Historical context: book of lamentations Essay

Mourn, grieve, dirge, and wail are some words related to lamentation. There are deep emotions involved in lamentation. The author of the Book of Lamentations had experienced real, actual events that caused bereft of hope to his soul. Believed to author the Book of Lamentations, prophet Jeremiah had not only vividly narrated what happened to Jerusalem but also detailed the very reasons Jerusalem had to suffer its fate. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) The Book of Lamentations has five poems. The first poem compared Jerusalem before and after the destruction. The once great nation was ruined and desolated. Weeping and wailing was heard. Hopelessness was evident. Jeremiah declared that such destruction happened because the people of Israel had sinned and rebelled against the Almighty God. The Lord, being a just God, had caused the fall of Jerusalem. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) The second poem showed God’s wrath over the rebellious people of Israel. The Israelites had experienced the power of God’s anger. He became an enemy and in His anger, God had allowed the people of Israel suffer too much. This poem also tells us the worst condition of those who left in Jerusalem. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) Having hope and asking the Lord’s forgiveness are depicted in the third poem. Jeremiah was pleading to the Lord to extend His help once again to His people. On the fourth poem, Jeremiah had stressed that everything that happened and everything the people had experienced were because of their uncountable and grievous sins. In the last poem, Jeremiah prayed to God. He begged to God to look at His people again. He begged to God to restore His loving relationship with His children. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) 2 Chronicles 36. 15-19 tells us the fall of Jerusalem. Israel and Judah both sinned greatly to the Lord, so in 587 BC, God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar to take over Jerusalem (Lamentations, J. W. Rogerson and J. D. W. Dunn). The temple and the wall of Jerusalem were set on fire. All articles and treasures from the temple and from the king and his officials were carried to Babylon. Many were put to death by the sword. Those who were not killed were exiled to Babylon and became slaves. (The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV) The emotions of the author of the Book of Lamentations were so intense. If we were living in those time and we saw the killings by sword, the great fire, the wailing and weeping, we could explain the anguish in Jeremiah’s heart as he wrote the poems. Jeremiah had seen Jerusalem before its fall. The city was busy. Yet after its fall, Jeremiah described it as a place of desolation. The priests who were highly respected also experienced hardships (Lamentations 1. 4 and 2. 20b). Since the city was destroyed, there was no food (Lamentations 2. 12 and 2. 19) and proper shelter (Lamentations 2. 10). Such situations led some women to cook their children just to survive (Lamentations 4. 10). The Israelites were God’s chosen people. God had brought them out of Egypt to the promise land. God made them powerful. In fact, God was the one fighting for them in order to conquer the promise land. But in spite of the many signs of wonders God had showed to them, the Israelites kept sinning against the Lord. The Holy Bible gives us the account of the many events in the lives of the Israelites. The fear of the Lord had spread through many nations. The sins of the Israelites were too great that God’s presence could not withstand. Because of His love to His people he sent messages calling them to repent, return, and obey God (2 Chronicles 36. 15). But they did not listen. They became overconfident that the Lord won’t leave them. The Book of Lamentations is not just an account of the fall of Jerusalem. It’s more on what had caused the fall. God was in control. He allowed the miseries in order to correct His children.

