A Very Wise John Green Once Said - 965 Words

A very wise John Green once said, â€Å"Every year many, many stupid people graduate from college. And if they can do it, so can you.† These are the words that I have chosen to live by since the beginning of my incredibly eye-opening freshman year. Among the various realizations that I made within these semesters, one of the most surprising findings through my experiences in WRC 1013 was that despite all the banners my high school flaunts around, I was not college ready. More so specifically in my â€Å"AP† writing classes I was not taught how to properly cite and use research and use sources, which really showed in my essays. Thankfully through this course, I have learned the importance of outlining, researching sources, and revising. Although I feel that I did improve within the areas of utilizing better sources and learning how to properly cite, I do however feel that my choice of diction and personal responsibility definitely have a lot of room for improvement. Some thing I have hardly struggled with is choosing a good topic, I often find what I want to talk about and I know what point it is that I want to convey. The part that I struggled immensely with, were how to properly use my mechanics and how to use citations with. In my compare and contrast essay I wrote, â€Å"not only caused her to cease to further educated Douglass, but it caused her to make sure that he wouldn’t learn from anybody or anything. This is when Douglass realized that ‘slavery and education were incompatible’)†Show MoreRelatedAn Atmosphere of Uncertainty of Confusion in The Yellow Wallpaper1063 Words   |  5 Pagesbelieve that she may be anorexic so she is put in the room with the yellow wall paper. We learn about her husband John who is a doctor. The woman can not seem to communicate wit her husband about how she feels because he would not believe her anyway. She is stuck in their temporary home and becomes obsessed with the wall paper. The fact is most likely that the narrator is very similar to the author. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a married woman who loved art-but she fell into depression andRead MoreFrog S Leap Winery Competitive1177 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿From: To: John Williams Re: Strategy John, I want to outline some of my strategy ideas for you. Frog Leap has a real opportunity to increase market share over the coming years, but we also have to address some serious problems with the company. I think addressing the debt issue starts with an evaluation of our assets and the real growth opportunities in the market. SWOT Frogs Leap has a few strengths on which to draw upon. The company has all three of sustainable practices, green land andRead MoreThe Importance of the Wise Use of Genetic Engineering1025 Words   |  4 Pagesof human species and not selectively. It is indeed horrifying to know that someone wants to use this as a tool for eugenics or to alter the human race altogether. I totally agree with the specter mentioned in the book Babies by Design by Ronald M. Green (2007), that in case a human weakness has been eliminated through genetic engineering, and the few parents who opt for a natural conception run the risk of producing low quality invalids----who become members of a despised under-class. I am againstRead More Ethics of Nanotechnology Essay1558 Words   |  7 Pageslittle computer and telling it carry out an assigned task like empty the recycle bin, or something of that sort. Or in this case telling the little robot to float around in a persons body and switch out a section of DNA so that the person’s eyes are green instead of brown. Just so we know how small this a strand of DNA is 2.3 nanometers wide or if you divided a meter stick into 1 billion sections it would be 2.3 sections wide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In many of the sciences with Nanotechnology being no exception toRead MoreEthics of Nanotechnology1578 Words   |  7 Pageslittle computer and telling it carry out an assigned task like empty the recycle bin, or something of that sort. Or in this case telling the little robot to float around in a persons body and switch out a section of DNA so that the persons eyes are green instead of brown. Just so we know how small this a strand of DNA is 2.3 nanometers wide or if you divided a meter stick into 1 billion sections it would be 2.3 sections wide. In many of the sciences with Nanotechnology being no exception to theRead MoreAbortion is Woman’s Right to Choose Essay example1532 Words   |  7 Pagesentire lives because of a mistake. They werent particularly overjoyed about it - no one is - and all are good, decent people who had one abortion when they were teenagers or in their twenties, and they are now happy, well-adjusted mothers. Someone wise once told me that in order to really understand a person’s situation you have to walk ten miles in that person’s shoes. I stand behind that firmly because I have been the person trying to walk in the shoes, and have turned into the owner of those shoesRead MoreThe Greater Power, The More Dangerous The Abuse1642 Words   |  7 Pagesinterviewee for the parents’ generation was my father. John Shoudel is a fifty-two year old male who everyone loves. We have a saying in our family, â€Å"Everyone loves John.† Whenever he meets someone, they instantly l ike him. My older sister, Celine, was interviewed for my generation. Celine is a twenty-one year old female who gets along with the people she tries to get along with. She is very hard to get to know, but one you get past her thick skin, she is a very likable person. All of my data collection wasRead MorePolitical Parties Are Helpful, Or Even Healthy1692 Words   |  7 Pagesor even healthy. In 1879 during his farewell address the first president of the united states of American George Washington warned that†¦.† The common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it†. Even with all the controversy that surrounds, the American two-party- system hasn’t faulted, from challenges of third parties to changes in our society, it has again and again proven itself as a strong systemRead MoreA P By John Updike1704 Words   |  7 PagesIn the story AP by John Updike a you ng cashier by the name of Sammy learns about the power of desire and the mystery of others minds when working at an AP supermarket in a small town north of Boston in the 1960’s, where there was a lot of social norms and many people didn’t step out of them. The young nineteen-year-old Sammy wasn’t expecting his Thursday shift at AP to go the way it did when income three young girls but, these are not your socially normal teenagers who come walking in the doorRead MoreLiterature Reflecting Religious and Political Ideals3433 Words   |  14 Pagesmother the Dragon or Devil. The Green Knight is a story from the High Middle Ages (1000-1300 AD), which is commonly thought of as an age of chivalry and knights in shining armor. In popular culture, this remains the most popular and persistent image of medieval culture and society. Sir Gawain was the noblest and more courageous of the Christian knights at King Arthurs Round Table, and the epitome of honor, duty and loyalt y, yet when he is put to the test by the Green Knight and his wife, he falls

The Death Of Two ( The Great Gatsby ) - 763 Words

The death of two (The Great Gatsby) The auburn hued leaves crunched with every miserable footstep. They scattered the ground in a haphazard manner, not dissimilar to the state of the thoughts swirling through the mind of the lone man, disconsolate and determined to regain a semblance of balance in his life. He strode purposefully towards his vengeful destination. With his worn-out greased overalls and his intrinsic grey flat cap, he passed through the elaborate, elite fields of West Egg, also known as the land of ‘new money’, embarking towards this mansion. Located at the very end of West Egg, bordering the sound, rested the extravagant white mansion. Stealthily, he moved towards his target, Jay Gatsby. For all George Wilson was concerned, he had been contemplating whether or not this man was responsible for the tragic death of his beloved wife, Myrtle. He walked further: to within the rear of the luxurious pearl white mansion. An old piano, sat as to enamel Gatsby’s supposedly elite position. Gatsby’s abode was embellished with unique russet velvety walls and glazed coffee wooden floorboards. After Wilson’s entrance, via an unlocked rear door, he imagined himself taking a drink with his girl in such a fine room, but that possibility did not exist. This man named Gatsby had ruined it all for him. George was a simple kind of guy. He always dreamed of living in West Egg with his wife; he wanted the best for Myrtle. Wilson removed a crystal clear glass from a coffee tableShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between The Great Gatsby And Julius Caesar1415 Words   |  6 PagesSociety in the world during a time is often told best in a novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the key novels that successfully tells both the lavish lifestyles and the faults of society in the 1920’s. The Great Gatsby is filled with an abundance of similarities to American life, outlining the American dream, and even parts of contemporary society today. However, The Great Gatsby shares underlying similarities with the novel, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. A novel thatRead MoreAnalytical Exposition in Response to Literature: Death of a Salesman and The Great Gatsby 976 Words   |  4 PagesThe two texts that this essay will compare and contrast are the novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald and the play Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller. Both works are based around the central topic of ‘the American Dream’ and the unceremonious death of it. However, the journeys that the protagonists take to meet their tragic ends are very different though the motives involved are accused murder and adultery. This essay ’s aim is to determine whether the novel or the play best is moreRead MoreThe Things They Carried And The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1507 Words   |  7 PagesThings They Carried and The Great Gatsby are just two examples of many written in which this theme is present. The Things They Carried, written by Tim O Brien, is about O Brien telling his personal experiences and stories of the Vietnam War, and how the soldiers are fighting two wars, a war with the Viet Cong and a war with themselves. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is set in the Roaring Twenties as it follows the story of a young man named Gatsby as he tries to achieve his versionRead MoreA Review of F Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby851 Words   |  3 PagesThe Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald created a modern masterpiece in his work The Great Gatsby, despite the novels earl ill reception. The work is a complex piece which tries to make sense of a strange concept of modernity within a classical sense of history. In the work, Fitzgerald illustrates the importance of allusion in the creation of character building, but also as a way for Fitzgerald to stray away from previous literary techniques and create motifs and themes that were entirely his ownRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s: Two Perspectives, One Story F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby and Toni Morrison s JAZZ both tell the story of the 1920s in America, but from opposite points of view. Both authors provide us with two compelling narratives of the societal shift that took place in America after World War I had come to an end. Although the accounts share many of the same general topics, as well as the historical era, it is difficult to imagine how the two stories could be so different from one anotherRead MoreEssay on Love vs. Materialism in the Great Gatsby1131 Words   |  5 PagesMaterialism The Great Gatsby does not offer a definition of love, or a contrast between love and romance. Rather it suggests that what people believe to be love is normally only a dream. America in the 1920s was a country where moral values were slowly crumbling and Americans soon only had one dream and objective to achieve, success. Distorted love is one theme in the novel The Great Gatsby, present among all of the characters relationships; Daisy and Tom, Tom and Myrtle, Daisy and Gatsby, and WilsonRead More Cars as a Symbol in The Great Gatsby Essay1036 Words   |  5 PagesCars as a Symbol in The Great Gatsby Cars play a very important part in the telling of The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is a very dark, unhappy book, and the cars really exemplify this. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦cars change their meaning and become a symbol of death (Dexheimer). Cars also give the reader insight into some of the different characters in the book. One of the most important jobs of cars in this book is to foreshadow upcoming events. Throughout the book, there are many devastating and darkRead MoreThe American Dream in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1096 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald In a majority of literature written in the 20th century, the theme of the American Dream has been a prevalent theme. This dream affects the plot and characters of many novels, and in some books, the intent of the author is to illustrate the reality of the American Dream. However, there is no one definition of the American Dream. Is it the right to pursue your hearts wish,Read More The Great Gatsby As A Tragedy Essay902 Words   |  4 PagesThe Great Gatsby As A Tragedy A hurried read of F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby can generate a tragic impression. The deaths of three of the main characters and the failure of Gatsby and Daisys romance can be viewed as tragic. However, a deeper analysis of the book reveals a much deeper tragedy. The relentless struggles of Gatsby himself parallel Fitzgeralds apparent ideas of the struggles of all Americans. The American dream romanticized by the majority of the population is reallyRead MoreEssay On Color Symbolism In The Great Gatsby1048 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish 1011 Z83 Professor Brosh Response to Driving to Destruction with the Rich and Careless at the Wheel Color-Symbolism in The Great Gatsby There is no understanding The Great Gatsby if you do not have at least a basic grasp of the main motifs that are present. Automobiles and colors are two main driving factors in F. Scott Fitzgeralds work and these two ideas work together as well. Many readers are so wowed by the vivid imagery included in this classic that they end up ignoring all the

