The Lives and Religions of Jesus and Muhammad Essay Example for Free

The Lives and Religions of Jesus and Muhammad Essay As the figureheads of two major world religions, the lives and teachings of Jesus and Muhammad are consistently examined and debated. The lives of these two men are strikingly different, and perhaps this is reflected in the different ways in which they are considered and worshipped. Jesus promoted peace and goodwill to all men, was destined for his role as a spiritual leader at the moment of conception, and is worshipped as a divine entity. In contrast, Muhammad was a powerful political and military leader as well as a religious one, and is not worshipped as a divine entity, but simply as a prophet, or messenger of God. The Life and Death of Jesus Christ Jesus is thought to have been born in Bethlehem, in or close to 4 BC (Bockmuehl, 13), and to have been raised in Nazareth by parents Mary and Joseph. Joseph was a carpenter by trade, as was Jesus himself. Jesus was a devout Jew (Bockmuehl, 15), but it is thought that his interpretation of the Torah was significantly different from what was generally accepted. The Gospels frequently describe incidents in which Jesus debated scripture and was critical of certain Jewish sects, most notably the Pharisees. In the absence of other historical sources, the Gospels are the main source of information about the life of Jesus. Little is known about the events that occurred between Jesus’ birth and his emergence as the leader of a religious movement. At an unknown point in his life, Jesus became a follower and friend of a prophet named John the Baptist (Bockmuehl, 22). After the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus began preaching. He taught that the kingdom of God was imminent and that repentance of sins and acceptance of the Gospel was necessary to â€Å"acquire treasure in heaven† (Mark 10:21). It is thought that Jesus’ ministry lasted approximately three years. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus traveled throughout Galileee, teaching in synagogues and open fields alike, healing the sick, and â€Å"proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom† (Matthew 4:23). Jesus used parables extensively, presumably because they made his messages of faith and forgiveness easier to understand. The events culminating in Jesus’ crucifixion occurred in Jerusalem (Bockmuehl, 36). According to the Gospels, he caused a disturbance in a temple by overturning tables belonging to moneychangers and preventing the passage of people who used the temple as a sort of shortcut through the city. Ultimately, he was executed because his teachings and actions made him a threat to the stability of established religion and power structures (Bockmuehl, 96). Jesus’ death is perhaps more important than his life, in terms of the impact it has had on the popularity and acceptance of his religious teachings. If Jesus had not died a martyr, Christianity would not exist as we know it today. Even more important than his manner of death, however, are the Gospel reports which state that three days after his death, his tomb was empty, and that he was subsequently seen alive by the disciples (Bockmuehl, 102). Regardless of whether or not Jesus was actually resurrected, belief in the resurrection is the defining principle of the Christian faith, and is the basis for the enormous impact of Christianity on the Western world. Jesus’ resurrection increases the significance of his death and validates the messages of his ministry (Bockmuehl, 101). The Life and Death of Muhammad Unlike Jesus, who, having been conceived immaculately was destined for greatness, Muhammad was a middle aged man before he received his calling (Cook, 14). Muhammad was born in or around 570 AD, and did not â€Å"receive his mission† (Cook, 14) for over forty years. This occurred on Mount Hira, near Mecca. It is said that as Muhammad lay asleep, the angel Gabriel came to him in a dream and revealed to him the first of a series of scriptures which eventually became the Koran. Muhammad subsequently spend ten to fifteen years in Mecca (Cook, 16), where he not only made many converts, but was also visited repeatedly by Gabriel, who introduced him to Abraham, Moses, and Jesus and allowed him to visit heaven. At this time, Paganism was the predominant religion in Mecca, and while Muhammad was mocked by some, he and his new religion were mostly tolerated. However, Muhammad began to criticize Pagan gods, and hostility was the eventual result, as city rules feared that the turbulence caused by religious division might limit trade between Mecca and other cities. A number of Muhammad’s followers fled to Ethiopia to escape persecution (Cook, 18). Muhammad himself eventually found protection in the form of tribesmen located in the northern city of Medina, who apparently saw Muhammad’s religion as a means of uniting their city, which was then fraught with internal political division (Cook, 19). Muhammad’s move to Medina took place in 622 AD, and is called the hijra. The year in which this occurred became known as the first year of