Annotate We Dare Not Postpone Action by CCT Annotated Bibliography

Annotate We Dare Not Postpone Action by CCT - Annotated Bibliography Example onal communions and seven national organizations, including Sojourners—realized that apparently no clergy had ever issued a response to Kings famous letter, even though it was specifically addressed to "fellow clergymen [sic]." In 2013, to mark the 50th anniversary of Kings letter, Christian Churches Together released its thoughtful response, which we excerpt below. —The Editor WE CONFESS. As leaders of churches claimed by more than 100 million Americans; as Catholics, evangelicals, Pentecostals, Orthodox, Historic Protestants, and members of Historic Black denominations; as people of many races and cultures: We call ourselves, our institutions, and our members to repentance. We make this confession before God and offer it to all who have endured racism and injustice both within the church and in society. responsibility to obey the law while neglecting our equal moral obligation to change laws that are unjust in their substance or application. All too often, the political involvement of Christians has been guided by the pursuit of personal or group advantage rather than a biblically grounded moral compass. We confess it is too easy for those of us who are privileged to counsel others simply to "wait"—or to pass judgment that they deserve no better than what they already have. We confess that we are slow to listen and give legitimacy to those whose experience of race relations and social privilege in America is different than our own. We keep the "other" at arms length to avoid hearing the call to sacrifice on their behalf. Our reluctance to embrace our "inescapable network of mutuality" underscores Dr. Kings observation that privileged groups seldom give up their advantages voluntarily. For example, it is difficult to persuade most suburban Christians to demand that they strive for the same quality of education in our cities that they take for granted in their own schools. To the extent that we do not listen in love, our influence in society is limited

The Interaction Of Byelikov And Kovalenko In The Man In A Case Essay - 61

The Interaction Of Byelikov And Kovalenko In The Man In A Case - Essay Example The conflict between these two people discloses the main idea of the story. The story has a very interesting structure – a story in the story, but at the same time, it doesn't prevent Chekhov from conveying the uniform assessment of human life perception, stating his ideas and outlooks. Plot composition of this story is simple and original. The prolog is the story of a gymnasium teacher Burkin telling to his friend, a veterinarian Ivan Ivanovich, a story about the teacher of Greek language Byelikov. We learn about the appearance and the way of life of the main character. The plot begins when a new teacher of history and geography Mikhail Savvich Kovalenko comes to the city. He comes with his younger sister Varinka whom Byelikov liked and considered marriage with her. The conflict of Byelikov and Kovalenko is the conflict of the people with absolutely different characters, different ideas, and moral principles, and it is the foundation of the story. Byelikov lived in panic, bei ng afraid of reality irritants. Byelikov praised the past, expressing disgust for the present and classic languages which he taught. He wore the same â€Å"an umbrella and galoshes† in which he was hiding from the real life. And everyone was afraid of this strange person. His thoughts were also hidden in a â€Å"case†. Nobody could know what he is thinking about and what he is going to do. Kovalenko, on the contrary, was open to people, he clearly expressed his opinion. A number of events make the culmination of the story: the desire of Byelikov and Varinka to get married, the drawn caricature of the main character, driving bicycles. All these actions excited Byelikov and provoked the conflict between him and Varinka’s brother. Belikov's death, which according to others serves as a solution to all the problems, is the outcome.

Buddhist and christian view on evolution Research Paper

Buddhist and christian view on evolution - Research Paper Example Eventually, evolution of organisms over time leads to presence of a stronger and a more complex species. Darwin’s theory of evolution erupted a great deal of debate as it challenged traditional religious explanations of the world and nature (Boeree 26). His work encouraged further research into the concept of evolution and other unsolved mysteries of life at the time. Therefore, it is important to explore the evolutionary theory from various religious perspectives in order to understand how the theory fits in. this leads to extensive knowledge on the various impact evolution has on world religions and what the reactions are. As such, this paper focuses on the Christian and Buddhist view of the evolution theory. It is a popular belief in the world that man and all of nature was created by a sacred deity for whom all mankind ought to be grateful. This is evidenced in Christianity with enormous reference to the story of creation in the Bible. Everything in the world was created b y God and is still under control of God. However, the evolution theory serves to upset this belief at the expense of most believers who find it imperative to defend and preserve it. Among Christian scholars and believers, the evolution theory denies the role by God as the sole creator of the world while most scientific research ignores divine activity. This is achieved by the proposition of antitheist theories by renowned naturalists who suggest the existence of the world is due to a less explored scientific phenomenon. As such, Christians have always voiced their concerns on scientific theories that contradict the creation theory. The clergy and the Christian community have always united to call for the rejection of the naturalism theories based on philosophical, theological, and historical grounds. As a result, Christianity and the scientific community have always being at loggerheads with each other. To them, it is a violation of what is divine and contrary to the widespread beli ef of a powerful God who is capable of doing anything including creating. Universally, Christians fail to understand how God’s involvement in creation is recognized in events that lack scientific explanations while His overall role is ignored. This illustrates how meaningful divine action is shelved only do be adopted where gaps in human knowledge prevail and a scientific description is lacking (Miller 8). As such, naturalistic proposals such as the evolution theory serve to belittle divine action thus fuel conflict between science and the Christian faith. For instance, Christians and scientists differ on the role of pain, suffering, and death in the world. Among Christians, it is widely accepted that God exercises His sovereignty, transcendence, and providence with regard to natural evil that creates pain and suffering. On the hand, the scientific community readily accepts the theory of natural selection in which Darwin believed that all species had a common ancestor, but ev olved to survive due to the process of natural selection. Organisms that fail to adapt to their habitat do not prevail under the new environmental conditions and hence, cannot survive, which explains natural selection where only the strong and mighty thrive effectively. While the scriptures present the evidence of God’