All the presidents men AP Government paper Essay Example For Students

All the presidents men AP Government paper Essay All the Presidents MenAll the presidents men begins on June 17 1972 when five burglars broke into the Democratic National headquarters, which was located at the Watergate Hotel. Most of the Newspapers disregarded the story as just another break in but Two reporters for the Washington post stuck with the story till the End. The two reporters named Carl Bernstien and Bob Woodward realized that this break in was some how involved in the up coming election but they did not know how. Their first move was to follow where the money for the break in came from. The Money led them to find a safe full of money that was to go to the Re-election of President Nixon. This Money came From the Committee to re-elect the president or CRP for sort. Woodward and Bernstien found out that CRP was performing illegal activities to re-elect the president and high white house officials were involved in the planning of there activities. Woodward and Bernstein talked to Hugh Sloan. Hugh Sloan had control over th e money in the safe at CRP. Woodward and Bernstien found Sloan by tracing a check that one of the buglers had in their possession. Sloan told them that Five High-ranking officials in the White House had control over the money in the safe but he would not give names. He also told them that the money went to political sabotage. Woodward and Bernstein next move was to interview CRP sectaries and find out whatever Information they could on the officials at CRP. One Secretary mentioned the Name of Donald Segretti. She said there were many Checks written out to Segretti. So their next goal was to contact Segretti and figure out how he got the money and where he spent it. Woodward and Bernstien could not get a hold of Segretti very easily but when they did they found a wealth of information on CRP. Segretti told Woodward and Bernstien that CRP paid him to hire men to sabotage the McGovern Campaign. He told them some of the Tactics CRP would use was the Handing out of Campaign literature written by CRP that made the Democrats look like racists. CRP would also give Democrat supporters wrong information about Rallys for the Democratic nominee and order pizzas and liquor to democratic campaign rallies. Woodward and Bernstien would later find there had been political sabotage tracing back to JFK. Woodward and Bernstein were then contacted by a reliable source named Deep Throat. Deep Throat gave them information on who had control of the money in Sloans safe. He pointed them to two high ranking official that were thought to be the masterminds of the break in and of other CRP actions of political sabotage. Their names were Bob Hadleman and John Ehrlichman. Deep throat also said the attorney general John Mitchell was also some how involved. As Woodward and Bernstien were having there articles published about Watergate the White House was denying any involvement in the Watergate break in and denying the CRP safe which held money that went to political sabotage. The White House also claimed that the post was only publishing storys that helped Democrats and never published stories about political sabotage on the republican campaign. They also claimed the post was sabotaging the republican campaign by writing these stories. An investigation into Watergate was starting and in the beginning Woodward and Bernstien had their doubts that the whole truth would not be revealed. They were right the investigation was a joke. None of the names in one of the burglars phone book were check. No leads followed up and many questions were left unanswered by the FBIs investigation. That is when Woodward and Bernstein began meeting with Deep throat again and continuing to write articles about White House involvement in Watergate. The 1972 approached and ended with Richard Nixon the victor with one of the biggest political landslides in US History. It showed that the posts articles about the Break in at the Watergate and supposed government involvement didnt have any impact on the republican campaign. Woodward and Bernstien were questioning themselves if they should continue writing these articles after the president became re-elected. .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 , .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 .postImageUrl , .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 , .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6:hover , .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6:visited , .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6:active { border:0!important; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6:active , .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6 .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc27fad0545f2a6ca07c4741dae4d8af6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Rheumatoid Arthritis Essay PaperIn May of 1973 it was announced that senate grand jury investigations would take place to investigate any cover up of the Watergate investigation and it was to begin of the 18th . It was then Woodward and Bernstien contacted Deep throat and Asked how high up Watergate was and how this would affect the nation. Their worst fears would come true when they got their answer from deep throat. Deep throat said the cover up of government involvement went all the way up to the top of the FBI and to the Top of the White House and he said the whole truth would come out in the investigations. The senate investigation called on John Dean. He told Waterga te investigators that he discussed the Watergate cover-up with President Nixon and his top official John Ehrlichman and Bob Hadleman at least 35 times. The senate investigators also found a memo discussing other break ins and wire taps of news personalities and other people in the government who were talking to the news reporters. When the senate investigators called Alexander Butterfield a former presidential appointment secretary he revealed president Nixon recorded everything that went on at the White House. Soon after these revelations came out Bob Hadleman and John Ehrlichman resign. After that President Nixon goes on national T.V and professes he is not a crook. The book ends with Nixon Giving his annual state of the Union address and he says that one year of Watergate is enough and urges the nation to go on to other more urgent matters. Woodward and Bernstien then quote Nixon saying, I want you all to know that I have no intention whatever of ever walking away from the job the American people elected me to do for the people of the United States. All the presidents men takes place during the time period of the 1970s. During this time the U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War. In America at the time there were many Anti-war protests and formations of groups like the New Left. In 1970 the draft was replaced by the lottery and many young collage students were angry with the U.S. Government because they would not back out of Vietnam. The condition of the American Economy during this time was Horrible. The U.S. economy was in a recession and unemployment rates were going up. For the first time in almost one hundred years the U.S. was faced by an unfavorable balance of trade. Also during this time president Nixon called for cuts in welfare and education. On top of all this the U.S. was going through a gas crisis due to cut backs in OPEC. The recession hit all over the U.s. hitting its peek with the Auto industry. In the early 1970s President Nixon visited Russia. He was the first U.S. president to visit Russia since it became communist. While in Russia president Nixon signed the Salt I treaty, which showed a cooling down of tensions between the U.S. and Russia. Another big change during this time was the replacing of Taiwan in the U.S. with communist china. . Also during this time the U.S. continued to support Israel even though this annoyed the OPEC nations and was causing a big crisis on the U.S. home front. The American culture was portrayed very well in this novel. It shows how everyone in the U.S. trusted and supported theyre elected officials and very rarely doubted them. It also portrays how political figures can get away with sabotaging a national election and get any with it without having criminal charges filed against them. The novel also portrays how people can lie to the American people and get away with it. It also portrays the American political culture as willing to do anything to win. It also shows political figures dedication to the president by doing anything to protect his reputation even going as far as to take the blame for a crime they had nothing to do with. Woodward and Bernstien accurately portray American culture at the height of the Watergate scandal.

