...Ghosts and spirits have haunted the world for centuries or so some believe. Christian theology talks of the transcending of certain ghostly imitations also known as demons or poltergeists. ( Wiebe,p.1). Although the origin of ghosts descends far back into time the belief of ghost varies from person to person. There are endless sightings, photographs, and unexplained mysteries. There has never been a confirmed announcement of the existence of ghosts but there has never been a declaration of no possibilities either. How is it known if they are real? There is no way of knowing for sure. It is a choice people must make for themselves to accept the reality or to accept the falsehood. The most important question is what convinces people of something that is not in confirmed as a fact in a science textbook? “The savage or barbarian has never learned to make that rigid distinction between imagination and reality, to enforce which is one of the main results of scientific education.” ( Wiebe, .1) Those that do believe in ghosts say that they are transparent materializations of a person who has died. Ghosts have been described as human in size and gossamer in their appearance. It is the essence of the soul that has decided to have an extended vacation on the planet. Reasons for this haunted apparition walking around without its mask varies. Fanatical experiences and brutal deaths can excrete enough energy to leave an imitation of the event behind. A bloodthirsty murder can leave an imprint...
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...a vast number of spirits, both good and evil. Such spirits include nature demons, evil spirits or devils, and ghosts. Evil spirits are believed to avoid light and many rituals involving fire and light have developed, such as the use of bonfires, firecrackers, and torches. Evil spirits are also traditionally believed to travel in straight line, which explains many curvy roads throughout China. If a spirit is not kept happy, perhaps because it had a bad death, an improper burial or has no descendents to perform the proper rituals, it becomes a ghost (sometimes called a "hungry ghost," a term with Buddhist origins). Ghosts may attack human beings to prompt them to meet the ghosts' needs or at least to draw attention to their plight. Ghosts receive the most attentions during Ghost Month, the seventh month in the Chinese lunar year, and especially during the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth day. The Hungry Ghost Festival has its roots in the Buddhist festival Ullambana, and also in Daoist culture. In the Tang Dynasty, the Buddhist festival Ullambana and its traditional festivities were mixed and celebrated on one day. Thus, the Ghost Festival has a special meaning for all Buddhists. The Chinese believe that the dead become ghosts who roam between Heaven and Earth on the day of their death. Spirits without descendants to make offerings to them are fed during the ghost festival, so that they may not cause trouble to the living. This custom, an extension of the traditional Chinese...
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...Running head: Religious Belief System Religious Belief System University of Phoenix Religious Belief System Due to the diverse cultures around the world, people experience life differently and adopt assorted personal belief systems. The basis of these belief systems is personal experience and tradition as well as an outline regarding how an individual lives life. Tolerance is an element of life in any diverse area as every person lives life by following a personal set of beliefs and tolerance to other people’s beliefs. The basis of most major religions is ancestry because religion strictly adheres to tradition, so it is a big element in a traditional religious belief system. The catholic religion has many traditions set in ancient times still followed to this day, although Catholicism has its advantages; it also has its downsides. Parents implant an individual’s religious belief system a young age. A personal religious belief system’s foundation is the manner in which the parents raise an individual, and it should complement an individual’s personal moral ethics. Tolerance People need to respect and attempt to understand other people’s religions. People establish these beliefs throughout a lifetime. Just as people may strongly believe in personal beliefs; the public must be tolerant of other people’s individual beliefs. Great wars have stemmed from a diminished understanding of another culture’s religion. As diversity expands worldwide, people of different cultures...
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...There Scrooge learns about Tiny Tim, Bob’s son and how ill he is Scrooge shows a careness and asks the ghost if Tiny Tim is going to make it. After being told that it’s too late and he won’t make it Scrooge feels depressed. He also gets a view in how his nephew Fred lives at his house. Loving and caring family, Scrooge sees how his employer and nephew were both kind and generous towards him. He watches how he responded to both of them all the times they tried to talk to him or invite him places. Scrooge is disappointed in himself, and the ghost tells him that one last ghost will come...
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...Culture identity I am a nineteen year old Taiwanese, mandarin speaking, Asian with Maitreya Great Tao as my beliefs. I came from Taiwan, a small country in Eastern Asia with come a culture deeply connected with China. The people in my country are mostly Han Chinese who came from mainland China before 1949 or have ancestors that were. They are divided into three group based on the Chinese dialect they speak: Taiwanese, Hakka, or Mandarin. The traditional values that we have are based on Confucian ethics which are now challenging to industrialization. However, some traditional values remain strong, including piety toward parents, ancestor worship, a strong emphasis on education and work, and the importance of saving face. And these are also my values, beliefs and practices. I was born and raised in Taiwan which is Home Island. I consider myself Taiwanese no matter where I live because I am descendant from a long line of Taiwanese who came from a small village in Kaohsiung city. I know that China prefers to view Taiwan as an inherent part of China going back to “ancient time” and China wants to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. I do not consider myself to have a shared Chinese identity because I am one hundred percent Taiwanese. The communication styles of Taiwanese are in front of words, gestures and facial expression. Mandarin, the official national language of Taiwan is my main language. It has allowed me to share my way of life with others and allows me...
