Buddhism Vs Christianity - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1260 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/06/16 Category Religion Essay Level High school Tags: Buddhism Essay Christianity Essay Did you like this example? Religion is one of the most valued things in human society. It is what constitutes a country, group or society of individuals together. Although, in other cases it brings up problems and destroys unity between people. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Buddhism Vs Christianity" essay for you Create order Religion is the belief that humans have in a divine entity which controls the Universe. In multiple religions, there is more than one of these godlike entities. Every religion has differences between each other, but the most part of them look for right morals and justice in life. The topic of this essay is the differences between the Asian religion Buddhism and Christianity and the similarities as well corresponding the Divine law: Justice and Punishment. The way Buddhist approaches justice starts with how individuals behave. They are based in the moral law of Karma, to which they relate everything that happens in their life and in which good actions generate positive consequences and bad actions negative ones. Since it is centered on the monastery, Buddhism has based itself from the five precepts of good conduct (not commit sexual wrong, not to kill, not partake of intoxicants, and not to steal or lie) and it acknowledges the existing political regime (doesnt go against it). The people who rule in this society, in the other hand, often patronize the sangha, giving a lot of protection and resources, in exchange for the blessing of the monks. These arrangements started a very long time ago, when Ashoka was the King of the Indian subcontinent King in the third century BCE and continues through many democratic and autocratic regimes in countries where Buddhism is the dominant religion. For the last twenty years, South-East Asia has grown the social engagement of Buddhism (mostly in countries like Burma, Vietnam and Cambodia). Now that we know more about the way justice works in Buddhism, I will explain how the Biblical justice works (Christianity point of view). Justice in Christianity involves making the entire universe (groups and communities, individuals and the cosmos whole) by remaining impartial and goodness. Christianity is considered a true helpful religion for those who need it, according to James, who says that the kind of religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27). In previous scriptures, he mentions as well, The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern (Prov. 29:7). Justice comes from Gods character and heart. Seeking to make the object of his holy love whole, is what motivates God throughout the Old and New Testaments in his judgments on sin and injustice. Only if we have hope and stay in contact with Jesus we can participate in his work of restoring lives, the church, and the world by the Spirit of the Lord. The church is to live now, considering Jesus restoration of all things. As we experience the wholeness that Jesus offers, we are to carry his justice forward in the world. We can see Gods heart in James epistle. James, fought against oppression to the poor people. He saw how the leaders of the church were favoring the rich and not taking care of those less fortunate (James 2:1-13). James tried breaking down these branches, as God tries to make his people whole. Christians still face the same problem nowadays, especially with the growing tendency of some Christians to downplay social justice to highlight personal morality. Jesus censored this in the Pharisees: Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices†mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law†justice, mercy and faithfulness (Matt. 23:23). Lets explain now the Buddhism and punishment. Buddhism is fundamentally based in the cycle of birth and re-birth (Samsara). It teaches that if someone must be killed for a crime he has committed, it will have big effects on the souls of both the person who committed the crime and the punisher in future incarnations. But Buddhism doesnt only punish people in future incarnations, it also punishes them in their current lifetime. Here is their point of view: Treating an offender in an inhumane way doesnt solve their misbehavior or those of humanity in general (killing someone before they are punished in this world is not accepted). The best way to treat an offender is reformatory rather than punitive. People should be punished in the right way, making the offender make amends. Getting him to rehabilitate into society should be of maximum importance. If someone punished the offender in a very cruel way, it will injure the offenders mind and the punishers as well. It seems almost impossible to severely punish someone with compassion. If this committed crime is extremely serious, the person must leave the community within he leaves, like his village, city, or country. Now that we know how the punishment works in Buddhism, lets talk about Christians point of view. From the Bible, Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed Genesis 9:6 I will approach this topic from the two angles Christianity has given to punishment: Taken from the Old testament and the New Testament. Old Testament The death penalty is introduced in the Old Testament Biblical and tells us that, in fact, God himself created the death penalty. Many Christians dont think that Death penalty should be a convincing argument The Old testament describes 34 capital penalties other than Idolatry, magic blasphemy and murder described in the Old Testament. Since these are not capital penalties anymore, Christians insist in getting rid of all the other capital offences and leave murder as the only one considered as a capital crime. New Testament In Matthew 7:2 we can see Whatever measure you deal out to others will be dealt back to you, although, it is not clear who deals with it: God or the state. By the other hand, Jesus said He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die (Matt 15:4) When Pilate had to decide if Jesus should be crucified, Jesus himself told him that there was no choice to make, that this decision has been given to him by God. (John 19:11). It seems like Paul has his own idea of death penalty. From his scriptures we can see that the magistrate holds the authority does not bear the sword in vain; for he is the servant of God to execute His wrath on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:4). Capital punishment takes the commandment thou shalt not kill the literal way, affirming how serious the crime of murder is. This is based on taking this argument by its meaning, which could be interpreted as thou shalt not murder, but some Christians believe that Thou shalt not kill commandment should be a complete prohibition of killing, no matter the situation. In conclusion, we can say that these religions differ in some respects. For example, in Buddhism they prefer reformation of the person rather than punitive actions, while Christianity accepts punishment, but does not accept death penalty (depending on the Testament) unless its for murder. Buddhists believe that Justice comes from Karma (good things will happen to those who do good actions and bad things to those who misbehave in society), and Christians take justice the literal way it is given in the Testaments, but at the same time, justice must be applied comprehensively, being more understanding with poor people and more strict with those who have everything in life.

