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

macbeth. :: essays research papers

Macbeth English Units  ½ Shakespeare essay: Macbeth Topic: â€Å"The instruments of darkness brought about Macbeth’s downfall.† Do you agree? William Shakespeare’s Macbeth demonstrates the ultimate downfall of a tragic hero manipulated by evil. The forces of evil, namely witches, initiate Macbeth’s downfall, seducing him with the concept of power, firing up his ambition to become king. However, despite their obvious involvement, Macbeth delves deeper into the darker side of his nature on his own, seeking evil and wading further into his imagined river of blood. His downfall was brought about by the instruments of darkness – they planted the idea of Macbeth’s rising power in his head and their influence saw him fall from a noble man to a tyrant of a ruler but regardless of this it was his own conscious choice that ultimately led to his fall from grace. The three witches who introduce the play immediately strike the audience as representatives of evil, instantly establishing Macbeth as their ‘victim’, one whom they have chosen to involve in their plans. In the first act, Macbeth is shown to be a noble, cousin to the king, a valiant and worthy man: â€Å"Brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name†, just as the witches are shown to be malicious, evil creatures, recounting their cruel dealings. In his meeting them, the suggestion of his royalty is quickly seeded – their words provoke him and set in motion his demise. In the forth act, he is shown to have walked even further down the path of corruption to the point that he no longer shows the qualities of a good man in his seeking of the witches themselves – seeking the instruments of darkness, and thus embracing evil. Their original meeting with him sparked his ambition, and it is of his own accord and conscious choice that he seeks them out â⠂¬â€œ it is no influence of theirs that leads him to meet with them a second time. Consequently, without the interference of the witches, Macbeth would not have begun his unforgivable massacre but his own corrupted nature takes him further than the initial prompting of the witches. In originally finding Macbeth and prophesising his ascension to power, the witches take partial responsibility in Macbeth’s downfall as they began the entire process of Macbeth’s rise and fall. After the initial suggestion of Macbeth’s royalty, however, comes the encouragement of Lady Macbeth. Her involvement leads Macbeth to the murder of Duncan, his cousin and king, his first steps into his ultimate downfall.

