Abstract This paper examines how the laws of the ancient world demonstrate a consistency with the laws of the present and how they prove, without a doubt, that the challenges of the human condition have been and remain similar in scope and temptation. In particular, it looks at how this true of the laws of Moses and the laws of Hammurabi, even though the ways in which these two sets of laws differ are also very visible. It shows how Hammurabi is a comprehensive and practical canon set within the context of a real-world need for comprehensive laws of man, while the laws of Moses offer a generalized guideline of morality in the world of man as seen by God.
From the Paper "The issue of judgment demonstrates very clearly the differences between the laws of Hammurabi and the laws of the Books of Moses, with regard to the real nature of the ways in which humanity fails. The former is a comprehensive edict of right and wrong doing while the later is a moral guidepost for believers in the lord. Within the Hammurabi text it becomes clear that the intent of the actor is absolutely unimportant, as the act of wrong doing, or presumable wrongdoing is the one and only reason for judgment and punishment, yet within the laws of Moses even the intent is punishable within the confines of faith and eternity."
Abstract This paper examines Martin Luther's crusade against what he viewed as corruption in the Roman Catholic Church and the greater importance of faith in God and Jesus Christ than of good works, as stated in his famous work, "The Freedom of a Christian Man".
From the Paper "Martin Luther introduced new religious ideas that would shake the establishment of the Roman Catholic Church throughout Europe. He was responding to what he viewed as corruption in the Church, such as the sale of indulgences and simony, the buying of ecclesiastical authority, as well as more spiritual aspects, such as which of the sacraments were valid according to the Bible, and the issue of faith as opposed to good works. By ?works,? Luther refers to the actions of the individual in his/her daily life. Good works could include helping a neighbor with a problem, giving to charity, or doing something kind. In his statement from The Freedom of a Christian Man, "law" means the mandates of the Church, of the Bible, and of society that are meant to keep people from doing what are considered bad or evil things."
Abstract The author of this paper examines issues that make abortion morally and ethically justified. It shows that, while abortion should be avoided and should not be promoted, there are times when it is the only permissible option. The paper also looks at the views of different religions on the issue of abortion.
From the Paper ""Situational ethics is the philosophical position that although there are a few universal truths, different situations call for different responses; therefore some action can be right or wrong depending on the situational factors." (Pollock, p. 395) As stated earlier, there are many situational factors that can make the act of abortion moral or immoral. It is unreasonable to say that abortion is immoral no matter what the circumstances are. Some women risk losing their lives if they carry on with an ectopic pregnancy, some babies' lives may be in danger if they are brought into this world, and some babies may live a harsh life due to physical or mental impairments they may be born with. Situations like these make abortion moral in my opinion."
Abstract This paper examines how, from the beginning of the Church, the Scripture was believed to be inspired and inerrant, with a few minor exceptions and how it was only until the last few hundred years has "The Bible" come under scrutiny, and had its trustworthiness disputed. It provides a brief history of what the Church and Church fathers believed about the inspiration/ inerrancy of "The Bible" and gives several examples of how "The Bible" attests to its own inspiration and inerrancy.
Outline
Introduction
The Various Views of Inspiration/ Inerrancy
The Etymology of Inspiration/ Inerrancy
The History of Inspiration/ Inerrancy
The Theology of Inspiration/ Inerrancy
Conclusion
From the Paper "The doctrine of inspiration/ inerrancy is taught in the Bible. Dr. Towns wrote, "The content of the Bible teaches that it was given by the process of inspiration from God, so that the words were God's words and that they are accurate and reliable, hence they are authoritative." We have already stated that Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for correction and for training in righteousness." Peter wrote in Second Peter 1:21, "for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." When we take these two verses and combine them with verses in Numbers 23:19, 1Samuel 15:29, Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18 (these verses all teach that God cannot lie) we can come to the conclusion that there are no errors in Scripture."
Abstract The paper is basically an analysis of the oppressive and liberating aspects of religion concerning the role and status of women in the scriptures, church history, church teachings, structure and practices. This includes a quick survey of the efforts at renewal of the Church towards women's equality and empowerment. Also featured is a discussion of similar elements found in the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Religion as well as that of oriental religions / ethical systems.
