Ethics and God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics and God - Essay Example The question here is, â€Å"Who decides the ethical standards for humans?† Certainly, the answer is God Almighty! There are various religions in this world, that differ in their intrinsic concepts, beliefs, trends, traditions, teachings, norms and values. However, almost all religions have one thing in common, what is good is appreciated by all religions and what is bad is condemned by all in general. Religion serves as the standard institution for the followers. The fundamental concept of a religion is that there is a God, or Gods (as some religions may emphasize), who has laid out certain standards for the followers. God clearly conveys through the religion what is good and what is bad. In addition to that, God has also inculcated a sense in humans so that they may differentiate between right and wrong. When people believe in God, they tend to respect ethics because they have fear of God. Thus, ethics cultivates in the society and becomes a standard for the people to abide b y. For example, murder is considered wrong â€Å"not just† because it is against humanity, â€Å"but also† because it is condemned by God, and God has inflicted punishment of burning in the hell for those who kill others (Baumgarth and Regan). If some people do not believe in God, they would still have a sense to distinguish between right and wrong.

Marketing and Sales for tourism and Hotels Assignment

Marketing and Sales for tourism and Hotels - Assignment Example This creates a perception in the customer’s mind which prompts them to visit or recommend others either consciously or subconsciously. This paper therefore seeks to analyze the current marketing situation that faces movie world, theme park in gold coast Australia, and access its success in delivering customer experience which complements the organizations image. Movie world remains the most popular theme park at the Australian gold coast, Queensland in Australia. It is the only movie related park and is owned by the village roadshow. The park has an awesome aesthetic external appearance that compliments the ambience in the park. Constructed on a 415 acre piece of land, it is a master piece designed by C.V Wood in 1893 and has several active film studios within its complex. It also contains a number of movie-themed rides as well as attractions that range from roller coasters, slow river rides to simulators. In addition, there are several costumed character performers that walk freely in the park and visitors are able to take photos with them. These include famous movie characters such as Batman, Austin powers, Scooby doo and Marylyn Monroe. The above facilities available at the park deliver an exciting experience to visitors every time they visit the park (Seth & Bhat, 2005) The park is divided into four different segments namely; a wild beast area, a kids’ WB fun zone, a DC comic’s superhero hub and finally a main street. The main street features attractions that are based around filmmaking and movies .it is a home to a vast array of movie productions such as all-star parade, ice age and Batman’s Shadows of Gotham. The kids’ WB fun zone is majorly for the children. It features a number of rides that are specifically designed for children such as Looney tunes carousel and speedy Gonzalez. The other two majorly focus on water rides and rollercoasters. From the above, it is evident that Movie world

Religion in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Religion in Canada - Essay Example So, are Canadians picking and choosing when it comes to their religions and religious practices? Using examples from different religions, here it will be examined how Canadians think of religion, what the trend of religious practices are in Canada, and what the future of religion is in Canada. Much like the U.S., Canada is somewhat divided over religion. Depending upon where one goes, there may be more Catholic than Protestant influence. For the most part, Christianity remains one of the religions that plays a major role in Canadians’ lives. Since Canada is close to the U.S., Canadians share many of the same Christian values that Americans do—although perhaps not to the extreme that Americans do. The Canadians that this writer knows—who happen to be Christian—tend to be very choosy with the way they practice their Christianity. Basically, their services are boring. Their music is boring. In fact, there is not really too much to celebrate when worship rolls around on Sunday morning. Canadians live in somewhat of a glass bubble. Canadians are sheltered from the world. Usually, their personal views are very narrow. Anyone who does not share these narrow views is considered an outsider. Canadians treat outsiders to their religious practices much the same way that they treat Americans-usually with an odd stare and a disdainful glance. This is not particularly unusual-after all, who wouldn't react the same way The Other is usually considered taboo wherever one goes, and outsiders are almost never welcomed with completely open arms. Let