the Muslim era. Once settled in Medina, Muhammad succeeding in uniting the warring Arab factions by enveloping both under the Muslim umbrella (Cook 21). With bloodshed between Muslims forbidden, the feud was effectively halted. With internal peace assured, Muhammad turned his attentions to external enemies, the chief of these being his home town, Mecca. He achieved a number of military successes, including the invasion and capture of Mecca (Cook, 22). His religious message spread as his conquests continued, and many Arab tribes submitted to his political and religious authority. Muhammad continued to receive visits from Gabriel, and many of the rituals which define Islam originated in this way (Cook, 23). Unlike Jesus, Muhammad died peacefully, of an unknown illness (Cook, 24), and was survived by nine wives as well as four daughters. Military operations continued in the name of Islam after his death. Muhammad had apparently planned to send an exploratory expedition to Palestine (Cook, 22), but died before this could be carried out. However, within a generation after his death, the Middle East had been conquered by the Muslims. Historical Worship of Jesus and Muhammad Jesus was an object of worship within a generation after his death (Bockmuehl, 220). Christ was invoked in prayer and hymn as early as the first century AD. However, it was not until the fourth century that Christianity was widely accepted (Bockmuehl, 223). At this point religious iconography began to appear in public displays, and purpose-built Christian churches were erected as the Christian faith became more organized and hierarchical. The importance of Christianity steadily increased until the end of the Middle Ages, at which point Christianity was the center of all aspects of life. Art, literature, music, and architecture were created to glorify Christ and depict Biblical events. Also at this time, religious art began to explore the human side of Jesus (Bockmuehl, 225), portraying his mental and physical anguish in realistic crucifixion scenes. It was not until the Italian Renaissance and Humanistic philosophy of the fifteenth century that secular art and literature began to appear. The self-exploration prompted by the Renaissance eventually gave rise to schisms within the previously unified Christian church. In the modern world, Jesus is increasingly viewed as just one of many prophets, including Moses, Muhammad, and Buddha (Bockmuehl, 237). Worship of Jesus in the twenty-first century is perhaps more personal than it once was, with less emphasis on organized religion and more emphasis on a personal relationship with Christ. This is perhaps necessary in a world which is increasingly secular, where there are many different religious denominations which identify as Christian, and where Christianity is no longer an entity which dominates every aspect of both public and private life. Unlike Jesus, who is worshipped as a divine entity, Muhammad is worshipped as a prophet or messenger of God, rather than a divine being (Cook, 83). Muhammad was not only a religious leader, but a political and military leader as well. The monotheistic faith that Muhammad created gave Islamic Arab nations the political stability that enabled them to become one of the world’s major civilizations (Cook, 86). Within two hundred years of Muhammad’s death, the Islamic religions had spread far beyond the borders of Arabian countries (Cook, 87). In the modern world, the faith is no longer spread via conquest of other countries, despite the efforts of extremist sects such as Al-Qaeda. As with Christianity, the basic tenets of Muslim faith remain unchanged, however the modern world has indeed influenced Muslim practices (Rippin, 127). Similar to the way in which the increasing separation of religion and state influenced Christianity, this division, together with the existence of the Muslim faith in countries which are not predominantly Muslim, has made the religion more of a personal choice and less of a political or national way of life. Just as with Christianity, numerous Muslim sects exist in the world. However, for devout Muslims, the rituals and practices of the faith remain virtually unchanged in comparison to what they were during ancient times. Conclusion The lives and deaths of Jesus and Mohammad have been just as influential in their respective religions as their teachings, if not more so. Both managed to unite innumerable people under one religion in different ways, which are reflected in their teachings and the events of their lives. Both were the figureheads of monotheistic religions, but had very different teachings. Jesus’ main message was the importance of love of both God and of fellow man, while Muhammad promoted unity within the Muslim community but used war as a means of spreading the Islamic faith to new lands. References Bockmuehl, Markus. (2001) The Cambridge companion to Jesus. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Cook, Michael. (1996) Muhammad. Oxford: Oxford University. Rippin, Andrew. (1990) Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. London: Routledge.