Abstract This paper discusses puritan concepts that are still inherent in American society today. On one side, there are the Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock, the blunderbuss and the turkey, and on the other there is also the commonly-held 'dark side,' the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans: witch-hunts, elitism, intolerance, narrow-minded zealotry. The former is seen to be more influential today.
From the Paper ""I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church." (Thomas Paine) History is primarily the history of ideas. The ideas, concepts and constructions which emerged from Europe in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries had an impact on the whole of the Western world from Europe to its colonies and beyond. The faith in reason, science, technology, progress, human rights, commerce, the nation, and humanity in general, would eventually find its way into a global context. While various Puritan concepts are under fire today, the world has yet to replace them."
Abstract This essay examines Stoker's gothic classic, "Dracula", as a novel about the perversion of the Christian myth. It describes several passages in the novel that seem to mimic the bible, not only in intonation, but in connotation. The essay exposes obvious as well as often overlooked parallels between Christian dogma and the "Dracula" novel.
From the Paper "Bram Stoker's late nineteenth-century effort, Dracula, has achieved a mythical literary fame not enjoyed by many other novels. Since its first publishing over a hundred years ago, Dracula has never been out of print, and has spawned literally thousands of movies and modern novels concerning a vampire lore and tradition that Stoker single-handedly forged. What is amazing about this novel is that it not only contains the elements of excellent gothic horror, but social class commentaries, an interpretation of women's roles in society ? particularly with regards to female sexuality and sensuality ? and an ironic perversion of the Christian mythology."
Tags: british, de, fin, gothic, harker, helsing, jonathan, literature, religion, siecle, tepes, vampire, van, vlad
Abstract This is a persuasive paper that cites several of David Hume's major theories about the non-existence of a god and refutes them, demonstrating that Hume is inaccurate and that God does indeed exist.
From the Paper "This paper shall examine and counter David Hume's argument that God does not exist. The philosopher, Hume, did not think highly of religion and once referred to all organized religions as "the play-some whimsies of monkeys in human shape." (Hume: 362) Hume actively worked to counter the existing predispositions of major organized religions during his period. Hume suggested in his treatise "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religions" that the answer to the dilemma of whether or not God exists can be broken into a series of proofs on the qualities of evil. Hume suggests that the reason that God absolutely cannot exists is because there are qualities within the world that can only be defined as being evil. According to Hume, the very presence of evil serves to negate the presence of God. This can best be explained in a series of stages."
Abstract The author argues that theism is irrational. Human behaviour, however, is not always based on reason, and the fact that an enormous number of people unquestioningly believe in the existence of God seems to support this. Therefore, the theists? beliefs must be based on something other than rationality. This basis is faith.
From the Paper "Belief in the existence of God is irrational. Ontological, cosmological and teleological arguments can all be proven to be logically flawed. In addition, the existence of evil is incompatible with the existence of a Judeo-Christian God. Faith, then, is the basis upon which a belief in God must rest."
Abstract Paper about religious fundamentalism and the liberal modern world. Compares Christian fundamentalism in the United States, with Islamic fundamentalism. Also discusses radical fundamentalism with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
From the Paper "Fundamentalism is a religious phenomenon that has taken 20th century politics by storm. As defined by Webster's English dictionary fundamentalism has a direct correlation with Protestant Christianity; however, it has in the past, and is currently, impacting many other forms of religion. Since the 1970's many religious movements have emerged into political governments and ideologies all over the world. The dominating religion in Europe is Catholicism; Hinduism is very strong in eastern Asia; Judaism is the ranking religion in Israel and Israeli's political decision; and finally, Islam is the principal religion in the Middle East. Islam is the second largest religion in the world, second only to Christianity which is the main religion in the United States and is actually making a strong comeback in America."
Tags: fundamentalism, islam, globe, religion, belief, traditional
Abstract This paper includes a look at the construction of the Pantheon in Rome. The author provides a historical background regarding its creation under the ruler, Hadrian, as well as photos of this building. The focus of the paper is on a 'walkthrough' of this architectural site.
From the Paper "Throughout Roman history, many influential temples have been built. Perhaps the most recognizable and influential temple in all of imperial Rome is the Pantheon. Most temples that were built in ancient Rome were dedicated to a single god, or possibly a few gods. Built by the Emperor Hadrian, the ideology behind the Pantheon was to give remembrance and respect to all of the gods in ancient Rome. Since this temple was turned into a church in the early seventh century A.D., it was maintained and preserved very well, and can still be visited today. Within this research paper, I will provide a detailed look at the construction of the Pantheon, as well as Hadrians motivation to erect this building."
