The Significance Of The Apostle Paul s Noteworthy...

Many people and events have helped bring Christianity to where it stands on a world scale. From Constantine to the roman crusades, Christianity has been evolved into one of the most paramount religions amongst the world today. While scholars debate the significance of the apostle Paul’s essentiality to Christianity, his noteworthy conversion, affiliation with the New Testament, and his missional mindset to evangelize, has had a considerable impression on christians for centuries. Paul’s conversion is pivotal because its the start of a transformation by the blood of Jesus Christ. The most influential portion of Paul’s life is his conversion from a persecuted to an evangelizing missionary. Paul, in his early life was remembered as religiously zealous, a merciless attacker, and an unyielding persecutor of the early church. It’s in Acts chapter 9 that one begins to see just how ruthless Paul truly was, â€Å"Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder agai nst the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest† ( New King James Version, Ac. 9.1) Before starting his travel, Paul had appealed for letters from the high priest to be sent to the synagogues in Damascus, requesting permission to imprison any Christians and to bring them back to Jerusalem. While on his way to Damascus, The Lord revealed Himself to Paul by a bright light. Paul response is crucial to the impact of this story, â€Å"So he, trembling and astonished, said, â€Å"Lord, what do You want me to do?†Ã¢â‚¬  ( Ac. 9.6). This

Global Assessment of Biodiversity and the Anthropogenic...

The global assessment of biodiversity and the anthropogenic impacts on them should be an urgent priority for conservation biologists. Though overhunting, introduced species, habitat destruction, trophic cascades and climate change (evil quintet) are known to be the potential anthropogenic threats that are likely to drive extinctions in the future (Diamond 1984, Brook et al. 2008), more frequently, conservation biologists have focused their attention on visible threats like habitat destruction, in comparison with invisible threats like overhunting (Galetti Dirzo 2013). Traditional biodiversity assessments often ignore hunting pressure though they are aware of its presence, or classify into ways (e.g., heavy, moderate or low hunting) that are unsuitable for auditing by other researchers (Galetti Dirzo 2013). For example, what might be classified as heavy hunting pressure by one biologist can be classified as low hunting pressure by another. Moreover, also within the hunting classific ations of a biologist, what is the difference between heavy, moderate and low hunting pressure? The use of different standards makes auditing of hunting pressure difficult. Here we ask how to measure the intensity of hunting pressure. Knowing this answer will help us better understand the effects of hunting on biodiversity loss and set conservation priorities more efficiently. Flight initiation distance (FID) is the distance between prey and the predator/hunter when animal begins to flee. IfShow MoreRelatedThe Debate On Global Climate Change1605 Words   |  7 PagesThe debate on global climate change argues that human-generated greenhouse gas emissions are too small to substantially change the earth’s climate and that the planet is capable of absorbing those increases. It is contended that warming over the 20th century resulted primarily from natural processes such as fluctuations in the sun s heat and ocean currents. But the theory of human-caused global climate change is based on questionable measurements, faulty climate models, and misleading science. InRead MoreSustaining Himalayas1694 Words   |  7 Pagesfeeding perennial rivers that are the source of drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower, conserving biodiversity, providing a rich base for high value agriculture, and spectacular landscapes for sustainable tourism. The Himalayan eco system is vulnerable and susceptible to the impacts and consequences of a) changes on account of natural causes, b) climate change resulting from anthropogenic emissions and c) developmental paradigms of the modern society. The Himalayas house one of the largest resourcesRead MoreClimate Change and Evolution Essay1060 Words   |  5 PagesClimate Change and Evolution The ecological consequences of global climate change are expected to be drastic although not much is known as to how individual species will react to these changes. Irrespective of the causes of climate change, whether anthropogenic or natural, it is imperative that we address these concerns, as they will have widespread impacts on the human species, both directly and indirectly through forcings on other species. The climate is not expected to shift evenly and theRead MoreClimate Change Is Caused By Human Activities1975 Words   |  8 PagesAccording to the new Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2013, in Southeast Asia, temperature has been increasing at a rate of 0.14 to 0.20 degree Celsius per decade since the 1960s while rainfall from extreme rain days has increased by 10 millimeters per decade. Both of these increments are caused by climate change. In addition to increase of temperature and extreme precipitations, climate change also increases landslides, exacerbates soil erosion, causesRead MoreThe Impact Of Multiple Actions On The Environment2123 Words   |  9 Pagesenvironmental impact from a single action is often insignificant, and in reality, it is the numerous minor impacts from multiple actions that cause the greatest environmental harm (Dales 2011, Franks et al. 2012, DNRM 2013, Finlayson et al. 2008, Neville 2009, Sonter et al. 2013). These are referred to as cumulative impacts, â€Å"the successive, incremental, and combined impacts of multiple actions on the environment† (Dales, J 2011). There are four characteristics of cumulative impacts as summarizedRead MoreThreats to Bioreserves4807 Words   |  20 PagesAbstract Eight global crises – human economy, climate change, exponential human population growth, ecological overshoot, biotic impoverishment and the reduction of biodiversity, renewable resource depletion, energy allocation, and environmental refugees – affect each other and affect and are affected by the biosphere. Some, perhaps all, are close to tipping points that, if tipped, will result in irreversible change. And yet, no sense of urgency is apparent. If any one of the eight interactive crisesRead MoreEconomic Impact Of The Fossil Fuel Industry1497 Words   |  6 Pagesemissions, allowing the use of domestically available supplies of fossil fuels . This can lead to huge cost savings. NETs such as bio char, AR, wetland restoration, SCS and BECCS are estimated to be more cost effective than mitigation methods; some of them being available at costs below $100/tC02 . These NETs being biological processes are also associated with lower risks as opposed to chemical process and earth system manipulations. Independence from source of emissions and energy infrastructure impliesRead MoreThe Ecologist s Guide On Habitat Loss2336 Words   |  10 Pageswhole has felt anthropogenic effects due to increased human presence and impacts such as habitat loss. Habitat loss is the process of damage and eventual destruction in some cases of ecosystems on a local and global scale which result in them not being able to systematically support the species present due to displacement or destruction which successively reduces biodiversity of endemic species. Habitat loss and fragmentation have been known to be the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. TheRead MoreClimate Change Is A n Undeniable And Unavoidable Reality1661 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction â€Å"Climate change will force millions of people to flee their homes over the coming century† (Docherty Giannini et al. 2010). Global climate change has become an undeniable and unavoidable reality. In its latest assessment report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the international body that provides the most comprehensive reports dealing with the science of climate change, has established that warming of the climate system is ‘unequivocal’. Additionally, it concludes thatRead MoreChallenges Of Biodiversity Conservation And Associated Ecosystem Functions3347 Words   |  14 Pages‘Challenges to biodiversity conservation and associated ecosystem functions’ Word Count: 2,821 1. Introduction As defined by the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) biodiversity is â€Å"the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and ecological complexes of which they are not part, diversity within species and of ecosystems† (IUCN, 2000). The continued growth of human populations and per capita consumption have resulted