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Homosexuality and the Media Essay

Homosexuality and the Media      Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many different aspects of life that Americans are exposed to on television each day. Some examples are things such as violence, sex and alcohol and in today's more accepting society, the issue of alternative lifestyles. This issue was not as predominant ten years ago as it is today. Yes, for many years there have been sexual undertones in many popular television shows or movies, but it was not until recently that these actors and actresses were actually said to be living an alternative lifestyle.    What exactly is an alternative lifestyle? According to Encarta's Online World Dictionary, "an alternative lifestyle is one of abnormal circumstances, a way of living adopted by people who reject the prevailing lifestyle, for example, because they consider it to be too materialistic, to dependent on technology or simply living outside of the basic ways of life"(Encarta Online World Dictionary). This term, alternative lifestyle, is one that is often used to describe people who engage in homosexual relationships. The true definition seems to fit, but today this lifestyle is not as out of the ordinary as it was in the past.    Many people think that homosexuality is an old trend that has been around since the beginning of time. In reality, homosexuality is still a relatively new idea in many cultures. This idea is also relatively new for the mass media and Hollywood. "In a hundred years of movies, homosexuality has only rarely been depicted on the screen. When it did appear, it was there as something to laugh at, to pity, or even something to fear. Hollywood, that great maker of myths, taught straight people what to think about gay people... and gay people what to think about... ...on 2). With this in mind Jacobson explains, "now that changes are finally being made in the way that people are raised, people will also be able to accept changes easier than they did in the past" (Jacobson 2). If this is the way that society actually operates then homosexuality should not be as hard to accept as it was in the past.    Works Cited Bantam Publishing. "Encarta Online World Dictionary." Issue 23, Vol. 43 page 121. Bishop, Alfred. "Homosexuality and Life." Dec. 5th 2001.   http:<www.seuxallife/lt.ctrl.article45/23-tglm_bish.htm> Encarta Publishing. Encarta Online World Dictionary. 1999  Ã‚   http:/</Encartaworld/dictionary/alternativelifestyle.ht/htm> Jacobson, Alexander. "Society and Our Lives." Stanford University. 1999 The Celluloide Closet. Dec. 3rd 2001.  Ã‚   http:<celluloidecloset.net.art-10_life/sex/23htm.>

Comparison of Protagonists in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” and “Greenleaf” Essay

A comparison of protagonists in Flannery O’Conner’s â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† and â€Å"Greenleaf† In both his works of fiction, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† and â€Å"Greenleaf†, Flannery O’Conner paints a rather grim picture. The protagonists in both the short stories share several common traits. In the story, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find†, the Grandmother, who remains unnamed throughout, is a vile woman, who is also selfish and a complete hypocrite. Yet, she continues to judge other people for what she perceives to be their shortcomings. She is a woman who has seen hardships, and just the fact that she got through them, makes her feel morally superior to others. She feels she is a ‘lady’ which makes her better than the rest. She lacks the will and the ability to introspect and spends her time passing judgement on others. Her hypocrisy is highlighted in the fact that she spends most of her time passing judgement on others even though she claims her conscious to be her guiding force. A glaring example of her selfishness is when she is afraid for her own life, but claims that her conscience would not allow her to take her family in the same direction as that taken by the criminal referred to as ‘the Misfit’. She passes judgement on her daughter-in-law for not taking her children to a place that she personally thinks would be beneficial for them. To further add insult to injury, she compares her daughter-in-law’s face to a cabbage. The Grandmother has an opinion on everything and feels that her way of doing things is the only way to do them. She chastises another character from the story, John Wesley, for what she thinks is inappropriate amount of respect for his home state. At any opportunity, she makes it her business to judge other people and remark at the lack of their goodness, without evidently having any of her own. She gives little attention to her own behavior, convinced that being a lady is the only virtue, and she, by dressing as one is the only lady and therefore is the only one who harbors any virtues at all. This lack of self awareness, and a tendency to dissociate herself from everything happening around her, to take a morally condescending stance, is a recurrent theme of her character. Though she is critical of everyone and  everything that other people do, she continues to turn a blind eye to her own failings and shortcomings, believing herself to be above any character or personality flaws. She continuously talks about her conscience, citing it when it can get her her own way, while completely ignoring it when it