...giving us the Christian View vs. the Buddhism View, the branch of theology devoted to the study of the human race is labeled "anthropology", though it has little, if anything to do with the scientific study of humanity which goes by the same term. One definition of this theological topic is, "the examination of the origin, nature, and destiny of the human race from the perspective of its relationship to God." Perhaps a better way of looking at it is to say that anthropology is the study of the eternal questions of life: "Who am I?", "Why am I here?", and "Where am I going?" These three questions will form us a basic outline of our views on Humanity by viewpoints given of views by Christians and Buddhist. Christian Worldview of Humanity VS. Buddhism Worldview of Humanity The “Christian View” according to Bishop Ussher and Genesis 1:31 records that people were created on "the sixth day" of creation. Beyond that, we can't be certain. Bishop Ussher, basing his reckoning on the genealogies of Genesis, postulated that the world began in 4004 BC - in October, to be precise. If there are no gaps in the genealogical record of Genesis, then Ussher's date is appropriate. But a gapless genealogy is highly unlikely. What was the purpose of these genealogies? First, obviously, they seek to link the past with the present, and second, they thereby prevent a mythological interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis. What is a myth? The term myth is used in...
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...Theories of Myths Paper Myths are so important when it comes to understanding people; Myth comes from the Greek word ‘mythos’ that simply means story or word. Before histories and books on fiction, fact or fantasy were ever written, man from the earliest days told stories to each other and for each other to communicate, reassure, share, and make sense of his or her realities. Myths enact and present a narrative of how a character lives out or goes through an event or a set of events. Myths have come to symbolize a particular genre of fiction along the lines of legends and folktales - important aspects of meaning-making and identity-creation in cultures all over the world. Mary Magoulick (2009) defines myths as such, "Myths are symbolic tales of the distant past (often primordial times) that concern cosmogony and cosmology (the origin and nature of the universe), may be connected to belief systems or rituals, and may serve to direct social action and values." In this paper I will discuss three theories, compare two creation myths, and finish with a summary and conclusion of my reflection towards the theories. Myths are important areas and source of sociological, psychological, and even historiographical discourse in our attempt at understanding and learning of the world of our ancestors and the people and civilizations that came before us. From these myths we learn their world views, how they made sense of their realities and how they reacted to and processed natural and social...
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...Elements of Religious Traditions Anon University of Phoenix REL/133 Professor Rossum June 22, 2011 Elements of Religious Traditions Some issues need to be addressed when a person sets out to study the topic of religion. It must first be acknowledged that every aspect of religion when viewed by two biased individuals will have varying conclusions, people gather biased ness as they age, gain worldly experiences, and can comprehend ideas on a more complex level. The ability to comprehend a different cultures rituals, prayers, pilgrimages or doctrines, inevitably becomes tainted by the observer’s current knowledge or prejudices. The textbook definition of a tradition is, “the handing down of a practice, custom, or story that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation, with or without a writing system” (Stein, Hauck, & Su, 1988, p. 1392). The traditions held sacred by different faiths can sometimes be easily comprehended and studied and other times confusing and only surmised. The amount and type of documentation or the lack thereof with each religious tradition is a critical factor when studying religions. The insight gained when studying religion and its traditions can play an important role in the relationships between two of the same faith, two of opposing faiths, a person and his or her divine, the history of his or her religion, and his or her belief in what is sacred. When referring to the sacred, it does not always mean the Deity or...
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...of the course but everyone in the campus who works and studies. This is an eternal issue that couldn’t be prevented because it is a natural calamity, though won’t be prevented, there’s still a good remedy for it. A better way of going to school would be proposed when the problem is totally learned and understood. Students maybe listened more to have an additional credits in school rules during floods. This problem should be given much attention for it happens often and should have a solution earlier to hand down any new school laws to generations to come in the next following years. Theoretical Background Flood geology (also creation geology or diluvial geology) is the interpretation of the geological history of the Earth in terms of the global flood described in Genesis 6–9. Similar views played a part in the early development of the science of geology, even after the Biblical chronology had been rejected by geologists in favor of an ancient Earth. Modern flood geologists, who are almost always Young Earth creationists, regard the...
