Judaism, Christianity, Islam Essay Example for Free

Judaism, Christianity, Islam Essay The three oldest religions are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Judaism is a one of the oldest religions known to people. Judaism is a monotheistic religion, which means that Jewish people pray to only one g-d. There weren’t too many religions like this when it originated which made Judaism very unique at the time. Moses was one of the most famous Jewish prophets. He led the Jewish people out of slavery, led them to Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments, a set of rules that people even today still follow. The Jews have many customs and traditions. Among them are circumcision, bar or bat mitzvah, special rituals and prayers to be said during a wedding and during death and mourning. Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin of the penis. The rite of circumcision is one of the most ancient practices of Judaism. Circumcision is done because of a Commandment by God to Abraham as it is written in the Torah and as a sign of commitment of Jewish people. The Torah is Judaism’s most important text. It contains the Five Books of Moses and is the source of the Ten Commandments. Bar or Bat mitzvah’ is when a child reaches the age of maturity, 13 for boys, and 12 for girls, and is ready to become an adult their community. At that age, a child becomes responsible for his actions and is obligated to observe the commandments. This ceremony is incorporated into an ordinary Sabbath service. During a Jewish wedding, the bride and groom get married under a special cloth called a â€Å"chuppah† or special canopy. Another tradition that is followed during a Jewish wedding is the breaking of a small glass at the end of the ceremony. This is to symbolize that even though this is a happy event, people should still remember the hardships that were faced before the Jewish people got to that place in time. During death and mourning, a Jewish family will sit â€Å"shiva† which is sitting in mourning for seven days after the death of a loved one. Some other customs are wearing a kippah on the head in a synagogue or wearing a tallit, a prayer shawl, while praying. Christianity is one of the world’s major monotheistic religions. Christianity takes the beliefs and practices very seriously. The central figure in Christianity is Jesus Christ. As the Son of God, he came to earth to teach about love and fellowship. He represents the person that all Christians must strive to be. Christians believe that he is the only one that ever lived on earth that can be called perfect from all worldly sins. The important thing to understand was that Jesus was God. He was here on earth to teach of God’s plan for all of humanity and to save the people of the world from their transgressions. In Christianity, God is almighty and rules over all of heaven and earth. He is the one that created the earth and one day will cast judgment over the entire earth. Christians understand that through Jesus Christ, people can be saved from this judgment. By believing that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, the Spirit of God is exists in all believers, and that God is almighty in power. A person can be saved from this judgment. Christians believe in heaven and hell. Heaven is the place where believers would enjoy the presence of God and other believers and freedom from suffering and sin. Hell is where unbelievers and sinners are punished for their sins committed during the course of their lives. Baptism is one of the most important sacraments in Christianity. It involves application of or immersion in water, a blessing, and the pronouncement, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Most Christian churches baptize both infants and adults, but some believe that baptism is only rightly performed on adults. Views of baptism vary, but common views of the rituals include: it grants or symbolizes salvation, commemorates Christs death and resurrection, fulfills the command of Jesus to baptize, cleanses away sins, confers grace, and publicly expresses ones faith. Christianity also teaches about the importance of attending Holy Mass. It’s important for Christians to keep their Sabbath according to the commandments. It is observed on the seventh day which usually falls on a Sunday or Saturday and is considered a weekly day of rest from work. The day is spent fasting and praying and attending Holy Mass. At Mass, followers are taught about the teachings in the bible through scripture readings. The celebration of Mass would conclude with the sharing of communion. Communion represents the Passover that Jesus celebrated with his twelve disciples on the eve of His death. It is an integral part of Christian worship. It causes Christians to remember the Lord’s death and resurrection and to look for His glorious return in the future. Holidays, feasts and fasts are a significant part of Christian religious practice. The feast days celebrate joyous and sorrowful historical events such as the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, while the fast days provide a special opportunity to focus on self-reflection, self-discipline and repentance. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and it runs for forty days. During the forty days Christians fast and pray which represents the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and praying. Lent is followed by Easter which represents the return of Jesus from the wilderness. Easter starts from Palm Sunday. His death and resurrection is observed during Easter. Special Services are kept in the church during this week and ends with Easter Sunday, the day that Jesus rose from the dead. Islam is a simple and practical religion. It has established, clear, and easily understandable beliefs and laws that any follower or student of the religion can easily understand. Islam affirms belief in a decent, civilized society. Islam also does not demand impossible goodness of its followers, but it recognizes that all human beings make mistakes and sin. No one is exempt. Islam preaches peace, mercy, justice, tolerance, equality, love, truth, forgiveness, patience, morality, sincerity and righteousness. Islam is the religion that preaches the Oneness of God, the Oneness of mankind and the Oneness of the Message. Muslims believe that there is only one supreme God, Allah. In Islam to believe in Allah is not only to believe in Allahs existence but also to believe in all Allahs attributions, to worship Allah alone, and to obey all Allahs commands. Islam teaches about the five pillars: Shahada, Salah, Seyam, Zakat and Hajj. Shahada is the verbal commitment and pledge that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. It is the duty of every Muslim, male and female, after reaching the age of puberty, to perform five Salats or prayers at specific times during the day and night. These five specific times are: Dawn, Noon, Afternoon, Sunset, and Night. A ritual called Wudu, which is the cleaning several parts of the body with water, is a prerequisite to Salat. Fasting during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar, is from sun up to sun down only and is an obligation on every healthy adult Muslim, male or female. Fasting is total abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking, gum chewing, intimate relations, and taking anything into the body. If a person is ill and needs to take medication, he/she cannot fast. Fasting is also a time to discipline ones self from bad behaviors, such as; arguing and saying mean things. Those who are ill or unable to fast for health or reasons of age are exempt from fasting. However, they should feel the poor one meal for every day they miss of fasting. Women who are pregnant, menstruating, or nursing, or any who are traveling, are also exempt from fasting. However, when their situation changes, they make up the days of fasting or feed the poor one meal for each day of fasting they missed. Zakat is an annual obligatory charity on every Muslim, male or female, who possesses over the last year money or property that exceeds their minimum needs. The requirement is 2. 5% of ones excess wealth. The performance of the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim, if financially able, as well as physically able. Hajj begins every year during the month of Dul Hejja. Dul Hejja is the 12th month of the Islamic calendar year. The Hajj is a spiritual journey where a Muslim forgets all worldly things and devotes his/her attention and time to Allah alone. Islam looks at the woman as an equal, mature and capable partner of a man, without whom a family cannot exist and teaches that men and women are all the creation of Allah, existing on a level of equal worth and value. In some societies women are treated according to ancestral customs and tribal tradition, but in Islam they are treated with full respect and honor. Islam preserves womens honor and dignity, and requires that she must be treated with respect and honor. Her femininity should not be exploited in any way, rather she is to be regarded and treated as human individual whose sexuality does not enter into her relationship with any person other than her husband. In Islam marriage cannot take place unless the female freely agrees to it and a dowry is given to her. Islam puts priorities for the husbands and wives. The responsibility for providing for the family is on the husband, while the responsibility to care for the house and raising the children is on the wife. These are the main priorities, but cooperation between the husband and the wife is required and highly recommended.

