Taoism Vs. Christianity Essays - Taoism, Immortality, Tao, Absolute

Taoism Vs. Christianity THE WAY TO IMMORTALITY A Comparison Between Taoism and Christianity and the Paths They Take to Reach Immortality PH 200 The basic structure of both Taoism and Christianity are parallel because they work to attain the same goal. It is apparent in both religions that by following a pure path, and devoiding ones self of earthly ambitions, wealth, and desires, one may reach the ultimate goal of immortality. But the way in which one reaches this goal is very different. Both religions believe in an entity that has existed before the universe, is the creator of all things, and loves and provides for all of creation. The Taoist believes in Tao, which remains a ?formless?, spiritual stare of mind. It rejects names and is therefore ?nameless? and unable to be spoken. Christians, however, believe in God, which takes on an active human form and is spoken as ?the word? of God. However, it is the differences between Tao and God that present the most evident factors that separate Taoism from Christianity. Unlike the Tao, God rules as a supreme being, while the Tao is at one with all, and does not master over anything. It is obvious that immortality is the goal in both religions, but the Taoist concept of immortality, and the way in which they become immortal differs from the of the Christians. Immortality, to the Taoist, is to achieve Tao, becoming at one with the universe. Christian immortality is to reach heaven, and walk along side God. Also, the Taoist must follow an individual path, that comes from within. While a Christian may reach heaven only by acts of his/her own goodness in accordance with their relationship with God. Creation, in both Taoism and Christianity, is stemmed from a source that always was and always will be. Taoists base their beliefs around the Tao, and the Christians believe in God. However, the essence of these two separate ideas differ dramatically in many other aspects. Unlike Tao, which claims to be ?formless?, God takes on an actual form, the image of man. The very first sentence of John's Gospel states, ?In the beginning was the one who was called the word...? This statement confirms the existence of a single being. Later in the text it is said that ?the word became flesh and dwelt among us?, thus becoming like a human. In contrast, the great Tao is ?infinite?; it flows everywhere and is always present, yet it cannot be seen or touched. It is ?empty like a bowl? and ?bottomless? yet its capacity cannot be exhausted. The Tao's own intangibility demonstrates the notion that it is frameless and therefore is not constructed into any shape or form. While speech and understanding remain the basis for following Christianity, the Tao cannot be spoken, and therefore can never be fully explained in words. According to the Gospel of John, in the Christian Bible, God sent John down to earth to speak ?the word? and lead the people to have faith. In order for Christians to acquire an understanding of their faith, they must receive some form of teaching or instruction. Christians go to church to hear ?the word? that is verbally preached to them through the words of a priest, who acts as a servant to God. With this being understood it can be concluded that without language, as the basis for understanding, Christianity could not exist. Taoism, on the other hand, emphasizes the fact that it is unspoken and therefore can never be verbally told or explained. Tao is described as being ?nameless?. It is exceeds beyond verbal communication and comprehension. ?Words can be used to speak of it, but they cannot be used to contain it.? Both Tao and God love and take care of all of creation. Every living thing depends on them for life. But the Tao is not a supreme being as God is to the Christians because Taoism is not monotheistic. The main focus in Taoism is not the worship of one god, but instead coming into harmony with Tao. Tao ?clothes and feeds all things but does not claim to be master over them.? Thus he says, ?the universe and I exist together, and all things and I are one.? God, on the other hand, stands above the universe as a higher being. He rules by power, setting certain standards which Christians are to live by and obey in order to reach salvation. The Ten Commandments, also known as ?the law of man?, are a set of rules, developed by God, that people are to abide by in order to avoid wrongdoing. Another element that separates the Tao from

