"How was Don Quixote's knight-errant oath in conflict with his deathbed oath?"
Don Quixote's knight-errant oath and deathbed oath conflicted due to their complete and tremendous opposite nature. His knight-errant oath claimed that he would search out adventures, righting all wrongs, and proclaiming his love for Dulcinea. His deathbed oath claimed that he had been completely and absolutely insane in swearing the knight-errant oath.
On his deathbed, Don Quixote changed his ways, came back to sanity/reality, and denounced chivalrous books. Before this he had been living under an illegitimate oath, an oath of chivalry. This is how the two opposite oaths (knight-errant and deathbed) conflicted with one another.
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Utopia: Why a Sensible Reformer?
"Why does More present the traveler as a sensible reformer early in book 1, but not later?"
I believe that More is attempting to ease into Utopia. In Utopia, there are a great deal of highly controversial topics, and it would be rather difficult for the reader to immediately dive into them.
Allow me to use horseback riding as an example. Generally, when you ride a horse you don't begin by immediately going into your canter (the main speed a horse can go between a walk and gallop). You ease into it. First with a walk, then with a trot. This is what I believe More is attempting to accomplish by representing the traveler in this manner.
I believe that More is attempting to ease into Utopia. In Utopia, there are a great deal of highly controversial topics, and it would be rather difficult for the reader to immediately dive into them.
Allow me to use horseback riding as an example. Generally, when you ride a horse you don't begin by immediately going into your canter (the main speed a horse can go between a walk and gallop). You ease into it. First with a walk, then with a trot. This is what I believe More is attempting to accomplish by representing the traveler in this manner.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Luther's Thoughts on Pope Leo X, and His Knowledge of the Indulgence Salesmen's Words
"Do you think that Luther really believed that Pope Leo X did not know what the indulgence salesmen were saying?"
As to this topic, I have two main hypotheses. The first is that he honestly thought he was defending the pope by saying that the pope didn't know what the indulgence salesmen were saying. The second is that he simply hoped that he was correct in assuming as much.
Truthfully, I am unsure as to what Luther thought at this time in my study. I will need to dive further into this topic in the future, and I highly suggest that you do the same.
Thank you so much for reading, and please give me some feedback on this essay!
As to this topic, I have two main hypotheses. The first is that he honestly thought he was defending the pope by saying that the pope didn't know what the indulgence salesmen were saying. The second is that he simply hoped that he was correct in assuming as much.
Truthfully, I am unsure as to what Luther thought at this time in my study. I will need to dive further into this topic in the future, and I highly suggest that you do the same.
Thank you so much for reading, and please give me some feedback on this essay!
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
The Conflicts Between the Holy Roman Emperors and the Popes
The popes and Holy Roman Emperors engaged in many different conflicts time and time again, but the main reasons behind the conflicts are really quite simple. The conflicts arose generally out of hunger for power.
For example, the emperors would sometimes completely throw the promises that they made to the popes out the window. Likewise, on several different occasions we see the Holy Roman Emperors attempting to downsize the power of the pope.
Many desired to assert their power over vast areas, and this concerned the popes. The popes feared that the Holy Roman Emperors would try to gain some amount of control over the papacy, and this was unacceptable in the minds of the popes.
Like I said, the reasons for the conflicts between the emperors and popes were quite simple. The lesson that we should take from these conflicts, is that a quest for power usually stands in the way of peace, and it is unfortunate that the emperors didn't pay attention to this major truth.
Thank you very much for reading this essay, and please give me some feedback in the comments section below! I would love to hear from you!
For example, the emperors would sometimes completely throw the promises that they made to the popes out the window. Likewise, on several different occasions we see the Holy Roman Emperors attempting to downsize the power of the pope.
Many desired to assert their power over vast areas, and this concerned the popes. The popes feared that the Holy Roman Emperors would try to gain some amount of control over the papacy, and this was unacceptable in the minds of the popes.
Like I said, the reasons for the conflicts between the emperors and popes were quite simple. The lesson that we should take from these conflicts, is that a quest for power usually stands in the way of peace, and it is unfortunate that the emperors didn't pay attention to this major truth.
Thank you very much for reading this essay, and please give me some feedback in the comments section below! I would love to hear from you!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Identifying the Diet of a Deceased, Unidentified Animal
"Suppose you found the bones of an unidentified animal. How could you learn about what the animal ate? What specific structures would give you clues about the creature's diet?"
If you were to find the bones of an unidentified animal, your first thought probably wouldn't be, "I wonder what this animal ate when it lived among us in space and time." But lets pretend that this was your first thought regarding the animal. How would you find the answer to the question? Well, you would look at the teeth. What kinds of teeth are among the bones? If they are mostly molars and premolars, then that would mean that the animal generally ate a diet which would require it to grind and crush the food in it's mouth.
A good example of this sort of animal is the horse. The horse's diet is made up of foods such as oats, grass, grain, and hay. All of these require the horse to grind and crush the food using it's molars.
Likewise, if the animal's teeth are mainly incisors and canines the animal was probably be a flesh eating, ferocious best from the underworld. Either that, or it could be a harmless little chihuahua that generally wore little booties and doggy dresses...both work I suppose. My point is that incisors and canines are characteristics of meat-eaters.
This is one of the fascinating ways that you can identify an animal's diet.
I hope that you have found this essay informational, as well as enjoyable! Please leave me some feedback; I would love to hear from you!
If you were to find the bones of an unidentified animal, your first thought probably wouldn't be, "I wonder what this animal ate when it lived among us in space and time." But lets pretend that this was your first thought regarding the animal. How would you find the answer to the question? Well, you would look at the teeth. What kinds of teeth are among the bones? If they are mostly molars and premolars, then that would mean that the animal generally ate a diet which would require it to grind and crush the food in it's mouth.
A good example of this sort of animal is the horse. The horse's diet is made up of foods such as oats, grass, grain, and hay. All of these require the horse to grind and crush the food using it's molars.
Likewise, if the animal's teeth are mainly incisors and canines the animal was probably be a flesh eating, ferocious best from the underworld. Either that, or it could be a harmless little chihuahua that generally wore little booties and doggy dresses...both work I suppose. My point is that incisors and canines are characteristics of meat-eaters.
This is one of the fascinating ways that you can identify an animal's diet.
I hope that you have found this essay informational, as well as enjoyable! Please leave me some feedback; I would love to hear from you!
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Different Ways That the Body Maintains Optimal Temperatures
The body maintains optimal temperatures in several different ways. Among these ways are shivering when you are cold in order to heat you up, sweating when you are hot in order to cool you down, growing hair/fur/feathers depending on what kind of creature you are in order to keep warm, and having a layer of fat to protect you from the cold.
Isn't it fascinating how the body is able to come up with such creative ways to protect itself? I think it is amazing how often we take for granted these things! We tend to completely disregard the fact that our bodies are able to cool themselves in the hot summer months, or warm up in the dead of winter. It's certainly a huge blessing that our bodies know how to do these things! Think about it. If our bodies weren't able to produce something as simple as sweat, it would be terribly hard to handle those 90 degree days! Likewise, if we couldn't shiver, it would be difficult to warm up after swimming in the lake! These are definitely some big things to be thankful for! Don't ever take for granted the ways that your body takes care of itself!
The body maintains optimal temperatures in such interesting ways, and I hope that you understand them a bit better!
Isn't it fascinating how the body is able to come up with such creative ways to protect itself? I think it is amazing how often we take for granted these things! We tend to completely disregard the fact that our bodies are able to cool themselves in the hot summer months, or warm up in the dead of winter. It's certainly a huge blessing that our bodies know how to do these things! Think about it. If our bodies weren't able to produce something as simple as sweat, it would be terribly hard to handle those 90 degree days! Likewise, if we couldn't shiver, it would be difficult to warm up after swimming in the lake! These are definitely some big things to be thankful for! Don't ever take for granted the ways that your body takes care of itself!
The body maintains optimal temperatures in such interesting ways, and I hope that you understand them a bit better!
Discussion on the Just War Theory, as well as the Later Scholastics
"Describe the main principals of just-war theory."
I think that this will be one of the easier topics for me to describe, as well as one of the easier ones for you to understand.
Just war theory is simply the theory of just war. It is ideals and principles that make a war "just". For instance, according to the just war theory it would be wrong to go to war with a country or state that had simply stolen a single apple. It would likewise be wrong according to the just war theory to slaughter mercilessly all of the civilians living in the place that you are at war with once you had already won.
I hope you have a basic idea of what the just war theory is now.
"In what fundamental way did Duns Scotus and William of Ockham challenge the position of Thomas Aquinas?"
These two later scholastics were of the opinion that reason and faith simply did not go together. They were two completely separate things in the eyes of these men. This of course was a complete and utter challenge to the position taken by Thomas Aquinas. Thomas Aquinas had spent a great deal of his life trying to prove that faith and reason went hand in hand. Faith could be proven using reason according to Thomas Aquinas. This was the fundamental way that Duns Scotus and William of Ockham challenged the views of Thomas Aquinas.
Thanks for reading, and please give me feedback! I would love to hear from you!
I think that this will be one of the easier topics for me to describe, as well as one of the easier ones for you to understand.
Just war theory is simply the theory of just war. It is ideals and principles that make a war "just". For instance, according to the just war theory it would be wrong to go to war with a country or state that had simply stolen a single apple. It would likewise be wrong according to the just war theory to slaughter mercilessly all of the civilians living in the place that you are at war with once you had already won.
I hope you have a basic idea of what the just war theory is now.
"In what fundamental way did Duns Scotus and William of Ockham challenge the position of Thomas Aquinas?"
These two later scholastics were of the opinion that reason and faith simply did not go together. They were two completely separate things in the eyes of these men. This of course was a complete and utter challenge to the position taken by Thomas Aquinas. Thomas Aquinas had spent a great deal of his life trying to prove that faith and reason went hand in hand. Faith could be proven using reason according to Thomas Aquinas. This was the fundamental way that Duns Scotus and William of Ockham challenged the views of Thomas Aquinas.
