Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore the manner in which Christian teachings, among others, influence public education and how this influence may be enhanced. Based on the problems that society faces in the light of Christian teachings as an influence in public education, the following questions are asked. How significant is the importance of religious teachings in educating the public in contemporary times? What approaches could be implemented in order to enhance public education? How have educators approached integration of religious teachings in public teachings? Is there scope for enhanced religious teachings in public education?
From the Paper "Education is a process through which individuals learn how to improve their lives. The more a person is educated, the greater his or her chances are to live a better life. Educations helps one to cope with difficult situations too, as it is widens one's mind up and allows more consideration. Through being more considerate individuals understand one another more. This means that life in general, in a society where people understand and communicate with each other better, is more peaceful. Since this is a life that most people would desire, it is worth asserting that there is need to promote such harmony. It is also worth adding that it is naturally everyone's right to live in such a society, and in order to achieve this, all individuals should have a right to education. "
Abstract This paper explains that, although both Canada and the United States, to varying degrees, have renounced their Christian heritages, their basic natures are what they are because of the influence of, or as a reaction against, Christianity. The author points out that, in Canada, the historical evolution of Quebec and English-speaking Canada can be traced to its Christian heritage and the dramatic secularization of Quebec in particular can be traced to a rejection of that heritage. The paper relates that, for the United States, even though America has always been a fairly secular society in a formal, legal sense, it does have, and has always had, a religious element responsible for thrusting into the public spotlight social issues, which compel Americans to take sides and to engage in the pressing concerns of the day.
From the Paper "Starting first with the similarities between the two nations, it is evident that both Canada and the United States have a much more modest role for God in public life than is to be found in many other countries. For instance, just as jurists in Canada treat the 1982 Canadian Constitution's reference to God in its preamble as vestigial and thus prefer a form of jurisprudence that has frequently sought to de-Christianize public space in the Dominion, American jurists have also taken to employing an aggressive form of jurisprudence, founded in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, that holds the use of the word "God" in the Pledge of Allegiance to be unconstitutional."
Tags: missionaries dominance, christianreligious right, public life, pluralistic
Abstract This paper examines the Biblical Book of Psalms and its role in Christianreligious belief and practice. The paper gives a brief historical background of Christianity from its origins until modern times. The paper also describes the various sects of Christianity. The author states that despite variances in outlook, all denominations of Christianity hold the Book of Psalms as central in their liturgy and as a means of strengthening faith.
From the Paper "More and more people began confessing Jesus as the Christ, and so the Christian designation stuck. It spread from Judea into Syria and finally into all parts of the Roman Empire and beyond. Today, Christianity is the most widely recognized religion in the world. It is more popular in the United States and Europe than anywhere else, but there is also a large Christian following in Africa. Western culture would be difficult to imagine without Christianity because it has been part of Western civilization and life since nearly the beginning of time. Christianity believes that Jesus Christ is the one and only true Son of God, and that he came down to this earth and was made man so that he could live and die for the sins of humanity. By doing this, Jesus allowed human beings who believed in him to receive eternal life and salvation. Because he paid the price for the sins of humanity, human beings could go to heaven to be with him and God when they died, instead of being condemned to hell for their sinful nature."
Abstract The emergence and rise of the three major religions-Judaism, Christianity and Islam-were associated with many religious and political confrontations. The early confrontations between Judaism and the Romans influenced Judaism to include new beliefs about religious practices and the relation between man and God. Christianity confronted both Judaism and Paganism in order to establish the belief that Christ will resurrect as a savior. The monotheism of Islam integrated the tribes. This paper describes the relationships between the three religions covering both socio-political and religious aspects.
Abstract The cognitive and social functions of Christianity relieve death anxiety among Christians by establishing an inclusive group that functions to depreciate the significance of physical death, while simultaneously attaining a high degree of comfort in its unity. This paper points out that dependence placed by congregants upon the Church, and symbolically, God, allows Christians to deny their own mortality, and thus relieves them of paralyzing death thoughts. It states that, while superficially solving the universal tragedy of death, the denial of individual autonomy and the implications of religious claims to absolute truth that are inherent in religious practice are detrimental to the ego and fail to fully alleviate thanatophobic convictions among Christians.
From the Paper "Throughout human history, the mystery of death has fascinated and frightened the human mind. From its first encounter with death, usually through the loss of a loved one, the mind struggles either consciously or unconsciously to escape the inevitability of its end. It generally attempts to alleviate death anxiety through the creation or adoption of a myth system or through commitment to a social support group. Modern religion, particularly Christianity, provides both a mythical system of explanation and a social system that together serve to dissolve, ignore or suppress thoughts of death through a repression of the individual and his ego."
Abstract This paper discusses the Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism views of the Holocaust which the author points out affected not only the Jews but also many other groups of people. The author states that many Nazi activities were sadistic torment which Christianity views as sinful; Islam does not condone torture and Buddhism vehemently opposes. The author believes that of the three religions, the reaction of Christians in Germany may be the most troublesome.
