Compare and Contrast the Representation of Enlightenment in "The Matrix" and "American Beauty." How do these films represent enlightenment and what difference does enlightenment make to the characters of Neo and Lester Burnham?
Compare and Contrast the Representation of Enlightenment in "The Matrix" and "American Beauty." How do these films represent enlightenment and what difference does enlightenment make to the characters of Neo and Lester Burnham? Enlightenment is represented in very different forms in both of these films. This is not merely because one is science fiction and the other is about a dysfunctional family in a happy American suburb, but it is also portrayed by various film techniques and the portrayal of the characters themselves. However, there are also similarities between the two characters as they both seek enlightenment, as they are not only insecure but also unsure of what their place on earth is and why they are meant to be here. The answer from each movie is very different to this question but as a result of their enlightenment both characters achieve a state of relative contentment although for how long this will remain is unknown. American Beauty initially pokes fun at suburbia so as to allow the audience to realise the situation that Lester Burnham is facing. It quickly describes the suburban houses and the products their owners have the need to fill them with. Cyril Connolly described suburbia as, "the incubator of apathy and delirium" (quoted in: Carey, 1992: 51). This therefore sets the scene for the dysfunctional family with the male going through a mid-life
Visual visitation report
VISITATION REPORT I met a good friend named Savraj Lota, who is from Kenya and belonged to Sikh religion. To be a guest at a Sikh wedding is to experience many splendour rituals unfold before you. As Raj's elder brother was getting married, I too got a chance to gain some insight into the Sikh culture. I must agree, it was a wonderful first hand experience which has left many vivid memories that will last a lifetime. He explained to me that Anand Karaj is a prescribed form of Sikh marriage. The word literally translates as "Blissful Union". A Sikh marriage is a special celebration in which two individuals, as well as families, are joined together in equal partnership. An ideal husband and wife will be spiritually inseparable, their individual pasts and presents combining to form one. The spiritual goal of any Sikh is to merge his or her soul or atman with God (Parmatma) and in marriage, the couple will help each other towards this goal. The whole affair is a joyous and festive event, which is very family orientated and informal in atmosphere. A Sikh marriage can be performed in any Gurdwara- the holy place of worship of Sikhism, or any other home where the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, has been respectfully installed. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib is representative of the presence of the 'gurus'. Hence, the presence of this holy book is the considered
Democracy and Islam - many scholars strongly believe that there is a direct coalition between Islam and democracy. This is evident when examining the concepts of social rights and equality, economics, divine sovereignty and shura law.
Introduction There is great discussion over the compatibility of Islam and democracy. In order to evaluate this association it is vital that an in depth examination of the aspects that abide by and contradict this notion of compatibility in terms of the Islam message, law, and the way in which these aspects utilized in modern Islamic. Compatibility Throughout the Islamic messages and laws, the main principles of democracy are evident. For this reason many scholars strongly believe that there is a direct coalition between Islam and democracy. This is evident when examining the concepts of social rights and equality, economics, divine sovereignty and shura law. Social Rights and Obligations Caliphate, as it is often referred to, is essentially the principle of Islamic financial theory, which explains a living wage must be distributed to every citizen without discrimination of race, religion, caste of creed (Khatab and Bouma 2007). In addition, Islam explains that there is to be no exploiting, no exploited class or slums and millionaires. Inheritance and the operation of the taxation system, due to the property laws in conjunction with prohibition of bank interests and division of wealth, led to the establishment of a more rational system. The teaching of wealth management in Islam is based on humanitarian ethics as the Qur'an explains that the road to salvation is not
Summarise and discuss the origin and development of Mahayana Buddhism.
EASTERN RELIGIONS LEVEL 2 Summarise and discuss the origin and development of Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism in the modern era is the largest Buddhist tradition, throughout its development, however, it was very much a minority interest. It distinguishes itself from the more conservative Theraveda school,1 through its emphasis on the supramundane personality of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva ideal, the philosophy of the Shunyata, and its rejection of religious elitism.2 The origins of Mahayana Buddhism, are very obscure as it has no geographical or conceptual origins.3 Emerging sometime between 150 BCE and 100 CE, Mahayana is probably the culmination and indirect successor of various earlier developments.4 The earlier Mahasanghika school (Universal Assembly), for example, shared many of the Mahayana aspirations. As their name suggests they rejected religious elitism, believing it possible for enlightenment achievable outside the confines of the monastery by the practicing laity. The teaching of the emptiness of dharmas (dharmasunyata), another characteristic of the of Mahayana, found in the writings of the Purvasailous, a Mahasamghikis school.5 The Bodhisattva ideal was also held by other earlier schools, such as the Mahasamghikis, and the Sarvastivadius.6 Mahayana Buddhism was not the sudden inspiration of any one individual, neither was it a rival school; the
'Polygamy is a fundamental right of a husband and is sanctioned by the Quran itself'. Discuss.