Thanks for reading, and please give me feedback! I would love to hear from you!
Animal Intelligence
"What does it mean to say a creature is 'intelligent'?"
First of all, what is intelligence? Well, intelligence is what determines how well (if at all) we will be able to decipher a problem. It helps us to learn about the world in which we live, and it assists us in making this world better for all of us. Without intelligence, the world would be completely chaotic.
Now that we have defined intelligence, we must tackle the question that asks, "What does it mean to say a creature is intelligent?". I suppose it means that the creature can think about a problem, and find a solution that isn't simply based on instinct.
I will use two examples of animal intelligence today. First of all, I will use the chimpanzee. The chimpanzee has been known to "problem-solve" in peculiar ways. Sometimes it will actually make tools for finding food! It will take a piece of grassy twig, remove the leaves, and then stick the grassy twig into a termite mound. When it pulls out the grassy twig, there are generally several termites stuck to the grass. In this way, the chimpanzee has used the grassy twig to "fish" for a termite snack.
The next example that I will use is the elephant. They have been known to paint pictures, they form lasting bonds with family members, and they seem to exhibit self-recognition in mirrors!
Even though animals can't create spacecrafts, or create a car engine like us, they certainly seem to have intelligence to some degree.
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think!
First of all, what is intelligence? Well, intelligence is what determines how well (if at all) we will be able to decipher a problem. It helps us to learn about the world in which we live, and it assists us in making this world better for all of us. Without intelligence, the world would be completely chaotic.
Now that we have defined intelligence, we must tackle the question that asks, "What does it mean to say a creature is intelligent?". I suppose it means that the creature can think about a problem, and find a solution that isn't simply based on instinct.
I will use two examples of animal intelligence today. First of all, I will use the chimpanzee. The chimpanzee has been known to "problem-solve" in peculiar ways. Sometimes it will actually make tools for finding food! It will take a piece of grassy twig, remove the leaves, and then stick the grassy twig into a termite mound. When it pulls out the grassy twig, there are generally several termites stuck to the grass. In this way, the chimpanzee has used the grassy twig to "fish" for a termite snack.
The next example that I will use is the elephant. They have been known to paint pictures, they form lasting bonds with family members, and they seem to exhibit self-recognition in mirrors!
Even though animals can't create spacecrafts, or create a car engine like us, they certainly seem to have intelligence to some degree.
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think!
Friday, May 16, 2014
The 12th Century Renaissance, the University System in the High Middle Ages, and Scholastic Philosophy
"What kinds of developments occurred during the
renaissance of the twelfth century?"
During this period in history we see many interesting developments occurring. Among them was an interest in the Latin classics. There was much reading of Latin authors, poets, and the writing of commentaries. As time goes on we see more of a decline in these, and an increase in the study of philosophy and the like.
Besides these developments, there is a revival of the Roman law. This wouldn't have been all that bad since several aspects of Roman law are familiar to western thought, had it not been for the fact that during the time of Justinian the law was modified to give more jurisdiction to the emperor rather than the people.
As you can tell, the renaissance of the twelfth century held many fascinating occurrences.
"Discuss the origins and features of the university system in the High Middle Ages."
During the High Middle Ages the rise of universities became quite popular. Before these new universities, there had not been anything like them in past history. Of course there had been different schools, but there was not a "university" per-say.
We are not entirely sure as to how some of the major universities of the time came about, but it seems that many had their origins rooted in the monastic and cathedral schools, as well as random meetings of professors in one place.
These universities introduced the awarding of degrees, had a more or less fixed program of study, and a distinction of graduate and undergraduate study.
"What was Scholastic philosophy?"
Scholastic philosophy was more so a switch from positive theology (confirmations from Scripture, councils, etc.) to speculative theology (faith that was in agreement with reason). In other words, if faith and reason do not make sense together, this means that you have simply misinterpreted faith or used reason incorrectly.
As an example of a Scholastic philosopher, I would like to use St. Anselm. St. Anselm would try to use ontological proof for the existence of God. This means that he would use the argument that God must be the greatest conceivable being. Something that is only in your mind is obviously less meaningful than something that is right in front of you. Since this is the case, God must be something that is not only in your mind, but also something conceivable. See, he is trying to combine faith and reason.
Thanks for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear your feedback!
renaissance of the twelfth century?"
During this period in history we see many interesting developments occurring. Among them was an interest in the Latin classics. There was much reading of Latin authors, poets, and the writing of commentaries. As time goes on we see more of a decline in these, and an increase in the study of philosophy and the like.
Besides these developments, there is a revival of the Roman law. This wouldn't have been all that bad since several aspects of Roman law are familiar to western thought, had it not been for the fact that during the time of Justinian the law was modified to give more jurisdiction to the emperor rather than the people.
As you can tell, the renaissance of the twelfth century held many fascinating occurrences.
"Discuss the origins and features of the university system in the High Middle Ages."
During the High Middle Ages the rise of universities became quite popular. Before these new universities, there had not been anything like them in past history. Of course there had been different schools, but there was not a "university" per-say.
We are not entirely sure as to how some of the major universities of the time came about, but it seems that many had their origins rooted in the monastic and cathedral schools, as well as random meetings of professors in one place.
These universities introduced the awarding of degrees, had a more or less fixed program of study, and a distinction of graduate and undergraduate study.
"What was Scholastic philosophy?"
Scholastic philosophy was more so a switch from positive theology (confirmations from Scripture, councils, etc.) to speculative theology (faith that was in agreement with reason). In other words, if faith and reason do not make sense together, this means that you have simply misinterpreted faith or used reason incorrectly.
As an example of a Scholastic philosopher, I would like to use St. Anselm. St. Anselm would try to use ontological proof for the existence of God. This means that he would use the argument that God must be the greatest conceivable being. Something that is only in your mind is obviously less meaningful than something that is right in front of you. Since this is the case, God must be something that is not only in your mind, but also something conceivable. See, he is trying to combine faith and reason.
Thanks for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear your feedback!
Monday, May 12, 2014
The Albigensians, Mendicant Orders, and the Magna Carta
"What did the Albigensians believe?"
The Albigensians believed that two gods existed. One god was that of spiritual things, and the other was that of things pertaining to the world. The god of spiritual things was good, and the god of things of the world was bad. They thought that anything which was made of matter was bad as well. This included their physical bodies.
"Describe the mendicant orders of the 13th century."
The mendicant orders were orders that relied upon livelihood through charity in turn for good works. The people involved with theses orders would practically live as beggars that would go around searching for something good to assist with.
Those who practiced the mendicant orders were the followers of St. Francis and St. Dominic.
"What was the significance of the Magna Carta?"
The Magna Carta was a document that played a major role in shaping the way that we view law today. It was a document that stated what the king couldn't do. It was supposed to hinder the king from doing that which was potentially harmful. Before this document, kings had hindered the power of the public, but what about the king's power? Who had hindered his power? It was time for a change, and the Magna Carta helped to bring this about.
Thanks for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think!
The Albigensians believed that two gods existed. One god was that of spiritual things, and the other was that of things pertaining to the world. The god of spiritual things was good, and the god of things of the world was bad. They thought that anything which was made of matter was bad as well. This included their physical bodies.
"Describe the mendicant orders of the 13th century."
The mendicant orders were orders that relied upon livelihood through charity in turn for good works. The people involved with theses orders would practically live as beggars that would go around searching for something good to assist with.
Those who practiced the mendicant orders were the followers of St. Francis and St. Dominic.
"What was the significance of the Magna Carta?"
The Magna Carta was a document that played a major role in shaping the way that we view law today. It was a document that stated what the king couldn't do. It was supposed to hinder the king from doing that which was potentially harmful. Before this document, kings had hindered the power of the public, but what about the king's power? Who had hindered his power? It was time for a change, and the Magna Carta helped to bring this about.
Thanks for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Arthropods and Their Potential Economic Benefits
"Could a deeper understanding of arthropods lead to tangible economic benefits?"
Arthropods make up an extremely diverse range of life, and because of this, there are more potential benefits. A deeper understanding of these creatures could certainly lead to "tangible economic benefits" in my personal opinion.
I would like to use both the butterfly and moth as an example. These arthropod's larval stage (the caterpillar) happens to be quite harmful to gardens. If we were to do more research on the caterpillar, we would likely be able to find better ways of deterring this "pest" from our plants. In deterring them, we would be able to produce a better harvest.
I think that I will also use the crab as an example. Everyday we feast on crab legs, and restaurants as well as fishermen make their incomes in part because of this animal. What if we were to conduct research on the crab that would help us to better locate them. Perhaps we could develop a kind of "crab sonar" which would make it easier for fishermen to find large numbers of crabs. If we could figure out exactly where the largest crab populations are, then we would be able to better fish for them, as well as protect them from over-fishing.
Just think of all the opportunities that the research of arthropods could create in the next 5-10 years! I have no doubt that we will be making several discoveries that could aid us economically because of our research.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Arthropods make up an extremely diverse range of life, and because of this, there are more potential benefits. A deeper understanding of these creatures could certainly lead to "tangible economic benefits" in my personal opinion.
 |
| a caterpillar |
I think that I will also use the crab as an example. Everyday we feast on crab legs, and restaurants as well as fishermen make their incomes in part because of this animal. What if we were to conduct research on the crab that would help us to better locate them. Perhaps we could develop a kind of "crab sonar" which would make it easier for fishermen to find large numbers of crabs. If we could figure out exactly where the largest crab populations are, then we would be able to better fish for them, as well as protect them from over-fishing.
Just think of all the opportunities that the research of arthropods could create in the next 5-10 years! I have no doubt that we will be making several discoveries that could aid us economically because of our research.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Friday, May 2, 2014
The Events of the 4th Crusade, and Common Misconceptions About the Crusades
"What are some common misconceptions about the Crusades, and why are they incorrect?"
