Friday, October 25, 2019
Mesopotamia, Egypt And The Hebrews :: essays research papers fc
October 10th, 1994 Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Hebrews Their development from the 3rd millennium to 2nd C.E. When the canonization of the Hebrew Holy ("TaNaKh") took place. Frank Mancini irg@ix.netcom.com MESOPOTAMIA Mesopotamia was the land of four primary civilizations: the Sumerian, the Akkadians, the Babylonian and the Assyrians. The Hebrews, like the Akkadians, belong to a group of people known as Semites and from there we can see the influence of Mesopotamian culture in some of the Hebrews traditions. During the same time, civilization began in Egypt, and there can be seen a distinct difference in the social, religious and political system from Mesopotamia; that the link between the two civilizations are the Hebrews, and although no historical records are available aside from the Holy Scriptures, it is believed that the Hebrews settled in Egypt during the era of Hyksos domination in the seventeenth century B.C.E. These three civilizations to be discussed were the foundation of today's society and provided the common era with concrete religious beliefs still practiced today. Evidence of the mechanics on the evolution of social, religious and political values, as well as the fluctuating development of the role of women then and now, are present in these documents, beginning with the oldest document which is most likely the Epic of Gilgamesh, first passed on by word of mouth and later recorded by the Sumerians around the third millennium and finally edited and written down in cuneiform by the Babylonians. This legend appears to have been used by all the civilizations in Mesopotamia in order to satisfy the need to know why we die and to justify the instincts that drove the people of these societies to war, to kill and to control as a must for survival. The gods were the only outlet available to justify such behavior to grant permission to rule, to kill and subdue the weak. The Epic of Gilgamesh does just that: It serves as a model for the warrior, the king and the tragic hero and the standards for divine right, friendship, brotherhood and loyalty. Finally, it becomes evident from the beginning of a higher consciousness that justifies love, brotherhood and loyalty in the midst of this need for war and gods. The Epic is divided into seven main parts: the "Coming of Enkidu", the "Forest Journey", "Ishtar", the "Search for Everlasting Life", the "Story of the Flood", the "Return", and the "Death of Gilgamesh". The Creation of life was, and is, a mystery and therefore must be justified as it shows in the "Coming of Enkidu", where he was created by Aruru by dipping "her hands in water and pinching off clay" (EOG 62).
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Moral Fragments and Moral Community: A Proposal for Church in Society Essay
Devil’s Playground Introduction            The film â€Å"Devil’s Playground†is considered as one of the films ever produced that is more of a psychological thriller that is developed in a church setting, schools as well as the upper levels of power which exist in the Catholic Church, specifically, Australian when there was change in late 1980s. The film has various stars including Simon Burke who plays the role of Tom Allen. The other characters in the film include Don Hany, Jack Thompson, Toni Collette, John Noble, Andrew McFarlane, Anna Lise Phillips, Leon Ford, UliLatukefu, Matt Levett, as well asJarinTowney (youtube.com).            Form this film, it can be noted that the Amish youths, when they reach the age of 16 years, they are allowed to make their personal decisions and take other ways apart from following the set Amish rules. The youths sample the outside life from the routine life of the Amish which is often under strict rules (Rasmussen, 9-20). The youths get to have modern life whereby they do things as they please and engage in all manner of activities that comes with modernism. In the year 1988, Tom Allen was still recuperating from the loss of his wife as well as the love affair that he had with Alice. One boy goes missing from a Catholic School and there are a lot of questions which are asked by the community. Desperate search by Andrassi as well as Brother Warner to find the boy that has gone missing. In the second episode of film, there is a body which is discovered as well as a note, cryptic, which gives the suggestion that the death of that has occur red is not a normal death or as a result of accident(Rasmussen, 9-20).            The film is quite clear on the lessons that it tries to pass through to the society at large. As it is depicted in the film, the youths are left to make their choices in life, whether to follow modernism or to follow the Amish rules(Beaty, Carlton, and Mark, 107). The film is all about freedom in the society to make choices and live according to what the world offers. From the film, the concept of change is eminent in the film whereby the youths, at the age of 16, are left to do what they want(Rasmussen, 9-20). The film depicts the society as weak and lacks the control that it needs to have on young people. For example, Faron, who is the son of a preacher, gets involved in drugs and leaves the teachings of his father.            