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The influence of religion on science
Science and Christianity essay
Similarities between science and Christianity
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As the motivational speaker Rob Liano says, “Knowledge on its own is nothing, but the application of useful knowledge, now that is powerful.” Agree or not, but in the novel Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the application of knowledge leads the city of Hillsboro to accept the unprecedented ideas which they quickly oppose due to the conflict with their religious principles. Bertram Cates, a school teacher, is on trial for teaching evolution to his class, and the closely-knit Christian community of Hillsboro strictly opposes any theory that questions the Bible’s legitimacy. The infamous defense attorney, Henry Drummond, defends Cates and Matthew Harrison Brady, who is a firm believer in Christianity and three time presidential …show more content…
Throughout the trial, Henry Drummond uses his adroitness to convince the people of Hillsboro to let go of their partisan views by explaining the flaws in Matthew Harrison Brady’s arguments. After the Judge rejects Drummond’s evolution experts for witnesses, as a last resort, Drummond calls, “... to the stand one of the world’s foremost experts on the Bible and its teachings- Matthew Harrison Brady! (There is an uproar in the courtroom. The judge raps for order)” (Lawrence and Lee 84). Even though all of Drummond’s witness requests were denied, his cleverness helps him to achieve his primary goal of defending the right for people to think what they please. By doing so, there is an increase in the townspeople concurrence …show more content…
“The man who has everything figured out is probably a fool” (50). Drummond addresses the fact that he is aware of the towns partisan views made prior to the beginning of the trial. This opens up the idea that having opinions that are unwilling to change only lead to oblivion to reality. This encourages the community to drop whatever opinions they have made before the trial and to be open-minded towards new ideas. Brady exhausts the fact that the Bible and its teachings are more important than any other creation theory. Drummond strongly disagrees and
The purpose of this essay is to compare three very similar cases, the Scottsboro Trials, Brown v. Mississippi, and the fictional trial of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird; and to prove why the defendant of the third trial never had a chance. Each took place in the rural South in the 1920’s and 30’s and involved the unfair conviction of young black males by all-white juries pressured by the threat of mob violence. Each lacked the evidence sufficient for conviction, most especially for the death penalty. Last, heroes emerged from each trial and made small but solid steps towards equal justice for all.
the court, and for saying “I say-I say – God is dead” (p.115). The day
In Inherit the Wind, a 1960s film adaptation directed by Stanley Kramer, the battle between religion and science was tested, portrayed through the Scopes Trial of 1925. In the trail, John Scopes, a high school science teacher, was accused and convicted of teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, curriculum that was forbidden by Tennessee state law. It is clear that a focal point of the film was the discussion of whether religion should be the driving force behind education, or if science and empirical study is a better alternative. This discussion is alive and well in 2017, crucial in a time where Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, is a known believer in theories of ‘intelligent design,’ a theory that suggests divine guidance in the
Drummond is adamantly fighting for the truth throughout the trial and will not stop until he has revealed it to the people. He illustrates his persistent search for the truth and justice when he says, “You know that’s not true. I’m trying to stop you bigots and ignoramuses from controlling the education of the United States! And you know it!” (Lawrence and Lee 98).
They were focused on the Bible, and never thought about things logically. In a court session, Brady was bigoted and refused any knowledge from Darwin’s textbook. Through the proverb that was stated by both Brady and Drummond, “He who troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind and the fool shall be servant to the wise at heart” (67, 126), it reveals how one who would not move on from the past would be left behind and would not move forward. Not progressing would have its consequences. The people of Hillsboro, Brady, and Brown all received consequences since they were rather biased
The voice in my head says that just thing to do, the other part of me would agree with the rest of the town. It is the day before the trial and I am still contemplating my stance on it. The air is warm and quiet but my house has a certain chill to it. I slowly rise out of my old and worn bed to visit Maudie a couple houses down. Whenever I brush out my short curly hair I tend to think more and more about Tom, poor thing. As I walk up to meet with Maudie I see her tending to the aromatic carnations growing in her vivid, organized lawn. We sit on her porch and sip overly-sweetened tea and gossip about whatever new event is occurring in our small town. The porch was quiet for a moment, then I brought up something eating away at my thoughts, the trial. Being a friend of Atticus, Maudie naturally believes that it is the right thing to defend an innocent man. I believe the same thing, though being the southern women I am, I can’t wrap my brain around taking a black man’s word over a white man’s. Maudie begins striking up gossipy conversation once more. I thank her for the sweet tea and make
“Often fear of one evil leads us into a worse”(Despreaux). Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux is saying that fear consumes oneself and often times results in a worse fate. William Golding shares a similar viewpoint in his novel Lord of the Flies. A group of boys devastatingly land on a deserted island. Ralph and his friend Piggy form a group. Slowly, they become increasingly fearful. Then a boy named Jack rebels and forms his own tribe with a few boys such as Roger and Bill. Many things such as their environment, personalities and their own minds contribute to their change. Eventually, many of the boys revert to their inherently evil nature and become savage and only two boys remain civilized. The boys deal with many trials, including each other, and true colors show. In the end they are being rescued, but too much is lost. Their innocence is forever lost along with the lives Simon, a peaceful boy, and an intelligent boy, Piggy. Throughout the novel, Golding uses symbolism and characterization to show that savagery and evil are a direct effect of fear.
