While driving behind a vehicle plastered in bumper stickers, the first one to catch someone’s attention may say “Real Christians don’t judge.” Most will not give it a second thought, while others may analyze its message and the individual giving the message. In general this sticker may be found on a variety of vehicles. The vehicle itself is not as important as the individual driving it. While discussing this bumper sticker it will be important to understand where it is found, the fallacies it involves and the problems with the argument.
This bumper sticker is shared by Christians and non-Christians alike. One possible location for a “Real Christians don’t judge” bumper sticker would be on the vehicle of a non-Christian. In this case they would be trying to point out that all Christian's are not truly living in the image of God. Another possible location of this bumper sticker would be on the vehicle of an individual that may fall outside of the "norms" of the Christian society. For example, the driver may be a homosexual. Since many Christians believe homosexuality is unholy or si...
The absolute power of aristocracies is a scourge on society that corrupts minds and imposes too much of an impact on the lives of the majority. At the time when Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible, society was subject to McCarthyism, the unquestionable authoritative force that could and did ruin the lives of those suspected of communism. Yet, of these people who suffered the brunt of punishment from authority, a numerous percentage of them displayed hypocrisy in accusing others out of survival. In The Crucible, Miller reflects this idea of hypocrisy in an environment where unquestionable authority reigns. His work displays the essentiality in rising out of such an insincere state and acting upon what
In the play Tartuffe which was written and performed by Moliere in 1664, the imposter Tartuffe insinuates himself into the family of the nobleman Orgon. Throughout the play, different members of the family try to reveal Tartuffe’s true colors to Orgon which results in a series of complex events. Through the use of Tartuffe's character, Moliere is able to express the ideologies of both anti-religion and religious hypocrisy. While these two ideas are similar there are some noteworthy differences which are important when discussing the attributes of different characters that are in the play. Moliere’s interpretation of anti-religion can be seen as opposition to any religion or specifically disregarding the moralities associated with any one religion
...ad grown so desperate to make money to survive that the lines that defined their morality become blurred or even forgotten. When Casy says these quotes above it reveals that people don’t even look to religion do do what is right, they have to do what is necessary to survive.
Because of this dilemma, words such as “judgmental”, “hypocritical”, and “intolerant” are all accusations that are placed on Christians because of their moral standing on subjects that differ from public opinion. More often than not, Americans overlook the positive impact of the public influence of Christians. This concept of intolerance is something that is highly frowned upon in the America that we live in today. Intolerance is defined as, “Not willing to allow or accept something; not willing to allow some people to have equal freedom or other social rights; or unwilling to grant equal freedom of expression, especially in religious matters”. People within America today have confused the concept of being intolerant with keeping someone accountable for their actions, or fighting against a wrong for the betterment of a larger society.
In Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road, the author tries to convey to the audience that everybody is naturally dishonest and morally deceitful. Morals are defined by one's religion, the laws of the country, or some combination of the two. One's identity captures and plays out that individual’s moral. My morals follow the Christian beliefs, Texas state laws, and the laws of the United States. Although one's own morals can change, basic things such as stealing and murder are wrong and illegal by federal law. Numerous characters performed many acts proving this point such as Montana Slim, who says in order to get money, follow a man down an alley and rob him, or Dean, who never feels remorse for beating Mary Lou after a fight. These along with other characters display such actions that show that everyone is morally deceitful.
In the essay "Worldviews in Conflict," Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey compare and contrast the ideas of Christianity and the views of today's society. Throughout the essay they provide information about how the changes in society affect views regarding Christianity. Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcy's essay was written to contribute information so others could understand their views about the shifting cultural context and how it affects society's beliefs.
