Barabbas

507 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: the effects of imposing religion on children.

An infant does not believe in god, it is only after lessons and experiences does the child’s belief grow. The doctrines of religion are taught to a young child through his family. As a child he accepts these beliefs without question. It is only with age that the child begins to question the belief in a god. Many young adults question God’s existence. It is hard to be a believer when such suffering goes on in the world. To see a child die of cancer makes one question god’s existence, just as Barabbas questioned God when the girl was stoned. See the girl “with outstretched hands for help, had snatched at his mantle - but not a dinger had he lifted to help her. And he was supposed to be the Son of God! Gods loving son! Everyone’s savior!” (p. 73). They find it hard to justify their beliefs when they witness injustices, yet, many wish they could be a true believer for it would make their life easier. There is much comfort to those who are able to be believers without questioning the world around them, as a “brotherhood” with “love feasts”

The older one gets the more they realize what a gamble non-believing is. If there is an afterlife, will their non-belief exclude them from entry? The belief in a god gives comfort to many as they come to terms that they too will face death one day. Barabbas notices this when he is in the catacombs and listens to a group of believers. “They gathered down there in the realm of the dead to pray to their God, to be united with him and each other. They were not afraid of death, they had vanquished it. Gathered for their fraternal meetings, their love feasts.” Is this why most organized religions have a higher percentage of elderly believers? The fear of no afterlife and comfort of prayer bring many to worship God.

When death is eminent, aren’t most people faced with terror. They are panic stricken that they have not made peace with loved ones and are not worthy enough to go in the afterlife. When Barabbas was inside the realm of the dead, “he was filled with terror. A suffocating terror. And suddenly he rushed away, senselessly, panic-stricken, in any direction at all, stumbling over unseen steps, into one passage after the other, trying to find a way out, the way out of the realm of the dead”.

Show More
Related

  • Essay on Fate in Weatherhead’s The Will of God

    1378 Words  | 3 Pages

    As I continued to chat with my pastor that day, I really sensed the hurt in his eyes – the anger that comes from an unsolvable injustice, the tiredness of a problem. “What’s wrong?” I finally asked, “Having a bad day?”  Sensing that I was truly concerned, he let the truth be told.  “I talked with a woman today whose baby died suddenly of unknown causes. As we worked through her grief, she talked about how numerous friends and family, even a religious leader had patted her on the back, shook their heads and said, ‘It was God’s will.’ I find few things worse to say to a grieving parent.  Saying nothing at all would be of more help.”  It was obvious from our conversation that he had an understanding greater than I about God’s will, and his insight created in me a curiosity and desire to learn more.

    Read More

  • History Of The Kentucky Derby

    814 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Kentucky Derby has over 160,000 people come from around the world to attend the Kentucky Derby annually, and tens of millions watch on television.  The Kentucky Derby is our state’s signature event, filled with traditions, legends, and celebrities.  On May 2nd, of every year, is the Kentucky Derby and my birthday.  The Kentucky Derby is an athletic event, because you get to understand the roles of the jockey and thoroughbred as athletes, as well as the scientific basis for their performance, it helps provide insights and comparisons into human training, nutrition, and health.  “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved” was hailed as a triumph and brought rabid attention to Scanlan’s. (McKeen 149)  The Kentucky Derby is a horse race that

    Read More

  • Dual Behavior Summary

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Guideline 1.06 (a) In many communities and situations, it may not be feasible or reasonable for behavior analysts to avoid social or other non-professional contacts with persons such as clients, students, supervisees, or research participants. Behavior analysts must always be sensitive to the potential harmful effects of other contacts on their work and on those persons with whom they deal (Bailey & Burch, 2011, p. 65) A situation in which a behavior analyst faced the possible development of a dual relationship will be presented, as well as the steps that were taken in an attempt to avoid it. Guideline 1.0 Responsible Conduct of A Behavior Analyst states that the behavior analyst maintains the high standards of professional behavior of the professional organization. In our assigned text, Bailey and Burch specify that you should strive to avoid social contacts with your clients because it might interfere with your objectivity as a behavior analyst (2011) in regard to Guideline 1.06 Dual Relationships and Conflicts of

    Read More

  • U.s. Democracy Thriving : A Look Inside American Democracy

    2525 Words  | 6 Pages

    ...so caused by lack of quality education. The economy in America is also taking a turn for the worst causing the amount of poverty in this nation to increase. As poverty increases, all these other pieces of democracy are effected in a negative way. So how does this ultimately effect American democracy?

