Comparing Islam and Christianity on violence Free Essay Example, 2000 words

However, questions are continuously raised in the approach of people in Christianity towards using force and violence in a justified manner. Throughout the history of Christianity, certain teachings of the Old Testament and the New Testament were referred with regard to justifying the use of force or violence in Christianity (Volf 1-17). According to Weaver, the answer to the question of whether Christianity supports violence is quite simple for many. This is because of the fact that there are various scenarios which can directly present the controversial approach of Christianity towards violence which notably include the Warrior Pope’s in the history, support of the Christians towards the corporal and capital punishment and the extensive practice of slavery among the many that exist. Conversely, Weaver also argued about a few of the aspects including the teachings of Jesus where He taught people about loving the enemies, eliminating non-violence from the society and ensuring peace all over the world extensively oppose the aspect of violence (Harris, †Letter to a Christian Nation†; Weaver, â€Å"Violence In Christian Theology†). Hence, the worldviews of the relationship between Christianity and violence is quite blurred and the debate in this subject matter everlasting. We will write a cust om essay sample on Comparing Islam and Christianity on violence or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now WORLDWIDE VIEWS OF VIOLENCE IN ISLAM Similar to Christianity, violence in Islam is also an important topic of extensive discussion worldwide. Observably, a few of the doctrines and texts associated with Islam provide strong evidences and cases of their association with extensive violence. According to the study of Sutton and Vertigans, western world holds a fixed view towards Islam where they directly depict it as the religion of violence. The study also states that as per the western world, Islam is †a religion of the sword† where conflict, aggressions and terrorism are deeply prevalent within the activities of the people (1-33). In this regard, Puniyani depicts that owing to the extensive association of the religion with terrorism, people within the Islamic community also hold the view that this religion is associated with activities of violence (1-25). However, the research of Juergensmeyer affirms that like in any other religion, the teaching of Islam also focuses more on ascertaining peace and non-violence throughout the world with occasionally allowing the use of force and violent activities. He further believes that similar to Christianity, Islam also does not disregard violence at one point while on the other hand it teaches that self-defense is a right of human beings (3-20).

The Age of Pericles and Periclean Athens

The Age of Pericles refers to part of the Classical Age of Greece, when the dominant polis—in terms of culture and politics—was Athens, Greece. Most of the cultural wonders that we associate with ancient Greece come from this period. The Dates of the Classical Age Sometimes the term Classical Age refers to the entire expanse of ancient Greek history, from the archaic period, but when used to distinguish one era from the next, the Classical Age of Greece begins with the Persian Wars (490-479 B.C.) and ends with either the empire-building or the death of the Macedonian leader Alexander the Great (323 B.C.). The Classical Age is followed by the Hellenistic Age that Alexander ushered in. Besides war, the Classical era in Athens, Greece, produced great literature, philosophy, drama, and art. There is a single name that signifies this artistic period: Pericles. The Age of Pericles (in Athens) The Age of Pericles runs from the middle of the 5th century to either his death at the start of the Peloponnesian War or the end of the war, in 404. Pericles as Leader While he was not a king or dictator in charge of Athens, Greece, Pericles was the foremost statesman of Athens from 461-429. Pericles was repeatedly elected to be one of the 10 strategoi (generals). Aspasia of Miletus Pericles was strongly influenced by Aspasia, a female philosopher and courtesan from Miletus, who lived in Athens, Greece. Because of a recent citizenship law, Pericles couldnt marry a woman who wasnt born in Athens, so he could only cohabit with Aspasia. Pericles' Reforms Pericles