Essays on Religion Page 68

A healthy, vibrant, growing and happy Christian life requires a regular routine of communion with God through prayer, study His Word, and in Christian service to mankind. Like eating, sleeping, and exercising, it demands daily attention. And like our bodies, our spiritual life quickly withers and dies without spiritual food. The story of Enoch is…

There is a dispute on the origins of Taoism. One theory is the earliest known Taoist text may be the work of a minister of the ruler of the Shang-Yin dynasty in the eighteenth century B.C. The other theory is that it was began by the mentor of the father of the Chou dynasty in…

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 Chronicle of Le Mans depicts events that took place in the French town of Le Mans toward the late 10th century. The document tells primarily of the evil acts of Sehok ben Esther Israeli, a former Jew who has converted to Christianity, and how he strove against the Jewish community in Le Mans. By…

We tend to view ourselves as the central figure in our world, believing that we possess superior intelligence, intellect, power, and familiarity. Our presence here is attributed to God who placed us on this planet. However, it’s important to acknowledge that God also created everything else around us, including heaven. Beginning with light and darkness,…

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…

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…

Chronology of St. Augustine’s life 354, November 13 – the birth of St. Augustine in Tagaste, Numidia, Proconsularis, North Africa. 387, April 24/25 – his conversion and baptism by St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan; death of St. Monica. 388 – founded monastery in his hometown, Tagaste. 391 – He was ordained as a priest by…

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 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,…