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Diabolical Nature Of Work And Leisure In Human Life And Life
In the Christian world–and–life view, both work and leisure are considered good things. Both come
as gifts from God's hand and are rooted and discerned from the Lord's foundational act in creation.
Yet these gracious endowments can be easily misused and become idols that wreak havoc in
people's lives. The diabolical nature of sin is that it so enslaves people that they not only do bad
things, but they also misuse good things. And Christians, though they are forgiven sinners through
embracing Jesus Christ as Savior, nevertheless still struggle with sin's weighty power.
Let's briefly explore how both work and leisure are justified as good things in light of God's work in
creation. We'll then go on to reflect upon how such good things can be unfortunately misused in life.
Made to Work
It is interesting that upon his creation, Adam was almost immediately assigned to work by God
(gardening: Genesis 2:15, zoology: Genesis 2:20). These assigned tasks in the Garden of Eden
certainly came long before Adam fell into sin through rebellion against God. So it seems that human
beings were created to work, and in a Christian context, to carry out one's discerned vocations
before God and to earn one's living (Ephesians 4:28). Moreover, slothfulness and laziness are
identified as serious character vices in the Bible (Proverbs 6:6–9, 13:4; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; 1
Timothy 5:8). So work and vocation can involve all occupations that are consistent with a Christian
worldview.
Made to Rest
Leisure in the life of God's people is derived from what God did after creation. Upon creating the
world, the sovereign Lord declared the creation "good" (Genesis 1:31) and "rested" from his work
(Genesis 2:2). This period of rest (even apart from how one understands the controversial
theological issue of the Sabbath1) and the goodness of the created order justifies the general idea of
leisure as a divine mandate for humanity. Leisure involves a rest from work, but it should not be
thought of as mere idleness. The activities of leisure should never be sinful in and of themselves, nor
should they interfere with a believer's ultimate devotion to God (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians
3:23). Some Christian traditions have connected appropriate
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The Old Testament
With the completion of the Old Testament put a stop on the preaching and revelation of the prophets.
Prophets were responsible for enlightening the Jews about the realities of life and resolved various
issues that they had. The Jews were desperate to know the truth, and the teachings of the God and
hence prophets aided these longings of theirs. Religious ritualism, social injustice, and idolatry were
the three areas in which the prophets emphasized in their preaching and filled the hearts and minds
of their believers with it. Prophets were enlightened and blessed beings that had much knowledge
about the religious matters and their teachings are of still very significant and valid.
The Bible instructs numerous cases of the Social Injustice, Idolatry, and Ritualism. God 's picked
prophets, for example, Hosea, Micah, Jonah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah, give occasions of these themes.
Through these picked prophets a superior comprehension of Gods expectations and implications can
be found. An inside and out an examination of these points is expected to handle the importance of
everyone better. Excessive admiration, this is a word found the Bible, however. 'Excessive praise as
characterized the divine love of symbols. The expected significance of 'excessive praise in this
viewpoint is the love of something man made of any material. The more suitable significance can be
better clarified by Paul Helm. In his book, Mind, it is characterized as one brimming with
philosophical enthusiasm,
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Iconoclasm Of The Byzantine Church
When it comes to something like the Byzantine worship, Christians in the Byzantine world asked to
Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints while looking at images of them on panels which are known
as icons. The veneration of icons was viewed with some apprehension from the Church. This was
because of the Mosaic proscription of religious descriptions and the persecution of Christians who
refused to venerate images of Roman emperors. Iconoclasm that happened was the veto and
obliteration of works of art because they were considered inappropriate in religious contexts. Images
of saints and sacred stories on icons and in churches were destroyed and the people who worshiped
them were persecuted. During this time, the Church leaders were fearful that
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Idols, The Body And Walls
"Idols, the Body & Walls"
Kim Green
I want to first thank my church family for the support I received this summer. The texts, emails,
cards and meals were a blessing to us. The kind prayers offered, the deep visits and quick hellos
were all beautiful outpourings of love and I want to say thank you publicly.
I have not been back to Uniontown for several reasons. The past 13 years of my life have been lived
pretty publicly as pastor's wife. This summer magnified the fishbowl like no other. That has been
excruciatingly painful. I have lost much this summer – I had come to love the role of pastor's wife,
full time ministry and being here. Having all of that ripped away so suddenly has been a grief on top
of the expected grief of the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A favorite quote of mine by Paul David Tripp, that has become very dear to me, is that "God will not
protect us from that which he will perfect us through."
And while I am not claiming by any means to have arrived at some spiritual revelation of
completeness, I do feel I have a message/testimony to share with you, my family of believers. I have
prayed about this, and asked close friends to pray over this as well. I truly come to you humbly to
share what God has been speaking to my heart in this most difficult season of my life and perhaps it
will encourage, challenge and edify you as well. I want to share with you about idols, the body and
walls.
God graciously, yes, graciously and lovingly removed an idol in my life this summer. Yes, it was a
violent shattering to pieces of an idol I did not even know I had made of my husband. God very
quickly reminded me of many instances in scripture how many times He calls for idols to be
destroyed or abandoned for HIM. I have spent much time this summer reading and studying about
idolatry. Friends, God loves us too much for our hearts to become enslaved by idols that do not
satisfy and do not deserve our affection over Him!
One day, when I was literally face down on the floor in my bedroom in a puddle of tears crying out
to God, he gently reminded me of Abraham, walking his beloved son Isaac up the mountain. Do you
know what he was supposed to do at the top of that mountain? Sacrifice the very covenant son that
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How Do the Prophets Speak to the Following Issue:...
Krishni Ryland
BIBL 105 B23
Professor Ballard
The Old Testament ends with the prophets. These teachers provided insight on many issues facing
Jews who were desperate to know God. Idolatry, social injustice and religious ritualism are three
areas that are emphasized in their teachings and instilled in the minds and hearts of believers today.
The prophets were great teachers who had much to say about God and the way man lived, social
issues they faced, religious rituals they took part in, and their teachings are just as important today
as they were in the past.
Idolatry was a prominent issue among the Jews. God confronted this problem early in the Bible in
Exodus 20:4–6. It is clear that following God requires complete and total ... Show more content on
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He preached of a coming judgment against Israel for (among other things) oppressing their people.
The Old Testament had charged the Israelites to take care of the disadvantaged and the poor, but
there was a great disparity between the rich and the poor as Israel continued to reject God's
commands[5]. Amos compared the wealthy women of Samaria to well fed cattle because they
oppressed the poor while being consumed by selfish pleasures[6]. Amos 5:14–15 states: "Seek good,
not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.
Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy
on the remnant of Joseph." The goal of Amos was to show that Israel was not keeping their charge to
care for one another despite God's command. This was due, in large part, to the people focusing on
self interests. This sentiment is echoed in Micah where the wealthy conspired to steal the land of the
needy[7]. The world today mirrors Israel during the time of Amos. History has shown time and time
again that wealth and personal selfishness blinds man to the plight of the needy. In the United States,
there is a huge disparity between the rich and the poor that requires personal conviction to change.
Man must stay focused on God and care for one another to bring blessing upon them. Man's
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Prophets: Idolatry, Social Injustice, and Religious Ritualism
PROPHETS: IDOLATRY, SOCIAL INJUSTICE, AND RELIGIOUS RITUALISM
BIBL 105 OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY
PROPHETS: IDOLATRY, SOCIAL INJUSTICE, AND RELIGIOUS RITUALISM I will be honest.
I really struggled through this section. I do realize the importance of this subject however; the "feel
good" moments just aren't there like when you read other books of the bible. I mean, idolatry and
ritualism are subjects that can be incredibly dry. But when asked to make it parallel to events of
today I have found it to be shockingly intriguing. For example, the prophets played a key role in
attempting to turn Israel away from its disastrous path of worshipping false idols. I don't know,
maybe it was the fact that they were tangible? I know that easily, the ... Show more content on
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Here we have direct access to God through Jesus Christ. Direct access, yet we choose folly. We
choose to go after things we can hear, touch and see. What a great picture this painted showing
God's intense desire to turn us from false idols to him.
A secondary issue that occurs when you worship anything other than the one true God is the fact that
his teachings of unconditional love and using your money to help others goes right out the window
as well. In Dr Ed Hindson's Essence of the Old Testament text there is a striking story (page 370)
about this exact situation. It says that Israel and Judah were having an incredibly prosperous time.
But they had turned away from the Lord and were worshipping Baal. So apparently, according to the
text, instead of crediting Yahweh with all this wealth they credited Baal and with that practiced
perverse worshipping towards this false God. This led to dramatic social climate differences
between the wealthy and the poor. The wealthy used their superior social status to take advantage of
the lower class. Do we, yet again, not see this in our daily lives now? There are folks that have more
money than they could spend in seven lifetimes yet just in my drive to work alone here in Pensacola,
FL I can count at least a dozen homeless people. Where is the love? Where is the responsibility of
taking care of the poor, the needy and the orphans? Unfathomable selfishness and greed were
prevalent in this time and if we take a
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Idolatry In Silas Marner
According to Merriam–Webster, idolatry is the "immoderate attachment or devotion to something"
("Idolatry"). Some readers argue that Silas's devotion to Eppie is just another form of idolatry that
otherwise would have been manifested in the worshipping of his money. The novel, Silas Marner,
however, indicates that Silas's love for Eppie is a fatherly one, instead of an idolatrous one. Silas
progresses from the superficial idolatry of money to sincere love for Eppie as his interactions with
the money involve absolute possession, excessive worshipping, and irrational dependence, none of
which is seen in Silas after his adoption of Eppie; he cares for Eppie as a father, not an idolator.
Silas's absolute possession of his gold is characterized by the concealment of it. The underground
chamber, in which Silas hides his money, can be interpreted as the metaphorical representation of
the wickedness in his heart, which is invested with the the parasitic greed for more money. Upon
realizing the disappearance of his gold, Silas goes into a frantic episode when he "gave a wild
ringing scream" (Eliot 44), for the only idol that fills the void in which social relationship ought to
have occupied, is no longer there to numb the pain from solitude. The hoard of gold is Silas's only
companion, and "was hidden away from daylight, was deaf to the song of birds, and started to no
human tones" (Eliot 132–133). Not only does the money deprive Silas of the access to the
instinctive appreciation
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Symbolism In Paul Tillich's Dynamics Of Faith
The gender of God is a highly controversial and unanswerable subject. This, however, does not
mean that people do not assign a gender to their image of God. In recent times, there has been a call
to stop referring to God as a male in the way it is done. Referring to God as a male has been the
precedent in Christianity and Judaism since their creation. Many people associated with the
movement feel that it has extremely negative effects on our current society in relation to the
treatment and empowerment of women. Rosemary Radford Ruether believes that assigning any
gender to the image of God is dangerous because it has led people to take the image as a literal
description rather than a symbol. Therefore, people come to believe that God actually ... Show more
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Symbols are the language of faith and express the ultimate (Tillich 47). Tillich defines the ultimate
as something that, "...demands the total surrender...and promises total fulfillment" (Tillich 1).
Therefore, symbols are essentially how people connect with their faith or ultimate concern. Tillich,
then, presents two criteria for the truth of faith, one from the subjective side and one from the
objective side (Tillich 110). The first criterion of faith deals with how well it is expressed. In other
words, the ultimate concern must be properly represented to the believer. This means that "...it
creates reply, action, and communication" (Tillich 110). The symbols of faith must speak to the
people who believe in it. By this, the symbol is alive. A symbol can also die out or be replaced if it
does not properly represent the ultimate (Tillich 11). An example of this would be the ancient Greek
God Zeus. Zeus does not speak to current people of faith, and therefore would fail to meet Tillich's
first criterion as a symbol of faith. To summarize, Tillich's first criterion is the subjective one that
states that the symbols of faith must speak to the believer, and therefore be
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Night By Elie Wiesel Rhetorical Analysis
Killing is commanded – Exodus 32:27 – And he told them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel:
Put your sword on your hip, every one of you! Now go up and down the camp, from gate to gate,
and slay your own kinsmen, your friends, and neighbors!"
Killing is forbidden – Exodus 20:13 – "You should not kill."
The contradiction shown here in the two passages has one about God allowing killing and the other
saying that you cannot kill. The passages both write about killing, in opposite ways, allowing and
not allowing killing.
To understand the passages, we should examine the sentences more closely. "And he told them,
"Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Put your sword on your hip, every one of you! Now go up
and down the camp, from gate to gate, and slay your own kinsmen, your friends, and neighbors!"
This passage says that God told the people to kill their friends, neighbors, and their own family
members. In addition, a footnote says, "Slay you kinsmen: those who were especially ... Show more
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Taking the life of the innocent is condemned in the Ten Commandments, which orders without
qualification: "You shall not kill." It's a sin against God and a crime against the dignity of the human
person, who is made in God's image". Killing is like a sin that "cries from heaven" for the Lord's
justice. In the New Testament, Jesus reaffirms that the commandment is against killing in the
Sermon on the Mount. Killing is not allowed in the Ten Commandments and it is a crime against
God and the dignity of the person.
