...I am going to be analyzing Rene Girard’s ideas from Violence and the Sacred on mimesis and how it inevitably leads to conflict. I will examine and assess how and why Girard believes these subject-model relationships start and why they will eventually never work. We, as subjects, look to models who appear to have success and mimic them, while both going for the same object thus leading to conflict between both parties. I will now look at a passage focusing on Rene Girard’s ideas from his book Violence and the Sacred. “Once his basic needs are satisfied (indeed, sometimes even before), man is subject to intense desires, though he may not know precisely for what. The reason is that he desires being, something he himself lacks and which some other...
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...confidence, motivation and consistency needed to gain the trust of the African people. The election of individuals that possess these strong attributes along with the ability to develop and implement sustainable policies and programs is what is required for change. In Clark Rumrill’s article, “Tribal Conflict: What to Do? “, it is stated that more people have been killed by tribal conflicts than by the AIDS epidemic. Africa has faced a significant amount of turmoil and violence for centuries, that not only include its own citizens but Americans as well. The primary motive for tribal cliques is defending their sacred values. Rumrill stated tribalism is not of the American way. This can be argued because past and present actions of Americans are almost parallel to tribal practices. For example, violence and killings displayed by the Klu Klux Klan, Black Panthers, and street gangs (Bloods and Crypts). In my opinion the idea of defending ones sacred birth right can be positive and does not have to result in violence. Violence is not the answer; it tends to escalate and is never...
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...attained through the elimination of accumulated karma (the consequences of the previous actions). This occurs through both disciplined cultivation of knowledge and control of bodily passions. When the passions have been utterly conquered and all karma has been removed, one Becomes a Jana (“conqueror”), and is no longer subject to rebirth. Jainism conceives of a multi- layered universe containing both heaven and hells. Movements through these levels of the universe requires adherence to the Jainism doctrines emphasizing a peaceful and discipline life. These principles includes non- violence in all part of life (verbal, physical, and mental), speaking truth,...
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...their home, religious settlers face the potential for violence and death on a daily basis. In what is becoming a more perilous state of affairs in Israel with each suicide bombing, shooting spree, or IDF incursion into the Palestinian territories and refugee camps, perhaps no one on the Israeli side faces as constant a risk of danger than the Gush Emunim. This paper will attempt to examine the very nature of sacrifice that the Gush Emunim are involved in, as well as the biblical justification for this sacrifice. I also mean to explore the biblical justification the Gush Emunim may use to support their willingness to resort to violence against the Palestinians in defending this sacrifice. Their attitude towards their hostile neighbors is the same attitude their ancestors held about the Canaanites: “you must be expelled, whether peacefully or violently, because this is our land according to God.” In the history and ideology of the Gush Emunim, examples of both Nancy Jay’s communion sacrifice as well as Hubert and Mauss’s contractual sacrifice are plenty. The sacred violence as a cultural foundation about which Gil Bailie writes can also be found. Furthermore, Girard’s mimetic desire is evident in the competition between Jews and Muslims over the sacred space that is Jerusalem. The history of the Gush Emunim is a highly complex one, yet it can be much more clearly understood when its sacrificial systems and propensity for violence are explained using some of the authors whom we have...
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...world today. Essentially, every world religion supports and professes ‘peace’ through their various sacred writings and scriptures. However, war and violence can certainly be recognised historically, and at present within religion. What is the notion of ‘peace’? And how exactly have these religions assisted in the promotion of peace historically? How may these religions help is creating a further peaceful world within the 21st century? This essay will discuss how two major world religions grasp diverse spiritual and religious traditions and how each of these religions has contributed to the future establishment of a global culture of peace. Peace cannot simply be defined as there are many different perceptions of the idea. Wikipedia attempts in defining peace as ‘A state of harmony characterised by the lack of violence, conflict behaviours and the freedom from fear of violence.’ However, Sandy and Perkins (2001) state that: “any attempt to articulate the nature of peace and peacemaking must address those conditions which are favourable to their emergence. Freedom, human rights, and justice are among such prerequisites. Also included are proactive strategies such as conflict resolution, nonviolent action, community building, and democratisation of authority.” The concept of peace must also recognise and acknowledge with the alternate, war, due to the great worth of violence to their world. While war has conveyed horrible behaviour in humans, this has allowed for some of the...
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...1. A proxy war is a war that is influenced by opposing forces but they do not participate in the war, but instead they use third parties. Waging war by proxy means to carry on a war indirectly through nations. They usually have proxy wars in developing countries in order to avoid loss and damaged property. An example of a proxy war is the Cold War. The Cold War was between the United States and Soviet Union. Both of these groups had nuclear weapons and did not want to fight directly because it would have led to a nuclear war. So the United States and the Soviet Union made alliances across the globe. This led to many proxy wars across the globe instead of one massive nuclear war. The Vietnam war is also a proxy war. This is a proxy war because...