There are many misconceptions about the crusades, but I would like to focus on two for today, as I am short on time.
The first misconception that I would like to mention, is how the Crusades were done out of unprovoked aggression. This is simply not the case once you consider how the Muslims had already invaded and conquered these Christian lands. The Crusaders were actually attempting to regain control of them.
The second misconception that I would like to speak of is how the Crusades resulted in the resentment by some Muslims, which led to the 20th and 21st-century terrorist attacks. In fact, the Crusades weren't really even thought of by Muslims as a big deal until far later. The irony is that it seems that Westerners were actually the ones to make it into a big deal. The Crusades were mostly failures and hence, past Muslims seem to have seen the Crusades as rather insignificant episodes in their history.
Please note that I am in no way trying to condone some of the horrific things which took place during the Crusades. I am simply trying to bring to light the truths and put out the misconceptions.
"Describe the events of the fourth Crusade."
The events of the fourth Crusade didn't actually include much Crusading once it was launched. The reason for this is that the Crusaders had become sidetracked by an ownership dispute over the throne of Constantinople. They had gotten to know a man named Alexis who claimed to be the rightful holder of the throne, but that another had taken his place by unjust means.
Alexis told them that he would pay them great riches so that they could pay their bills back home if they were to help him. Of course this seemed like a good deal to them considering that they would be helping out a man to get what he deserved, but they would also be able to obtain the money necessary to their monetary well-being away from the crusade. Eventually Alexis gained his place on the throne, but he was having difficulty obtaining the money that he needed to repay the Crusaders.
In the end, the Crusaders basically waged a war on Constantinople, which caused countless destruction when they had sacked the fellow christian city.
As you can see, the Crusade was not what had been intended in the slightest. I hope that my essay has been helpful, and please let me know what you think!
There are many misconceptions about the crusades, but I would like to focus on two for today, as I am short on time.
The first misconception that I would like to mention, is how the Crusades were done out of unprovoked aggression. This is simply not the case once you consider how the Muslims had already invaded and conquered these Christian lands. The Crusaders were actually attempting to regain control of them.
The second misconception that I would like to speak of is how the Crusades resulted in the resentment by some Muslims, which led to the 20th and 21st-century terrorist attacks. In fact, the Crusades weren't really even thought of by Muslims as a big deal until far later. The irony is that it seems that Westerners were actually the ones to make it into a big deal. The Crusades were mostly failures and hence, past Muslims seem to have seen the Crusades as rather insignificant episodes in their history.
Please note that I am in no way trying to condone some of the horrific things which took place during the Crusades. I am simply trying to bring to light the truths and put out the misconceptions.
"Describe the events of the fourth Crusade."
The events of the fourth Crusade didn't actually include much Crusading once it was launched. The reason for this is that the Crusaders had become sidetracked by an ownership dispute over the throne of Constantinople. They had gotten to know a man named Alexis who claimed to be the rightful holder of the throne, but that another had taken his place by unjust means.
Alexis told them that he would pay them great riches so that they could pay their bills back home if they were to help him. Of course this seemed like a good deal to them considering that they would be helping out a man to get what he deserved, but they would also be able to obtain the money necessary to their monetary well-being away from the crusade. Eventually Alexis gained his place on the throne, but he was having difficulty obtaining the money that he needed to repay the Crusaders.
In the end, the Crusaders basically waged a war on Constantinople, which caused countless destruction when they had sacked the fellow christian city.
As you can see, the Crusade was not what had been intended in the slightest. I hope that my essay has been helpful, and please let me know what you think!
Monday, April 28, 2014
Sacraments, Indulgences, and the Great Schism
"What was the Great Schism? What factors brought it on?"
The Great Schism was a split between the Catholics in the west and the Orthodox Christians in the east. The Orthodox Christians and the Catholics had different views on who had authority. One thought that the pope in Rome should have religious authority, whereas one thought that the church in Constantinople should have the authority.
Those in the west and those in the east also had different ways of worship, spoke different languages, etc.. These differences only made the rift forming between them even larger.
Another big problem occurred in 1054 when some of the deceased pope's legates excommunicated a man named Michael Cerularius. In the end, the churches in the east and in the west ultimately split, with only a small few wishing to rejoin.
"What are the sacraments?"
The sacraments are seven religious rituals of the Catholic church. Baptism ("Christian rite of admission and adoption") (This practice generally includes water.), Confirmation ("sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit"), Holy Communion ("a gift of God made effectual by the preaching of the Word and the response of faith"), Penance (the confession of sins to a priest in order to receive forgiveness), Matrimony (I think you know this one.), Holy Orders ("the sacrament or rite of ordination as a member of the Christian clergy"), and Anointing of the Sick ("the sacramental anointing of the ill or infirm with blessed oil") are what these seven sacraments are called. Each one of these plays an influential role in the lives of Catholics, and all have their place in history.
"What is an indulgence?"
Despite popular belief, an indulgence is not the buying of having your sins forgiven. An indulgence is used when someone is attempting to remove their temporal punishment. You see, in Catholicism there is both eternal and temporal punishment. Eternal punishment is canceled out by the sacrament of Penance. In other words, you are no longer in danger of being sent to Hell upon death. You are however left with the temporal punishment which can be shortened or altogether removed by the use of indulgences. Indulgences can also be used to shorten or eliminate a person's time in purgatory (a place between Heaven which you are sent to after death if you have any temporal punishment left to make up for).
Indulgences are received when you do a worthy deed. They do not require a monetary sum, nor are you "buying" the forgiveness of your sins. Your sins are already forgiven through Penance, so why would you pay to have them forgiven when they already are?
Anyways, I hope this helps you to understand indulgences a little more.
Thanks for reading this essay, and don't forget to let me know what you think!
The Great Schism was a split between the Catholics in the west and the Orthodox Christians in the east. The Orthodox Christians and the Catholics had different views on who had authority. One thought that the pope in Rome should have religious authority, whereas one thought that the church in Constantinople should have the authority.
Those in the west and those in the east also had different ways of worship, spoke different languages, etc.. These differences only made the rift forming between them even larger.
Another big problem occurred in 1054 when some of the deceased pope's legates excommunicated a man named Michael Cerularius. In the end, the churches in the east and in the west ultimately split, with only a small few wishing to rejoin.
"What are the sacraments?"
The sacraments are seven religious rituals of the Catholic church. Baptism ("Christian rite of admission and adoption") (This practice generally includes water.), Confirmation ("sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit"), Holy Communion ("a gift of God made effectual by the preaching of the Word and the response of faith"), Penance (the confession of sins to a priest in order to receive forgiveness), Matrimony (I think you know this one.), Holy Orders ("the sacrament or rite of ordination as a member of the Christian clergy"), and Anointing of the Sick ("the sacramental anointing of the ill or infirm with blessed oil") are what these seven sacraments are called. Each one of these plays an influential role in the lives of Catholics, and all have their place in history.
"What is an indulgence?"
Despite popular belief, an indulgence is not the buying of having your sins forgiven. An indulgence is used when someone is attempting to remove their temporal punishment. You see, in Catholicism there is both eternal and temporal punishment. Eternal punishment is canceled out by the sacrament of Penance. In other words, you are no longer in danger of being sent to Hell upon death. You are however left with the temporal punishment which can be shortened or altogether removed by the use of indulgences. Indulgences can also be used to shorten or eliminate a person's time in purgatory (a place between Heaven which you are sent to after death if you have any temporal punishment left to make up for).
Indulgences are received when you do a worthy deed. They do not require a monetary sum, nor are you "buying" the forgiveness of your sins. Your sins are already forgiven through Penance, so why would you pay to have them forgiven when they already are?
Anyways, I hope this helps you to understand indulgences a little more.
Thanks for reading this essay, and don't forget to let me know what you think!
Friday, April 25, 2014
How do Fungi and Animals "Eat"?
"Compare and contrast the ways that fungi 'eat' with the ways that animals digest, and absorb their food."
The ways that fungi and animals eat have many similarities and differences that make this an interesting topic. I would like to start it off with a non-similarity though, which is that animals have a stomach and intestines inside the body which certainly aid in digestion. Fungi rather do not have these assets. They actually digest food outside the cell wall since they don't have the luxury of a stomach.
Now I'm going to mention a similarity that is quite intriguing, which is how even though animals and fungi are extremely different, they still share this ability to digest their food sources. I find it weird (but kind of cool) that fungi and animals share this trait even though their body structures are so different!
Even the way that that they absorb food is somewhat similar! What I mean by this is that fungi and animals are both heterotrophic (they can't make their own food through photosynthesis), so they have to absorb there own food from their surroundings. They both break down the matter using digestive enzymes, and absorb the nutrients.
These are the fascinating similarities and differences that I have found between these two classifications.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!
The ways that fungi and animals eat have many similarities and differences that make this an interesting topic. I would like to start it off with a non-similarity though, which is that animals have a stomach and intestines inside the body which certainly aid in digestion. Fungi rather do not have these assets. They actually digest food outside the cell wall since they don't have the luxury of a stomach.
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| Mushrooms growing on a log |
Even the way that that they absorb food is somewhat similar! What I mean by this is that fungi and animals are both heterotrophic (they can't make their own food through photosynthesis), so they have to absorb there own food from their surroundings. They both break down the matter using digestive enzymes, and absorb the nutrients.
These are the fascinating similarities and differences that I have found between these two classifications.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Monday, April 21, 2014
Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV, Moderate Reform, and Christendom
"What were the problems besetting the Church in the tenth and eleventh centuries? What was 'moderate reform'?"
The problems that the Church was facing during this time, is that instead of church officials appointing bishops, popes, etc., we see laymen (people other than church officials) appointing these people. This results in the laymen sometimes appointing rotten individuals to church office.