introduced payment for public offices in Athens. Pericles' Building Projects Pericles initiated the building of the Acropolis structures. The Acropolis was the high point of the city, the original fortifiable area before the city of Athens expanded. Temples topped the Acropolis, which was behind the Pnyx  hill where the assembly of the people gathered. Pericles preeminent building project was the Parthenon  (447-432 B.C.), on the Acropolis. The famed Athenian sculptor Pheidias, who was also responsible for the chryselephantine  statue of Athena, supervised this project. Ictinus and Callicrates served as architects for the Parthenon. Delian League Pericles is credited with moving the treasury of the Delian League to Athens, Greece, and using its money to rebuild the Acropolis temples that the Persians had destroyed. This was an abuse of the treasury funds. The money was supposed to be for the  defense of Athens and its Greek allies. Other Famous Men in the Classical Age Besides Pericles, Herodotus the father of history and his successor, Thucydides, and the 3 famous Greek dramatists Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides lived during this period. There were also renowned philosophers like Democritus during this period, as well as sophists. Drama and philosophy flourished. The Peloponnesian War But then the Peloponnesian War broke out in 431. It lasted for 27 years. Pericles, along with many others, died of an undetermined plague during the war. The plague was especially deadly because people were crowded together within the walls of Athens, Greece, for strategic reasons connected with the war. Historians of the Archaic and Classical Period HerodotusPlutarchStraboPausaniasThucydidesDionorus  SiculusXenophonDemosthenesAeschinesNeposJustin Historians When Greece Was Dominated by the Macedonians DiodorusJustinThucydidesArrian fragments of Arrian found in PhotiusDemosthenesAeschinesPlutarch

Night World The Chosen Chapter 10 Free Essays

Or not to meet them so much as graze past them, before concentrating on his chin. She didn’t dare stare directly into them for long. â€Å"Maybe she is from another planet,† Quinn was saying to the girl. We will write a custom essay sample on Night World : The Chosen Chapter 10 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Maybe she’s not human. Maybe I’m not, either.† That’s right, Rashel thought. Make fun of them by telling them a truth they won’t believe. But, she noticed, Quinn looked more as if he didn’t care what they found out than as if he were mocking them. â€Å"Maybe she’s from another world. Did you ever think of that?† Rashel was confused again. Quinn seemed to be trying to get himself killed. He appeared to be verging on telling these girls about the Night World, and under the laws of the Night World, that was punishable by death. You’re really slipping, Rashel thought. First the slave trade, now this. I thought you were supposed to be such a stickler for the law. â€Å"There are darker dimensions,† Quinn was confiding to the group, â€Å"than you have ever imagined. But, you see, it’s all part of life’s grand design, so it’s all right. Did you know†-he put his arm around a girl’s shoulders, gesturing outward as if inviting her to look at some horizon-â€Å"that there’s a certain kind of wasp that lays its eggs in the body of a caterpillar? A live caterpillar. And it stays alive, you see, while the eggs hatch and the little waspettes eat it from the inside out. Now, who do you think invented that?† Rashel wondered if vampires could get drunk. â€Å"That would probably be the most horrible way to die,† Daphne chimed in, her musical voice ghoulish. â€Å"Being eaten by insects. Or maybe being burned.† â€Å"It would probably depend on how fast you burned,† Quinn said meditatively. â€Å"A flash of fire-high enough temperature-you bum the nerves out in the first few seconds. Slow baking would be different.† â€Å"I’m writing a poem about fire,† Rashel said. She was surprised to find that she was annoyed because Quinn didn’t really seem to have noticed her. On second thought, she should be annoyed; her plan depended on him not only noticing but choosing her. She was going to have to capture his attention. â€Å"Do you have it with you?† Daphne was asking helpfully. â€Å"No, but I can tell you the beginning,† Rashel said. She braced herself to look at Quinn as she recited: â€Å"There’s warmth in ice; there’s cooling peace in fire, And midnight light to show us all the way. The dancing flame becomes a funeral pyre; The Dark was more enticing than the Day.