Essay On The Intrinsic Flaws Inherent In Christianity Essays

Essay On The Intrinsic Flaws Inherent In Christianity Christianity is a religion in which events are claimed to have occured but which can never be proved. Those who practice it live by different morals than are preached by the most holy texts. It is an institution in which the most holy scripture is contradictory, and wherein the supreme being, by the very definition, cannot exist. Christianity is, therefore, a fundamentally flawed religion. According to the Bible, events have occured which are even more miraculous than the resurection of Jesus Christ. Events such as the stopping of the sun by Joshua (Joshua 10:12-14), the reversal of the sun's course by Isaiah (Isaiah 38:7-8) , the resurrection of the saints, and their subsequent appearance to many (Matthew 27:52-53) were witnessed by thousands of people. The stopping and reversal of the sun would have been visible worldwide. The idea that people could have witnessed these events without having been amazed by them is, quite simply, ludicrous. Other cultures having witnessed this would certainly have offered their own explanations in keeping with their own cultural and religious beliefs. Surely a society existing at the time would have documented this miraculous event. Yet nowhere have such works been found. In the instance of the resurrection of the saints, Matthew is the only person to mention this occurence in the Bible. Surely other first-century Christians would have used this as further proof of Jesus' divinty. It would fall to reason that Paul and the gospels would have mentioned it. This is not, however, the case. Nowhere else in the Bible is this mentioned or even hinted at. These events are then, at best, highly unlikely to have occured. The fact that Matthew is alone in writing of the resurrection of the saints leads us to believe that certain writers of the Bible had differing views on christianity. The christian Bible is highly contradictory, not just to modern day christian beliefs, but in and of itself. Today's society is of the belief that all people are created equal, and Christians submit that their god is of the same belief. Modern Christians believe that their god loves everyone, and that they are all equal. However, after Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree forbidden by god, this deity said to Eve I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall be your master. (Genesis 3:16). This tells us that, according to the Christian religion, women shall naturally be dominated by men. This kind of behavior is not conducive to a being who believes in inherent equality. Women are repeadtedly treated as objects and told to be submissive in the Bible. According to the rule observed in all the assemblies of believers, women should keep silent in such gatherings. Rather, as the law indicates, submissiveness is indicated for them. If they want to learn anything, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a disgrace when a woman speaks in the assembly. (1 Corinthians 14:34-35). Man was not made from woman but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman but woman for man. For this reason, a woman ought to have a sign of submission on her head. (1 Corinthians 11:8-10). The Bible also permits bondage. Slaves, male and female, you may indeed possess, provided you buy them from among neighboring the nations. You may also buy them from among the aliens who reside with you and from their children who are born and raised in their land. Such slaves you may own as chattels, and leave to your sons as their hereditary property, making them perpetual slaves. (Leviticus 25:44-46). This same Bible gives laws on the punishment of slaves. When a man strikes his slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property. (Exodus 21:20-21) We find further examples of prejudice in Deuteronomy. In the Bible, it is stated that No one whose testicles have been crushed or whose penis has

Uranium mining in Kakadu essays

Uranium mining in Kakadu essays The issue I am reporting on concerns the effect that uranium mining has on the Australian land that the local Aboriginal tribes own. There are many causes of this problem. One such cause is the mining companies views. They believe that they should mine the uranium because it could make huge profits for the Australian economy and because it will provide jobs for the local people. However the local Aboriginal tribes think that, while the money they are receiving as compensation from the mining companies is helping in many ways it has also disrupted their way of life and has made them forget the ways their culture is based on and around the land. In addition to these causes there is also a factor which will affect much more than the local tribes. This factor is the environmental side of the uranium mining. People believe that there is a high risk of radioactive wastes finding their way into the waterways. Especially in the Northern Territory because of the notorious wet season and its feared flood waters will bring the waste all over Australia. I have also thought of many solutions to this problem. One solution is that the mining companies should only be allowed to mine uranium on sites where there is not any local Aboriginal tribes connected to the land. The benefits of this solution are: the Aboriginal tribes will not be affected by the mining in any way and the mining companies will still make a profit for themselves and the economy. Another solution is to cease uranium mining altogether. Australia could find an alternative way to supply power. The benefits of this are: the Aboriginal tribes will not be pressured into letting their land be mined, there will be no need to fear of radioactive wastes escaping and the land will not be disrupted in any way. An alternate solution to the issue is to try and find a way to mine the uranium underground. If the mining companies could find a way to mi ...