Moderate reform came about when Pope Leo IX decided to put emphasis on papal authority. He said that laymen should choose morally good candidates instead of those who would do harm.
"Describe the events that took place during the conflict between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV. What was at stake?"
The conflict between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV came about when the Pope decided that kings had no right at all to appoint people to church positions. The king did not agree with this, and hence went against the Pope. Pope Gregory ultimately removed the king from power, and eventually Henry came begging for forgiveness. Grace was bestowed, and then the king went against the Pope all over again. Henry was removed from authority by Pope Gregory, but Henry was powerful enough to come back and send Pope Gregory into exile. The Pope then died while he was still exiled and it is said that these were among his last words,
"I have loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore I die in exile."
What was at stake in the conflict between these two men was church authority. Who had the jurisdiction to make church decisions, the Pope or the king?
"What was Christendom?"
Christendom was the idea of an international church society. This is why church officials were able to enter Christian lands even without their nationality being that of the country. Nationality was of no concern, for it was a society of the Christian religion, not a society of "who came from what place". This was Christendom.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!
The problems that the Church was facing during this time, is that instead of church officials appointing bishops, popes, etc., we see laymen (people other than church officials) appointing these people. This results in the laymen sometimes appointing rotten individuals to church office.
Moderate reform came about when Pope Leo IX decided to put emphasis on papal authority. He said that laymen should choose morally good candidates instead of those who would do harm.
"Describe the events that took place during the conflict between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV. What was at stake?"
The conflict between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV came about when the Pope decided that kings had no right at all to appoint people to church positions. The king did not agree with this, and hence went against the Pope. Pope Gregory ultimately removed the king from power, and eventually Henry came begging for forgiveness. Grace was bestowed, and then the king went against the Pope all over again. Henry was removed from authority by Pope Gregory, but Henry was powerful enough to come back and send Pope Gregory into exile. The Pope then died while he was still exiled and it is said that these were among his last words,
"I have loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore I die in exile."
What was at stake in the conflict between these two men was church authority. Who had the jurisdiction to make church decisions, the Pope or the king?
"What was Christendom?"
Christendom was the idea of an international church society. This is why church officials were able to enter Christian lands even without their nationality being that of the country. Nationality was of no concern, for it was a society of the Christian religion, not a society of "who came from what place". This was Christendom.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!
How Fungi are Helping us in Our Busy Lives
Fungi are helping us in several fascinating ways. Fungi are helping our bakeries through yeast which is used in allowing bread to rise, they are assisting in cleaning up the environment by acting as decomposers, and some can even be eaten as food by us. I will give an example.
There is a kind of mushroom called a truffle that is extremely valuable to those who harvest it, and it is considered a delicacy to those who buy this mushroom. In this way the mushroom is both helping people to get something to eat, but it is also helping our economy as a source of income.
Fungi are even helping us to collect important medical information that will help us in our lives.
As you can see, fungi are helping us in absolutely amazing ways everyday, just as they have throughout the history of our ancient world. The world is filled with strange, intriguing, disturbing, and beautiful things, and although each of these things only makes up a small part of the picture, when they are put together they make a brilliant painting filled with wonders nearly beyond our comprehension. My point is that although fungi may seem small and insignificant in the makeup of our world, they play a vital role in the survival of nature.
I hope that you have found even a small portion of enlightenment from this essay, and I hope that you have a lovely day enjoying our magical planet!
There is a kind of mushroom called a truffle that is extremely valuable to those who harvest it, and it is considered a delicacy to those who buy this mushroom. In this way the mushroom is both helping people to get something to eat, but it is also helping our economy as a source of income.
Fungi are even helping us to collect important medical information that will help us in our lives.
As you can see, fungi are helping us in absolutely amazing ways everyday, just as they have throughout the history of our ancient world. The world is filled with strange, intriguing, disturbing, and beautiful things, and although each of these things only makes up a small part of the picture, when they are put together they make a brilliant painting filled with wonders nearly beyond our comprehension. My point is that although fungi may seem small and insignificant in the makeup of our world, they play a vital role in the survival of nature.
I hope that you have found even a small portion of enlightenment from this essay, and I hope that you have a lovely day enjoying our magical planet!
Friday, April 4, 2014
Ethics: Zeus and Jesus
"Compare the ethical behavior of Zeus with the ethical teaching of Jesus."
The ethics between Zeus and Jesus are extremely different from one another! I can't stress enough how different the ethics are. Zeus is a rather lawless individual. Zeus cheated on his wife, Hera, and he turned the woman, Io into a heifer!
The teachings of Jesus vary greatly with the behavior of Zeus. Jesus taught that adultery was a sin, and he taught that you are to love one another as you love yourself. Jesus' ethical teachings are the complete opposite of Zeus' anti-ethical behavior.
Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
The ethics between Zeus and Jesus are extremely different from one another! I can't stress enough how different the ethics are. Zeus is a rather lawless individual. Zeus cheated on his wife, Hera, and he turned the woman, Io into a heifer!
The teachings of Jesus vary greatly with the behavior of Zeus. Jesus taught that adultery was a sin, and he taught that you are to love one another as you love yourself. Jesus' ethical teachings are the complete opposite of Zeus' anti-ethical behavior.
Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Paul: Adoption and Inheritance
"How were adoption and inheritance related in Paul's thought?"
In Paul's thought, they were related by the fact that they were both spiritual matters. The adoption was an adoption into the church, and the inheritance was that of the Kingdom of God. Both of these are matters of the heart and have to do with salvation. You are not adopted into the Lord's church without salvation, nor do you inherit the blessings that come along with it. You need one in order to have the other. This is how I believe that he thought the two were related.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!
In Paul's thought, they were related by the fact that they were both spiritual matters. The adoption was an adoption into the church, and the inheritance was that of the Kingdom of God. Both of these are matters of the heart and have to do with salvation. You are not adopted into the Lord's church without salvation, nor do you inherit the blessings that come along with it. You need one in order to have the other. This is how I believe that he thought the two were related.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!
The 9th-and 10th-century invasions, and how they affected life in the West.
"Describe the ninth-and tenth-century invasions. Apart from the physical destruction involved, how did they affect life in the West?"
The 9th-and 10th-century invasions were brought about by the Norsemen/Vikings, Magyars, and the Muslims. These forces caused much fear and loss to the people of the 9th-and 10th-century.
The Vikings (mixture of Scandinavians/raided the coastal river cities of France) would burn down countless villages, destroyed many churches and monasteries, took innocent people into slavery, and of course looted. I think it goes without saying that the Vikings were a treacherous people.
The Magyars (attacked Germany, northern Italy, and parts of France) would burn down French monasteries and suburbs, and they also took part in despicable looting and pillaging.
The Muslims ( based in Africa and Spain) took part in looting and plundering the places in which they were attempting to conquer, and they would even go about the horrible deed of kidnapping.
As far as how the invasions affecting life in the West goes, it is safe to say that they caused much distress. Beside this though, they also brought upon two very important things called feudalism and manorialism. If you would like to learn more about these two aspects of life in history, please proceed to the section of this essay dedicated to them below.
"Describe feudalism and manorialism."
Feaudalism and manorialism came about as a creative response to the outside invasions of the 9th-and 10th-century. The victims of the Vikings would try to find protection through people called lords by becoming the lord's vassal. The vassal would be given land and protection from the Vikings in exchange for service to the lord. These are the basic ideas of feudalism and manorialism.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
The 9th-and 10th-century invasions were brought about by the Norsemen/Vikings, Magyars, and the Muslims. These forces caused much fear and loss to the people of the 9th-and 10th-century.
The Vikings (mixture of Scandinavians/raided the coastal river cities of France) would burn down countless villages, destroyed many churches and monasteries, took innocent people into slavery, and of course looted. I think it goes without saying that the Vikings were a treacherous people.
The Magyars (attacked Germany, northern Italy, and parts of France) would burn down French monasteries and suburbs, and they also took part in despicable looting and pillaging.
The Muslims ( based in Africa and Spain) took part in looting and plundering the places in which they were attempting to conquer, and they would even go about the horrible deed of kidnapping.
As far as how the invasions affecting life in the West goes, it is safe to say that they caused much distress. Beside this though, they also brought upon two very important things called feudalism and manorialism. If you would like to learn more about these two aspects of life in history, please proceed to the section of this essay dedicated to them below.
"Describe feudalism and manorialism."
Feaudalism and manorialism came about as a creative response to the outside invasions of the 9th-and 10th-century. The victims of the Vikings would try to find protection through people called lords by becoming the lord's vassal. The vassal would be given land and protection from the Vikings in exchange for service to the lord. These are the basic ideas of feudalism and manorialism.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
Soil: An Intricate Community of Life
"Someone says, 'Soil is just dirt to hold the plant up.' Would you agree or disagree with this statement?"
I would never agree with this statement in a million years! I see soil not only as a plant support, but also as an intricate community of life. You could say something like, "How can dirt be a community?" I would respond by saying that dirt/soil is a home for worms, voles, bugs, bacteria, etc.. Soil is even helping those of us who live above the ground by storing water for our crops.
You could then say, "How does the dirt get the resources to do these things?". You see, whenever you throw a piece of fruit or a vegetable on the ground it will eventually decompose if left where it is. Once it decomposes, the good stuff from the food will go into the soil.
As you can see, the soil is an amazing network of life and prosperity. Without the soil, where else would worms live, or how would water reach the roots of a tree?
Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
I would never agree with this statement in a million years! I see soil not only as a plant support, but also as an intricate community of life. You could say something like, "How can dirt be a community?" I would respond by saying that dirt/soil is a home for worms, voles, bugs, bacteria, etc.. Soil is even helping those of us who live above the ground by storing water for our crops.
You could then say, "How does the dirt get the resources to do these things?". You see, whenever you throw a piece of fruit or a vegetable on the ground it will eventually decompose if left where it is. Once it decomposes, the good stuff from the food will go into the soil.