us go back to this notion of closemindedness within Canadian Christianity. Canadian culture in general is very guarded. This is possibly due to the fact that Canada is so close to the U.S. that it competes very fiercely for recognition on many levels. Canadians in general feel that they have been left out of the sociocultural landscape of North America due to their unique position in the world. On one hand, Canada is very isolated. Thus, its people are in many ways sheltered from the world. Unless a Canadian travels outside his or her own country, he or she will not have the kind of cultural experiences that make good breeding ground for a mind rife with religious diversity. Christians in Canada think that basically everyone is out to scam somebody. Canadian Christians generally don't believe in the inherent goodness of people. However, they are skeptical of people who are genuinely in need. Part of this inability to comprehend how people can be in need of goods and services is because Canadians are highly self-reliant. Even if a person is religious, that does not necessarily cut the mustard with Canadian Christians. Generally, Canadian Christians are well-read and well-informed about their faith, in terms of knowing the history behind it. They are very concerned with how their faith evolved over time with regard to their particular religion. Trends of religious practices in Canada include a move towards more inclusion of those with religious differences. For example, Canada is moving towards the inclusion of other religious traditions, especially Islam. Normally Canada might be thought of as an unusual place for Muslims to settle. However, many Muslims are just like their Canadian Christian neighbors-they want to have good home lives with no trouble. Canada has been a good place for Muslims to settle because of the relatively benignly neutral state of the country. Canada in the past has recused itself from getting involved in foreign wars, and has been largely neutral with regards to various wars having been fought. Muslims generally feel more or less accepted moreso in

Jennifer Lopez Essay Example for Free

Jennifer Lopez Essay Jennifer Lopez is a successful Hispanic women that has been influential. She has done many positive acts throughout her life. From all the accomplishments she has achieved much success. Jennifer Lopez was born July 24th, 1969 in Bronx New York. She was a daughter of Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe Rodrà ­guez and David Lopez. She has two sisters Lynda and Leslie that she grew up with. Lopez was into singing and dancing starting at the age of five. She spent her whole entire career in catholic schools. She grew up with the religion of being a Roman Catholic. During her adult years she had financed in singing and dancing lessons for herself at the age of nineteen. Lopez divided her time between working as a notary public in a legal office, dance classes, and dance performances in Manhattan night clubs. Jennifer Lopez started to get into the music and the acting career. After months of auditioning dance roles she was selected as a dancer for various music videos. Jennifer’s first album was released June 1, 1999 and reached the top ten Billboard 200. Her acting career started in 1995. Lopez became the first actress singer to have a film at number one the same week. She has still continued her music career throughout the years. She has also had an acting career. She received wide-spread praise for her performance in the movie ‘Selena’ including a Gallah Globe Award for best actress. She also acted in many other movies. Even though there was many good things happening in Jennifer’s life she also had problems. For example in her marriage which later led to divorce. There were both personal and professional jealousies. Mark and Jennifer didn’t get along anymore and they decided to go their separate ways. On July 15, 2011, following seven years of marriage to Mark Anthony, the couples representative told Us Weekly that their marriage was over and as painful as it would be for all those involved, the couple were separating. Jennifer Lopez accomplished many acts throughout her life. She was the first Latina getting paid over a million for a project of music . In 2003, she was the highest paying Latina in Hollywood. Her second album was five times platinum. She was the first women to have a number one movie and album at the same time. Jennifer Lopez perfume â€Å"Glow† was the number one perfume in more than nine countries in more than 4 months. She was number one in the FHM’s list of the sexiest females in the world. She owned a clothing line â€Å"J.Lo† By Jennifer Lopez† 25 million copies were sold worldwide. She is a supporter of Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. She was presented with the Children’s Humanitarian Award. She worked with the sounds of Pertusis March and Dimes. For all her great work and accomplishments Jennifer Lopez has been one of the most influential Hispanic women. For all the great things that she has done women of all ages admire her as well as men who arfe her fans.