Shakespeare Greatest Playwright of All free essay sample

Greatest Playwright of All William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a British poet and playwright, he was well known as the greatest writer of all time, he was often called the Bard of Avon. Although many facts of his life remain unknown, his poems and plays are unique and have timeless theme that touch everyone’s heart, and are still widely studied and performed in today’s society. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, England enjoyed a time of prosperity and stability that led to a new era for England. Shakespeare’s works epitomize arts of the Elizabethan Epoch; through his uses of beautiful and poetic language, iambic pentameter is nearly always used in his style of poetry. Shakespeare wrote about timeless themes about the human nature surrounded themes of true love, revenge, power-lust, ambition, anger, war, etc, they are not only appealed to the people of Elizabethan England, but also provide a reference for life in his time for us to view the contemporary society. We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeare Greatest Playwright of All or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon Avon in Warwickshire and was baptized on April 26, 1564. His father was a wool merchant and his mother was the daughter of a landowner. The next documented event was his marriage when he was 18 years old to Anne Hathaway who was 26 years old at that time, and they had three children. There was another gap where some scholars referred to as the lost years, then he was working in a theatre in London in 1592. Shakespeare wrote his very first play, Henry VI, Part One in 1589-90, and in  1590-91, Shakespeare wrote Henry VI, Part Two and Henry VI, Part III. Shakespeares poetry appeared before his plays, his narrative poems Venus and Adonis as his first ever publication in 1593. Then Shakespeare wrote plays began to be noticed by the public, and sooner became popular. During the Renaissance in Europe there was a great innovation of science; the Church had lost some of the corruptive power that once held over Europe, and people were again free to look back upon the pagan scholars and writers of Greece and Rome. Plays by playwrights such as Euripides, Plautus, and Seneca which were once banned by the Church were once again being read and performed. Likewise, the cultural stories of the people were once again being told in public, and playwrights, including Shakespeare, were widely performed. An good example would be Midsummer Nights Dream, Shakespeare used ancient Celtic and Greek mythological figures such as Puck, Oberon, Theseus and placed them in a different time and place, but with their original characteristics. Other plays, such as Romeo and Juliet make references to popular mythological figures like Queen Mab to make the story fit better into their world. Since people of all classes attended plays, playwrights needed to use stories, characters and words that would appeal to everyone. England in the time before the reign of Elizabeth I was under a state of religious turmoil. When Elizabeth I ascended to the throne, she banned the performances all religious plays and stories (except in Church) to help stop the violence over religion. Popular plays were   not longer be performed, and playwrights were now free to concentrate on secular stories. They still contained some elements of religion, as did everyday life in Elizabethan England, but it was not the primary focus, nor did it play a particularly important part of the story. Conventions from Medieval religious theatre found its way into Elizabethan Theatre, however, and Shakespeare made good use of them during their performances, such as using the trap door for the gravediggers’ scene in Hamlet. The Hellmouth and trapdoor, which had been a staple of Medieval Theatres continued to be used, and were built into the permanent theatre structures used in the performances of Elizabethan plays. Shakespeare’s histories, such as Henry V, were a tribute to the Monarch and to the country. Many playwrights and other artists paid homage to their patrons, including Shakespeare. By writing about the glories of England and her former rulers he was paying homage to Queen Elizabeth and England. Since the arts were kept alive by patrons, it was best not to anger one and lose your support. Shakespeare sometimes, such as in Hamlet, criticized the Monarchy, but in a way that would not be obvious or outwardly treasonous. He spoke his mind, but also paid lip service to keep money coming from his patron. Shakespeare was a very prolific writer, because his writings are not totally original. He had help with many of his plays from other writers and actors, such as Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), resulted people doubting that he himself wrote his plays. King Lear is based on a Celtic myth, and Hamlet is a retelling of earlier versions of the same story. Elizabethan plays use stock-type characters like those found in Comedia Del’Arte and Roman plays, and actors would specialize in specific types of roles. The English Renaissance Theatre played a significant part of Elizabethan theatre and Shakespeares playwright career. The theatre has a proscenium-arch stage, and seatings on hree tiers (stalls, circle and balcony). Shakespeare first worked for Lord Stranges Men in The Rose, it is London’s most historic Elizabethan Theatre on Bankside and a home to many of Shakespeare’s and Marlowe’s first production. When the Globe was built, He worked for the Lord Chamberlains Men, and was also part owner of the Globe itself. People in Elizabethan England wer e very concerned with the humour, which was a form of medicine and psychology. Shakespeare makes references to them all over in his plays. Hamlet is portrayed as being to Melancholic, with his humours out of balance, and one was dominant over the others. This is not psychology as we know it today, and was why the people from Elizabethan Era believed people were the way they were. Shakespeare used this belief to make his characters not only believable, but also understandable to his audience. Shakespeare’s works are the greatest representation of art from Elizabethan England politically, economically, and socially. No other art form, including painting, could provide so much information about life in Elizabethan England, we can see the ideas, thoughts, languages, customs, etc throughout his plays. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets and 37 plays in total, including tragedy, comedy, and history. The Four Great Tragedies were his greatest achievement as a playwright, and are greatly studied in English literature, performed in theatre, and made into several films; include Romeo and Juliet (1594), the timeless tale of young lovers whose names were synonymous with star-crossed romance; Hamlet (1600), the revenge drama centering on the introspective Prince of Denmark; Othello (1604), a story of gallant soldier and loving husband was undone by jealousy ; and Macbeth (1605), known as The Scottish Play, concerning a noblemans overweening ambition. These plays focused on powerful central characters with outstanding personal qualities, and the antagonists were their own strengths,   their family, and the society, which would not allow then to get what they wanted. For example, Romeo and Juliet sought for true love, but they were forbidden to love each other because their families were  mortal enemies, and the story ended tragically where Romeo drugged himself and Juliet stabbed herself with a dagger.

The Development of Marriage essays

The Development of Marriage essays The Development of Marriage The institution of marriage has grown and developed into many acceptable facets. In Merriam Websters online dictionary, the word marriage has two definitions. Definition one is the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. The second definition is the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage . Over the years of evolvement of the United States, attitudes toward the institution of marriage have changed toward a trend of greater acceptance of non-traditional types. In Colonial America, marriage was thought of as an arranged contract between a prospective husband and a wifes father. In other words, the wife was bought from her father. During 1610, the first anti-sodomy law was passed prohibiting homosexual behavior between men. The US Supreme Court in 1878 ruled against the Mormon concept of complex marriage on the basis that marriage is a civil contract regulated by law. The 20th century sexual revolution yet again changed the ideology of marriage even further. In 1967, a Supreme Court decision in the case of Loving vs. Virginia it ruled the prohibiting interracial marriage is unconstitutional. In 2003 in the Supreme Court, case of Lawrence vs. Gardner struck down the Texas State law banning consensual sex between homosexuals a violation of individuals right to privacy. The practice and Ideology of marriage has changed over the course of development of America. The volatile issue of same sex marriages is now the front runner in the current course of change. Will it be accepted? Only time will tell. ...

Words Formed from the Initial Letters of Other Words

Words Formed from the Initial Letters of Other Words Words Formed from the Initial Letters of Other Words Words Formed from the Initial Letters of Other Words By Maeve Maddox The word acronym was coined in 1943 by Bell Laboratories to refer to new words like RADAR that had been created from the initials of the words in phrases. Distinctions can be made between initial letter constructions that can be pronounced as words (RADAR) and those which can be pronouced only as letters (FBI). Strictly speaking, RADAR is an acronym, while FBI is an initialism. Unless one is addressing an academic audience, the word acronym may be used to refer to any word formed from the initials of other words. For one thing, acronym is a more familiar term than initialism. For another, many words formed from initials defy easy categorization. Some dont even have widely agreed-upon names to describe them. Letter Combinations pronounced as a word WAC Womens Army Corps NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization LASER Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation pronounced as initials FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation ATM Automated Teller Machine BBC British Broadcasting Corporation AFL-CIO American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations pronounced partly as letters, partly as syllables JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group MS-DOS Microsoft Disk Operating System CD-ROM Compact Disc read-only memory pronounced as words by some speakers; as letters by others: FAQ Frequently Asked Questions LED Light-Emitting Diode ASAP As Soon As Possible IRA Individual Retirement Account SAT Scholastic Achievement Test pronounced as letters and words AAA (Triple A) American Automobile Association NAACP (N double-A CP) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People formed from letters within a word as well as initial letters DNA DeoxyriboNucleic Acid SONAR SOund Navigation And Ranging XML eXtensible Markup Language Ill worry about specific labels for the different types when Im called upon to write an academic treatise on the subject. For ordinary conversation and informal writing, Ill go on calling them all acronyms. For those who like to make nice distinctions in such matters, this Wikipedia article is a wealth of information. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive At15 Types of DocumentsThe Two Sounds of G

Barriers to Thinking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Barriers to Thinking - Research Paper Example Ruggiero (2009) correctly calls it, in the layman’s language, a tendency of laziness that most people are inclined to. Change by its very nature forces people to learn new ways and means and stretch ones imagination towards a new goal. One who is ready to change will inevitably initiate a process of thinking. Self-deception is the second barrier to thinking that can be seen in most of us. Finding fault in others, in circumstances for our all failures is a biggest self-deception that we resort to. That is how we pass on, very cleverly, all responsibilities on others. Self-deception is an enemy to our growth and development. At times, we conveniently forget that odds are there everywhere yet certain people do overcome them with their rightful thinking and introspection in the life (Ruggiero 2009). Riggiero (2009) advises us to abstain from taking any instantaneous viewpoint or form any opinion on any matter because that will be mostly judgmental and only out of our deep rooted old habits that we are mired of. When we are successful in this first step, then and then only, we will be able to initiate our unbiased and conscious thinking process that will gradually loosen our ties with all barriers to

Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project - Assignment Example e main purpose of this activity is to allow the participants to learn why it is necessary to bring the special education and the general education teachers together. The session makes it possible for them to develop a collaborative plan that will enable them to effectively meet the various academic and the social needs of the students with various disabilities and those in the general education settings. This activity recognizes the unique roles and responsibilities that each of the teachers have in the collective planning process. Through this session, it is possible for them to gain immense understanding of the special needs of the students that they will be dealing with. The outcome of this will be increased partnerships and collaborations between them thus ensuring that they are able to enhance their performance in the various educational settings. In the long run the benefits will be passed down to the students as they will be taught with their academic and social goals in mind. In order to take part in the session and for it to be a success, all the participants need to be well prepared. This entails defining the roles of those taking part. For this activity, there are three key participants who had specific roles to play. The three roles included time keeping, team leading and recording. The roles can be assigned randomly or each person allowed choosing the role that they feel they can effectively fulfil. The duty of the team leader was to initiate the meeting and communicate the details of the session to the other members of the team. This will include those who were to attend but were unable to do so due to reasons that were beyond their control. The recorder had the duty of capturing and also disseminating the minutes from the planning sessions. This allowed for the continuity of such sessions in future. The time keeper on the other hand was tasked with the duty of ensuring that the items which were to be consider were covered and that the session took