As you can see, the soil is an amazing network of life and prosperity. Without the soil, where else would worms live, or how would water reach the roots of a tree?
Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Friday, March 21, 2014
The Procopius Portrayal of Justinian
"What kind of person emerges from the Procopius portrayal of Justinian?"
From the Procopius portrayal I see a man that did not have a good nature. I see someone who was oppressive, deceitful, a thief, cruel, and to put it simply, an immoral human-being. It is clear that the writer didn't like Justinian all that much. Procopius seems to have thought of Justinian as purely wicked, with absolutely no morality whatsoever. Justinian is portrayed as a man whom you could never trust to keep his word, nor could you believe anything that he said.
To give you an idea of how gruesome Justinian is portrayed, I will include a portion from Procopius: Secret History.
"A faithless friend, he was a treacherous enemy, insane for murder and plunder, quarrelsome and revolutionary, easily led to anything, but never willing to listen to good counsel, quick to plan mischief and carry it out, but finding even the hearing of anything good distasteful to his ears."
As you can see, this portrayal of Justinian was not one that gave him much praise. Well, more like no praise.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
From the Procopius portrayal I see a man that did not have a good nature. I see someone who was oppressive, deceitful, a thief, cruel, and to put it simply, an immoral human-being. It is clear that the writer didn't like Justinian all that much. Procopius seems to have thought of Justinian as purely wicked, with absolutely no morality whatsoever. Justinian is portrayed as a man whom you could never trust to keep his word, nor could you believe anything that he said.
To give you an idea of how gruesome Justinian is portrayed, I will include a portion from Procopius: Secret History.
"A faithless friend, he was a treacherous enemy, insane for murder and plunder, quarrelsome and revolutionary, easily led to anything, but never willing to listen to good counsel, quick to plan mischief and carry it out, but finding even the hearing of anything good distasteful to his ears."
As you can see, this portrayal of Justinian was not one that gave him much praise. Well, more like no praise.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
The Main Issue Dividing Jesus From the Leaders of Isreal
"According to Mark's gospel, what was main issue dividing Jesus from the leaders of Israel?"
I strongly believe that it was how he was taking charge of what they held in their possession. What they held was the law. Jesus was taking the law, changing it, and in their minds he was hindering their power. He of course was doing this, and it extremely bothered the leaders of Israel. Out of their jealousy of Jesus' new found power, they killed him. In doing so, they violated one of the Ten Commandments.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17)
The leaders coveted a possession of their neighbor (Jesus' power), and they broke a law which they had vowed to uphold.
Thanks for reading!
I strongly believe that it was how he was taking charge of what they held in their possession. What they held was the law. Jesus was taking the law, changing it, and in their minds he was hindering their power. He of course was doing this, and it extremely bothered the leaders of Israel. Out of their jealousy of Jesus' new found power, they killed him. In doing so, they violated one of the Ten Commandments.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17)
The leaders coveted a possession of their neighbor (Jesus' power), and they broke a law which they had vowed to uphold.
Thanks for reading!
Tha
T
The Art of Dendrochronology
Today I would like to take a quick look into the intriguing practice of Dendrochronology. Dendrochronology is the study of tree rings to see how old a particular piece of wood is. Each year, a tree will add a new ring to it's trunk. Dendrochronologists can then observe the patterns of the rings and determine many fascinating things.
Using this practice, pieces of wood can actually be studied and analyzed to decipher as to what kind of weather a particular year had! Dendrochronology has even been used to discover the dates of panel paintings and architectural structures! Just think about it, without dendrochronology we may not to have been able to figure out when different pieces of the world's history came into play!
Dendrochronology has played, been playing, and will continue to play a very significant role in the history of humanity.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
Using this practice, pieces of wood can actually be studied and analyzed to decipher as to what kind of weather a particular year had! Dendrochronology has even been used to discover the dates of panel paintings and architectural structures! Just think about it, without dendrochronology we may not to have been able to figure out when different pieces of the world's history came into play!
Dendrochronology has played, been playing, and will continue to play a very significant role in the history of humanity.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Conflict Between the Sadducees and Apostles
"Why were the Sadducees and the Apostles unable to find a way to reconcile their rival opinions?"
The apostles and Sadducees were coming from completely different perspectives. The Sadducees were still following the Mosaic law, while the apostles were following the laws that Jesus, the son of God had put down. In both of these religions there is only one God and his laws are sovereign, which is why the Sadducees where unwilling to follow Jesus' teachings. What they didn't understand (more like unwilling to undrestand) is that Jesus was God in the flesh. The Sadducees did not want to change their views and opinions, so they simply denied that the teachings of the apostles were correct.
The apostles and Sadducees were coming from completely different perspectives. The Sadducees were still following the Mosaic law, while the apostles were following the laws that Jesus, the son of God had put down. In both of these religions there is only one God and his laws are sovereign, which is why the Sadducees where unwilling to follow Jesus' teachings. What they didn't understand (more like unwilling to undrestand) is that Jesus was God in the flesh. The Sadducees did not want to change their views and opinions, so they simply denied that the teachings of the apostles were correct.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Plants' Roles in a Zombie Apocalypse
"Describe one or more possible roles plants could play in the future of humanity. How are these roles different than what occurred in the past?"
There are of course several fascinating roles that Earth's plants can play in the future, but for today I would like to discuss how they can potentially help in a zombie apocalypse. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I always do serious reports, so I thought that I would go ahead and have a little fun with this one.
If something as impossible as the zombie apocalypse were to happen, plants would play an absolutely vital role in people's everyday lives. For instance, vines could be used as rope in order to serve as a temporary fix for broken fences, many medicinal herbs could be used to prevent/cure illnesses, trees could be used as "safe houses" because it would be difficult for a mindless rotting zombie to climb a ladder successfully, and people could also use different kinds of plants as camouflage for either them, or for their houses.
Now we come to the question "How are these roles different than what occurred in the past?". The answer is terribly simple. In the past, there wasn't a zombie apocalypse. Since there was never a zombie apocalypse, people never had to build zombie proof homes, or attempt to find a cure for the zombie virus using medicinal herbs. If the zombie virus had never hit before, these things would be completely different concepts than in the past.
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and I hope that it gave you had a good laugh!
There are of course several fascinating roles that Earth's plants can play in the future, but for today I would like to discuss how they can potentially help in a zombie apocalypse. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I always do serious reports, so I thought that I would go ahead and have a little fun with this one.
 |
| Beacause of the thorns, rose bushes like this one would make very good fences around your home, to ward off any hostile zombie virus survivors. |
Now we come to the question "How are these roles different than what occurred in the past?". The answer is terribly simple. In the past, there wasn't a zombie apocalypse. Since there was never a zombie apocalypse, people never had to build zombie proof homes, or attempt to find a cure for the zombie virus using medicinal herbs. If the zombie virus had never hit before, these things would be completely different concepts than in the past.
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and I hope that it gave you had a good laugh!
The Carolingian Renaissance and Venerable Bede
"What was the Carolingian Renaissance, and why was it significant?"
The Carolingian Renaissance was a time of trying to continue the beautiful and admirable works/personality of the ancient past. It was a time of study and meditation of everything from the fantastic structures to the scriptural doctrines.
During the Carolingian Renaissance, Charlemagne had concluded that there was a lack of those who where literate in understanding Latin. Hence, Charlemagne ordered that a chain of schools be brought up to train the people.
Because of the Renaissance, even music started to take a turn. Charlemagne had a decent admiration for music, so he wanted there to be more writing and copying of music theory.
For the above reasons the Carolingian Renaissance was significant in our beloved history.
"Who was the Venerable Bede, and why was he significant?"
Venerable Bede (St. Bede), was an English monk who was made Doctor of the Church by LeoXll. He was a man of skilled translating and linguistic abilities which allowed him to write pieces of Theological significance, as well as pieces pertaining to science and history. He even wrote poetry!
St. Bede is also known for the time when he is said to have calculated the age of the world for himself instead of simply accepting the age that people said.
For the reasons listed above, it is no wonder as to why he was significant! He was a writer, a thinker, and he was a man worth remembering!
The Carolingian Renaissance was a time of trying to continue the beautiful and admirable works/personality of the ancient past. It was a time of study and meditation of everything from the fantastic structures to the scriptural doctrines.
During the Carolingian Renaissance, Charlemagne had concluded that there was a lack of those who where literate in understanding Latin. Hence, Charlemagne ordered that a chain of schools be brought up to train the people.
Because of the Renaissance, even music started to take a turn. Charlemagne had a decent admiration for music, so he wanted there to be more writing and copying of music theory.
For the above reasons the Carolingian Renaissance was significant in our beloved history.
"Who was the Venerable Bede, and why was he significant?"
Venerable Bede (St. Bede), was an English monk who was made Doctor of the Church by LeoXll. He was a man of skilled translating and linguistic abilities which allowed him to write pieces of Theological significance, as well as pieces pertaining to science and history. He even wrote poetry!
St. Bede is also known for the time when he is said to have calculated the age of the world for himself instead of simply accepting the age that people said.
For the reasons listed above, it is no wonder as to why he was significant! He was a writer, a thinker, and he was a man worth remembering!
The Importance of Miracles in Jesus' Early Ministry
"How important were the miracles in the book's account of Jesus' early ministry?"
The miracles were certainly crucial to the progress of Jesus' early ministry! They not only drew multitudes of people in to listen to what he had to say then, but they also draw people in to the Gospel by giving them something interesting to read or listen to now. With the credibility of the miracles, he was able to build a firm reputation of good works as a foundation for his teachings. This is why the miracles were very important to the account of Jesus's early ministry.
Thanks so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
The miracles were certainly crucial to the progress of Jesus' early ministry! They not only drew multitudes of people in to listen to what he had to say then, but they also draw people in to the Gospel by giving them something interesting to read or listen to now. With the credibility of the miracles, he was able to build a firm reputation of good works as a foundation for his teachings. This is why the miracles were very important to the account of Jesus's early ministry.