comes in the way of what she wants. She sneaks Pitty Sing into the car and continues to lie to the children. If she made a mistake, she chooses not to reveal her and blame others for it. Even at the end of the story, when the family encounters the Misfit, and he systematically murders everyone – including the children that the Grandmother harps on initially, she never for once begs him to spare their lives. Instead, when the criminal finally turns his weapon towards her, she begs him and entreats him to spare her, citing the fact that she was a lady and therefore above the rest of the family that had been so mercilessly murdered in front of her. Despite her overactive conscience, which had just witnessed the murder of her family, she entreats the Misfit to join her world telling him that she believed him to be a good man. Despite the heartlessness that the Misfit had just displayed, the Grandmother is sure of her moral code and that it would mean something to him. In fact, she even extends it to him, trying to make him see that he was a good man, albeit a misunderstood one. Unfortunately for her, though he does agree with her, he does not see this as a reason to let her go. Throughout this traumatic event, the Grandmother continues to be the conceited person that she started out to be in the story. It is only in her final moments, when she is just a blink away from death, does she realize her folly and admits that she is flawed like everyone else that she had criticized all her life. She finally sees the error of her ways and learns the truth about herself, only it is too late for her realization to be any good to her. As he r last dying words, she admits to the Misfit that he was like one of her own children, finally showing the ability to feel compassion. Her last moment alive is also her moment of truth, one where she realizes who she is and understands others. This crucial moment of her life is immediately followed by her tragic death. In Greenleaf, the author directs a similar protagonist. The protagonist, an elderly lady in this one too, is Mrs. May – the proprietor of a farm. She is a conceited woman who believes that her farm is profitable and sustaining  only because of her efforts, discarding the efforts put in by the rest of the family and the farm help. Her rise from penury to the success of her farm makes her oblivious to the fact that she had help. Instead, she sees this as an opportunity to put on airs and tell the world of her prowess in business. She brags about herself being penniless and inexperienced when she first came about the rundown farm, and takes great pride in the fact that the farm is now successful. She not only forgets the contribution of the farm help, but blames them of being against her. She even goes on to the extent of blaming the elements of being against her. So engrossed is she in her own success that she forgets that it is only the elements of nature that allow the farm to be successful. She also forget the help of Mr. Greenleaf, who stood by her and toiled with her to make her farm successful and profitable. It was only after Mr. Greenleaf had answered her ad for help that she had been able to set up a dairy for herself. Though the story does not rally on the particular contributions of Mr. Greenleaf, it does suggest that the farm was only established upon his arrival and therefore it can be inferred that he was instrumental in its success. She, with her half baked knowledge in farming, and her lack of experience, is certainly not a good farm keeper or a farm manager. It is only the experience and the wisdom of Mr. Greenleaf that continues to make her farm successful and profitable. Her good fortune has been because of the arrival of a farmhand who is not only knowledgable, but also hard working. This is something that she ignores through the course of the story. She places a lot of value on her own perceived virtues, in this case her efforts to pull the farm togeth er. On the other hand, she complains about Mr. Greenleaf to everyone who would turn an ear to her. Most of her blessings are undeserved, but she fails to recognize it and is certainly not graceful in her rejection of Mr. Greenleaf’s contributions. As the story continues to build, Mrs. May’s resentment towards Mr. Greenleaf increases. She is ultimately brought down and killed by a bull, who she wants to control. While Mr. Greenleaf views the bull as an unstoppable force of nature, Mrs. May sees it as an intruder on her property and something that she should be able to control, because of her position and her perceived abilities. In refusing to succumb to the forces beyond her  control, she invites her own end. The bull finally attacks her and she is impaled by its horn. A similar character theme to that of the Grandmother, Mrs. May cannot see the grace present in those that she believes to be socially her inferiors. Like the Grandmother, it is Mrs. May’s blind pride, and her inability to turn her eye inwards, that leads to the conflict between herself and those around her – in this case Mr. Greenleaf. She thought too highly of herself, and was pretentiously self righteous. As in most of her works, O’Conner gives her protagonists the characteristics of self righteousness, blind pride, tactlessness and conceit. Both the Grandmother and Mrs. May believe themselves to be ladies, and therefore above reproach. They both feel that if they feel, dress and behave the part, they can be