...What is the “Problem of Evil”? What is the difference, if there is a difference, between so-called “moral evil” and “natural evil”? How exactly does John Hick, in his essay “Problem of Evil”, solve the problem of both “Moral evil” and “natural evil”? Do you think that either or both, of Hick’s solutions is really able to solve what appears to be a unique problem of evil in Arthur C. Clarke’s short story, “The Star”? Unhappiness, as a whole, is a challenge to the idea of good. When one hears or discovers about the disasters or the pain and suffering of wars, violence, earthquakes and killings it is safe to ask one’s self, what the problem of evil is. Investigating the short story “Problem of Evil” written by John Hick the author talks about the differences in “moral evil” and “natural evil” while defining the main question with god and evil. Furthermore in “moral evil” and “natural evil” John Hicks explanations are studied throughout the short story titled The Star by Arthur C. Clark. The problem that is most debated among believers and non-believers of God is the problem of evil. This debate is due to the belief of the omnipotence of God, saying how he is all loving, all powerful and all knowing. For all these meanings of God, there is a major defect, if the almighty is capable of revealing these abilities then how could he let evil enter into the world. If he is all- loving, then why is there so much hatred revolving around us and ultimately, If he is all-powerful, then should...
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...World Mythology Final Exam 2. The term myth is one that is not easily defined and my definition of the term has changed over the length of the semester. In our first essay I defined myth as “a story or narrative that attempts to explain something in a certain culture.” Looking back now I can see that I had a pretty good base for the definition but after learning so much about myths around the world I find it even harder to define myth now than before. It seems that the more I learn about myths, the more complicated they get. I believe that to define myth you must first understand what myth is. Myths are used for a variety of reasons such as explaining natural phenomena, explaining human creation, giving reasons for the appearance of plants and animals, as well as special events in a culture. A lot of myths in different cultures try to explain the inexplicable, such as why the sun appears to move across the sky every day or what causes lightning. I would define myth as a story, either written or narrated, passed down from those of previous generations to explain natural events, supernatural events, or special events in their culture to help them feel more comfortable about the world in which they live in and gives them a sense of belonging. We have seen this time and time again in our readings and movies from class in everything from The Whale Rider, to Gilgamesh, to Ender’s Game. I believe that my perception of myth has slowly evolved throughout the semester because...
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...What was the short term significance of the Long Parliament 1640-1642? The Long Parliament sat from 1640 to 1648 however it was the measures taken between 1640 and 1642 that had the most short term significance. The actions taken by parliament against the king’s ‘evil’ counsellors, the removal of the personal rule of Charles I, the increased role of parliament in conjunction with Charles, the growing support for the king, the religious divisions within parliament and the final breakdown of relations between the two branches of government were all prominent events between 1640 to 1642. The primary short term significance of the Long Parliament was the removal of the king’s ‘evil counsellors’ Strafford and Laud. Despite the impeachment of Archbishop Laud (December 1640) being important, the Strafford crisis was a much more pivotal short term consequence of the Long Parliament. Many of those in parliament and ordinary citizens were displeased with their actions such as the tyrannical imposition of the ‘Thorough’ or absolutist rule – they were men of ‘arrogant pride...deep policy, stern resolution and ambitious zeal.’ Albeit this view belongs to devout puritans Lucy and John Hutchinson, opinions from royalists concur with this as Lord Digby proves in the trial of Strafford (April 1641)that he believed him ‘to be the most dangerous minister’; hence proving that Strafford’s actions were abhorred by a variety of people, even those who supported the king. However there was some negligible...
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...to answer a different question. So he does not believe. How we face the world and create meaning for ourselves is the crutch of a divine benefactor. In the literature of disbelief by setting aside argumentation "On Being An Atheist", the article written by McClosky does little more to this reader than confirm a faith in God and the existence His role has in one's life. Granted it is well to know opposing arguments to understand one's own view of a subject. Scores of enlightened men have written declarations of how organized religion is the enemy of humanity. Karl Marx proclaimed religion to be the "opiate of the masses." Battles raged and wars fought, human lives lost over the question of the existence of God. From around 1200BC, after which Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam emerged the notion of a God who is both good and powerful, a recent idea in the in human events. Prior to that time we only had Greco-Roman pantheon, whose members interfered in human events only when their egos are challenged. Yet, in a world without God, our desire for love and compassion is almost nonexistent. We tend to overwhelm ourselves by the very question we seek to answer. Using logic is thoughtful and even profound at times, however, most Atheist tend to explain away the impossible. Having a great reverence for the things we do not understand is accepting our own powerlessness in the world. Are we not then acknowledging the existence of something greeter than ourselves? Whether...