Thanks so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Monday, March 3, 2014
How Seeds Make Our World a Better Place
Today I thought that I would write a simple essay on how and why seeds matter. I will start off with discussing about them as a food source.
Seeds come in all sorts of interesting shapes and sizes. Among these shapes and sizes are some seeds that are quite delicious! For instance, the sunflower seed is one of the most well-known edible seeds. People have used them as salad toppings, little crunchy bits in energy bars, or simply as a snack for years! For many, the sunflower seed plays quite a large role in their diet.
Now Let's say that you are on a nature hike in the woods with your friends. I want you to look around. What do you see? You see plants of many varieties. Some of the plants are small, others are large, and still others are somewhere in-between. Of course this is obvious, but almost all of these plants come from seeds. The mighty oak tree, the small blackberry bush, and the wild flowers growing by the sparkling pond all come from seeds. These seeds generally have some kind of protective coating, as well as some method of transportation.
First of all, I will tell you about the seed's protective coating. The coating can be anything from a piece of fruit to a hard shell. Let's use the apple as an example. Once you finish eating all the fruit on an apple, you will see the core. In the core, you will see many small brown apple seeds. The protective coating for these seeds was the delicious apple that you just ate.
Now we move on to discussing the transportation of several kinds of seeds. Seeds move from location to location in many ways. One way is how certain kinds can stick to people and animals. We all know the things I'm talking about. Those nasty, irritating, and poky little demonic pickers that ruin our clothes and cause our pet's fur to become matted. Believe it or not, how they stick to us is quite an ingenious form of transportation for these seeds. Once they stick to an animal or a person, they can travel long distances until they finally fall off and grow into another poky plant. Another method of transportation that I think I should mention is how seeds can travel by being eaten. As gross as this sounds, it happens a lot, and is crucial to the survival of plants of various kinds. Once an animal or person eats a fruit that contains seeds, the seeds will come out the other end. If the seeds are lucky, they will land in a place where they can successfully grow into healthy strong plants. Some seeds also have the advantage of being able to float through the air like little fairies. A perfect example of this is the dandelion, which when it starts to die, forms these fuzzy things in place of it's petals. When we make a wish on these fuzzy things, they will carry lots of seeds through the air. Once these land, the ones that find profitable soil will grow into more dandelions and the process repeats itself.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
Seeds come in all sorts of interesting shapes and sizes. Among these shapes and sizes are some seeds that are quite delicious! For instance, the sunflower seed is one of the most well-known edible seeds. People have used them as salad toppings, little crunchy bits in energy bars, or simply as a snack for years! For many, the sunflower seed plays quite a large role in their diet.
Now Let's say that you are on a nature hike in the woods with your friends. I want you to look around. What do you see? You see plants of many varieties. Some of the plants are small, others are large, and still others are somewhere in-between. Of course this is obvious, but almost all of these plants come from seeds. The mighty oak tree, the small blackberry bush, and the wild flowers growing by the sparkling pond all come from seeds. These seeds generally have some kind of protective coating, as well as some method of transportation.
First of all, I will tell you about the seed's protective coating. The coating can be anything from a piece of fruit to a hard shell. Let's use the apple as an example. Once you finish eating all the fruit on an apple, you will see the core. In the core, you will see many small brown apple seeds. The protective coating for these seeds was the delicious apple that you just ate.
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| Here is an example of a fuzzy dandelion. |
Now we move on to discussing the transportation of several kinds of seeds. Seeds move from location to location in many ways. One way is how certain kinds can stick to people and animals. We all know the things I'm talking about. Those nasty, irritating, and poky little demonic pickers that ruin our clothes and cause our pet's fur to become matted. Believe it or not, how they stick to us is quite an ingenious form of transportation for these seeds. Once they stick to an animal or a person, they can travel long distances until they finally fall off and grow into another poky plant. Another method of transportation that I think I should mention is how seeds can travel by being eaten. As gross as this sounds, it happens a lot, and is crucial to the survival of plants of various kinds. Once an animal or person eats a fruit that contains seeds, the seeds will come out the other end. If the seeds are lucky, they will land in a place where they can successfully grow into healthy strong plants. Some seeds also have the advantage of being able to float through the air like little fairies. A perfect example of this is the dandelion, which when it starts to die, forms these fuzzy things in place of it's petals. When we make a wish on these fuzzy things, they will carry lots of seeds through the air. Once these land, the ones that find profitable soil will grow into more dandelions and the process repeats itself.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
The Merovingians, Carolingians, and Charlemagne
"What picture of Charlemagne emerges from Einhard's biography?"
The picture that I see of Charlemagne in this biography is one of elegance and respect. I see a man who worked to bring up his children in a secure environment, and I see a man who worked to beautify the place in which he lived.
For many, I believe that they will probably pay closest attention to the wars in which he fought, or perhaps they will particularly notice the power which he held. I personally have little interest in the wars or politics. I have interest in the description of the man, and aren't I supposed to be describing the picture of the man?
For me, the picture of Charlemagne that emerges from Einhard's biography is one which demands attention and wonder. I see a man who was quite admirable. That is the picture which I believe emerges from Einhard's biography.
"Discuss the shift in power from the Merovingians to the Carolingians. Why did it occur, and how?"
First of all, the Merovingians were not exactly what I'd call skilled administrators. For instance, they fought among each other in bloody slaughters between brothers and cousins. They also would take place in human sacrifice. Needles to say, these weren't the kind of people that you would like as your neighbors.
As time went on, a man named Pepin the Short came to power thanks to the Pope. Pepin asked the Pope if it was right that a ruler whom did nothing had power, but the one who did something had no power. The Pope said that was not right, and this is where the shift between power changed.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
The picture that I see of Charlemagne in this biography is one of elegance and respect. I see a man who worked to bring up his children in a secure environment, and I see a man who worked to beautify the place in which he lived.
For many, I believe that they will probably pay closest attention to the wars in which he fought, or perhaps they will particularly notice the power which he held. I personally have little interest in the wars or politics. I have interest in the description of the man, and aren't I supposed to be describing the picture of the man?
For me, the picture of Charlemagne that emerges from Einhard's biography is one which demands attention and wonder. I see a man who was quite admirable. That is the picture which I believe emerges from Einhard's biography.
"Discuss the shift in power from the Merovingians to the Carolingians. Why did it occur, and how?"
First of all, the Merovingians were not exactly what I'd call skilled administrators. For instance, they fought among each other in bloody slaughters between brothers and cousins. They also would take place in human sacrifice. Needles to say, these weren't the kind of people that you would like as your neighbors.
As time went on, a man named Pepin the Short came to power thanks to the Pope. Pepin asked the Pope if it was right that a ruler whom did nothing had power, but the one who did something had no power. The Pope said that was not right, and this is where the shift between power changed.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
Friday, February 21, 2014
Horace's Ethical View
"What was Horace's concept of personal ethical cause and effect?"
Horace's concept of ethical cause and effect was not half bad. Using his Stoic view of the world he said to be much like the ant. The ant stores food for the winter and eats it during the colder months in order to stay alive. The little creature does not hoard the crumbs until she dies having not even touched them. He said that people should also not hoard money or food. When you die, an heir of yours may come into possession of it and use it anyways.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Horace's concept of ethical cause and effect was not half bad. Using his Stoic view of the world he said to be much like the ant. The ant stores food for the winter and eats it during the colder months in order to stay alive. The little creature does not hoard the crumbs until she dies having not even touched them. He said that people should also not hoard money or food. When you die, an heir of yours may come into possession of it and use it anyways.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis
"Compare and contrast photosynthesis and cellular respiration."
Hello all! Today I am going to be talking about some of the similarities and differences in the two interesting phenomenons called photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Right off the bat we see an obvious similarity between the two. They both use ATP. (In case you were wondering, ATP is a chemical compound that conveys chemical energy inside of cells for metabolism.)
We also see a key difference between the two. This difference is how photosynthesis happens inside of things that we call chloroplasts, but cellular respiration takes place in the mitochondria.
The last thing that I would like to mention is how photosynthesis and cellular respiration help each other. They rely upon one another in order to properly work. In my opinion, this is the main similarity between the two processes.
I hope that you find this essay useful, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
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| All plants use photosynthesis. Even the apple trees in this orchard. |
Right off the bat we see an obvious similarity between the two. They both use ATP. (In case you were wondering, ATP is a chemical compound that conveys chemical energy inside of cells for metabolism.)
We also see a key difference between the two. This difference is how photosynthesis happens inside of things that we call chloroplasts, but cellular respiration takes place in the mitochondria.
The last thing that I would like to mention is how photosynthesis and cellular respiration help each other. They rely upon one another in order to properly work. In my opinion, this is the main similarity between the two processes.
I hope that you find this essay useful, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Rome's Significance and St. Augustine
"Why was Rome significant in the history of Western civilization?
Rome played a quite drastic role in the history of Western civilization! So drastic that I don't even have enough time to write about all of it's significance in our history. I will give you some of it's main roots of significance though.
I would like to start off with it's significance in it's beautifully written masterpieces of literature. Ancient Rome's literature has been inspiring us since it was first written and is still continuing to do an amazing job of that in today's society. From Livy's History of Rome to Ovid's Metamorphoses, the literature of ancient Rome was simply stunning! For this reason it is still read and admired by a great many today.
Another reason that Rome is significant in the history of Western civilization is due to it's Latin language. I can't even begin to stress how many English words have been derived from the Latin language. The words quest, quip, tend, and example all have the Latin language to thank for their existence.
One of the other reasons that Rome was significant in the history of Western civilization is because it took great care in preserving the wonderful aspects of the Greek culture. Even though Rome was great, it certainly thought of Greece as being greater in some aspects.