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Religion And Religious Beliefs

    1784 Words  | 4 Pages

    As I have said before, the number of atheist people has raised, thus, the number of religious people has descended. “When seeking guidance on questions of right and wrong, a plurality of Americans say they rely primarily on their common sense and personal experiences.” (“Chapter 1: Importance of Religion and Religious Beliefs”, 2015) Believers think that heaven is the afterlife for people who repent of their sins and want to be in peace forever, but they also believe “in hell, where people who have lived bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.” (“Chapter 1: Importance of Religion and Religious Beliefs”, 2015) In the case of Christianity, it expanded very fast throughout different locations in the world creating different types of Christians. Some of the most famous are the Catholics, in which the head on the earth is The Pope, the orthodox, who do not believe in The Vatican, the Protestants who appear since Luther’s schism and the Anglicanism, in which the head of this religion is the Queen of

    Read More

  • Salvation

    1456 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...fighting his feelings about not seeing Jesus. He feels that he is lying to God and himself by getting up and being saved even though he cannot see Jesus. Even though the reader knows that he truly is being saved from sin. He is doing something good for himself. Therefore, we can see that he truly does not understand the meaning of God. He is a child on the verge of adulthood. He has every right to be confused and misinterpret religion because he is learning. Religion is metaphorical and imaginative; it is what you believe it to be.

    Read More

  • Robert Johnson's He

    1346 Words  | 3 Pages

    Because my thoughts on religion and god are so unclear in my life, it led me to interpret the whole situation differently and with different symbolism that is more adjacent with my life. I could still comprehend what the author was trying to say, but I couldn’t relate to his interpretation. I can see how a boy might be introduced to something that is too powerful for him at the moment. The experience gives him a wound that is hard to recover from. For example, the act of making love is a wonderful thing if it is done in a pure environment. But, if a boy develops a relationship with an older woman and is not ready to lose his virginity, and the woman is pushing for it, he might enter into something that he is not ready to deal with.

    Read More

  • Voter Participation in the United States

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United States is an inspiration of liberty and hope for nations around the world. It is a nation with citizens who have the unalienable rights of, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” and a model for how democratic nations should be ordered and maneuvered due to its intrinsic values that are held. Democracy is a system of government where the citizens are responsible for shaping their nation to represent who they are and what they stand for. The people have the ultimate power in the nation. However, as no pure direct democracy exists in any nation, an indirect democracy arises, where people vote to elect representatives, who then in turn make the greater part of decisions for the nation.

    Read More

  • America's Democracy

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States of America is a republic, or representative democracy. Democracy, a word that comes to us from Greek, literally means the people rule (Romance, July 8). This broad definition leaves unanswered a few important details such as who are the people, how shall they rule, and what should they rule on (July 8). Defining the answers to those questions means defining a model for a democratic system. William E. Hudson defines four such models in his book American Democracy in Peril: the Protective, Developmental, Pluralist, and Participatory models of democracy (Hudson, 8-19). Of these models, perhaps Participatory comes closest to an ideal, pure democracy of rule by the people (16-19). In practice, however, establishing a stable ideal democracy is not entirely feasible. In a country the size of the United States, it quickly becomes unwieldy if not impossible to have direct rule by the people. To overcome this, the compromise of the representative system allows the people to choose who will rule on a regular basis. The political culture that defines American politics shows that despite this compromise, America is still very much a democratic society.

