Religious Commitment Essay Example for Free

Religious Commitment Essay Religious governments often have a very undemocratic approach of management, with strict and stringent laws and little freedom. Women are thus usually hard-pressed, dictated, given fewer liberties, and less educated. It is no surprise therefore that these societies are generally male-dominated with little influence from women. Education is primarily based upon the laws and scriptures of state religion with little room for anything else. From primary to secondary studies, emphasis is placed upon teaching and preaching everything about the religion and its practices. Anything which differs from religion is discarded. This consequently results in low literacy rate in terms of modern ways, studies, technologies and knowledge. Civil laws are also based upon the scriptures of the religion, with severe and strict rules and regulations. There is little democracy, freedom, and usually harsh punishments given out for violating laws. Religious laws are of chief importance and consequentially high government posts are inhabited by religious clerics and leaders. There are a large percentage of these types of governments in Middle East, Asia and East, where as the West and European countries are exceedingly democratic. In recent times, extremists Muslims have been severely criticized for trying to impose their religion and violating basic rights of freedom. It is also one of the reasons cited by the American government for attacking Afghanistan and Iraq, which were primarily religious governments with little freedom and democracy. On the whole, religious governments place emphasis on religion, its laws and practices. Compliance is usually mandatory, with all matters: women, education and civil laws etc. molded according to religious beliefs. Reference Audi, Robert. Religious Commitment and Secular Reason. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

essay on beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

In Beowulf, both pagan and Christian elements are present which add religious contrast to the poem. The poem begins with the king, Hrothgar, taking the throne of the Danes. During his reign, one of Hrothgars’ accomplishments included the building of the great Mead hall which served as a place of relaxation for his troops. Years passed and an evil monster came and terrorized the Hall. Then the great warrior, Beowulf, a foreigner offered to help rid the town of the monster. In the end, good triumphed over evil as he defeated the monster and returned the city to it’s people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Present in this poem are certain forms of evil. The greatest of these is the descendent of Cain’s evil against his brother Abel. After Cain killed Abel God punished him by exiling him from the kingdom of God. From Cain’s soul came evil monsters, one in particular, Grendel. He was a demon; a fiend who haunted the moors, the wild marshes and made his home in â€Å"hell† (actually earth). King Hrothgar finished a great mead hall for his warriors to relax and reside in when away from war. Grendel, amused by the sound of drunkenness coming from the hall, kills all who reside there. This punishment and evil went on for twelve years. The people turned to the worship of pagan Gods, hoping they would take the demon back to the pits from whence it derived.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the failure of paganism Hrothgar searched for warriors that could defeat the beast. A decorated warrior, Beowulf, sailed from the land of the Geats to help. This shows how God works in mysterious ways. Grendel keeps on attacking the great mead hall but refuses to go after the king’s throne. God protected the throne. This is saying that God will defeat any evil that stands in his path. An example that God controls life and death is the line â€Å"God must decide who will be given to death’s cold grip†. Death is not the last part of life. The mead hall’s gargantuan size symbolizes the people’s desire to be closer to God. It’s reason for construction, so the people could reach the heavens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the poem good clashes with evil. One example would be Grendel taking over the Mead hall. In this instance the mead hall would symbolize safeness and good harmony. One major important clash was when the townspeople gave up on Christianity and went back to paganism to get rid of the monster.

