Anti-Semitism Influence Essays - Racism, Discrimination, Orientalism

Anti-Semitism Influence The word rests in a conversation like a foul stench and with it comes unbidden images and accusations. Today in many circles this word alone is possibly the most horrendous name to place on a person. Maybe though, not because of what it means, but because of what it brings to mind. Automatically and unwanted, pictures come to our mind of goose stepping Nazis and concentration camps, bodies piled high and what we think of as the air fills with the scent of burning flesh. Our worst nightmares and human kinds worst behavior's. Yet, many of us do not know where the term came from or even what it means beyond their simple ideas. Even dictionaries only give the blandest description of the term. Webster's New World Dictionary defines anti-Semitism as "having or showing prejudice against Jews," "discriminating against or persecuting Jews," "...hostility [toward Jews]." but there really isn't a lot to be learned from that, that we didn't already know. So I knew I had to dig deeper. So I started to look for references to Nazi's and Hitler as well as Martin Luther. I began to even look for sites of the Ku Klux Klan in efforts to find some background on the term that brings so much angst into the mind as this. Although I admit, I did find a wonderful article in an unexpected location, unexpected only because I had already consulted so many encyclopedias and found nothing. Yet Funk and Wagner told me this: "ANTI-SEMITISM, political, social, and economic agitation and activities directed against Jews. The term is now used to denote anti-Judaic acts or sentiments based on any grounds, including religious ones. The adjective Semitic originally was applied to all descendants of Shem, the eldest son of the biblical patriarch Noah; in later usage, it refers to a group of peoples of southwestern Asia, including both Jews and Arabs. The word anti-Semitism was coined about 1879 to denote hostility only toward Jews. This hostility is supposedly justified by a theory, first developed in Germany in the middle of the 19th century, that peoples of so-called Aryan stock are superior in physique and character to those of Semitic stock." www.funkandwagnalls.com/ I was surprised to learn that it had to do with more then just the Jews, but Arabs as well. Else where, I found a little more to back this up; "Anti-Semitism, from a strict adherence to the compound structure and meaning of the word itself, can be defined simply as being against (antagonistic toward, opposed to) the Semitic people. In a grammatical and etymological sense (as pertaining to race), such a definition would include all the descendants of Shem (e.g., the Arabic nations as well as the nation of Israel). The word "anti-Semitism" though is not really used in a broad sense pertaining to the entire Semitic line. Rather, the word is invariably used in a much more restrictive sense, referring to opposition exhibited toward only one branch of the Semitic line -- opposition exhibited toward the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. The Jewish people alone, among the Semitic people, have been the target of persecution after persecution during the past three and one-half millenniums; and "anti-Semitism" is an expression which has come into use pointing to these persecutions. Other Semitic nations are not in view at all." gracenet.com/lamp/TODA1.html And a little more on the background; "Today one hears protests that the word anti- Semitism should not be used, because there are other Semites besides the Jews. The term however, was coined in 1879 by a racist named Wilhelm Marr. He was searching for a more scientific sounding term then Jew when he founded the League of Anti-Semites. In the European context, the word Semite was used strictly for the Jews." Page 36 Christians and Jews in Germany. Uriel Tal. The term can further be broken own into both racial and religious anti-Semitism. "Both religious and racial anti-Semitism were to be found in the Second Reich. Religious anti-Semitism insisted that a Jew could not retain his Jewish identity, and it demanded that he converts and assimilates. Fredrick Paulsen, a prominent liberal humanist and outspoken critic of racial anti-Semitism, explained in his "System of Ethics" that ?to remain a complete Jew and a complete German is impossible.' Racial anti-Semitism treated the Jew as a parasite, a biological inferior that conversion and assimilation would not cure, a danger to the body politic." Uriel Tal, Christian's and Jews in Germany: Religion, Politics, and Ideology in the Second Reich, 1870-1914, trans. Noah Jonathan Jacobs (Ithaca NY