Christianity Portrayed in Jane Eyre free essay sample

There is a difference between spirituality and religion, and Bronte presents this to readers through her novel. In times of despair and difficulty, Jane turns and relies on the God in whom she believes. As with any religion, Christianity is the faith of many people, sometimes labeled â€Å"good†, and sometimes labeled â€Å"bad† by society. Jane Eyre is a novel that portrays the genuine, as well as hypocritical aspects of Christianity and varying members of the faith. It seeks to honestly tell the story of a woman from childhood to adulthood as she encounters Christianity in different situations and environments, including the positive and negative aspects. Jane Eyre is as much of an anti-Christian novel as a pro-Christian novel, as it is a genuine representation of a frank experience with the Christian faith. While Bronte does promote the spiritual awareness of the protagonist in some situations, she does make a point to criticize some aspects of the Christian religion in other points. Brocklehurst, the headmaster of Lowood, where a young Jane attends school, acts as the epitome of religious hypocrisy and severity. Upon meeting the small Jane, Brocklehurst is already presented as a hard-hearted and insensitive man. After admitting that she is not interested in the book of Psalms in the Bible, Mr. Brocklehurst rebukes her and proclaims, â€Å"That proves you have a wicked heart; and you must pray to God to change it—to give you a new and clean one—to take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh† (Bronte 32). This harsh manner is the one Brocklehurst assumes the rest of the novel, as he oppressively resides over the all girls’ school whilst withholding vital resources he labels â€Å"comforts† and institutes general regulations of frugality even as he lives in a large comfortable mansion in an upper class lifestyle. His decisions for the school cause widespread illness and ultimate death, as well as many discomforts among the young girls in school. Mr. Brocklehurst is portrayed as a cold, uncompassionate and threatening authority figure. He relies on religion to belittle people in lesser societal roles than he, and to further his own appearance of a â€Å"good† Christian man. Upon his initial meeting and first discussion with Jane, he says to her, â€Å"Little girl, here is a book entitled the Child’s Guide: read it, with prayer, especially that part containing an ‘account of the awfully sudden death of Martha G, a naughty child, addicted to falsehood and deceit’† (Bronte 34). He intimidates her with religion and instills fear in her, even though she is very young and naive. This conversation and Brocklehurst are presented as cold and unnecessarily harsh, Brocklehurst acting as yet another severe aspect of Jane’s life instead of a loving one that religion could have the power to give her. Besides recognizing negative aspects of Christianity, Bronte takes time to exemplify the honest traits and actions of a heartfelt member of the Christian religion. Helen is a genuine follower of Jesus Christ through her actions and expressed thoughts. During a conversations about the Christian faith with Jane, Helen says, â€Å"I believe; I have faith; I am going to God†, to which Jane responds with the questions, â€Å"Where is God? What is God? † (Bronte 90). Once the conversation concludes, Jane thinks, â€Å"Where is that region? Does it exist? † regarding the hopeful afterlife Helen described in their previous conversation (Bronte 90). Helen plays an important role in Jane’s life. She is her one true friend at Lowood, and she is a person that holds the value of others much higher than herself. She acts as a somewhat of a spiritual leader for Jane. Before becoming close with Helen, Jane never had a personal confidant to guide her or share wisdom or genuine knowledge about Christianity, especially in the loving manner Helen assumes. Living a majority of her childhood and adolescence in Lowood, Jane looked to Helen as a role model in many ways, even after Helen’s young death. Jane admired Helen for her gentility, humility, and utter compassion for others. Helen acted as an accurate representation of loving Christians, a representation Jane had not experienced previous to her experiences with Helen, or with Miss Temple, a notable teacher who cared