Demographic Profile of Perth and Kinross

Demographic Profile of Perth and Kinross PERTH KINROSS: DIVERSITY DEMOGRAPICS Q. Assess the demographic profile of Perth and Kinross as evidenced in the 2001 council  census. How might this demographic profile impact on community care? The most important revelation of the Scottish Census of April 29th 2001 was that the ethnic minority population of Scotland had risen by 63% between 1991 and 2001; whilst the White Scottish population has remained almost static at 1.3%. Moreover, whilst the ethnic minority profile is getting younger, the White Scottish profile shows a greater percentage of members of retirement age. The story then of the 2001 Census was essentially one of growing diversity in Scottish demographics. This brief essay considers the demographic results of the 2001 census for the Perth Kinross area, and the implications of these population shifts for the councils of Perth Kinross who will have to, in the near future, take the ethnic minority profile of their area into greater account in their educational, religious and social planning. Firstly, let us consider some of the general features of the demographic profile of Perth Kinross as detailed in the 2001 Scottish Census[1]. The total population of Perth and Kinross in 2001 was 134,949; of this number around sixty percent were of employable age. Of this sixty percent 134,949 5,241 economic and social migrants left the area and 5,442 entered (an increase in entry of 201). Of the migrants who left Perth and Kinross 4,193 were of working age whilst only 3,993 of those who entered were of working age (a fall of 202). Thus these figures tell that on the whole Perth and Kinross received an increase number of migrants into the area, though the percentage of economic migrants eligible to work fell. The origins of the migrants entering Perth and Kinross were as follows: 58% were from elsewhere in Scotland, 19% from England and Wales, 13% were of unknown origin, 10% came from elsewhere in the world and less than 1% came from Northern Ireland. 23.21 % of households in Perth % Kinross have members who hold and practise different religions from other members of that household; whilst the number of households where various members are of different ethnic origins is 0.74% (compared with Scottish average of 0.97%). Turning to ethnic diversity in particular, the Scottish Census found that Scotland now has just over 100,000 citizens of ethnic minorities; this amounts to two percent of the national population of Scotland. In Perth Kinross the population that belongs to ethnic minorities represents 1% and this is 1.3% of the total ethnic minority population living in Scotland. Nationally, and in Perth Kinross also, Pakistanis represent the largest ethnic minority population, followed by Chinese, Indians and then citizens of a mixed ethnic background. Of the total ethnic minority population over 70% are Asian: Pakistani, Chinese, Bangladeshi, Indian or other South Asian. The next largest group are those people who describe themselves as of a mixed ethnic minority and these represent 12% of the ethnic minority population. These figures represent a significant overall increase in the total ethnic minority population of Perth Kinross in comparison with the 1991 census. Whereas the whole population r ose by only 1.3% from 1991 to 2001, the ethnic minority population jumped by 63% (and likely much more due to the fact that figures of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants are not included in the census). An interesting feature of the demographic profile of the ethnic minority population is that (excepting Caribbeans) all other ethnic groups have 20% or more of their population aged sixteen or less (the Mixed Group percentage is 44%); whilst the figure for White Scots is 16.96%. Correspondingly, the ethnic minority population in Perth Kinross has a smaller elderly population than the White Scottish population. What then do these figures tell about the ethnic diversity of Perth Kinross, and how do such findings impact upon policies of community care? The first important observation about the ethnic minority profile is clearly the leap of 63% between 1991 and 2001 – a figure almost fifty times higher than the growth of the White Scottish population. Perth Kinross however has only 1 of the total ethnic minority population of Scotland; the highest percentages being in major cities such as Glasgow (31%) and Edinburgh (18%). Moreover, the relative youth of the ethnic minority populations suggests