Essay on Symbolism in Kafkas Metamorphosis -- Kafka Metamorphosis Ess

Symbolism in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis    Kafka uses symbolism in his short story, Metamorphosis.   He uses this technique to make the reader try and figure out what was going on in his head.   He brought out in this story many things about his life, including his father/family, love life, and his future.   He used metaphors to show his love for people in his life.   This story is autobiographical about the forces that control Franz Kafka's life.   In this paper I will explain how Kafka relates his life to the readers through the story in Metamorphosis.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Franz Kafka had trouble at home with his father.   His father wanted him to become a lawyer, but Franz did not want to be a lawyer, he wanted to be a writer.   He went to law school against his will, because his father wanted him to go there.   He then took a high paying position with the government of Czechoslovakia in an insurance post.   In the story, Gregor?s father had very little respect for him, and Gregor had to work to pay off the family debts.   That is an example of Gregor?s father?s control over his life and Kafka?s situation was similar.   He eventually was forced to become a lawyer, whereas what Kafka wanted was a literary degree.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Franz Kafka made his character, Gregor, transform into an insect in the story.   Nobody wants to associate themselves with an insect, which is a lowly creature, a pest, or nuisance.   This symbolizes Kafka?s depression and his poor self image.   Since his family treats the insect like an outcast, that must be how Franz felt about the treatment that his own family gave him.   It showed the control that his father put on him.   He was not allowed to leave his room.   Gregor?s parents were so afraid to take... ...   After Gregor dies, at the end of the story, his parents notice that his sister has grown up into a beautiful woman and they feel that it is time for her to get married.   This means that they used Gregor as the pawn who went out and supported them.   Now that his sister is grown up they can force her into marrying a rich man.   Then they would be well off for a long time to come.   They can now control the daughter like they did Gregor.   Grete?s new husband can support the whole family.   Once she is married, she too will then become a pawn, a victim of her parents control.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main theme of the story is the effect of other?s control on a person such as his relationship with his father, and how his father for controlled his life.   He realized that he was his own person when he could escape from his father?s control, even if the only escape was death.