Dessisons Thesis Statement Essay Example for Free

Dessisons Thesis Statement Essay One of the 6 decisions is friends. Friends can help you graduate from high school as well as prevent you from graduating as well. It could be just as bad having no friends as having the wrong kind of friends. Three reasons are you if you have smart and good friends you have a much higher chance of graduating, if you have bad friends that are always getting in trouble then you have a low chance of graduating or being successful in life, the last reason is having no friends could be as bad as having the wrong friends. If you have smart friend’s chances are you will do better in school and be successful in life. One reason is your friend won’t call you asking you to come to a party or go to the mall when you need to study because you most likely will be studying too. Another reason is they will get you into good habits like studying instead of bad habit like drugs and skipping school. The last reason is there might be a little friendly competition between you and your friends about grades and test scores. Those are three reasons why having smart friends can help you graduate and be successful in life. If you have bad friends that always get in trouble and do bad stuff then chances are you will do the same and do poorly in school and not graduate. One reason is they get you into bad Habits such as drugs, partying, and skipping school. Another reason is they will call you and tell you to come to a party while you’re trying to study and if you don’t go then they might make fun of you. The final reason is they will want you to skip school which will mean missed assignments which will make your grades go down which will make you do poorly in school and maybe not graduate. Those are three reasons why having bad friends who get in trouble can prevent you from doing well in school. If you have no friends it could be just as bad as friends that get in trouble. One reason is other kids might bully you which could make yourself esteem go way down which might make you care less about school. Another reason if you need help with homework you won’t have any friends to call for help. The final reason is if you’re having family problems you won’t have someone to talk to and help you get passed it and focus on school some again. Those are the three reasons why having no friends could be as bad as having fiends that get in trouble. Those are the three main reasons why friends can help you or prevent you from graduating high school and be successful in life. So make the choice keep partying and sliding by in school or have smart friends and fly right through school and graduate and have a successful life and provide your kids with a good life as well. You can do well in school and still have fun because your parents might give you more responsibility and let you do what you want more. So the best choice is have good, smart friends. But it’s your choice.

Was The Dropping Of The Atomic Bomb Justified? Essay -- U.S. History

On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This was an extremely controversial military strategy in the United States. Was the United States justified in the dropping of the atomic bomb? The U.S. feared the rise of communism and gave aid to any country against it. The U.S. also fought countries threatening the spread communism. One of these countries was Japan. We began a harsh and brutal war against Japan and against communism. This war was killing many soldiers and Japan was not backing down. President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb when things were getting worse. The decision to use the atomic bomb was a difficult one and many people wonder if it was the right choice. When the United States caught word that Germany was close to creating the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer and other scientists wanted to create it first, for the U.S. After three years of research, the first small atomic device was exploded on July 16, 1945 in the lab at Los Alamos. Having proved their concept worked, a larger scale bomb was built. Less than a month later, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan (Rosenberg). There are many people who oppose the use of the atomic bombs; though there are some that believe it was a necessity in ending the war. President Truman realized the tragic significance of the atomic bomb and made his decision to use it to shorten the agony of young Americans (â€Å"Was the Atomic Bombing†). The president knew of the way the Japanese fought. They fought to the death and they were brutal to prisoners of war. They used woman and children as soldiers to surprise bomb the enemy. They made lethal weapons and were taught to sacr... ...t of physical as well as psychological damage was too great according to many people. Works Cited The Atomic Bomb. Evanston, Ill.: Nextext, 2000. Print. "Atomic Bomb-Truman Press Release-August 6, 1945." Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. Web. 10 June 2010. . Chaitin, Julia, Aiko Swasa, and Dan Bar-On. "Life After The ATOMIC BOMB." USA Today Magazine Mar. 2007: 20-23. Points Of View Reference Center. Web. 4 June 2010. Rosenberg, Jennifer. "J Robert Oppenheimer - Biography of Manhattan Project Director J. Robert Oppenheimer." 20th Century History. Web. 10 June 2010. . "Was the Atomic Bombing of Japan Justifiable?" The Pacific War 1941-43. Web. 10 June 2010. .

A Man’s Search for Meaning Essay

A Man’s Search for Meaning is about enduring years of the Nazi concentration camps. The holocaust was one of the darkest chapters of human history taught him that the man’s primary motivational force is the search for meaning. Dr. Frankl’s discovery led to the development of the revolutionary approach to psychotherapy known as logotherapy, which is the own version of modern existential analysis. The book shows understanding why and how people can survive and cling to life given such apparently frail or simple reasons as love for one’s children, talent to be used, or even just simple memories. It redefines human achievement, the will to meaning and logotherapy, and sources of meaning. Frankl recollected on the thoughts that gave him the will to live. The mental images of his wife provided the only light in the dark days of the concentration camp, and there is a beautiful scene when he is thinking of her with such intensity that when a bird hops onto a mound in front of him, it appears to be her living embodiment. He talked about the men who had given up, that could be recognized by the smoking of their last cigarettes, which could’ve been traded for a scrap of food. These men decided life held nothing more for them, which Frankl thinks is a terrible mistake. I realized that I have to find the courage to ask what life expects of me, day by day. The task isn’t to survive, but to find the guiding truth specific to me and my situation that can only be revealed during the worst times of my life. During his experience at the Holocaust, he provided the basis for the development of a new school of psychotherapy, Logotherapy that follows Freud’s psychoanalysis and Adler’s Individual Psychology. Psychoanalysis requires a person’s introspection and self-centredness to reveal the basis of their neurosis. The logotherapy tries to take the person out of himself or herself and see their life in a broader perspective and sees the prime motivating force in human beings to be a will to meaning. In logotherapy, existential distress is not a mental disease, but a sign that we are becoming more human in the desire for meaning. He chooses not to see life simply as the satisfaction of drives or instincts, or becoming â€Å"well-adjusted† to society, but he believed that the outstanding feature of human beings is their free will. I was inspired with the new school of psychotherapy because it causes man to desire to search for their meaning. It shows the potential that humans can have in the world and how everyone can utilize their own aspects to search for their meaning. Logotherapy sees mental health in the tension between what one is and what one could become. Frankl notes that the modern person had too much freedom to deal with. We don’t live through instinct, yet tradition is no guide and the existential vacuum, in which the frustrated will to meaning is compensated for in the urge for non-important thing. There are various sources of meaning, such as a classic source. This is defined as â€Å"life purpose† in the self-help literature. We shouldn’t seek directly and defines happiness as a by-product of forgetting ourselves in a task that draws on all imagination. Another sources experiences a legitimate another alternative to achievement in a society built around achieving. Just because we can’t comprehend meaning, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t any. Frankl talks about only the unfilfillment of potential is meaningless, not life. Our culture worships the young, yet it is age that is to be admitted, since the older person has loved, suffered and fulfilled so much. The fulfillment of our own potential will make a permanent imprint on the history of the world, and that imprint defines responsibility. I saw that freedom is only half of the equation, and the other half is the responsibility to act on it. The Man’s search for meaning was a great example on reflection on the negatives and turning them into positives. Through the worst times of Frankl’s life, he was able to make a new school of psychotherapy that talks about how suffering is a part of someone’s life. I was affected about how a man needs to search for meaning for the fulfillment of our own potential. The freedom is only half of the equation, and we need responsibility to act on our freedom.