While on the other hand, in Exodus 32:27 it says that killing was commanded. It pointed out the
killing of the guilty. But in the Catholic Bible Dictionary, it says that "taking the life of the innocent
is condemned". Even though God commanded the killing, some may not understand why. God may
have commanded it because the people who worshiped the golden calf were guilty. Also, they may
have disobeyed God's Law, the Ten
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Examining Religious Works By Dominus Iesus Essay
Examining Religious Works The first text, Dominus Iesus, is relevant to the study of world religions
today since one of the fundamental ideas espoused in this idea is that, despite the fact that the
Christian Church is designed to lead people toward salvation, the "truth of the faith does not lessen
the sincere respect which the Church has for the religions of the world" (13). In other words, in this
work, the Church adopts a more ecumenical stance although, admittedly, the Church still positions
itself and, by extension, Christianity, as the greatest religion given that it is not prone to accepting
the idea of religious relativism. Of course, many people are likely to find this position contradictory
– even problematic – as it suggests that, while there may be merit in other religions, there is more
merit in Christianity. As a Muslim, I did not like hearing this, and certainly did not agree as I know
that there are other faiths – Islam, for instance – that are just as great as Christianity. What I liked
about this text was how forceful it was in declaring the Church's beliefs even though I do not
necessary agree with these beliefs. Often times, people skirt around what they belief, afraid of
offending others, but this document does not. What I disliked was how this document declares the
supremacy of Christianity, a point bolstered by the idea that even though "followers of other
religions can receive divine grace, it is also certain that objectively speaking they are
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Is Veneration of Icons Idolatry? Essay
Is Veneration of Icons Idolatry?
That "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in
heaven above or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou
shalt not adore them, nor serve them" (Exodus 20:4–5 and Deuteronomy 5:9) might, at first glance,
be seen as an absolute command or prohibition against worship of any kind of image (A. Fortescue,
Veneration of Images, 1910, Volume VII). "For iconoclasts (image–breakers), every image could
only be a portrait and a portrait of God was inconceivable in view of God's ineffable and
unknowable qualities." Claim that icons were a sacred art was, iconoclasts argued, simply to clothe
them in superstition and even ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"The law was not an image but it was like a wall which hid the image" said St. John of Damascus
(Ouspensky, 1992:44–45).
St. John of Damascus further argued that God's revelation in the Old Testament was made manifest
only by word whereas in the New Testament it was made manifest both by word and by image: the
Invisible became visible, the non–representable became represent and that God not only addressed
man by word and through prophets but also showed Himself in the person of the incarnate Word.
Thus the distinctive trait of the New Testament is the direct connection between the word and the
image (Ouspensky, 1992:46–47). On the other hand, Dr. Cavarnos argues that holy icons serve to
help believers to be transformed and sanctified and to lift them up to the prototypes which they
symbolize, to a higher level of thought and feeling (1992:1). History shows that the subject of
iconography precipitated the longest–running and most violent of the theological debates to shake
the internal life of the Orthodox Church: the so–called iconoclastic controversy which produced
many martyrs and confessors like St. John of Damascus during the reign of Constantine V (741–
755) and St. Theodore the Studite during the reign of Leo V (813–820) as well as the Seventh
Ecumenical Council held
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Prophets And The Old Testament
The last seventeen books of the Old Testament are books of prophecy. Five of these books are
known as the major prophets while the other twelve books are known as the minor prophets. The
prophets in the Old Testament are very important. The prophets spoke for God and were called by
the Lord to do five specific things (Hindson & Yates, 2012 p. 287). They were to tell the people to
turn back to the Lord, remind people to conform to the Law, they were also to rebuild the nation and
create a spiritual revival in the people as well as a regeneration in spiritual birth (Hindson, 2010, p.
123–124). Prophets were also given a very unique talent that they used for God. "One of the most
unique features of the true Old Testament prophets was their ability to predict" (Hindson & Yates, p.
289). "Biblical prophets speak to future events as though they had already occurred" (Hindson &
Yates, p. 289). Though prophets are known for their ability to foresee the future, they also address
issues that the Israelites were facing. The prophets spoke on many issues such as idolatry, social
injustice, and religious ritualism. Frederick E. Greenspahn addressed the prophets input on idolatry.
"Israelite prophets seem particularly concerned with this problem: 'their land is full of idols... idols
of silver and gold which they made in order to prostrate [to them],' says Isaiah" (Greenspahn, 2004).
Isaiah was not the only prophet who ran into the problem of idolatry, "Hosea describes the Northern
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A Theological Reflection On The Dark Knight Rises
Write a theological reflection on a recent movie of your choice In one or two paragraphs, give a
brief summary of the plot and its primary theme or main point (approx. 10% of the total essay) For
this assignment I have chosen to review The Dark Knight Rises. Eight years after the Joker 's reign
of anarchy, the Dark Knight is forced to return from his imposed exile to save Gotham City from the
brutal guerrilla terrorist Bane with the help of the enigmatic Catwoman. At the beginning of The
Dark Knight Rises, criminal activity has dramatically dropped within the city of Gotham. This
however is built on an unsustainable lie as noble as it had seemed at the time. Identify any
theological themes, aspects or symbolisms found in the film. Analyse the film and determine its
(explicit or implicit) view of God, humanity, redemption, saviour/Christ, evil, suffering, creation,
humanity, sin and other relevant theological doctrines (approx. 60% of essay). You need not to cover
every theological theme; most films interact with one, two or maybe three theological areas, if at all.
Faith, a theme that stands out in the movie. And it can be looked at from many differing angles.
What does the scripture say about faith? For starters we are reminded that faith is proof of things
hoped for yet not seen, and we also have examples of faith in what is referred to as the "Hero's Hall
of Fame" (Hebrews 11:1–6). You also have Jesus being described as the author and perfector of our
faith.
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The Prophets Of The Old Testament Speak A Great Deal
The prophets of the Old Testament speak a great deal about idolatry, social injustice, and religious
ritualism. These were serious problems for the people of Israel and Judah and are still problems for
many people today.
Idolatry is probably one of the most talked about problems throughout the whole history of Israel
and Judah. From Moses and Arron with the golden calf right up until the Assyrian and Babylonian
captivity we see the people of Israel and Judah repeatedly turn away from God to worship idols.
Every time they turned away from Him, God would send a prophet to rebuke His people and to
preach judgement if they did not repent.
One of the most famous of the prophets who spoke on idolatry was Isaiah who preached to the
southern ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Ezekiel writes that he saw the Shekinah Glory of God depart from Jerusalem because of the idol
worship that was taking place even in the temple. He also says that the Lord will be against Israel
because of their idolatry. Ezekiel 6:3–4 ESV "You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord
God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys:Behold,
I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. Your altars shall become
desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain before your idols"
Another stumbling block for the people of Israel was social injustice. Those who were rich and
powerful were oppressing and enslaving the poor. God did not approve of this practice and sent
several prophets to condemn it. Some of those prophets were Amos, Micah, and Nahum who went
to both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel preaching repentance.
The prophet God sent to condemn the practice of social injustice in the northern kingdom of Israel
was Amos. Amos 5:11–12 ESV "Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of
grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have
planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine." In these verses Amos condemns the
subjugation of the poor and the high taxes placed on food to keep them in poverty by the rich. He
also tells of coming
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Taking a Closer Look At Your Personal Ministry Essay
You didn't know that you were doing it and you were not aware of how it was affecting your
relationship with Christ. After reading the first chapter this was the thought running through my
mind. I will be discussing 3 chapters from the book "American Idol: The Worship of the American
Dream". While the entire book was interesting these three chapters touched me in such a profound
way. I hope to share my experiences with you so that you may see how the book has impacted me.
As a result of reading this book I have grown closer in my relationship with Christ our Savior. The
icon of individualism was born from people who have replaced God with some other tangible item.
Chapter 4 Hostetler talks about this expanding culture of individualism ... Show more content on
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I also found this to be interesting as this trepidation has permutated in just about all characteristics
of my life. Rick Newman writes blogs for US News. In his blog, "Lose the Microwave Mentality",
Newman says, "Microwave ovens have been heating leftovers and popping popcorn for a
generation, a daily bit of wizardry that makes waiting for anything seem obsolete. And the
microwave mentality has spread far beyond the kitchen". Wow, get out my kitchen Mr. Newman!
Basically, what Newman is elaborating on is comparable to what Hostetler also is pointing out.
Hostetler states that the world has developed this need for instant gratification and gives biblical
reference using Saul's experience with the Philistines (77). Instead of waiting for God to deliver His
blessings we act with out Him. The lesson learned for my spiritual walk is that I must be willing to
wait for Gods timing. In the previous discussion there was a focus on a "have it now" type of
worship experience. But lets switch gears a bit and discuss the last and final point of my discussion.
I wrestled with this topic for quite sometime because I have experienced this very issue just about
two years ago. Chapter 8, "The Cult of Personal Experience", Hostetler expounds upon the
emotional state of people and their connection to the church. He discusses how people hungered for
worship that engaged their intellect (103). Two years ago God spoke to me and guided my
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The Fallibility of Man Exposed in The Bible Essay
The Fallibility of Man Exposed in The Bible
The story of the Golden Calf illustrates the inherent fallibility of man. It starts out when the people
ask Aaron to "make us gods, which shall go before us." Despite the fact that God had spoken to
them just days earlier commanding them not to make themselves any graven images, Aaron doesn't
argue too strongly against this, immediately asking them to turn over any gold jewelry they have so
that he may make them a figure of worship. This choice of material symbolizes man's covetous
nature, perhaps also implying that Aaron feared to go against God's wishes directly, and so he chose
gold in the hope that the people would be loathe to part with it. However, they ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
He says that the Egyptians would mock the Israelites, laughing that their God would lead them out
of their servitude only to face destruction at his own hands. Rather than respecting his power, they
would see that he was either unable or unwilling to complete the salvation he set his people upon.
And so the Lord agres to set aside his anger at the people, while Moses returns to them with God's
commandments.
Before he even reaches the base of the mountain, Joshua states that there is "a noise of war inside
the camp," to which Moses responds that he doesn't hear cries of victory or defeat, but rather those
of revelry. This seems to put a shadow of foreboding over the story, implying that soon there will
still be cries, but of a different nature. When Moses sees the golden icon that the people now
worship, the story states that his "anger waxed hot," in the same words that God's displeasure was
described, showing that Moses' anger was just, because it was at wickedness, and in the name of the
Lord. The story climaxes when he burns the icon into dust. By reducing their figure to the smallest
particles possible, Moses shows the idolaters that an idol is like to nothing, since dust is as close to
nothing as he could make it. He has the people drink the dust as a gesture that their sin will always
be with them, ingrained into their bodies. When he asks
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The Most Important Commandments Of An Idol
I had never experienced a respect or fear of an idol, but in my young years, my eyes saw what a
piece of clay or wood can do in the mind, heart and action of a person. I saw the effects of the idols
in the "Sierra Oaxaqueña" when the whole town committed all kind of perversions in the name of
their gods. This experience made me remember and understand why God used His prophet to
emphasize the two most important commandments, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out
of Egypt.... You shall have no other gods before me."
During the years of the Old Testament, the prophets kept teaching and prophesizing against the
people that committed idolatry. From Abraham to Malachi, the prophets would try to make the
people of Israel understand what ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The last and newest thing in the world becomes the first and oldest; and sometimes in some vague
the way, the maker of the universe: the makers of his own maker.
The people of Israel experience this mystical reversion in the reign of Ahab when the people of
Israel began to praise Baal in the temple of Samaria. The consequences of this mystical reverence in
the life of the Israelites affect their reasoning process. The prophet Elijah attempted to revive the
drowsy intelligence of the people by challenging them with the following words, "How long will
you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
The questions of the prophet did not produce the expected reaction in the people because their
thoughts were futile and darkened but the thickness of their sins.
Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal had the objective of reviving the mind of the people of
Israel. During the contest, Elijah challenges the knowledge of the people about their god with words
like, "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought.... Maybe he is sleeping and most be
awakened." The purposes of Elijah telling these to the people of Israel were to awake their mind
from their lethargy.
Humans know the truth not only with reason and knowledge but also
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Idolatry and Social Injustice and Religious Ritualism, Oh My
The Lord called prophets to speak for Him to the people regarding their sinful behavior. The
prophets were God's "spokesmen," who were called by God, held accountable by God, and
empowered by God to deliver His messages. Idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism had
become prevalent in Israel and Judah and is rampant in today's society as well.