Audience analysis memo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Audience analysis memo - Research Paper Example As such, the website has to be keen to address the needs of even those with no prior knowledge on human health services. This target audience encompasses adults from all cultural, professional and educational backgrounds, regardless of their gender. On the other hand, Wikipedia seems to target scholars, professionals and researchers. It is more in-depth in content and would only appeal to adults with adequate background education on lung cancer, seeking intensive understanding of lung cancer. These could be scholars or professionals in healthcare science, irrespective of their gender or cultural background. In the same way, the websites target different secondary audiences. HHS seems to secondarily appeal to researchers and scholars seeking to get a general overview and introduction to the concept of lung cancer. It gives a guide on the information available to the public on the subject. Wikipedia secondarily targets people from other professions other than healthcare seeking to have general knowledge on the subject. Such persons should have some advanced education to make sense of the information shared. i. Graphical representation: HHS uses warm pictures of fruits and happy people to appeal to the general public. It is perhaps postulated that exhibiting happiness would be more attractive. For Wikipedia, the objective of educating its scholarly audience makes it use real images of lungs which would appeal more to its audience seeking to understand the action of cancer on lungs. The use of charts also provides researchers with a clear understanding of useful statistics on lung cancer. ii. Formality of styles: With HHS targeting a lesser educated audience seeking for basic information on lung cancer, the informal style works effectively. The informality not only involves use of bullet points but also use of simpler phrases in place of technical terminologies. For example,

Women and Work in Preindustrial Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women and Work in Preindustrial Europe - Essay Example Yet, with the importance of their work and the need that it filled, it was most often relegated to a lower status and was maintained servile to the power structure that it served. Most women during this period worked in occupations that were done at or near the home. The need to maintain a family life often kept them oscillating between short periods of employment and the duties of motherhood. Out of convenience and necessity, a woman's choice of occupations was limited from birth. As Hanawalt observes, "The division of labor by sex was set early in a child's life" (8). A woman's dowry would be the initial contribution that women would make to the economy. It was most often used to set up the household, and then used to keep it running (Hanawalt 17). The tilling of soil was a solely male domain, while women became the bakers, cooks, tailors, and thread makers. This was done to support the home life and generate supplemental income. The brewing of ale, to be used in the home, was a typical example of a steady outside income, as was spinning thread (Hanawalt 11). While the woman's dowry and marriage became a pooled resource to support a family, slavery was an institution that supported the manors and generated a source of unskilled labor. Though oppressive, slavery was, as Sturad remarks, "... an acceptable alternative to for the organization of unskilled labor through the medieval period" (39). The slave system provided the labor for processing goods for export, as governesses, and wet nurses. Women were given special respect based on a complex system that was defined by skill and rank. Caring for children was a valued skill and the ability to provide breastmilk to newborns was economically rewarded. The system of slavery, while filling a societal need with efficiency, was overwhelmingly populated by women. In Ragusa during the years 1280-1284, the ranks of the slaves were as high as 90% female (Stuard 44). A woman's contribution to the economy was often hidden behind the most visible signs of commerce and the layers of male dominance. However, there were professions that enabled women to climb in status through occupational work. Nursing was especially valued. The 4 year apprenticeship required for nurses and the bonuses given to accept apprentices relate the importance that the beginning 16th century placed on the skill. The occupation was wide in scope demanding nurses to perform as back up medical assistants during plague epidemics (Weisner 105). While the occupations that were very gender specific were often rewarding for women, often women were excluded from the normal channels of commerce. The crafts were generally maintained as a male dominion as was membership in most guilds. Though not legally barred from entering crafts, a woman would most likely enter the field through her family's or husband's business. The same was true of the status gained by entering a trade, as it would be lower than the male membership. Where wealthier men had even greater dominance, such as Exeter, organizations were formed that effectively barred women's participation by excluding them from select groups. Markets and commerce were not banned by law, but the prejudice of tradition as Kowaleski observed, "...effectively blocked any real chance of commercial success" (155). Single women and wives could rarely escape the lower status granted to them unless they married into a status.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 68

Leadership - Essay Example The style of leadership chosen by an individual is reflective of their nature. Douglas McGregor pointed out that leadership is dominated by human nature, which can be explained using the X and Y theories. While theory X portrays the average person as lazy, lacking in ambition, and always waiting to be directed, theory Y perceives human beings as active, ambitious, and ready to take responsibilities (Stewart, 2010). Accordingly, although most people would want to identify with theory Y, the truth is that a majority of people are not that self-motivated and need to be prompted into action. This observation makes theory X more realistic than theory Y in the relationship between leaders and followers. Transformational leadership is a leadership model advanced by Kouze & Posner (2010), who in their first two chapters provide real life examples of managers whose personalities transformed their organizations. Essentially, Kouze & Posner (2010) perceive leadership as a relationship rather than a position by stating that leadership is not only measured by being in charge of others, but also by being credible. Transformational leadership encourages the leader to create away that will stimulate a common vision, challenge daily undertakings, motivate others to act, and even inspire them (Kouze & Posner, 2010). Considering that it took 20 years of intensive research in real organizations to come up with this model, the transformational leadership model is very important in understanding the concept of good leadership. The only problem with the transformational leadership theory is that it may give too much power to narcissistic individuals who might end up abusing such