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...2001, about three in four Americans profess at least one paranormal belief, which is very unexpected for me. As far as I can see, there must be an inseparable relationship between these two phenomenon. What are the reasons behind...
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...the literary techniques that help to make ‘Jane Eyre’ the classic that it is today. Throughout the book, many literal references to ‘sight and vision’ occur. This happens in the very first chapter, when the child Jane looks in the mirror and believes herself to be a ghost: “The strange little figure there gazing at me with a white face and arms speckling the gloom, had the effect of a real spirit: I thought it like one of the tiny phantoms, half fairy half imp.” Jane is treated badly, by her Aunt Reed and cousins, and is treating herself harshly as a result of it. This quotation shows her lost inside herself, with no one to turn to, believing herself to be ugly. Jane judges many people’s character by their looks, for instance; Miss Temple ,at Lowood, who is beautiful and so Jane believes to be kind. Her judgemental assumption proves to be correct as Miss Temple treats jane and her terminally ill friend Helen with kindness and Generosity. As Jane grows older, and meets Mr Rochester for the first time, she is bold and can talk to him easily, as she does not ‘fancy’ him, despite his money, as he is ugly and rude. Future Metaphorical Film After reading ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë, it is my belief...
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...Religion and Ethnic Diversity Denise McDonald ETH/125 July 12th, 2015 Ramona Taitano Loughran Religion and Ethnic Diversity Everyone in the world comes from different backgrounds, has different religions, and overall has different beliefs, morals, and views. I am white with a Roman Catholic religious background. I will be discussing the Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) religion as well as the Pacific Islander (Polynesian Descent) ethnic group. It will show the differences that these two groups face when compared to other religions and ethnic groups. According to Biola Magazine (1996-2015),” the overwhelming emphasis in the Mormon scriptures is on earning salvation through obedience to commandments and refraining from sin”. In most other religions you are born with original sin and in the Mormon religion, they do not believe that. Sin does not occur until a person is old enough to be held accountable around the age of seven and older. In the Catholic religion, we are taught that it is “The father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” whereas in the Mormon religion it is “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost”. A majority of the Christian population believe that Mormons are not Christian while Mormons disregard that and state that they are. Non-Mormons still believe that Mormons still participate in Polygamy even though it has not occurred since the 1860’s. Many people believe that Mormons spend a lot of their time as teens walking door to door to try to recruit people to come...
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...However, in the film, Ichabod is shown as a well-built man with brown, wavy hair. He has a pale and hollow face. In Irving’s version, Ichabod is a schoolteacher, but his occupation doesn’t pay very well. He lives with his pupils, as he cannot afford a home. Proof of this occurs when Irving states that, “With these he lived successfully a week at a time; thus going rounds of the neighborhood, with all his worldly effects tied up in a cotton handkerchief,” (Irving 10). His profession influences his beliefs. In the short story, as a well-read teacher, Ichabod becomes fascinated by the stories about the supernatural. The author mentions that, “His appetite for the marvelous, and his powers of digesting it, were equally extraordinary; and both had been increased by his residence in this spellbound region. No tale was too gross or...
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...CAROLINA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE DISAGREE BY LATASHA BARR THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES DR HANCHELL 9 JULY, 2012 Conflicts are part of life. We all have experienced situations where we found ourselves on one side of an argument. From playground fights, to board room debates or the emotional dispute of a couple, it is inevitable at some point we will disagree. The church is no different. When we join our selves to the body of Christ we bring along all of the attributes that make us who we are. What should separate us from the world is how we handle the differences that arise amongst us. Acts chapter 15 is filled with conflict, and provides details on dealing with conflict when God’s people disagree. Acts 15 opens in Antioch. Paul and Barnabas are in a fierce debate with some fellow believers from Judea. The Jewish believers from Judea were teaching in order to be saved, one must believe in Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ; but in order to be part of the covenant community, Israel, one must become a proselyte, which is entered into by circumcision and obligates the individual to keep the Law of Moses¹. Paul and Barnabas disagreed with these teaching and this made for heated discussions. The debate raged on in such a manner that the group was ultimately sent back to Jerusalem to present their arguments before the council which remained there. It is important we realize there are no good guys and bad guys in this equation. Both...
