Thursday, January 30, 2020

Transcendence and morality Essay Example for Free

Transcendence and morality Essay Therefore, while accommodating God in the growing consumer market, the Church has marketed God as a commodity. A product becoming familiar to most of the consumers day by day is becoming equally dispensable. A market where consumer is considered sovereign, God’s status is at stakes. With the loss of His objectivity and transcendence, the God of today has become weightless. He proposes that the church must distance itself from modernization and keep up with the spirit of God as an other self and an objective transcendent Being. The very idea of giving in to traditions is in its very essence against the idea of ecclesiastics. He believes that if the church of the sixteenth century can reform, so does the church of today. CRITICAL INTERACTION WITH THE AUTHOR’S WORK. According to David Wells, the seductive cultural currents of the modern world are not only fruitless but they have increasingly robbed humans of their past appetite for transcendence and morality. The growing trends of inwardliness are disconnecting individuals from their outside world. In order to find significance to their existence, modern individuals are delving more and more to their inner potentials, rather than looking out upon some other greater source of inspiration. This personalized view of morality is making it a variable. Rather than a fixed code to which every individual had to comply with. Personalized moral values are creating mere confusion. The worst form of this seduction is evident in the new Evangelicalism. Modern Church has turned therapeutic and managerial in its operations and has adopted shifting market trends. The wasteland where God has been proclaimed to be dead, as proposed by Nietzsche almost half a century earlier, He is kept alive only in an etherized state, vulnerable at our expense. Chip M. Anderson holds a similar view point and says, â€Å"Even if the evangelical community has not quite buried God, we certainly have tamed Him. We have refashioned Him into the image of an omnipotent Friend or divine Psychologist who champions our full potential. This, in turn, has led to a new focus for measuring spirituality. † Wells describes the ways in which Church has popularized itself and is convinced that the â€Å"Church is paying a high price for all its success †. With its preoccupations for building mega structures the Church is loosing its basic essence of Christianity. He condemns Barna’s Church proposal that explains the techniques through which Church can capture religious market. According to Barna, â€Å"Like it or not, the Church is not only in a market but is itself a business† . Wells explains the way in which the new Evangelic are making the Church an enterprise, headed by entrepreneurs and managers, rather than by God and Christ. In order to achieve their aim to multiply in number, the entrepreneurs are trying hard to adjust God in the modern world. They promote God more as a product and the followers as customers. This he explains is not a healthy ideal for it makes God powerless. â€Å"When the consumer is sovereign,† he adds, â€Å"the product (in this case God Himself) must be subservient† . Wells proposal is to objectify God and promote His otherness as a Being apart from the personal self. This he believes is the only way out to defeat the modern culture of subjectivity and disorder. In a world where there is an appetite for God but a common disenchantment towards theology and scriptures, Wells believes otherwise. He thinks that a strong theology is needed as an anti thesis to post modern cultural trends. This in its very form is what the Evangelicalism was all about initially. Compromising with dominating circumstances can not be the case with God’s Word. Another writer has well said, â€Å"Therefore, even if it means swimming against the current of this age, a genuine return to the original proclamation and apologetic of the New Testament is the only lifeguard for rescuing imperiled human rationality and for reviving the souls of our contemporaries who are drowning in the depth of postmodern pointlessness and despair † Wells vision of the future is made of mixed sentiments. The young seminaries as Wells observe take theology and scriptures seriously but they do explicit current trends of self being locus for intellectual combat. In an over all analysis David F. Wells creates a balanced critique on the modern society and its eventual corruption of Church. Though most part of the book is preoccupied with its critical evaluation of modern world and Church, supported with a number of contemporary analysis, nowhere does the book becomes boring. Taking the problem of the Church a little further, this volume promises other sequels to come to deal with the issues presented. CONCLUSION David Wells has convincingly presented his evangelical concerns, which might not be appreciated by premodern sensibilities. The strength of his critique is its focus on the perils of modern way of living. Wells has successfully restrained from criticizing unnecessarily. This makes his work even more effective. He compels his readers to think of the future of the church beyond the present reality. I believe that wells have been successful in creating a volume that provides an objective insight and is equally thought provoking. His suggested reforms might be hard to achieve in the modern world, but are actually in essence with the true spirit of Christianity. The revival of a bold theology and its implications is a concern not conclusively debated in this volume; however, the issues are further discussed in his next volumes

