The Need For Gun Control.
The Need For Gun Control Shortly after dusk, a sixteen-year-old boy stands on the street corner talking with a friend about what happened at school today between himself and another student. He nonchalantly stands there sipping his Pepsi when all of a sudden a black Honda with tinted windows drives up to the corner. The window rolls down, a voice calls out, and the boy walks up to the car. He bends down to peer into the car to see who it is when three rounds from a .38 caliber pistol rip through his chest and neck. The other boy frantically runs off into the distance. He stumbles backwards and trips on the curb behind him and falls to the sidewalk the car speeds off into the dark alleyway across the street. The young boy struggles to breathe as he coughs up blood. He chokes to death with every effort to breathe. He dies a minute or two later. These kinds of events are all too familiar to us and perturb us as we see an increasing number of handguns fall into the hands of the young. I am shocked at the sight of these events where innocent children are being gunned down on the street because of petty little arguments over something so minuscule as a pair of shoes, a particular type of jacket, or simply just a misinterpreted look. I believe that more strict handgun regulations are a must in today's society. I'm not saying that we have to ban handguns, but we have to take
Dave's Internal monologue
Dave's Internal monologue He's the enemy, he's the clubs enemy, he's my enemy. Even his jacket screams enemy. "This is a good piece, would cost you forty-five bucks in a store. That's a lot of money" He reckons the gun is a good but expensive piece at forty-five bucks? Who does he take me for, a cheap ass fool!? He doesn't even know me, I don't even know him. I suppose the gun ain't too bad, but why be interested in a gun that might blow your head apart? [Dave looks at the gun without interest] I'm bleedin' nervous. Women get nervous not men. I am a man not a coward, therefore I am a disgrace. I gotta keep control of my face. I can't show Tigo how I'm feeling. He's the enemy. Now, what can I say to show I ain't scared or bothered... "I seen pieces before. There's nothing special about this one." There that ought a do it. [Tigo starts a conversation] So...he got no bad blood for me. Bulls**t. I can see straight through those brown eyes. He's confident. It's written in his body language. CONFIDENT. Each time he talks he's saying: 'You're gonna die mother f**ker.' Why's he talkin' to me as if I'm dumb? I know the consequences of the game, I know why we're playin' and I know how to play. He's purposely makin' me nervous, asking where I'm from an' how big my family is. For all I know, I could die and never see my family again. Today might be my last living day. Today I
What conclusions does More want his 16th century readers to draw about the Christian beliefs and practices in Europe
What conclusions does More want his sixteenth-century readers to draw about the Christian beliefs and practices in Europe? In past examinations of More's Utopia, questions have often been raised as to the aim of the presentation of religion on the island. The inhabitants of Utopia are essentially heathen, in contrast to the Christianity of Europe. However, this raises two points - firstly, that the Utopians may have been heathen, but they were virtuous heathen as opposed to the "wicked professed Christian" of sixteenth century Europe. Thus is More presenting the view that virtuous living should be chosen over the possibly corrupt nature of Christianity? Also, this suggests to that virtuous living can be achieved independently of Christianity or indeed any other religion. The second point which is raised is the question of how much of the historical context in which Utopia was written has crept into the work. Though Utopia was published before the major religious upheaval in England began, the reformation commenced really with the advent of Luther on the continent and his ninety-five theses on indulgences in 1517. Thus it would have been nigh on impossible for More to have written such a work with its many subtle attacks on the structure of society and its pointed references to religion without having been somewhat influenced by the contextual situation. It has been
'To exerts one's power in repelling the enemy. Jihad is of three kinds: against a visible enemy; against the devil; and against self.'
JIHAD 'To exerts one's power in repelling the enemy. Jihad is of three kinds: against a visible enemy; against the devil; and against self.' This explanation of jihad comes from the Mufradat of Raghib, which is the classical dictionary of Quranic terms. Jihad, meaning striving, comes from the words judh, which means effort, and jahida, which means to be tired as a result of the effort being made. The Holy Quran and Hadith speak of three kinds of jihad, they are: ) A great jihad; 2) The greatest jihad; and 3) A lesser jihad. Greater jihad (or the greatest jihad) is the constant battle, spiritually, with one's self to be righteous. It is putting in the effort to do, and be, good according to the Islamic rules and guidelines, which have been ordered by Allah. Greater jihad involves a Muslim trying to be good and maintaining that goodness, with the right intentions behind it, because of their love and devotion for Allah and their belief in their faith. It is against the limitations and ignorance of one's own soul. In other words it is the constant tireless effort that is made daily to serve and attain nearness to Allah. The Quran mentions striving
Christian denominations and birth control. The Lambeth Conference of the Church of England decided to deviate from the prohibition of artificial contraception, by advocating their use when abstinence was deemed impracticable.
All Christian denominations share the belief that sexual intercourse is not a casual act between strangers but an intimate act between a man and a woman in a committed relationship. Before the 1930s all Christian denominations were united in their firm rejection of contraceptives. O'Grady traces the history of the church and artificial birth control, in her article, starting in 1930 when a division between Christian denominations developed over the use of artificial birth control. The Lambeth Conference of the Church of England decided to deviate from the prohibition of artificial contraception, by advocating their use when abstinence was deemed impracticable. In 1931, The Federal Council of Churches adopted the policy of conservative promotion for artificial birth control methods. By 1961, the National Council of Churches declared a liberal policy on contraceptive use, subject to mutual consent between couples.1 Protestant denominations including Anglicans, Presbyterians, Reformed, and Episcopalians allow artificial birth control. Most Protestants view birth control within marriage as an acceptable way of regulating the size of one's family. Historically, Orthodox Christians opposed birth control and although some still follow this belief, many hold the position that sexual intercourse also constitutes an expression of love within a marriage and is not limited to procreation.