Hobbes International Relations Theory

Hobbes International Relations Theory Is the international system a Hobbesian ‘war of all against all’? The aim of the paper is to examine the influence of the political theory of Thomas Hobbes which in International Relations has been seen as the basis for the realist understanding on the case of â€Å"anarchy† (Heller, 1980, p.21) in the international system. In his work â€Å"Leviathan†, Hobbes provides us with the idea of the man and the state of nature which he link with the political community. Although he has been criticized because some argue that he creates confusion between nature of the man and the political state, Hobbes is seen as an important figure of realism and realist approaches. The essay starts with a brief information about Hobbes and â€Å"Leviathan† followed by a definition of anarchy and anarchy of the international state of nature. Observing the implication of state of nature, anarchy, sovereignty in the international system I will link them with different criticism in order to be able to determine whether or not the international system is a Hobbesian state of war. After the English Civil War, Hobbes wrote â€Å"Leviathan† to warn Englishmen for the consequences of insubordination (Heller, 1980, p21). This led to significant change in the political views of Hobbes. In Chapter 13, as Donelly (2000, p.13) points out, he presents examples of a â€Å"strong† realism. He attempts to model and explain the political relations between the man and the state of nature by describing it as a state of war, where â€Å"every man is against every man† (Hobbes, 1660; Hackety, 1994). In â€Å"Leviathan†, the state of nature is not government and therefore everyone is entitles with the same status which gives the individual the right to do everything without restrictions. However having â€Å"no moral restrains† (Korab-Karpowicz W. Julian, 2013) and also being greedy for goods makes the individuals invade others to gain. Hobbes describes anarchy as a â€Å"condition† where there is no culture, no industry, no knowledge, no account of time but there is a constant fear and violence and the life of man is â€Å"poor, nasty, brutish, and short† (Leviathan Ref). Despite the critical definition, to avoid such â€Å"condition† men have organized in political orders that provide â€Å"a common power to keep them in awe† it is the state of international relations that bring the danger of anarchy (Hobbes, Heller, 1980, p.24). Hobbes says that the â€Å"kings, and persons of sovereign authority† are in constant conflict because of their â€Å"jealousies† (Hobbes Quoted in Heller, 1980, p24). This could be described as a condition of war among states but they do not violate each other constantly. Moreover in relations between states there is no permanent common authority (Heller, 1980) which means that war remains permanent threat. This condition differs from the state of war – â€Å"every man against every man†, because Yurdusev (2006, p315) suggest that in the international state of nature, states uphold the industry of their subjects which frees the individuals from the misery they experience. Hobbes says that man are equal capable to do things, so even â€Å"the weakest can kill the strongestâ€Å"(Hobbes; Heller, 1980, 20-25). In comparison to the men in their nature, state are not equal to each other. United States and Soviet Union work as example because these two states held industry, navigation, culture giving them more power and control over the individuals during the Second World War and The Cold War. Therefore there is a possibility of order by strong states which summarized means that since states are not equal, they would not be equally intolerable (Vincent, 1981; Yurdusey, 2006, p.316). However there is also a possibility that states are equal as men are, because if there was univ ersal nuclear proliferation this would have created the â€Å"equality of fear† giving the chance and capability of a state to â€Å"kill† other state (Gauthier, 1957; Heller, 1980, p.24-27). However, the Hobbesian meaning of â€Å"life† and â€Å"death† could be misunderstood when it comes to states. According to Hobbes (1660; Hackety, 1994), â€Å"life† is the â€Å"artificial soul† which gives â€Å"life and motion to the whole body†. Therefore, states are not killed when a big part of its population and territory are destroyed, but the they loose their sovereign power to make and amend laws (Morgenthau, 1947, Heller, 1980). This condition could be achieved with a minimal amount of force or by threat. States are â€Å"alive† (Heller, 1980) when they are able to maintain its authority over citizens and also the ability to protect them like no other government. Boucher (1998, p.293-95) suggests that state’s actions are easy to predict if motivated by their interests, but on the other hand states follow their momentary interests making them a big threat because we never know when they would attack. For example, Kuwait was i nvaded by Iraq in 1990, on the grounds of interest over Kuwait’s natural resource – petroleum. This proves us again that states have more wants and needs, and that Hobbes’s idea of equality within states does not occur. States are constructed to provide men with internal peace and protect them from external affairs (Yurdusev, 2006, 313). To maintain their sovereignty, they have to protect their rights and their territory. According to Heller (1980, p.26), Hobbes’s condition of equality of ability is â€Å"satisfied† only when the weakest can actually ‘kill’ the strongest state. The idea of universal nuclear proliferation could be furthermore seen as the solution and however bring anarchy within states. With nuclear weapons the weaker states will have the capability to attack the stronger one, but on the other hand it might cause destruction to sovereignty (Heller 1980, 26). For example, if we suppose that a less powerful state as Nicaragua or any Middle East country, are able to obtain nuclear weapons they would actually lay them down in order to gain freedom from the world Leviathan – e.g., United States, Russia. Therefore, until this case of fear exists among stat es, equality of ability and fear would not exists. Life of the state is defined by Hobbes (Leviathan, 1660; Hackety, 1994) as the existing of sovereignty. Since life and state are â€Å"congruent† (Hobbes quoted by Heller, 1980, p.27), survival has been seen as a â€Å"necessary value† (McNeilly, 1968, p.178-81) and death as its ultimate aversion. Simply, while the state works in favor to survive it will achieve its objectives and vice versa, state must accomplish their objectives in order to survive. As Heller (1980, 27) suggests, this calls in question the capability of states to tolerate the state of nature because as it has occurred in the past, whole nations such as Rome, has disappeared. Therefore we cannot argue that the international state of nature has prevailed because it has not been intolerable, but it has been fatal (Heller, 1980) for its