Relationship Paper

A relationship between two people can have very different meanings. In some relationships such as two lovers, they can also be best of friends because they share some characteristics and qualities and have a good understanding of each other. A relationship between a parent and child has a special bond because they share love, and affection for each other no matter what the circumstances are there will always be some connection, even at its worst times. However, there are times when a relationship can go bad because there is no understanding, lack of communication, and a feeling of distance in the relationship.This may occur from mistakes or misunderstood acts from one another. It is believed that the parent-child relationship is the most influential relationship that there is. As of right now I believe that this is the relationship I must analyze more in-depth to get a full understanding of it and to just improve my daily life with them, but in particular my mother. My mother, like m ost Hispanics in her generation, did not grow up with half of the materialistic devices and privileges that I have had when growing up. She has come from a home that was riddled of alcohol and drug abuse.Even with those distractions at home she still managed to get straight A’s, so she says, and has had a job throughout her life since the age of 16. She says if it wasn’t for marriage and having kids she would not have dropped out of college, but she was comfortable where her family was heading and had made that decision. My mother is someone to look up to in my books because of her overcoming of obstacles that had stood in front of her like it was just taking another breath of air, and for my father, I don’t even want to start on that description.I’ll just leave it at that it is a privilege that I’m even walking this planet today. I believe my mother perceives me as taking the resources I have around me for granted. That I am just going through the motion of school and life and not tackling it like she did and still does. She sees an unemployed 20 year old at a junior college that has had recent trouble with the law. I am not putting up the biggest argument against her because I know I could be doing more to be excelling further in school and being more responsible for my own actions. I don’t think she fully understands the commitment of being in ootball during school. It really is like having a job year-round that gives you a 2 month break yearly. I know she gets her perceptions on what she hears at work at the sheriff’s department, which does not help, or what she sees on the news on television. So I believe her ideas on what people my age is a little bias. To overcome these perceptions and to better our relationship I believe we can communicate with each other more than we are now. Telling her more information about what goes on and what I am doing in my life can more likely give her a better idea on who I am or who I am on track of becoming.Telling her more and more of what I am doing and disclosing my-self, I believe can make her feel more comfortable with me. By self-disclosing my-self it can give her assurance with what kind of person I am. With the way things are going between us right now I can only imagine who she thinks I am. When a mother does not know much about his son you can see as to why they can get carried away with ideas on who they might be but not who they are. However, there also might be some things that she sees about me that I don’t realize myself.Those mother-to-child instincts are still a wonder to us all. She might see something about me that whenever I am in a serious relationship I seem to be more stressed, or that i am calm with her in our conversations. My emotions on the way I converse with her tell her a lot about myself. Emotion management is essential to maintaining a healthy relationship. For example, if I failed a mid-term that day and she does not know, she cannot prepare for the negative responses, if any, to her questions and she most likely would not want to hold a conversation with me.She can start to build an idea that I am not consistent with who I am and lead up to fewer conversations to build on our relationship. However, emotion management does have its cons. For instance, if I am not happy with something she is doing and I never express anything about it the relationship for me might start to become one-sided meaning only she is happy with relational content. Sometimes giving feedback about some ones actions is the best way to maintain a relationship.Relationship maintenance between her and I is a must. If I want her to be appy with me then I have to put in my part. If I am just sitting around the house not contributing to anything or with the household how could I expect her to be happy with me. When she sees me applying myself she can have many reasons to be happy or proud with what I am doing. How can she no t be if she knows I am taking advantage of the opportunities around me? For example, if I am maintaining a 3. 0 grade point average while holding a part time job and in a year-round sport like football, she should not have reason to be upset or concerned with me. Relationship Paper A relationship between two people can have very different meanings. In some relationships such as two lovers, they can also be best of friends because they share some characteristics and qualities and have a good understanding of each other. A relationship between a parent and child has a special bond because they share love, and affection for each other no matter what the circumstances are there will always be some connection, even at its worst times. However, there are times when a relationship can go bad because there is no understanding, lack of communication, and a feeling of distance in the relationship.This may occur from mistakes or misunderstood acts from one another. It is believed that the parent-child relationship is the most influential relationship that there is. As of right now I believe that this is the relationship I must analyze more in-depth to get a full understanding of it and to just improve my daily life with them, but in particular my mother. My mother, like m ost Hispanics in her generation, did not grow up with half of the materialistic devices and privileges that I have had when growing up. She has come from a home that was riddled of alcohol and drug abuse.Even with those distractions at home she still managed to get straight A’s, so she says, and has had a job throughout her life since the age of 16. She says if it wasn’t for marriage and having kids she would not have dropped out of college, but she was comfortable where her family was heading and had made that decision. My mother is someone to look up to in my books because of her overcoming of obstacles that had stood in front of her like it was just taking another breath of air, and for my father, I don’t even want to start on that description.I’ll just leave it at that it is a privilege that I’m even walking this planet today. I believe my mother perceives me as taking the resources I have around me for granted. That I am just going through the motion of school and life and not tackling it like she did and still does. She sees an unemployed 20 year old at a junior college that has had recent trouble with the law. I am not putting up the biggest argument against her because I know I could be doing more to be excelling further in school and being more responsible for my own actions. I don’t think she fully understands the commitment of being in ootball during school. It really is like having a job year-round that gives you a 2 month break yearly. I know she gets her perceptions on what she hears at work at the sheriff’s department, which does not help, or what she sees on the news on television. So I believe her ideas on what people my age is a little bias. To overcome these perceptions and to better our relationship I believe we can communicate with each other more than we are now. Telling her more information about what goes on and what I am doing in my life can more likely give her a better idea on who I am or who I am on track of becoming.Telling her more and more of what I am doing and disclosing my-self, I believe can make her feel more comfortable with me. By self-disclosing my-self it can give her assurance with what kind of person I am. With the way things are going between us right now I can only imagine who she thinks I am. When a mother does not know much about his son you can see as to why they can get carried away with ideas on who they might be but not who they are. However, there also might be some things that she sees about me that I don’t realize myself.Those mother-to-child instincts are still a wonder to us all. She might see something about me that whenever I am in a serious relationship I seem to be more stressed, or that i am calm with her in our conversations. My emotions on the way I converse with her tell her a lot about myself. Emotion management is essential to maintaining a healthy relationship. For example, if I failed a mid-term that day and she does not know, she cannot prepare for the negative responses, if any, to her questions and she most likely would not want to hold a conversation with me.She can start to build an idea that I am not consistent with who I am and lead up to fewer conversations to build on our relationship. However, emotion management does have its cons. For instance, if I am not happy with something she is doing and I never express anything about it the relationship for me might start to become one-sided meaning only she is happy with relational content. Sometimes giving feedback about some ones actions is the best way to maintain a relationship.Relationship maintenance between her and I is a must. If I want her to be appy with me then I have to put in my part. If I am just sitting around the house not contributing to anything or with the household how could I expect her to be happy with me. When she sees me applying myself she can have many reasons to be happy or proud with what I am doing. How can she no t be if she knows I am taking advantage of the opportunities around me? For example, if I am maintaining a 3. 0 grade point average while holding a part time job and in a year-round sport like football, she should not have reason to be upset or concerned with me.