Why Are Feminism and Housewife Considered to be Mutually...

Why are feminism and housewife considered to be mutually exclusive terms? The ongoing debate about the role of housewives in modern society seems to go against the fight for feminism. Does a difference actually exist? Does such a thing as a feminist stay at home mother exist? For my paper I plan to explore where the line is drawn between the two controversies and propose a contemporary middle for the two to meet. The face of feminism needs to reevaluate their stance on the role of the housewife and create a culture in which the stay at home mother is not frowned upon by feminists. In my paper I will examine how feminists through time have examined the role of the housewife in society. I will then expand on the role gender equality plays in defining the modern housewife. Finally I will propose ways in which we can reform feminism to show that it is possible to be both a feminist and a housewife. Feminist theories rooted against the patriarchal system of western society will argue tha t the role of a stay at home mother is a form of oppression. Women are not compensated for the work that they are doing on a day-to-day basis and in a sense are less valued in society. This could be a result of their work being devalued in society, or the fact society does not place a value on the work that they do, therefore devaluing them in society. This sense of undervaluing creates an inequality in society for women who choose to stay at home. The feminist and the housewife are actuallyShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagessequence of world history units has meant that it often ends up becoming a rushed add-on of rather random, abbreviated capsule summaries and general overviews. In view of the fact that no phase of history can begin to match the twentieth century in terms of the extent to which it has shaped the contemporary world, this marginalization is particularly pernicious and has been at times literally lethal. The unmatched abundance and accessibility of primary documents and secondary works on world history

Romeo And Juliet With Midsummer Nights Dream Essay Example For Students

Romeo And Juliet With Midsummer Nights Dream Essay Lord, What fools these mortals be Thats what Robin Goodfellowfrom the book A Midsummer Nights Dream remarked. It is inevitablythe truth. The aspect of love can mar the human mind. Its hard to explain andhard to fit into mere words. Three main kinds of love seen most often inliterature are romanticism, family, and friendship love. An example would beheartily clarified using the books Romeo and Juliet along withA Midsummer Nights Dream by Shakespeare. Most often, theromanticism is greatly appreciated by the audience. Tales of chivalry intriguethe human mind, making it yearn for more. This kind of love is between a man anda woman who most often wish to be bonded by marriage. Hermia and Lysander can becompared to Romeo and Juliet. They were both fanatical for eachother, and madlydoted on one another with such fervor. Though there were some small contrasts,Hermia and Lysanders love was tampered with by magic, while Romeo and Julietswas their complete facination with one another. That is romanticism. Family loveis a warm feeling of being protected by the one that you were birthed to, or hastaken care of you the majority of your life. In the case of these books, welluse Egeus and Hermia. Its possible that Egeus might have actually loved Hermia,unlike Lord Capulet towards Juliet. Capulet didnt sincerely care about Julietsfeelings; it was only pertinent for the political value to him that Juliet couldhave brought with her marriage to Paris. It doesnt mention Hermias mother, butJuliets mother is quite detached and uncaring. This most surely arises from thefact that Juliets mother was so young when she gave birth to Juliet. Friendshiplove is completely different from family or romantic love. you can depend onfriends to help you through things that people who are too close, like family orsignificant others who cannot help. To Helena she was Hermias best friend, andRomeo to Mercutio. Yet, Romeo and Mercutio stayed true to eachother, whielHelena betrayed Hermia. Of course, different insights lead to different views. Love is something that will live through out ages, not only in literature butalso in peoples hearts. Love is hard to simply be depleted. Now, there are farmore categories of love than these three. To take them all into considerationwould mean youd have to become immortal. While all three of these contrastgreatly, there is some mutual feeling between them, which is basic love, nomatter how you look at it.