victims – Rome. In the international state of nature, the weakest fear from the others because of their low capability to defend themselves. If there is no equality between weak and strong states, then this would further undermine the capacity to state to defend itself (Heller, 1980, 24-26). Strong states have no fear of the weaker states but they do fear the other limited number of strong states because they are enough to â€Å"threaten the survival of any strong state† (Heller, 1980, 27-30). The war against all might exists and torment only the weaker state because they are defenseless. Heller (1980) suggests a situation where one state is stronger than the others, and these other states are trying to improve their position and so the chance to survive. This would lead to the creation of international anarchy where we have on main Leviathan. Leviathan is a â€Å"corporate body† (Williams, 1996, p227) and its strengths are the strengths of the others. It never sleeps or dies making it immortal. As immortal, â€Å"it transcend the limitations that simple individuals encounter in their attempts to survive in the state of nature† (Williams, 1996). Williams (1996) suggests that the result is that â€Å"the radical equality that defines the state of nature composed of individuals is not present in the relations between states†. Therefore since the states and individuals do not have the same conditions, states can use these anarchic qualities among themselves to form more stable form of â€Å"coexistence† (Hobbes; Williams, 1996; Heller, 1980). Despite the continuing absence of the Leviathan in the international system, this absence has not stated an anarchic state of nature. Hobbes present to us the idea that â€Å"the right of sovereigns are designed to ensure the indivisibility and absolute character of the sovereign’s power (Hobbes; Heller, 1980). Furthermore, he adds that the divided sovereignty is no sovereignty at all. Clark and Sohn (Heller 1980, p.25-30) suggest that if a world organization is created, war might be prevented because of the monopoly power and military power which the central law-making power holds. Therefore this idea of a world commonwealth is untenable because it looks at the state as a negotiator between individual men and word sovereignty (Heller 1980). However even though a world organization was created this would have led to a destruction. Hoffmann (1967) presents to us the â€Å"halfway house argument where Goldsmith (Quoted by Heller, 1980) further explains it as if states are to get out of the state of nature, they must agree on the laws of nature. However if states could agree on the laws of nature, there would be no need to get out of the state of nature. (Goldsmith, 1966; Gauthier, 1969) In the international system nowadays there are inter-governmental organizations – formed only from governments, which are similar to the idea of Leviathan. League of Nations and United Nations are organization where security and peace are promoted. They try to establish a â€Å"collective security† (Heller, 1980, p31). In the doctrine of collective security, as Heller (1980) further explains, the states have to â€Å"alienate† their sovereignty and join against aggressive states and participate in implication of restriction on them. However this whole idea of â€Å"collective security† did not really work out well in the League of Nations because it could only work if the states have actually transferred their sovereign power to the â€Å"supra-national† entity. To summarize, we first looked at the implication of Hobbesian theory about the nature of state, the man and anarchy. We saw how this â€Å"condition† of anarchy can differs and how it links with the war against all within the international system. Furthermore, we looked at the meaning of the Hobbesian â€Å"life† and â€Å"death† to the state which helps us to understand why states actions are easy to predict. Boucher (1998) and Heller (1980) has introduced different arguments to explain the concepts of anarchic state of nature and the â€Å"Leviathan† and the link between them. However Hoffmans (1967) â€Å"halfway house† argument clearly proves that the international anarchy wants to overtake the states sovereignty. Bibliography: Boucher: ‘Intercommunity and International Relations in the Political Philosophy of Hobbes’, KRIR, pp 145-169 Goldsmith, M.M. â€Å"Hobbess Science of Politics†; Columbia University Press, 1966 Heller, Mark A.; The Use Abuse of Hobbes: The State of Nature in International Relations; â€Å"Polityâ€Å" Vol. 13, No. 1 (Autumn, 1980), pp. 21-32 ;Published by: Palgrave Macmillan Journals; Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3234689; Accessed on 8/03/2014 Hobbes, Thomas, 1660,Leviathan, Edwin Curley (ed.), Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994. Hoffmann, Stanley (1967) â€Å"The State of War: Essays in the Theory and Practice of International Politics† ;Review by:K. J. Holsti; The Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science / Revue canadienne dEconomique et de Science politique, Vol. 33, No. 1 (Feb., 1967) , pp. 161-163; Published by:Wileyon behalf ofCanadian Economics Association; Article DOI: 10.2307/139882; Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/139882 Accessed on 09/03/2014 Korab-Karpowicz, W. Julian, Political Realism in International Relations,The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy(Summer 2013 Edition), Edward N. Zalta(ed.), URL = http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2013/entries/realism-intl-relations/>. Accessed on 09/03/2014 Moloney Pat (2011). Hobbes, Savagery, and International Anarchy. American Political Science Review, 105, pp 189-204. doi:10.1017/S0003055410000511. Accessed on: 10/03/2014 Morgenthau, Hans J. â€Å"Scientific Man vs. Power Politics† ;Review by:William Anderson Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 250, Communication and Social Action (Mar., 1947) , pp. 135-136 Published by:Sage Publications, Inc.in association with theAmerican Academy of Political and Social Science Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1024662 Accessed on 10/03/2014 Malcolm, Noel (2004):Aspects of Hobbes, Oxford: Oxford University Press URL: https://www-dawsonera-com.ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/abstract/9780191529986 Accessed on 08/03/2014 Martinich (2005) Leviathan, British Journal for the History of Philosophy, 13:2, 349-359, DOI: 10.1080/09608780500093277 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09608780500093277 Accessed on 09/03/2014 Yurdusev, A.Nuri Australian Journal of International Affairs Vol. 60, No. 2, pp. 305/321, June 2006 URL: http://www3.dogus.edu.tr/cerdem/images/Political%20Thought/Thomas%20Hobbes%20and%20international%20relations%20from%20realism%20to%20rationalism.pdf Accessed on 8/03/2014 Williams, Michael C. (1996). Hobbes and international relations: a reconsideration. International Organization, 50, pp 213-236 doi:10.1017/S002081830002854X Accessed on 09/03/2014