The prophets delivered their messages through various methods. They preached the word of God,
verbal deliverance; wrote their message(s) down, written deliverance; and used symbolic acts to
demonstrate God's message, visual deliverance. The prophets used these methods of deliverance to
warn the people of the impending judgments that would come if they did not change their sinful
ways.
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 'You shall
have no other gods before Me'" (Exod. 20:1–3 [NKJ]). The people of Israel and Judah had
disobeyed the first Law of the Lord instead they choose to worship false gods. God called numerous
prophets to warn the people regarding their sin of idolatry. Isaiah prophesized against Judah, "the
Lord will send a purging judgment against his sinful people, producing a righteous remnant that will
enjoy the future blessings of salvation and restoration." Isaiah cautioned the people about practicing
evil and putting their trust in false gods. Ezekiel, "the watchman," warned the people about the
defiling the temple with their idolatry and wickedness; the worship
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The Iconoclast Controversy
The iconoclast controversy, initiated by Leo III and solidified by decree by Emperor Constantine V
and his allies through the Council of Hiereia, was a violent and theologically divisive struggle which
transcended dispute over the material with a Christological partition. The controversy between
iconoclast and iconophile lasted for some time, and was a matter that consisted both of physical
violence and persecution of the iconophiles and physical destruction of icons, the immediate and
primary source of the issue. The veneration of icons, to the iconoclasts, signified worshipping an
idol; therefore, the idolatry of venerating icons was a violation of past ecumenical dogma, a
violation of Biblical decrees, and a denial of the hypostatic union of Jesus, as a material object ...
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Iconoclasts went so far as to incite violence at the first attempt at a council, which led to a more
careful placement of the second, which became the Second Council of Nicaea. The iconoclasts used
theological arguments through established doctrine and Scripture to establish valid grounds upon
which they justified their stance on the subject of icons. By doing this, they made it a necessity for
an ecumenical council to respond, as do all matters of faith when they are contested by heretical
thinking. The only way to safely put an end to the matter was to do what had been done at the
Council of Hiereia, thus making it an official Church stance. If previous councils had been cited in
the iconoclast attempt to justify the destruction of icons, the established decree of a new council
would put an end to the claim that the Church had not ever validated the veneration of icons. The
matter could only be settled in the same way it had become a problem, and that was through
inclusion into the dogma of the
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The Transforming Vision By Brian Walsh And Richard Middleton
The Transforming Vision, written by Brian Walsh and Richard Middleton, yearn for a change in the
way Christianity is viewed. According to the authors, science, technology and economic growth is
what shapes our society, while Christianity stands in the sidelines. The authors aspire to see a
change in Christianity where it "may receive social and cultural embodiment." In the first chapters,
Walsh and Middleton explore the reason behind why Christianity of North Americans is so
disembodied compared to others. In addition, Transforming Vision explores the different types of
worldviews compared to a Christian worldview, or biblical view. Furthermore, it discusses how the
different type of world views affects us and if there is any worldview better than another. Chapter 1,
World View and Culture, begins with Anthony's story and how his decision had different responses.
After Anthony became a Christian and grew as a person, he made the decision of leaving his
girlfriend when he realized he did not love her. According to his family, loyalty is one of the greatest
of moral duties, therefore, viewed Anthony's decision as an "unpardonable sin." However, in a
Christian 's perspective his actions were honest and caring. Each side had a different point of view.
World views are described in the book as perceptual frameworks and not systems of thought like
theologies or philosophies. Two examples are then given to understand how certain cultures view
situations, like child–rearing
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Minor Prophets
In our reading assignment form the books of Courageous Faith Life Lessons from Old Testament
Heroes and The Essences of the Old Testament: A Survey we are studying about the prophets.
During the time of the Old Testament there was several prophets. The prophets are broken up into
two groups. They are Minor Prophets and Major Prophets.
According to our text book The Essences of the Old Testament: A Survey states, "The minor
Prophets cover the books of Hosea to Malachi and form the final section of the Old Testament
canon. On the other hand, "The Major Prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures."(Hidson &Yates, 2012) In
the next section of this paper I am going to talk about how these Prophets talk about idolatry, social
injustice, and religious ritualism. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I speak on the behalf of my personal religious faith we have monthly communion which is the
remembrances of Gods body and blood. We honor God by taking part in breaking bread and
drinking grape juice. The Bible tells us "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it,
and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup
and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new
testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28 KJV) There are many
other religious ritual that performed different in other religious group. According to our text book
The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey "The people of Israel viewed their religious rituals as
their protection against calamity, but the site of these rituals would become a place of
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Minor Prophets Essay
The Old Testament ends with the Minor Prophets. These prophets provided insight on many issues
the Jews were facing. All of the prophets had the same ideas of a warning of impending judgment
because of the nations' sinfulness, the coming judgment, a call for repentance, and a promise of
future deliverance of God's grace. Idolatry, social injustice and religious ritualism are three issues
that the prophets emphasized on in their teachings and can be inspired in the minds and hearts of
believers today. The prophets' teachings are just as important today as they were in the past. The
teachings about God, the way man lived, social issues, and religious rituals are all relevant in the
today's society.
Idolatry is the worship of anything else ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The society we live in now struggles to focus on God. There are too many other things that have
come to replace Him as number one in their lives. If we could focus more on God today, the issues
that are prevalent would begin to disappear and we would be able to reap the goodness God
promises. Unfortunately, humans continue to stray from God and worship their false idols with their
eyes, minds, and hearts. In Jonah 2:8, "Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's
love for them.", Jonah prayed to God about idolatry when he realized what he had done wrong and
how mistaken he was to run from God's command.
The prophet teachings about social injustice come from Amos. Social injustice is the ill treatment to
the vulnerable citizens that God calls us to respect and care for. In Leviticus 19: 3–35, God instructs
us about respecting our parents, feeding the poor, paying workers on time, upholding justice, not
slandering others, respecting the elderly, and honesty in business dealings. Amos preached the
coming of judgment against Israel for oppressing their people. The inequality between the rich and
the poor were disgraceful to God's commands. Amos 5: 14–15 states "Seek good, not evil, that you
may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is. Hate evil, love good;
maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy
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K Pop 's Shady Business Secret Essay
K–pop 's Shady Business Secret
The Korean pop or K–pop industry over the last decade has experienced a major increase in
popularity that has made it a billion dollar competition for foreign music industries. They are
especially known for their extravagant music videos and visual aesthetics, which have attracted
worldwide followings. K–pop companies are also infamous for being brutally strict on training and
restrictions for their trainees and idols. They fixate on the business growth over the musical talent
and content. The problem that stems from creativity and commerce overlapping in the Korean pop
industry is the unethical treatment of its trainees along with the racialization and exploitation of idol
groups in different global markets, due to the commanding force of the industry.
The last decade has seen the rapid globalization and popularity of the korean entertainment industry
worldwide, which is known as the Hallyu wave. It expanded into international markets through
social media platforms such as Youtube, which served as a method of free mass distribution,
securing many international fans. Having recently broken into the American and European market,
K–pop exists as Korea's biggest export, the industry itself being worth $3 billion. This results in
creativity being determined by how much business flows into the industry internationally. As a
result, there is looming pressure on the industry to continue growing and making big money. "K–
pop is a business in which
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Sins of Idolatry, Social Injustice, and Religious...
Sins of Idolatry, Social Injustice, and Religious Ritualism; the Prophets View
Bible 105–B27 LUO: Old Testament Survey
201320 Spring 2013
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
L33333333
Liberty University
March 07, 2013
Sins of Idolatry, Social Injustice, and Religious Ritualism; the Prophets View Several of the
prophets had much to say in regards to idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism throughout
the Old Testament. Some of these that will be used in this essay are Isaiah, Hosea, Micah, Jonah,
and Ezekiel. Their verses will better define the meanings God has on each of these subjects. Let us
begin by asking the question; what is idolatry? Merriam–Webster online defines it as: 1the worship
of a physical object as a god, or ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Simply put, we should not take anything we have for granted. It takes a conscious effort; however,
all we need to do is place God first in our hearts and thank Him for everything we have, every single
day. Social injustice is what led Israel into demise and captivity. It was God's judgment for their sins
of not being socially just according to Mosaic Law. Ezekiel gives an excellent account of God's
judgment of those of wealth and greed: "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her
daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They
were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it" (Ezekiel
16:49–50). According to the Law of Moses, the wealthy were to take special care of those less
fortunate. There were numerous traditions, throughout the Old Testament, that Israel was to
accomplish. Nevertheless, they failed miserably and paid the price of God's justice. In today's
technological world and all of its communication devices, it seems that we are falling further apart
instead of coming closer together. People today will text a friend they see enter a room instead of
getting up and walking over to them. People fall in love over the internet without truly meeting or
getting to know one another. Society has become anonymous. We think we know what is going on
by reading whatever someone may write on an internet blog. We lack
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The Views of Prophets on Different Issues
Prophets on issues During the prophetic days, man began to drift away from the heart of God and
the started creating their own cultures and beliefs. In most cultures and beliefs that were created,
there were materialistic things which became the gods of men. There were social injustices within
these cultures as well as many religious rituals. Idolatry is the worshiping of anything apart from the
Lord, this strike at the point of people's relationship with God. Worshipping God also includes
having good relationships with other people and this includes the vulnerable people in society.
Religious ritualism is the dependence on worship rituals that are formalized and centered on
sacrifices which are substitutes for genuine relationships with God (Charlestinsley, 2012). The Ten
Commandments are all known and God had commanded that there should be no other Gods before
him. Most people in those prophetic times were far away from God and they were very wicked in
their hearts and deeds. Many prophets spoke on the issues of idolatry, social injustice and religious
ritualism. The paper will look at examples of prophets speaking on these issues and how practical
applications can be drawn from these teachings for today. The main focus on the prophets was
issuing warnings to people on worshipping other gods and mistreating the poor. These warnings
continue and the prophets state that social injustice and idolatry would lead to people being
punished by God. A lot of time was spent by
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The Effects Of Idolatry On Children's Health
Samantha Olson, from the Medical Daily speculates the psychological effects that idolatry has on
children's health. In comparison, Doyne's article illustrates how being a fan in adolescense can shape
a person into who they are even to adulthood. Within Olson's article, she tries to "toe the line
between what is normal development and harmful derailment" for children (M1). She ackowledges
that teenagers become infactuated with boy bands, the Kardashians', and sports figures in their need
to establish psychological and emotional independence (M1). Often, causing parents to be
concerned because these obsessions can cause a disruption in the social lives and school work of
their children. Shira Gabriel, a psychologist from the Univerisity of
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King Jeroboam Idolatry: The Reign Of Ahab
There was a time in Judah that the people experienced revival under three of their kings, Jehosphat,
Hezekiah, and Josiah. During these times of reviving the state of the sinful decline of the people was
observed and as a result the people were made aware of their sinful condition. Israel on the other
hand had no such revival experiences from the onset of their king Jeroboam, "who taught Israel to
sin." Under the leadership of king Jeroboam idolatry was growing and during the dynasty of Omri
the practice reached great height and continued to escalate during the reign of Ahab and there was
no observation of the sinful decline of the people until the reign of Jehu but then the practiced of
idolatry was only slightly checked. By the time of the
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Worst King In The Old Testament Essay
Worst King in the Old Testament
Israel was surrounded by many nations, and all of those nations had a king. It is recorded in I
Samuel 7–8 that the Israelites had requested a king. This was a rejection of God as their leader. They
were warned of the consequences of their decision but they ignored all of Samuel's warnings. For
many years Israel lived under human rule beginning with the rule of Saul. Even though they had a
few good kings, the many of them were evil. There were tree king who were especially vile. These
three were King Ahab, Manasseh, and Amon.