'Polygamy is a fundamental right of a husband and is sanctioned by the Quran itself'. Discuss. This essay shall aim to assess the presence of verses within the Quranic text pertaining to polygamy against the wider array of literature concerning polygamy found in the Prophetic tradition and modern legislation as symbolized in forms of 'ijtihad' or 'qiyas', which are "all forms of methodological reasoning on the basis of the Quran and Sunna"1. It shall subsequently be shown how such reasoning sanctioning polygamy has been challenged by actors in the increasingly secularised nation states of the Middle Eastern region and how such opposition is embodied in the various respective codes of legislation. It shall be shown that whilst the Quran has sanctioned polygamy, it is nevertheless imperative to contextualise both the verses and anecdotes alluding to such a practice in order contextualise the polygamous phenomenon. Furthermore, even though the various schools of thought have endorsed the practice as legal regardless of the reasons for concluding a polygamous marriage, such a phenomenon has rightly been challenged by those states where Islamic law is pertinent to at least the civil realm of life, as they fear that the practice itself has been taken out of its original intended context, which shall be discussed at length below. It shall serve firstly to state that the
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the two-source hypothesis? 'The likenesses and differences between the three Gospels present a problem of almost infinite complexity'
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the two-source hypothesis? 'The likenesses and differences between the three Gospels present a problem of almost infinite complexity'1. The Synoptic Gospels of the New Testament have frequently come under a deal of investigation and scrutiny as to what are their true sources (source criticism), and how these sources may or may not interact with one another. For Christians and Scholars alike it has been a hot-bed of discussion and disagreement, and various theories have arisen to try and solve what is commonly referred to as 'The Synoptic Problem'. The Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all offer accounts of Jesus' life that, on the face of it, seem largely similar. However if one is scratch the surface it soon emerges that of the substance we find in Mark's gospel, 90% are found in Matthew and only 53% occur in Luke. Clearly, therefore, there are some major differences between the three widely predominant Biblical accounts of Jesus' life. For example, there is no mention of the Beatitudes in Mark, or of the Lord's Prayer. Which account is closest to the truth? What exactly do their differences entail - is it purely textual, or does it point to something further fetched; do we indeed have any fundamentally reliable account of Jesus' life? These are important questions for a reader of the New Testament and indeed of the Bible
The real Jihad!
The Real Jihad! Samuel Huntington is right! This is a clash of civilizations! Whether we like it or not, misconceived American policy and the ignorant despotism in the Islamic world is going to lead us to a holocaust! Indeed given the civilian death toll in this new world of sanctions and video-game like aerial bombardments, we are witnessing the holocaust of the 21st century. The unthinkable-- a dramatic escalation of the conflict-- has happened. Skyscrapers have been felled, possible bio-warfare may have started, while an angry US refusing to suffer any casualties is conducting a distant aerial warfare, killing innocent civilians. This approach will only provoke more Muslim fears and retaliations. In the eighties and the nineties, Hollywood portrayed Muslim fundamentalists as arch-terrorists who would bring the world to the brink of disaster. We, moderate Muslims would nervously laugh at these caricatures but the discomfort around us was gradually increasing. Hollywood has been proven right and room for moderation is now eroded further with even pilots and airline passengers reacting only to appearances. A colored appearance is enough for you to be regarded with suspicion. This used to be known as racism. But we are now all reduced to our primordial levels. Thus it is with utmost despair that I accept Huntington's thesis, "it is a clash of civilizations!"
In the minds of Roman Catholics living in the North America, regardless of abortion being legalized, it is still viewed as a sin
ST. # 998170214 Selvathayabaran ,Tharrny CHRISTIANITY, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO GLOBALIZATION PROFESSOR DAVID PERLEY November 25th 2011 In the globalized world today, Roman Catholics in North America are having a difficult time in finding a balance between the region where they reside and their own beliefs. The contestation over the reasons in which a woman maybe permitted to terminate a pregnancy has not lent itself into having a straightforward resolution. Religious opinions on the subject have further played an essential role. Regardless of religious adherence, abortion in the United States has been made legal in the earlier months of pregnancy, and with restrictions in later months based on privacy of rights. In the minds of Roman Catholics living in the North America, regardless of abortion being legalized, it is still viewed as a sin, because “from the moment of conception the embryo is a living person” (Wassmar 3). Therefore killing a foetus, is considered murder in their view, and murder is a sin in accordance with the Ten Commandments. This religious viewpoint is present due to the internal religious artefact, the bible. According to Peter Beyer “ Religiousness might be broadly present in the consciousness of individuals, but it would have a great deal of difficulty having an real social effect” (Beyer 98). In relation to this
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
Why There Should be Gun Control in the United States
Why There Should be Gun Control in the United States On the 20th of April, 1999, in a little town called Lilleton in the U.S, two students from the Columbine High School committed a massacre. During a period of three hours, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed twelve students and one teacher, and injured dozens of others. Finally, they shot themselves in the head. Later the police detected over 900 bullet holes in the school (Bowling for Columbine)1. Apart from this horrible crime, the macabre fact is that all of the involved guns which had killed these innocent people were legally purchased, and the huge amount of bullets was bought at the K-Mart down the street (Bowling for Columbine). It is true, nobody will ever know if this disaster could have been prevented by a general gun control at that time, but one thing is for sure: it would have been a lot more difficult to purchase the used firearms and bullets if a general gun control would have been enacted before. Although, a comparison between the USA and the UK, where gunposession was prohibited in 1997, shows that after enacting the law, the crime rate surprisingly went up instead of down, still more than 10.000 humans die because of guns in the States every year. That number represents the highest death rate in developed countries and can only be reduced by a stricter enforcement of gun control. As a result, the crime