for Jane more than any other member of the Lowood faculty. These figures in Jane’s life play an important role in sharing the ideal roles of Christianity, not the skewed Christian values promoted by other characters such as Brocklehurst. After abruptly leaving Thornfield and the escaping romantic pressures from Rochester, Jane finds herself struggling for survival on her own during her travels to the unknown future and destinations. Yet in the struggle, Bronte writes, â€Å"I felt the might and strength of God. Sure was I of His efficiency to save what He had made†¦ I turned my prayer to thanksgiving; the Source of Life was also the Saviour of spirits. Mr. Rochester was safe; he was God’s, and by God would he be guarded† (Bronte 377). It should reveal a great deal about Jane’s awareness and relationship to God that she takes the time to thank God in times of perceived blessing, and that she seeks and finds comfort in Him. There seems to exist a level of comfort and assurance in the God she praises that she encounters nowhere else. One of the main lessons learned in Jane Eyre is to not settle one’s goals to comply with others’ expectations. Jane has opportunities to comply with others’ demands and to become someone she is truly not, exemplified by the instances of St. John demanding her hand in marriage to become his missionary companion and of Rochester’s offer for her to essentially become his mistress. She does not lower her standards, and trusts in God when her well thought decisions seem unwise initially. Jane, although she remains independent in her reasoning for actions and major life decisions, does turn to God in times of trouble and despair. She thanks the deity when inexplicable blessings or occurrences are bestowed upon her. Her religious tendencies during these times seem to reveal a great deal about her honest views towards God she holds in her heart. After Jane finds comfort and rescue with her unknown cousins, Bronte writes, â€Å"I thanked God; experienced amid unutterable exhaustion a glow of grateful joy—and slept† (Bronte 392). Clearly Jane holds a high esteem for God and does see him as a major working hand in her life. Bronte’s life holds many parallels to Jane’s life in the novel. She too went to a boarding school as a child, in an institution with low maintenance standards, as two of her sisters died due to illnesses received there (Cody). Bronte married, and although she â€Å"admired† her husband, she never fell in love with him (Cody). This relationship can remind us of her relationship with St. John, and how she loved him as a good man of God and as a familial cousin, but not as a husband. In her fictional novel, Bronte, perhaps temporarily living through Jane, escaped this type of marriage and found love with Rochester. Perhaps the novel is the life Bronte would have preferred, and viewed it as her escape into a life with an outcome she desired. Of the most well known critiques of Jane Eyre is the critical review by Elizabeth Rigby, published in the Quarterly Review in December of 1848. Rigby claimed, â€Å"Altogether the autobiography of Jane Eyre is pre-eminently an anti-Christian composition† (Rigby). This review harps on the â€Å"unregenerate and undisciplined spirit† Jane supposedly possesses, as well as Jane being â€Å"proud and†¦ ungrateful† (Rigby). Rigby affirms that â€Å"Currer Bell† (Bronte’s pen name) is a man, and criticizes the unknown author for his â€Å"total ignorance of the habits of society†¦ and a heathenish doctrine of religion† (Rigby). According to Rigby, Jane never undergoes a visible change from the grace savlvation of God. Yet is she not a compassionate human being, putting others before herself and making respectable life choices for herself? Does she not call to God in time of trouble, and of blessing? Jane possessed a quiet, and often detached outer personality in most circumstances of conversation and interaction with others; this does not equal to a hard heart or a sprit untouched by Christ. Jane Eyre could hardly be considered an anti-Christian novel from nearly any perspective. Bronte exemplifies some hypocritical and unappealing aspects of the Christian religion, such as Brocklehurst in his religious and oppressive plight over Lowood and the students, and St. John’s insistence upon the marriage and missionary service for Jane.