Computer Generations Essay

The IC (Integrated Circuits) technology was used in third-generation computers. In a small IC chip (5 mm square size) a circuit is designed having large number of electronic components like transistors, capacitors, diodes, resistors etc. Initially, an IC contained only about ten to twenty components. Thus the IC technology was named as Small Scale Integration (SSI). The third-generation was based on IC technology and the computers were designed using this technology. IBM 370, PDP 11 are among examples. Advantages The main advantages of third-generation as compared to previous generations of computers were: Smaller in size Production cost was low Many input/output devices were introduced such as mouse and keyboard etc. Very fast in computational power More reliable Low power consumption Maintenance cost was low because failure rate of hardware was very low. Easily portable Easy to operate Upgraded easily Totally general purpose. Widely used for various commercial applications all over the world Lower heat generated Magnetic disk used for external storage More storage capacity High-level languages were commonly used Disadvantages The main disadvantages of third-generation computers were: Air-conditioning required. Highly sophisticated technology required for the manufacturer chips. 4. Fourth Generation Computers (1971 to Present) Microprocessors The microchip technology was introduced in this generation of computers. With the advancement in IC technology, LSI (Large Scale Integration) chips were developed. It was possible to integrate over 30,000 or more components on to single LSI chip. After LSI, the VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) was developed and the development of microprocessor possible. It is expected that more than one million components will be integrated on a single chip of VLSI. Using VLSI technology, the entire CPU is designed on a single silicon chip. The use of microprocessor as CPU introduced another class of computers called the microcomputers. Thus fourth-generation may be called Microcomputer generation. The Intel 4004 chip was the first microprocessor. In 1981, IBM introduced the first computer for home use. In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh. Advantages The advantages of fourth-generation as compared to previous generation computers are: Smallest in size because of high component density. Production cost is very low Very reliable Hardware failure is negligible and hence minimal maintenance is required. Easily portable because of their small size Totally general purpose Air conditioning is not compulsory Very high processing speed Very large internal and external storage capacity Used advanced input & output devices such as optical readers, laser printers, CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drives etc. Heat generated is negligible Minimal labour and cost involved at assembly stage Disadvantages The main disadvantages of fourth-generation computers are: Highly sophisticated technology required for the manufacturer of microprocessor chips 5. Fifth Generation Computers (In process) Artificial Intelligence The main drawback of first to fourth generation computers is that the computers have not their own thinking power. These are totally depending upon the instructions given by the users. Computer devices with artificial intelligence are still in development, but some of these technologies are beginning to emerge and be used such as voice recognition. AIl is a reality made possible by using parallel processing and superconductors. Leaning to the future, computers will be radically transformed again by quantum computation, molecular and anon technology. Fifth generation computers are supposed to be the ideal computers, but do not exist. The scientists are working to design such computers that will have the following features: Having their own thinking power Making decisions themselves Having capabilities of learning Having capabilities of reasoning Having large capacity of internal storage Having extra high processing speed Having capabilities of parallel processing In these computers following technologies will be used: ULSIC (Ultra Large Scale Integrated Circuits) technology Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology also called the knowledge Processor. The AI means automatic programs that let the machines to think and decide themselves. The programming languages LISP (List Processor) and PROLOG (Programming with Logic) are used for artificial intelligence. The scientists at ICOT in Japan use the PROLOG to develop the Artificial Intelligence software.

Franklin D. Roosevelts Response to the Great Depression

In response to the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized a series of economic measures known as the New Deal in the United States between 1933 and 1938. The New Deal concentrated on three major features called the 3 Rs: relief for the unemployed and poor; recovery of the economy to a stable level; and reform of the current economic system to prevent another depression. The New Deal was unsuccessful as it had many shortcomings and failed to improve the state of the nation. Unemployment continued and so did the Depression. The National Recovery Administration alienated business, and failed in encouraging private expansion or investment. Although it stopped the decrease in the prices of consumer goods, it failed to create new jobs and also contributed to feelings of animosity within the nation. The unemployment rate continued to hold devastating statistics as it never dropped below 14 percent and averaged 17 percent for the entire decade of the 1930s. The New Deal tripled federal taxes from $1.6 billion in 1933 to $5.3 billion in 1940, causing the American public to lose a lot of money. A number of New Deal laws, which included 700 industrial cartel codes, made it more expensive for employers to hire people and consequently discouraged hiring. The frequent changes in the tax laws combined with FDR’s anti-business ideology discouraged people from making investments that were essential for economic growth and an increase in jobs. The security laws o f theShow MoreRelatedap us history dbq1672 Words   |  7 Pagesof the following statements are true about Herbert Hoover’s responses to the Great Depression EXCEPT: B.:-) He saw the Depression as akin to an act of nature, about which nothing could be done except to ride it out. 2.Franklin D. 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This was due to the fact that revolution was a horrifying notion and not until after the laissez-faire and the system of free market fails in the 1920s do people begin to look about for alternatives. The time when people starting to seek alternativesRead MoreThe Sense of Hope Instilled by Franklin Delano Roosevelts New Deals988 Words   |  4 Pagesthing to happen (dictionary.com). Franklin Delano Roosevelt instilled the feeling of hope in the American society by creating the New Deal, a series of federal programs enacted in the United States between 1933 and 1938 in response to the calamity of the Great Depression (Schlesinger 25), in the 1930s during the Great Depression. He proclaimed, â€Å"Great power involves great responsibility† (Brainy quote). â€Å"The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War