Influence of Religion on African Culture

Africa is a continent of diversity. In this diversity there are hundreds of tribes and communities each practicing its own culture and religion. It would be very difficult to define Africa’s traditional religion as it would be difficult to define its culture.More so, it is extremely difficult to establish the dividing line between African Culture and African Religion. However, as much as there were many African Traditional Religions, their similarities were more dominant than their differences. We take up these similarities and encompass them as one African Traditional Religion. In this report, we explore the important aspects of Africa’s Traditional Religions and cultures that cut across the entire continent.This essay is based on various researches done by prominent scholars, historical background of Africa, news and books relevant to African studies. This report attempts to define religion, culture, and explores the major religions, African Traditional Religion (ATR) , Christianity and Islam and their influence and impact on African culture. Africa is one of the World’s six continents. It is the second largest and second most populous continent after Asia. Other continents include; Asia, America-North, America-South, Australia, Europe.Geologically, Present-day Africa, occupying one-fifth of Earth's land surface, is the central remnant of the ancient southern supercontinent called Gondwanaland, a landmass once made up of South America, Australia, Antarctica, India, and Africa. This massive supercontinent broke apart between 195 million and 135 million years ago, cleaved by the same geological forces that continue to transform Earth's crust today. At about 30. 2 million km? (11. 7 million sq  mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20. % of the total land area. With 1. 0 billion people (as of 2009) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14. 72% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent has 54 sovereign states, including Madagascar, various island groups, and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a member state of the African Union whose statehood is disputed by Morocco.Afri was the name of several Semitic peoples who dwelt in North Africa near Carthage (in modern Tunisia). Their name is usually connected with Phoenician afar, â€Å"dust†, but a 1981 hypothesis has asserted that it stems from a Berber word ifri or Ifran meaning â€Å"cave†, in reference to cave dwellers. Africa or Ifri or Afer is name of Banu Ifran from Algeria and Tripolitania (Berber Tribe of Yafran). Pre-colonial Africa possessed perhaps as many as 10,000 different states and polities characterised by many different sorts of political organisation and rule.These included small family groups of hunter-gatherers such as the San people of southern Africa; larger, more structured groups such as the family clan groupings of the Bantu-speaking people of central and southern Africa, heavily structured clan groups in the Horn of Africa, the large Sahelian kingdoms, and autonomous city-states and kingdoms such as those of the Akan, Yoruba and Igbo people (also misspelled as Ibo) in West Africa, and the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa.Religion originates from the Latin world religare (re: back, and ligare: to bind), and this brings up the world â€Å"being bound. † faith is usually the core element of religion. Faith encompasses â€Å"Value-center,† â€Å"trust,† â€Å"loyalty,† and â€Å"meaning†. It is difficult to define religion.A good definition of religion is one that expounds on the following key traits; Belief in something sacred (for example, gods or other supernatural beings), A distinction between sa cred and profane objects, Ritual acts focused on sacred objects, A moral code believed to have a sacred or supernatural basis, characteristically religious feelings (awe, sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration), which tend to be aroused in the presence of sacred objects and during the practice of ritual, prayer and other forms of communication with the supernatural, world view, or a general picture of the world as a whole and the place of the individual therein. This picture contains some specification of an over-all purpose or point of the world and an indication of how the individual fits into it, a more or less total organization of one’s life based on the world view, A social group bound together by the above. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning â€Å"to cultivate†) is a term that has various meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of â€Å"culture† in Culture: A Cri tical Review of Concepts and Definitions.However, the word â€Å"culture† is most commonly used in three basic senses: Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as culture, An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning and the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group. Culture has six core elements; politics, economics, ethics, aesthetics, kinship and religion. And out of these, religion â€Å"is by far the richest part of the African heritage. † It shapes their cultures, their social life, their politics, and their economics and is at the same time shaped by this same way of life. Some of the major religions that influenced African culture; African traditional religion, Christianity and Islam African Traditional ReligionIt is a unique religion whose sources include: sacred places and religio us objects such as rocks, hills, mountains, trees, caves and other holy places; rituals, ceremonies and festivals of the people; art and symbols; music and dance; proverbs, riddles, and wise sayings; and names of people and places. Beliefs cover topics such as God, spirits, birth, death, the hereafter, magic, and witchcraft. Religion, in the African indigenous context, permeates all departments of life. Africa’s traditional religion is based on the Ubuntu philosophy, which is a Zulu word for human-ness, and was developed over many centuries in traditional African culture. This culture was pre-literate, pre-scientific and pre-industrial. The concept of Ubuntu was originally expressed in the songs and stories, the customs and the institutions of the people. Another distinctive quality of the Ubuntu philosophy is the African emphasis on consensus.Indeed, the African traditional culture has, seemingly, an almost infinite capacity for the pursuit of consensus and reconciliation. D emocracy in the African way does not simply boil down to majority rule since it operates in the form of discussions geared towards a consensus. Christianity The Christian religion was founded in what is today Israel and Palestine 2000 years ago at the beginning of the Common Era. Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, a Jewish teacher and prophet. Early Christians (followers of Christ) believed that Jesus was divine in that he was the son of God. Islam Islam is a religion that was founded by Prophet Mohammed.It geographic origin can be traced to the modern-day Saudi Arabia. Influences of Religion on African Culture Religion being one of the core components of culture has a great influence on culture. Every religion practiced in Africa today has had a profound effect on the African culture, be it the African Traditional Religion, Christianity or Islam. Christianity Influence on African Culture arrived in Africa in two groups. One important group was centered in Egypt and had influence throughout North Africa. This group was known as the Gnostics. One of the other major factions of the early Christianity was centered in Rome. This faction was very much influenced by the teachings of the Apostle Paul.This faction became prominent in the fourth century C. E. when the Roman Empire officially became Christian. Recognizing the importance of a sacred text in solidifying their control over Christianity, the Roman faction brought together a collection of writings by early Christians and proclaimed these writings were inspired by God and that they were the true testament of the life and teachings of Jesus. This collection is known as the New Testament and is a central part of the Christian Bible. However, in creating the New Testament the Roman faction rejected as heresy all other writings about Jesus' life and teachings, including many books written by North African Gnostic ChristiansIn spite of the repression of the Gnostic Christians by Roman Christians, Christianity continued to flourish throughout North Africa until the arrival of Islam in the seventh century C. E. The Christians in this area were known as Coptic Christians, named after the main language of the area. By the time of the arrival of Islam, the Coptic Orthodox Church had lost most of the Gnostic influence, although the Coptic faith, like the Gnostics placed a great deal of emphasis on contemplation and monasticism. In structure, it was similar to the Church of Rome in that it practiced the same sacraments, and the church structure was made up of priests and bishops.Like the Roman Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church is headed by a Patriarch (similar to the Pope in the Roman Church) who lives in Alexandria. Even after Egypt had been taken over by Arab Moslems, the Coptic Christians continued to form a small but important segment of Egyptian society. Indeed, Coptic Christians today comprise approximately fifteen per cent of the Egyptian population. Christiani ty was introduced in Nubia by Christian monks and traders in the fifth and sixth centuries C. E. By the seventh century, the rulers of Nubia and most Nubians had converted to Christianity. In practice and structure, the Nubian church was similar to the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt.In June, 18, 1452, Pope Nicholas V issued the papal bull ‘Dum Diversas', granting King Alfonso V of Portugal the right to â€Å"attack, conquer, and subjugate Saracens, Pagans and other enemies of Christ wherever they may be found. † It gave title over all lands and possessions seized and permitted the Portuguese to take the inhabitants and consign them to perpetual slavery. Dum Diversas legitimised the colonial slave trade that begun around this time with the expeditions by Henry the Navigator to find a sea route to India, which were financed with African slaves. This approval of slavery was reaffirmed and extended in his Romanus Pontifex of 1455. The transatlantic trade in Africans was fo unded on Christianity.Religion was key in motivating Prince Henry of Portugal, later called Henry, â€Å"the Navigator† (1394-1460), to put in motion Europe's aggressive and ruthless expeditions to Africa. Henry was not only the governor of Algrave Province, who managed a large economic infrastructure based on the unbridled grasp of enormous wealth from trans-Saharan commerce, but he was also the administrator of the Order of Christ, the Portuguese successor to the Knights Templar, a famous Western military order founded in the aftermath of the First Crusade at Clermont on November 27, 1095. As one of the best fighting units, the Soldiers of Christ prompted a series of striking maritime exploits, ensuring the safety of Europeans who made pilgrimages to Jerusalem.It is important to note that during this historical period, the feudal states of European countries were just beginning to unite and major religious wars were being fought between Christians and Muslims, especially th e Moors in Morocco. Henry trained men to sail from Portugal, down the west coast of Africa in search of the limits to the Muslim world, in order to halt the Islamization of West Africa and to accelerate the spread of Christianity. In order to further God's intentions for humankind, Ogbu Kalu contends that within the context of religious logic, papal bulls offered rights of patronage to Henry, authorizing him to appoint clerical orders for evangelization and to fend off competing European interests.According to Peter Russell, Henry the Navigator considered conversion and enslavement as interchangeable terms, experiencing no cognitive dissonance in using Christianity as a civilizing agent for making converts into slaves. In â€Å"Christianity: Missionaries in Africa,† Modupe Labode sums it up this way: The case of the Portuguese exemplifies the close relationship between Crown and Church. In the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), the pope recognized Portuguese claims to Africa. The Crown was also responsible for attempting to convert the indigenous people to Christianity. Much of the missionary effort over the next two and half centuries was conducted under Portuguese authority. The vast majority of the missionaries at this time were Roman Catholic priests, many of them belonged to religious orders such as the Jesuits, Capuchins, and Franciscans.Influence of Islam on African Culture led to the spread of Islam, from its heartland in the Middle East and North Africa to India and Southeast Asia, revealed the power of the religion and its commercial and sometimes military attributes. The spread of Islam across much of the northern third of Africa produced profound effects on both those who converted and those who resisted the new faith. Islamization also served to link Muslim Africa even more closely to the outside world through trade, religion, and politics. Trade and long-distance commerce, in fact, was carried out in many parts of the continent and linked regio ns beyond the orbit of Muslim penetration.Until about 1450, however, Islam provided the major external contact between sub-Saharan Africa and the world. State building took place in many areas of the continent under a variety of conditions. West Africa, for example, experienced both the cultural influence of Islam and its own internal dynamic of state building and civilization developments that produced, in some places, great artistic accomplishments. The existence of stateless societies and their transformation into states are a constant of African history even beyond 1500. As we have seen with Egypt, North Africa was also linked across the Sahara to the rest of Africa in many ways.With the rise of Islam, those ties became even closer. Between A. D. 640 and 700 the followers of Muhammad swept across North Africa from Suez to the Pillars of Hercules on Morocco's Atlantic shore. By A. D. 670 Muslims ruled Tunisia, or Ifriqiya, what the Romans had called Africa. (The Arabs originally used this word as the name for eastern North Africa and Maghrib for lands to the West. ) By 711, Arab and Berber armies had crossed into Spain. In opposition to the states dominated by the Arabic rulers, the peoples of the desert, the Berbers, formed states of their own at places such as Fez in Morocco and at Sijilimasa, the old city of the trans-Saharan caravan trade.By the 11th century, under pressure from new Muslim invaders from the East, a great puritanical reformist movement, whose followers were called the Almoravids, grew among the desert Berbers of the western Sahara. Launched on the course of a jihad, a holy war waged to purify, spread, or protect the faith, the Almoravids moved southward against the African kingdoms of the savanna and westward into Spain. Islam offered a number of attractions within Africa. Its fundamental teaching that all Muslims are equal within the community of believers made the acceptance of conquerors and new rulers easier. The Islamic tradition of uniting the powers of the state and religion in the person of the ruler or caliph appealed to some African kings as a way of reinforcing their authority.The concept that all members of the ummah, or community of believers, were equal put the newly converted Berbers and later Africans on an equal footing with the Arabs, at least in law. Despite these egalitarian and somewhat utopian ideas within Islam, practice differed considerably at local levels. Social stratification remained important in Islamicized societies and ethnic distinctions also divided the believers. The Muslim concept of a ruler who united civil and religious authority reinforced traditional ideas of kingship. It is also important to note that in Africa, as elsewhere in the world, the formation of states heightened social differences and made these societies more hierarchical.Africans had been enslaved by others before, and Nubian (African) slaves had been known in the classical world, but with the Muslim conquests o f North Africa and commercial penetration to the south, slavery became a more widely diffused phenomenon, and a slave trade in Africans developed on a new scale. In theory, slavery was viewed by Muslims as a stage in the process of conversion – a way of preparing pagans to become Muslims – but in reality conversion did not guarantee freedom. Slaves in the Islamic world were used in a variety of occupations, such as domestic servants and laborers, but they were also used as soldiers and administrators who, having no local ties and affiliations, were considered to be dependent and thus trustworthy by their masters. Slaves were also used as eunuchs and concubines; thus the emphasis on women and children.The trade caravans from the Sahel across the Sahara often transported slaves as well as gold. Other slave-trade routes developed from the African interior to the east African coast. The tendency for the children of slave mothers to eventually be freed and integrated into M uslim society, while positive in one sense, also meant a constant demand for more slaves. Islam provided the residents of these towns a universal set of ethics and beliefs that made their maritime contacts easier; but in East Africa, as in the savanna kingdoms of West Africa, Islamization was slow to penetrate among the general population, and when it did, the result was often a compromise between indigenous ways and the new faith.By the thirteenth century, a string of urbanized trading ports sharing the common Bantu-based and Arabic-influenced Swahili language and other cultural traits – although governed by separate Muslim ruling families – had developed along the coast. Towns such as Mogadishu, Mombasa, Malindi, Kilwa, Pate, and Zanzibar eventually contained mosques, tombs, and palaces of cut stone and coral. Ivory, gold, iron, slaves, and exotic animals were exported from these ports in exchange for silks from Persia and porcelain from China for the ruling Muslim f amilies. African culture remained strong throughout the area. Swahili language was essentially a Bantu language into which a large number of Arabic words were incorporated, though many of them were not incorporated until the 16th century.The language was written in an Arabic script sometime prior to the 13th century; the ruling families could also converse in Arabic. Islam itself penetrated very little into the interior among the hunters, pastoralists, and farmers. Even the areas of the coast near the trading towns remained relatively unaffected. In the towns, the stone and coral buildings of the Muslim elite were surrounded by mud and thatch houses of the non-Muslim common people, so that Islamization was to some extent class-based. Still, a culture developed that fused Islamic and traditional elements. Family lineage, for example, was traced both through the maternal line, which controlled property (the traditioral African practice), and through the paternal line, as was the Musli m custom.The enduring legacy of the influence of religion on African culture led to majority of Africans profess either Christian or Islamic faith. Considering that there lie a thin veneer between culture and religion, it is imperative that these two religions have fundamentally altered the African culture, if there exist any. These religions spread into Africa aboard various vehicles, including; slavery, colonialism, trade, education, among others. These religions emphasized a ruler-ship founded on a hierarchy focused on one centre of power, the imperial dictatorship. This was contrary to African culture that was less hierarchical and more collegiate, that emphasized on dialogue and consensus. It is this imperialist hierarchical structure that still causes chaos in Africa today.To a large extend most Africans remain colonized, whether politically, economically, religiously, culturally, spiritually or otherwise. A society that is still colonized is not a free society, it is a societ y wallowing deeply in the swampy marshes of slavery. Africa, the mother of humanity, as it stands now is one whose veil of religion and garment of culture has been torn. It is a mother whose dignity has been raped, and its young children defiled by the older siblings who came back from their adventures abroad. One most fundamental question would be: Is colonialism and slavery a just price that Africans have to pay eternally for the reward of education and trade? Whichever way the answer comes to be, Africa needs restoration.Restoration is only possible if Africans can wake up to spiritual reality and eschew the bondage of foreign religion consumed by it from its renegade sons and daughters. The turning point can only be achieved if Africans realize that religion and spirituality are distinct – that spirituality possessed by a religious person can never be fresh and neither can religion exist in a pure spirituality. Africa must free itself from this intoxicating addiction to f oreign religion, and for that matter, any religion for it to be truly free. CONCLUSION. In conclusion, a keen oversee at history slowly shows us more cleary the influence of religion on African culture.The change due to the influence may not have taken place there and then but took time spreading its roots and slowly merging with the native culture and in some other instances completely eroding it. Just like how Christianity was introduced to Africa, the natives did not completely embrace it just like that, they took their precious time and in present day Africa, it is still being practiced and no one can pin point the exact time when Christianity was completely taken in by the natives of the past. These different religions which were introduced to African culture or way of life made other cultures to take a complete turnaround from their practices and events.