My thoghts about Was Democracy Just a Moment article Essay

My thoghts about Was Democracy Just a Moment article - Essay Example His arguments go back and forth into time with the objective of providing a resourceful historical analysis of the manifestation of democracy throughout the evolution of government. The inaugural speech by President George W. Bush espouses some of the ideals some of the American ideals that attend to the question of democracy and America’s approaches in spreading the ideology beyond its borders. Basically, the remarks made by President Bush might be considered as representative of the dominant American thought on the question of democracy within and without its borders. The speech is informed by multiple nuances and subtle warnings that give meaning to past, present and future American approaches, methods and intention on the subject of democracy. There are mild threats and incentives throughout the speech, which are meant to highlight America’s intended objective of impressing democratic values in all areas it can spread its influence. One of the weighty assertions mad e by Kaplan in his essay is that the collapse of communism would not necessarily lead to the thriving of Western democracy (Kaplan 1). This assertion is consistent with most of the central themes that are explored in the entire article. In this article, Kaplan provides several examples to build his argument against the place, relevance, and suitability of democracy in the modern world. His central argument is that unexamined application of democratic processes might lead to the same, or even more, disastrous ends than authoritarian regimes. On the other hand, the speech by former President Bush makes the point that the survival of liberty in the United States depends on the success of liberty in other lands (Bush 1). This assertion may appear straight and plain but it condenses America’s foreign policy and its approach and application on the question of democracy. It is important to consider some of the challenges of democracy in light of the assertions made by the two partie s. There seems to be an obvious point of demarcation in the positions adopted by Kaplan and Bush. The tone in Kaplan’s article is essentially critical of the ideals of democracy. Much of the argument is informed by examples and illustrations of the failings of democracy. Kaplan argues how once stable political institutions were wrecked after the imposition of democratic processes. He cites cases in Latin America where seemingly dictatorial or authoritarian regimes appear to be more stable than those that uphold the principles and practices of democracy. An important statement that lies between the lines of Kaplan’s argument is that most of the democratic processes are essentially governed by the other cultural and historical factors. For this reason, Kaplan argues that it would not be very prudent to impose democratic systems of government to countries whose histories and cultures do not resemble those of the west. Kaplan observes that the kind of challenges and histor ical processes that have taken place in the west are conducive for the thriving of democratic processes. Kaplan’s assertion could be examined in light of the difficulties experienced in imposing democratic processes on institutions that are essentially divided along ethnic lines. This assertion fits into the concern of applying democratic processes to sharply divided societies. The consequence as illustrated by various examples in Kaplan’s argument would be the entrenching of divisions and creating of conflicts. The massacres in Sudan and