There is a lot of disrespect for authority that is depicted from the picture of Faron getting in to drugs and other social vices(David, n.p). The producer of the film tries to show the society that when people are left without any rules, there are high chances that things will definitely go wrong. However, it is ironical that the son of a preacher is ardent drugs user, something that the society greatly believes can only happen to those that do not go to church.            In this film, there are several characters that have been used, which includes students, clergymen, as well as person in authority. The use of the different characters helps in bringing out the themes in the film as well as the development of the film. The use of the clergy and having church settings as part of the film helps in bringing out the religious aspect that people have in the society (Beaty, Carlton, and Mark, 107). However, despite there being the aspect of religion and beliefs, the society is full of vices, some of which are associated with the church. The clergy are expected to perform the role of teaching morals to the followers and the society as well as offer the much needed support for the people. However, in the context of the film, the church is seen as one that is riddled with politics as well as social vices, although these are not outwardly displayed(Beaty, Carlton, and Mark, 107). The use of the clergy in the film he lps in supporting the theme of religion whereby people get hope from religion, as it is seen through the various youths that decided to get back to their communities instead of continuing with their reckless life(Rasmussen, 9-20). The church is the source of hope and future in the society. It is important that in society moral values should be supported by all the relevant authorities so that the young people can have some form of guidance since they are naà ¯ve and inexperienced.            Contrary to the moral values that are expected, the authorities have instead turned around and became symbols of immorality in the society, as this can be seen in the film. The clergymen fail in their responsibility which in turn leads to the death of a boy, and some form of note claiming that the death is not an accident(David, n.p). From the tile of the film, the Devil’s Playground†, it is symbolic since the events that take place in the film such as the way the youths have left the ways of the Amish and instead engaged in modernism, depicts the title of the film.            The producer of this film managed to bring out the title of the film since there are a lot of social vices which are depicted throughout the film. The vices cover up the religious beliefs that exits leaving in the film, and the church seems not be effective in carrying out its duty of ensuring that the moral values that are expected in the society are upheld by everyone. The schools are not left out as it is depicted in the film (Brooks, 125). The students are the victims that are greatly affected by the vices in the society. The film is a clear indication of what modernism has on a society that does not hold on to its cultural values. The students are presented as intelligent and are aware of what is happening in their surrounding and from observation, they try and practices what they see(Beaty, Carlton, and Mark, 107). The use of the students as part of the characters in the film the producer of this film were simply trying to show that there is no one in the society that is immune to vices which are in a society.            It is the responsibility of everyone in the society to ensure that moral values are upheld. Furthermore, it is not just the responsibility of the clergy, as they are not as perfect as they may be viewed to help maintain moral values in the society. Parents have the first responsibility of instilling moral values in their children. In the film, parents are seen to be strict to their children and want the children to follow what they want (David, n.p). However, as the children reach the age of 16 years, they are left to make their choices without the guidance of the parents. The effect of this laxity on the side of the parents result in the death of a boy, many of them getting involved in drug abuse as well as sexual relationships, things they are not supposed to do. The whole aspect of religion and parental guidance is lost as it is depicted in the film, and instead, evil is left to prevail(Rasmussen, 9-20). Conclusion            In conclusion, the use of the different characters in the film is quite accurate and matches the title of the film, bringing out the clear theme that was intended by the producers of the film. In addition to the characters, the use of different settings, that is, the church, schools and homes, helps to support the theme of the film and the development of the film, something that is a plus to the film. The whole aspect of the film is to help people understand the behavior of human beings when faced with changes, that is, the psychological impacts of different events in the life of an individual(Beaty, Carlton, and Mark, 107). In a society, there it is important that moral values should be maintained and young people should be taught how to live morally upright lives. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of everyone in the society to help and support each other in ensuring that cultural values are not lost. References Beaty, Michael D, Carlton D. Fisher, and Mark Nelson.Christian Theism and Moral Philosophy.Macon, Ga: Mercer University Press, 1998. Print. P.107 Brooks, Thom. Ethics and Moral Philosophy. Leiden: Brill, 2011. Print. P.125 David Dale, Catholic church is in the spotlight for Devil’s Playground TV series viewed from http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/catholic-church-is-in-the-spotlight-for-devils-playground-tv-series-20140902-10b5hx.html on 23rd November 2014 Rasmussen, Larry L. Moral Fragments and Moral Community: A Proposal for Church in Society. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993. Print. P.9-20 The Devils’ Playground viewed from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMmf-20w5IA on 23rdNovember 2014 Source document
