of the religion. The reason that man was to be exterminated from the face of the earth is also different in both myths. In the Mesopotamian version of the story, man was becoming an inconvenience for the gods he was so loud due to his numbers that he was keeping the gods up at night. Because man was causing this disruption, Enlil approaches the other gods and they agree to get rid of man by way of a great flood, so that they may sleep at night once again. Utnapishtim is warned by Ea through a dream, and is instructed with a

The Truth about Orthodox Christianity

1999-08-01T14:00:00-04:00

As described in The Grand Inquisitor by Dostoevsky The writings of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Helen Ellerbe show substantial evidence that the orthodox Christians did in fact steal from humanity the divine freedom it was promised by Jesus Christ. This thesis is supported in Dostoevsky's "The Grand Inquisitor" from his book The Brothers Karamazov. The dark side of Christian history by Helen Ellerbe also supports this theory. The Inquisition itself shows credibility to the theory that orthodox Christianity was established to conquer and control the freedom of humans. 2. Orthodox Christianity has a history of trying to deceive humanity. In her book, Ellerbe proclaims that: "Orthodox Christianity fostered humanity's shift towards a world view that pays little heed to the idea of divinity." (Ellerbe 165). In addition, the Grand Inquisitor "...claims it as a merit for himself and his Church that at last they have vanquished freedom and have done so to make men happy." (Dostoevsky 1081). 3. Reading "The Grand Inquisitor" while considering the history of early Christianity, the question can be asked, "Did orthodox Christians really believe in God?" Or is the God they believed in a guise that Christianity has put forward to have humanity believe in Him through its teachings only. The Roman Church had taken God's celebrations of nature and converted them to Christian celebration. In The dark side of Christian history, Ellerbe supports this when she writes "Unable to convince people of the absence of God in nature, the early Church instead incorporated aspects of the very nature worship it condemned..." (Ellerbe 143). 4. The Spanish Inquisition was established in 1478. King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I requested the Inquisition. At first, The concern of the Inquisition in Spain was over the conversion of Marranos: Marranos were Jews that were converted to Christianity using force and pressure by society. It is estimated that by the end of the 14th century about 100,000 Jews had become Marranos, although the greater number of Jews openly adhered to their faith even at the risk of expulsion. Some Marranos actually accepted Christianity, but most of them practiced Judaism in secret, while others waited only for an opportunity to throw off their Christian disguise (Encarta 99). Later, the Inquisition turned to people of Islam and attempted to convert the in the same way they had done to the Jews. And, even later, to those suspected of being Protestants. The Spanish Inquisition was similar

Creationism and Darwinism

1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00

cre·a·tion·ism (krê-â'she-nîz´em) noun The position that the account of the creation of the universe given at the beginning of the Bible is literally true. 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

The Kingdom of God

1999-05-23T14:00:00-04:00

Pear gates, marble stairs and a throne of gold, or an inner area in the hidden depths of our own soul? Which can describe the true kingdom of God, a real physical world or a place that is only seen in ones hearts. Some would say it to be a place above man, built by God to be a home for peoples' souls after death. Others might say that it is no more than a place inside us that can only be reached through the right decisions and acts of kindness. A place that is not seen or discussed but only felt in a way that is incomparable to any feeling ever felt by the living. Yet while people retain their own images of the Kingdom of God the Bible itself gives a subtle definition through a series of parables or short stories, told by Jesus in order to pass along the message of who is God and what is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus, through his sayings and parables showed that the kingdom was being revealed in his own life and work. He preached his message of the coming of the kingdom through memorable stories, which in his day could and did relate to things of everyday life. Though most of Jesus' followers didn't recognize the kingdom till after his death it was still brought to them by the Holy Spirit with a full understanding of his word and actions. Yet it was evidently difficult for them to understand before his death due to the previous ideas of the kingdom as a whole. Like many people of today those in Jesus' time viewed Gods' kingdom as a place above them yet unlike people today thought more literal terms actually believing that God was above them and was looking down on them. Even now, when in prayer, one may have a tendency to look up at the heaven in reverence since next to God it is the most endless, unexplainable thing in the world. Yet people are still able to know that as they look up they see God just the same as if they shut their eyes in prayer were to the people of Jesus' time God was seen as truly sitting above them in his kingdom in which only those who follow the laws exactly would ever see. To truly understand the kingdom of God people have to have