And last but not least, perhaps one of Rome's greatest places in the history of Western civilization is from it's astonishing architecture. Rome played an absolutely vital role in allowing us to attain some of the styles of building and road making that have been used for centuries! The craftsmanship of ancient Rome was magnificent, and it is no wonder that we continue to use much of it today!
"What was the significance of St. Augustine in Christian history?"
His significance in history comes from many aspects of his life I do believe. Personally, I suppose that one of these aspects is how he was a sort of philosopher for God. He was continuously looking for the truth, and he said that he found it in Christianity. For some Christians (and non-Christians), this might seem like an encouragement to keep on searching for the one indisputable truth.
Another aspect is how he seemed to enlighten more people to find the thing beyond the physical. Like I said earlier, he was always on a search for the truth.
Another is how he wrote his inspiring work, The City of God. During the time when the City of God was written, Christianity was being blamed for the fall of Rome. In the first half The City of God he is trying to explain why Christianity was not to be blamed for the fall of the empire, and what was to be blamed. In the second half he tried to explain God's world and an evil world in an interesting way. He described them as two cities. One filled with those who were good and wanted to know the truth. The other, filled with those who had no desire to love God and keep his commandments. This great work of his undoubtedly encouraged and inspired many people considering how it is still being read to this very day!
Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Rome played a quite drastic role in the history of Western civilization! So drastic that I don't even have enough time to write about all of it's significance in our history. I will give you some of it's main roots of significance though.
I would like to start off with it's significance in it's beautifully written masterpieces of literature. Ancient Rome's literature has been inspiring us since it was first written and is still continuing to do an amazing job of that in today's society. From Livy's History of Rome to Ovid's Metamorphoses, the literature of ancient Rome was simply stunning! For this reason it is still read and admired by a great many today.
Another reason that Rome is significant in the history of Western civilization is due to it's Latin language. I can't even begin to stress how many English words have been derived from the Latin language. The words quest, quip, tend, and example all have the Latin language to thank for their existence.
One of the other reasons that Rome was significant in the history of Western civilization is because it took great care in preserving the wonderful aspects of the Greek culture. Even though Rome was great, it certainly thought of Greece as being greater in some aspects.
And last but not least, perhaps one of Rome's greatest places in the history of Western civilization is from it's astonishing architecture. Rome played an absolutely vital role in allowing us to attain some of the styles of building and road making that have been used for centuries! The craftsmanship of ancient Rome was magnificent, and it is no wonder that we continue to use much of it today!
"What was the significance of St. Augustine in Christian history?"
His significance in history comes from many aspects of his life I do believe. Personally, I suppose that one of these aspects is how he was a sort of philosopher for God. He was continuously looking for the truth, and he said that he found it in Christianity. For some Christians (and non-Christians), this might seem like an encouragement to keep on searching for the one indisputable truth.
Another aspect is how he seemed to enlighten more people to find the thing beyond the physical. Like I said earlier, he was always on a search for the truth.
Another is how he wrote his inspiring work, The City of God. During the time when the City of God was written, Christianity was being blamed for the fall of Rome. In the first half The City of God he is trying to explain why Christianity was not to be blamed for the fall of the empire, and what was to be blamed. In the second half he tried to explain God's world and an evil world in an interesting way. He described them as two cities. One filled with those who were good and wanted to know the truth. The other, filled with those who had no desire to love God and keep his commandments. This great work of his undoubtedly encouraged and inspired many people considering how it is still being read to this very day!
Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Ovid's View of the God's Ethical Performance
" What was Ovid's view of the god's ethical performance?"
He never states his view formally in Metamorphoses, but we can get a pretty clear idea from the stories that he chooses for his poem. The stories that he chooses are extremely lacking in ethical performance.
Let's take the story of Jupiter and Io as an example. The god Jupiter rapes Io and tries to hide the evil deed from his wife.
For the lack of ethics in these stories I assume that he didn't think highly of the god's ethical performance.
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think of it!
He never states his view formally in Metamorphoses, but we can get a pretty clear idea from the stories that he chooses for his poem. The stories that he chooses are extremely lacking in ethical performance.
Let's take the story of Jupiter and Io as an example. The god Jupiter rapes Io and tries to hide the evil deed from his wife.
For the lack of ethics in these stories I assume that he didn't think highly of the god's ethical performance.
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think of it!
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Christianity's departure from ancient ideals and practices, and the relationship between Rome and the Visigoths
"In what ways did Christianity represent a departure from the ideals and practices of ancient Greece and Rome?"
Christianity represented a departure in more ways than one. Among them were how the Christians looked down on suicide, but it was not always looked down upon in the time of ancient Greece and Rome.
They also looked down on the gladiatorial battles. This is no surprise since the battles went against practically everything that the Christians stood for. The Christian teachings are very clear that murder is a horrible sin, and murder is exactly what the gladiatorial battles were.
There were absolutely other things that the Christians departed from, but these are a few of them to give you an idea.
"Discuss the relationship between Rome and the Visigoths."
The relationship between Rome and the "Barbarian" people called the Visigoths was extremely interesting! I will start off with the Huns' pursuit of the Visigoths.
One of the more warlike "Barbarian" peoples called the Huns, were regularly searching after the Visigoths. The Visigoths as you can imagine were quite frightened by the Huns, and they begged Rome to allow them to settle there. They were eventually allowed, but although out of the way of the Huns' wrath, they were now being subjected to quite detestable treatment by the Romans.
They were barely given enough food to live off of, nor were they given the land that they had been told that they would receive. Of course the Visigoths were enraged because of this, and they decided to do what most any people would do. They revolted. After years of fighting, the Romans knew that they must negotiate with the Visigoths, so that is just what they did.
That about sums up the fascinating relationship between Rome and the Visigoths.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
Christianity represented a departure in more ways than one. Among them were how the Christians looked down on suicide, but it was not always looked down upon in the time of ancient Greece and Rome.
They also looked down on the gladiatorial battles. This is no surprise since the battles went against practically everything that the Christians stood for. The Christian teachings are very clear that murder is a horrible sin, and murder is exactly what the gladiatorial battles were.
There were absolutely other things that the Christians departed from, but these are a few of them to give you an idea.
"Discuss the relationship between Rome and the Visigoths."
The relationship between Rome and the "Barbarian" people called the Visigoths was extremely interesting! I will start off with the Huns' pursuit of the Visigoths.
One of the more warlike "Barbarian" peoples called the Huns, were regularly searching after the Visigoths. The Visigoths as you can imagine were quite frightened by the Huns, and they begged Rome to allow them to settle there. They were eventually allowed, but although out of the way of the Huns' wrath, they were now being subjected to quite detestable treatment by the Romans.
They were barely given enough food to live off of, nor were they given the land that they had been told that they would receive. Of course the Visigoths were enraged because of this, and they decided to do what most any people would do. They revolted. After years of fighting, the Romans knew that they must negotiate with the Visigoths, so that is just what they did.
That about sums up the fascinating relationship between Rome and the Visigoths.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
Monday, February 3, 2014
The Fascinating world of Taxonomy
"What are some of the challenges of systematics and taxonomy? Should a biologist's classification be taken as absolute, inviolable truth? In your opinion, is taxonomy necessary and/or important? Why or why not?
I was asked to tell you about some of the challenges of systematics and taxonomy. I will do just that! First of all, when a biologist tries to classify a species he can run into some annoying problems. The problems that I'm talking about are how some species share both animal and plant characteristics. As you can probably imagine, this poses quite a snare for the person who is trying to classify this creature.
This information will prove crucial to answering the next question, which is if a biologist's classification should be taken as absolute. I think not! In the past we have seen classifications being changed as we gain more knowledge about the species that we are attempting to classify, so how is this any different? That's just it, it's not! Of course, most of the time we don't have people wondering where a horse falls into the grand scheme of taxonomy, unless they have completely gone mad. But for some things, such as with the plant or animal scenario, it is entirely possible for something to be classified wrong.
This poses a new question. Is taxonomy important? Well, just because we might classify something wrong every once in a while doesn't mean that it isn't important in my opinion! I think that taxonomy is absolutely necessary! Without taxonomy, how else would we figure out where a cow or woodpecker go. Without it, we would have difficulty differentiating between one species from another. Without it, we might not be able to properly communicate which species we are talking about! That would certainly cause some major challenges for scientists and biologists who are trying to study a certain species don't you think?
Anyways, I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
I was asked to tell you about some of the challenges of systematics and taxonomy. I will do just that! First of all, when a biologist tries to classify a species he can run into some annoying problems. The problems that I'm talking about are how some species share both animal and plant characteristics. As you can probably imagine, this poses quite a snare for the person who is trying to classify this creature.
This information will prove crucial to answering the next question, which is if a biologist's classification should be taken as absolute. I think not! In the past we have seen classifications being changed as we gain more knowledge about the species that we are attempting to classify, so how is this any different? That's just it, it's not! Of course, most of the time we don't have people wondering where a horse falls into the grand scheme of taxonomy, unless they have completely gone mad. But for some things, such as with the plant or animal scenario, it is entirely possible for something to be classified wrong.
This poses a new question. Is taxonomy important? Well, just because we might classify something wrong every once in a while doesn't mean that it isn't important in my opinion! I think that taxonomy is absolutely necessary! Without taxonomy, how else would we figure out where a cow or woodpecker go. Without it, we would have difficulty differentiating between one species from another. Without it, we might not be able to properly communicate which species we are talking about! That would certainly cause some major challenges for scientists and biologists who are trying to study a certain species don't you think?
Anyways, I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
Friday, January 31, 2014
Optimism in Livy and Ovid
"Was there any basis for an optimistic view of Rome in Livy and Ovid?"
Can we find any basis for an optimistic view of Rome? I think that we absolutely can! For instance, In Livy, when the Sabine women are kidnapped, they end up giving in after a while and their children became Rome's first offspring. I suppose that there is reason for optimism there.
