...show people that there are good and evil forces in the world. In addition, both disobeyed a higher power which resulted in mankind gaining something. Prometheus and the serpent are similar to each other despite being a part of different mythologies. Both the serpent and Prometheus have different intention for their actions. Prometheus wanted to help mankind recover fire after Zeus had hidden it. While the serpent seems to just want to cause mishap in the Garden of Eden. While both succeed, they are still punished by the higher power in the story. Prometheus gets chained to a rock and gets his regenerative liver eaten out of him by an eagle daily until Heracles frees him (Trzaskoma 146). And the serpent becomes the most accursed animal and is forced to move by crawling on its belly among other things (Genesis 3). Clearly, although both deeds end...
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... Islam makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are done for God alone and in accordance to His Divine Law (www.Islamicinformation.net). As such, worship in Islam is not limited to religious rituals. The teachings of Islam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul, and such qualities as humility, sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged. However, human beings have also been created weak and regularly fall into sin. This is the nature of the human being as created by God in His Wisdom, and it is not inherently "corrupt" or in need of having repairs. (www.Islamicinformation.net). The Question of Meaning/Purpose: Islam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty God is the only judge of human righteousness. The Islamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-balanced. Human beings are not believed to be inherently sinful, but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil. Islam also teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand. God has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith is one's deeds and actions. This is because the avenue of repentance is always open to all human beings, and Almighty God loves the repentant sinner more than one who does not sin at all. The true balance of an Islamic life is established by having a healthy fear of God as well as a sincere belief and hope in His infinite Mercy. A life without fear of God leads to sin and disobedience, while believing that we have sinned so...
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...The problem of evil is no problem at all In religious texts the world over the Abrahamic God possesses three inherent traits. He is omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent. God's omnibenevolence is one of the most appropriate reasons for worshiping him. But with that being said one finds it hard to view God as omnibenevolent when there is so much evil and suffering in the world. Some Atheists, perhaps unjustly, wield this discrepancy between idealistic dogma and perceived reality as strong evidence against the existence of God. First assume God exists. Along with his other powers, and most importantly for our species, God is supposed to possess omnibenevolence. Imagine a world created by an omnibenevolent god. What would this world look like? Most simply stated it would probably be a world like our own but with the absence of malevolence and suffering. This is a problem however, because by definition it does not match the world in which we exist. By imagining a universe without evil surely an omnipotent being could create such a thing if he so chose. God does not seem to have created such a universe, therefore he cannot be said to possess omnibenevolence. Or perhaps God wished to create such a universe but was incapable, refuting his omnipotence. Some atheists have used this line of thought to argue against any notion of a benevolent, all powerful God. At face value some might find this completely plausible but it is not as firm an argument as an atheist would hope. The...
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...Humans are born to be naturally selfish, cruel, and hypocritical even if they were taught “good morals”. The poems “Those Winter Sundays” and “Rite of Passage”,the book “Lord of the Flies”, Zimbardo prison study, and through personal experiences shows the evil behind mankind. The poem “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden and “Rite of Passage” by Sharon Olds both shows the evil of mankind. In the “Rite of Passage” the author depicts a birthday party where kids of various ages gather. A quarrel between a six and seven year old “men” arises where the seven says he could easily beat up the six, but is soon resolved as another kid says, “We could easily kill a two-year-old” (22). This shows that kids at such a young age are naturally aggressive...
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...God creates the world by dividing it into a system of doubles—the sun and the moon, light and dark, the land and the sea, and male and female. When Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit, and when Cain kills his brother Abel, good and evil become apparent in the otherwise perfect world that god creates. It is described in Genesis that not only is man made in the image of God, making man parallel to god, but woman, also contrasts with man, because of how she was created from man’s rib. Old Testament writers describe the world as a place of binary opposites, setting two opposing forces against each other in order to show the stark contrast between the two. These forces include positive and negative, good and bad, and lesser and greater. The Old...