The Promise Keepers - Against Adultery

1999-05-06T14:00:00-04:00

I. Introduction Last fall, 700,000 men gathered at our nation's Capital to focus on mending relationships. Their goals were to help men end adulterous behavior, quit abusing and neglecting the women and children in their lives, and renew their promises to their families. Knowing this, it is hard to understand why this rally would be seen as a threat rather than honorable. Imagine 700,000 men acknowledging the areas in which they've failed and wanting to take responsibility for their actions. My father was one of these men. Knowing him in the capacity that I do, anything or anyone that can make him acknowledge his imperfections is to be admired! Now why am I telling you this? Why does it matter? People perceived these men as a threat. They were neither welcomed nor respected for taking a stand in what they felt was important. This matters because Conservative Christian thinkers are forced to face this type of discriminating judgement daily. II. One article that I read pertaining to the Promise Keeper gathering was titled "Invasion of the Promise Keepers." (a) I found this rather ironic. Why would men eager to finally take responsibility be seen as "invading?" As a woman, I would rather be with a man who openly admitted that he wasn't always right and who respected and honored me, than to be with a man who did not. (b) Evidently, however, not all women want to be appreciated. Many openly condemned them for their attempts. Protestors of both genders greeted these men with the phrase "racist, sexist, homophobe, go home." III. In an issue of Time, one reporter addresses this type of religious discrimination. He states that "the fight is not so much over what people ought to believe; it is over what they can say, and where, and to whom." He then goes on to give the following examples: (a) The Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out the sentence of a murderer who killed a 70-year-old woman with an ax because the prosecuting attorney cited Biblical law in requesting the death penalty. (b) In Decateur, IL, an elementary, public school teacher demanded that her seven-year-old students mark out the word "God" printed in their phonics book. (c) In Oak Park, IL, a private Catholic hospital was not allowed to erect a cross because it could potentially offend some the town's residents. IV. As one who has experienced this particular type of discrimination, I have often wondered why

The Devil has his Christs

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00

"Krishina", which is actually Sanskrit for "Dark God", predated Jesus the Christ in the works of two Greek historians, Arrian and Strabo (Daleiden 105). Then there is Buddha, who predates Jesus by more than five centuries (Daleiden 105). There are many other religions, cults and superstitions after Jesus walked among chosen sinners. If so why has Christianity become such a big issue over the years in moral and political aspects in the world? Is God a "woman" or an "African American?" Should prayers and crucifixes be allowed in public elementary schools? Do Aliens follow God? There are hundreds of questions that could be asked from everyday life to futuristic premonitions. The question that really needs to be clarified is, "Should we believe in a God whose nonexistence can be proven?" If you are to say, as theologians do, that God is good, you must then say that right and wrong have some meaning which is independent of God's fiat, because God's fiat are good and bad independently of the mere fact that he made them. If you are going to say that, you will then have to say that it is not only through God that right and wrong came into being, but that they are in their essence logically anterior to God (Russell 19). "Seeing is believing." To this old saying one could argue that human emotions such as love, fear, and joy are vaguely visible but still do exist. These emotions are acknowledged by senses other than vision. The only evidence of the existence of God is through ""blind" faith. William K. Clifford, in his famous essay " The Ethics of Belief," argued that "it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything on insufficient evidence (Martin 19)." Clifford maintains that believing on insufficient evidence has a variety of harmful consequences; it corrupts our character, undermines public confidence, leads to irresponsible action, and fosters self-deception (Martin 19). Then why do people rely on a God that is more of a make-believe character? The many really religious and do not regard religion simply as "moral values" but use religious discourse seriously to make distinctively religious claims they commit themselves to what believers take to be a certain general view about "the ultimate basis of the universe." This could backed up by the very use of certain religious utterances: (1) God is my Creator to whom everything is owed, and (2)