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...1. Why do we speak of ‘basic” rather than “primitive” religions? We speak of basic religion because basic religion came from prehistory or are practiced in remote places. And elements of the basic religions are found to some degree in all religions. Basic religions represent the majority of the total religious experience of humankind. While primitive religion carries with it connotations of being backward, simple, even childlike. Christian or Muslim or Jew may tend to look down on these religions as being superstitious, uncivilized, or even savage. The term is misleading in suggesting that the religions of those peoples are somehow less complex than the religions of "advanced" societies. 2. What are the two primary sources of information about basic religions? How trustworthy are these sources? The first is contemporary basic religions and the second source of information is archaeology. It is more difficult to use contem- porary data to speculate about the origins and earliest forms of religion. All contemporary societies, even the most technologically simple, have long and complex histories. While on the other hand Archaeologists main sources of information are likely burial sites, weapons, and tools. Archaeological results depend on the interpretations of the investigator. Therefore information we can’t say archaeological sources are trustworthy; we can only give credit to their investigation. 3. What do we believe was the purpose of the Cro-Magnon cave paintings...
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...message. The First Amendment states the right to the freedom of speech, but many of the community members had a problem with the whole situation. People with race relations, local leaders, and members of the cable company did not want to grant the KKK the right to appear on air. Black ministers and important politicians were not happy with the KKK's request to voice their opinions. The KKK complied with all of the rules that were presented by the cable company, even when they were told to create a locally produced show and receive training in video production. They happily obeyed the regulations and didn't cause additional problems to what they were soon to face. The cable company studio was located in a neighborhood that was 95% black, and violence was a major concern for the cable company. Many of those people threatened to drop their cable subscriptions if the KKK were given their airtime. One of the greatest oppositions to the KKK was Reverend Emanuel Cleaver, a pastor of the Saint James-Paseo United Methodist Church and a member of the Kansas City Council. Reverend Cleaver was a notable man and was also one the victims of a KKK cross burning on his property. The...
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...Type to enter text Type to enter text Term Paper Based On Own opinion Should Violence & polices be part of ReligionType to enter text Type to enter text Anthropology Anthropology Should Violence & polices be part of Religion Religion means the faith in and love of a superhuman controlling force, particularly an individual God or divine beings. It ought to be recalled that there is no connection in the middle of religion and viciousness, neither in Islam, nor in any religion besides. Brutality is a social and political wonder. Without a doubt there is notice of war in sacred texts such as Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Qur'an. However, this notice is not to set up any basic connection in the middle of religion and roughness yet to depict certain social and political circumstance that won around then. It can be called basic just if these sacred writings command brutality as an alluring arrangement. It is imperative to recognize what is experimental and ideological. The Twain don't generally meet. While viciousness is experimental, peace is ideological. All sacred writings, especially the Qur'an while allowing savagery in some inescapable circumstances, appoint peace as a standard. The considerable religions of the world came to build up equity and peace, not to execute vengeance and viciousness. Requital and brutality can never turn out to be a piece of any religion, considerably less that of Islam. Allah...
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...founders and the earliest forms date to 1500 BC or earlier. Three of Jainism foundational spiritual beliefs are non-violence (ahimsa), non-absolutism (anekanta), and non-possession (apraigraha). The first foundational spiritual belief is the principle of non-violence, which is strong in Jain teachings. It embraces the well-being of all animals that are visible and invisible. According to Akaranga Sutra, IV: Lesson 1, it says: one should not injure, subjugate, enslave, torture or kill any animal, living being, organism or sentient being (Fisher). The second, non-absolutism, is another principle in Jainism that encourages avoiding anger and judgment. A person has to remain open-minded by remembering that any issue can be seen from many angles, all partially true (Fisher). Last but not least, non-possession is a principle that teaches to let go of things and people. It states that acquiring material things possess us by driving our emotions. The more a person is attached to worldly things the more they are likely to commit sin to obtain that possession (Shah). In Hinduism, three of the foundational spiritual beliefs are karma, all life is sacred, and reincarnation. In karma it states that every act we make, and even every thought and every desire we have, shapes our future experience (Oppenheimer). The second belief in Hinduism is that all life is sacred. Holy animals, such as cows, should not be harmed. As life is created by God, all life is...