Russians And Bosnians Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Russians And Bosnians Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Russians and Bosnians Historically and politically, the Bosnians and the Russians are a perfect match.This history started in the middle of the first thousand years A.D. when the tribes called the Southern Slavs migrated into the southeast area of Europe known as the Balkans. The Slav people as they are known, were separated from the Northern Slavs, that is, related Slavs in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Russia, by the non-slavic tribes that settled the lands of Austria and Hungary. The Bosnians original ancestors were the Southern Slavs. They raided areas throught the Balkans including what is now modern day Serbia.This tribe eventually split up, mostly for religious and political reasons but also because the geography of the region is such that large groups of Slavs became separated and isolated from one another because of the difficult terrain. When religion came to the Balkans, where you were physically had as much to do with what religion you grew up with as other reasons. The Serbs who were closest to the Byzantine Empire geographically, took up the Eastern Orthodox Religion. The peoples in what is now Croatia, Slovinia and Bosina were infuenced by Rome and took up Roman Catholicisim. However, the Bosnians, who were alwasys being threathned politically by the Orthodox Christian Serbs as well as their Roman Catholic neighbors, by the fifteenth century had made apolitical decision to align themselves with the rising power of the Ottoman Empire, and converted to Islam. Russia, the country where most of the Southern Slavs came from had accepted the Eastern Orthodox religion at around the time the Serbs did. This religious bond between Russians and Serbs was very strong and the two groups supported one another for virtually their entire history up to and including modern times. The Serbs supported the Russians in almost all their wars and helped the Russians gain control of part of the Eastern Mediterraen from the Turks. This is why the Russians are deeply interested in this area and feel they have a special role to play in the current conflict. The Balkans are the reason that World War I had started. The Serbs of 1914 was as determined then, as they were for centuries, of preserving their independence in the Balkans. A wider war in the Balkans could risk the security of Europe, and possibly draw Moslen nations into the war. On a more imeadiate level, the reason for peace in Bosnia is so urgent is because cities, roads, bridges, have been destroyed in the conflict. A good example of this is Sarajevo, ( a major muslim city) that was known for its cultural mixture. It was the site of the 1988 winter olympics which welcomed hunreds of atlethes from all over the globe. The city is on the Bosinian-Serb border and has been shelled by both sides in the war. However, a far more important reason is to prevent this local war from starting a wider confrontation that would risk the security of Europe, and possibly draw in Moslem nations to support the Muslims in Bosnia. Russian soldiers are going to be among the troops keeping peace in Sarajevo as well as in other towns in Bosnia. The rusians are trying to improve relations with the U. S. and are doing so by working with the U.S. on keeping peace in the Balkans. Both President Yeltsin of Russia and Clinton Of the U.S., have met several times over this issue. They decide that a good way to improve rlations betwen the two countries. Part of the debate over rusian troops betwen Russia and the U.S. was who mwould command the Russsian troops if they were sent. The Russians did not want teir troops under a NATO command because they thought that Nato was anti- Russian. Another topic of their debate was where were the Russian troops to be deployed. The russians wnated to be deployed in Bosnian Serb teritory, and the U.S. wanted them deployed in Bosnian Croat territory. Finally an agreement was reached. The Russians would send fifteenhundred troops to Bosnia. They were scheduled to arrive in mid-December 1995. Both sides agreed that the Russian troops would report to their own commander, General Leonti P. Shetsov. Shetsov had worked with