George Orrs Torture by His Dreams in The Lathe of Heaven Essay

George Orr's Torture by His Dreams in The Lathe of Heaven George Orr is tortured by his dreams because sometimes they come true. The world he wakes up to has changed into the world that he dreamed, sometimes radically, sometimes violently. As a teenager he dreams the death of his aunt and he awakens to finds that she was killed in a car accident six weeks before. He is horrified, and attempts to control his dreaming, but over the years some of his dreams and nightmares come true. Finally by the time he is thirty ( in the year 2002) he is becoming psychotic and he contemplates suicide but then turns to pep pills to stay awake to prevent dreaming. When he nearly overdoses, his landlord calls a medic who saves him but turns him in for illegal drug use - a minor offense that requires psychiatric therapy. That's how he meets Dr. Haber, the novel's antagonist. Haber, a large, powerful, active man with curly brown hair and beard who prides himself on his professional psychiatric skills and his talent for manipulating his patients (for their own good of course), specializes in sleep disorders and dream research. He occupies a windowless office in a non-descript office building in Portland, Oregon, the setting for the novel. By using hypnotic suggestion and a brain wave generator called the "Augmentor", Haber is able to tell George what to dream and to his astonishment actually verifies George's ability. George senses that Haber wants to use him, but because of his congenitally passive nature and fear of his uncontrolled dream states, allows the therapy to continue. After a few therapy sessions George seeks legal help so he can stop the therapy and really get cured. That's when he meets the lawyer, a black female who clicks and snaps and wears bangles and brass buckles and is reminiscent of a black widow spider waiting in her office when George arrives. Though outwardly very different (George is slight ,fair and quiet) they experience an inner chemistry and George later dreams that she is his wife, but at that point everybody is gray anyway. Her name is Heather and she gets dreamed in and out of the story at various points, appearing and disappearing as needed. Instead of trying to cure him, Haber uses George's "effective dreaming" to create benevolent, far reaching changes in the world including population control, disarmament, and ecological regulations.... ...h idealized and exaggerated characters. What might they stand for ? 2. How would you answer Haber's assertion that the purpose of man is to " do things , to change things?" 3. Could you offer any evidence to either support or refute George's statement that the universe is not a machine? 4. The aliens play a pivotal role in the resolution of the conflict between Haber and George because they give George the power word which he uses and Haber fails to use. What is the purpose of this word? 5. If Haber and George are personifications of opposites, how would you characterize the aliens? 6. Why do you think the aliens are described as "sea turtles?" 7. Each chapter in the book is headed by a quote. The quote for chapter 3 is: "Those whom heaven helps we call the sons of heaven. They do not learn this by learning. They do not work it by working. They do not reason it by using reason. To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven." - Chuang Tse. In the light of this quote, how would you interpret the title of the book?