Hubble Studies Giant Gas Bubbles Near our Galaxys Core

Its an ancient galactic mystery with a modern explanation: two million years ago, something happened at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Something energetic. Something that sent two huge bubbles of gas billowing out to space. Today, they stretch out across more than 30,000 light-years of space, extending above and below the plane of the Milky Way.  No one was around to see it then -- at least no humans on Earth. Our earliest primate  ancestors were just learning to walk upright, and astronomy was not likely on their list of activities. So, this major explosion went unnoticed. Yet, it was a titanic event, driving gases and other material outward at two million miles per hour, didnt affect our plane then and it wont likely affect us in the future. However, it does show us what happens when a massive explosion occurs some 25,000 light-years away from our planet. Hubble Sleuths the Cause of the Explosion Astronomers used  Hubble Space Telescope  to look through one lobe of the bubbles toward a very distant quasar. Thats a galaxy that is very bright in  both visible and other wavelengths of light. The quasars passed through the bubbles of gas, which allowed Hubble to peer inside the  bubble to learn more about it— like  looking at a distant light shining through a fog bank.   The enormous structure illustrated in this image was discovered five years ago as a gamma-ray glow on the sky in the direction of the galactic center. The balloon-like features have since been observed in x-rays and radio waves. The Hubble Space Telescope presented a good way to measure the velocity and composition of the mystery lobes.  With the data from HST,  astronomers will work on calculating the mass of the material being blown out of our galaxy. That might also let them figure out just what happened to send all this gas billowing out of the galaxy in the first place. What Caused this Massive Galactic Explosion? The two most likely scenarios that explain these bipolar lobes are 1) a firestorm of star birth at the Milky Ways center or 2) the eruption of its supermassive black hole.   This isnt the first time that gaseous winds and streams of material have been seen coming from the centers of galaxies, but its the first time astronomers have detected evidence for them in our own galaxy.   The giant lobes are called Fermi Bubbles. They were initially spotted using NASAs Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to track gamma-rays.  These emissions are a powerful clue that a violent event in the galaxys core aggressively launched energized gas into space. To provide more information about the outflows, Hubbles Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) studied the ultraviolet light from a distant quasar that lies beyond the base of the northern bubble. Imprinted on that light as it travels through the lobe is information about the velocity, composition, and temperature of the expanding gas inside the bubble, which only COS can provide. The COS data show that the gas is rushing from the galactic center at roughly 3 million kilometers an hour (2 million miles an hour). of the gas at approximately 17,500 degrees Fahrenheit, which is much cooler than most of the 18-million-degree gas in the outflow. This cooler gas means that some interstellar gas could be getting caught up in the outflow.   COS observations also reveal that the clouds of gas contain the elements silicon, carbon, and aluminum.  These are produced inside stars.   Does this mean that star formation or star death is involved in the original event that formed the bubbles? Astronomers think that one possible cause for the outflows is a star-making frenzy near the galactic center. Eventually, those hot, young massive stars die in supernova explosions, which blow out gas. If a lot of them exploded at once, it might spur the formation of a huge gas bubble.   Another scenario has a star or a group of stars falling onto the Milky Ways supermassive black hole. When that happens, gas superheated by the black hole blasts deep into space and that could be what filled out the bubbles.   Those bubbles are short-lived compared to the age of our galaxy (which is more than 10 billion years old). Its possible that these arent the first bubbles to billow out from the core. It could have happened before.   Astronomers will continue to look at these bubbles using distant quasars as illuminators, so it might not be too long before we hear just what it was that caused a huge commotion at the heart of the Milky Way Galaxy.  They may well also be interested in studying smaller such bubbles that form as a result of supernova explosions and the actions of hot young stars. Such bubbles actually work to protect systems encased within. One example is the Local Interstellar Cloud, which encases the solar system today. In a few tens of thousands of years, the Sun and planets will move outside of it, exposing our system to radiation levels it hasnt experienced for a long time.