King Ahab was the seventh king in the ten northern tribes of Israel. Ahab reigned for twenty–two
years in Samaria. King Ahab is used as a major description of evil in the Bible. His rein was defaced
due to spiritual compromise and failure in his kingdom. He was the first king of Israel to marry a
pagan. Ahab later became a pagan and devoted himself to the worship of false gods in Israel. Elijah
the prophet warned Ahab that if he did not obey the Lord, then judgment would be coming. The
three and–a–half year famine in 1 Kings was actually caused by Ahab's promotion of idolatry in
Israel. He also kept Israel from worshiping God and tried to eliminate all of God's ... Show more
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When he became old enough to rule, Manasseh forced worship of idolatry on Israel. He not only
allowed idolatry to be practiced in Israel, but also built altars to the false god Baal and put an idol of
a Canaanite false god in the Lord's temple. It says in the Bible that "Manasseh seduced them to
doing more evil than did the nation whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel" (2 Kings
21:9). This is saying that under Manasseh's reign, Israel's practice of idolatry exceeded the
Canaanite's idolatry. Manasseh was not only an idolater, but he also practiced the occult. This
included black magic, fortune telling, demon contracts, and
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Freakonomics Research Paper
summarizing the entire point of the first book: "If pressed, you could boil it down to four words:
People respond to incentives." Incentives are basically the gains–whether actual, potential, or
perceived–to be had by acting a certain way. So Levitt and Dubner would say that people are
motivated to act as they do by what they can gain by those actions...the Freakonomics team gives
plenty of evidence for this conclusion. Time and again they present some bizarre trend in human
activity and then demonstrate that these people are merely responding to an incentive, whether it be
financial, social, psychological, emotional, etc. Some of the most powerful incentives they identify
are money, power, and fear. As a Christian, I see a lot of value in
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Augustine The Visible And The Invisible
Laurette Atnasios, 400020263 Assignment 1: The Visible and the Invisible Augustine argues against
the use of images in church because for him it's like the example we took in class which is if we
went to someone's house and we found a picture of him on the wall we can talk to it and ask it to do
something for us instead of talking to the person himself. Augustine was arguing the concept of
worshipping the idols in the church and ask them to do something for us like as we are pagans, not
Christians. In page 193 it said that the most educated people will know hat they are actually
worshipping idols in the church so Augustine wants to get rid of them because people are just like
the pagans worshipping images in the church. The idols were all seems
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The Ritual Of Fast Food Analysis
Liliana Ramos
January 25, 2017
Mr. Coley
ENG 112–013L
Critical Reading
The Ritual of Fast Food"/ "American Idol Worship"/ "Why Vampires Never Die"
Critical Reading Component "The Ritual of Fast Food" "American Idol Worship" "Why Vampires
Never Die"
Purpose
Why were the essays written?
What was hoped readers gain?
The essay was written to show how ordinary people have become because they rather go to the same
destination that has become more of a second home than elsewhere. The customers rather be
satisfied with convenience than with health. The essay was written to inform the reader why
American Idol gets so much attention. It was written to show the beginning of future "heroes" and to
connect across the states many who identify with ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, it is all just an image the public either ignores or is oblivion to. By saying "home away
from home" it shows how the public has become so dependent even in times at home with the
family. There are commercials on TV or phones that only anticipate the next visit. The author shows
how these chains have "love for children" and provides a safe and "clean" environment. The whole
essay is written an in informal manner to apply to a younger audience. A young audience that craves
attention overall and does not worry much about the economic or political aspect that usually ties
with the word "revolution." He also went back and forth to first, second and third person throughout
this essay. It adds to the purpose because he is connecting in a personal level while also painting a
bigger picture. The authors do an excellent job in showing how vampires are much like the human.
They adapt as the human evolves through the scientific evolution. "The vampire is as flexible and
polyvalent as ever" It shows how the vampire arose from imagination yet without it, it would be
difficult to remind oneself that there are other things in the world unexplainable and unknown to the
human
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Comparison Between Roman And Roman Empire
Spectacles in the Christian Roman Empire In the late fourth century, Roman society had changed in
two things: Christianity had become a powerful social, political, and religious force, and the Roman
spectacles had grown to enormous proportions. Even though the games were supported by the
emperors, those spectacles experienced some changes, especially because of a special legislation
that produced norms on their performance. Emperors made laws against paganism, idolatry, and
sacrifices. In 380, Theodosius declared Christianity the official and only legitimate religion of the
Roman Empire and made all the activities of the imperial cult illegal. In 325, Constantine had
prohibited legal activity on Sunday; in 392, Theodosius also prohibited circus games on Sunday; in
395, pagan holidays were no longer celebrated; in 409, no spectacles were held on Sunday ; and by
425, the games were celebrated according to the Christian calendar. This legislation emphasized
something that the Fathers of the Church had asked for centuries: to end the idolatrous aspect of the
games. The spectacles continued without any sacrifice to the pagan gods, contrary to what had been
happening the first centuries in the Empire. The spectacles were also different in the way they were
celebrated. By 425, there were no more gladiatorial combats because after a law by Constantine in
325. Even though at that time that law was not enforced, later those combats disappeared. Another
aspect that worried the
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Old Testament Prophetic Book
The Old Testament prophetic books are filled with everyday knowledge that guides believers to live
righteous before God. The prophets such as Daniel, Jeremiah, and Isiah equips the Christian
perfectly to avoid any mistake made by the children of Israel in the times of the prophets. ,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah were three prophets that were passionate about Yahweh being high and
lifted up. These prophets spoke truthfully concerning the issues of their time. Their life is a detailed
example for all believer on fronting idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism.
By the prophet Jeremiah God charged the children of Israel with religious ritualism. The faith was
not internal it was base on outward appearance. There hearts did not desire ... Show more content on
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In the both Judah and Israel menacing performance was begin acted out. God responded quickly to
their action and condemned their behavior. Micah has a problem with the religious order of Israel.
Micah states "You have already been told what is right and what Yahweh wants of you, only this, to
do justice, and to lover mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). Hindson and Yates
reference "The Lord was angry that social injustice became common in Israel and Judah. Through
various legal and illegal means, the wealthy and the powerful conspired to steal the land of needy
families". Has this become a issue in the church to were we treat the wealthy better than the needy.
Holman says "God's destruction of Israel for their idolatry should have been a sign to Judah, and the
destruction of both should be a sign to all nations that a time of retribution is coming. As Christian
sometimes our focus is on the world and not our own sin. Just a racism is being broadcast around the
world, we should address old wombs of the church racist past.
In conclusion Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah demonstrate the significance of allowing God to be the
King of your heart and desiring his word to be the authority over your life. The prophet not only
address religious ritualism, idolatry, and social injustice, but they were living example on what
believer ought not to do regarding these
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The Old Testament's Prophetic Book
Deryshelle Crews July 3, 2015 BIBL 105–B12 Essay Question 3 The Old Testament's prophetic
books contain loads of useful knowledge that provide support to Christians wanting to live godly
lives. Particularly, the prophets demonstrate religious ritualism, social injustice, and idolatry in ways
that allow Christians to successfully evade the constant mistakes God's chosen people made and the
penalties they endured. Although not entirely, the prophets Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Micah spoke
openly regarding said notions. Through the benefit of knowledge and criticism of them, Christians
are better prepared to integrate an in depth perception of God's character; thus, promoting wisdom
and desire for sharing the Gospel. Jeremiah showed the degree of ... Show more content on
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Unquestionably, the penalties of deviating outside of an exclusive relationship with God are
appalling – though completely fair. These days, Christians can utilize this reliable biblical wisdom to
evangelize and address the message of Christ to everyone. Without this information, repeating the
disobedience shown by God's chosen people is impending. The significant importance of avoiding
God's anger is absolutely clear; therefore, studying these books is essential to all Christians –
especially those involved in missions or the church. Without a doubt, the severe conviction
acknowledged by the prophets help Christians develop a complete understanding of God's
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King David Research Paper
Josiah was the last of the good kings of Judah. He is often referred to as the young reformer. His
reform program was the last attempt to bring Judah back to the Lord before the end came. The
nation was shrinking fast. Josiah must be seen as the last ray of hope just before the darkness of the
Babylonian captivity set in. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in
Jerusalem for thirty–one years. He did what was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord and followed the
examples of his ancestor David. During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah
begin to seek the Lord. Then in the twelfth year, he begin to purify Judah and Jerusalem, by
destroying all the pagan shrines, Asherah poles and the carved idols ... Show more content on
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Josiah found the copy of the law of God in the temple and when he heard the news that the people
were not following the law, gathered all the people and kings to promise to obey the book of law.
Jerusalem was filled with pilgrims for keeping the passover. They sacrificed more than 45,000
sacrifices. After the temple was refinished, The king of Egypt and his army gathered with the king of
Jerusalem. The king of Egypt told the king of Jerusalem that the Lord had spoken to him telling him
that if the king of Jerusalem interferes with him he will destroy the kingdom. In the battle, Josiah
was badly hurt and died a few days later. Then, Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, instead of tearing his
clothes he tore apart the book and the whole generation changed. Jehoahaz was the king of Judah for
three months. When pharaoh defeated his father the kingdom, Judah was handed over to the
Egyptians. He allowed the people to go back to practicing idolatry. When he stopped listening to the
king of Egypt he imprisoned him and send him to Egypt where he died. Jehoiakim reigned in
Jerusalem for eleven years and for the first four years he paid large tribute to Egypt and he
reestablished idolatry then in 605 B.C., the Babylonian king, King Nebuchadnezzar, fought with
Pharaoh and
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Worship of Sports Teams and Athletes
Thirty, twenty, ten, touchdown, and the Redskins win! With that one play the mood of all those
Redskins fans went through the roof and the moods of the opposing teams fans dropped. Fans across
the nation follow every stat, every play, and every game of their favorite sports teams. If you ask
any football fan what Sunday means they will probably reply football and drinking with the guys
instead of church. Is it a good thing that people plan their lives around what time their teams' play?
When you base your life around a single sports team or a favorite athlete then it can be very
problematic. Worship of sports teams and athletes is damaging to society; it can cause you to lose
focus on your real goals, can lead to physiological problems, ... Show more content on
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If the athletes didn't exploit their fame in the commercials then people would just know them for
what they do in their profession. Instead when these athletes go out and label themselves with items
like Gatorade and Nike and so on then those people with the obsessions then think they must get
those items as well. With that it then contributes to the $213 billion that is spent every year on
sports. Another suggestion that the article gives is for promotional campaigns to focus on the team
instead of just one player (Hyman and Sierra 3). This way it keeps those obsessive fans from being
able to cling to just one player instead they will like the entire team. All of these ways are aimed to
try and keep the fans from forming those unhealthy relationships that can form from excessive
athlete worship. Athlete worship doesn't always have a negative affect though in some cases it can
be positive. In Bat's, Balls, and Idols the author talks about a kid that was in a rough neighborhood
but he looked up to two local football players as role models. That is one major thing that can come
from athlete worship and that is formation of role models. There are many kids that grow up in bad
areas of the nation yet they look up to superstar athletes to give them motivation to stay away from
gangs and other bad influences. Athletes can also help with healing spirits of children who look up
to them. Kevin Lee has a life threatening disease, but he looks up to Russell
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Idolatry In Alan's Equus: Summary
The concept explored in Equus with Alan crippling his god took regular idolatry further than most
instances. I often associate idolatry with Timothy Keller's definition of idolatry: "An idol is
something that we look to for things that only God can give." In Equus, Alan's boyhood experience
of Christ's picture being replaced with the horse altered his psychological state and view of God.
Alan's altered mental state led him to try to replace Christ with Equus. However, rage consumed him
when his secular religion revealed a Christian truth: God sees everything. Alan's frustration
manifested in blinding the horses shows a potential outcome of extreme idolatry. This book provided
new insight for me into the nature of idolatry. I connected this
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Why Are Heroes Bad
The tendency for us to want of need heroes and villains impacts us dramatically in a number of
ways. Firstly, the heroes that we have, especially as children, do affect us dramatically in our
behaviour towards others and views on ourselves. One of the major problems with this is that we
don't choose the right people to idolised a lot of the time, which in turn reflects on our societal
values needing to be deeply questioned. Take a sports star, for example. A huge number of children
will grow up having a sports star or stars affecting their attitudes and values. These athletes can no
doubt have some very positive impacts, as many of them come from poverty or tough
circumstances. It's these athletes that give children in similar situations hope. ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
The way our heroes and idols act has a strong influence on how we behave as well. This can be seen
in many circumstances with the most obvious being celebrities setting trends. The caricatures we
create can also be very harmful to ourselves. Another example of negative role models is kids
growing up in a ghetto often idolise local gang members. This tends to lead to those same kids
replicating gang member behaviour, murdering, stealing and raping. The end result is some of these
kids either in jail or dead. This is a huge problem in our society. We value people with self centered
and lack of empathy not because we value these qualities within the person, but we look up to the
people that are revolting against the systems and cycles of poverty and pain that we are trapped in.
Young children in impoverished areas look up to gang members because they see that even though
they started from nothing, as they did, they became part of something that stands up to the idea that
all they will ever be is at the bottom of the food chain, picking up the scraps others have left behind.