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Testing of life expectancy Would you want to know
Testing of life expectancy Would you want to know Introduction Throughout the internet, there are numerous websites claiming to have softwares where people upon entering some personal information, they are informed with accuracy their life expectancy. The apparent accuracy of these tests is inadmissible and most of those people who take them rarely believe what they are told.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Testing of life expectancy: Would you want to know? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because different softwares produce varied results making it difficult even for the most ardent believers of these frauds to swallow what they see. While most of the online tests are frauds with little credibility, there could actually be a new way to determine people’s life expectancy. Scientists in the UK may be able to tell how long one will live through a special blood test that will involve study of a person’s genetic make up. Most of the people who par ticipate on the online tests will find this interesting because of the level of scientific involvement and the increased interaction with those that are offering the test. The fact that these scientists are ready to roll out the service in the market shows that they are convinced that it is credible and that they are ready to shoulder any legal challenges and are ready to prove scientifically that their method works. The question however is whether people will be willing to take the test or not. I would not want to have the test Before a person takes this test, a number of factors come to play. When carefully analyzed, the demerits outweigh the merits that should discourage any person of sound mind from taking the test. Validity of the test, the financial aspect, and the mental preparedness of such an undertaking will discourage me from taking the test. The reasons for not taking the test are tackled below in detail. Validity of the test and financial aspect The test seeks to analyz e a person’s status of telomeres, to determine the speed of aging. The wisdom behind this is that the shorter the telomeres, the faster someone will age.Advertising Looking for essay on aging? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since old age is generally associated with end of life, these scientists reckon they can use statistics like the prevailing life expectancy of a person’s region to calculate the number of years he/she will live. What they do not tell people is that this test will only test the biological age of a person. While biological age may have some correlation with chronological age, it is not in entirety an accurate way to determine how long a person will leave. To be fair, this test takes a ceteris paribus approach to chronological age. While it is possible for one’s biological age to be over a hundred, chronological age is subject to many factors like accidents that can easily take a person’s life at any age. Unless they include the element of other factors that cause death and are beyond human control, its will be a mere waste of time to take the test. All the above comes at a staggering figure of an equivalent of $700, a figure way beyond what many of those that will want to take the test. As it is, there are currently many tests that are available and that take into account many factors beyond biological age with somewhat accurate results of life expectancy. Well, assuming the test is to some extent accurate and one’s life expectancy is ascertained, its will be a source of personal problems like emotional breakdowns that may prove difficult to handle. Emotional breakdown Given that this test is backed by some scientific prove, some people are likely to take the results in their entirety. Human beings have for along time thrived in mystery and ignorance. The mystery that surrounds death and the lack of knowledge on how it is caused and when it will happen has spared many people a lot of agony. Knowledge of a person’s date or apparent date of death is likely to plunge some people into a state of emotional distress that is brought about by denial, fear, and apprehension.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Testing of life expectancy: Would you want to know? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is safe to assume that not many people can face the certainty of death in their sober state of minds. This alone is reason enough for one not to take the test because clearly the benefits of knowing your date of death are less those of not knowing. Conclusion There will be a lot of pros and cons about the life expectancy tests. The decision however lies with any individual that is interested. Whatever it is, the bottom line remains that this test will do more harm than good.
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