ladies, who are in fact revered people of the society. They attach too much importance to their own selves and to their perceived social standing. Though they do not choose to act like ladies, they still believe themselves to be it. They both feel that if t hey continue to behave like respectable people of the society, they would be appropriate rewarded with good graces. Both of them have little patience or compassion. Another similarity between the two characters is that though both of them continue to be conceited and hypocrites, they do understand their own follies during their dying moments. In the story ‘Greenleaf’ Mrs. May is impaled by a bull’s horn and as she is lying there, dying of her grievous injuries, she chooses to confess something to the bull. Her dying words are spoken in the bull’s ears. What these words were, we will never know because the narrator does not choose to do so. One can only imagine that when she does face the moment of truth, Mrs. May, like the Grandmother, chooses to finally acknowledge the error of her ways. Another unfortunate similarity between the two protagonists is that none of them were able to admit their folly to the people they had wronged. While in â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find†, the Grandmother realizes her mistake only after the remainder of her family has been murdered, Mrs. May dies alone without having the chance to apologize for her behavior and her errors to  their primary recepient, Mr. Greenleaf. In both the cases, self realization came too late, only when the women were moment’s away from death. The realization of their errors is quickly followed by their deaths in both the stories, giving them no opportunity to correct themselves or make amends to the people they had wronged by their actions. Though it is not apparent in O’Conner’s style of narration, it seems that the protagonists of both the stories were undeserving of the attention, affection and blessings that they received in their life. Why the two choose to be the way they are or act the way they do, remains a mystery. Both of them are elderly women, but their youth is not discussed in the story, so one can only assume that the two had seen tough times which hardened them emotionally. Their insistence on being morally superior by virtue of being ‘ladies’ may have something to do with some experiences in their youth or their earlier life, of which there is no mention in either of the stories. At the end of each of the story, the principal characters, who remain smug and conceited throughout the narration, are shocked out of their self righteousness into humaneness. Unfortunately, the realization of their total inadequacy in the eyes of the supreme being, or God, comes too late – in their dying moments.

Video Games and Its Effect on Children - 2187 Words

OUTLINE Thesis Statement Abstract Sociological Effects * Social Development * Interaction with peers * Relationships and interpersonal skills Psychological Effects * Aggressive behavior * Psychiatric Symptoms * Addictive behavior Health Effects * Risk of obesity * Insufficient physical exercise * Risk of VGRS (epileptic seizures) Effects on Academic Performance * Educational software * Positive effects on learning and academic skills * Negative correlation on time spent on games and academic performance Conclusion Bibliography THESIS STATEMENT Excessive playing of video games can cause decreased social interaction, psychological†¦show more content†¦It was suggested that playing video games could be a forum for interpersonal communication. â€Å"Firstly, video games can serve as a central activity for interpersonal interaction, providing an activity for friends to participate together (like playing cards or engaging in physical recreation). Secondly, online video gamers can promote interaction with others across the game network and establish new friendships and thirdly, video games and their characters can provide a source of pseudo-social relationships for the game player† (cited in Barenthin and Van Puymbroeck, 2006). In an interpretive study on kindergarteners, Bacigalupa (2005), found that even small children rather spend time playing video games when given the opportunity, than play with each other. He observed that â€Å"when children were focused on video games, their interactions with one another were disjointed, rushed, and ineffective†. â€Å"Research demonstrates the importance of social skills in life and relationships, while other research indicates a lack of social interaction when playing video games† (Barenthin and Van Puymbroeck, 2006). The psychological implications and effects of video on children have been the focus of numerous studies. Dworak, M., Schierl, T., Bruns, T., and Strà ¼der, H.K. (2007), have indicated that computer gaming could result in psychiatric symptoms, especially emotional and behavioral symptoms such as aggressive behavior. According to Tish and Klasen (2006), â€Å"studies have begunShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Video Games On Children Essay1279 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Video games have always been a controversial type of entertainment, that may come from how relatively new video games are compared to other mediums of entertainment[1]. Maybe because of that when a violent crime occurs and the culprit has played a lot of games the media is quick to point at violent games as the reason for the crime, but is that