For this reason, it's easy to see why these common thugs are idolised, they have respect and this is
something that every person wants, especially people that aren't given any. However, it does not do
us any good to look up to people that slip through the cracks of the system, but rather we should try
to change the system so this build up of resentment between different facets of society does not
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
Examples Of Idolatry In Romeo And Juliet
"Idolatry is huge in the Bible, dominant in our personal lives, and irrelevant in our mistaken
estimations."–anonymous. Idolatry is extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or
someone. Today idolatry is seen almost everywhere we look. People idol many fake gods or things
they believe in other than God. Idolization is used in many ways either good or bad. Most people
today who have any concept of idolatry more than likely think of atheist bowing down and
worshipping a strange–looking idol. Idolatry is used in many ways today in society, the Bible, and
many poems or books. In the story of Romeo and Juliet, Idolatry is used several times. In the story
of Romeo and Juliet, the author tries to tell us that it is pernicious to praise and honor a person, and
though there are both good and bad sides of love, but it is parlous to categorize love as what we
believe in. On the balcony scene Juliet says: "Or if though wilt, swear by thy gracious self, which is
the god of my idolatry." Juliet is saying to Romeo about stating their feelings on the balcony. Juliet
is saying Romeo is her god, and she cherishes him. Juliet further tells Romeo to promise by his god
identical self. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For thou art as glorious to this night, bring o'er my head, as is a winged messenger of heaven." In
that quote Romeo is talking to himself, informing Juliet to talk again. He is analyzing Juliet to an
angel in heaven, stating Juliet is magnificent. In part of the story Juliet utters Romeo's face is the
night, and it is alluring, that everybody will neglect the sun and love the night. Juliet says to the
crowd that everybody should love Romeo and make him an
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

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Diabolical Nature Of Work And Leisure In Human Life And Life

  • 1. Diabolical Nature Of Work And Leisure In Human Life And Life In the Christian world–and–life view, both work and leisure are considered good things. Both come as gifts from God's hand and are rooted and discerned from the Lord's foundational act in creation. Yet these gracious endowments can be easily misused and become idols that wreak havoc in people's lives. The diabolical nature of sin is that it so enslaves people that they not only do bad things, but they also misuse good things. And Christians, though they are forgiven sinners through embracing Jesus Christ as Savior, nevertheless still struggle with sin's weighty power. Let's briefly explore how both work and leisure are justified as good things in light of God's work in creation. We'll then go on to reflect upon how such good things can be unfortunately misused in life. Made to Work It is interesting that upon his creation, Adam was almost immediately assigned to work by God (gardening: Genesis 2:15, zoology: Genesis 2:20). These assigned tasks in the Garden of Eden certainly came long before Adam fell into sin through rebellion against God. So it seems that human beings were created to work, and in a Christian context, to carry out one's discerned vocations before God and to earn one's living (Ephesians 4:28). Moreover, slothfulness and laziness are identified as serious character vices in the Bible (Proverbs 6:6–9, 13:4; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:8). So work and vocation can involve all occupations that are consistent with a Christian worldview. Made to Rest Leisure in the life of God's people is derived from what God did after creation. Upon creating the world, the sovereign Lord declared the creation "good" (Genesis 1:31) and "rested" from his work (Genesis 2:2). This period of rest (even apart from how one understands the controversial theological issue of the Sabbath1) and the goodness of the created order justifies the general idea of leisure as a divine mandate for humanity. Leisure involves a rest from work, but it should not be thought of as mere idleness. The activities of leisure should never be sinful in and of themselves, nor should they interfere with a believer's ultimate devotion to God (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:23). Some Christian traditions have connected appropriate ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 2. The Old Testament With the completion of the Old Testament put a stop on the preaching and revelation of the prophets. Prophets were responsible for enlightening the Jews about the realities of life and resolved various issues that they had. The Jews were desperate to know the truth, and the teachings of the God and hence prophets aided these longings of theirs. Religious ritualism, social injustice, and idolatry were the three areas in which the prophets emphasized in their preaching and filled the hearts and minds of their believers with it. Prophets were enlightened and blessed beings that had much knowledge about the religious matters and their teachings are of still very significant and valid. The Bible instructs numerous cases of the Social Injustice, Idolatry, and Ritualism. God 's picked prophets, for example, Hosea, Micah, Jonah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah, give occasions of these themes. Through these picked prophets a superior comprehension of Gods expectations and implications can be found. An inside and out an examination of these points is expected to handle the importance of everyone better. Excessive admiration, this is a word found the Bible, however. 'Excessive praise as characterized the divine love of symbols. The expected significance of 'excessive praise in this viewpoint is the love of something man made of any material. The more suitable significance can be better clarified by Paul Helm. In his book, Mind, it is characterized as one brimming with philosophical enthusiasm, ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 3. Iconoclasm Of The Byzantine Church When it comes to something like the Byzantine worship, Christians in the Byzantine world asked to Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints while looking at images of them on panels which are known as icons. The veneration of icons was viewed with some apprehension from the Church. This was because of the Mosaic proscription of religious descriptions and the persecution of Christians who refused to venerate images of Roman emperors. Iconoclasm that happened was the veto and obliteration of works of art because they were considered inappropriate in religious contexts. Images of saints and sacred stories on icons and in churches were destroyed and the people who worshiped them were persecuted. During this time, the Church leaders were fearful that ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 4. Idols, The Body And Walls "Idols, the Body & Walls" Kim Green I want to first thank my church family for the support I received this summer. The texts, emails, cards and meals were a blessing to us. The kind prayers offered, the deep visits and quick hellos were all beautiful outpourings of love and I want to say thank you publicly. I have not been back to Uniontown for several reasons. The past 13 years of my life have been lived pretty publicly as pastor's wife. This summer magnified the fishbowl like no other. That has been excruciatingly painful. I have lost much this summer – I had come to love the role of pastor's wife, full time ministry and being here. Having all of that ripped away so suddenly has been a grief on top of the expected grief of the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... A favorite quote of mine by Paul David Tripp, that has become very dear to me, is that "God will not protect us from that which he will perfect us through." And while I am not claiming by any means to have arrived at some spiritual revelation of completeness, I do feel I have a message/testimony to share with you, my family of believers. I have prayed about this, and asked close friends to pray over this as well. I truly come to you humbly to share what God has been speaking to my heart in this most difficult season of my life and perhaps it will encourage, challenge and edify you as well. I want to share with you about idols, the body and walls. God graciously, yes, graciously and lovingly removed an idol in my life this summer. Yes, it was a violent shattering to pieces of an idol I did not even know I had made of my husband. God very quickly reminded me of many instances in scripture how many times He calls for idols to be destroyed or abandoned for HIM. I have spent much time this summer reading and studying about idolatry. Friends, God loves us too much for our hearts to become enslaved by idols that do not satisfy and do not deserve our affection over Him! One day, when I was literally face down on the floor in my bedroom in a puddle of tears crying out to God, he gently reminded me of Abraham, walking his beloved son Isaac up the mountain. Do you know what he was supposed to do at the top of that mountain? Sacrifice the very covenant son that ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 5. How Do the Prophets Speak to the Following Issue:... Krishni Ryland BIBL 105 B23 Professor Ballard The Old Testament ends with the prophets. These teachers provided insight on many issues facing Jews who were desperate to know God. Idolatry, social injustice and religious ritualism are three areas that are emphasized in their teachings and instilled in the minds and hearts of believers today. The prophets were great teachers who had much to say about God and the way man lived, social issues they faced, religious rituals they took part in, and their teachings are just as important today as they were in the past. Idolatry was a prominent issue among the Jews. God confronted this problem early in the Bible in Exodus 20:4–6. It is clear that following God requires complete and total ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... He preached of a coming judgment against Israel for (among other things) oppressing their people. The Old Testament had charged the Israelites to take care of the disadvantaged and the poor, but there was a great disparity between the rich and the poor as Israel continued to reject God's commands[5]. Amos compared the wealthy women of Samaria to well fed cattle because they oppressed the poor while being consumed by selfish pleasures[6]. Amos 5:14–15 states: "Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph." The goal of Amos was to show that Israel was not keeping their charge to care for one another despite God's command. This was due, in large part, to the people focusing on self interests. This sentiment is echoed in Micah where the wealthy conspired to steal the land of the needy[7]. The world today mirrors Israel during the time of Amos. History has shown time and time again that wealth and personal selfishness blinds man to the plight of the needy. In the United States, there is a huge disparity between the rich and the poor that requires personal conviction to change. Man must stay focused on God and care for one another to bring blessing upon them. Man's ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 6. Prophets: Idolatry, Social Injustice, and Religious Ritualism PROPHETS: IDOLATRY, SOCIAL INJUSTICE, AND RELIGIOUS RITUALISM BIBL 105 OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY PROPHETS: IDOLATRY, SOCIAL INJUSTICE, AND RELIGIOUS RITUALISM I will be honest. I really struggled through this section. I do realize the importance of this subject however; the "feel good" moments just aren't there like when you read other books of the bible. I mean, idolatry and ritualism are subjects that can be incredibly dry. But when asked to make it parallel to events of today I have found it to be shockingly intriguing. For example, the prophets played a key role in attempting to turn Israel away from its disastrous path of worshipping false idols. I don't know, maybe it was the fact that they were tangible? I know that easily, the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Here we have direct access to God through Jesus Christ. Direct access, yet we choose folly. We choose to go after things we can hear, touch and see. What a great picture this painted showing God's intense desire to turn us from false idols to him. A secondary issue that occurs when you worship anything other than the one true God is the fact that his teachings of unconditional love and using your money to help others goes right out the window as well. In Dr Ed Hindson's Essence of the Old Testament text there is a striking story (page 370) about this exact situation. It says that Israel and Judah were having an incredibly prosperous time. But they had turned away from the Lord and were worshipping Baal. So apparently, according to the text, instead of crediting Yahweh with all this wealth they credited Baal and with that practiced perverse worshipping towards this false God. This led to dramatic social climate differences between the wealthy and the poor. The wealthy used their superior social status to take advantage of the lower class. Do we, yet again, not see this in our daily lives now? There are folks that have more money than they could spend in seven lifetimes yet just in my drive to work alone here in Pensacola, FL I can count at least a dozen homeless people. Where is the love? Where is the responsibility of taking care of the poor, the needy and the orphans? Unfathomable selfishness and greed were prevalent in this time and if we take a ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 7. Idolatry In Silas Marner According to Merriam–Webster, idolatry is the "immoderate attachment or devotion to something" ("Idolatry"). Some readers argue that Silas's devotion to Eppie is just another form of idolatry that otherwise would have been manifested in the worshipping of his money. The novel, Silas Marner, however, indicates that Silas's love for Eppie is a fatherly one, instead of an idolatrous one. Silas progresses from the superficial idolatry of money to sincere love for Eppie as his interactions with the money involve absolute possession, excessive worshipping, and irrational dependence, none of which is seen in Silas after his adoption of Eppie; he cares for Eppie as a father, not an idolator. Silas's absolute possession of his gold is characterized by the concealment of it. The underground chamber, in which Silas hides his money, can be interpreted as the metaphorical representation of the wickedness in his heart, which is invested with the the parasitic greed for more money. Upon realizing the disappearance of his gold, Silas goes into a frantic episode when he "gave a wild ringing scream" (Eliot 44), for the only idol that fills the void in which social relationship ought to have occupied, is no longer there to numb the pain from solitude. The hoard of gold is Silas's only companion, and "was hidden away from daylight, was deaf to the song of birds, and started to no human tones" (Eliot 132–133). Not only does the money deprive Silas of the access to the instinctive appreciation ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 8. Symbolism In Paul Tillich's Dynamics Of Faith The gender of God is a highly controversial and unanswerable subject. This, however, does not mean that people do not assign a gender to their image of God. In recent times, there has been a call to stop referring to God as a male in the way it is done. Referring to God as a male has been the precedent in Christianity and Judaism since their creation. Many people associated with the movement feel that it has extremely negative effects on our current society in relation to the treatment and empowerment of women. Rosemary Radford Ruether believes that assigning any gender to the image of God is dangerous because it has led people to take the image as a literal description rather than a symbol. Therefore, people come to believe that God actually ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Symbols are the language of faith and express the ultimate (Tillich 47). Tillich defines the ultimate as something that, "...demands the total surrender...and promises total fulfillment" (Tillich 1). Therefore, symbols are essentially how people connect with their faith or ultimate concern. Tillich, then, presents two criteria for the truth of faith, one from the subjective side and one from the objective side (Tillich 110). The first criterion of faith deals with how well it is expressed. In other words, the ultimate concern must be properly represented to the believer. This means that "...it creates reply, action, and communication" (Tillich 110). The symbols of faith must speak to the people who believe in it. By this, the symbol is alive. A symbol can also die out or be replaced if it does not properly represent the ultimate (Tillich 11). An example of this would be the ancient Greek God Zeus. Zeus does not speak to current people of faith, and therefore would fail to meet Tillich's first criterion as a symbol of faith. To summarize, Tillich's first criterion is the subjective one that states that the symbols of faith must speak to the believer, and therefore be ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 9. Night By Elie Wiesel Rhetorical Analysis Killing is commanded – Exodus 32:27 – And he told them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Put your sword on your hip, every one of you! Now go up and down the camp, from gate to gate, and slay