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...written in the latter half of the 10th century, the unknown scribe wrote down the gathered these Christian stories into the codex in the order to which he found most befitting. The first poem in the story about a creature, following poems on Christ himself or saints, is The Phoenix poem. This poem is the 7th text in the Exeter book, positioned between Azarias and Juliana, and its purpose in the Exeter book is to serve as an allegory to Christ in his death, resurrection, and return, as well as an allegory to the Christian soul and the promise of eternal life. The phoenix as a creature is not originally an Anglo-Saxon beast. The first recorded mention of a phoenix-like creature is from ancient Egypt mythology, a creature called Benu or bennu (Hill, 61). The Benu was a sacred bird that symbolized rebirth and renewal, and most commonly thought to be the inspiration for the more commonly known phoenix in Greek mythology first seen in Herrodotus’ Persian wars...
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...sometimes as an adjective. GOOD CAN MEAN: A. An inherent quality which is widely beneficial.. B. The opposite of bad or evil. C. Something one person (or more) approves of. D. Useful, in that the good action/concept/attitude enriches human life. E. God-like, or what God wants. For each of these five types of usage (and the list is not exhaustive) it is possible to see room for differences of interpretation. Usage A will vary, depending on how 'widely' and' beneficial' are defined. 'Widely' could mean anything from 'often in the life of one person' to 'universal, to every being'. 'Beneficial' could mean any of pleasant, healthy, productive, useful, life-enhancing/ enriching. Usage B depends entirely on the person's view of what is evil. Usage C will probably be different in detail for every single individual, and will be dependent .on the background of the person concerned. Usage D depends on the long-term and ultimate goals that a person has in life. A person aiming primarily for monetary wealth will regard training for increasing earning power as good. Someone else aiming to create a happier! more equitable society will regard training in social work as good. Usage E depends on the individual's ideas of the nature of God. Since there are as many understandings of God as there are believers, this use of the Word 'good' will have the greatest number of...
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...2010 Credentials are important when you are choosing a religion. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in the Bible as the guiding source based on worthy credentials. Their truths are based on the sacred writings of the Bible. For example Genesis 1:1 says: There is one almighty God and Creator who made all things. They believe in one creator who has a name, and that name is Jehovah. Jehovah’s Witnesses are members of a World Wide Christian Religion who share with others information about God and his son, Jesus Christ. They base their belief mainly on the principles found in the Holy Bible, and view first century Christianity as their source. Their founder is Charles Taze Russell whose background and study of the Bible led him to conclude that hellfire does not exist, God is not a Trinity, and that 1914 marked the second coming of Christ. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that all scriptures are inspired of God and beneficial, but some people have even claimed that they are not even Christians. They believe that “There is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved, which is Jesus Christ”. That is quoted in Acts 4:12 of the Bible. They believe that God is greater than Jesus, and that Jesus himself acknowledged that: “The Father is greater that I am,” (John 14:28) they also believe that they should be like Jesus by making God’s name manifest to others. They take the name Jehovah’s Witnesses because they imitate...
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...Marlon Maloney May 10, 2005 Section 3 Religion and Dracula Bram Stoker’s Dracula In modern day society pretty much everyone has heard of and/or seen an interpretation of vampires and, the supposed king of all vampires, Count Dracula, whether it be in all the several different variations and interpretations that can be seen in movies (most recently the series of Blade movies starring Wesley Snipes) that have been released over the last few decades all the way to “The Count” on “Sesame Street” the long running children’s television show) or “Count Chocula” (on the cover of a children’s cereal box). When people hear either the word vampires or Dracula, most of the time people tend to think about the mythical blood sucking race of immortals called vampires and also some people that know a little more than the average person does about vampires may think about several of their stereotypical characteristics such as: they are from a place called Transylvania, they have sharp, pointy teeth to draw blood from the necks of humans, they can not come outside during the day, they sleep in coffins, turn into bats, and they are killed by pure silver, garlic, and several religious artifacts. However, people do not really think about all the connections between the vampires and all of the religious artifacts that are said to kill them. Religion plays a major role in the story of Dracula, because when one looks closely enough to what vampires and Dracula...