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...Good and evil are moral concepts that coexist in modern society, categorizing actions and feelings based on a philosophical concept. Both are linked together, like the concept of ying and yang; one cannot exist without the other, they form a balance. According to team member Erika Alati, when using the word values, you must think of the subjects that a person views as important to his or her life. For example, a person with strong familial values may put family before other facets of life. A person’s morals refer to what is internally viewed as right or wrong. Morals are almost like personal traits; they are inborn into an individual’s character. As a person is growing older, they are exposed to many different ideas. Using this input of information, a person forms different beliefs. One of the most common examples refers to religious beliefs, for example Christianity. Team member Kelly O’Brien believes that a moral, a value and a belief are all uniquely correlated. There are some distinct differences, but all combine to determine the good or evil nature of an individual. A moral is an internal sense of what we believe to be right and wrong. Values are the principles by which we construct decisions about right and wrong; while prioritizing the importance of the value(s). Morals encompass more about good and bad leading to a stronger contradictory judgment, such as being immoral. A belief, however, is a more incendiary device. Satre (1956/2003) stated “we are always...
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...A Call to Ethics Jon Renegar Montreat College A Call to Ethics As our Western society continues down the path of moral turpitude due to an absence of spirituality, followers of Christ are called upon to become leaders to invoke a change in our fallen society. Review and Analysis of Solzhenitsyn Solzhenitsyn’s address in 1978 was not only to a group of graduating students but, more so, to the politicians, intellectuals, media personnel, and others who play a role in the framework of our society. His address was dynamic, however it presented as a warning of our society’s gradual erosion primarily because of our spiritual decadence. A few of his main arguments included that the United States has became a hyper legalistic society, American’s ideology for our “pursuit of happiness and freedom," along with our fundamentals of journalism. One of the main contributors to our society’s erosion is due to the Enlightenment philosophy that man is the center of existence and there is no higher power to which he is resigned. Basically, man is ultimately accountable only to himself. “When the modern Western states were created, the following principle was proclaimed: governments are meant to serve man, and man lives to be free and to pursue happiness” (Solzhenitsyn, 1978). In combining the Enlightenment philosophy with the freedom to pursue happiness, it has given us a false sense of security. Because of this philosophy, Americans have put aside...
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...Oneness of mankind 10 C. Oneness of Messengers and the Message 10 D. Angels and the Day of Judgement 10 E. Innocence of Man at Birth 10 F. State and Religion 11 Practices of Islam 11 A. Creed (Shahada) 11 B. Prayers (Salat) 11 C. Fasting (Saum) 11 D. Purifying Tax (Zakat) 11 E. Pilgrimage (Haul) 12 Other Related Aspects 12 A. The Mosque 12 B. Holiday 12 The Islamic Way of Life 12 The Teachings of Islam 14 Introducing Islam Allah the One and the Only God Allah is the name of the One and Only God. Allah has ninety-nine beautiful names, such as: The Gracious, The Merciful, The Beneficent, The Creator, The All-Knowing, The All-Wise, The Lord of the Universe, The First, The Last, and others. He is the Creator of all human beings. He is the God for the Christians, the Jews, the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Hindus, the atheists, and others. Muslims worship God whose name is Allah. They put their trust in Him and they seek His help and His guidance. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Muhammad (PBUH) was chosen by God to deliver His Message of Peace, namely Islam. He was born in 570 C.E. (Common Era) in Makkah, Arabia. He was entrusted with the Message of Islam when he was at the age of forty years. The revelation that he received is called the Qur'an, while the message is called Islam. Muhammad is the very last Prophet of God to mankind. He is the final Messenger of God. His message was and is still to the Christians, the Jews and the rest of mankind. He was...
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...Socialism. Altruism. Communism. The great evil of collectivism bears many names, but all are based upon the same unattainable ideal: equality. The societies that embrace these totalitarian political forms, including that of Ayn Rand’s Anthem, intend to become the paragon of parity by having their citizens sacrifice their own happiness for that of their brethren. The leaders of Anthem’s supposedly egalitarian society justify this subtly sadistic method of rule with the ideals of equality, fraternity, and selflessness. The principles that blinded Equality 7-2521’s brethren to the grim reality they faced too often imbue members of modern society, especially as these standards are broadcasted by religious, social, and governmental groups. The...
