...“The Problems faced by Eunuchs in Pakistan” A country, where even the majority struggles hard to get their fundamental human rights, there exist a community within, which is completely neglected and alienated from the rest of the society. We have heard about them, we come across them in our social affairs, yet we never stop to ponder on their state of life. Hijras, khwaja saras, khusras and chakkas, all are the terms given to this community by our society. Three of these terms are derogatory, even used as abuses. “Eunuchs” (hijras), the term describes a person who has no gender in particular, neither a male nor a female. Most are born apparently male, but some may be intersex (with ambiguous genitalia).”They are often perceived as third sex, and most see themselves as neither man nor women. However, some may see themselves as females. Unlike some western transsexual women, hijras generally do not attempt to pass as women. (1) Page 2 The economic condition of Eunuchs in Pakistan is very poor. Very few job opportunities are available to them. Even they cannot do any technical job because of the social abuse. Eunuchs earn their livings in three ways. First, they sing and dance in weddings and other occasions of happiness to earn their livelihoods. Second, they beg on streets and...
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...PHILIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH (Acts 8:26-40) A Paper by Sharon D. Norman Presented to Dr. John Hanna In partial fulfillment of the requirements of Biblical Interpretation Nazarene Bible College Colorado Springs, CO March 16, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................3 ORIENTATION AND CONTEXT......................................................................3 SIGNIFICANCE OF TEXT .............................................................................3 HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL SETTING ...........................................................4 LITERARY CONTEXT .................................................................................4 PRESENTATION OF TEXT ...............................................................................6 SCRIPTURE PASSAGE .................................................................................6 TEXT CRITICAL NOTES .............................................................................7 OUTLINE OF PASSAGE ...............................................................................7 PHILIP HEADS TO GAZA…………………………………………………… 9 PHILIP EXPLAINS THE GOSPEL MESSAGE………………………………10 THE EUNUCH IS BAPTIZED………………………………………………...11 PHILIPP CONTINUES SPREADING THE GOSPEL MESSAGE……………12 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………13 SUMMATION…………………………………………………………..13 APPLICATION…………………………………………………………15 ...
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...The Inadequacies of Ming Dynasty’s Foreign Policies: Lack of Efficient Rewards and Punishments ASTD284, Foundations of East Asian Civilization Dr. Kim 16 September 2013 Wang Yangming, “one of the most renowned Confucian thinkers and statesmen of the Ming dynasty” (Chang 1975, 39) wrote in his memorial on the issues with banditry in Southern Jiangxi and his analysis on why it had gotten out of control and further on, his recommendation on the measures that should be looked at to resolve it. He goes on to quote Wu Qi, who was an expert in warfare, “If laws and orders be not clear, if rewards and punishments be not just, though there be a hundred thousand men at arms, they are of no avail” (Chang 1975, 39). Wang Yangming was a firm believer that there must be established and enforced guidance for the prompt bestowment of rewards and the prompt issuing of punishments if the countries leader is expecting his soldiers to be of any use in suppressing those forces, both domestic and foreign, who are involved in illegal, criminal and violent activities and those whose actions cause disruption and chaos within the orderly state of society. Taking a look at events nearly a century prior to Wang Yangming writing his memorial, a different approach was taken regarding foreign relations that may have had a direct influence on the state of the country during Wang Yangmings life resulting in his appeal to the Zhengde Emperor. The re-establishment of...
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...because Cleopatra genuinely loves Antony and her lust is a by-product of the overzealous passion with which she loves Antony. On the other hand, the fire analogy Shakespeare suggests could be interpreted as Cleopatra just using Antony as a means of sexual gratification. If Philo can insult her by calling her a lusty commoner, he probably has evidence to back up his claims and that proves Antony may not be her last lover and her feelings may be entirely one-sided. Furthermore, Shakespeare utilizes stage directions to highlight her insatiable appetite: 'Enter...Cleopatra... with eunuchs fanning her'. The 'eunuchs fanning her' imply she is hot; whether it is due to the climate or her insatiable sexual appetite is a possible place for debate. Egypt is a hot place and so it is not aberrant to have people employed to fan the Queen. However, it could be seen as her sexual desires struggling to be repressed and the eunuchs (being men) do not help this...
