What Christmas means to Christians

What Christmas means to Christians Christmas today is happily celebrated by millions of people for whom its religious meaning is not very important. For many people Christmas is just a happy holiday when they exchange gifts, eat lots of good food and go to parties. But for the Christian, Christmas means much more than this. For most Christians, the most important part of the festival is not the food or the parties, or the presents. It is the fact that they are celebrating the birth of Jesus. This is most clearly remembered during the church service. At midnight on Christmas Eve, church bells ring out all over the world. Inside churches, Christians gather together to sing and thank god for the gift of Jesus. Thy believe that Jesus came into the world to tell people about god's love for them and so give them hope and happiness. The Spirit of Christmas When Christians celebrate Christmas, they are celebrating god's love for them. Them to try to echo that love by making the spirit of the festivals one love for others. Quarrels are forgotten. Many people give money, gifts or help those who are lonely, sad or ill, so that they can share in the joy of Christmas too. The lights on the Christmas tree and in the church remind Christians of the light of god's goodness. It is more than a time of stockings bulging with presents and lots of delicious food. It is a time of thanksgiving to

  • Word count: 270
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Ancient Greek Medical Association Guide to the Asklepion Temples One of the best Asklepion Temples around is the one at Epidaurus.

Ancient Greek Medical Association Guide to the Asklepion Temples One of the best Asklepion Temples around is the one at Epidaurus. It is in a quiet, secluded part of Greece and is perfect for anyone seeking spiritual and physical healing. I will now say that this superb Asklepion is strictly reserved for the middle to upper class citizens because it is out of the price range of those in the lower classes. Here at Epidaurus, we have a superb range of facilities for you to use. We have use of: * Sunk-in Stadium * Large gymnasium * Cleansing Baths * Temple of Artemus * Temple of Asklepius * Abaton-where patients sleep at night and are visited by Asklepius and his daughters, Panacea and Hygeia. Here at the Epidaurus Asklepion many things can happen to you. You can have your mind and souls cleansed at one of our specialized Temples which are the Temples of Artemus and Asklepius. Also your body must not lose out as we have heated baths and the largest gymnasium in all of Greece, where our highly trained instructors who will help guide you through a tough traditional course from the surrounding cultures. The Abaton here is also one of the best in the country. It has had the most healings from Asklepion and his daughters for the last four years! That's quite a record! If you have not already heard about the Asklepion here at Epidaurus you must have been building a

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Religious studies islam

R.s Homework Tawhid Tawhid is the idea of monotheism in Islam. It means that God is one and unique. The first part of the Shahada is the declaration of belief in the oneness of God. Muslims believe that the entirety of the Islamic teaching rests on the principle of Tawhid. There is an uncompromising monotheism at the heart of the Islamic beliefs which distinguishes Islam from some other major religions. The Qur'an is the main source of understanding Oneness of God in Islam. God tells people who he is by speaking through the prophet. The fundamental message of all of the prophets is "There is no god worthy of worship but Allah." "Say (O Muhammad): "He is Allâh, (the) One, The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks, He begets not, nor was He begotten; And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him." (Sura 112:1-4) "Thy Lord is self-sufficient, full of Mercy: if it were His will, He could destroy you, and in your place appoint whom He will as your successors, even as He raised you up from the posterity of other people."(Sura 6:133) Shirk Shirk is the Islamic concept of the sin of polytheism specifically, but in a more general way refers to worshipping other than Allah, associating partners with him, giving his characteristics to others beside him, or not believing in his characteristics. Within Islam, Major Shirk is an

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Why some people think Mark's Gospel was written for non-Jews facing persecution