Some people feel all alone in this world, with no direction to follow but their empty loneliness. The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D Salinger, follows a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, who despises society and calls everyone a “phony.” Holden can be seen as a delinquent who smokes tobacco, drinks alcohol, and gets expelled from a prestigious boarding school. This coming-of-age book follows the themes of isolation, innocence, and corrupted maturity which is influenced from the author's life and modernism, and is shown through the setting, symbolism, and diction.
Poverty and homelessness are often, intertwined with the idea of gross mentality. illness and innate evil. In urban areas all across the United States, just like that of Seattle. in Sherman Alexie’s New Yorker piece, What You Pawn I Will Redeem, the downtrodden. are stereotyped as vicious addicts who would rob a child of its last penny if it meant a bottle of whiskey.
Maya Angelou once advised, “If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.” However, in Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s Inherit the Wind, one journalist, E.K. Hornbeck, is intent on challenging and ridiculing his surroundings rather than reflecting upon his own moral footing. While the play’s plotline, an allegory of the 1925 Scopes’ Trial, follows the religious town of Hillsboro as a schoolteacher, Bert Cates, goes on trial for teaching evolution to his class, contemptuous E.K. Hornbeck– a journalist from The Baltimore Herald and also arguably Lawrence and Lee’s only static personality– arrives to provide heavily biased, primo-geneticist commentary on the trial. Hornbeck’s intolerance, superiority complex, and flippant humor display evolutionists’ unwillingness to change their beliefs.
(Lawrence, Lee 71). Brady also adds on to Davenport’s comment, “Ask him if his Holy Faith in the scriptures has been shattered” (Lawrence, Lee 71). When discussing the topic of Darwinism, the prosecution objected claiming that the defense was asking a child on their opinion of morality, meanwhile when Brady asked about religion, no one, except for Drummond, pointed him out on it. The court showed a clear belief towards one side which in turn impacts their final
The United States judicial system runs on the simple, yet sacred, principle that, “a defendant is innocent until proven guilty.” With this comes the unwritten and undeniable force that can be labeled the court of public opinion. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, it is clearly exemplified that this court of public opinion, corrupted by the intense racism of the Depression-era South. In this the court of public opinion had overthrown all evidence and led to the conviction of a blatantly innocent man.
...ve him the guts to do it!” (1.2) this shows that Drummond thinks the society of Hillsboro is unwise because after this trial ends another will occur because someone else will teach evolution, and this whole process will happen again. Even though at the end Cates and Drummond lose. They accomplish their goal of opening the mind of Hillsboro’s townspeople on the society of Hillsboro and how it is wrong.
These injustices have begun long before Tom’s trial, but it is his trial which epitomizes the problems with our society. The first witness was simply just a misguided fellow named Heck Tate who it seems didn’t have much to offer to the case. Next, Atticus Finch called Bob Ewell to the stand. When I saw Ewell take the stand such a fierce hatred rose within me that I began to shake and tremble. Ewell wrongfully accused Tom of raping his daughter Mayella, however, with the grace of God, Atticus Finch had shown that it was very possible that it was Bob Ewell who because he was a lefty could have beat Mayella. If it were not for great men like Atticus Finch I would have lost all hope for this world. As I watched Mayella take the stand I wondered how such a kind looking person could be someone of such poor character. Her words seemed to paint a picture of a sad life; one where a father neglects her and she has fallen under hard times. Atticus, after pointing out it was probably Bob who beat her, asked Mayella who it really was that beat her. Mayella made it clear it was Tom Robinson, upon which Atticus asked Tom to stand. To the astonishment of the court Tom was handicapped! Tom was then called to the stand where he laid open for all to see the truth, explaining that it was Mayella who came on to him (that treacherous woman!). Soon enough the trial ended and every one awaited the verdict of the jury. The next few hours were the most nerve wracking of my life.
The trials are in full swing. People are being accused and confessing just to keep their faith. Neighbors are accusing neighbors. Some choose to not confess and be hung, others choose the path of confession to keep their faith with God. Reverend Parris and Danforth are discussing the trials.