Morality and ethics have always been a large source of debate and contention between different factions of various interests, beliefs, and ideals due to its centrality and foundational role in society and civilization and incredible importance to everyday life and decision making. In many of these disputes religious belief, or a lack thereof, serves as an important driving force behind one or both sides of the argument. In the modern world, one of the bigger instances of this can be seen in the many debates between Atheistic and religious individuals about the implications of religious belief on morality. One of the most famous Atheists, Christopher Hitchens, asserts that religion is not only unnecessary for morality, but actually impedes it. In his work God is Not Great: Why Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens challenges religious believers to “name an ethical statement or action, made or performed by a person of faith that could not have been made or performed by a non-believer”, and proudly states afterwards that many have made the attempt but no one has given him a satisfactory answer. However, the best response to this challenge is to point out the inherent flaws in his logic, the unfairness of his challenge, and the fact that Hitchens is asking the wrong question in the first place.
In David Walker’s Appeal, David Walker is completely fed up with the treatment of Black men and women in America at the hands of White people. He is tired of the constant dehumanization, brutality, and utter lack of acknowledgment of all of the contributions Black people made to the building of this country. Walker was extremely skillful in his delivery of his Appeal. He used concrete history and the fact that he had “travelled over a considerable portion of these United States, and having, in the course of my travels, taken the most accurate observations of things as they exist” (Walker) to build his credibility. He used the very things that White Americans held so dear to their hearts to point out the sheer hypocrisy in their actions and way of thinking, mainly the Bible and their political documents.
The most difficult part of any modern theological debate is choosing the authority. With the variety of Christian denominations, individual thinkers, and outside influences, and it is often difficult to reach a general agreement. In her essay, “Homosexuality: A Case Study in Moral Argument,” Catholic theologian Lisa Cahill examines four major authorities and different ways to determine how they work together to produce a cohesive Christian ethic. Though she fails to give a definitive, quantifiable method of describing the interactions between the authorities, her final judgment, approval of some aspects of homosexuality, indicates that she values modern cultural context and general biblical themes over church tradition and specific biblical texts.
...hal. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Called to Love: Christian Witness Can Be the Best Response to Atheist Polemics." America 198 (2008): 23. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.
Mere Christianity is divided into four books or sections that build and expand off of the prior. The first book is entitled “Right and wrong as a clue to the meaning of the universe” and he examines the common understanding among all men of a universal moral law hardwired in the minds of men. He begins this examination with a presentation of man’s concept of right and wrong. The simplest understanding among all men is the concept of fairness. This fair play points to a law and can be seen in the reactions of mankind to justice and injustice. He contrasts this moral law, the Law of Human Nature, with the law of nature found in the world. The mind of the moral relativist denies such standards yet fail to recognize their call for fairness as a fatal flaw in their reasoning.
Beliefs can be a very powerful thing. Usually we want to think of them as positive influences on our lives, but just as easily beliefs can have negative effects. Examining the latter, Garrison Keillor describes in his work “Protestant” how family beliefs separated him from the rest of society. Arguing the opposite point, Martin Luther King, Jr shows how beliefs can be used to try and unify people in his speech “I Have a Dream”. Both of these works exemplify the power beliefs hold, but the results of their beliefs are drastically different. The difference in results shows the importance of questioning how a belief manifests itself in reality.
...tain religions and beliefs have been persecuted throughout history but in these circumstances, the religious are acting as the persecutors. Who are we to judge? Who are we to create boundaries for others?
“He (the magistrate) said it was impossible; all men believed in God, even those who turn their backs on him. That was his belief, and if he were ever to doubt it, his life would become meaningless”(69). This quote from The Stranger, by Albert Camus, expresses the notion of establishing logical reasons for the wrongdoings of others, when such reasons do not exist. One can see that society often judges people in a rational manner in the presence of an irrational event or purpose, basing their judgements on a single object or idea. In society, people often follow superstitions and beliefs that have developed permanently in the minds of ‘ordinary’ human beings while expecting everyone else to do the same.
This whole essay may seem simply a chance to bash Christianity and give intelligence even more of a right to inspire ego. Yet is not the egotism that is present in celebrating the most Godlike trait in man, his intelligence, more forgivable and less blinding than the egotism of equating the meaning of ourselves to the meaning of the