From the Paper "Given that the Holocaust was a multicultural and multi-religious event, it is interesting to consider how some major religions might view the events. Christianity teaches that all murder is against the law of God. However, most Christian religions allow the execution of criminals by state governments. This is why we have individuals who protest executions but rarely hear about entire denominations protesting such events. So then, would Christian religions condone the events of the Holocaust because it was an event sponsored by the German government?"
Abstract In this article, the writer examines the personifications of evil in the Christian and Buddhist traditions. The writer discusses how these personifications of evil through Satan in Western Christian tradition compare to the personifications of evil through Mara in Buddhist traditions. The paper shows the important similarities and differences within the two concepts of evil and suffering. The writer concludes that in both cases important similarities and differences can be noted and the roots of these can be found in respective religious teachings.
Outline:
Evil and Suffering
The Two Embodiments of Evil: Mara and Satan
Hell in Early Buddhism and Christianity Conclusion
From the Paper "Again, we can find some similarities and differences between hell in early Buddhism and Christianity. In both cases, hell is a symbol of suffering and pain. As such it is used as a device of fear, as a tool to make the followers behave in accordance with moral values and teachings of the doctrine. However, while the Buddhist hell is only one realm of existence in which soul spends only enough time to clean itself and enter another realm (and can re-enter it again from a higher realm later), Christian hell is a place of eternal suffering. This clear difference arises from the differences in the religious doctrines."
A review of the book ?A New Religious America: How a ?Christian Country? has now become the World's most Religiously Diverse Nation? by Diana Eck about the growing diversity in religious affiliations in America especially among its immigrants and native
Abstract This paper gives a brief history of immigration to the U.S. and discusses whether ?religious pluralism?, a term used by Diana Eck in her book to describe America's "melting pot" of various Western and Eastern religions, serves as a unifying factor to the Americans (native peoples or immigrants) or not, especially in the light of the events of September 11, 2001.
From the Paper "In the first chapter of her book, Eck provides a brief summary of the historical background of the new surge of immigrants, and thus, the new surge of different Western and Eastern religions in the US. She further tells her readers that this surge of new immigrants, and the increased diversity of the religious and cultural traditions of America, started when the US government encouraged immigration of people from all over the world into the United States, as mandated by the new 1965 Immigration Act. This act paved the way for Asian, Arabs, and other nationalities in Eastern and Pacific Island nations to take part into the country's opportunities as the ?land of the free.? "
Tags: 911 culture tradition democratic state christianity islam judaism, buddhism hinduism
Abstract This essay looks at Kierkegaard's ideas on becoming a Christian looking at his ideas of subjectivity, inwardness, objectivity, faith, God, paradox and despair. Keirkegaard contrasts what he terms 'religiousness A' and 'religiousness B' and attempts to show what genuine faith is.
From the Paper "Kierkegaard's thought about the twin themes of becoming a Christian and living as a Christian. It is a process that will lead to real personhood, a journey to becoming a genuine self. Believing that there is an absolute qualitative distinction between God and Humankind, God's answer, the incarnation becomes an absolute paradox. This paradox engenders the possibility of offence within a person at the paradox and this cannot be overcome by the marshalling of evidence but only by a leap of faith. This state of faith or existence is called Religiousness B. In Kierkegaard's thought there are three stages of existence: the aesthetic (which in simple terms is living for pleasure), the ethical (a moral lifestyle) and the religious. The Religious can be subdivided into Religiousness A and Religiousness B. In this essay the emphasis will be on the latter stages by looking at certain key Kierkegaardian motifs, examining the themes of subjectivity or inwardness, Religiousness A in contrast to Religiousness B, faith and offence, paradox and despair. Religiousness B will not be dwelt on as this more pertains to existence as a Christian rather than the journey toward being one."
Abstract In this paper the author analyzes, compares and contrasts the religious and cultural persecution of Christians seen in Endo Shusaku's "Silence" and Roland Joffe's "The Mission". The paper further explains that each story shows that both foreign trade and religious conversion were the primary goals of the different groups of Europeans who came into contact with the peoples of the Americas and Asia from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries.
From the Paper "Within The Mission, the Jesuits from Europe are ultimately defeated in their mission (the double meaning of the film's title is deliberate) to help the indigenous peoples, not by government, but rather, by competing European economic interests, particularly the economic interests of the Portugese. Moreover, because the priests within The Mission are Jesuits (historically and ideologically radicals within the Catholic church) the church does not in fact support their efforts to maintain and defend Mission San Carlos, which they have built, and where the Indians of rural Colombia now safely and happily live. In Silence, Endo Shusaku describes how, in the 17th century, Christianity was practiced only in secret by Japanese Christians, due to severe religious intolerance on the part of the government there."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth discussion regarding the Church's position on politics. The author covers such issues as school prayer, evolution, abortion, censorship, euthanasia, the Democratic Party, and the separation between church and state.