that in the next decades they will produce a (relatively) higher percentage of citizens of working age; whilst the ageing White Scottish population will require a growing level of support in their retirement. In light of these changes, Perth Kinross councils now have to begin community projects that reflect the growing diversity of its population. Schools, for instance, ought to have citizensh ip classes in which the virtues of ethnic diversity, ethnic tolerance, and religious tolerance are taught. Special classes should be arranged for Non-White Scottish children where necessary; likewise, teachers should be aware of the religious practices of schoolchildren. Where there are large ethnic minority communities local councils might consider providing suitable facilities: mosques (and other religious buildings), community centres and so on. In the final analysis, it seems evident from the demographic profiles of the 1991 and 2001 censuses that the population of Scotland generally, and Perth Kinross also, is experiencing a rapid percentage increase of members who belong to an ethnic minority. What is more, this increase seems likely only to accelerate and to penetrate the more rural parts of Scotland as well as its cities. Accordingly, the Perth Kinross council must make preparations to meet the religious, educational, and social needs of their rising ethnic minority populations. At the same time, the local White Scottish population and ethnic minority communities must learn an increasing tolerance for the cultural and religious outlooks of one another. Only if this tolerance is achieved can the product of these demographic changes be edifying for all concerned. 1004 words BIBLIOGRAPHY Academic Works Internet Sources Perth Kinross Council. (2002), www.pkc.gov.uk The 2001 Scottish Census. (2001) www.gro-scotland.gov-uk/statistics/census/hm.index.html. The Oxford English Dictionary. (1989). Oxford University Press, Oxford. Encyclopaedia Wikipedia. (2000). www.wikipedia.com [1] All figures in this essay are derived from the Scottish Census of April 29th 2001. www.gro-scotland.gov-uk/statistics/census/hm.index.html.

Short Wedding Toasts to the Bride and Groom :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Short Wedding Toasts to the Bride and Groom Nature of Love All beings by nature are lovers, as ice by nature is water. The love shared by one couple is powerful enough to unite heaven and earth. May God grant you two many years to live, for earth has few angels. Peace and Plenty May peace and plenty be the first To lift the latch to your door, May happiness be guided to your home. Walk in Love Walk in love, sit in love, live in love. To be in love is to truly live. Your Eye The eye with which you see your wife is the same eye with which your wife sees You. Love Each Fragment If you seek love in each separate fragment of your relationship, you will be overwhelmed by the totality. Who Are You ? Find out who you are as a couple. Then all else will be known. The Desire of God In the desire of God to know his own beauty, you exist. Worldly Power Worldly possessions and power means little. The unsayable, jeweled private life you develop as a couple, means much. Perfect Love When a relationship is perfectly balanced, perfect love can be realized. Psalm 1 (8th century BC) Blessed are they who delight in the way things are, and keep their hearts open day and night. Love Gives Life Love gives life to all the world. Love gives strength and wisdom. May you two walk in beauty, and may your eyes behold many a red and purple sunset. May your ears hear the true voice of your partner. My you be wise so that you may understand what is truly important in life. My you remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards you. My you learn the lessons hidden in every leaf and rock. My you seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others. My you find compassion without allowing empathy to overwhelm you. My you seek strength, not to be greater than others, but to fight for the week. My you two always greet each other with clean hands and straight eyes. So when life fades, as the fading sunset, your spirits may continue without shame. May You Be Poor! May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in blessings, Slow to make enemies, And quick to make friends. But rich or poor, quick or slow, May you two know nothing but happiness From this day forward. Let’s all toast this beautiful couple! A Long Life Together A toast to your coffin. May it be made of 100 year old oak.