A Matter of Failure Turned Successful essays

A Matter of Failure Turned Successful essays What factors turned Englands Chesapeake colony of Virginia from stark failure to brilliant success? In the 1580s, the English landed in an unknown world called America. They quickly set up camp and created the small city of Roanoke, in present-day North Carolina. The population of Roanoke colony was very small; they were Englishs prototype colony. The expedition leader, John White, was very excited and returned home to England to spread the news. When he returned to Roanoke in 1590, he returned to an abandoned colony, with no signs of what happened. The Roanoke Colony was a miserable failure. English colonization was delayed afterwards due to Englands war with Spain, from 1588 to 1604. But once the war was over, England was back at it again and set forth to the Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Company, who was a group of investors, set sail once again in 1607 and created a fort named Jamestown. The difference between Jamestown and Roanoke is... Jamestown was a success. The first couple years for Jamestown settlers was hard, especially in the cold, violent Atlantic Coast winters. Jamestown was doomed the first winter until the Powhatan tribe came the rescue. After the first couple winters were over with, the Chesapeake started to boom economically. One of the biggest allies of the Chesapeake was tobacco. Tobacco was unknown to England, and in 1613, John Rolfe developed a hybrid cured Virginia leaf. This new phenomenon was packaged and shipped to England and the rest of Europe, and the smoking craze was on. With tobacco on the rise for the Virginia Company, they needed much help farming it. The Virginia Company was giving land away in the Chesapeake to anyone who can afford the trip over. In the years between 1619 and 1624, 4,500 new English settlers arrived to raise tobacco. For those who wanted to get out of England and couldnt afford it, the Virginia Company paid their way. T...

Control of the Distribution of Goods from the Colonies Essay

Control of the Distribution of Goods from the Colonies - Essay Example Enumerated goods are goods not available naturally in England, which included wood, tobacco, sugar, dyes, hemp, furs, coffee, silk, and other native items from conquered lands. While items like coffee and sugar were luxuries, other items like wood were necessities. If England controlled the enumerated good of wood, construction on British projects was advanced. The more ships built meant a greater navy. A greater navy would not only conquer more colonies but could be used against other European countries. Enumerated goods helped England fortify their position as a leader. Â  England controlled the distribution of enumerated goods in order to provide for the British. The enumerated goods of coffee, sugar, cocoa, silk, and furs helped boost the economy. Shipbuilders and crews would give the government a tax or percentage of each cargo. The crews would receive salaries. Then the backer of the expedition would receive money for the rest of the cargo. The merchants that bought the items would sell them to the public making a profit. The consumer would receive these luxuries. The England and the British colonies were benefiting from these goods economically as well as politically. Â  Finally, the control of enumerated goods encouraged English shipbuilding. The wood used to build ships was harvested from native lands. The more wood that England controlled, the more ships could be built. Ships were the key to exploration, colony formation, and the importation of enumerated goods. A greater number of English ships meant more exploration, colony formation, and importing of enumerated goods could be achieved. Â  Domestic shipbuilding also took pressure off of the Crown. If rich individuals were building ships, the Crown benefited. Without any expense of their own, the Crown would tax cargo and shipments. They were receiving money without any cost.

Why Is Teen Pregnancy So High Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why Is Teen Pregnancy So High - Essay Example Many young girls grow up unaware of the dangers that may await them in the outside world. In order to be fully prepared for what may come in their teenage years, young girls need to be taught the dangers and consequences of teenage pregnancy. If this knowledge is obtained before an opportunity arises, then there is less of a chance of pregnancy occurring. Some people would say that talking about subjects such as sex only increases its frequency, yet most international studies show that teen pregnancy rates decrease in conjunction with proper teaching. Even if a girl is unable to avoid a situation, she may be able to make herself safer due to her knowledge about the issue. Another reason why teenage pregnancy rates can be so high is because of poor parenting. Education starts in the home, and as such, parents should take responsibility for their kids. Many children live in single-parent homes, which can be tough, yet there is no excuse for not properly forewarning someone of the effects of teenage pregnancy. As parents are the closest people to a young child, they are more likely to be listening to because of the influence they hold over their children. A parent who is a good role model will affect the way their kids think over certain issues, one of which is teenage pregnancy. Finally, perhaps the most significant cause of teenage pregnancy is peer pressure. Young people are always so concerned with what their friends or peers are saying about them. This is a stage in someone’s life where parents do not have the same hold over them. Friends influence the decisions and feelings of most teenagers because no one wants to look out of place. Even if someone’s peers are not encouraging someone to make a bad choice, it may be that the person feels like their friends do.