your own kinsmen, your friends, and neighbors!" Killing is forbidden – Exodus 20:13 – "You should not kill." The contradiction shown here in the two passages has one about God allowing killing and the other saying that you cannot kill. The passages both write about killing, in opposite ways, allowing and not allowing killing. To understand the passages, we should examine the sentences more closely. "And he told them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Put your sword on your hip, every one of you! Now go up and down the camp, from gate to gate, and slay your own kinsmen, your friends, and neighbors!" This passage says that God told the people to kill their friends, neighbors, and their own family members. In addition, a footnote says, "Slay you kinsmen: those who were especially ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Taking the life of the innocent is condemned in the Ten Commandments, which orders without qualification: "You shall not kill." It's a sin against God and a crime against the dignity of the human person, who is made in God's image". Killing is like a sin that "cries from heaven" for the Lord's justice. In the New Testament, Jesus reaffirms that the commandment is against killing in the Sermon on the Mount. Killing is not allowed in the Ten Commandments and it is a crime against God and the dignity of the person. While on the other hand, in Exodus 32:27 it says that killing was commanded. It pointed out the killing of the guilty. But in the Catholic Bible Dictionary, it says that "taking the life of the innocent is condemned". Even though God commanded the killing, some may not understand why. God may have commanded it because the people who worshiped the golden calf were guilty. Also, they may have disobeyed God's Law, the Ten ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 10. Examining Religious Works By Dominus Iesus Essay Examining Religious Works The first text, Dominus Iesus, is relevant to the study of world religions today since one of the fundamental ideas espoused in this idea is that, despite the fact that the Christian Church is designed to lead people toward salvation, the "truth of the faith does not lessen the sincere respect which the Church has for the religions of the world" (13). In other words, in this work, the Church adopts a more ecumenical stance although, admittedly, the Church still positions itself and, by extension, Christianity, as the greatest religion given that it is not prone to accepting the idea of religious relativism. Of course, many people are likely to find this position contradictory – even problematic – as it suggests that, while there may be merit in other religions, there is more merit in Christianity. As a Muslim, I did not like hearing this, and certainly did not agree as I know that there are other faiths – Islam, for instance – that are just as great as Christianity. What I liked about this text was how forceful it was in declaring the Church's beliefs even though I do not necessary agree with these beliefs. Often times, people skirt around what they belief, afraid of offending others, but this document does not. What I disliked was how this document declares the supremacy of Christianity, a point bolstered by the idea that even though "followers of other religions can receive divine grace, it is also certain that objectively speaking they are ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 11. Is Veneration of Icons Idolatry? Essay Is Veneration of Icons Idolatry? That "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them" (Exodus 20:4–5 and Deuteronomy 5:9) might, at first glance, be seen as an absolute command or prohibition against worship of any kind of image (A. Fortescue, Veneration of Images, 1910, Volume VII). "For iconoclasts (image–breakers), every image could only be a portrait and a portrait of God was inconceivable in view of God's ineffable and unknowable qualities." Claim that icons were a sacred art was, iconoclasts argued, simply to clothe them in superstition and even ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... "The law was not an image but it was like a wall which hid the image" said St. John of Damascus (Ouspensky, 1992:44–45). St. John of Damascus further argued that God's revelation in the Old Testament was made manifest only by word whereas in the New Testament it was made manifest both by word and by image: the Invisible became visible, the non–representable became represent and that God not only addressed man by word and through prophets but also showed Himself in the person of the incarnate Word. Thus the distinctive trait of the New Testament is the direct connection between the word and the image (Ouspensky, 1992:46–47). On the other hand, Dr. Cavarnos argues that holy icons serve to help believers to be transformed and sanctified and to lift them up to the prototypes which they symbolize, to a higher level of thought and feeling (1992:1). History shows that the subject of iconography precipitated the longest–running and most violent of the theological debates to shake the internal life of the Orthodox Church: the so–called iconoclastic controversy which produced many martyrs and confessors like St. John of Damascus during the reign of Constantine V (741– 755) and St. Theodore the Studite during the reign of Leo V (813–820) as well as the Seventh Ecumenical Council held ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 12. Prophets And The Old Testament The last seventeen books of the Old Testament are books of prophecy. Five of these books are known as the major prophets while the other twelve books are known as the minor prophets. The prophets in the Old Testament are very important. The prophets spoke for God and were called by the Lord to do five specific things (Hindson & Yates, 2012 p. 287). They were to tell the people to turn back to the Lord, remind people to conform to the Law, they were also to rebuild the nation and create a spiritual revival in the people as well as a regeneration in spiritual birth (Hindson, 2010, p. 123–124). Prophets were also given a very unique talent that they used for God. "One of the most unique features of the true Old Testament prophets was their ability to predict" (Hindson & Yates, p. 289). "Biblical prophets speak to future events as though they had already occurred" (Hindson & Yates, p. 289). Though prophets are known for their ability to foresee the future, they also address issues that the Israelites were facing. The prophets spoke on many issues such as idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism. Frederick E. Greenspahn addressed the prophets input on idolatry. "Israelite prophets seem particularly concerned with this problem: 'their land is full of idols... idols of silver and gold which they made in order to prostrate [to them],' says Isaiah" (Greenspahn, 2004). Isaiah was not the only prophet who ran into the problem of idolatry, "Hosea describes the Northern ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 13. A Theological Reflection On The Dark Knight Rises Write a theological reflection on a recent movie of your choice In one or two paragraphs, give a brief summary of the plot and its primary theme or main point (approx. 10% of the total essay) For this assignment I have chosen to review The Dark Knight Rises. Eight years after the Joker 's reign of anarchy, the Dark Knight is forced to return from his imposed exile to save Gotham City from the brutal guerrilla terrorist Bane with the help of the enigmatic Catwoman. At the beginning of The Dark Knight Rises, criminal activity has dramatically dropped within the city of Gotham. This however is built on an unsustainable lie as noble as it had seemed at the time. Identify any theological themes, aspects or symbolisms found in the film. Analyse the film and determine its (explicit or implicit) view of God, humanity, redemption, saviour/Christ, evil, suffering, creation, humanity, sin and other relevant theological doctrines (approx. 60% of essay). You need not to cover every theological theme; most films interact with one, two or maybe three theological areas, if at all. Faith, a theme that stands out in the movie. And it can be looked at from many differing angles. What does the scripture say about faith? For starters we are reminded that faith is proof of things hoped for yet not seen, and we also have examples of faith in what is referred to as the "Hero's Hall of Fame" (Hebrews 11:1–6). You also have Jesus being described as the author and perfector of our faith. ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 14. The Prophets Of The Old Testament Speak A Great Deal The prophets of the Old Testament speak a great deal about idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism. These were serious problems for the people of Israel and Judah and are still problems for many people today. Idolatry is probably one of the most talked about problems throughout the whole history of Israel and Judah. From Moses and Arron with the golden calf right up until the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity we see the people of Israel and Judah repeatedly turn away from God to worship idols. Every time they turned away from Him, God would send a prophet to rebuke His people and to preach judgement if they did not repent. One of the most famous of the prophets who spoke on idolatry was Isaiah who preached to the southern ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Ezekiel writes that he saw the Shekinah Glory of God depart from Jerusalem because of the idol worship that was taking place even in the temple. He also says that the Lord will be against Israel because of their idolatry. Ezekiel 6:3–4 ESV "You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys:Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain before your idols" Another stumbling block for the people of Israel was social injustice. Those who were rich and powerful were oppressing and enslaving the poor. God did not approve of this practice and sent several prophets to condemn it. Some of those prophets were Amos, Micah, and Nahum who went to both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel preaching repentance. The prophet God sent to condemn the practice of social injustice in the northern kingdom of Israel was Amos. Amos 5:11–12 ESV "Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine." In these verses Amos condemns the subjugation of the poor and the high taxes placed on food to keep them in poverty by the rich. He also tells of coming ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 15. Taking a Closer Look At Your Personal Ministry Essay You didn't know that you were doing it and you were not aware of how it was affecting your relationship with Christ. After reading the first chapter this was the thought running through my mind. I will be discussing 3 chapters from the book "American Idol: The Worship of the American Dream". While the entire book was interesting these three chapters touched me in such a profound way. I hope to share my experiences with you so that you may see how the book has impacted me. As a result of reading this book I have grown closer in my relationship with Christ our Savior. The icon of individualism was born from people who have replaced God with some other tangible item. Chapter 4 Hostetler talks about this expanding culture of individualism ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... I also found this to be interesting as this trepidation has permutated in just about all characteristics of my life. Rick Newman writes blogs for US News. In his blog, "Lose the Microwave Mentality", Newman says, "Microwave ovens have been heating leftovers and popping popcorn for a generation, a daily bit of wizardry that makes waiting for anything seem obsolete. And the microwave mentality has spread far beyond the kitchen". Wow, get out my kitchen Mr. Newman! Basically, what Newman is elaborating on is comparable to what Hostetler also is pointing out. Hostetler states that the world has developed this need for instant gratification and gives biblical reference using Saul's experience with the Philistines (77). Instead of waiting for God to deliver His blessings we act with out Him. The lesson learned for my spiritual walk is that I must be willing to wait for Gods timing. In the previous discussion there was a focus on a "have it now" type of worship experience. But lets switch gears a bit and discuss the last and final point of my discussion. I wrestled with this topic for quite sometime because I have experienced this very issue just about two years ago. Chapter 8, "The Cult of Personal Experience", Hostetler expounds upon the emotional state of people and their connection to the church. He discusses how people hungered for worship that engaged their intellect (103). Two years ago God spoke to me and guided my ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 16. The Fallibility of Man Exposed in The Bible Essay The Fallibility of Man Exposed in The Bible The story of the Golden Calf illustrates the inherent fallibility of man. It starts out when the people ask Aaron to "make us gods, which shall go before us." Despite the fact that God had spoken to them just days earlier commanding them not to make themselves any graven images, Aaron doesn't argue too strongly against this, immediately asking them to turn over any gold jewelry they have so that he may make them a figure of worship. This choice of material symbolizes man's covetous nature, perhaps also implying that Aaron feared to go against God's wishes directly, and so he chose gold in the hope that the people would be loathe to part with it. However, they ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... He says that the Egyptians would mock the Israelites, laughing that their God would lead them out of their servitude only to face destruction at his own hands. Rather than respecting his power, they would see that he was either unable or unwilling to complete the salvation he set his people upon. And so the Lord agres to set aside his anger at the people, while Moses returns to them with God's commandments. Before he even reaches the base of the mountain, Joshua states that there is "a noise of war inside the camp," to which Moses responds that he doesn't hear cries of victory or defeat, but rather those of revelry. This seems to put a shadow of foreboding over the story, implying that soon there will still be cries, but of a different nature. When Moses sees the golden icon that the people now worship, the story states that his "anger waxed hot," in the same words that God's displeasure was described, showing that Moses' anger was just, because it was at wickedness, and in the name of the Lord. The story climaxes when he burns the icon into dust. By reducing their figure to the smallest particles possible, Moses shows the idolaters that an idol is like to nothing, since dust is as close to nothing as he could make it. He has the people drink the dust as a gesture that their sin will always be with them, ingrained into their bodies. When he asks ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 17. The Most Important Commandments Of An Idol I had never experienced a respect or fear of an idol, but in my young years, my eyes saw what a piece of clay or wood can do in the mind, heart and action of a person. I saw the effects of the idols in the "Sierra Oaxaqueña" when the whole town committed all kind of perversions in the name of their gods. This experience made me remember and understand why God used His prophet to emphasize the two most important commandments, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.... You shall have no other gods before me." During the years of the Old Testament, the prophets kept teaching and prophesizing against the people that committed idolatry. From Abraham to Malachi, the prophets would try to make the people of Israel understand what ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The last and newest thing in the world becomes the first and oldest; and sometimes in some vague the way, the maker of the universe: the makers of his own maker. The people of Israel experience this mystical reversion in the reign of Ahab when the people of Israel began to praise Baal in the temple of Samaria. The consequences of this mystical reverence in the life of the Israelites affect their reasoning process. The prophet Elijah attempted to revive the drowsy intelligence of the people by challenging them with the following words, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." The questions of the prophet did not produce the expected reaction in the people because their thoughts were futile and darkened but the thickness of their sins. Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal had the objective of reviving the mind of the people of Israel. During the contest, Elijah challenges the knowledge of the people about their god with words like, "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought.... Maybe he is sleeping and most be awakened." The purposes of Elijah telling these to the people of Israel were to awake their mind from their lethargy. Humans know the truth not only with reason and knowledge but also ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 18. Idolatry and Social Injustice and Religious Ritualism, Oh My The Lord called prophets to speak for Him to the people regarding their sinful behavior. The prophets were God's "spokesmen," who were called by God, held accountable by God, and empowered by God to deliver His messages. Idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism had become prevalent in Israel and Judah and is rampant in today's society as well. The prophets delivered their messages through various methods. They preached the word of God, verbal deliverance; wrote their message(s) down, written deliverance; and used symbolic acts to demonstrate God's message, visual deliverance. The prophets used these methods of deliverance to warn the people of the impending judgments that would come if they did not change their sinful ways. "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 'You shall have no other gods before Me'" (Exod. 20:1–3 [NKJ]). The people of Israel and Judah had disobeyed the first Law of the Lord instead they choose to worship false gods. God called numerous prophets to warn the people regarding their sin of idolatry. Isaiah prophesized against Judah, "the Lord will send a purging judgment against his sinful people, producing a righteous remnant that will enjoy the future blessings of salvation and restoration." Isaiah cautioned the people about practicing evil and putting their trust in false gods. Ezekiel, "the watchman," warned the people about the defiling the temple with their idolatry and wickedness; the worship ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 19. The Iconoclast Controversy The iconoclast controversy, initiated by Leo III and solidified by decree by Emperor Constantine V and his allies through the Council of Hiereia, was a violent and theologically divisive struggle which transcended dispute over the material with a Christological partition. The controversy between iconoclast and iconophile lasted for some time, and was a matter that consisted both of physical violence and persecution of the iconophiles and physical destruction of icons, the immediate and primary source of the issue. The veneration of icons, to the iconoclasts, signified worshipping an idol; therefore, the idolatry of venerating icons was a violation of past ecumenical dogma, a violation of Biblical decrees, and a denial of the hypostatic union of Jesus, as a material object ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Iconoclasts went so far as to incite violence at the first attempt at a council, which led to a more careful placement of the second, which became the Second Council of Nicaea. The iconoclasts used theological arguments through established doctrine and Scripture to establish valid grounds upon which they justified their stance on the subject of icons. By doing this, they made it a necessity for an ecumenical council to respond, as do all matters of faith when they are contested by heretical thinking. The only way to safely put an end to the matter was to do what had been done at the Council of Hiereia, thus making it an official Church stance. If previous councils had been cited in the iconoclast attempt to justify the destruction of icons, the established decree of a new council would put an end to the claim that the Church had not ever validated the veneration of icons. The matter could only be settled in the same way it had become a problem, and that was through inclusion into the dogma of the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 20. The Transforming Vision By Brian Walsh And Richard Middleton The Transforming Vision, written by Brian Walsh and Richard Middleton, yearn for a change in the way Christianity is viewed. According to the authors, science, technology and economic growth is what shapes our society, while Christianity stands in the sidelines. The authors aspire to see a change in Christianity where it "may receive social and cultural embodiment." In the first chapters, Walsh and Middleton explore the reason behind why Christianity of North Americans is so disembodied compared to others. In addition, Transforming Vision explores the different types of worldviews compared to a Christian worldview, or biblical view. Furthermore, it discusses how the different type of world views affects us and if there is any worldview better than another. Chapter 1, World View and Culture, begins with Anthony's story and how his decision had different responses. After Anthony became a Christian and grew as a person, he made the decision of leaving his girlfriend when he realized he did not love her. According to his family, loyalty is one of the greatest of moral duties, therefore, viewed Anthony's decision as an "unpardonable sin." However, in a Christian 's perspective his actions were honest and caring. Each side had a different point of view. World views are described in the book as perceptual frameworks and not systems of thought like theologies or philosophies. Two examples are then given to understand how certain cultures view situations, like child–rearing ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 21. Minor Prophets In our reading assignment form the books of Courageous Faith Life Lessons from Old Testament Heroes and The Essences of the Old Testament: A Survey we are studying about the prophets. During the time of the Old Testament there was several prophets. The prophets are broken up into two groups. They are Minor Prophets and Major Prophets. According to our text book The Essences of the Old Testament: A Survey states, "The minor Prophets cover the books of Hosea to Malachi and form the final section of the Old Testament canon. On the other hand, "The Major Prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures."(Hidson &Yates, 2012) In the next section of this paper I am going to talk about how these Prophets talk about idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... I speak on the behalf of my personal religious faith we have monthly communion which is the remembrances of Gods body and blood. We honor God by taking part in breaking bread and drinking grape juice. The Bible tells us "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28 KJV) There are many other religious ritual that performed different in other religious group. According to our text book The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey "The people of Israel viewed their religious rituals as their protection against calamity, but the site of these rituals would become a place of ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 22. Minor Prophets Essay The Old Testament ends with the Minor Prophets. These prophets provided insight on many issues the Jews were facing. All of the prophets had the same ideas of a warning of impending judgment because of the nations' sinfulness, the coming judgment, a call for repentance, and a promise of future deliverance of God's grace. Idolatry, social injustice and religious ritualism are three issues that the prophets emphasized on in their teachings and can be inspired in the minds and hearts of believers today. The prophets' teachings are just as important today as they were in the past. The teachings about God, the way man lived, social issues, and religious rituals are all relevant in the today's society. Idolatry is the worship of anything else ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The society we live in now struggles to focus on God. There are too many other things that have come to replace Him as number one in their lives. If we could focus more on God today, the issues that are prevalent would begin to disappear and we would be able to reap the goodness God promises. Unfortunately, humans continue to stray from God and worship their false idols with their eyes, minds, and hearts. In Jonah 2:8, "Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them.", Jonah prayed to God about idolatry when he realized what he had done wrong and how mistaken he was to run from God's command. The prophet teachings about social injustice come from Amos. Social injustice is the ill treatment to the vulnerable citizens that God calls us to respect and care for. In Leviticus 19: 3–35, God instructs us about respecting our parents, feeding the poor, paying workers on time, upholding justice, not slandering others, respecting the elderly, and honesty in business dealings. Amos preached the coming of judgment against Israel for oppressing their people. The inequality between the rich and the poor were disgraceful to God's commands. Amos 5: 14–15 states "Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 23. K Pop 's Shady Business Secret Essay K–pop 's Shady Business Secret The Korean pop or K–pop industry over the last decade has experienced a major increase in popularity that has made it a billion dollar competition for foreign music industries. They are especially known for their extravagant music videos and visual aesthetics, which have attracted worldwide followings. K–pop companies are also infamous for being brutally strict on training and restrictions for their trainees and idols. They fixate on the business growth over the musical talent and content. The problem that stems from creativity and commerce overlapping in the Korean pop industry is the unethical treatment of its trainees along with the racialization and exploitation of idol groups in different global markets, due to the commanding force of the industry. The last decade has seen the rapid globalization and popularity of the korean entertainment industry worldwide, which is known as the Hallyu wave. It expanded into international markets through social media platforms such as Youtube, which served as a method of free mass distribution, securing many international fans. Having recently broken into the American and European market, K–pop exists as Korea's biggest export, the industry itself being worth $3 billion. This results in creativity being determined by how much business flows into the industry internationally. As a result, there is looming pressure on the industry to continue growing and making big money. "K– pop is a business in which ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 24. Sins of Idolatry, Social Injustice, and Religious... Sins of Idolatry, Social Injustice, and Religious Ritualism; the Prophets View Bible 105–B27 LUO: Old Testament Survey 201320 Spring 2013 Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx L33333333 Liberty University March 07, 2013 Sins of Idolatry, Social Injustice, and Religious Ritualism; the Prophets View Several of the prophets had much to say in regards to idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism throughout the Old Testament. Some of these that will be used in this essay are Isaiah, Hosea, Micah, Jonah, and Ezekiel. Their verses will better define the meanings God has on each of these subjects. Let us begin by asking the question; what is idolatry? Merriam–Webster online defines it as: 1the worship of a physical object as a god, or ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Simply put, we should not take anything we have for granted. It takes a conscious effort; however, all we need to do is place God first in our hearts and thank Him for everything we have, every single day. Social injustice is what led Israel into demise and captivity. It was God's judgment for their sins of not being socially just according to Mosaic Law. Ezekiel gives an excellent account of God's judgment of those of wealth and greed: "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it" (Ezekiel 16:49–50). According to the Law of Moses, the wealthy were to take special care of those less fortunate. There were numerous traditions, throughout the Old Testament, that Israel was to accomplish. Nevertheless, they failed miserably and paid the price of God's justice. In today's technological world and all of its communication devices, it seems that we are falling further apart instead of coming closer together. People today will text a friend they see enter a room instead of getting up and walking over to them. People fall in love over the internet without truly meeting or getting to know one another. Society has become anonymous. We think we know what is going on by reading whatever someone may write on an internet blog. We lack ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 25. The Views of Prophets on Different Issues Prophets on issues During the prophetic days, man began to drift away from the heart of God and the started creating their own cultures and beliefs. In most cultures and beliefs that were created, there were materialistic things which became the gods of men. There were social injustices within these cultures as well as many religious rituals. Idolatry is the worshiping of anything apart from the Lord, this strike at the point of people's relationship with God. Worshipping God also includes having good relationships with other people and this includes the vulnerable people in society. Religious ritualism is the dependence on worship rituals that are formalized and centered on sacrifices which are substitutes for genuine relationships with God (Charlestinsley, 2012). The Ten Commandments are all known and God had commanded that there should be no other Gods before him. Most people in those prophetic times were far away from God and they were very wicked in their hearts and deeds. Many prophets spoke on the issues of idolatry, social injustice and religious ritualism. The paper will look at examples of prophets speaking on these issues and how practical applications can be drawn from these teachings for today. The main focus on the prophets was issuing warnings to people on worshipping other gods and mistreating the poor. These warnings continue and the prophets state that social injustice and idolatry would lead to people being punished by God. A lot of time was spent by ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 26. The Effects Of Idolatry On Children's Health Samantha Olson, from the Medical Daily speculates the psychological effects that idolatry has on children's health. In comparison, Doyne's article illustrates how being a fan in adolescense can shape a person into who they are even to adulthood. Within Olson's article, she tries to "toe the line between what is normal development and harmful derailment" for children (M1). She ackowledges that teenagers become infactuated with boy bands, the Kardashians', and sports figures in their need to establish psychological and emotional independence (M1). Often, causing parents to be concerned because these obsessions can cause a disruption in the social lives and school work of their children. Shira Gabriel, a psychologist from the Univerisity of ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 27. King Jeroboam Idolatry: The Reign Of Ahab There was a time in Judah that the people experienced revival under three of their kings, Jehosphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah. During these times of reviving the state of the sinful decline of the people was observed and as a result the people were made aware of their sinful condition. Israel on the other hand had no such revival experiences from the onset of their king Jeroboam, "who taught Israel to sin." Under the leadership of king Jeroboam idolatry was growing and during the dynasty of Omri the practice reached great height and continued to escalate during the reign of Ahab and there was no observation of the sinful decline of the people until the reign of Jehu but then the practiced of idolatry was only slightly checked. By the time of the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 28. Worst King In The Old Testament Essay Worst King in the Old Testament Israel was surrounded by many nations, and all of those nations had a king. It is recorded in I Samuel 7–8 that the Israelites had requested a king. This was a rejection of God as their leader. They were warned of the consequences of their decision but they ignored all of Samuel's warnings. For many years Israel lived under human rule beginning with the rule of Saul. Even though they had a few good kings, the many of them were evil. There were tree king who were especially vile. These three were King Ahab, Manasseh, and Amon. King Ahab was the seventh king in the ten northern tribes of Israel. Ahab reigned for twenty–two years in Samaria. King Ahab is used as a major description of evil in the Bible. His rein was defaced due to spiritual compromise and failure in his kingdom. He was the first king of Israel to marry a pagan. Ahab later became a pagan and devoted himself to the worship of false gods in Israel. Elijah the prophet warned Ahab that if he did not obey the Lord, then judgment would be coming. The three and–a–half year famine in 1 Kings was actually caused by Ahab's promotion of idolatry in Israel. He also kept Israel from worshiping God and tried to eliminate all of God's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... When he became old enough to rule, Manasseh forced worship of idolatry on Israel. He not only allowed idolatry to be practiced in Israel, but also built altars to the false god Baal and put an idol of a Canaanite false god in the Lord's temple. It says in the Bible that "Manasseh seduced them to doing more evil than did the nation whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel" (2 Kings 21:9). This is saying that under Manasseh's reign, Israel's practice of idolatry exceeded the Canaanite's idolatry. Manasseh was not only an idolater, but he also practiced the occult. This included black magic, fortune telling, demon contracts, and ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 29. Freakonomics Research Paper summarizing the entire point of the first book: "If pressed, you could boil it down to four words: People respond to incentives." Incentives are basically the gains–whether actual, potential, or perceived–to be had by acting a certain way. So Levitt and Dubner would say that people are motivated to act as they do by what they can gain by those actions...the Freakonomics team gives plenty of evidence for this conclusion. Time and again they present some bizarre trend in human activity and then demonstrate that these people are merely responding to an incentive, whether it be financial, social, psychological, emotional, etc. Some of the most powerful incentives they identify are money, power, and fear. As a Christian, I see a lot of value in ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 30. Augustine