Ancient Egyptian Cuisine and Food Habits

Ancient Egyptian Cuisine and Food Habits Among the ancient civilizations, Egyptians enjoyed better foods than most did, thanks to the presence of the Nile River flowing through most of settled  Egypt, fertilizing the land with periodic flooding and providing a source of water for irrigating crops and watering livestock. The proximity of Egypt to the Middle East made trade easy, and hence Egypt enjoyed foodstuffs from foreign countries as well, and their cuisine was heavily influenced by outside eating habits.   The diet of the ancient Egyptians depended on their social position and wealth. Tomb paintings, medical treatises, and archaeology reveal a variety of foods. Peasants and slaves would, of course, eat a limited diet, including the staples of bread and beer, complemented by dates, vegetables, and pickled and salted fish, but the wealthy had a much larger range to choose from. For wealthy Egyptians, available food choices were easily as broad as they are for many people in the modern world.   Grains Barley, spelt,  or emmer wheat provided the basic material for bread, which was leavened by sourdough or yeast. Grains were mashed and fermented for beer, which was not so much a recreational drink as a means of creating a safe beverage from river waters that were not always clean. Ancient Egyptians consumed a great deal of beer, mostly brewed from barley.   The annual flooding of plains alongside the Nile and other rivers made the soils quite fertile for growing grain crops, and the rivers themselves were channeled with irrigation ditches to water crops and sustain domestic animals. In ancient times, the Nile River Valley, especially the upper delta region, was by no means a desert landscape.   Wine Grapes were grown for wine. Grape cultivation was adopted from other parts of the Mediterranean in about 3,000 BCE, with Egyptians modifying practices to their local climate. Shade structures were commonly used, for example, to protect grapes from the intense Egyptian sun. Ancient Egyptian wines were primarily reds and were probably used mostly for ceremonial purposes for the upper classes. Scenes carved in ancient pyramids and temples show scenes of wine-making. For common people, beer was a more typical drink.   Fruit and Vegetables Vegetables cultivated and consumed by ancient Egyptians included onions, leeks, garlic, and lettuce. Legumes included lupines, chickpeas, broad beans, and lentils. Fruit included melon, fig, date, palm coconut, apple, and pomegranate. The carob was used medicinally and, perhaps, for food. Animal Protein Animal protein was a less common food for ancient Egyptians than it is for most modern consumers. Hunting was somewhat rare, though it was pursued by commoners for sustenance and by the wealthy for sport.  Domesticated animals, including oxen, sheep, goats, and swine, provided dairy products, meat, and by-products, with blood from sacrificial animals used for blood sausages, and beef and pork fat used for cooking. Pigs, sheep, and goats provided most meat consumed; beef was considerably more expensive and was consumed by commoners only for celebratory or ritual meals. Beef was eaten more regularly by royalty.   Fish caught in the Nile River provided an important source of protein for poor people and was eaten less frequently by the wealthy, who had greater access to domesticated pigs, sheep, and goats.   There is also evidence the poorer Egyptians consumed rodents, such as mice and hedgehogs, in recipes calling for them to be baked. Geese, ducks, quail, pigeons, and pelicans were available as fowl, and their eggs were also eaten. Goose fat was also used for cooking. Chickens, however, seem to have not been present in ancient Egypt until the 4th or 5th centuries BCE.   Oils and Spices Oil was derived from ben-nuts. There were also sesame, linseed and castor oils. Honey was available as a sweetener, and vinegar may have also been used. Seasonings included salt, juniper, aniseed, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, and poppyseed.

The French Revolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The French Revolution - Assignment Example The theme of equality and freedom must have been a major factor leading to the revolution. People wanted to be free and equal. The oppression by the absolute monarchy was no longer needed. As a result, the people came together to address the mismanagement by the King and also make all people equal (Robinson 87). This revolution can thus be remarked as the new beginning and as a result the ‘modern era’ was born. The Catholic Church was also not needed because it had favored the social order that had existed in France for years. This revolution is undoubtedly seen by many people as the beginning of a new world. The power of the aristocrats was drained and the church was also weakened. Women and men were now free to participate in policy issues and political developments in the country. This was a new beginning for France and the entire world as well. Personally, the French Revolution was a major historical event which brought an end to an established social order. Personally I have been surprised to learn that the Monarchy was brought to an end in a very brutal way because the people were bitter. As well, I had never thought that very many people were killed using the guillotine for treason or having opposed ideas to the revolutionary ideology. Also, from what I have understood from the documentary, it cannot be ascertained for sure when the Revolution ended because it led to a one-man leadership which was similar to that of the monarchy government. Very little did I know that this revolution marked a new era. ... This revolution can thus be remarked as the new beginning and as a result the ‘modern era’ was born. The Catholic Church was also not needed because it had favored the social order that had existed in France for years. This revolution is undoubtedly seen by many people as the beginning of a new world. The power of the aristocrats was drained and the church was also weakened. Women and men were now free to participate in policy issues and political developments in the country. This was a new beginning for France and the entire world as well. Personally, the French Revolution was a major historical event which brought an end to an established social order. Personally I have been surprised to learn that the Monarchy was brought to an end in a very brutal way because the people were bitter. As well, I had never thought that very many people were killed using the guillotine for treason or having opposed ideas to the revolutionary ideology. Also, from what I have understood fr om the documentary, it cannot be ascertained for sure when the Revolution ended because it led to a one-man leadership which was similar to that of the monarchy government (Ross 42). Very little did I know that this revolution marked a new era not only in the country but across the world (The French Revolution). It is agreeable that we all children of the French Revolution. By the time the revolution was coming to an end, many societies were influenced positively and staged revolutions of their own in order to end all forms of oppressive regimes. After this was achieved, the modern era was born and formal governments were established across the western nations and in Asia. Later the same ideology was transferred to different nations in Africa and Latin America. This means that we are

The Nursing profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Nursing profession - Essay Example The care should not be confined to the physical aliment but also the psychological and spiritual needs. Thus, patient care should have a patient centered approach considering the patients as still active dignified individuals, who can plan, manage and create some meaning out of their end life situation. Understanding of these facts helps in better nursing care. The patients seem to know better (than the past) about health care and they demand more knowledge on their end of life options today. Most of the patients want to discuss their treatment options and have a Right to refuse as per existing laws in UK. Problems pertaining to 'End-of -life' care and care for the aged are on the rise especially when concepts of euthanasia and physician assisted death are trying to find legitimate positions in the society. The present case study is that of an eighty-year-old Mr.X in a care home in London. He is dependant on the staff for most of his daily activities. He has complaints of constant pa in and it has been becoming increasingly difficult to move this man as his bones have become very contracted although he is being made to sit on his chair as often as possible. He is also encouraged to eat with the other residents in the dinning room in spite of his spine becoming so twisted that eating at the table is difficult. Patient X is a Retired School Master, widowed with 7 children all off whom visit him on a regular basis and although he is confused at times his Religion and faith are very important to him and still attends Mass every day in the care home. He has a medical history of Myocardial infarction, chronic heart failure, pacemaker, Paget's disease, depression and Type 2 diabetes. He is a classic example of an aged individual with multiple complications. Any further development in these complications will result in the patient being shifted to Intensive care with the possible outcome of death. Thus, it is an excellent case of a patient where managing patient care is vital rather than just assessment and interventions. The Nurse care for the case study should be based on Roper Logan and Tierney model of nursing (1980) which is a care model based on activities of daily living. Unlike Virginia Henderson (1966) model, which recognizes 14 activities, Roper model recognizes only 12 activities. This includes, maintaining a safe environment, communication, breathing, eating/drinking, elimination, washing/dressing, thermoregulation, mobility, work/play, sexual expressions, sleep and dying. Three problems in nurse care for Mr.X: 1.Chronic pain: Chronic pain of the bones is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience in the patients with Paget's disease and Mr.X has been diagnosed with Paget's disease. Pain management in patients with Paget's disease helps in the improvement of quality of the patient care. Understanding pain needs specific communication skills based on perception. This is true because many of the terminally ill patients may not be able to verbally communicate their pain. Chronic pain is a pain, which lasts for more than six months. Chronic pain is further classified based on its etiology as 'non-malignant' and 'malignant pain'. Non - malignant is non-cancer related pain and malignant pain is cancer related. Chronic pain depresses, debilates and affects the quality of life (Cole, 2002) .A study by Green et.al (2002) on chronic pain management has revealed a need for further educational insights of physicians. A recent study

US Macroeconomic policy 2006-2008 Research Paper

US Macroeconomic policy 2006-2008 - Research Paper Example With the global political situation ever changing, foreign policies fluctuation in split second, the economy has suffered too over the recent years. This paper describes the United States of America's macroeconomic polices in the recent years and their impact on the people. We shall consider the past three years and look at how the changing economic policies changed business interests and how they impact the overall economic situation of the state. In 2006 U.S economy was still suffering from the effects that the hurricanes such as Katrina had on the U.S. economy and because of their reverberations in 2006. The health of the national economy was facing threat, due to the severe beating that the infrastructure took-most notably the infrastructure for energy. For the preceding year and a half, energy prices had surged worldwide. When the storms hit at the end of August, economic activity had been quite robust for several years, supported by monetary accommodation and strong productivity growth. Real GDP had grown steadily at, or above, its potential or long-run sustainable pace, which is estimated at around three and a quarter percent. This pattern continued even during the third quarter-immediately following the hurricanes-when real GDP grew by just over four percent. In the fourth quarter, growth did drop sharply to about 1 percent. However, a good deal of this slowdown appears to have been due to several temporary factors, non e of which were related to the hurricanes. In 2006 the US economy was facing a great deal of un-certainty; the economy appears to be approaching a highly desirable glide path. First, real GDP growth currently appears to be quite strong, but there was good reason for it to slow to around its potential rate as the year progresses. Second, it appears that US economy operating in the vicinity of "full employment" with a variety of indicators giving only moderately different signals. The Fed raised the federal funds rate by 25 basis points a total increase of 350 basis points. However, once the rate got to 4 percent, the issue of exactly how much accommodation actually remained in the economy became more of a judgment call. As a result, some further policy firming was needed to keep the risks to the attainment of both sustainable economic growth and price stability roughly in balance. The U.S. Economy and Policies in 2007 In 2007 the data showed payroll employment growing at a rather robust pace for all of last year. Moreover, the unemployment rate had declined by half a percentage point over the past year; this suggests a degree of tightness in the labor market, The decline started toward the end of 2005 and residential investment has fallen-in absolute terms-by a total of 13 percent. This sector alone which represents only a small fraction of U.S. real GDP-subtracted a hefty 1 percentage points from real GDP growth. Housing starts have followed a similar pattern, reaching a climax in January 2006 and then falling by roughly 40 percent through January of 2007. In addition to housing, weakness in