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...Introduction to a Christian worldview A course in thinking Christianly about the whole of life Chris Gousmett (c) Chris Gousmett, 1996 This edition is produced solely for use as a course manual and is not to be sold, copied or otherwise reproduced in any form. i Contents Introduction 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 8. 9. 10. The nature and function of worldviews Religion true and false . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1 16 30 The problem of dualism and synthesis in Christianity Major themes in a worldview: Human nature, truth, meaning, purpose . 46 Scripture as the source of a Christian worldview The contours of a Biblical worldview . . . . . . .. . . . . . 59 70 87 104 119 136 157 Structure and direction. Sin and evil. Common grace The task and calling of humankind: to care for the creation . The nature of Christian community. A Christian view of society. The Kingdom of God: God's righteous rule over the whole creation . Bibliography . . . . . . . . ii Introduction The creation of the Father, fallen in sin, is redeemed by the death of the Son of God and is being transformed by the Holy Spirit into the kingdom of God. Herman Bavinck This series of studies is designed to provide a basic introduction to a distinctively Christian worldview that seeks to see the whole gospel applied to the whole of life. This Christian worldview makes a difference, because it is significant for our life in the world. It shapes and directs our lives in important ways, because...
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...involved ranged from political to interest in antiquities to biblical apologetics. Regardless of the motive, this allowed scholars to assess what might be learned from one to enhance the understanding of another . The noted Assyriologist Freidrich Delitzsch claimed that the Bible was borrowed from Mesopotamian literature, specifically the regions of the Tigris and Euphrates. His conclusion was that the Old Testament was not divine and that Christianity was rooted in pagan mythology. The result was growing division among biblical scholars. Some even took the stand that the Old Testament should be excluded from Christian theology. Others came to the defense of the Bible. This division was between a confessional standpoint and the secular view. This work actually spawned a movement called “Pan-Babylonianism” which asserted that all world myths and Christian Scriptures were products of Babylonian mythology. But over time, scholars started to recognize that Delitzsch was quite biased in his assertions. W. W. Hallo introduced a more balanced approach to the debate. His approach was referred to as “contextual approach,” and it provided the foundation for Walton’s look at methodology. The goal is to examine literature and archaeology of the ancient Near East...
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...The Gospel ACCORDING TO FEMIGOD He who has ears, let him hear The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied so that you can enjoy reading it on your personal devices. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO FEMIGOD Copyright © 2013 by Femigod Ltd. Published by Femigod Ltd. www.femigod.com Femigod® is a registered trademark of Femigod Ltd. ISBN: 9780992642600 For my darling sister, Pero. I love you dearly. No matter what you want, it’s yours. Beyond money and weapons. Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Book One: Understanding Mainstream and Organised Religion.............................................................. 5 Christianity ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Islam ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Hinduism.............................................................................................................................................. 12 Buddhism ........................................................................................................................................... 155 Chinese traditional religions ...........
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...Excerpted from Critical Companion to the Bible a Literary Reference Reading the Bible as Literature The Bible was written by many human authors, some of whom are known with certainty and some of whom are disputed. What is more, if you were to ask believing Jews or Christians, they would name a different author of the Bible: God is said to have “inspired” the writing of the Scriptures. The Bible is a religious book, not just for one community of faith, but for several: Jews and Christians of different denominations, including both Catholic and Protestant traditions. These groups disagree as to which books actually belong in the Bible. In addition, over time, several different approaches to interpreting the Bible have been developed by these groups. In this volume, the Bible is examined mainly from a literary point of view. A literary approach to this unique book, however, will only be successful if we are conscious of the fact that it is not to be judged according to the rules of modern literature but rather as a document of the ancient Near Eastern and Jewish-Hellenistic cultures. One Book, Many Books: Which Texts Belong to the Bible The Bible is not a single, unified work but a compilation of individual texts commonly called books. Which books belong to the Bible? This question is answered differently by different religious communities. The Hebrew Bible is the Holy Scripture of the Jews. It contains books originally written in the ancient Hebrew and partly in...