Act Four of the Crucible Essay Example for Free

Act Four of the Crucible Essay How does Miller present John Proctor as a heroic figure in Act Four of The Crucible? Does the play have any relevance for us watching it today?  A hero is a person who is admired for having done something very brave or having achieved something great according to www.dictionary.co.uk. I also think a hero is a person who doesnt necessarily have to be of a pure soul, who has never done anything wrong. For example, in The Crucible, a person like Rebecca Nurse who never did anything wrong wasnt portrayed as a hero to us. We see John Proctors actions as more heroic and they are similar to Linford Christies actions (where he was accused for taking drugs and now acts as a senior mentor for athletes) which a modern audience watching it today would see as a comparable, if a less serious, situation. Miller presents Proctor as a heroic figure in Act Four of The Crucible by John Proctors actions. These include John refusing to sign the document, which would save his life. However, at the same time it would mean he would lie and Proctor would rather die than sign a document, which condemned him to working with the devil. I feel this shows John as a hero because he has not only done something very brave by giving his life, which people will admire, but because he has struggled through and done the right thing which will ultimately lead to an end in the accusations of witchcraft in Salem. This part of the play deserves a lot of attention as it shows the greatest act of heroism in the play by Proctor. It also reflects the most relevance for an audience watching today, who would relate Johns example to their own lives. In the earlier acts of the play Miller shows John Proctor resisting temptation from Abigail. The reader sees this as heroic because we know that John has already had an affair and he doesnt want to cheat again. The reader also knows that it is hard for John Proctor and when he does resist Abagail the reader sees this as a heroic action. The way other characters respond to John Proctor also shows us that John is a hero. Miller shows other characters, for example Mary Warren, respecting him. The first time Miller introduces John into the play we see how other characters respect his authority. MARY WARREN leaps in fright. Mary was doing wrong and Proctor discovered her. The fact that we see her leaping in fright shows how she respects Johns authority. She admires him enough to feel ashamed of her wrong doing and a hero is someone who is admired by other people. In Act 4 Proctor knows he has made mistakes in the past and doesnt think that people will see him as a hero if he is hung. I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. By John saying this it shows he is not arrogant. The audience see arrogance as an unheroic action. John Proctor says he refuses to testify because he detests authority. It is hard to give a lie to dogs. Miller makes John refer to authority figures as dogs because they are hanging people for incorrect and false acusations. Proctor refuses to lie because he wants to stand up to a corrupt justice system. The audience sees this as a heroic action because he is prepared to sacrifice himself in order to abolish the justice system in the future. For John to give his life it is the biggest act of bravery a man can do and we see this bravery as a noble action. In this final act Miller suggests to us that John is performing actions with other people in mind rather than himself. If he confesses he wants to know if other people will be able to forgive him for lying. What would you have me do? Proctor is thinking about confessing and he does not want Elizabeth, or any other person, to think badly about him for lying. This is because he is feeling guilty. This guilt shows human emotions and the audience sees this as something they can relate to in their everyday life, because John is a person like us. However, John leads by example and, although he is human, he is a role model who always tries to do the right thing even if it is difficult and may have consequences for him. An earlier example of this is John attempting to save Elizabeth in court by confessing his act of adultery. I have known her, sir. This is what makes him heroic for the audience as he tries to do the right thing, for other people not just him, when it is sometimes difficult because of the resulting consequences. Another way in which we see John as heroic is because he physically tears up the confession slip. PROCTOR tears the paper and crumples it. This action by Proctor is heroic because he is trying to correct his mistakes. Proctor isnt perfect but he tries to make up for what he has done wrong in the past. Proctor doesnt want to return to his old ways of doing wrong as he felt contrite and ashamed of his affair with Abigail. The audience admires his attempt to correct his wrong doing and in doing so Miller gains the audiences respect for Proctor. Our admiration for Proctor makes us relate John to being a hero because by definition a hero is admired by other people because of their actions.

