Religion

The “fall of man” as seen described in the first book of the Holy Bible, Genesis, is portrayed as a sinister act. The fact that Eve fell into temptation seems to be the foundation on which everyone bases his or her misplaced chance at paradise. What many people fail to see is that much good … Read more

“We Romans”, said Cicero, “owe our supremacy overall other peoples to our piety and religious observances and to our wisdom in believing that the spirit of the gods rules and directs everything. ” Roman rites and observances took two main forms. One was the domestic reverence of the spirit or genius of the family. The … Read more

The Dead Sea Scrolls are a series of complete and incomplete scrolls containing biblical literature, as well as some other writings that have not been identified as parallels to any biblical books. Found in Qumran, located in the Judean Desert, these scrolls have been a controversial topic in an archeological sense as well as in … Read more

The exponential growth of the Cyber society and Cyber culture within the Internet has not gone unnoticed by the religious community. As I write, church web sites are being published and electronic prayer groups zip by in modems and wire networks across the globe. Even isolated monasteries like the Monastery of the Christ in the … Read more

Roland Barthes’s essay on “The World of Wrestling” draws analogically on the ancient theatre to contextualize wrestling as a cultural myth where the grandiloquence of the ancient is preserved and the spectacle of excess is displayed. Barthes’s critique — which is above all a rewriting of what was to understand what is — is useful … Read more

It has been argued that Judaism can be seen not only as a single religion, but as a group of similar religions. It has also been pointed-out that through all the trials and tribulations that Judaism has suffered through, that there have been common themes that have proven omni-pervasive. Any institution with roots as ancient … Read more

Jehovah’s Witnesses are a people known widely throughout the world. They are well-dressed people who come knocking at your door on different occasions offering religious literature for sale or trying to introduce their beliefs through carefully prepared conversation. People young, old, rich, poor, well educated and non-educated have embraced them. Their enthusiasm as proclaimers of … Read more

Now that the chakras have become New Age parlance, there are many interpretations of their meaning and function being bandied about. While this popularity is making the chakras a household word, it is also spreading a lot of confusing, conflicting, and often erroneous information. It is important to realize the chakras come from an ancient … Read more

Religion is a canopy under which American culture and society thrives. Its extension reaches the boundaries of such cultural mainstreams as movies, television, and music. Oliver Stone’s 1986 war film Platoon is an example of the religious subtleties and overtones that appear in various American genres. Stone not only uses religious themes to portray the … Read more

The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was done approximately 1428. It is a superb example of Masaccio’s use of space and perspective. It consists of two levels of unequal height. Christ is represented on the top half, in a coffered, barrel-vaulted chapel. On one side of him is the Virgin Mary, and on the other, St. … Read more

The Celtic people have a long history. They have been portrayed in films and other such forms of entertainment many times over. They are seen as a mystery to most. They are shrouded not only in their hooded cloaks but also in mysticism. Since Christian times Druids have been depicted as wizards, sorcerers, and soothsayers. … Read more

The first Catholics to come along to Australia, were amongst the first convicts to step foot on the shores of Port Jackson in Sydney. These Catholics were Irish in origin, and brought Catholicism to Australia, although Anglican Ministers were trying to stop the spread of Catholicism in Great Britain and her colonies. Most of the … Read more

The secular and religious views of both, Antonio and Shylock, were portrayed very bluntly. The religious opinions of both characters were that their religion was superior to infidels and also very stereotypical. In the business world, Antonio owned ships with valuable goods and was extremely generous. He always relied on their return to shore and … Read more

Located on the South bank of the Lycus River in the province of Phrygia stood Colossae. Before the Christian era, Colossae was a principle city in the Lycus Valley . Part of a major trade route in Asia minor from Ephesus to Miletus, the city was most known for its production of textiles, especially its … Read more

The great veneration with which this saint has been honored for many ages and the number of altars and churches which have been everywhere dedicated in his memory are testimonials to his holiness and of the glory which he enjoys with God. He is said to have been born at Patara in Lycia, a province … Read more

The Christian Crusades Positively Impacted the East and the West Even though countless numbers of people died during the Christian Crusades, there were many positive effects for both the East and the West. After the Crusades halted, various trade routes opened up between Eastern and Western cities. Also, the Muslims developed new military strategies and … Read more