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...this poem reflects on how evil has taken over the minds of good Christians, and the world has turned into chaos. It is apparent that Yeats believes that a Second Coming is at hand, and he spends the last half of the poem discussing what that Second Coming could look like. Turning and turning in the widening gyre (line 1) Yeats imagines the world in a cyclical sphere known a gyre (shape of a cone). In Yeats' note on the text, he states that "the end of an age, which always receives the revelation of the character of the next age, is represented by the coming of one gyre to its place of greatest expansion and of the other to that of its greatest contraction" (2036). Yeats believes that the two thousand years of Christianity will be coming to an end, and after a violent reversal a new age will take its place. The widening part of the gyre is supposed to connote anarchy, evil, and the loss of innocence. The falcon cannot hear the falconer; (2) The falconer in this analogy is most likely God (or Jesus), and the falcon is the follower (or devotee). Humanity can no longer hear the word of God, because it is drowned out by all of chaos of the widening gyre. A wild falcon can symbolize an unconverted Gentile; someone who has sinful thoughts, and does sinful things. A tame falcon (one who listens to the word of God) is a Christian convert. In the Egyptian culture, the falcon is used to represent sky deities (or in Christian terms, God). Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere...
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...ularism Modern Myths, Locked Minds by T. N. Madan Introduction: Scope, methods and Concepts 1. Secularization, secularism, Christian tradition and the Enlightenment: a brief history T. N. Madan differentiates between secularism, secularization and secularity. 1) Secularization refers to socio cultural processes in which the role of the sacred is progressively limited; 2) Secularism is the ideology that argues for the historical inevitability and progressive nature of secularization everywhere and 3) Secularity is the resultant state of society. The term "secularism" was first used by the British writer Holyoake in 1851 to describe his views of promoting a social order separate from religion. The English word ‘secular’ comes from the Latin ‘saeculum’, which means ‘an age’ or ‘the spirit of an age’ and has the same meaning as the Greek ‘aeon’. In general terms, secularism means “belonging to this age, or worldly” along with a denial of other worldly realities (i.e. religious). The Bible introduces the idea of divine creation in the book of Genesis. God speaks directly to Man in Genesis: “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it”. As Peter Berger, a social theorist notes that in this the idea of a secular world is sown as a God who stands outside of the Cosmos which is his creation. This opens the way for self making activity which Berger calls ‘historization’. Caesar was the emperor of Rome. In a famous passage Jesus said, "Render to Caesar the things...
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...During the Late Middle Ages, the disease later known as The Black Death caused great losses. It is considered to be the worst plague suffered in Europe, but which were the steps that led to it? Historians agree that famines, floods, poor life conditions, overpopulation and ships navigating longer distances were its main causes. The disease attacked many times, and had a great impact on both economy and society. The depression left by the Black Death was only aggravated by the schism of the Church, which lead to confusion and general lack of faith. Below, I will analyse both events in detail, stating both their causes and consequences. The Black Death Causes Before the plague struck England, the economic situation in which the peasants were immerse could be defined as anything but favourable. During the first decade of the fourteenth century, inflation affected the price of grain, livestock, and other essential products. Weather was not on the peasant’s side either. England was suffering what was later called a transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age. The century began with torrential rains, which ruined entire crops of wheat, oat and hay. People could hardly produce enough to keep up with the rising prices, and feeding the animals became an almost impossible task to perform. Transporting food from distant places was both very hard and expensive. To crown it all, peasants had overspecialized in single crops in the previous decades. This system seemed...
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