Question a)ii) Some people believe that Mark's Gospel was written for gentiles facing persecution. One of the main reasons for this was that it would give them hope and encouragement as they faced their deaths. Christians facing persecution needed to know what they were dying for. They met up in the catacombs in Rome during the persecution and would pray and praise the Lord while down there. However, they had to rely on word of mouth so an authentic version of what happened needed to be recorded in order to stop the story getting changed through time. Another reason why the Gospel needed to be written was that eye witnesses were dying so accurate accounts needed to be written. As mentioned in the first paragraph, the Gospel gave hope and encouragement to Christians facing persecution. After reading Mark's Gospel, Christians could feel that all of their suffering was worthwhile and that they would be rewarded with the promise of eternal life in heaven. The Gospel also showed that Jesus never asked anyone to do anything that he wasn't prepared to do himself and a lot of Christians got comfort from this. By writing the Gospel, Mark spread the 'good news'. The 'good news' was written at the very beginning of the Gospel and was 'This is the good news, that Jesus the Christ is the son of God.' The good news gospel encourages Christians facing difficulties such as

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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roles of muslim men and women

Roles of Muslim men and women. According to the Qur'an, men and women are two units of a pair. The Quran says: "O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another". Islam looks at the different responsibilities of each gender. These responsibilities are defined as being the traditional family structure, were women are head of the household and men are responsible for earning the livelihood for the family. However, a man being financially responsible for the family does not prohibit a woman having a career of her own, and personal property and education is encouraged. However women in Islam are seen as independent and self reliant individuals, therefore challenging the traditional view of a family structure. The Sharia law (Islamic law) provides for differences between women's and men's roles, rights, and obligations. Muslim-majority countries give women varying degrees of rights with regards to marriage, divorce, civil rights, legal status, dress code, and education based on different interpretations. Even where these differences are acknowledged, scholars and other commentators vary as to whether they are just and whether they are a correct interpretation of religious imperatives. Conservatives argue that differences between men and women are due to different status and

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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The matrix. The matrix is a sci-fi film which has a religious theme based on events which took place in the life of Jesus.

The matrix. The matrix is a sci-fi film which has a religious theme based on events which took place in the life of Jesus. The main character is called Neo. Neon is the anagram for 'one', and neo is the chosen one. Neo is recognized by others as their savoir and their personal Jesus. Neo relies throughout the film the he is the one and fights agent smith and gets shot. After being shot in the chest neo rises from the dead. This can be compared to the life of Jesus. Jesus is the chosen one, the messiah. Peter recognizes jesus as the messiah. At jesus' crucifixion jesus dies and also rises from the dead. In the film a variety of events take place which can be compared with gospel stories. Other characters in The Matrix include morphous. who represents John the Baptist. Neo is preceded by amorphous as Jesus is preceded by john the baptised. Another character is Chyper who represents Judas Iscariot. Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver like chyper betrays neo because " I want to be rich". The matrix is a film which has many comparisons with the gospel stories a few have been highlighted. The film is an exciting and modern way at looking at the life and mission of Jesus. Terry Connolly re essay

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Iraq was and still is a virtually all Muslim country

Iraq was originally part of the Ottoman Empire. It became a free state in 1932. A republic was put forward in 1958 but military strongmen took over and ruled the country. They still had rule until recently when America invaded Iraq and overthrew the leader Saddam Hussein. Iraq was and still is a virtually all Muslim country with only a small amount of other religions living there (mainly Christians). The country is split up into two types of Muslim, Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Also there are two types of inhabitants Arabs=75-80% and Kurds=15-20%. Iraq is 60-65% Shiite and 32-37% Sunni. Others add up to a total of about 8%. When Saddam Hussein was in power he didn't allow Shiite Muslims to worship as he was a Sunni. This was odd as most of the country was Shiite Muslims. He killed many Shiite Muslims who revolted and was wanted for many war crimes. He is most known for the Gulf wars when he invaded Kuwait. The Americans have now captured him but he could never repay the damage he

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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What is the shroud?

The shroud is a yellowish linen cloth 14 feet 3 inches long by 3 feet 7 inches wide, bearing the highly distinct Image of a Crucified Man. Since the sixteenth century, the Shroud is believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth . From head to toe the man on the shroud is estimated to be around 5'111/2". This picture on the left is where the shroud is currently been

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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  • Level: GCSE
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