The Lost Tribes

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00

Following the death of Solomon in c. 937 B.C. his

Religion & Evolution

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00

In my short life on this planet I have come to question things that many take upon blind faith. We all know that we must some day die; yet we continuously deny the forces at work inside ourselves, which want to search out the answers of what may or may not come after. It is far easier for humanity to accept that they will go to a safe haven and be rewarded for their lives with pleasures and fantasies of an unfathomable scale than to question the existence of a supposed omnipotent being. Yet, there are a few of us humans who tend to question the why's and wherefore's that society puts forth to us. We question the existence of God, or the creation of mankind rather than blindly accepting faith-filled beliefs we may received from our parents as children. Perhaps it is because we live in a nation filled with many peoples of different beliefs whose Gods are all so varied and different that it is difficult to fathom that they are all the same divine being. It is also plausible that we just have a desire to quench the thirst for knowledge that lies deep within ourselves. As for myself, I cannot believe in a being which created a universe and a multitude of worlds in a rather short period of time then deigns to lower itself into becoming a puppet-master and "pulling the strings" of the Earth and all of the people therein. Since this paper touches upon many scientific terms, I feel that in order for the reader to correctly grasp the content I must first define three words: Theory, Law, and Hypothesis. The definitions will allow for a greater understanding of this essay and give us an even ground upon which to begin. Theory; noun 1. a. Systematically organized knowledge applicable in a relatively wide variety of circumstances, especially a system of assumptions, accepted principles, and rules of procedure devised to analyze, predict, or otherwise explain the nature or behavior of a specified set of phenomena. b. Such knowledge or such a system. 2. An assumption based on limited information or knowledge; a conjecture. Law; (l") noun 12. a. A formulation describing a relationship observed to be invariable between or among phenomena for all cases in which the specified conditions are met: the law of gravity. b. A generalization based on consistent experience or results: the law of supply and

The religious differences

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00

What I am going to say would offend most people, as I plan to be blunt. I think that most Religions are shams. It is obviously something, like Myths, made to explain the world. But certain religions, such as Christianity, are as corrupt as the people considered evil in these very religions. An example that I can think of right off the top of my head is something I saw when I was flipping through the channels on TV. I happened to pass the bible channel and there was this show on. I was curious and I left it on this show for a few seconds. They were talking about the Bible, and what I heard sickened me. They were talking about a passage in the book of Leviticus. A man of Egyptian and Israeli descent was passing through an Israeli camp. He happened to make a remark about God and they sentenced him to death by stoning. This appalled me. Doesn't Christianity also teach people to respect human life? Is life so unimportant that every time someone says something bad about God that he should die? Does God want human sacrifice? I certainly wouldn't worship an awful God like that. And how about Hell? I once read Dante's Inferno and you wouldn't believe the people who are supposed to go to Hell! Among them are: Homosexuals, Atheists, Opportunists and, the most loathing of all, Pagans! Among the Pagans are anyone who worshipped a different God, people who weren't baptized and people who were born before Jesus Christ. Yet, I must admit, there are some religions that seem to be O.K. Most of these are religions based on teachings and ideas rather than some tyrannical God. These religions include Hinduism, Shinto and Buddhism. Among these religions, the most appealing to me would be Buddhism. It teaches that all life is sacred and that people should always be striving to do their best to reach perfection or, as it is commonly referred to, Nirvana. It wasn't derived from some almighty being made up by superstitious peasants. It was formed by a ruler named Siddhartha. This is his story. Buddha was a ruler who was born in Kapilavastu, India, just outside present day Nepal. He showed an early inclination to meditation and reflection, displeasing his father, who wanted him to be a warrior and ruler rather than a religious philosopher. Yielding to his father's wishes, he married