† Quinn blinked. Then he smiled, and he looked Rashel over, dearly taking notice of the velvet jumpsuit and ending with her face. He looked everywhere†¦ except into her eyes. â€Å"That’s right; you’ve got it,† he said with that same brittle exhilaration. â€Å"And there’s plenty of dark out there for everyone.† Rashel’s worry that he might look too deep if he met her gaze was groundless. Quinn didn’t seem to be really seeing anybody here. â€Å"There is plenty of darkness,† Rashel said. She moved toward him, feeling strangely brave. Her instincts sensed a weakness in him, a flaw. â€Å"It’s everywhere. It’s inescapable. So the only thing we can do is embrace it.† She was standing right in front of him now, looking at his mouth. â€Å"If we hold it dose, it won’t hurt so much.† â€Å"Well. Exactly.† Quinn showed his teeth, but it wasn’t the manic smile. It was a grimace. He didn’t look happy anymore; suddenly, for just an instant, he looked tired and sick. He was almost leaning away from Rashel. â€Å"I came here so I could do that,† Rashel said in a sultry voice. She was scaring herself a little. In the name of the charade, she was doing everything she could to seduce him-but it was surprisingly easy and surprisingly enjoyable. There was a sort of tingling all over her body, as if the jumpsuit had picked up a charge. â€Å"I came to look for the darkness,† she said. Softly. Quinn laughed abruptly. The feverish good humor came flooding back. â€Å"And you found it,† he said. He went on laughing and laughing, and he reached out to touch Rashel’s cheek. Don’t let him touch you! The thought flashed through Rashel’s mind and communicated to her muscles in an instant. Without knowing how she knew, she was certain that if he touched her, it would all be over. It was skin-to-skin contact that had nearly fried every circuit in her brain before. She danced back from his fingertips and smiled teasingly, while her heart tried to pound its way out of her chest. â€Å"This place is so crowded,† she said throatily. â€Å"Huh? Oh. Then why don’t we schedule something more private? I could pick you up tomorrow night. Say seven o’clock in the parking lot.† Bingo. â€Å"But Quinn.† It was Daphne, looking aggrieved. â€Å"You told me to meet you tomorrow.† She trembled her chin. Quinn stared at her, and for once, Rashel could read his face easily. He was thinking that anybody that stupid deserved it. â€Å"Well, you can both come,† he said expansively. â€Å"Why not? The more the merrier.† He walked away laughing and laughing. Rashel watched him go, resisting an impulse to shake her head. She’d done it; she’d passed the last test and been chosen. So why was her heart still pounding? She glanced out of the side of her eye at Daphne. â€Å"Well, I don’t know about anybody else, but I’ve had enough excitement for tonight.† She went to get her coat, with the rest of Quinn’s coterie glaring jealously after her. She had one enjoyable experience on the way out. Ivan, still slouching, tried to stop her at the door. â€Å"Shelly, hey. I thought we were going to get to know each other better.† Rashel didn’t need him anymore; she had her invitation. â€Å"I’d rather get to know a head louse,† she said in her sweet chatty voice, and she stepped on his foot hard with her high heel. In the car, she waited a full twenty minutes, watching the front of the club, before Daphne joined her. â€Å"Sorry, but I didn’t want anybody to think we were leaving together.† â€Å"You did a great job,† Rashel said, driving away. â€Å"You even managed to get both of us invited to meet Quinn together-that was dangerous, but it worked. The only thing that surprised me is that he invited us in front of everybody. Is that how he did it before?† â€Å"No. Not at all. Last time, he sort of whispered it to me when nobody was around. But, you know, nothing was normal tonight. I mean, he usually asks new girls questions-I guess to figure out if they have families who’ll miss them. And he isn’t usually that-that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Manic?† â€Å"Yeah. I wonder what’s going on with him?† Rashel pressed her lips together and stared straight ahead through the windshield. â€Å"You sure you want to go through with this?† It was Sunday night and they were nearing the parking lot of the Crypt. â€Å"I’ve told you and told you,† Daphne said. â€Å"I’m ready. I can do it.