Proofs for God’s Existence Essay

God’s existence can be proven in a multitude of ways. However, several introductory caveats are in order. First, by â€Å"God,† we mean the traditional Christian concept of an all-powerful and wise creator. Second, the project of â€Å"proving† anything is logic or science is nearly impossible. Even the best laid logical plans and the most iron clad arguments can be torn to pieces by a skilled logician. Such a state does not invalidate the proofs in question, just merely that the language of the discipline is such that any logical design can be manipulated and refuted by one who ardently desires it be refuted. What is being dealt with here is that faith in the God of the Christians is not an irrational, â€Å"blind faith,† but one that is eminently reasonable and defensible on metaphysical, logical and scientific grounds. 1. The proof of Aristotle, used by Thomas Aquinas later, is the â€Å"hylomorphic† proof and is very important to medieval thoughts about God and the nature of his existence. The theory centers around the distinction between first, form and matter which, second, corresponds to action and passion, or act and potency. The form of an object is it in act, or developing towards its natural telos, or end. The matter is passive, that which has non being, that which still needs to be developed. But the nature of reality is such that as one rises in knowledge, the form dominates over the matter. Mathematics, for example, is almost purely form, with only a minuscule amount of material stuff. But what is the origin of such things? Only the world of pure form, and hence, pure act, that is, God. God is pure act, pure perfection with no more need for development. It is the form of Forms that renders unchanging knowledge possible. The matter within its formal shell is not nly passive, but accidental, in that it is only the generator of sensations, colors, etc. But such things cannot exist without a substratum (there is no red, without it being a red something), and hence, form is the object of knowledge, not the matter, or the â€Å"accident† of the object. But knowledge only sees form, never matter. Matter might present form in the guise of a sensate object, but logical and mathematics does not work this way, these are separated from matter. Hence, the more universal the knowledge, the less matter. Hence, the ultimately form of knowledge is Pure form, hence God (Owens, 1980: 20-25). 2. Similarly, the proof of St. Augustine from the point of view of unchanging truth. Any such unchanging truth must have a cause. The truths of mathematics or logic never change regardless of time or place, and hence, there must be an entity in existence who could have brought such a world into being. Such an entity must never change or alter its being in any way, and hence, must be perfect (the only need for change is to improve, if no need for change, then there is no need for improvement). Therefore, God exists (Augustine, 1996: 19). 3. In terms of scientific proof, there is the entire question of natural law. The world is held together by a series of laws that never seem to change. They are regular and can be seen throughout nature, from its macro to its micro level. The â€Å"sensate† part of nature, logically, is anterior to the laws that allow it to exist. Hence, the laws of nature had to have come first, and are the form within which the sensate part of nature functions. Hence, an entity must exist that is capable of creating natural laws within which all created being can function in a regular and logical manner. Only God can be the cause of such things (Copleston, . 2006, 518). 4. The Russian philosopher Vladimir Solovyev uses the critique of nominalism to prove the existence of God in his Lectures on Godmanhood. First, the idea of empiricism is faulty since no real individuals exist (only God has this quality, but this is putting the cart before the horse). The objects seen in daily experience are themselves not particulars, but universals, ultimately reducible to pulses of energy. Force is the ultimate reality of being in terms of metaphysics. Hence, the empirical approach to the world is arbitrary, since the particulars we take for granted are in fact huge and complex collections of force and energy that appear to the senses as colors, sounds, textures, etc. Hence, energy is the source of being, and hence, retain the ontological status as universals. But this can not be sufficient, since the universal nature of forces must be accounted for. And this accounting can only be an entity powerful enough to have first created these forces that ultimately would register in human senses as objects, seemingly solid and singular, but in truth, complex and made up of universals (and in fact, representing universals in themselves). But this ultimately spiritual reality must have an equally spiritual cause, that is God. In other words, as the empirical qualities of objects exist only in the mind, the ultimate reality of the world is to be found in universals, and hence, the world of spirit. But all spiritual objects must have a cause that is equally creative and powerful (Solovyev, 1948: 60-63). 