    Read More

  • A Literary Analysis Of 'A Story' By Li-Young Lee

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    The father sees himself asking if his child is a “god…that [the father] sites mute before [him,” and then asking if he himself is “a god in that [he] should never disappoint?” The father first describes his child as a god because he feels that his son is a being that is untouchable, and it to be able to fully connect with him is something the father does not comprehend. The father then describes himself as a god, asking if he failed to be like a god in his child’s eyes and be perfect in every way. Another metaphor in the poem are the books. The father uses books to connect with his son, much like how Christians use the Bible, a book, to connect with their God. The Bible is something that can have a positive influence on the lives of Christians and support them through their lives all through the use of words. This is similar to the books the father uses. The father does not know how to be a positive influence on his son, so he uses books as a medium to communicate with his son due to the fact that he cannot think of what to say himself. By using these metaphors, the father is comparing his and his child’s relationship to one of a mortal and a god: a relationship that is not familial love, but rather one of a love or worship for a divine being. The father feels that he cannot have a good relationship with his son because his child is something that he cannot understand no matter how hard he tries. He is also worried that he will never live up to his son’s expectations and will fail to support

    Read More

  • The Importance of Friendship in The Things They Carried

    1356 Words  | 3 Pages

    It’s a hard thing to explain to somebody who hasn’t felt it, but the resence of death and danger has a way of bringing you fully awake. It makes things vivid. When you’re afraid, really afraid, you see things you never saw before, you pay attention to the world. You make close friends. You become part of a tribe and you share the same blood – you give it together, you take it together. (O’Brien, 220)

    Read More

  • Animal Breeding Ethics

    2373 Words  | 5 Pages

    Horse racing has become increasingly popular as demonstrated by the growing amount of money bet on events each year. The Kentucky Derby, horse racing’s most well known event, is an applicable example. While lasting just over two minutes, the main race generated $112.7 million in wagering, up 7.8% from the year prior. (Brisnet.com) Some critics, however, feel that the sport as a whole has become artificially supported through genetic enhancement used to achieve the high level of precision and strength necessary to excel. An anonymous opinion piece in the New York Times brings attention to the relationship between an industry that has grown exponentially in revenue and the pressure placed on those in position to capitalize on that growth. In light of this opportunity to make a substantial amount of money trends have been established that undermine the safety of both the jockey and the horse. Although through the horses inability to voice an opinion in its own partnership a unique situation is created. Unlike the horse, a jockey may refuse the trainer or mangers urging to partake in jeopardizing or otherwise illicit activities. The risk thus unwillingly imposed on the horse raises large ethical and moral concerns, especially when the motives behind the behavior are made clear. In specific circumstances the use of genetic enhancement may be extremely beneficial although within horse racing the implementation of such procedures are by and large not utilized for the benefit of the horse but for the increased profit derived through alteration. Genetic alteration of horses is ethically and morally unjust within the context of horse racing because the long term risks the horses are unwillingly exposed to garner more importance than the in...

    Read More

  • The Myth Of Sisyphus Analysis

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...by the death of an innocent boy, but ends up deciding that in the face of such atrocities, we should still seek an all-loving God, even if it seems irrational or impossible.

    Read More

  • Regilion Influence on Death, Fear, and Time

    2202 Words  | 5 Pages

    Death is a common topic of speculation and frequently anxiety. Death is terrifying to people for many reasons: they do not know what to anticipate from death, they fear the penalty of gods, they dread not achieving certain goals or things in life, etc. Epicurus argues that when we die we no longer exist. When it comes to death many different factors come to play, whether the person himself believes in life after death, if the person believes in a certain religion or whether a person is a nonbeliever. All these leads to different perceptions of death, many beliefs stem from what they are told as kids or what they learn later on in life, therefore depending on what certain people believe there are many people who fear death and there are those who do not. A global 2012 poll reports that 59 per cent of the worlds population is religious meaning that a large majority of the world have a view of what happens after death.

    Read More

  • The Chimney Sweeper And The Chimney Sweeper

    1184 Words  | 3 Pages

    The knowledge he possess makes him feel angry and he directs it at the church. He implies to the reader that the church makes profits from his suffering and miserable life. This indicated that the speaker felt as if the church survives on the pain of innocent children. The speaker also feels as if the church is selling the story that may or may not be true to satisfy the children. “Who make up heaven of our misery.” (Blake “Experience”). The way the speaker describe is the church wants to prevent people from the horrible truth. “Where are thy father and mother? say? They are both gone up to the church to pray.” (Blake “Experience”). It is implied that the problems the child face are directly affected by the problems pertaining to the church and God. The way the child’s parents fail to recognize his unhappiness and pain, they fail to see the lack of spiritual truth in the way the church handles everything. “And because I am happy and dance and sing, they think they have done me no injury: And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King.” (Blake

    Read More

More about Barabbas

Open Document