“El Sacramento Prohibido” Reaction Paper Essay

Doctrines, traditions, conventions, politics, taboos, these are some elements that are part of the everyday lives of people in the Philippine society. Usually when these are the topics or subjects, issues are commonly entailed. These are the central themes of Lester Andrada’s thesis production which he previewed last March 28, 2014 at the NCAS Alumni Plaza, or the garden area that looks like a small courtyard inside the NCAS building. â€Å"El Sacramento Prohibido† or â€Å"the Forbidden Sacrament† is a satirical production which utilized Absurdism and perhaps a slight hint of the stylings of the Theatre of Cruelty. The story of El Sacramento Prohibido (ESP) revolves around Dante, a young priest fresh out of the seminary who was assigned to the church at his hometown to be its new â€Å"kura† or reverend. Though he brandishes the aura of a straightforward virtuous young man, he bears a secret. Fr. Dante is homosexual, a fact that is controversial and technically against Christian doctrine. Dante was sent to a seminary in Manila by his parents who were both power hungry politicians who saw Dante only as a casualty that may tarnish their names. But even before leaving for the seminary, Dante has a lover, Abel, who was, during Dante’s absence, executed by Fr. Loreto, an old priest residing in San Idelfonso. Upon returning, Dante was attended to by a young altar server named Lermo. He was a thoughtful boy, who was the first to discover Dante’s secret during one of Dante’s moments of reminiscence when he accidentally kissed the boy while thinking of Abel whose whereabouts he has yet to find out. Eventually he shall know everything that happened in his hometown, all the misdeeds done by the church, by his own parents, and ultimately, the murder of his lover. Upon finding out the truth, Dante was  consumed by the darkness, and in the end he kills everyone including himself. In the afterlife, Dante is seen with Abel, together peacefully and happily in paradise. ESP has creatively utilized the production elements in the somewhat intimate setting. First off would be the set and props. ESP was the first production that I have seen using the garden area in NCAS, and it  was a very unique experience, though a setback of it may be that the audience capacity is very limited, and the audience area itself is not leveled since the back part of the audience area is lower than the front, meaning those at the back would have a hard time seeing anything. My favorite thing about the set is how they were able to maximize the structure of the NCAS building itself. The scenes where the undead were pounding on the windows of the NCAS staircase, it was very memorable and awesome. On the props, they were creative but not as accurate (visually) as the actual church paraphernalia like the chalice, and the placement of the podium. The costumes and makeup of the actors were nice, the prosthetics were impressive but can still maybe stepped up a notch. The music wa s creepy, and therefore appropriate. I found it remarkable the moments of live choral music performed by the other actors (the parts when Herzl was at the back of the audience and she was chanting), very beautiful. The lights could be improved especially the timing of when to turn the lights on or off, but the lights in general had been able to establish the mood of the scenes alongside the music. The film component was impressively done in terms of cinematography. The technical aspects of the production can still be improved, like with the projector, and the synchronization of the lights and sounds with the scene. The thing that makes me think of many things about ESP is the text itself. I grew up in a very religious environment. I know how many things worked, why some things are done, what some things meant, since these things were taught to me since I was a child. I found it hard not to comment on some of the technical aspects of the production, like the props (as I mentioned earlier) and also the text, on what the actors were saying. I really cannot blame the playwright since I heard that he was not a Catholic. I think what the playwright intended to depict is the undesirable characteristics and actions of the Church and how other people see it, and with that kind of perspective I think it had  done that part well. Though looking at it in retrospect, I think that perhaps had it been too accurate, it may be more offensive especially if they don’t know how to look at things with an artistic perspective, or just with an open mind. The text had tackled many issues in the Philippine  society. There’s the case of the LGBT, where they are seen as undesirable in society as portrayed by how Fr. Loreto and Mr. & Mrs. Barrameda had shunned Dante because of his homosexuality. Another issue is with the church, or I should rather say the church practitioners, which had done wrongs since the time of the Spanish colonization when they used the word of God to exploit and take advantage of the people, as depicted by how Fr. Loreto always demands payments for sermons and other things that shouldn’t even be given a price. This next one may not be that much of an issue but the harm that can be brought about by gossip, which was depicted by the three ladies who attend mass and then afterwards talk bad about other people. The last one I shall point at is the dirty politics which is rampant in the Philippines. It was depicted by Dante’s parents who buy votes in a desperate attempt to hold on to power. They even wanted to utilize Dante’s influence as a priest in order to make the people vote for them. The part which disappointed me was the fact that Dante had given in to the darkness, and also the fact that he killed Lermo, the innocent young boy who was always there to support him. But anyways, as a production, I think El Sacramento Prohibido is good and overall an enjoyable experience especially during the times when they break the fourth wall (well, at least for me, I’m okay with it), and also it wants to tell the audience not just a story but also a message of awareness about what is happening in society nowadays.