During many years that question is being formulated and many scholars had a very difficult time to decide if it was possible to follow God’s will and the principle of utility maximization. The principle of utility maximization was a theory created by John Stuart Mill and presented in his book Utilitarianism (1863). Societies throughout the … Read more

The two groups to be examined are the Chasidim and the Old Order Amish. We will begin with a brief look at the history of each group. The Chasidim, or Hasidim, as more commonly known, are a cult within the tradition of Judaism. The word Hasid derives from the Hebrew word for pious. Hasidism dates … Read more

The Book of Genesis tells the story of creation of man. God said to man, “be fruitful and increase in numbers; fill the earth and subdue it. ” Prior to the nineteenth century, it was believed that God would provide for those who came into the world (Day 101). But, in 1798, this view was … Read more

Throughout my life, I have been taught by my family and my religion to be an open-minded, accepting person with the capacity for empathy and understanding. With that background, With that background, I have never had any difficulty accepting homosexuals as who they are human beings born with a different sexual orientation than me. The … Read more

The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was done approximately 1428. It is a superb example of Masaccio’s use of space and perspective. It consists of two levels of unequal height. Christ is represented on the top half, in a coffered, barrel-vaulted chapel. On one side of him is the Virgin Mary, and on the other, St. … Read more

Before the government provided formal schools and programs of education, religion had been a major part of every person’s education. As public schools started, this teaching of faiths continued with the practice of prayer before class and bible reading sessions (Burstein, 26). Were those actions taken in these classes constitutional, or did the practicing of … Read more

Physical Descriptions Of Biblical Patriarchs / Influenced Of Ancient Art : A 6 page paper that compares the Biblical descriptions of some of its major patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, etc;) with the archaeological findings of the time, to support their descriptions. The writer attempts to show that archaeological findings, including art and sculpture, deny some of … Read more

With the advancements in the study of social sciences, there has been a somewhat parallel growth of cults which though have their foundations in the original Bible and the Christian teachings, yet one may observe that the majority of the present day cults not only deny the essential doctrines, they openly emphasize and present their … Read more

The controversy surrounding new religious movements seems to be foremost concerned with whether or not the members of these religions come of their own freewill or if they convert as a necessary and inevitable response to advanced coercion, or “brainwashing” techniques employed by the cult leaders. The concept of brainwashing came into popular existence in … Read more

The Buddhist religion originated from a man named Siddhartha Gautama who founded the religion in the late 6th century B. C. The Buddhist religion is very different from Western religions which believe in an actual religious figure. The religious beliefs of Buddhists are based on the actual teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Commonly known as The … Read more

The Jews are a people who trace their descent from the biblical Israelites and who are united by the religion called Judaism. They are not a race; Jewish identity is a mixture of ethnic, national, and religious elements. An individual may become part of the Jewish people by conversion to Judaism; but a born Jew … Read more

The primary religious rituals of Israelite religion involved sacrifices and offerings. The ritual system within the Israelite cult evolved around gifts and offerings that were presented before Yahweh. In examining the book of Leviticus, the sacrificial system of the Israelites can be identified. It is this sacrificial system that was handed down by God through … Read more

Cults Each year, hundreds of North Americans join one of the increasing, estimated 3000 unorthodox religions that exist across North America. The increasing number of cults, to date in North America, is due to the fact that cults are a social movement that attempts to help people cope with their perceived problems with social interaction. … Read more

Everyone has friends. Some are so alike that it is shocking. They seem to walk, talk and even eat the same. But others are so very different that it is an absolute wonder that they can even stand each other, let alone be friends. That is how it is in the friendship of Sandra and … Read more

Buddhism is one of the major religions of the world it was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India from c. 560 to c. 480 BC. The time of the Buddha was a time of social and religious change, the development of trade and cities, the breakdown of old tribal traditions, … Read more

Religions have been an ever-growing, ever-changing part of peoples lives throughout the history of the world. One of the most dynamic of these religions is the practice of Buddhism. Today nearly 450 million people are influenced by its traditions worldwide. It is this massive influence that makes understanding Buddhism so crucial in todays world. This … Read more

Religion has always explained the unknown in knowable terms. It has created symbols for that which could not be known. This symbolism is so deeply imbedded in our minds, cultures, and cosmology that it is rarely questioned from inside the religious paradigms. From outside that paradigm, the religious imagery loses its impact, its subliminal meaning. … Read more