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Freedom: Digital and Literal Essay -- The Internet

The internet has become an integral part of our lives, linking people overseas, transmitting ideas, and propelling innovation. In order to continue the innovations and links, governments and service providers should not regulate, restrict, or censor the internet. The internet, as it stands today, serves as a medium for our entertainment, communication, and commercial needs. It is something many of us have come to take for granted. The original intended purpose of the first â€Å"internet,† however, goes back to the days of the Cold War where the ever looming threat of a nuclear missile attack prompted the U.S., as well as many other countries, to build a robust, fault-tolerant, and widely distributed computer network. By 1970, ARPANET had been created from research funded by the Department of Defense. ARPANET linked research facilities in the East and West coasts in a way that was unprecedented in terms of speed and cost. The internet was not commercialized until the last decade of the 20th century, after which it gained widespread popularity and was subsequently incorporated into many aspects of our lives. How different groups approach these problems are sometimes as different as night and day. All of these approaches, however, center around regulation, which is itself composed of issues such as anti-piracy laws, net neutrality, and freedom of speech. The most recent of these issues concerns many pieces of â€Å"anti-piracy† legislation that have appeared before the United States’ Congress and before the European Union’s Parliament. In 2010, Congress attempted to quietly pass the Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act, which would allow the suspension of websites that have been determined to be "dedicated to infringing acti... ...ter Bomb’." Wired. (2012): 1. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Segal, David. "Stop the Internet Blacklist." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 Nov. 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Steigman, Daria. "Is Internet Access a Human Right?" Steigman Communications, LLC. 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Suderman, Peter. "Internet Cop." Reason. 01 Mar. 2011: 20. eLibrary. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Tait, Robert. "Censorship Fears Rise as Iran Blocks Access to Top Websites." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 03 Dec. 2006. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Tassi, Paul. "You Will Never Kill Piracy, and Piracy Will Never Kill You." Forbes. Forbes, 03 Feb 2012. Web. 13 Apr 2012. Wagner, Adam. "Is Internet Access a Human Right?" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 01 Nov. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Wyden, Ron. "Press Releases." Wyden Places Hold on Protect IP Act. 26 May 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Freedom: Digital and Literal Essay -- The Internet The internet has become an integral part of our lives, linking people overseas, transmitting ideas, and propelling innovation. In order to continue the innovations and links, governments and service providers should not regulate, restrict, or censor the internet. The internet, as it stands today, serves as a medium for our entertainment, communication, and commercial needs. It is something many of us have come to take for granted. The original intended purpose of the first â€Å"internet,† however, goes back to the days of the Cold War where the ever looming threat of a nuclear missile attack prompted the U.S., as well as many other countries, to build a robust, fault-tolerant, and widely distributed computer network. By 1970, ARPANET had been created from research funded by the Department of Defense. ARPANET linked research facilities in the East and West coasts in a way that was unprecedented in terms of speed and cost. The internet was not commercialized until the last decade of the 20th century, after which it gained widespread popularity and was subsequently incorporated into many aspects of our lives. How different groups approach these problems are sometimes as different as night and day. All of these approaches, however, center around regulation, which is itself composed of issues such as anti-piracy laws, net neutrality, and freedom of speech. The most recent of these issues concerns many pieces of â€Å"anti-piracy† legislation that have appeared before the United States’ Congress and before the European Union’s Parliament. In 2010, Congress attempted to quietly pass the Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act, which would allow the suspension of websites that have been determined to be "dedicated to infringing acti... ...ter Bomb’." Wired. (2012): 1. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Segal, David. "Stop the Internet Blacklist." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 Nov. 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Steigman, Daria. "Is Internet Access a Human Right?" Steigman Communications, LLC. 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Suderman, Peter. "Internet Cop." Reason. 01 Mar. 2011: 20. eLibrary. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Tait, Robert. "Censorship Fears Rise as Iran Blocks Access to Top Websites." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 03 Dec. 2006. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Tassi, Paul. "You Will Never Kill Piracy, and Piracy Will Never Kill You." Forbes. Forbes, 03 Feb 2012. Web. 13 Apr 2012. Wagner, Adam. "Is Internet Access a Human Right?" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 01 Nov. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Wyden, Ron. "Press Releases." Wyden Places Hold on Protect IP Act. 26 May 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2012.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Canterbury Tale