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...January 27, 2010 War on Afghanistan We are all humans, and as other creatures we are imperfect and full of sin. We might have wrong thoughts, unique beliefs, or even dour doctrines. However, all these features shouldn’t drag us to be authoritarians under any circumstance. These words precisely illustrate the situation that was ongoing in Afghanistan under the rule of Taliban government. I tended to think that killing cannot be justified in defense of the innocent against unjust attack, whether the victim deserves it or not. But that right is not absolute; someone can forfeit that right if they willfully threaten or taken the lives of innocent people. Therefore, the American involvement in Afghanistan was fair and justified in order to bring the Afghan’s sorrow, tyranny, and violation of rights to an end. Historically, the country of Afghanistan was devastated by the successive wars. The people were exhausted from the consecutive occupations and tyranny. As a result, it summed in an enormous human and economic toll. After the Soviet withdrawal, the government steadily lost ground to the extremist forces. In early 1992, Kabul was captured, and Al-Qaeda militia men set up a new government consisting of a 50-member ruling council. The new brutal government started imposing their extremist, strict beliefs on people. They used radio broadcasts to coerce residents into adhering to their strict edicts. The extremists spread fear and despair among the Afghans by their brutal...
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...studies on the attitude of the general public toward psychiatry in general, little research has been done concerning the specific field of psychotherapy (Hawkins, 2010). 2. Literature review 2.1 History of mental illness in the Middle East 2.1.1 Pre-Islamic era: Ancient Egyptians believed that diseases were mainly because of evil spirits or wrath of gods. Their philosophy of the afterlife came from the idea that they were part of continuous cycle. Therefore, they believed in the physical continuation of the life after death. From this belief, they gave much attention of the psychology and personality thereafter. (Mohit, 2001) In ancient Mesopotamia, diseases were blamed on spirits and ghosts. They linked each disease with a spirit or ghost. Therefore, medicine was part of magic. There were two types of medical magicians (diagnostician and healer). The diagnostician determines the type or the name of the spirit or ghost and the healer was a specialist...
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...The True Essence of Magical Realism Amy Beals (14963137) ITT Technical Institute The True Essence of Magical Realism What comes to mind when you hear the word magic or magical? The average person typically thinks of witchcraft, spells, voodoo, and even disappearing bunny rabbits. The word realism, in the everyday use, is a word we are very familiar with. Join magical and realism together and they take on a whole new meaning. The marriage of these two words transforms their very individual definitions into one unique meaning. Magical realism has since developed into a literary genre; it represents more than just a definition. Magical realism has, in essence, become a philosophy, a real way of seeing things. It also represents much more than an attitude, or a window to view the world; it has become a philosophy of life. The very wording itself is an oxymoron (Rodgers, 2002). According to many critics, Magical Realism was thought to have originated, as a new art form, in the early twentieth century. Having been given credit for coining the term, Franz Roh, writes about this new art form in one of his articles. The 1925 article “Magical Realism,” Mr. Roh explains Magical Realism through the examination of artistic styles. He further explained that an artist may review the texture, the light, and the shape of an object to influence the portrayal of what is simply a caricature of reality; there isn’t any significant meaning other than the obvious real qualities of what is being...
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...carriage, the two horses are spiritive and appetite. Appetite is often depicted as black as this is the one leading us away from our ultimate goal and leads the soul stray whereas the white horse, our spirit, is the one who keeps us on the right track. The horses are our mind and body in which are often seen as out of control and out chariot must reign them in and control them for us to have a chance of reaching Eudaimonia. At our death the soul will be set free from the body and will reach the ultimate destination known as the World of Forms. Plato therefore concluded that it is seemingly natural for the soul to carry on after the physical body has perished. In complete contrast to Plato stands the notorious zoologist Richard Dawkins, his belief holds the theory of biological materialism in which there is no existence of a soul. There is no chance of life after death and nothing exists prior to death, the mind dies with the physical body. Dawkins theory can be explained using the analogy of a computer; it holds amounts of DNA, mere bytes of digital information, in which he states that’s what we are, just bytes of information with nothing supernatural to us. In Dawkins view; scientific views can be supported by...
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...Humanity & Social Sciences Journal 3 (1): 57-64, 2008 ISSN 1818-4960 © IDOSI Publications, 2008 On Defining African Philosophy: History, Challenges and Perspectives Olatunji A. Oyeshile Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria INTRODUCTION The definition of philosophy has remained a perennial philosophical problem and there is little agreement as to what it is. Rather, what many seem to agree on is the descriptions of philosophy, that is, what it encompasses which will provide the basis for our definition. In the same vein, it has been difficult to define what African philosophy is, rather most philosophers have contented themselves in describing what African philosophy is. According to Sogolo, “the controversy over what constitutes an African philosophy tends to dominate sometimes so much that it forms almost the entire content of the course” [1]. In this paper, the attempt is to say what African philosophy is, inspite of the seeming unending polemics in the sphere and practice of African philosophy. In doing this, we shall start by attempting to describe and possibly define what philosophy is. Subsequently we shall be in a position to define African philosophy by looking at the origin of the debate on African philosophy which was as a result of the charge of irrationality leveled against the Africans. Let us recall that many European scholars mostly anthropologists and sociologists in the like of E. Durkheim, Auguste Comte, James Frazer, Sigmund Freud...
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