Gobbledygook - Definition and Examples

Gobbledygook s Gobbledygook is inflated, jargon-cluttered prose that fails to communicate clearly. Contrast with clarity and plain English. Also spelled gobbledegook. Stephen R. Covey describes gobbledygook as language that is so pompous, long-winded, and abstract that it is unintelligible (Style Guide for Business and Technical Communication, 2012). The term  gobbledygook  was coined in 1944 by Texas lawyer Maury Maverick, who expressed disdain for the gobbledygook language of his colleagues. The word was inspired by the turkey, always gobbledy gobbling and strutting with ludicrous pomposity. Examples and Observations: Gobbledygook or bureaucratese is another kind of doublespeak. Such doublespeak is simply a matter of overwhelming the audience with technical, unfamiliar words. When asked why U.S. forces lacked intelligence information on Grenada before they invaded the island in 1983, Admiral Wesley L. McDonald told reporters that We were not micromanaging Grenada intelligence-wise until about that time frame.(William Lutz, The World of Doublespeak. Doublespeak: From Revenue Enhancement to Terminal Living. Harper Row, 1989)Where the combined value of the above payments before actual assimilation remains greater than the combined value of the payments after assimilation, the former level of pay will be protected. These protection arrangements apply to the combined value of payments before and after assimilation, not to individual pay components, excepting the provision relating to retention of existing on-call arrangements.(Agenda for Change, Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s Univ ersity Hospitals NHS Trust, 2005) To the ordinary guy, all this is a bunch of gobbledygook. But out of the gobbledygook comes a very clear thing: you cant trust the government; you cant believe what they say, and you cant rely on their judgment.(H.R. Haldeman, recording made in the Oval Office, June 14, 1971)Gobbledygook in Sentence StructureIn sentence structure, gobbledygook is usually due to lack of time and care, as perhaps with the personal pension plan which defined foreign emoluments as earnings of a person resident but not domiciled in the United Kingdom from duties performed wholly or partly in the United Kingdom for a non-resident employer. It’s as clear as dirty dishwater, and perhaps more time should have been spent drafting it. Clear, concise writing cannot be done in a hurry, as the French writer Pascal realized when he once wrote to a friend, I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had time to make it shorter.(Jean Aitchison, The Language Web: The Power and Problem of Words. Cambridge University Press, 1997) Adverse Effects of GobbledygookAs doublespeak, gobbledygook may either substitute for a speakers lack of knowledge or insight about a subject, or it may once again serve to confuse. . . .In 1972, Ford Motor Company sent a letter to those who purchased the defective 1972 Mercury Montego: With respect to possible mechanical deficiencies, the rear axle bearings of the cars can deteriorate. Continued driving with a failed bearing could result in disengagement of the axle shaft and adversely affect vehicle control.(Ken Kirk, Writing for Readability. ASTD, July 2010)Doctor Who MomentsOften when listening to football managers and coaches explain the game I find myself thinking of those moments in Dr Who when, with catastrophe approaching, Matt Smith suddenly announces, Theres a good chance that if we can reverse the polarity on this lithium crystal then the magnetic vortex will suck the Daleks into a different time-space continuum and the planet will be saved. Has anybody got a hatpin?Their midfield was playing off us, the Time Lords of the dugout tell us as relegation hurtles towards our homes like a Zygon battle trireme carrying an explosive payload the size of Ronaldos wallet. We need to get more offensive in the off-loading zone. Frankly, we all know it is a pile of gobbledygook, but if it has the sheen of plausibility it is more fun to believe in it than not.(Harry Pearson, Will Andy Carroll Prove the Difference That Destroys the Planet? The Guardian, Nov. 12, 2010) The Lighter Side of GobbledygookOh, meltdown. Its one of those annoying buzzwords. We prefer to call it an unrequested fission surplus.(Charles Montgomery Burns in Homer Defined, The Simpsons) Pronunciation: GOB-ul-dee-GOOK Editing Exercises: Exercise in Eliminating Deadwood From Our WritingExercise in Eliminating Wordiness in Business WritingPractice in Cutting the Clutter

Discovery Strategies for Self-expression and Persuasion Personal Statement

Discovery Strategies for Self-expression and Persuasion - Personal Statement Example Outline preparation often requires consideration of a variety of topics before sorting them out to select the very basic to the subject matter in question. Valerie also likes using regular outlines due to their structural nature. I agree with Valerie because an essay can lose focus if the writer does not adhere to a specific structure. A regular outline implies that there a definite structure consisting of the introduction, body, and conclusion (Kapai 31). I also conquer with Valerie concerning the differences between process and persuasive essays; in process essays, the write-only outlines the main facts, but persuasive essays require consideration of both sides before taking a stand. According to Kapai, giving due consideration to both sides of the argument portrays respect to other people’s views and limits fallacious conclusions during discussions (11).

