Autobiographical Paper on Religious Affiliation Essay

Autobiographical Paper on Religious Affiliation - Essay Example I was baptized and grew up in a middle-class Catholic family in New Orleans where I thought almost everyone is Catholic as I grew up, and I never felt that we were a "minority within a minority" (Carey, P. in Phelps, 1997, p.7). I had an uncle who is a Catholic priest, and the way he lived his life as a servant of Christ in the Church had an impact on me. His kindness towards others made me see a bit of how Jesus was when he walked this earth two thousand years ago. His preaching, his life of prayer, and his dedication to his flock drove home the message that there was something, and someone, greater and beyond this life. Of course, my young mind never looked at events from a theological or religious view, because to me he was just my uncle who would visit and shower us with cheer and tell us stories about where he'd been, what he'd done, and the thousand and one things that a priest is supposed to be doing. My parents were a huge influence on my beliefs. The way they cared for me taught me how to love and use my heart and mind to face the mysteries of this world. How they loved each other despite the trials and joys of family life were for me a sign of how God takes care of us. They taught me how to pray, and more importantly, they told me why. Allow me to briefly discuss one case in point: the Trinity as a Family where God is a Father, Jesus is the Son and my brother, and the Holy Spirit is Love. I can never explain fully how there can be three Persons in One God, but I understood as I grew up that maybe God is a family too where everyone loves each other, just as we did in my family. We did things together: prayed at home and went to Sunday Mass; spent time having fun, laughing and talking and enjoying each other's company. Maybe God has been doing it for all eternity, and that is why He is happy and wants us to share in that happiness (Mt. 11: 25-30). My Mom and I also prayed the Holy Rosary at home to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. Many non-Catholics never understood the Rosary, because they think it is a form of worship, but it is not (Cavendish, 2000). Like people in love who never tire of saying the same things to one another, we Catholics who love the mother of Jesus also do the same. We show her honor, not worship, in the same way I show mom and dad the honor they deserve for being good parents. Novenas and other devotions to the saints are the same thing. We see them as paths to God, the same way that if we want to get a job we ask the help of someone close to us so that we do not have much of a hard time. Going to the saints and to Mary is the same thing. Of course, some people get carried away and give too much time to Mary and the saints that they forget Jesus, but the Catholic Church keeps on reminding us about this danger. So yes, my religious upbringing had a strong impact on my faith, helped by the examples my mom, dad, and uncle showed me that we can be happy doing the good things we enjoy, being men and women of virtue, prayer, and faith (Copeland, 2000). Search for Meaning Hunt et al. (1975) discussed the presence of a religious factor in secular achievement of African-Americans and investigated the presence of Protestant and Catholic

Disparities between the Poor and the Rich in the Early to Mid 1800s Research Paper

Disparities between the Poor and the Rich in the Early to Mid 1800s (Pre Civil War) - Research Paper Example Pre-civil period in America was a time for innovation and changes. The nation consisted of farmers and it was mainly underdeveloped. Still, the society managed to turn into a powerful economic nation, which was able to develop economy and make their country a more progressive one. The North in America was an industrialized region, at the same time while the South was an agricultural one. Therefore, it is no wonder that there was an evident split between the rich and poor layers of the society. The Northerners turned into a powerful middle class, which was striving for economic and social improvements in the name of democratic future and the Southerners stuck at feudal principles of governing and relied on free labor power of the slaves. The background events of pre-civil war years in America The first step towards civil war events in America can be found during the period of the Market Revolution. There was a need to introduce a social and technological shift and to make a transitive step from the agricultural economy to the economy based on wages and the exchange of goods and services. This transformation was a great challenge for the North and the South in America. Eli Whitney was the initiator of the cotton gin production and he developed the process of manufacturing of goods with the interchangeable parts (). Cyrus McCormick introduced the mechanical mower-reaper and in such a way the process of grain production in the West was revolutionized (). There are also many other essential background events happening in the country at that time. For example, the emergence of Erie Canal and the Cumberland Road were associated with introduction of the steamboat and railroad. These facts can be considered as the improvements towards the perfection of economic relations between the North and the West of the country (Collier and Sambanis, 2005). We can see that America during antebellum years was moving towards urbanization and industrialization. In 1820 there were mill ions of migrants in the country. People were not satisfied with the lives they had and wanted to have something better. They left their farms and rushed into urbanized and developed cities of the North. In order to advance industrial economy, the North of America needed more and more workers. Consequently, farmers flooded the Northern part of the country together with immigrants from Ireland and Scotland. Therefore, there was a coming split between rich and poor social classes in America. This social turmoil resulted in dramatic background of the civil war in America. The changing society The abovementioned revolutionary events should be considered from the positive perspective as well. Thus, the introduction of the wage labor system was a determinant factor for the development of the first middle class. Various reforms were initiated by the representatives of this class, which consisted of white-collar workers and professional laborers. For example, this social class made an emphas is on the necessity to reduce alcohol consumption, abolish prostitution, improve living conditions in prisons and insane asylums, invest more money into and develop education, remove slavery as a social phenomenon (Sheehan-Dean, 2011). At the political level of the country, different changes and reforms occurred as well. Thus, the rights of the different states were the most striking issues during that period of time. There were