From the paper:
"Christians have had a lock on education and government for a very long time, and they are reeling from the strides society has made away from myth and fantasy. They are ill equipped to handle their loss of power, because they have never had to deal with such a situation in their recent history."
"Christianity could not survive politically without support from a major political party, of which there are two. Irrespective of which political party Christians had allied themselves to; it would still have to compromise its beliefs. If they had chosen the Democratic Party, Christians would have had to accept a political platform that was open to homosexuals and women's liberation. The Democratic Party is also a party that is for religious freedom of choice, this to be expected from liberal organizations. The Democratic Party also has a liberal stand on censorship, which is in direct opposition to the Christian fundamentalist social agenda. For these reasons, and many others, the Christians kept shopping for a political home."
Abstract Abortion is a highly controversial issue with the pro-life and pro-choice supporters professing diametrically opposite view-points on the ethical, legal and medical aspects of the issue. The Christian beliefs regarding abortion have generally been against abortion, although in the middle period (5th to 17th century AD), the Christian church had softened its stance on abortion. Presently, most Christian organizations and churches are against abortion but the intensity of opposition varies among different Christianreligious groups. In this paper the writer outlines the Christian beliefs on abortion from the biblical times to the present, focusing on the anti-abortion arguments.
The Basis of the Christian Belief about Abortion: Biblical Foundation
The Early Church
5th to 17th century AD
Current Christian Belief on Abortion
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper "The Christian beliefs about abortion have completed a full circle since the biblical times. Initially, the Christian church was firmly opposed to all forms of abortion and considered it a dire sin. In the middle period, the Church changed tracks and allowed abortions in early pregnancy. Since the 17th century, Christians have reverted back to their original stance on abortion with the fundamentalists and evangelists being more strident in their opposition."
Tags: pro-life, pro-choice, death, unwanted, pregnancy, sin
Abstract This paper considers whether or not historians have over-emphasised religious change at the expense of continuity and how one could account for such trends in the historiography. Themes include the transformation of religion under Augustus, the emergence of Christianity, the Pagan revival, Early Medieval Religion and importantly the role of Holy Men and the Cult of Saints.
From the Paper "Religious change is fundamentally the difference between the situation after an event and the situation before, for example the difference in the status of Christianity before and after the reign of Constantine. Constantine's conversion in 312AD is a significant moment and is an ideal point to begin assessing how historians have presented religious change and continuity. Thirteen years after his conversion, Eusebius records Constantine describing how, in the days before the battle of Milvian Bridge, he and his troops saw 'the sign of a cross in the sky and the words in hoc signo vices. [in 312]' Following a subsequent visionary dream in which he was visited by Christ, Constantine incorporated the cross onto the legions' shields and the Chi-Ro sign onto the standards. Religious change certainly occurs with Constantine, but the claim it amounted to a 'revolution which was perhaps the most audacious act ever committed by an autocrat in disregard and defiance of the majority of his subjects' is an example of how historians have overemphasised the consequences of a change, ignoring many of the continuities present. It would surely have been impossible for Constantine to impose such a 'revolution' on his subjects when only one in ten were Christian."
Abstract This essay considers the Western perception of a Divine Creator, from both a religious and philosophical outlook. The paper first examines God from a Christian viewpoint, stating the requirements of a believer and the characteristics of God. Next, the essay analyzes several Western philosophers' concepts of God, including those of Friedrich Nietzsche, David Hume, Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell, and many other post-relativity scientific philosophers like Stephen Hawking. The author then discusses the difficulties Western individuals may have with the cultural definition of God. The paper concludes, however, citing the benefits of belief in a creator.
From the Paper "Very generally, Christian religions require unquestioned loyalty to an eternal, loving, and just God, who is fundamentally of Good "character." The Christian God rewards good behavior and also punishes for sinful human conduct. God rewards (and punishes) both in life as well as in the afterlife. Many believe that God appreciates (indeed, demands) our personal allegiance even more than our good conduct toward our human contemporaries, and that, unlike the former, our shortcomings with respect to the latter are unforgivable. According to Christian religious beliefs, God forgives all earthly sins of those who believe in him and rewards them with eternal life in Heaven after death. Conversely, no good deed on earth is sufficient to avoid eternal damnation in Hell for those who do not accept God, Christ, and the Holy Ghost."
Abstract This book report describes the various explanations for Christian love that arise within the book, "The Seeker's Guide to Building a Christian Marriage: 11 Essential Skills", by Kathy Finley. In this regard, the emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of love are identified within this book, which Finley is clear about in her explanations of Christian morality. This book report discusses the nature of love, and how it fits in with the Christian moral doctrines that are defined within the religious opinions of Kathy Finley.