Occupation Wall Street Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Occupation Wall Street - Essay Example Occupy Wall Street took place in New York City, Wall Street. Wall Street is a financial district. The Possibility of the Group Being Classified as a Terrorist Organization, According To F.B.I.’s Definition By all means, there is no way OWS can be classified as a terrorist organization. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) defines a terrorist organization as an outfit that engages in the unlawful use of violence and force against people or property with the intention of coercing or intimidating a government, civilians or any part of these two, as a way of furthering political or social aims (Spiller, 2006). First, as already stated, OWS does not meet the definition of an organization, since it has no hierarchical structure that governs intra-organizational relations. All the deliberations on the specifics of the protests were being made via Facebook and Twitter, but not from clandestine centers. On the contrary, terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda have a clear chain of command and bases to operate from. Secondly, it is worth noting that OWS did not employ the use of violence as a way achieving its ends. Instead, it used peaceful protests as a way of addressing its concerns. While terrorism through violence has left many maimed, dead, pauperized and emotionally devastated, OWS did not antagonize anyone.

Marketing Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Report - Essay Example This myth or common assumption in the field of marketing has largely contributed to low focus on the market segment of the over 50s in terms of personalized products, services, and marketing campaigns. By overlooking this particular market segment, it means that most companies are unable to diversify, increase their market share, and overall revenues because they are not tapping the opportunity presented by this market segment. This present paper is a briefing paper prepared from the standpoint of the Marketing Director of Nestle breakfast cereal division for the United Kingdom. This briefing paper will outline the key elements of a marketing strategy that is designed to target the market segment of the over 50s. The outline will entail the market opportunities, product strategy, and the next steps that should be undertaken before drawing up a formal marketing plan. Market opportunities To begin with, the report presented by Shaw (2008) on behalf RIAS insurance company, noted that st atistics from the Office for National Statistics reveal that the population for the over 50s is bound to increase in the coming in years and in particular they are bound to reach 27.2 million by the year 2031. According to the writings by Morgan and Levy (2002), this statistics reflect a market segment that will record increased demand over time and therefore, companies focusing on this particular segment will be able to record a continued growth in terms of revenue from the sales arising from this expanding market segment. Therefore, based on the estimated population growth for the over 50s, the Nestle breakfast cereal division for the UK will record continued increase in demand and subsequent revenue arising from the breakfast cereal that is specially prepared for the over 50s population. Another factor that demonstrates the true potential of the market segment for the over 50s is the fact that both Shaw’s (2008) report and the report by Kellogg’s indicated that the over 50’s are wealthier and have high disposable income or high spending power as compared to the other generations. Under the RIAS’ report, Shaw (2008) noted that the over 50s have substantial financial assets. In particular, their personal wealth has risen by 45.6% over the past 5 years to surpass the ?5 trillion mark, secondly, they account for 75% of UK’s total wealth and on average the persons above the age of 65 years has a life savings of ?11,660.85. The report by Kellogg’s noted that persons above the age of 65 years are wealthier and they make up 20% of cereal consumers. The findings from these two reports further validate the true potential of the over 50s market segment since it was noted that they have a high spending power which means that demand for Nestle’s breakfast cereals, which are specifically prepared for this market segment will experience high demand. According to Morgan and Levy (2002), a viable market segment that can gener ate high revenues for a business is usually made up of consumers with high spending power and therefore, by strategically focusing on creating breakfast cereals for the over 50s market segment, Nestle is bound to record increased revenue. In terms of food