The Maidenhead Of Ophelia Essays - Characters In Hamlet,

The Maidenhead Of Ophelia In William Shakespeares Hamlet, the character of Ophelia is masqueraded as a demure, innocent, adolescent girl. However, the behavior disguised by this fa?ade is much more interesting than we are led to believe. Throughout Hamlet, Ophelia is the target of numerous sexual innuendoes and later the confessor of her own sexual experience. When these occurrences become apparent, Ophelia no longer holds the virginal qualities we were once led to believe she possessed. Ophelia is first portrayed as an innocent, or as her father, Polonius, describes, a green girl (1.3.101). The concern lies not with Ophelias behavior, but with Hamlets lustful desires for her--she is told to see him no more. Polonius then confronts Gertrude and Claudius, Hamlets mother and uncle/father, with Hamlets attempts to seduce his daughter. As evidence, he has confiscated a love letter written to Ophelia by Hamlet. Claudius challenges Poloniuss accusations by asking, But how hath she received his love? (2.2.127-28). This response is the first implication of the possible absence of Ophelias chastity. The strongest suggestions toward Ophelia are made by Hamlet, himself. These seem to be the most significant of any, because if anyone were to know of her purity, or lack of, it would most likely be Hamlet. He questions Ophelias honesty and her fairness. He tells her that the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd... (3.1.111-12). A bawd is a reference to a brothel-keeper. Hamlet declares that he loved Ophelia once. He warns her that she should not have believed him, because virtue is not something that can be replaced and they are now tainted. He informs her that he never loved her. Perhaps the harshest line with a reference to Ophelias state of virginity is when Hamlet announces, Get thee to a nunnery -- why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? (3.1.119-20). He clearly states that Ophelia is a sinner and any offspring would be sinners. Hamlet tells her she should marry a fool (3.1.134), and that instead of being honest, she pretends her immorality c omes from innocence, rather than experience. These declarations promptly dissolve the fa?ade surrounding Ophelia, leaving no questions concerning her maidenhead. Hamlet continues with the insults, becoming more crude with each. He asks Ophelia if he should lie his head in her lap. When she declines, he remarks, Thats a fair thought to lie between maids legs (3.2.105). In reference to the play Hamlet has written, Ophelia asks about the meaning. Hamlet responds, Ay, or any show that youll show him. Be not you ashamed to show, hell not shame to tell you what it means (3.2.127). One of the last innuendoes he has a chance to make was in telling Ophelia that It would cost you a groaning to take off mine edge (3.2.226). Shortly afterwards, Ophelia was driven to madness. Ophelias own confession that she has lost her virginity comes in her state of madness. She sings, Then up he rose and donned his clothes / And dupped the chamber door; / Let in the maid that out a maid / Never departed more (4.5.52-55). However, the most evident passage comes shortly after when Ophelia sings, Young men will dot if they come tot / By Cock they are to blame. / Quoth she, Before you tumbled me, / You promised me to wed. / He answers -- / So would I ha done, by yonder sun, / And thou hadst not come to my bed. Ophelia is talking about the promises Hamlet made to her before she had sex with him. Since he has told her that he no longer loves her, there is no reason for her to protect their activities any more. Although in a state of madness, Ophelia has finally spoken the truth about her relationship with Hamlet. She no longer carries the personae of an innocent, chaste young girl. Upon the first reading of Hamlet, several of these accounts can easily be overlooked. Yet, when we look at the attitudes of other characters concerning Ophelia, we begin to notice that there are questions about her actions. Her father, Polonius, seems to think it is Hamlets fault. Claudius and Gertrude question Ophelias character.