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...entertainment value of these fictitious tales has caused the companies that own them to expand into creating computer games and producing movies, which has made them even more visible. It is considered weird if a person does not even know the basic story of these costumed figures. The adventures, stories, and even lives of these fictions have become a part of the American Psyche. Throughout the course of this semester, discussion in the Philosophy of Science class has led to topics such as the paradigms and presuppositions that we approach our world from and the metaphors that we use to communicate ideas and concepts. Such discussion has led to the asking of questions concerning things that we encounter in everyday circumstances. Questions like “What are the presuppositions of this statement?” were asked on a regular basis. One of the most interesting discussions in the class was the topic of the multiverse concept, a reality consisting of more than a single “reality”. Discussion of this topic immediately led to another topic in which the multiverse concept had been used: the world of superheroes found in comic books. As the class had trained us to do,...
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...even exist in a galaxy far, far away. Even in the midst of a galactic civil war, it is possible to identify interpersonal problems within families and examine how different methods of communication could provide remedies for the conflicts. In this essay, we are going to be discussing the hit 1977 blockbuster Star Wars--later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope--and how our study of interpersonal communication in family relationships can be exemplified in the film. In particular, we will analyze...
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...funniest performances ever in film history. This did not happen overnight, by any means. Bugs Bunny's cartoons were directed over the years by such creative geniuses as Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett, Robert McKimson, Frank Tashlin, and others, all of whom left their mark in film history with these animated films, and Bugs was only one of the dozens of classic creations these men worked with and created. Also not to be forgotten are the creators of the Warner cartoon soundtrack, Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs) and musicians Carl Stalling, Milt Franklyn and William Lava” (Hunter). One can argue that legend all started in a cartoon short envisioned by then director Ben "Bugs" Hardaway, where Porky Pig was the “star” of a black and white Looney Tunes short called "Porky's Hare Hunt". Now, even legends must have humble beginnings and can appear as mere semblances of the final product, that if one were to infer and take notice one can half hazardly guess and be...
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...of the Earth, is six hundred light-years away in what astronomers call the “Goldilocks Zone”, an area in which a planet has an ideal temperature because of its distance from a star. It orbits around a star similar to the sun of the Earth, and the temperature of its surface is habitable at 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists are hopeful that this planet might possess water and land, but they are not sure as of the moment if the majority of it is made up of solid, liquid or gas (Bloxham). Kepler 22-b is just one of the extrasolar planets observed by NASA that has a probability to be inhabited by extraterrestrial life forms. Since 1960, NASA has funded different exobiology projects, including Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), in hopes that astronomers can find evidences of life in outer space. Thinking that extraterrestrials would likely leave something behind to signal other intelligent beings during their exploration, astronomers of SETI previously tried to detect interstellar probes to be able send messages back to them, but until now, none have been discovered. Despite this, scientists working on SETI have not given up, focusing more on searching for Earth-like planets in different galaxies. So far, they have discovered “super Earths” that are larger and less temperate than Earth. Some astronomers estimate that perhaps half of the 200 billion or so suns in the Milky Way support terrestrial, Earth-like worlds. What the astronomers do is pick out planets that orbit...
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...Understanding How Good People Turn Evil thoroughly discusses this ideology and how people react to deindividuation. “Those who establishes and maintain a system which encourages and allows situations predisposing individuals within them to commit evil acts are themselves responsible for structuring opportunities for sin to flourish.” (Belt 646) In an environment where heinous acts are allowed, an individual will not be targeted for any negative actions; therefore they will not feel personally responsible for said actions. In addition, Belt further comments, “He meticulously details the situational factors which can make good people engaged in evil acts in order to meet natural and normal human needs for safety, knowledge, and affection.” (Belt 646) When an individual needs anything that is required for their survival, they will engage in actions that are looked down upon by society. This inspires many criminals to commit their crimes; they may be in a poor financial state or have a direct family member in ailing health. Nonetheless, any kindhearted person can turn to a negative lifestyle based upon...
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...creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen” (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p. 16). Keith’s idea of what defines leadership is one of the better definitions in print today. Ethics are defined as the moral principles that dictate a person’s or a group’s behavior. By using the ideas and writings of Terry Price (2008) and Craig Johnson (2012) a concept of what ethical leadership can be obtained. Ethical leadership is knowing what your core values are and having the courage to live them in all parts of your life in service of the common good; whether it is in private or in public (Price, 2008/ Johnson, 2012). Over the past few years the Army has seen its share of scandals involving a number of top leaders. A few of the more notable reports involved former four-star General William “Kip” Ward, one-star Brigadier General Jeffrey A. Sinclair, former Colonel James H. Johnson III, and former CIA Director and retired Army four-star General David H. Petraeus (Briggs, 2012, Nov. 15). Army four-star general William “Kip” Ward, the first officer to open the new Africa Command in 2008, came under scrutiny for allegations of misusing tens of thousands of government dollars for travel and lodging. General Ward was eventually demoted to three-star lieutenant general and forced to retire over the investigation. Army one-star brigadier general Jeffrey A. Sinclair, a former deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, is facing the military...