Genderless Society, an Illusion or Reality Essay -- essays research pa

According to dictionary.com, gender is defined as â€Å"the condition of being female or male.† Gender and Sexuality conjure up images of the male and female and the roles that each sex is supposed to fulfill. Of the two forces (Biology and Environment) influencing human development, especially gender, environment is more influential. Environment is basically the surrounding conditions or forces capable of influencing a person or any entity, for example, family, culture, peers, society, etc. In view of this, let us now think about these thought provoking questions. Do you believe there will ever come a day when boys will play with dolls and girls will play with trucks and no one will notice? Suppose parents could successfully forget about the gender of their child. What would be the advantages and the disadvantages of this? These are the questions that would be examined and answered in this article. Reasonably, I opine that a day might come when boys will play with dolls and girls play with trucks, but people will take note of this, depending on their sense of perception and cultural backgrounds, and since neither this situation had ever occurred nor has it ever been that way from time being. Also, since the environment people live in could either positively or negatively contribute to their physical, spiritual, and social well being, so, gender should be seen more of a social structure that forms the basis for individuals’ norms which are anchored into the major societal organizations of our world today (Lorber 5). This might make one to ask again - Is a Genderless Society Attainable? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Apparently, parents, as a factor, have the power and the responsibilities to shape the gender identity of their wards from childhood. The socialization theory, in terms of gender, suggests that â€Å"children are taught to behave in a certain way according to their sex. Boys are taught to be masculine and girls to be feminine. For example, parents will often buy trucks or army toys for boys while girls will have dolls and playhouse sort-of toys† (Cohen and Ian, 78). So why would a genderless society be unattainable since the primary factor of childhood gender-shaping is the parents? In fact, from the socialization theory, it could be deduced that genderless society might be achieved if parents would act in other way round- allow boys to play w... ...A day might come when boys might play with dolls and girls might play with trucks, but people would surely notice this. Since our mode of life- morals, physical, social, gender, etc are being modeled, nurtured, and influenced by many factors of our immediate environment such as our family, culture, peers, society, education, community. If on the other hand, the environment nurtures or influences us the way the â€Å"fabulous baby X† was nurtured, there might be a success of a genderless society, but this will sound too strongly unattainable and an illusion of reality! WORK CITED PAGE Cohen, Jack and Ian, Stewart. â€Å"Our Genes Aren’t Us.† Discover Apr. 94, Vol. 15 Issue 4, p78, 7p, 6c Gould, Lois. â€Å"X: A Fabulous Child’s Story.† Mirror on America: Short Essays and Images from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Popular Culture. 2nd Ed. Mims, J.T and Nollen, E.M. NY: Bedford/ST. Martin’s, 2003:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  63-76. Lexico Publishing Group. â€Å"Gender.† Dictionary.com. (2003) 23 Jan. 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Lober, Judith. Paradoxes of Gender: sex role, gender identity, social theory, and feminist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  institutions. Yale UP: New Haven, 1994.

Comparison of Thee Sculptures

Comparison of Three Sculptures Sara Aleman ART/101 David makes part of a very important character of the bible. It is the name of a small boy named David who defeated a giant named Goliath with a tiny stone. This bible story has inspired many artists among the years to make representations of David. Donatello, Michelangelo and Bernini make part of the inspired artists. These famous artists created sculptures to represent the brave David. These sculptures represent the same character but with the unique style of the artist that created them. Donatello’s sculpture of David was created in the Early Renaissance. It is made of bronze and reaches 158 cm of height. This sculpture depicts a naked David, wearing only a hat and boots. He has an enigmatic smile on his face. David is carrying a sword and he has his foot on Goliath’s head after defeating him. This statue became controversial for being the first freestanding nude man and because it was considered to have political significance. Michelangelo’s David was created during the High Renaissance, and has many differences from Donatello’s. First of all, Michelangelo’s statue of David is a lot bigger. It reaches 17 feet of height and is made of marble. This David is completely naked and his facial expression is cautious with a warning glare. This David does not seem victorious; instead, he seems decided and aware. Because of his facial expression and other details, this statue is thought to be David before his battle. Michelangelo’s David has body details that make the boy appear more mature and strong than Donatello’s young David. Gian Lorenzo Bernini created his statue of David using marble as the material. This statue is a life-size representation of David during his battle with Goliath. This David is partially nude his body language is very remarkable. David is about to throw the stone that will defeat the giant, Goliath. David has a very strong facial expression and the position of his body seems agile and decided. These three statues of David have their own charm and have become very distinguished throughout the years.