Abstract After defining 'consciousness' in this paper, the author shows that the very fact that we all have privileged access to our consciousness and cannot analyze it from an outsider's point-of-view is a major reason why consciousness remains so mysterious. In addition, he puts forward his view that inevitably, a scientific explanation of consciousness will be possible.
From the Paper "It is very hard to find an analogy to describe consciousness. We know nothing in the scientific world that draws a parallel with it. Consciousness is unable to be measured or analysed because at present we know of no connection between itself and the physical body, even if there happens to be a portion of the brain where consciousness is localised. We all experience privileged access to our own consciousness, yet how can we determine for sure that other people and creatures are also conscious beings when there is no sure-fire way to prove this? How do chemical reactions and neural processes in the body trigger conscious events? This is what makes consciousness so mysterious. We take it for granted and all regard ourselves as conscious beings, yet very rarely do we actually stop to think about what it is and how it came to be."
Abstract This paper looks at Flannery O'Connor's style of writing and particularly focuses on her religious stances and appeal in some of her short stories. The author includes many quotes from O'Connor's works.
From the Paper "Flannery O"Connor, a spiritual and devout Roman Catholic, portrayed God, religion, Jesus Christ, and evil in various aspects in some of her most famous short stories. O"Connor took a very broad approach to spiritual ideas that dealt with moral, psychological, and social issues in her writings. Many readers of O"Connor's writings often become perplexed with the characterizations of O"Connor's characters in her stories; however, when a reader discovers O"Connor's life and biographical history, they may view pieces of her life wrapped up into her short stories. Three of O"Connor's short stories that particularly deal with her religious devotions are ?The Turkey,? ?Revelation,? and ?A Good Man is Hard to Find.? Each of these stories focus on different spiritual concepts, but all can be traced to the biographical history of O"Connor's short life. In addition, O"Connor's style is verified in James Grimshaw's book titled The Flannery O?Connor Companion when he explains, "Of the various approaches employed to explain O"Connor's fiction, the one which has drawn the most attention and offered the most convenient "answers" has been the religious system? (4). Therefore, when detailing O?Connor's writing style from a religious standpoint, there are several distinct reasons and concepts that are apparent in her writings that imply her strong religious beliefs."
Abstract This paper examines the life of Martin Luther who was a catalyst of the Reformation of the Church and instrumental in the rise of Protestantism. The author explains how Martin Luther changed the ideas of the common man, gave him power of knowledge and self-righteousness and helped transform the peasant class. He examines the ideas that we are responsible for our own, self-will and individualism.
Topics covered:
Birth and family
Martin becomes a monk
Martin prepares for reformation of the church
Action is taken with his ninety-five theses
Martins trial in Worms
Martins influence and change of the peasant class (Black Forest)
Other great works authored by Martin
Luther supports the marriage of monks and nuns in the order
Martin marries a nun
Luther's Children
Luther's influence on the future, conclusion supporting above thesis
Bibliography
From the Paper "In the days of Martin's theological studies as a monk, he studied the bible rigorously. One passage in the bible stood out in his mind: ?The just shall live by faith.? One of Luther's first assignments as a monk was to join another monk in a trip to Rome. In Martin Luther's mind Rome was a sacred place. Instead of a sacred place Luther saw a place of wickedness, greed, crime and corruption (Harper). Luther states: ?Where God builds a church, the Devil puts a chapel next door.? He also stated: ?The closer to Rome,the worse the Christians.? "
Abstract This paper describes the life of Galileo Galilea--his childhood, youth and how this affected his chosen path in life. It analyzes his theories as well as the harsh and life threatening criticism he faced from the Church.
From the Paper Galileo's father was a musician who eventually challenged Aristotelian beliefs about music theory and who proved some of it wrong, so Galileo grew up in a forward-thinking house where beliefs that had been long-held by educated people were being questioned. His father was part of a small group of musicians who revolutionized the way music was written. These changes led to the birth of opera. He saw his father's musical experiments, which contradicted the most basic assumptions regarding music theory. These older beliefs were also tied to church theology. It was believed at the time that the rules of harmony paralleled the motion of the heavenly body. This concept was known as the ?music of the spheres.?