Essay Sample on Confucianism and Taoism

Essay Sample on Confucianism and Taoism The Connection between Confucianism and Taoism Confucianism and Taoism are some of the major religions in China. They have greatly influenced the culture of the Chinese people as well as their world view. The connection between the two religions has influenced many people over time. It can also be said that when the principles of both philosophies are put together, the outcome is a well-rounded person. The following is a discussion of the principles and philosophies behind these two religions as well as how the two religions interact and connect to influence an individual. Confucianism is a religion that bases its philosophy and principles on the teachings of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher who lived between 551 and 478 BC. The Philosophy behind Confucianism is humanism. Confucian adherents have a positive view of human beings and human nature. The world in the Confucian religion in seen through the ideal of humanism. This means that adherents of Confucianism hold it true that human beings are improvable, teachable and perfectible. Human beings can become perfect through individual and communal effort for example self creation and cultivation. The general philosophy of Confucianism emphasizes individual and governmental morality, rightness of social relationships, sincerity and justice of the whole community. All adherents of Confucianism should practice ethics that are exemplified by the propagation of virtues or principles. There are many virtues that adherents of Confucianism should follow for instance loyalty, continence, piety, bravery, gentleness, among others. However, there are five fundamental principles in Confucianism that include humaneness (Ren), Righteousness (Yi), Knowledge (Zhi), Etiquette (Li) and Integrity (Xin). Humaneness obliges people to show altruism to other people in a community. This means that one should be loyal to his true nature, should show reciprocity to good deeds, be kind and show piety. Humaneness dictates that people observe the Golden Rule, ‘Do not do to others what you do not want done to 0yourself’. Being righteous means being morally disposed to do good. Etiquette on the other hand is a system of propriety and norms that dictate what proper and improper behavior within a community is. Knowledge means to appreciate the true and deep significance of something. Integrity on the other hand means honesty and standing by ones words. Taoism is a Chinese religious tradition that stresses the importance of living harmoniously with the essence and source of all that exists or the Tao. In Chinese, Tao means the path, way or principle but it can also mean nature or reality. In Taoism, the right path is working in harmony with nature or reality. Taoism ethics stress the three jewels of the Tao which include moderation, compassion and humility. The philosophy of Taoism centers on nature and how human beings should relate with the cosmos. Inner fulfillment can be achieved through contemplation of nature. Nature is like a stream of wisdom and by experiencing it through innocent eyes, we are able to internalize its pleasantness, its intrigue and its excitement and achieve serenity. There are four fundamental principles in Taoism including Tao, De, Pu and Wu wei. Tao in Taoism is the natural, spontaneous, eternal and indescribable way everything began and took course. It is the force that is behind natural order, the natural flow of the universe or that which keeps the universe ordered and balanced. De on the other hand is the integrity, virtue and power that are an active expression of the way or Tao. It is the living out or cultivation of the way. Wu wei, the third principle in Taoism which literally means ‘without purposeful action’. It means effortless doing and the unseen power in all things. In practice, it means that people should not exert their will in the world as this will cause a disruption in the harmony that is within things. Human beings should put their will in harmony with that which is natural or the nature. This way, their objectives would be achieved without effort. Pu in Chinese is translated to mean simplicity. It is used to sy mbolize pure perception and potential without discrimination. Taoists believe that everything should be perceived as it really is without illusions. Pu is the true and pure nature of the mind, uncontaminated by experiences or knowledge. When someone is in Pu, there neither is beautiful nor ugly, right nor wrong, only pure awareness. When the principles of both Confucianism and Taoism combine, they are able to make a well rounded and self actualized person. First off, both philosophers advocate for people to move from having an ‘individual’ attitude and adopt a more communal attitude. Selflessness is therefore advocated for. The greater whole is give precedence over the individual. This is probably the reason why the Chinese as a people are very communal. If people adopted this notion, then a lot of useless conflicts between people would be done away with. This is because according to these philosophies, left to his means, the individual would not only hold himself back but also fragment the society. When individuals come together, the society is made stronger because people do only that which is advantageous to society. If therefore people adopted this principle as taught in both Confucianism and Taoism, the world would be a peaceful place to live in and our political leaders would work for the elec torate instead of protecting themselves and the haves. Another way in which the combination of the two philosophies can help make a well rounded person is that they both advocate for virtues that would make an individual better. While Confucianism emphasizes on humaneness, Righteousness, Knowledge, Etiquette and Integrity, Taoism centers on nature and how it can bring harmony to the human being and society. If one combined the two, he would in essence be a person who does good, follows societal norms and also conserves the environment. This in essence would be a law abiding citizen who respects the role of nature in the world. The environment and nature which we salvage any how would be safe and global warming and the extinction of some species of animals would not be there. Crime would be a thing of the past. The society would be full of well rounded people. Both philosophies encourage people to live well conducted lives, to fulfill all their obligations and duties and balance their lives. This means that people should respect their different roles in social relationships as mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, siblings, friends, relatives, ruler, subject etc. The two religions encourage that one should be able to balance all his roles and perform them to the fullest. This balance is also encouraged in other issues in life as such as there should be a balance between cowardice and courage. Striking a balance between things and observing moderation is makes a well conducted life which is encouraged in both religions. If people adopted the principles of Confucianism and Taoism, issues like violence, negligence, divorce, adultery, deceit would be unheard of as everyone would know their place and execute their roles efficiently. If people adopted Confucian and Taoist principles, we would believe in the inherent potential in human beings to be changed and transformed to be good people. If one went wrong for example, they would really believe they could change and therefore they would work towards becoming better people because they truly believe in transformation. People would be aware of their inner self and cultivate it for the betterment of humanity. Our Judicial and justice systems would also be tailored with this notion in mind, with their primary role being to fully rehabilitate people. If a person combined both Confucian and Taoist principles in their lives, they would learn to appreciate the little things that we take for granted like the sun, the rain, the air and even art among other. Such a person would appreciate uncontaminated beauty and thus give way for art to develop. Such people would use art to unify society. This is the reason why the Chinese appreciate art so much. In conclusion, Confucian and Taoist principles combined would make a person happy, contented, fulfilled and self actualized. It would make a person not to burden themselves with the  insignificances of life but rather to live life to the fullest. The principles of both religions combined would ensure that individual, the society and indeed the world over is focused on what really matters. It would make an individual to be at peace with himself and the society.