The Visible And The Invisible Laurette Atnasios, 400020263 Assignment 1: The Visible and the Invisible Augustine argues against the use of images in church because for him it's like the example we took in class which is if we went to someone's house and we found a picture of him on the wall we can talk to it and ask it to do something for us instead of talking to the person himself. Augustine was arguing the concept of worshipping the idols in the church and ask them to do something for us like as we are pagans, not Christians. In page 193 it said that the most educated people will know hat they are actually worshipping idols in the church so Augustine wants to get rid of them because people are just like the pagans worshipping images in the church. The idols were all seems ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 31. The Ritual Of Fast Food Analysis Liliana Ramos January 25, 2017 Mr. Coley ENG 112–013L Critical Reading The Ritual of Fast Food"/ "American Idol Worship"/ "Why Vampires Never Die" Critical Reading Component "The Ritual of Fast Food" "American Idol Worship" "Why Vampires Never Die" Purpose Why were the essays written? What was hoped readers gain? The essay was written to show how ordinary people have become because they rather go to the same destination that has become more of a second home than elsewhere. The customers rather be satisfied with convenience than with health. The essay was written to inform the reader why American Idol gets so much attention. It was written to show the beginning of future "heroes" and to connect across the states many who identify with ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... However, it is all just an image the public either ignores or is oblivion to. By saying "home away from home" it shows how the public has become so dependent even in times at home with the family. There are commercials on TV or phones that only anticipate the next visit. The author shows how these chains have "love for children" and provides a safe and "clean" environment. The whole essay is written an in informal manner to apply to a younger audience. A young audience that craves attention overall and does not worry much about the economic or political aspect that usually ties with the word "revolution." He also went back and forth to first, second and third person throughout this essay. It adds to the purpose because he is connecting in a personal level while also painting a bigger picture. The authors do an excellent job in showing how vampires are much like the human. They adapt as the human evolves through the scientific evolution. "The vampire is as flexible and polyvalent as ever" It shows how the vampire arose from imagination yet without it, it would be difficult to remind oneself that there are other things in the world unexplainable and unknown to the human ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 32. Comparison Between Roman And Roman Empire Spectacles in the Christian Roman Empire In the late fourth century, Roman society had changed in two things: Christianity had become a powerful social, political, and religious force, and the Roman spectacles had grown to enormous proportions. Even though the games were supported by the emperors, those spectacles experienced some changes, especially because of a special legislation that produced norms on their performance. Emperors made laws against paganism, idolatry, and sacrifices. In 380, Theodosius declared Christianity the official and only legitimate religion of the Roman Empire and made all the activities of the imperial cult illegal. In 325, Constantine had prohibited legal activity on Sunday; in 392, Theodosius also prohibited circus games on Sunday; in 395, pagan holidays were no longer celebrated; in 409, no spectacles were held on Sunday ; and by 425, the games were celebrated according to the Christian calendar. This legislation emphasized something that the Fathers of the Church had asked for centuries: to end the idolatrous aspect of the games. The spectacles continued without any sacrifice to the pagan gods, contrary to what had been happening the first centuries in the Empire. The spectacles were also different in the way they were celebrated. By 425, there were no more gladiatorial combats because after a law by Constantine in 325. Even though at that time that law was not enforced, later those combats disappeared. Another aspect that worried the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 33. Old Testament Prophetic Book The Old Testament prophetic books are filled with everyday knowledge that guides believers to live righteous before God. The prophets such as Daniel, Jeremiah, and Isiah equips the Christian perfectly to avoid any mistake made by the children of Israel in the times of the prophets. , Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah were three prophets that were passionate about Yahweh being high and lifted up. These prophets spoke truthfully concerning the issues of their time. Their life is a detailed example for all believer on fronting idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism. By the prophet Jeremiah God charged the children of Israel with religious ritualism. The faith was not internal it was base on outward appearance. There hearts did not desire ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... In the both Judah and Israel menacing performance was begin acted out. God responded quickly to their action and condemned their behavior. Micah has a problem with the religious order of Israel. Micah states "You have already been told what is right and what Yahweh wants of you, only this, to do justice, and to lover mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). Hindson and Yates reference "The Lord was angry that social injustice became common in Israel and Judah. Through various legal and illegal means, the wealthy and the powerful conspired to steal the land of needy families". Has this become a issue in the church to were we treat the wealthy better than the needy. Holman says "God's destruction of Israel for their idolatry should have been a sign to Judah, and the destruction of both should be a sign to all nations that a time of retribution is coming. As Christian sometimes our focus is on the world and not our own sin. Just a racism is being broadcast around the world, we should address old wombs of the church racist past. In conclusion Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah demonstrate the significance of allowing God to be the King of your heart and desiring his word to be the authority over your life. The prophet not only address religious ritualism, idolatry, and social injustice, but they were living example on what believer ought not to do regarding these ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 34. The Old Testament's Prophetic Book Deryshelle Crews July 3, 2015 BIBL 105–B12 Essay Question 3 The Old Testament's prophetic books contain loads of useful knowledge that provide support to Christians wanting to live godly lives. Particularly, the prophets demonstrate religious ritualism, social injustice, and idolatry in ways that allow Christians to successfully evade the constant mistakes God's chosen people made and the penalties they endured. Although not entirely, the prophets Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Micah spoke openly regarding said notions. Through the benefit of knowledge and criticism of them, Christians are better prepared to integrate an in depth perception of God's character; thus, promoting wisdom and desire for sharing the Gospel. Jeremiah showed the degree of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Unquestionably, the penalties of deviating outside of an exclusive relationship with God are appalling – though completely fair. These days, Christians can utilize this reliable biblical wisdom to evangelize and address the message of Christ to everyone. Without this information, repeating the disobedience shown by God's chosen people is impending. The significant importance of avoiding God's anger is absolutely clear; therefore, studying these books is essential to all Christians – especially those involved in missions or the church. Without a doubt, the severe conviction acknowledged by the prophets help Christians develop a complete understanding of God's ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 35. King David Research Paper Josiah was the last of the good kings of Judah. He is often referred to as the young reformer. His reform program was the last attempt to bring Judah back to the Lord before the end came. The nation was shrinking fast. Josiah must be seen as the last ray of hope just before the darkness of the Babylonian captivity set in. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for thirty–one years. He did what was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord and followed the examples of his ancestor David. During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah begin to seek the Lord. Then in the twelfth year, he begin to purify Judah and Jerusalem, by destroying all the pagan shrines, Asherah poles and the carved idols ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Josiah found the copy of the law of God in the temple and when he heard the news that the people were not following the law, gathered all the people and kings to promise to obey the book of law. Jerusalem was filled with pilgrims for keeping the passover. They sacrificed more than 45,000 sacrifices. After the temple was refinished, The king of Egypt and his army gathered with the king of Jerusalem. The king of Egypt told the king of Jerusalem that the Lord had spoken to him telling him that if the king of Jerusalem interferes with him he will destroy the kingdom. In the battle, Josiah was badly hurt and died a few days later. Then, Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, instead of tearing his clothes he tore apart the book and the whole generation changed. Jehoahaz was the king of Judah for three months. When pharaoh defeated his father the kingdom, Judah was handed over to the Egyptians. He allowed the people to go back to practicing idolatry. When he stopped listening to the king of Egypt he imprisoned him and send him to Egypt where he died. Jehoiakim reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years and for the first four years he paid large tribute to Egypt and he reestablished idolatry then in 605 B.C., the Babylonian king, King Nebuchadnezzar, fought with Pharaoh and ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 36. Worship of Sports Teams and Athletes Thirty, twenty, ten, touchdown, and the Redskins win! With that one play the mood of all those Redskins fans went through the roof and the moods of the opposing teams fans dropped. Fans across the nation follow every stat, every play, and every game of their favorite sports teams. If you ask any football fan what Sunday means they will probably reply football and drinking with the guys instead of church. Is it a good thing that people plan their lives around what time their teams' play? When you base your life around a single sports team or a favorite athlete then it can be very problematic. Worship of sports teams and athletes is damaging to society; it can cause you to lose focus on your real goals, can lead to physiological problems, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... If the athletes didn't exploit their fame in the commercials then people would just know them for what they do in their profession. Instead when these athletes go out and label themselves with items like Gatorade and Nike and so on then those people with the obsessions then think they must get those items as well. With that it then contributes to the $213 billion that is spent every year on sports. Another suggestion that the article gives is for promotional campaigns to focus on the team instead of just one player (Hyman and Sierra 3). This way it keeps those obsessive fans from being able to cling to just one player instead they will like the entire team. All of these ways are aimed to try and keep the fans from forming those unhealthy relationships that can form from excessive athlete worship. Athlete worship doesn't always have a negative affect though in some cases it can be positive. In Bat's, Balls, and Idols the author talks about a kid that was in a rough neighborhood but he looked up to two local football players as role models. That is one major thing that can come from athlete worship and that is formation of role models. There are many kids that grow up in bad areas of the nation yet they look up to superstar athletes to give them motivation to stay away from gangs and other bad influences. Athletes can also help with healing spirits of children who look up to them. Kevin Lee has a life threatening disease, but he looks up to Russell ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 37. Idolatry In Alan's Equus: Summary The concept explored in Equus with Alan crippling his god took regular idolatry further than most instances. I often associate idolatry with Timothy Keller's definition of idolatry: "An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give." In Equus, Alan's boyhood experience of Christ's picture being replaced with the horse altered his psychological state and view of God. Alan's altered mental state led him to try to replace Christ with Equus. However, rage consumed him when his secular religion revealed a Christian truth: God sees everything. Alan's frustration manifested in blinding the horses shows a potential outcome of extreme idolatry. This book provided new insight for me into the nature of idolatry. I connected this ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 38. Why Are Heroes Bad The tendency for us to want of need heroes and villains impacts us dramatically in a number of ways. Firstly, the heroes that we have, especially as children, do affect us dramatically in our behaviour towards others and views on ourselves. One of the major problems with this is that we don't choose the right people to idolised a lot of the time, which in turn reflects on our societal values needing to be deeply questioned. Take a sports star, for example. A huge number of children will grow up having a sports star or stars affecting their attitudes and values. These athletes can no doubt have some very positive impacts, as many of them come from poverty or tough circumstances. It's these athletes that give children in similar situations hope. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The way our heroes and idols act has a strong influence on how we behave as well. This can be seen in many circumstances with the most obvious being celebrities setting trends. The caricatures we create can also be very harmful to ourselves. Another example of negative role models is kids growing up in a ghetto often idolise local gang members. This tends to lead to those same kids replicating gang member behaviour, murdering, stealing and raping. The end result is some of these kids either in jail or dead. This is a huge problem in our society. We value people with self centered and lack of empathy not because we value these qualities within the person, but we look up to the people that are revolting against the systems and cycles of poverty and pain that we are trapped in. Young children in impoverished areas look up to gang members because they see that even though they started from nothing, as they did, they became part of something that stands up to the idea that all they will ever be is at the bottom of the food chain, picking up the scraps others have left behind. For this reason, it's easy to see why these common thugs are idolised, they have respect and this is something that every person wants, especially people that aren't given any. However, it does not do us any good to look up to people that slip through the cracks of the system, but rather we should try to change the system so this build up of resentment between different facets of society does not ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 39. Examples Of Idolatry In Romeo And Juliet "Idolatry is huge in the Bible, dominant in our personal lives, and irrelevant in our mistaken estimations."–anonymous. Idolatry is extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone. Today idolatry is seen almost everywhere we look. People idol many fake gods or things they believe in other than God. Idolization is used in many ways either good or bad. Most people today who have any concept of idolatry more than likely think of atheist bowing down and worshipping a strange–looking idol. Idolatry is used in many ways today in society, the Bible, and many poems or books. In the story of Romeo and Juliet, Idolatry is used several times. In the story of Romeo and Juliet, the author tries to tell us that it is pernicious to praise and honor a person, and though there are both good and bad sides of love, but it is parlous to categorize love as what we believe in. On the balcony scene Juliet says: "Or if though wilt, swear by thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry." Juliet is saying to Romeo about stating their feelings on the balcony. Juliet is saying Romeo is her god, and she cherishes him. Juliet further tells Romeo to promise by his god identical self. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... For thou art as glorious to this night, bring o'er my head, as is a winged messenger of heaven." In that quote Romeo is talking to himself, informing Juliet to talk again. He is analyzing Juliet to an angel in heaven, stating Juliet is magnificent. In part of the story Juliet utters Romeo's face is the night, and it is alluring, that everybody will neglect the sun and love the night. Juliet says to the crowd that everybody should love Romeo and make him an ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...