Climate Change Essay

Climate Change Essay Climate change in the world can be caused by various activities. When climate change occurs; temperatures can increase a dramatically. When temperature rises, many different changes can occur on Earth. For example, it can result in more floods, droughts, or intense rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat waves. Oceans and glaciers have also experienced some changes: oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, glaciers are melting, and sea levels are rising. As these changes frequently occur in future decades, they will likely present challenges to our society and environment. During the past century, human activities have released large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Most of the gases come from burning fossil fuels to produce energy. Greenhouse gases are like a blanket around the Earth, trapping energy in the atmosphere and causing it to warm. This is called the greenhouse effect and it is natural and necessary to support life on earth. However, while greenhouse gases buildup, the climate changes and result in dangerous effects to human health and ecosystems. People have adapted to the stable climate we have enjoyed since the last ice age which ended several thousand years ago. A warmer climate can bring changes that can affect our water supplies, agriculture, power and transportation systems, the natural environment, and even our own health and safety. There are some climate changes that are unavoidable and nothing can be done about it. For example, carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for nearly a century, so Earth will continue to warm in the future. Global warming has really taken effect in the world over the last century. It is the unusually rapid increase in the Earths average surface temperature over the past century primarily due to the greenhouse gases released as people burn fossil fuels. Global warming is due to the enhancing greenhouse gases emission and build-up in the Earths environment. The gases that have an influence on the atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, dinitrogen-oxide, and methane. Almost 30 percent of incoming sunlight is reflected back into space by bright surfaces like clouds and ice. In the other 70 percent, most is absorbed by the land and ocean, and the rest is absorbed by the atmosphere. The absorbed solar energy heats our planet. This absorption and radiation of heat by the atmosphere is beneficial for life on Earth. Today, the atmosphere contains more greenhouse gas molecules, so more of the infrared energy emitted by the surface ends up being absorbed by the atmosphere. By increasing the co ncentration of greenhouse gases, we are making Earths atmosphere a more efficient greenhouse. Climate has cooled and warmed throughout the Earth history for various reasons. Rapid warming like we see today is unusual in the history of our planet. Some of the factors that have an effect on climate, like volcanic eruptions and changes in the amount of solar energy, are natural. Climate can change if there is a change in the amount of solar energy that gets to the Earth. Volcano eruptions can really affect climate, because when it erupts it spews out more than just lava and ash. Volcanoes release tiny particles made of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. These particles get into the stratosphere and reflect solar radiation back out to space. Snow and ice also have a great effect on climate. When snow and ice melts Earths climate warms, less energy is reflected and this causes even more warming. There are many different ways that plants, animals, and other life on our planet can affect climate. Some can produce greenhouse gases that trap heat and aid global warming through the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere by plants as they make their food by photosynthesis. During the night, plants release some carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Methane is made while farm animals, such as cattle and sheep digest their food. Cars and trucks can effect climate by releasing carbon dioxide when fossil fuels are burned to power them. When wildfires occur, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. However, if a forest of similar size grows again, about the same amount of carbon that was added to the atmosphere during the fire will be removed. Some effects that scientists have predicted in the past would result when global change was occurring: loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise, and more intense heat waves. Scientists have confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, largely due to greenhouse gase s produced by human activities. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that the extent climate change effects on individual regions will vary over time and with ability of different societal and environmental systems mitigate or adapt to change (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). This has been the warmest decade since 1880. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2010 and 2005 has been the warmest years on record. The earth could warm by an additional 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit during the 21st century if we fail to reduce emissions from burning fossil fuels (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The rising of temperature will have great effects on the earths climate patterns and on all living things. Industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide from 280 parts per million to 379 parts per million in the last 150 years (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climat e Change). In conclusion, we need to take part and try to stop global warming and other effects on climate change. If the earths temperatures continue to rise in the future, living things on earth would become extinct due to the high temperatures. If humans contribute to control global warming, this world would be cooler and the high temperatures we currently have would decrease. If everybody as one take stand and try to end most of the climate changes that are occurring, this world would be a safer place to live on.