Chaos and Order

â€Å"I will not let you fall. I will hold you up high as I stand on a ball. With a book on one hand! And a cup on my hat! But that is not all I can do† â€Å"Look at me! Look at me now! With a cup and a cake on the top of my hat! I can hold up the fish and a little toy ship! And some milk on a dish, and look! I can hop up and down on the ball! But that is not all!†¦ † â€Å"†¦. It is fun to have fun but you have to know ho. I can hold up the cup and the milk and the cake! I can hold up these books, and the fish on a rake! I can hold the toy ship and a little toy man! And look, with my tail I can hold a red fan!I can fan with the fan as I hop on the ball!†¦. † â€Å"That is what the cat said, then he fell on his head! He came down with a bump from up there on the ball. And Sally and I, we saw all the things fall. † â€Å"†¦We saw those two things bump their kits on the wall! Bump! Thump! Bump! Thump! Down the wall in the hall† â €Å"Thing two and thing one, they ran up they ran down. On the string of one kite, we saw mothers new gown with dots that are pink, white and red. Then we saw one kite bump on the head of her bed. † â€Å"I will not let you fall. I will hold you up high as I stand on a ball. With a book on one hand!And a cup on my hat! But that is not all I can do† â€Å"Look at me! Look at me now! With a cup and a cake on the top of my hat! I can hold up the fish and a little toy ship! And some milk on a dish, and look! I can hop up and down on the ball! But that is not all!†¦ † â€Å"†¦. It is fun to have fun but you have to know ho. I can hold up the cup and the milk and the cake! I can hold up these books, and the fish on a rake! I can hold the toy ship and a little toy man! And look, with my tail I can hold a red fan! I can fan with the fan as I hop on the ball!†¦. † â€Å"That is what the cat said, then he fell on his head!He came down with a bump fr om up there on the ball. And Sally and I, we saw all the things fall. † â€Å"†¦We saw those two things bump their kits on the wall! Bump! Thump! Bump! Thump! Down the wall in the hall† â€Å"Thing two and thing one, they ran up they ran down. On the string of one kite, we saw mothers new gown with dots that are pink, white and red. Then we saw one kite bump on the head of her bed. † I have chosen the book The Cat in the Hat. Simply because it’s a classic and I still enjoy reading it. I also chose this book because I see A LOT of chaos in the story followed by order.In the box above, you can see that I have quoted the things I noticed was chaotic. â€Å"†¦. He picked up the cake, and the rake, and the gown, and the milk, and the strings, and the books, and the dish, and the fan, and the cup, and the ship and the fish and he put them away†¦.. † â€Å"†¦. He picked up the cake, and the rake, and the gown, and the milk, and the str ings, and the books, and the dish, and the fan, and the cup, and the ship and the fish and he put them away†¦.. † In the box above, you can see that I have quoted what I thought would be order. I think Dr. Seuss does suggest the possibility of achieving a healthy balance between chaos and order. Because he showed that you can have responsible fun but at the same time, you have to clean up any mess made, solve any problems, and make sure things are in order when all the fun and games are done. * Along with entertainment, I believe that the story is to portray a lesson for kids. As Ive said before, you can have tons of fun, you just have to be responsible and clean up anything when done. * Dr. Seuss does use a rhyme scheme in this story.

How Fracking Has Changed Our Environment Essay - 2119 Words

There is wide agreement among experts and the public that the current energy sources we use in the United States are in need of a replacement. The successful development of horizontal drilling by the energy industry coupled with the existing technology of hydraulic fracturing is now providing access to 100 years’ worth of energy in the form of natural gas located within our own borders, thousands of feet below the surface. Fracking is a fairly new method of extracting natural gas and has been very beneficial to our energy needs. The question is not how fracking has helped our goals for cleaner energy, but how fracking has affected our environment, our health and our water. Fracking is referring to the procedure of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting fluid into cracks to force them further open. The step-by-step process to fracking is this: First they start out by drilling downward approximately 6,000 feet into the ground, penetrating through several geological layers. The drilling then turns ninety degrees and continues horizontally several thousand feet into shale, which is believed to contain trapped natural gas. A mixture of water, sand, and various chemicals that fracking companies will not disclose, is pumped into the well which splits the shale so that the natural gas can escape. The natural gas escapes through the cracks made in the shale and is brought back up to the surface to be processed. To some Americans, fracking has become an energyShow MoreRelatedThe Invention Of Our Modern Day Fracking1299 Words   |  6 Pagescase of any treatment polluting an aquifer – not one.†(â€Å"Shooters-A Fracking History†). This statement may lead you to believe there is no need for concern, but there is a big pink elephant in the room. 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