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...In the Bill of Rights we look to the Eighth Amendment to read; Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. Excessive or disproportionate to the offense committed. A male who has been charged with and convicted of multiple sexual crimes, is going to do his time, get out of prison and offend again. To impose upon him to be chemically or surgically castrated would this procedure stop or prevent the sexual crimes from occurring. In China and the ancient world the rulers kept many wives and concubines so they would have an heir. To protect them from being impregnated by another male they used eunuchs to guard the wives and concubines. They were appointed to guard the royal household and through daily contact with the family they gained immense power (Chinese Eunuchs). According to legend castration has been used to improve the effectiveness of soldiers. The rulers would castrate the men by removing the penis and leaving the testicles. This would cause them enormous sexual frustration and they would become violent and aggressive, which was perfect for the battlefield. Chemical castration is done by injection of the FDA approved birth control drug Depo Provera to lower the testosterone levels in men, thereby reducing the biological urges. This drug does not make any permanent changes to the body, yet if taken off the drug the men revert back to the uncontrolled urges. There are several states that have permitted...
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...equality began to spread through literature, art, film and television. Feminist views were now spread more widely, whether than be by subliminal means like some literature pieces, or a more profound and upfront approach: such as in the James Bond literature and film franchise which portrayed it’s heroines as powerful and independent women. In this critical essay, I intend to evaluate the popular literature of the sixties and assess whether the sole purpose of these texts was to force the questioning and disruption of the ‘traditional certainties’ imposed in British society. Germaine Greer is an Australian academic, journalist and author is known to be a key feminist voice in the mid-20th century. Greer’s bestselling book The Female Eunuch sparked large amounts of controversy when...
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...Legalise Homosexual Marriage Gay marriage should be legalised in Australia. Marriage is about love and commitment to your loved one, not gender. As Australian citizens we have the liberty for pursuit of happiness; however by denying gay marriage, you are proposing the idea that homosexuals don’t have the right to pursue happiness. In a marriage there is one thing that truly matters: love. Not one couple would make it to asking someone to marry them, if there was not some love. Las Vegas, Nevada is also known for being the place where many weddings occur which are annulled within a week. These marriages do not represent the true meaning of love but simply a drunken night in Vegas. In 2011, there were 48,935 divorces granted in Australia; and still rising today. High divorce rates weaken what marriage is defined as. Why are we not able to teach society what marriage really stands for and make it include a homosexual marriage? The definition of love, according to dictionary.com is as follows: “Very strong affection: an intense feeling of tender affection and compassion.” If homosexual people feel this way then why shouldn’t they be able to be married? If they are happy with each other, then why should they be denied the right to marriage? Nancy Cott testified in Perry v. Schwarzenegger that "civil law has always been supreme in defining and regulating marriage” and that religious leaders are accustomed to performing marriages only because the state has given them that authority...
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...DANIEL- COMING KINGDOMS Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, handsome and skilful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to serve in the king's palace, and to teach them the letters and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the rich food which the king ate, and of the wine which he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. (Daniel 1:3-7 RSV) Daniel, from the Hebrew word meaning God is my Judge, is one of the major prophets of the Old Testament (see Old Testament Fact File), and of the New Testament (see New Testament Fact File) since much of the prophecy given to him corresponds to that given to the apostle John in the Book of Revelation, and for our time now - Jesus Christ Himself specifically referred to events recorded in The Book of Daniel (Matthew 24:15) that would occur just prior to The Return Of Jesus Christ. Daniel was of royal lineage (Daniel 1:3), probably born in or near Jerusalem about 622 B.C. during the reign of Josiah (see Kings of Israel and Judah). In the...