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...work, The Consolation of Philosophy, was written while he was awaiting an execution for treason he may not have even committed. Many people consider The Consolation of Philosophy one of the most time proven works of philosophy ever. This work helped to reshape numerous popular ideas in Europe at the time, and many of its principles still hold true even today. It is thought many believe that it is a commentary on Christianity even though it never mentions Christianity in itself; however it does lend itself towards Christian beliefs and Boethius was also known for his work with the church. While not necessarily a religious problem, Boethius spends a great deal of time contemplating evil; more specifically if God is perfect in his goodness, and is the unity of all things rules the world, how is it that evil is allowed to exist and is not always punished? In addition, where wickedness flourishes, virtue is often downtrodden and even stamped out. If God is...
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...it may sound. In the Book of Romans, Paul wrote a letter to Jews and Gentiles alike that brought such news. ROMANS: A TIMELESS LETTER FROM PAUL Romans: A Timeless Letter from Paul The Natural World With his words, God formed a perfect world in 6 days. Since the beginning, mankind has been able to see that the world around them is of God. Paul writes: Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse ( Romans 1:19-20 NIV). He is writing to Jews and Gentiles alike, none are without sin. Time has not changed these truths. Some deny God’s existence at all but will use His name as an expletive to make their point. Others who believe in God’s existence fail to notice and appreciate God’s creation; his beauty and majesty are everywhere, seen and unseen. Human Identity Genesis 1:27 (NIV) tells us “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” God meant for mankind to be stewards over all his creation and to enjoy it. We are all...
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...He calls her death “evil”. (27) The dream Frankenstein has right after the creature is created speaks volumes. “I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her; but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel.” (39) This dream could be seen as many things: a premonition for the events to follow, a warning from the beyond, or simply Frankenstein’s fears manifesting themselves in the most horrible way. The gruesome fact that he didn’t simply choose one corpse to re-animate but took pieces from several different corpses alone is deeply disturbing. Shelley does a very interesting thing with the concept of grief here. Frankenstein is unable to properly grieve, so to compensate for the death of his mother, he brings the dead back to life. While inherently wrong, this act is also defying the laws of nature. Surely Frankenstein’s mother would not have wanted him to attempt such a thing. It seems that he does it to prove that death doesn’t have power over all, but by the end of...
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...Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It's a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other. Evil is inherited in man, as it is the societal bounds that restrict one’s savage nature from arising. Structure and order are key in the survival of humanity and consequences keep us in check of our morality. In Lord of The Flies, by William Golding an award winning author depicts a group of British boys beached on a deserted island to illustrate the malicious nature in mankind. The novella dealt with the changes the boys underwent as they gradually adapted to freedom from their society. William Golding’s expresses his basic philosophy through character and symbols foretells that man was inherently...
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...Throughout the history of civilization, the forces of righteousness and evil have battled inside man. In the Lord of the Flies, William Golding explores a religious allegory in order to convey the innate forces of good and evil inside of man. After a group of civilized British boys is stranded on a pristine island, two boys are dead and the island burns leaving nothing but ashes. Golding uses the dramatic difference on the island to show the wreckage of the war between good and evil and the inevitable aftermath: destruction. The good, evil, and humankind are epitomized by Jack, Simon, and Ralph respectively. As a civilized boy turned savage, Jack Merridew represents the darkness in mankind. Jack, at the beginning of the novel, is a hot-tempered...
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...man” becomes associated with the acquisition of the pearl, and subsequently mankind begins to view human life as a disposable commodity, and thus Steinbeck is inferring that the capitalist world only associates value with materialistic wealth, hence the relationships between mankind that form society are inescapably destined to falter. Steinbeck’s scrupulous observations of the social failure occurring in America revealed the declining sense of a communal existence, which is now superseded by the competitive pursuit of wealth to achieve material comfort: The news came to these men, and their eyes squinted and their finger-tips burned a little, and each one thought how the patron could not live forever and someone had to take his place. And each one thought how with some capital he could get a new...
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