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...gentle. He should have an unconquerable determination to fight for the supremacy of spiritual and moral values. Thus alone can he vindicate his sense of ethical devotion? Satyagraha means the exercise of the purest soul-force against all injustice, oppression and exploitation. Suffering and trust are attributes of soul force. The active nonviolent resistance of the ‘heroic meek’ makes an immediate appeal to the heart. It wants not to endanger the opponent but to overwhelm him by the over flooding power of innocence. Satyagraha or stupendous effort at conversion can be applied against the Government, the social Czars and leaders of ‘orthodoxy’. Satyagraha is an inherent birthright of a person. It is not merely a sacred right but it can also be a sacred duty. If the Government does not represent the will of the people, and if it begins to support dishonesty and terrorism, then it should be disobeyed. But one who wants to vindicate his rights should be prepared to bear all kinds of suffering. Gandhi referred to the teaching of Thoreau in this connection. However, Gandhi stated that Thoreau was not a complete champion of nonviolence. Probably Thoreau limiter his breach of governmental laws to the revenue law, i.e., he refused to pay taxes. The dynamics of satyagraha as formulated by Gandhi are broader and more universally applicable. From the family to the state—wheresoever one meets injustice...
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...Prior to their series of conflicts, the English and Native Americans experienced a relatively peaceful coexistence through the belief of sharing and trade. To start, the Indians shared their land and culture with the English, which allowed the two groups to live in the same area peacefully at first. In addition, the Indians and English exchanged goods through trade; one group had what the other group desired. For example, the “Pequots wanted European trade goods -- kettles, cloth, axes, [and] hoes” while the English “wanted furs and wampum” (Massacre at Mystic). The European goods helped Indians advance their tribe while the Indian goods helped the Europeans barter with other regional tribes. Trade created a mutualistic relationship between...
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...What is the distinctive response of Christianity and Islam regarding peace? Christianity and Islam both have had a distinct response to peace. Peace is the central teaching among both religions and the teaching of inner peace and world peace can be conveyed through sacred texts, principal teachings and organisations. In Christianity, teachings of peace derives from Christ in the New Testament. Peace is at the heart of Jesus’ life and ministry and accordingly it is a foundational element of the the Christian communities that seek to follow him. The New Testament extols peace as a virtue and identifies it as a key element of the reign of God. Jesus himself is known as the “prince of peace” and is regarded as the source of peace, meaning that by adherents living in a close relationship with him, they are allowing themselves to experience the peace in which he brings. The New Testament proclaims “Guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79), which emphasises that following in the footsteps of Jesus, is the way to achieving inner peace. Peace is understood as more than merely an absence of violence and conflict. It refers more fully to an overall sense of wellbeing. Ultimately peace is found in union with God. Christians are taught to live at peace with others, both within their own communities and in the wider human family.Throughout the first three centuries of the common era Christians adopted a pacifist position and refused to engage in military service or warfare, leaving...
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...World peace is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and people. Both Islam and Christianity highlight the importance of world peace within their religious communities and throughout the world by religious principal teachings which are emitted through sacred texts of the specified religion. Adherents of Christianity and Islam use sacred texts as a driving force behind the contribution of each religion to world peace. Christians turn to the bible for guidance and knowledge on how to live out the notion of peace. The New Testament is the normative text for all Christians, it’s the principal and foundational source of teaching for all Christians in which peace is mentioned over ninety times. Christians are taught to reject violence, the strongest statements against engaging violence come from the preaching of Jesus himself. In Matthew 6:39 it states ‘turn the other cheek’, this statement has a strong impact on all Christians and teaches them not to retaliate or return violence with violence. One major principal teaching supporting this notion is the ‘just war theory’. The Just war theory sought to establish guidelines under which it was morally acceptable to engage in warfare. It maintains that nations are morally justified in fighting war providing that the circumstances of the conflict meet the seven principles that suggest the requirements to be involved in war. In April 1963, Pope John XXIII wrote the encyclical Pacem in Terris due to the...
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...A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence.[note 1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that aim to explain the meaning of life, the origin of life, or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people may derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle. Many religions may have organized behaviors, clergy, a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, holy places, and scriptures. The practice of a religion may include rituals, sermons, commemoration or veneration (of a deity, gods, or goddesses), sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trances, initiations, funerary services, matrimonial services, meditation, prayer, music, art, dance, public service, or other aspects of human culture. Religions may also contain mythology.[1] The word religion is sometimes used interchangeably with faith or set of duties;[2] however, in the words of Émile Durkheim, religion differs from private belief in that it is "something eminently social".[3] A global 2012 poll reports 59% of the world's population as "religious" and 36% as not religious, including 13% who are atheists, with a 9% decrease in religious belief from 2005.[4] On average, women are "more religious" than men.[5] Some people follow multiple religions or multiple religious principles at the same time, regardless of whether or not the religious principles they follow traditionally...
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