Woman and Ordination. In this paper we will look at three women and their views on ordination of women
WOMAN AND ORDINATION Gregory Keels Reading The New Testament December 9, 2012 Woman and ordination is one of the most talked about things in the church. There are so many books, articles, sermons, and personal opinions on this subject. In this paper we will look at three women and their views on ordination of women. Along with their views we will also look at the issues they see surrounding ordination. Each woman will be divided into questions so that we can get a better understanding of their views. The questions we will look at with each Woman are: ) What is the main question to be answered or issue to be resolved according to each scholar? Is the question or problem at hand presented with clarity and relevance? 2) What arguments are advanced by each author in the course of her discussion? Provide clear evidence and evaluate the merit of their positions fairly. 3) To what sources of authority does each author appeal (e.g. Scripture, experience, science, tradition, etc.) and to what degree? Provide clear evidence. 4) What assumptions are being made by each author in the course of the discussion (even in the way the argument is framed)? Does a point of view contain contradictions, is it based on misleading analogies and metaphors, or is there merit to the position presented? Give examples from the article. 5) How fully is the scriptural evidence treated (both
The Catholic Church in Lebanon - A.W.
The Catholic Church in Lebanon ________________ -A.W. The Lebanese Republic is located in the Middle East, and is bordered on the north and east by Syria, on the southeast by the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on the south by Israel and on the west by the Mediterranean Sea. Two Mountain ranges dominate the region, separated by the fertile Al Biqa’ valley. In medieval times the mountains served as a refuge for religious minorities, such as the Maronites in the north and the Druzes in the south, as well as for political dissidents, their rugged heights discouraging communication with the East while the sea invited contact with the West. In antiquity the slopes of Mt. Lebanon provided fir, pine, cedar and other hard-wood trees sought by Egyptian pharaohs and Assyrian emperors for building palaces, temples and boats in their treeless lands. The offshore waters of Tyre and Sidon yielded murex, the source of the precious purple dye that gave the Phoenicians (‘‘purple red’’) their Greek name. Gaining its political independence from the French in 1943 under a mandate from the League of Nations, Lebanon maintained social and political stability during the mid-20th century. In 1975 the region was engulfed by civil war, which continued for 16 years before ending in 1991 with the Ta’if Accord. While Israel, Syria and Damascus continued to maintain a military presence in
Without the City: Pachomius
The Institute for Global Outreach Development International Genesis Without the City: The Challenge of Pachomius Finding God in People Submitted To: Professor Shaun Galford By: Geoff Hartnell Date: November 17th, 2011 Table of contents: Introduction & Thesis.....................................................................................................................................3 The Beginnings……………………………………...............................................................................................3 The Roman Empire…………….………………………………………………….................................................3-4 The Vocation of Pachomius…………………………………..........................................................................5-6 A Different Way………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6-7 Conclusion............................................................................................................................................................7 Bibliography………………………………............................................................................................................8 Introduction and Thesis "Let us live and die with this man and he will lead us
Religion is both a problemwhere its structures of dominance have oppressed women, as well as the solution where its vision of liberation has generated powerful movements for social change. (Eck & Devaki, 1986)
Word Count: 2951 THEO:2280 Student Id:200539456 “Religion is both a problem…where its structures of dominance have oppressed women, as well as the solution where its vision of liberation has generated powerful movements for social change” (Eck & Devaki, 1986) Since time immemorial, women have been considered as an oppressed group and have been controlled by patriarchal societies. Less interest was shown towards the rights, needs, and wishes of women in society. Despite the profound role that women perform in society including being a dutiful wife, daughter and mother, little importance has been given to their liberty and independence. Women were considered as inferior and were ruled by male members of the family. There are a number of factors that affect the status of women in any society. Among the numerous factors that contribute towards the change in social lives of women, one major factor is their religion. Eck and Devaki (1986) have described “Religion is both a problem…where its structures of dominance have oppressed women, as well as the solution where its vision of liberation has generated powerful movements for social change.” They pinpoint religion as the main contributor of problems faces by women, which has sometimes led way for future development of social order, this notion
Critically assess the claim that the response of the Early Church to Gnosticism provided the impetus for its emerging ecclesial identity.
Critically assess the claim that the response of the Early Church to Gnosticism provided the impetus for its emerging ecclesial identity. Name: Ciara Rushe Student Number: 18102077 Year: BED 4 Secondary John Burke (2009, p.93) states that “Gnosticism is the first heresy of any importance that arose in the Christian Church”. Christianity was emerging from Judaism and the Church’s encounter with Gnosticism challenged the Church to explain its own teachings and beliefs from that of Judaism. Gnosticism comes from the word “gnosis” meaning to know, due its essential teaching which was that one becomes free of the body’s confinement and returns to the supreme God only through secret knowledge. This knowledge is reveled only to a select few by messages from the supreme God. They believed that they were saved and were an elect group. There is no definitive term to describe Gnosticism, Karen L. King (2005, p.2) states that the reason for this is that “a rhetorical term has been confused with a historical entity. There was and is no such thing as Gnosticism, if we mean by that some kind of ancient religious entity with a single origin and a distinct set of characteristics.” James Lindsay (1903) states that “We need not, like Irenaeus, regard it as something only evil, for it not only proved a half-way house for some on the road to Christianity, but compelled