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...Information Literacy Assignment: Esther David Laylock Humanities 102 Dr. Meng April 16, 2014 Intro Esther is about the girl who came to be the queen of Persia. It is a book that gives her story of how she became sovereign, starting out during a banquet that lasted one hundred and eighty days. This banquet was put on by the wealthy King Xerxes to show off to people the power and fortune that he held. The queen, at the time, denied to appear at this banquet and was ordered to be put to death, because of how angry the King was at this. The pursuit for a new queen is now on. This is where Esther comes into play. Esther was in a Beauty pageant put on by King Xerxes, and the king chose her to be queen. During this time, Mordecai stops an attempt to murder King Xerxes. Recorded in the kings’ book of chronicles is Mordecai’s endeavor, but does not get compensated though. Haman becomes the kings’ viceroy, and Haman is a very selfish individual, always putting himself first. Mordecai refuses to bow down to Haman when all inhabitants of Shushan have to, and this enrages Haman so he issues a decree to execute all Jews, including Mordecai. After all this, Haman then misleads the king into issuing an edict to sentence all Jews. Mordecai tells Esther about the edict, and convinces her to put her life in jeopardy so that she may protect all her people from this. Esther develops a strategy to get the job done. She prepared a fancy banquet for King Xerxes and Haman. The king tells...
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...The “Calling” of Saul of Tarsus Keith Vann Liberty University The “Calling” of Saul of Tarsus Hedrick, Charles W. “Paul’s Conversion/Call: A Comparative Analysis of the Three Reports in Acts.” Journal of Biblical Literature 100, no. 3 (September 1981): 415–432. Of great significance is the fact that Saul’s conversion experience is recounted three times in Acts. Scholars note this as being an important fact regarding the writings. The imagery of blindness is brought to the forefront. Saul was so blinded with his zeal to persecute something he felt so grievously wronged God that he tried to eliminate all who practiced this newfound religion. God blinded him to show him how much he had failed to see. When his sight is restored, he sees things from a new perspective. This is similar to the experience of those who undergo a conversion experience. Hoerber, Robert G. “Paul's Conversion/Call.” Concordia Journal 22, no. 2 (April 1996): 186–188. The controversy over whether Saul’s experience on the Damascus road was a conversion experience or simply the call to ministry. It has been suggested that Western culture has influenced the truth behind the story and what was beautiful calling of a devout man to reach the Gentiles, was turned into a conversion. There is no discounting the 180-degree turn around in Paul’s life. He went from murderous threats of anyone who called the name of Jesus to professing Jesus publically and being arrested, beaten and jailed for such...
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...Inception of the Idea Even before we come into this world our partial identity is established, and right at the birth doctors announce, “It a boy/girl!” This announcement is based on our physical characteristic that is our genitals and reproductive system. On the basis of our (this) identity, we are raised and perceived in the society. But what happens when the biological sex does not match the brain sex (neurological sex)? It leads to an intense gender dysphoria . During my growing up years, I witnessed an incident that involved social discrimination; disgust and disrespect in Indian society towards the transgender community, and much to my dismay, even today the situation is not too different. In India outcasting a Kinner/Hijaras on the basis of their choice for their own gender identity (due to androgynous gender or neurological sex) is a tradition followed for many years. This complexity of society has inspired me to observe the behavioural nuances of the third sex and the society within which they live all around the world. However keeping accessibility in mind, I have decided to limit my current research within three countries: India (where the idea originated), Singapore (my current residence) and Thailand (where gender variant people are more visible than anywhere else in the world). I intend to be as objective as possible with my approach by first interviewing and then photographing the gender variant people. My main objective is to capture the process of transformation...
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...A Comparison; The Ming and Tokugawa Period The Ming dynasty achievement in rebuilding the empire and restoring Chinese pride ushered in a period of unprecedented economic and cultural growth on Song foundations but going far beyond where the Song had left off. There was rapid commercialization of the economy as a whole, an accompanying rise in the number and size of cities, and perhaps a doubling of total trade. Tokugawa Ieyasu’s victory at Sekigahara in 1600 brought Japan the longest period of peace and stability in its history: it lasted until nearly the end of the shogunate I n1868. Rhodes Murphey discussed developments during the Tokugawa period saying, “A major result was economic and commercial growth. Such developments brought the country closer to the modern world.” (East Asia, A New History, pg. 264) Before the end of the Ming’s first century there was a growing turn to conservatism. This partially reflected the determination to reestablish the traditional Chinese way in all things after the Mongol humiliation, but it also stemmed from enhanced prosperity. An Italian missionary Matteo Ricci reported in the early seventeenth century on their conservatism saying, “Everything which the people need for their well-being and sustenance is abundantly produced within the borders of the kingdom.” (Rhodes Murphey, East Asia, A New Histoy, pg. 129) There was less incentive to seek change or be innovative at least in terms of official policy. Policy and administration was...