Schizophrenia: A Matter of Perception? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Schizophrenia: A Matter of Perception? The brain fills the pieces of information transmitted from the sensory environment that are not there or missing. For example, the blind spot in our eyes have no sensory light receptors, hence images focused on that spot are not transmitted to the brain. In fact, a hole should exist in our visual perception from the images projected onto our blind spot. This does not happen as our brain fills in the spaces with ongoing patterns that fit the image of our vision. Also, what we see and what is interpreted from what is seen spreads across a broad spectra from one individual to another. This indicates that there is no real format by which to generalize different individual's perceptions. Every input from the sensory environment is formatted and placed into context by our brain. Our brain organizes each situation into a format that makes sense to our schemata. So what happens when one's train of thought is fragmented and one's brain is unable to organize these fragments into a comprehensib le pattern? Imagine if at times, your experiences become a slide show, fragments of experiences that do not come together. This is, in fact, how many people suffering from schizophrenia describe their experiences (1). Have you ever had an experience or a vision that just does not make sense? Maybe you might not understand the cause and the outcome of a certain experience or situation, but every memory is placed into context. Our brain makes sure of this. So, when seemingly unrelated fragments of information are sent to the brain, it attempts to combine these fragments together into a most logical manner. Is it possible that the reason that schizophrenics have an impaired sense of reality is because their brains logic is askew? Schizophrenia is one of the most severe psychopathologies present today. Its causes are still vague, and the symptoms vary across a large spectrum. However, two generalized grouped of symptoms have been identified for schizophrenics: positive symptoms, and negative symptoms. Negative symptoms include lack of activity, anhedonia, and loss of interest. Positive symptoms include disorganized speech, hallucinations, and delusions experiences (1). Individuals with schizophrenia commonly experience a disorder in their perception. Their surroundings are unreal and their external sensory environment seems different from what they previously knew. In fact, their perceptions become derailed; misinterpreting situations and the chronology of events. They are unable to distinguish between reality and imaginary.

Advert analysis.

What Is that one, particular strategy that a marketer will employ to drive a consumer to buy a product? The answer to that Is advertising. In today's consumer driven world, advertising is the main force behind a company's success. The more convincing, appealing and effective the advert, the bigger the market for the product. They employ appeals including logos, ethos and pathos to convey their message to the audience. The most effective adverts, it seems, are the ones aimed at beauty or simply put, â€Å"looking good†. The Avenue Active Natural advert, in a recent issue of theNatural Health Magazine, is one such advert that uses all such appeals and leaves The Avenue Active Natural advert immediately quite an impact on women. Captures ones attention while randomly flipping through the magazine pages. The advert Is about a dally moisturizing lotion that uses a special Oat Formula. It uses warm, natural colors, basically different shades of green, which sort of has a soothing an d relaxing effect on the audience. It features a glowing Jennifer Animations posing with an ever radiant smile; this mage takes up the entire left side of the page.The background shows a place with a lot of greenery. On the bottom of the ad one can see the campaign slogan â€Å"see the beautiful difference healthier skin can make†, in large white font; simple yet thought provoking. To the right side is more text explaining why oat is important for dry skin and how it is recommended by dermatologists, with a â€Å"before and after test† to provide some sort of evidence of how effective it is. The product itself, the lotion pump, is shown further towards the bottom of the page. On the top right corner is the brand name, â€Å"Avenue, active naturals† In white font.Since this ad Is featured in a women's health magazine, It ill capture the attention of health conscious women. It will target women who are looking for a good and effective moisturizer. Those who have s kin problems, specifically dry skin, might find this ad particularly useful since It claims that the moisturizer uses oats which are recommended for dry skin. Health conscious women mostly look for organic products with the least amount of chemical because they are so conscious about their skin. Every woman wants to look as close to perfect as possible.They are always on the move to find anything that will make them look good, s good as the models they see in magazines and in ads such as this one. Advertisers know that women will never be happy with how they look. Ads like these play on such insecurities and they always seem to succeed! The ad effectively makes use of logos to educate women as to why it would be a rational decision to buy this product. â€Å"Healthy, beautiful skin begins with oat†. That right there makes the audience want to read on. The more she reads, she learns that the moisturizer uses an exclusive oat formula.She's Impressed. What comes next really make s her eager to try this product. The ad says how oat Is recommended by dermatologists â€Å"to Improve the health of dry skin†. Did somebody say â€Å"dermatologists†? With the support of fact true that oat is one of natures' best kept beauty secrets. If women had any doubt about that, well this information Just proves them otherwise. Furthermore, the ad shows a skin test to prove how using the product will improve skin in one day and show significant changes within Just two weeks.Through this information and mostly professional opinion on the matter, the advertiser sets out to show that they care about the audience enough to provide them with such information. Pathos is used almost everywhere in this advert. Firstly, the text plays a very important role. Phrases such as â€Å"see the beautiful difference healthier skin can make† play on the audience's emotions in the sense that it makes them curious as to what exactly â€Å"beautiful difference† means. F urthermore, it mentions how beautiful skin begins with oat. This again appeals to the audience.It makes them confident and believe that there is something out there that will give them better, more beautiful skin. Words like â€Å"exclusive oat formula† make the product seem unique. The advert levelly makes use of a beaming Jennifer Animations who is renowned for her natural beauty. It is trying to convince the audience that they too can look as beautiful and radiant as Jennifer Animations, if they use the product. Moreover, the warm, natural colors, as well as the greenery in the background and the clear blue sky, have a soothing effect on the audience.They are relaxing to the eyes and give an overall â€Å"natural† feel and that is exactly how the advert wants the audience to feel when thinking about the product since it uses a natural formula. Lastly, the advert employs ethos to build up trust among the audience. If someone as famous as Jennifer Animations has chose n to campaign for the product, then it is probably something worthy of using. It is probably effective because it is making her and has always made her look that good.This exact notion goes through the audience's mind when looking at the advert. Now whenever they talk or think about the product, they will probably say something like, â€Å"Oh! It is the same brand Jennifer Animations uses. † Furthermore, the advert shows the reliability of the product with the statement, â€Å"it's the ingredients most recommended by dermatologists†. It also uses phrases like proven to seal in moisture for healthier skin†, emphasis on â€Å"proven†, to further strengthen the trust element among the audience.It is safe to say that this advert was a successful one. Surely, it made a lot of women get off their sofas and drive to the mall to look for Avenue, Active Naturals moisturizing lotion. If not that, it must have at least triggered some sort of response out of the women . The reason for that is that the ad successfully appeals to and prompts the audiences' emotions and their sense of trust and reason. Such a technique is of the best sort when it comes to beauty products like this one.

