Be Fruitful and Multiply in a Barren Body The Old Testament is full of stories dealing with issues of man's relationship with the Supreme Creator of the Universe. It is a hard concept to try to understand a world so much unlike our own, because of the existence of a much more "down to Ea...

Hinduism and Christianity The world is filled with many religions and beliefs. Some religions have close similarities and some are extremely different. The world is a complicated place that we as human beings have been trying to understand since our species began on this earth. Religion has...

Once encountering the subject of secular spirituality, one is bombarded by a host of modalities which seem to be available in every brand imaginable. Many things can be spiritual; meditation, critical thinking, sports, and the list continues. It points to some very interesting conclusions conce...

God and the Platypus In the beginning there was man. That seems like a lofty statement, doesn't it? It is apparent that throughout the course of conscious human existence, people have looked for answers to questions that have ultimately eluded them. However it is in the humble opinion of t...

The Greek Gods in Homer's The Odyssey and the God of Abraham in the Bible both play the feared and respected role of the master while the humans act as their subordinates. Although the Gods are similar in their master-servant relationship with humans, their nature and moral values differ sharpl...

Authoritarianism is defined as a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator. However society sometimes views authoritarianism as misused authority. Valid authority is aligned upon a necessary purpose. Misused authority involves reality control and domination. Metaphorically, it is...

If you have ever gone to school, then you have most likely recited the "Pledge of Allegiance" numerous times. Did you ever notice the part of it that said "under God?" The Pledge was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Christian socialist; it was to be said in the public school...

In his classic novel "Ragtime," E. L. Doctorow presents a type of "Godfather" character which posses many of the same attributes and characteristics of the Don Corleone character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather. This Godfather-like a character is the character, J.P Morgan. One can always go...

God vs. The Green Girdle In the days of King Arthur, religion was one of the most important aspects of life. Literature from this period reflects that strong faith and reliance that people had in God. People looked to God for answers, protection, and comfort. To these people, God worked in m...

The religious symbolism and undertones of Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People" The short story "Good Country People," by Flannery O'Connor, is a work that uses both irony and symbolism to convey to the reader a religious message. The heroine, Hulga Hopew...

In Dostoevsky's work, the Inquisitor presents his case with many wordy arguments. He cleverly discusses the issue of Catholicism, the freedom inherent in oppression and the joy and peace of submission to the iron will of another. The Inquisitor speaks from the position of a dictator; an entit...

Following the "Roman Road" to the "Door of Salvation" and reciting the "repeat-after-me" magic words that mysteriously transform a person into one of the "saved" was an experience that caused me great bewilderment for many years. Convinced in his heart...

The Social and Spiritual Dilemmas Among Women When we stop and consider the fact that women in our country were not able to vote until 1920, it is staggering to imagine the obstacles facing women during the Middle Ages. The 19th Amendment to our Constitution was ratified only after women foug...

In the movie The Pledge, director Sean Penn delivers a suspenseful and compelling mixture of murder and faith. Not only does he force us as viewers to examine our own opinions of good and evil throughout the twisted plot of the film, but he also keeps our attention with his unique editing style. ...

The End of The Affair', by Graham Greene, is about the novelist as God, and God as the novelist who gives his characters freewill. Critic David Lodge once said that in Greene's fiction, 'Catholicism is not a body of belief, but a system of concepts which Greene can arrange and dram...

The End of The Affair', by Graham Greene, is about the novelist as God, and God as the novelist who gives his characters freewill. Critic David Lodge once said that in Greene's fiction, 'Catholicism is not a body of belief, but a system of concepts which Greene can arrange and dram...

The Problem of Evil, and Free Will as the Primary Source Some people view the problem of evil as the most serious challenge to the Christian tradition. "How can God exist when there is evil in the world?" This question arises due to the nature of God. God is understood to be benevolent, omniscient,...

Fitting the Holes of Theory and Faith Since the dawn of human awareness, we have wondered how we have come to exist and for what purpose, yet no theory thus far has even been agreed upon, let alone proven. Philosophers, theologians, and scientists have argued back and forth about our or...

When questioning the issue of our existence one must go to the basic question of "If we exist, then who created us?" Many religious and spiritual people would have a very simple answer: God. So this leads the questioning philosopher to ask how do we know that God exists? This is a question that ...

May/08/2004 The Devil and Miss. Prym by Paulo Coelho Coelho's books has touched my soul. I can see all my guilt, fears, pain, and above all my love. His simple style leaves me questioning myself, do you follow the path of good or evil? The story ( told in third person )...

"Night" and Freud's Theory of Religious Illusion "I knew that my sins grieved the Eternal; I implored his forgiveness. Once, I had believed profoundly , that upon one solitary deed of mine, one solitary prayer, depended the fate of the world (Wiesel 65)". ...

?Peeling back the layers in Genesis 1:1-2:4a, provides a much deeper insight to the story of creation in the Old Testament. It provides the essence of understanding and grasping the theological message behind the passage. In order to grasp the Priestly writers conception behind the story, one must l...

Moses was a leader in many ways. Moses was a leader starting from when he was a young man in Egypt and continued until he became an adult. From the time pharaohs daughter found him in a wicker basket floating on the river and adopted him. He was destined to be a leader. It's known that he made man...

The problem of 'free will' and the responsibility for exercising 'free will' have been among the central issues of philosophical and religious thought since ancient times. In Christian theology, St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Soren Kierkegaard among others have ...

The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible In comparing the Epic of Gilgamesh to the Bible, it is best to analyze The Book of Genesis. These two works have many similarities, and their basic ideas are very similar. Some of the smaller details in the works are also remarka...