To find out whether consumer confidence in online purchasing has Essay

To find out whether consumer confidence in online purchasing has increased or decreased over the last few years - Essay Example n evaluating the trends of online buying (as identified through the empirical research made on the specific issue); even the indications regarding the consumer preferences around the world – regarding the goods/ services offered online – seem to present significant differentiations. In most cases, the motives that lead consumers to purchase online are not clearly identified; however confidence has been proved to be a quite important criterion on which the decision of consumers to purchase online is based. The above assumption is proved not only through the studies published in the literature but also through the empirical research conducted for this paper. More specifically, a high number of consumers (approximately 185) have participated in a survey that has been conducted online; the results indicate that when having to purchase a specific good or service, consumers think first its potential availability in the Internet; if the specific good/ product is available onli ne then it will be preferred by the consumers; of course the relevant decision is always based on specific criteria (quality of the product, price, availability and so on) but mostly on the confidence of the consumer on the particular firm; the development of this confidence through the last years is analytically examined in this study. The development of Internet around the world has offered a significant support to all commercial firms that have chosen to enter the WWW in order to promote their activities. The level of improvement of corporate activities because of the intervention of Internet cannot be precisely estimated – different levels of success have been noticed across the various firms in modern market in accordance with the preparations made by their managers towards the incorporation of Internet as a valuable strategic tool as well as the perceptions of consumers towards the relevant efforts. In other words, it is possible that operating through the Internet is profitable for the

Sleeps Relationship to Learning and Memory Essay

Sleeps Relationship to Learning and Memory - Essay Example On the other hand, during REM, EEG waveforms change associated with increased frequencies. This is where memorable dreams occur. Sleep in mammals is described mainly by inactivity of behavior in conjunction with different electrophysiological changes in the motion of the brain.ii Factors like stress, shifting schedules, and longer work contribute to lack of sleeping time. This results to inefficient performance to workers so companies have allotted rooms for quick naps and other businesses have installed apparatus that will improve the results short-term sleeps. Sara Mednick et al. (2002) describe naps to be short periods of sleep which lasts for one hour maximum and likely to enhance one's attentiveness, efficiency and disposition. These brief periods of rest are suitable for people, who are experiencing sleep deprivations, nightshift schedules, and prolonged periods of driving. Daytime naps also improve psychomotor speed and attainment of short-term memory. However, their relation on previously learned information is not yet established although they are common among people with daily information overload. Mednick et al. (2002) suggest the psychological feeling of 'burnout', which is an amplified irritation and frustration brought by decreasing effectivene ss after a lengthened cognitive effort, is not merely a reflection of mental exhaustion but a need for a worn-out mind to experience restoration during sleep.iii Sleep is the only 2. Sleep to Human beings Especially Sleep is the only way by which one can rejuvenate oneself; a mere rest will not be any good as far as the revitalizing factor of sleep is concerned. In relation with that, studies also show the need for the brain to experience the restorative benefits of sleep, and also restore positive attitude emotionally. Matthew Walker (2009) identifies several roles of sleep in cognitive and emotional brain processes.iv 3. Sleep and Human Memory Firstly, Walker observes the role of sleep in memory processing which focused on the declarative memory. Secondly, he relates the ordered structure of sleep and memory stage evolution with the sleep-dependent plasticity models. Thirdly, he discusses the role of sleep in associate memory processing. Fourth, he touches on the emerging advantage of sleep in emotional brain reactivity. Lastly, he proposes a framework of sleep-dependent affective brain processing which will further explain the implications of mood disorders. Neurological studies have shown stimulating role of sleep in the control of brain function and emotional experience. Walker identifies that modulation of affective networks overnight and emotional experiences happened in the past are capable of affecting the restoration and maintenance of the appropriate connectivity for the next-day reactivity. Lisa Marshall and Jan Born mention the role of short wave sleep or the NREM, in benefiting the hippocampus-dependent declara tive memory, and also the valuable for the procedural aspects of memory. 4. Sleep and creativityCreativity has been defined by Mednik as the forming of associative elements into new combinations which either meet specified requirements or are in some way useful. Many studies also have explained the roll of sleep in the creative problem solving process. Denise Cai et al. find REM to be beneficial in terms of improving the associative network construction. It has also enhanced the incorporation of unassociated information,