biology of plant essays

biology of plant essays I believe that some plants produce as much heat for their weight as birds do, which are the greatest heat producers of all. It is even harder to believe that some are able to thermoregulate, which means that they actually alter their heat production to keep their temperature constant in fluctuating air temperatures. This is similar to what mammals do. The article I am reviewing tells about few a plants that do this, and how they do it. There are only three plants which have yet been shown to regulate their temperature. They are the Philodendron selloun, the Skunk Cabbage, and the Sacred Lotus. The most extensive testing has been done on the P. selloun. The earliest testing aimed to do little more than determine whether the inflorescence actually had become hot. In the experiment spadices were impaled with temperature probes into the plant and the probes were connected to a machine that recorded the temperature continuously. During the measurement period the temperature outside averaged 20 degrees Celsius and the temperature in the plant remained 20 degrees higher. This proved that the inflorescence was hotter than its environment. The next experiment aimed to show the range of the P. selloun's heat producing capabilities. Some specimens were cut and put into indoor cabinets where the temperature could be varied. The reason the plants were placed in indoor cabinets was so that the plants rate of heat production could be measured by the expedient of measuring its rate of consumption of oxygen. Then the inflorescences were examined at air temperatures from low freezing to temperatures that are uncomfortably hot for humans. At the coldest extremes some of the inflorescences could not heat up at all. But their temperatures went to as high as 38 degrees Celsius when the environment temperature was still 4 degrees C. The cuttings became hotter as the air temperature rose further. The inflorescences peaked at 46 degrees C w...