Who lived in a cottage with his wife in Astrakhan. Used to be happily married, loved his wife dearly His love was very palpable, seen clearly. But as years passed his feelings towards her began to wither Because the arguments they had were getting bigger and bigger They would scream and shout and yell the night away To the point where they'd wake up their neighbors, all of whom were gay. As their emotional feelings grew more and more distantTheir overall sex life became all but non-existent. While laboring in the fields one day He thought Of a brilliant idea, with whore's he'd lay. While adultery was bad, and this he knew To his morals he thusly bid adieu. He began to visit a brothel Hookers a plenty, all of them docile He'd indulge in his carnal desires While the wife had no clue he was a liar. He returned late one night to home So his wife got a case of the I-think-my-spouse-is-a-cheater syndrome. She asked where he'd been, she absolutely inquired l don't need this† and to be d he retired.Her suspicions were then indubitably confirmed When she revealed something from his laundry and learned In his pocket was a note that said â€Å"intercourse with you was lovely' Signed at the bottom with hearts and lipstick, was Beverly. She finally knew of her husband's infidelity Which stemmed from their lack of chemistry. To receive information and some advice She went to her transvestite brother Bryce. â€Å"Don't get mad, get even† he said â€Å"This may not be the time, but told you not to wed. â€Å"What do you propose do? â€Å"l actually have the perfect solution for you, have acquired a concoction At the recent marketplace auction. Slip this in his food, and into a frog he will turn. † â€Å"If I go through with this, will in hell I burn? † â€Å"My dear sister that I do not know. † â€Å"All right then, whatever, YOLK. † She barely arrived home, before the crack of dawn Just as her husband awoke with a yawn. She prepped a hearty breakfast, the most important meal of the day Which consisted of milk and honey, and a warm souffleWith the honey she mixed her secret elixir Woe is she, what a tricky trickster. Just like a kitty, he tongued it deftly All the way down to the bottom, until ‘twats empty. Immediately his eyes began to swell His mouth opened, but came out no yell Instead he croaked, his transformation was smooth He now had nary a hair on his body, not even a tooth He remained an amphibian, for the rest of his days Regretting his decisions that he made in his naive haze His wife was very happy, tit for tat. Adultery is bad so there's that.

Monday, January 6, 2020

The Abolition Of The Death Penalty - 2750 Words

Introduction Nearly every civilization has historically used execution to punish criminals, although the customs and procedures are different today. Since World War II, people have been trying to abolish the death penalty. Today, ninety countries have abolished it for all offenses; eleven countries have abolished it except for special circumstances; and thirty-two others have not used it for at least ten years. Executions around the world are nearing record levels and the United States is one of the four countries who contribute to the record amount of 97% of the execution total. A report released by Amnesty International in 2005 shows that at least 3,797 people were executed in 24 countries in 2004. In 2004, the number of worldwide†¦show more content†¦Statistics Nearly all civilizations historically have used execution to punish offenders and criminals alike; though customs are different today. Since WWII, people routinely try to abolish the death penalty. Today ninety countries have abolished capital punishment for all offences, eleven for all offences except under special circumstances, and thirty-two others have not used it for at least ten years. Sixty-four countries retain it. This includes the People s Republic of China who performed more than 3,400 executions in 2004, amounting to more than 90% of executions worldwide. Within 12 states, the US executed 59 prisoners the same year. Both men and women inmates are eligible for the death penalty if they are convicted on a crime that is eligible for the punishment. The total population on death row is 3,049 with 1.94% of those inmates being female. Currently, 59 women are awaiting death. Since 1976, there have been 15 female offenders executed (Women and the Death Penalty, 2015). Prior to 1 976, the last female offender in the United States to be executed was Amy Duncan in California on August 8, 1962. Women accounts for about 10% of murder arrests and 2.1% of death sentences imposed at the trial level are female. Only 0.9% of women are executed in modern times (Women and the Death Penalty, 2015). About 13,000 people have been legally