Essays on Religion Page 66

As a professor of Islamic Studies at Hartford, Jane I. Smith wrote this book to inform American laypeople about the Muslim faith, especially profiling citizens that have converted to the fastest growing faith in the world.  By studying the Muslim tradition in great detail over the course of her academic career, she has a vast…

The Buddha’s most dedicated followers were grouped into a sangha, distinguished by their shaved heads and robes crafted from unsewn orange fabric. These early Buddhist monks, also known as bhikkus, traveled from location to location, only establishing themselves in communities during the rainy season when journeying was challenging. Theravadan monks and nuns rely on offerings…

When Apollo discovered that it was Hermes who had stolen the cattle, he became very angry. However, Hermes managed to reconcile the situation by creating a beautiful lyre and presenting it to Apollo. This gesture resolved the conflict between them and led to their friendship. One fascinating aspect of Hermes is his appearance as the…

The cases of Heavens Gate and the Branch Davidians exemplify Stanley Milgram’s theories on individuals’ responses to authority. Marshall Applewhite, also known as “Do,” established Heavens Gate and convinced 39 people that he had terminal cancer. He persuaded them that by dying with him, a spaceship in the comet “Hale-Bop’s” tail would transport them to…

The Mbaino tribe in Things Fall Apart practice many traditions that the Western culture would deem superstitious. The Western religion allows for the Christian ideals to prove many of the native traditions superfluous when infiltrating the native’s land during colonization. This disassembling of traditions is introduced by Christianity’s unshakeable stance that native deities have no…

Long ago, in the desert of Egypt, Hebrew slaves known as Israelites escaped from the tyranny of the pharaoh. This story has a common theme that an unlikely hero leads people out of a wasteland and into a place of new life. The Israelites heroes’ name was Moses. There are several attributes that his quest…

The Poem “Felix Randal” is a sonnet with an Italian or Petrarchan rhyme scheme (abba, abba, ccd, ccd); although not published until 1918, it was written in 1880. The title character is known from extrinsic evidence to have been a thirty-one-year-old blacksmith named Felix Spencer, who died of pulmonary tuberculosis; Father Gerard Manley Hopkins, while…

Natural theology is about arriving at truths in nature regarding the existence of a supreme being through reason alone (Engen, 1997). This is in contrast with revealed theology, where truths are revealed through divine revelation. As one may notice, truths using natural theology are readily acceptable to human reason. This is due to the fact…

The 2007 comedy film Knocked Up is designed for the entertainment of today’s youth. While categorized as a romantic comedy, it primarily focuses on comedy. It offers plenty of laughs with its awkward romance and stoner behavior, targeting its intended audience. However, the film also tackles issues that are rarely seen in movies. Judd Apatow,…

These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who…