TO CLONE OR NOT TO CLONE- A RESPONSE TO JONATHAN COLVIN essays

TO CLONE OR NOT TO CLONE- A RESPONSE TO JONATHAN COLVIN essays I have often wondered what I would be like if certain things in my checkered past had not occurred. What would I be like if I had been brought up in a stable environment or had gone to a different school, or not walked out the door on a specific day? What ifs of life that if we actually sat and thought about them all would drive us insane. This is the reason why human cloning interests me so greatly. The ability to clone gives rise to the creation of a rather diabolical plan- to create a copy of yourself and plot its life course so that everything you wished had happened to you would happen to it and see what kind of person you'd be, or wouldn't be. Would such a plan even be possible to carry out? Animal cloning has produced some remarkable results within the last few years, which has suggested to some that there should be a way to produce a human clone within the next year. Many news articles have appeared recently highlighting the potential to clone a human baby in order to replace a loved one who died. In Me, my clone, and I- or in defense of human cloning published by American Humanist Association, Jonathan Colvin states that many of the attitudes concerning human cloning are reminiscent of the arguments against in vitro fertilization in the 1960s when accusations of playing God and interfering with nature were common. First, Colvin expresses his opinion on the issue by stating the result of his own impromptu survey of friends and strangers. Then the author argues that clones are found in nature, in the form of identical twins, and that there is nothing wrong to make the deliberate ones. He believes that human cloning does not go against nature or God creation because clo ned people are unique and have their own personalities. Furthermore, says Colvin, human biological evolution has become meaningless compared to cultural evolution . Next, he talks about his dream to clone himself because he has cystic fibr...

Compare coming of age ceremonies for Christanity, Judaism and Islam Research Paper

Compare coming of age ceremonies for Christanity, Judaism and Islam - Research Paper Example Notably, this practice is valued and honoured by all the three religions given its importance in a religious setup. ‘Coming of Age’ is a very important function in the history of religion as it dates back as old as the religions. This is a fundamental stage in one’s life that is initiated and conducted differently by different religious institutions. Coming of Age represents the transition process to adulthood from childhood in the society. The nature and the age of this transition often vary from one religion and divide to another, but with some aspects being similar. In nearly all the three religions, this transition is commonly associated with the sexual maturity age or early adolescence. However, in other religions like Judaism, ‘Coming of Age’ is only associated with the religious responsibility and age. The attainment of this age marks an important stage of an individual within the religious institution. It is after the ‘Coming of Age’ period that a believer crosses over to adulthood with full responsibility and getting more spiritual recognitio n within the group (Coogan, 2003). Being an adult after undergoing this ritual gives the member the rights, responsibilities, and obligations that had been limited. Christians, Judaism, and Islam conduct ceremonies to mark this important occasion that comes with benefits and other adulthood packages, which are strictly served for adults. As notes the Rite of Passage Institute of Cleveland, â€Å"The final entrance into adulthood has been provided from time immemorial by the ‘coming of age’ ceremony†¦.. It marked a critical expansion moment, the entrance into larger responsibilities, large privileges, larger secrets, larger institutions, and larger understandings.† (Coogan, 2003, pp.67) The Western Christians and the Roman Catholic Church conduct the ‘Coming of Age’ ceremony differently.

The Debate Between Darwinism and Creationism Essay

The Debate Between Darwinism and Creationism - Essay Example Twenty years after the publication of On the Origin of Species, a crusade against this heretical doctrine came forward by the name of Creationism. Liberal churchmen and evangelical Christians had started embracing the evolution theory laid down by Darwin and his supporters. The creationists took upon themselves the task of outlawing the doctrines of evolution in the 1920s. Presently, they continue with this battle in the name of religion. William Jennings Bryan, a Presbyterian layman, made a huge claim about eliminating Darwinism from its roots in public schools. This strengthened the purpose of other creationists and the success encouraged them to continue with their efforts. Bryan was extremely disappointed to learn that Darwinism was used as a tool by the German military to cause war. Both democracy and Christianity were deeply affected by this havoc. He saw the whole of United States collapsing in this disbelief and the spread of the disease was far more rapid than he could imagi ne. He was â€Å"convinced that the teaching of Evolution as a fact instead of a theory caused the students to lose faith in the Bible, first, an in the story of creation, and later in other doctrines, which underlie the Christian religion†. In 1922, the same year in which Bryan started his crusade against the scientists who were the main cause; Will the I am Bell Riley stated the most important reason for the fundamentalists to oppose the scientific notions of evolution as being just a hypothesis and not a science.