5. Spinoza’s concept of God is slightly different from the Christian view, but not entirely dissimilar. Spinoza argues for a single entity, Substance, that is the ultimate basis for all sensate objects. Substance is God, the ultimate basis (avoiding the word â€Å"cause† here) for all change and movement. Logically, there is only one ultimate Substance since there is no real reason for positing and more than one entity that, itself, can survive all change, but is not available to the senses. Spinoza’s Substance is not something that can be apprehended by senses, but only by the mind, and hence, is a spiritual being. While many writers have broken their backs trying to hold that nature is God for Spinoza, there is no reason to hold this: God is what is behind nature and is the ultimate basis for all being. Spinoza is not a pantheist, as nearly all commentators hold. Spinoza held that all change needs a basis, something that does not change. That which we see as changing is the modes of existence, the sensate objects in space and time (or mind and body). All of these sensate things can be reduced to that which is extended and that which is mental, ultimately one thing seen from two different points of view. But these two are merely two available modes for human comprehension of an infinite object that never changes, but is at the root of change, its basis, and that is Substance, or God, an infinite being who lies at the root of all change and the laws that govern change. It itself, does not change, but contains infinite attributes that only appear incompletely to human beings under two attributes only. Spinoza does not hold that there needs to be a cause of all things, but he does hold that there needs to be a basis of all things, that this is God (Della Rocca, 2008, 42-48) 6. The last proof or vision of God is to be found in Apostolos Makrakis, the little known 19th century Greek metaphysician. He was a Christian rationalist who held that Descartes butchered his own method. Makrakis holds that one can begin with Descartes ontological doubt. But the conclusion to this doubt, cogito ergo sum, is an arbitrary end point. When I engage in methodological doubt, I come up with several conclusions: first, the doubter exists, second, that the doubter is not the cause of his own existence, and third, that God exists necessarily. All of this derives from the single act of cognition: it is the true unpacking of the cogito. Since if the cogito is true, than the other propositions are equally true at the same time, known intuitively. Since the cogito is not self-created, then the outside world and God must exist necessarily in the same act of cognition as the original cogito. If one must strip away the outside world in order to reach the cogito, than the outside world is real, since in removing it, one reaches the truth of existence. The outside world cannot be a phantom then, if the doubter is not self-created. Something needed to have created and sustained the doubter, and this is as certain as the cogito itself. But since that outside world itself is not self-created (in other words, that the outside world does not know itself through itself, but through another), than God necessarily exists, and again, as true as the cogito itself. Hence, the cogito really says: I exist, the outside world exists, God exists, all at the same time all in the same act of cognition since the cogito itself implies it (Makrakis, 1956, 42-43). Again, none of these proofs are final, but the same can be said for all logic and science. But these do who that reason assents to the existence of God as infinite and all powerful. Spinoza’s approach is the most interesting, since it is compatible with mechanistic science, but holds that such science necessarily needs a basis for action, and this is Substance. The argument #3 above is also very difficult to refute, since one cannot hold to an ordered universe without holding to natural law, and if that, than the cause of natural law itself. If that is denied, then one is in the unenviable position of trying to argue that the material objects of nature can and did exist without a law to govern their actions. Hence, evolution is impossible. Natural laws (and a lawgiver) had to be before the actual sensate part of creation. But this, in an odd way, is very similar to the argument of Spinoza. It seems that science itself cannot function without recognizing natural law and it’s a priori existence with respect to the objects of science themselves. Bibliography: Owens, Joseph (1980) Thomas Aquinas on the Existence of God. SUNY Press Augustine (1996) â€Å"On The Free Choice of the Will† Readings in Medieval Philosophy. Ed. Andrew Schoedinger. Oxford. 3-24 Copleston, Frederick (2006) History of Philosophy: Medieval Philosophy. Continuum International. Solovyev, Vladimir (1948) Lectures on Godmanhood. Lindisfarne Press (this is sometimes called Lectures on Divine Humanity) Della Rocca, Michael (2008) Spinoza. Taylor and Francis Makrakis, Apostolos (1956) â€Å"The Tree of Life. † in Foundations of Philosophy. Chicago, OCES. 1-104