Elizabeth Blackwell First Woman Doctor Essays

Elizabeth Blackwell First Woman Doctor Essays Elizabeth Blackwell First Woman Doctor Essay Elizabeth Blackwell First Woman Doctor Essay Speech on Elizabeth Blackwell â€Å"For what is done or learned by one class of woman becomes, by virtue of their common womanhood, the property of all woman. † Elizabeth Blackwell once said. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman doctor in the USA and was the first woman to get her name added to the Medical Register in the United Kingdom. Without her there wouldn’t be as many woman doctors as there are today. Elizabeth Blackwell was born on February 3, 1821 in Counterslip Bristol in England. She was the third daughter to Samuel and Hannah Lane Blackwell. Elizabeth had seven other siblings. Her father owned a sugarcane factory, but when Elizabeth was 11 years old the factory was burnt down by a fire. After the factory was destroyed the Blackwells moved to America. About eight years after moving to America, Samuel Blackwell died. To support the family Elizabeth’s mother, Elizabeth’s two older sisters, and Elizabeth opened a school for black children. One day she went to visit Mary Donaldson, a family friend dying of cancer. That day Mary told Elizabeth, â€Å"You are fond of study, you have health, leisure and cultivated intelligence. Why don’t you study medicine? Had I been treated by a lady doctor, my worst sufferings would have been spared. † Elizabeth was displeased at the idea. She liked philosophy and literature, but not really science. And anyway medical school was extremely expensive and women were not allowed to study medicine. But why did she become a doctor even if she really didn’t like the idea? Well there are many reasons, but one of the major reasons was because she was inspired by the challenge and opportunities for service in a medical career. Elizabeth applied to many colleges, but many of them did not accept her because she was a woman. Finally, Elizabeth was admitted into one college, Geneva College in New York City. She was discriminated by all of her male peers, but she ignored all of the insults and jokes and graduated first in her class becoming the first woman doctor. She was named as the pioneer for women in medicine. After graduating she left for England because America would not allow her to practice medicine even though she was top in her class. There she worked and studied medicine in hospitals in Birmingham and London. From there she went to Paris and worked in a hospital called La Maternite Hospital. While she was working here she got an eye infection which caused her to remove her left eye. She could not achieve her dream of becoming a surgeon due to this infection. Soon Blackwell headed back to America. They still did not accept woman to work as doctors in hospitals. So Elizabeth and her younger sister, Emily who was the second woman doctor opened a clinic for just women and children as patients with all women doctors. She also started a college named Woman’s Medical College of the New York Infirmary. This was the first American medical college just for women. During this time the Civil War broke out. Elizabeth with the help of 3,000 women sent food, medical supplies, and clothes to the soldiers. Elizabeth left for England where she lived the rest of her life. While she was living here she published a couple of books called The Religion of Health and Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession for Women. In England she also started another college with her sister, Emily, and other women. The school was called London School of Medicine. Blackwell worked as a professor in gynecology for many years. But she got into an accident which forced her to retire from teaching. On May 31, 1910 Elizabeth Blackwell died at the age of 89. At the time of her death America had 7,000 women doctors, just imagine how many there are today. Without Elizabeth Blackwell’s intelligence and determination there wouldn’t be nearly as many women doctors there are today. She stood up for herself and made a change in lives today and back then. She ignored all the discouraging remarks everyone made and achieved her dream to become a doctor. Blackwell showed everybody that if you believe in yourself you can follow your dream.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 64

Assignment - Essay Example These rights normally depend on the reason for which this debt came about as well as the terms that have been agreed upon between the two parties to the debt (Twomey & Jennings, 2010). Their rights tend to also deal with the rights of creditors against other creditors. These legislations determine which of several creditors have the right to a particular debtor’s property in cases whereby more than one creditor lays a claim on a given debtor’s property. These creditors may be divided those who perfected their own interest by establishing a suitable public record of the said debt and any other property that is claimed as collateral for this debt and also by if the given debt came to be as a purchase money security interest (Twomey & Jennings, 2010). Creditors may request a court of law to set aside a fraudulent conveyance that is designed to put the property owned by the debtors out of the creditors’ reach. In Nebraska, property or money of a limited liability company cannot be seized by creditors in order to pay off the personal liabilities or debts of the owners of the limited liability company (Gless, 2008). If Adam opts to change his company to a limited liability company, Benhur as well as other creditors to the business will have to be aware of these rights and limitations in case the business acquires this legal status. However, there are other means through which creditors may use to go after the company while trying to recover the debts personally owed by the owner of the business (Gless, 2008). The state of Nebraska allows personal creditors of a LLC owner to get a charging order that is drawn against the membership interest of the owner. This is an order that is given by a court of law directing the business manager to authorize payment to the business owner’s personal creditor any profits or income that would otherwise have been distributed to the debtor-member. It should however be remembered that creditors

Project Law and Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Law and Evidence - Essay Example Goodwin was tried and found guilty of both offences on 31 May 2006. Whilst the defense case is that Goodwin may have been guilty of burglary, the prosecutions case was that Goodwin also shot victim, in an execution style, and then stole from him.Much of the case against Goodwin relied upon scientific evidence. This consisted of three main items found at the scene of the crime. Firstly the prosecution produced evidence of a cigar stub; found a few feet from the basement window, within which the victim was discovered. Secondly, the police had discovered the defendants palm print on the inside of a window through which the intruder entered the property. Both of these items of evidence were connected directly to Kevin Godwin through the scientific method of DNA testing. As he had a previous conviction, a DNA sample from the defendant, they were able to directly link the DNA to Goodwin. The third item of evidence from the crime scene was a boot print, which the prosecution claimed matched a pair that Goodwin owned and was wearing on the day of the murder, however they could not confirm the exact size, only that the design was consistent with Godwin’s boots. At the defendant’s home the police found a gun and a humidifier that belonged to the victim. They also found other physical evidence of stolen property at a later date, being two other guns from the victim’s collection. Thus we find there are two types of evidence submitted in this case, scientific, being the DNA and physical.