Korematsu V United States Essays - Japanese American Internment

Korematsu V United States U.S. Constitutional Survey Korematsu v. United States (1944) Korematsu v. United States (1944) actually began December 7, 1941 with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack on Pearl Harbor then began the conquering of Wake, Guam, Philippines, Malaya, Singapore, Dutch East Indies, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Burma. With the attack on Pearl Harbor, racism, which was hardly unfamiliar, became an even greater problem. The Japanese Government's attacks on Americans including; torturing, raping, and murdering was an excuse for Americans aversion towards the Japanese. Public officials began to lock up the Japanese people simply for their own good, for protection against the hate crimes. Economic interest also encouraged the racism against the Japanese. Tough Japanese work ethics made Japanese businesses competition for Americans. Interest groups and individuals demanded legislators take action against all Japanese. All persons of Japans ancestry, including American citizens of Japanese ancestry, called Nisei, were reported to concentration camps. In reading American Constitutional Interpretation, it states, General DeWitt explained, it was legitimate to put the Nisei behind barbed wire Page Two while allowing German and Italian aliens to remain free because a Jap is a Jap and World War II was a war of the white race against a yellow race. (pg., 89). In 1943 a student Gordon Hirabayashi disobeyed a report for evacuation and curfew. Hirabayashi v. United States (1943), was the first judicial test of the statute that was signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt to make it a crime to remain in a military zone, that was put to use towards an American citizen. Hirabayashi was convicted of both counts, evacuation and curfew, in Federal District Court. In the Court of Appeals he lost, and then received certiorari from the United States Supreme Court. Chief Justice Stone affirmed Hirabayashi's conviction on both counts, meaning Gordon Hirabayashi would have to serve the full sentence. Fred Korematsu also an American citizen of Japanese descent was convicted of not reporting to his concentration camp. His reason was that he was unwilling to leave his sweetheart, Endo. Fred Korematsu was arrested, convicted and also obtained a certiorari of the Supreme Court just like Gordon Hirabayashi. The Korematsu v. United States (1943), case was seen as a case of racism from General DeWitt, interest groups and particular members of the Supreme Court. Justice Black delivered the opinion of the court. Concerns pressing public necessity justified the existence of the legal restriction, which curtailed the civil rights of an American Citizen Page Three of Japanese descent, Fred Korematsu. Justice Black stated in American Constitutional Interpretation, In light of the principles we announced in Hirabayashi v. United States (1943), we are unable to conclude that it was beyond the war power of Congress and the Executive to exclude those of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast war are. (pgs.1383-1384). Also, as in Hirabayashi, it could not be without reason that there were disloyal members of the Japanese ancestry population. In summary, Justice Black confirms that Korematsu was not absolved from the military area because of hate towards him or against his race. Korematsu was absolved because the United States was at war with the Japanese Empire and there were proper security measures. Justice Frankfurter, also affirming the decision by stating the provisions of the Constitution, which discuss the President and Congressional power to wage war. The military order given to Korematsu is under the provision of the Constitution to wage war. Therefore, Korematsu is the business of the military and not for the decision of courts. Justices Robert, Murphy, and Jackson disagreed with this decision agreeing the decision was a violation of Constitutional rights. Justice Roberts believed that the military command given to Fred Koramatsu was a trap taken out on Fred Korematsu because of his Japanese background. There were two conflicting orders one to stay and one to go for the entire purpose to lock him up in a concentration camp. Page Four Justice Murphy dissented with obvious racial discrimination. Justice Murphy stated the military order sending Japanese, even American citizens to concentration camps went against the Fifth Amendment of equal protection. Justice Murphy's opinion is of pure racism, referring to the Commander General's final report on the vacating from the Pacific Coast area. The Commander General suggests that