Religion Essay Example for Free

Religion Essay 1.) As a person of goodwill, explain the necessity of establishing rapport, amity, and concordance among the various religions in Asia and the world; and more specifically among Muslims and Christians in the Philippines. Why is religion a positive contributor towards peacemaking but at the same time can be a source of societal turmoil? In what way can Asian religions transcend divisiveness by standing side by side with other religions, without losing their very own unique creeds or belief-systems? Based on the films about Muslim Filipinos shown in class, please explain in what way Christians and Muslims can utilize their respective religions for peace and harmony in Mindanao? Answer these questions by citing concrete cases to prove your point (30 points). It is necessary to establish rapport, amity, and concordance among the various religions in Asia and the world more specifically among Muslims and Christians in the Philippines in order to better understand their systematic beliefs, values, and behavior, acquired by people as a member of their society. These patterns are systematic because their manifestations are regular in occurrence and expression: they are shared by member of a group. It is also necessary to build friendship and connection among diverse religions in Asia and the world to build a better society and to have peace in every nation. In such a society it is very important to have harmony and respect amongst the different religions. We must distinguish between belief and respect. Belief refers to total faith, which you must have in your own religion. At the same time you should have respect for all other religions. This tradition of believing in ones own religion and having respect for others. In every religion, there are transcendent things that are beyond the grasp of our mind and speech. For example, the concept of God in Christianity and Islam and that of wisdom truth body in Buddhism are metaphysical, which is not possible for an ordinary person like us to realize. This is a common difficulty faced by every religion. It is taught in every  ­religion, including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam, that the ultimate truth is driven by faith. As far as the Muslims are concerned it is appropriate for them to have complete devotion to Allah while praying in the mosques. This is also the same with Buddhists who are completely devoted to the Buddha when they pray in Buddhist temples. A society, which has many religions should also have many prophets and sources of refuge. I want to emphasize that it is extremely essential to sincerely believe in their respective religions. Usually, it is very important to distinguish between belief in one religion and belief in many religions. Religion is a positive contributor towards peacemaking but at the same time can be a source of societal turmoil because religion is a perennial and perhaps inevitable factor in both conflict and conflict resolution. Religion, after all, is a powerful constituent of cultural norms and values, and because it addresses the most profound existential issues of human life (e.g., freedom and inevitability, fear and faith, security and insecurity, right and wrong, sacred and profane), religion is deeply implicated in individual and social conceptions of peace. To transform the conflicts besetting the world today, we need to uncover the conceptions of peace within our diverse religious and cultural traditions, while seeking the common ground among them. Traditionally many people focus on how wars and conflicts are seemingly undertaken for religious reasons, or at least undertaken in the name of religion. A significant problem with organized religion and belief, as this relates to peace and conflict, is individuals and groups often confuse the map (their socially-learned version of reality or culture or religion) with the territory (or ultimate reality). Thus people believe that their personal or subjective version of reality or religion is valid, while other views are invalid. Instead it can be argued that the many maps are different, but possibly equally valid interpretations and attempts to understand the same underlying reality or territory. Asian religions can transcend divisiveness by standing side by side with other religions, without losing their very own unique creeds or belief-systems through banding together in interfaith dialogue, cooperation, and religious peacebuilding. The first major dialogue was the Parliament of the Worlds Religions at the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair, which remains notable even today both in affirming universal values and recognition of the diversity of practices among different cultures. The 20th century has been especially fruitful in use of interfaith dialogue as a means of solving ethnic, political, or even religious conflict, with Christian–Jewish reconciliation representing a complete reverse in the attitudes of many Christian communities towards Jews. Christians and Muslims can utilize their respective religions for peace and harmony through sharing the main morals and conducts that are for the benefit of humanity and nature. They believe in the same basic morals that are important for people to follow in order to live in peace, harmony, and love in communities with different faiths and cultures. And to through tolerance, respect and cooperation with respect in each other’s religions. 2.) Explain why Islam is considered the â€Å"most misunderstood religion†. What are some historical, sociological and cultural reasons that paved the way for a misunderstanding of the true nature of Islam among non-Muslims and even among Muslims? Islam means â€Å"submission to the will of God in all areas of one’s life†. Muslim means, â€Å"One who submits to God’s will†. These Arabic words are actually non-sectarian terms if we look at the context of these words in the Qur’an. Can we use the term â€Å"Muslim† in its universal implication to include all believers in One God? Can we use the term â€Å"Muslim† to any person (irrespective of religions) who strives sincerely to submit to the will of God in his life? [Hint: Consider the Islamic doctrine of Risalah (Progressive Revelation) and the Islamic view of the universality of God’s calling of prophethood] (30 points). Islam is considered the â€Å"most misunderstood religion† because most of the time it is considered as a violent religion and is likely â€Å"to encourage violence among believers†. And there is also some outright falsehood for example, â€Å"God sent prophets to every nation for their guidance.† But, According to the â€Å"Doctrine of Progressive Revelation†, Islam is very universal since it admits that Allah sent prophets to everyone whereas Jews believe that prophets only come from them because they are the â€Å"chosen people of God.† Another example, â€Å"One of the missions of the Prophet of Islam was to bring peace and unity to the feuding tribes, the Jahiliah or the ignorant Arabs of the pre-Islamic days. This he succeeded in doing as narrated in several verses of the Qur-an†. The message of Allah were brought by one Prophet and recorded in one holy Qur-an. There is no other Qur-an, or versions or it, or editions which carry different texts. The hold Qur-an is not in the form of Gospels by Muslim saints or ulama. The holy Qur-an is just the record of the messages of Allah in the Arabic of the period. Translations of the Qur-an may be different in minor ways, but they are not accepted as the holy Qur-an. Only that in the original Arabic is accepted. So there can be no differing text or Gospels or versions which can result in differences in the messages or teachings of Islam. Yet, clearly there are differences, serious differences, so serious that Muslims are divided sometimes into warring sects. One of the reasons that paved the way of misunderstanding the true nature of Islam among non-Muslims and even Muslims are the â€Å"media†. Media is the greatest factor on how people view their surroundings. Somehow, criticizing the Islam brings them more readers/viewers. We tend to judge and generalize things without knowing the exact story behind those issues. Infact, the worl Islam means peace, purity, submission and obedience. In the religious sense, Islam means submission to the will of God and obedience to His law. Yes, we can use the term â€Å"Muslim† in its universal implication to include all believers in One God, as well as, to any person (irrespective of religions) who strives sincerely to submit to the will of God in his life because â€Å"Muslim† believe that God is eternal, transcendent, absolutely one (the doctrine of tawhid, or strict or simple monotheism), and incomparable; that he is self-sustaining, who begets not nor was begotten. 3.) Write a â€Å"reflective synthesizing essay† that answers the following questions: In the future prospect, will the Asian religions move from rhetoric unity and act as one to solve the common problems affecting humanity? As for Asian countries, will they achieve political independence from the clutches of Western neo-colonialism? Is there a need to abandon our cherished worldview and values in the name of development? How will the Asians reconcile their adherence to Asian ethos and at the same time open to the demands of globalization? How will the differing Asian worldviews and religions be properly harnessed to promote nationalism among Asians and global cooperation among countries in the world? (30 points) Yes. In the future, the Asian religions will move from rhetoric unity and act as one to solve the common problems affecting humanity to have a better nation, to have a respect on one another, to fix the unjust and destructive situations. There is no need to abandon our cherished worldview and values in the name of development but rather preserve it and continue following those values to build a progressive and advance nation. With their differing Asian worldviews and religions they can create different ideas and new innovations but with respect with one another’s point of view, and to accept what other countries have made, to promote nationalism among Asians and global cooperation among countries in the world. 4.) Explain what made Japanese civilization unique in its approach to establishing a pro-active Asian civilization capable of having positive ethical patterns as fountainhead of their development? Explain why it is not just enough to simply support one’s parents for one to be called â€Å"filial†; what are therefore the other requirements to be able to truly say that one has completely conducted oneself as â€Å"filial son/daughter† to one’s parents? What makes Indian civilization stuck into conservatism? What are some of the positive role that the caste-system plays in Indian civilization? What are also the negative aspects of the caste system to Indian civilization? Explain in what way did Japan show a purposive and planned-out blueprint for development in their history? (30 points) It is not just enough to simply support one’s parents for one to be called â€Å"filial† because we owe our parents a lot- because of them we able to eat three meals a day, sometimes even more. They give us clothes and sometimes the things that are beyond our needs. They send us to school. But more than simply supporting us in the most basic sense of supporting, our parents loves us. It now becomes something different because when we love them back, we do not do so out of indebtedness. We give our love freely, and not as a payment with a certain interest. Most of all, because of this special filial relationship with them that we had since birth, we also respect and obey them. We not only support our parents, but serve them. The Indian â€Å"caste system† made it stuck into conservatism. The positive roles that the caste-system plays in Indian civilization, provides a sense of community and belongingness. And the two main strands of thought: Divine will- the belief that a hierarchical social structure is part of the divine intention for natural order, and the Purity- the need to emphasize the importance of ritual purity and impurity. But there is also a negative aspect of caste-system to Indian civilization. For example, marrying someone from a different caste, whilst not officially outlawed, is generally discouraged. They only lived, ate, and worked within their group. This was based on the idea that people are different and should have different roles. And a person born into one caste never changed castes and very seldom mixed with members of other castes. Castes were unchanging groups but people from the lowest caste were told that they have to serve the other castes so that they can be reborn into a higher caste in their next life.