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...Becker 1 Basil II was one of the greatest Byzantine rulers, who worked to establish more land and destroy the Empire’s enemies. (976-1025) One of his greatest endeavors was the conquest of Bulgaria. This was the last land grab of significance that the Empire saw. Soon after his rule the Empire collapsed. He was known for many things, but most importantly for his conquest of Bulgaria. Basil II inherited the throne in 963 at the age of three. The empire was run by a court eunuch named Basil the Chamberlain until Basil II was old enough to rule. After a while the eunuch began making decrees and ruling the area as if he had become the emperor. Before Basil II could take the throne the Chamberlain attempted to have the young, soon to be emperor tried for treason. However, before turning eighteen, with the support of the army, Basil II was able to take the throne and have Basil the Chamberlain stripped of their land and exiled. Upon taking the throne Basil II was faced with a serious issue, the Bulgars. This problem arose when Khan Krum, nicknamed the Horrible, brought the tribes of Bulgaria together to unite under one flag. After uniting the Bulgarians then conquered a large area of land around the Balkans while fighting and winning against three Byzantine rulers.1 The Bulgarians had become a huge problem for the empire that needed to be dealt with. When Basil II took the throne, the leadership of Bulgaria shifted to Khan Samuel. The Bulgarians were slowly growing in power and would...
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...Becker 1 Basil II was one of the greatest Byzantine rulers, who worked to establish more land and destroy the Empire’s enemies. (976-1025) One of his greatest endeavors was the conquest of Bulgaria. This was the last land grab of significance that the Empire saw. Soon after his rule the Empire collapsed. He was known for many things, but most importantly for his conquest of Bulgaria. Basil II inherited the throne in 963 at the age of three. The empire was run by a court eunuch named Basil the Chamberlain until Basil II was old enough to rule. After a while the eunuch began making decrees and ruling the area as if he had become the emperor. Before Basil II could take the throne the Chamberlain attempted to have the young, soon to be emperor tried for treason. However, before turning eighteen, with the support of the army, Basil II was able to take the throne and have Basil the Chamberlain stripped of their land and exiled. Upon taking the throne Basil II was faced with a serious issue, the Bulgars. This problem arose when Khan Krum, nicknamed the Horrible, brought the tribes of Bulgaria together to unite under one flag. After uniting the Bulgarians then conquered a large area of land around the Balkans while fighting and winning against three Byzantine rulers.1 The Bulgarians had become a huge problem for the empire that needed to be dealt with. When Basil II took the throne, the leadership of Bulgaria shifted to Khan Samuel. The Bulgarians were slowly growing in power and would...
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...Acts is believed to be the second part of a two-volume work. The Book of Acts begins with a summary of the previous volume, the Gospel of Luke, and then introduces the second volume. In Acts 1:1-5, Luke describes Jesus' ministry and passion; volume two Acts describes events after Jesus' ascension and the giving of the Holy Spirit. As a literary parallel to Luke-Acts Josephus writes a two-volume work, and introduces the second volume in a similar manner. He states the correct use of somewhat idiosyncratic political titles corroborates the view that the Book of Acts was written by someone historically close to the events narrated, such as Luke was. Lukan authorship of the Book of Acts explains the extensive linguistic agreement between the it and the Gospel of Luke and the details that Luke includes about the church in Antioch, the city from which he hailed. Several secondary sources confirm the Lukan authorship of the Book of Acts. The Muratorian canon states "Moreover the Acts of the Apostles are included in one book. For 'most excellent Theophilus' Luke compiled the individual events that took place in his presence.” The Anti-Marcionite Prologue identifies Luke as the author of a second volume, Acts: "And afterwards the same Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles." Origen identifies the author of Acts as Luke, the same who wrote the gospel: "Others that it was Luke, he who wrote the gospel and the Acts" (H.E. 6.25.14). Clement of Alexandria accepts Lukan authorship...
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