In Ovid we see that two people did survive the flood of Jupiter. They were even allowed to continue the human race. So, was there any basis for an optimistic view? Yes, I believe that there was.
Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Can we find any basis for an optimistic view of Rome? I think that we absolutely can! For instance, In Livy, when the Sabine women are kidnapped, they end up giving in after a while and their children became Rome's first offspring. I suppose that there is reason for optimism there.
In Ovid we see that two people did survive the flood of Jupiter. They were even allowed to continue the human race. So, was there any basis for an optimistic view? Yes, I believe that there was.
Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Thursday, January 30, 2014
The Monks and Christian Writers of Old
"What kinds of contributions did the monks make to European society?"
The kinds of contributions that the monks made were quite vast indeed! The monks did everything from beer brewing, to copying manuscripts, and even spent time participating in agriculture!
I would like to mention that the monks didn't only copy manuscripts of religious significance, but also some of the great writings pertaining to things outside of their religion.
They also served as innkeepers for those who had been shipwrecked or were lost, and some monks were teachers as well. Among these things, their monasteries would sometimes serve as hospitals for the sick.
I have to say that the monks certainly made some fantastic contributions to European society! Who knows where we would be had it not been for the monks!
"What was the attitude of most Christian writers toward the philosophers of ancient Greece?"
The attitude of most Christian writers toward the philosophers of ancient Greece is probably not what you would expect. The attitude of most Christian writers was actually quite welcoming toward them! The Christian writers saw many of the philosophers as hinting at the existence of the one true God of whom they believed. They thought that the teachings of the ancient Greek philosophers should therefore be preserved for others to learn. Of course there was a small minority that didn't believe this. The minority thought that anything other than the teachings of the Gospel were not necessary to the Christian religion. But this was certainly not the wide-held view!
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
The kinds of contributions that the monks made were quite vast indeed! The monks did everything from beer brewing, to copying manuscripts, and even spent time participating in agriculture!
I would like to mention that the monks didn't only copy manuscripts of religious significance, but also some of the great writings pertaining to things outside of their religion.
They also served as innkeepers for those who had been shipwrecked or were lost, and some monks were teachers as well. Among these things, their monasteries would sometimes serve as hospitals for the sick.
I have to say that the monks certainly made some fantastic contributions to European society! Who knows where we would be had it not been for the monks!
"What was the attitude of most Christian writers toward the philosophers of ancient Greece?"
The attitude of most Christian writers toward the philosophers of ancient Greece is probably not what you would expect. The attitude of most Christian writers was actually quite welcoming toward them! The Christian writers saw many of the philosophers as hinting at the existence of the one true God of whom they believed. They thought that the teachings of the ancient Greek philosophers should therefore be preserved for others to learn. Of course there was a small minority that didn't believe this. The minority thought that anything other than the teachings of the Gospel were not necessary to the Christian religion. But this was certainly not the wide-held view!
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Rhetorical Context in Cicero's Orations
"How important was the rhetorical Context of Cicero's orations: his listener's fear of Catiline's conspiracy and army?"
In my opinion, the rhetorical context of Cicero's orations was undeniably important in making his listeners afraid of Catiline's conspiracy and army!
Rhetorical context is what made his speeches so fantastic! I don't think that he would have gotten very far in his orations had he not used such good rhetoric. Using outstanding rhetorical context was an amazing gift that he held in his possession, and he used it to stir up the emotions of many. He had an advantage that no other man in history possessed.
Thanks so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
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| Cicero |
Rhetorical context is what made his speeches so fantastic! I don't think that he would have gotten very far in his orations had he not used such good rhetoric. Using outstanding rhetorical context was an amazing gift that he held in his possession, and he used it to stir up the emotions of many. He had an advantage that no other man in history possessed.
Thanks so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Early Christianity and the Didache
"What are a few things we learn about early Christianity from the Didache?"
In the document called the Didache, there is no doubt that we can learn a thing or two about early Christianity. The first thing that I believe we can learn about early Christianity from this document, is that the early Christians had an extreme love and respect to their god. Certainly, the Didache would not have said, "thou shalt love the God who made thee" unless it was an important part of the Christian religion. And it indeed was! All throughout the Christian teachings it talks about loving God with all your heart soul and mind.
Another thing that I notice is how early Christians, like those of today, believed in "the way of death". Basically, "the way of death" is anything wicked. Here are some examples.
"1 But the Way of Death is this: First of all, it is wicked and full of cursing, murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, witchcrafts, charms, robberies, false witness, hypocrisies, a double heart, fraud, pride, malice, stubbornness, covetousness, foul speech, jealousy, impudence, haughtiness, boastfulness."
Lastly, I will mention that the early Christians did not seem to take baptism lightly, for the Didache has very specific instructions on how baptism should be done.
I think that we can all agree that the Didache gives a great insight into the beliefs of early Christians! I will provide the link to it so that you can read it for yourself.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-lake.html
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think!
In the document called the Didache, there is no doubt that we can learn a thing or two about early Christianity. The first thing that I believe we can learn about early Christianity from this document, is that the early Christians had an extreme love and respect to their god. Certainly, the Didache would not have said, "thou shalt love the God who made thee" unless it was an important part of the Christian religion. And it indeed was! All throughout the Christian teachings it talks about loving God with all your heart soul and mind.
Another thing that I notice is how early Christians, like those of today, believed in "the way of death". Basically, "the way of death" is anything wicked. Here are some examples.
"1 But the Way of Death is this: First of all, it is wicked and full of cursing, murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, witchcrafts, charms, robberies, false witness, hypocrisies, a double heart, fraud, pride, malice, stubbornness, covetousness, foul speech, jealousy, impudence, haughtiness, boastfulness."
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| The Didache |
Lastly, I will mention that the early Christians did not seem to take baptism lightly, for the Didache has very specific instructions on how baptism should be done.
I think that we can all agree that the Didache gives a great insight into the beliefs of early Christians! I will provide the link to it so that you can read it for yourself.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-lake.html
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
The Immigration of Hawks Into a Different Community
In a community that has the five trophic levels of plants, crickets, mice, snakes, and hawks, the immigration of even more hawks would definitely cause some big changes! One likely outcome would be that the hawks would begin feeding off of the mice and snakes. Both the mice and snake population would therefore decrease, and the plant and cricket population would spike because of the small number of their predators.
Another possibility is that the mice population is filled with disease at the time that the hawks begin feeding on them. This results in the disease's spreading to the newly introduced hawk population. The hawk population would then begin to rapidly decrease due to the massive amount of hawk deaths in the community. The other species of plants and animals would now start to multiply due to the decrease in the numbers of hawks and mice.
Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Another possibility is that the mice population is filled with disease at the time that the hawks begin feeding on them. This results in the disease's spreading to the newly introduced hawk population. The hawk population would then begin to rapidly decrease due to the massive amount of hawk deaths in the community. The other species of plants and animals would now start to multiply due to the decrease in the numbers of hawks and mice. Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
"If you had been Catiline, what would you have said to undermine Cicero's case?"
If I had been Catiline, I would have confronted Cicero on many of his accusations. Cicero seems to have accused Catiline of many devious/evil things, and yet he presents no real proof to him or to the senate. I would have asked Cicero to provide the proof that he wasn't sharing. If there was real proof of the deeds then of course I would be condemned, but if there was no real proof I would have a tremendous advantage. I would therefore be able to represent myself to not only the senate, but also to Cicero, as an innocent individual.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Comparison of Christianity and Other Ways of Life
This week I will be writing an essay that compares the teachings of Christianity to the ways of life in some of the ancient civilizations. (This includes their values and thoughts.) Let's get started by comparing the teachings of Christianity to the values held by the ancient Greeks, and then I will compare the teachings of Christianity to the values taught in the works of Homer.
The Christian teachings stated extreme respect for their god. The same goes for the ancient Greeks who respected their gods a great deal.
Another comparison that I would like to make is that the Greeks (as well as Homer) talked about the value of hospitality. The Christian teachings also talk about the value of hospitality. I am referring to one of their most cherished teachings, which is to treat your neighbor as you would yourself.
The last thing that I would like to discuss is the way that some of the ancient thinkers thought compared to Christianity. The first thinker that I would like to talk about is Plato. He believed in things called the forms. The forms were things things that we cannot see. The Christian teachings also talk about things separate from this world. For instance, the Christian teachings talk about God, Heaven, angels, and the Devil which are all unseen things.
And for my final example I will be using all of the ancient philosophers. Other than the fact that all philosophers are human, (but my dog does seem to be a kind of philosopher considering the amount of thinking that she does...just kidding, haha!), all philosophers are trying to use logic to explain things, and Christianity also talks about thinking through things logically.
As you can see, there are many similarities between Christianity, the ancient Greeks, Homer, and the ancient Greek philosophers.
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think!
The Christian teachings stated extreme respect for their god. The same goes for the ancient Greeks who respected their gods a great deal.
Another comparison that I would like to make is that the Greeks (as well as Homer) talked about the value of hospitality. The Christian teachings also talk about the value of hospitality. I am referring to one of their most cherished teachings, which is to treat your neighbor as you would yourself.
The last thing that I would like to discuss is the way that some of the ancient thinkers thought compared to Christianity. The first thinker that I would like to talk about is Plato. He believed in things called the forms. The forms were things things that we cannot see. The Christian teachings also talk about things separate from this world. For instance, the Christian teachings talk about God, Heaven, angels, and the Devil which are all unseen things.
And for my final example I will be using all of the ancient philosophers. Other than the fact that all philosophers are human, (but my dog does seem to be a kind of philosopher considering the amount of thinking that she does...just kidding, haha!), all philosophers are trying to use logic to explain things, and Christianity also talks about thinking through things logically.
As you can see, there are many similarities between Christianity, the ancient Greeks, Homer, and the ancient Greek philosophers.
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think!
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