true or are the media just biased or looking for quick views, this report aims to answer that question. Do games affect our way of thinkingRead MoreEffects Of Video Games On Children Essay1357 Words   |  6 PagesScreening to a halt: Are parents in New Zealand able to identify signs of dependency or addiction in their children due to over use of screen-time from the recreational use of video games? Digital technology and the vast amount of video games have increased the amount of screen time consumption in contemporary New Zealand society. The saturation of smart phones, ipad’s, tablets, computers, game consoles and the Internet are devices with the means of connection to gaming. Many New Zealand families integrateRead MoreThe Effects of Video Games on Children1288 Words   |  6 PagesThe Effects of Video Games on Children Technology today has progressed rapidly from generation to generation. Children and young adults are both into video games and the latest gadgets out there. Video games have been available to customers for the last 30 years. They are a unique way to entertain individuals because they encourage players to become a part of the games script. Victor Strasburger an author of â€Å"Children, Adolescents, and the media† stated â€Å"The rising popularity of video games hasRead MoreThe Effects of Video and Video Games on Children2043 Words   |  8 Pagesaction, usually in a cartoon, movie, or video game. For many of us, Disney is where we refer back to early forms of animation with the idea of using thousands of consecutive drawings; through Disney, we can now see how far this idea of breathing life into static objects has advanced. Today, animation is becoming more and more realistic. With highly advanced technology and computer programs, it has become easier for simple cartoons to develop into what children see as real life. These animated cartoonsRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Games On Children1548 Words   |  7 PagesVideo Games Introduction Today video games are a staple in most households. It is pretty amazing to know that the first creation of games date all the way back to the 1900s. They were not originally invented to make a profit, but to give patients something to do while waiting in the lobby of an office. One inventor had a simple idea of using the monitor not just as a television set, but as a way to play games. College students were just playing around with equipment and happened upon something greatRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effects On Children927 Words   |  4 PagesVideo games are a more interesting form of entertainment for the simple reason that players may become part of the game’s plot. Video games were invented for many years now. However, the current variety of games raised concerns about how they affect the children s behavior due to the fact that the games are becoming more sophisticated. Children spend most of their free time playing video games. Sometimes children refrain from completi ng important duties and dedicate all of their time playing videoRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effects On Children940 Words   |  4 Pageswas bored they went outside to play, they created new games, or they played with friends. But, for the past three decades, video games and other digital media have been persuading many adolescents and children to spend the majority of their time playing them. Video games seem to satisfy children’s natural need to interact socially, however more often than not, they lead to social isolation. Overexposure to digital media, such as video games is detrimental to the health and function of a child’sRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effects On Children1519 Words   |  7 PagesVideo games in the 21st century have transformed from friendly competing into guns, explosions, and major violence. Video games are getting away with more violence every year and the games are becoming more extreme. The consistence and severity of violence is at an a ll-time high leading the most popular games in the gaming community to have a ‘mature’ rating due to the considerable amount of violence involved. For example, one of the highest selling video games of all time grossing one billion itsRead MoreThe Effects of Video Games on Children1656 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction For more than 30 years, video gaming has been a popular activity amongst many of America’s children. With over $63 billion (Reuters, reuters.com) worth sold each year, video games are here to stay. While much controversy has arisen over the subject, video games have benefited the United States of America and its citizens to a great degree. For example, the military and CIA use gaming to train soldiers (Davidson, www.ehow.com), and classrooms use video games to teach students. The potentialRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Games On Children1034 Words   |  5 PagesThe world of today has developed in a way that even children are affected by technology. They enjoy video games in their leisure time and even prefer them to studying that, in its turn, can contribute to their poor performance in the class. These days, video games have become an issue that has brought concern to many people from parents to scholars about their potential effect on the future of children through influenci ng their conduct. They feel that the violent behavior or any other negative consequence