6 Revealing Autobiographies by African-American Thinkers

The Postcolonial Interpretations Of Shakespeares The Tempest

The Tempest, written by playwright William Shakespeare is one of his most popular, yet also controversial plays. This paper will discuss the postcolonial interpretations of Shakespeare’s play, by looking at the nature of colonialism, and how it has been incorporated within his play, through the role of the colonized versus the colonizers. This paper will also compare how 21st century audience’s views may differ to that of the traditional Elizabethan’s, in relation to the play’s treatment of the original inhabitants of the island. Written between the years of 1610 and 1611, The Tempest is thought by many critics to be one of the last pays Shakespeare wrote independently. Full of magic, deceit, and conspiracies, The Tempest is one of†¦show more content†¦As stated by Deborah Willis in her article Shakespeare s Tempest and the Discourse of Colonialism, â€Å"Prospero dominates this play in a way few Shakespearean characters do in others† (279), though with that being said the play does not favor him nor does it endorse his treatment and abuse of the Islands natives, but simply accepts it as is. Prospero does this through his overall power seen continually throughout the play, and it is this idea of power that divides the colonizer from the colonized or in this case Prospero from Caliban and Ariel. Furthermore, an example of this abused use of power can be seen in act 1 scene 2, when Prospero reminds Ariel of the kindness he has shown, â€Å"Dost thou forget/From what a torment I did free thee?â €  (1.2.299-300) in saying this Prospero reminds Ariel that he owes his freedom to Prospero and therefore his servitude. Furthermore, the relationship struggle for dominance between Prospero and Caliban is highly apparent in Act 3 Scene 2, when Caliban the original ruler of the island, explains that Prospero is an intruder and has betrayed his trust and initial welcome by enslaving him, in order to rule the Island himself, â€Å"I say by sorcery he got this isle;/From me he got it. If thy greatness will, /Revenge it on him, for I know thou dar st,/But this thing dare not.† (3.2.59-62). Even though Caliban is hailed as the original ruler of the Island throughout the entire play, after his mother’s entrapment, as seen in act 1 sceneShow MoreRelatedExamples Of Colonialism In The Tempest944 Words   |  4 PagesThe Tempest, written by playwright William Shakespeare is one of his most popular, yet also controversial plays. This paper will discuss the postcolonial interpretations of Shakespeare’s play, by looking at the nature of colonialism, and how it has been incorporated within his play, through the role of the colonized versus the colonizers. This paper will also compare how 21st century audience’s views may differ to that of the traditional Elizabethan’s, in relation to the play’s treatment of the originalRead MoreDantes3100 Words   |  13 Pages13 Practice: Revision Strategies The tempest one of the most difficult Shakespearean works in my opion to stage, from its stormy, chaotic first scene to its sureality to its ambiguous resolution, with Prospero facing his silent, treacherous brother and renouncing the power that has made every action in the story possible. Potent language remains the central force and mystery of this fathomless play. Prospero speaks almost a third of the lines in The Tempest, and controls the amount of speech everyRead MoreA Critical Note on New Historicism Essay2751 Words   |  12 PagesStylistics and Structural Criticism (1960s) †¢ Poststructuralist Criticism; Discourse Analysis; Reader-Response Criticism; Reception Theory; and Speech Act Theory (1970s) †¢ Dialogism; Cultural Studies; New Historicism; and Queer Theory (1980s) †¢ Postcolonial theory; Eco-Criticism; and Diasporic Studies II New Historicism: The term New Historicism is fathered by Stephen Greenblatt in his well-known book The Power of Forms and the Forms of Power in the Renaissance (1982). It has originated mainly as