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...Synopsis Born on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, editor and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue and richly detailed black characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved. Morrison has won nearly every book prize possible. She has also been awarded honorary degrees. Early Career Born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison was the second oldest of four children. Her father, George Wofford, worked primarily as a welder, but held several jobs at once to support the family. Her mother, Ramah, was a domestic worker. Morrison later credited her parents with instilling in her a love of reading, music, and folklore. Living in an integrated neighborhood, Morrison did not become fully aware of racial divisions until she was in her teens. "When I was in first grade, nobody thought I was inferior. I was the only black in the class and the only child who could read," she later told a reporter from The New York Times. Dedicated to her studies, Morrison took Latin in school, and read many great works of European literature. She graduated from Lorain High School with honors in 1949. At Howard University, Morrison continued to pursue her interest in literature. She majored in English, and chose the classics for her minor. After graduating from Howard in 1953, Morrison continued her education at Cornell...
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...the newly elected president, was faced with the prospect of presiding over half a nation. Slavery was the key issue for the southern states but in Lincoln’s opinion the more pressing issue was the preservation of the Union. If not the issue of slavery, than some other issue at some other time would be reason enough for the states to try and secede. Lincoln’s fervent hope was that he could avoid a war by keeping the state of Virginia in the Union. “Lincoln declared to the U.S. Congress, “The course taken in Virginia was the most remarkable-perhaps the most important.” This simple statement expresses Virginia’s exceptional place in the history of the secession movement and the eventual coming of civil war in America. Virginia was important for two major reasons: first, the especially prominent and distinguished role it played in early American history and, second, its strategic location. For these reasons Virginians were truly torn over the decision of whether or not to secede. Because Virginia was not only sandwiched geographically but also economically, socially, and culturally between the North and the South, her decision to leave the Union was a tumultuous, long-fought battle.”(Gillian Cote, pg. 1) One of the ways Lincoln hoped to keep Virginia in the Union was by offering command of his army to Robert E. Lee. Lincoln believed Robert E. Lee to be the best soldier in America, a committed, dedicated man with strong belief in the importance of the Union. Lincoln’s rationale was...
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... James Legge says in his translation of I Ching: Book Of Changes (1996), “The desire to seek answers and to predict the future is as old as civilization itself.” Mankind has always had a desire to know what the future holds. Evidence shows that methods of divination, also known as fortune telling, were used by the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Babylonians and the Sumerians (who resided in what is now Iraq) as early as six‐thousand years ago. Divination was originally a device of royalty and has often been an essential part of religion and medicine. Significant leaders and royalty often employed priests, doctors, soothsayers and astrologers as advisers and consultants on what the future held. Every civilization has held a belief in at least some type of divination. The point of divination in the ancient world was to ascertain the will of the gods. In fact, divination is so called because it is assumed to be a gift of the divine, a gift from the gods. This gift of obtaining knowledge of the unknown uses a wide range of tools and an enormous variety of techniques, as we will see in this course. No matter which method is used, the most imperative aspect is the interpretation and presentation of what is seen. The general consensus is that divination falls into three categories: interpretation of natural phenomena, (known as augury and includes such things as water, flight of a bird, shape of a flame, cloud formations...
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...Notes Muhurta (Electional Astrology) B. V. RAMAN [pic] Contents • Chapter I. The Importance of Muhurtha • Chapter II. General Hints • Chapter III. The Birth Star and the Birth Moon • Chapter IV. Influence of Constellations • Chapter V. Special Adverse Yogas and their Neutralisation • Chapter VI. On Certain Special Yogas • Chapter VII. Pre-Natal Ceremonies • Chapter VIII. Post-Natal Ceremonies • Chapter XI. Marriage • Chapter X. Elections Concerning General Matters • Chapter XI. Elections Pertaining to Education • Chapter XII. House Building • Chapter XIII. Agriculture and Farming • Chapter XIV. Travel • Chapter XV. Medical Elections • Chapter XVI. Public Matters • Chapter XVII. Miscellaneous Elections • Chapter XVIII. Summary [pic] Chapter I The Importance of Muhurtha The value of Time is inestimable. All objects in nature are produced in Time, developed in Time and destroyed in Time. The truth of these statements requires no further proof. It stands unchallenged. Here we have a grand problem for solution. If the creative, protective and destructive forces are embedded in the all-Powerful Time recognised as the great KALAPURUSHA in the astrological literature, then will it not be reasonable to study the influences of the various energies issued from the solar globe and from the other globes dependent upon the Sun for their supply of all vital energies and reflected by...
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...Beverage Wars The commercial you just watched may seem like it’s “just a commercial”. In reality, advertising is like being pulled every which direction trying to decide which way would be the most effective. During the 2016 “Beverage Wars” my group was certainly pulled in every direction and our biggest mistake was to spread ourselves thin trying to please everyone instead of just choosing one common topic. In hopes to capture every one of Mrs. Saxton’s freshmen english class’ hearts we left ourselves in a position of being too broad in our ideas. Our greatest dreams became our worst nightmares. My group entered the “Wars” with high hopes that our thin blanket of persuasion could win over every social group among Mrs. Saxton’s freshman english...
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