† â€Å"Okay. But, listen, if there’s any trouble, I want you to run. Run away from the club and don’t look back for me. All right?† Daphne nodded. At Rashel’s suggestion, she was wearing something more sensible tonight: black pants heavy enough to provide some warmth, a dark sweater, and shoes she could run in. Rashel was dressed the same way, except that she was wearing high boots. The knife was in one. â€Å"You go first,† Rashel said, parking a street away from the club. â€Å"I’ll come in a minute.† She watched Daphne walk away, hoping she wasn’t going to get this little blond bunny killed. She herself was the danger. Quinn was going to use mind control on them to get them to go to the warehouse quietly. And Rashel wasn’t sure what would happen when he did it. Just don’t let him touch you, she told herself. You can carry it off as long as he doesn’t touch you. Five minutes later, she started toward the Crypt. Quinn was in the dark parking lot, standing by a silvery-gray Lexus. As Rashel reached the car, she saw the pale blob of Daphne’s face through the window. â€Å"I almost thought you weren’t coming.† There was now a sort of savagery mixed in with Quinn’s lunatic good humor. As if he was angry she wasn’t smart enough to save herself. â€Å"Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.† Rashel kept her eyes on the car. She wanted to get this over with. â€Å"Are we going somewhere?† There was that tiny hesitation that seemed to come every time she spoke to him, as if it were taking him a minute to focus. Or as if he were trying to figure something out, she thought nervously. Then he answered smoothly, â€Å"Oh, right, get in.† Rashel got in. She glanced once at Daphne in the back seat. Daphne said, â€Å"What’s up?† in a chirpy voice laced with feminine rivalry. Good girl. Quinn was getting in the driver’s side. Once the door was shut, he turned the engine on to run the heater. The windows immediately began to fog. Rashel sat in a state of continuing mind, ready for the unexpected at any moment. Only the unexpected didn’t come. Nothing came. Quinn was just sitting there in the driver’s seat. Watching her. With a sudden void in her stomach that threatened her zanshin, Rashel realized that it was too dark. Too familiar. They were sitting here together in silence, so close, visible to each other only in silhouette, just as they had in the cellar. She could almost feel Quinn’s confusion as he tried to figure out what was bothering him. And Rashel was afraid to say anything, afraid that her chirpiest voice wouldn’t be a good-enough disguise. The horrible feeling of connection was mounting, like some giant green wave looming over them both. In a moment it would break, and Quinn would say, â€Å"I know you,† and switch on the light to see the face without the veil. Rashel’s fingers edged toward her knife. Then, through the electric buzzing in her ears, she heard Daphne say, â€Å"You know, I just love this car. I bet it goes really fast, too. This is all so exciting-I’m just so glad I got here this time. Not like last week.† She went on, blathering easily, while Rashel sank back lightheaded with relief. The connection was broken; Quinn was now looking at his instrument panel as if trying to escape the chatter. And now Daphne was talking about how exciting it was to ride in the dark. Smart, smart girl. Quinn had to interrupt her to say, â€Å"So, you two girls want to surrender to the darkness?† He said it as if he were asking if they wanted to order pizza. â€Å"Yes,† Rashel said. â€Å"Oh, yes,† Daphne said. â€Å"It’s just like we always say. I think that would be just the most seriously cool-â€Å" Quinn made a gesture at her as if to say, â€Å"For God’s sake, shut up.† Not a rough gesture. It was more like an exasperated choir director trying to get through to some soprano who wouldn’t stop at the end of the measure. Stop here. And Daphne shut up.’ Like that. As if he’d turned off a switch in her. Rashel twisted slightly to look at the backseat and saw that Daphne had slumped to one side, body limp, her breathing peaceful. Oh, God, Rashel thought. She was used to the kind of mind control other vampires had tried on her. The persuasive, whispery-voice-in-the-head type. And when Quinn hadn’t tried to use that, or to call for help in the cellar, she’d assumed he was low on telepathy. Now she knew the truth. He packed a telepathic punch like a pile driver. No, like a karate blow: swift, precise, and deadly. He turned to look at her, a dark shape against a lighter darkness. Rashel tried to brace herself. â€Å"And the rest is silence,† Quinn said, and gestured at her. Rashel fell into a void. She woke up as she was being carried into the warehouse. She had enough presence of mind not to open her eyes or make any other sign that she was conscious. It was Quinn carrying her; she could tell even with her eyes shut. When he dumped her on a mattress, she deliberately fell so that her head was turned away from him and her hair was over her face. She had a moment’s fear that he was going to discover the knife in her boot when he shackled her ankles. But he didn’t even roll up her pant leg. He seemed to be doing everything as quickly as possible, without really paying attention. Rashel heard the shackle snap shut. She kept perfectly still. She lay and listened as he brought Daphne in and chained her. Then she heard voices close by and the sound of other footsteps. â€Å"Put that one down here-what happened to her purse?† That was Lily. â€Å"It’s still in the car.† Ivan. â€Å"Okay, bring it in with the other one. I’ll do her feet.† Thump of a body hitting a mattress. Footsteps going away. The metallic clink of chains. Then a sigh from Lily. Rashel could imagine her straightening up and looking around in satisfaction. â€Å"Well, that’s it. Ivan’s got number twenty-four in the car. I guess we’re going to have one very happy client.† â€Å"Joy,† Quinn said flatly. Twenty-four? One client? â€Å"I’ll leave a message that everything’s going to be ready for the big day.† â€Å"Do that.† â€Å"You’re awfully moody, you know. It’s not just me who’s noticed it.† A pause, and Rashel imagined Quinn giving one of his black looks. â€Å"I was just thinking it was ironic. I turned down a job as a slave trader once. That was before. Do you remember before, Lily? When we lived in Charlestown and your sister Dove was still alive. A captain from Marblehead asked if I wanted to ship out to Guinea for some human cargo. Black gold, I think he called it. As I remember, I hit him on the nose. And Fight-the-Good-fight-for-Faith Johnson reported me for brawling.† â€Å"Quinn, what’s wrong with you?† â€Å"Just reminiscing about the old days in the sunlight. Of course, you wouldn’t know about that, would you? You’re lamia; you were born this way. Technically, I suppose, you were born dead.† â€Å"And technically, I suppose, you’re going peculiar. My father always said it would happen.† â€Å"Yes, and I wonder what your father would think about all this? His daughter selling humans for money. And to such a client, and for such a reason-â€Å" At that moment, while Rashel was listening desperately, hanging on every word, heavy footsteps interrupted. Ivan had returned. Quinn broke off, and he and Lily remained silent as another body thumped on a bed. Rashel cursed mentally. What client? What reason? She’d supposed the girls were being sold as regular house slaves or food supplies. But clearly that wasn’t the case. And then something happened that drove thoughts of the future right out of her mind. She heard footsteps next to her bed, and she was aware of someone leaning close. Not Quinn, the smell was wrong. Ivan. A rough hand grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. Another arm slid under her waist, lifting her up. Panic shot through Rashel, and she tried to push it away. She forced herself to stay limp, eyes shut, arms dangling passively. I ought to have been prepared for this. She’d realized from the beginning that playing her part might include allowing herself to get bitten. To feel vampire teeth on her throat, to allow them to spill her blood. But it bad never happened to her before, and it took every ounce of her will to keep from fighting. She was scared. Her arched throat felt exposed and vulnerable, and she could feel a pulse beating in it wildly. â€Å"What are you doing?† Quinn’s voice was sharp as the crack of glacier ice. Rashel felt Ivan go still. â€Å"I’ve got something to settle with this girl. She’s a smartass.† â€Å"Take your hands off her. Before I knock you through the wall.† â€Å"Quinn-† Lily said. Quinn’s voice was painfully distinct. â€Å"Drop her. Now.† Ivan dropped Rashel. â€Å"He’s right,† Lily said coolly. â€Å"They’re not for you, Ivan, and they have to be in perfect shape.† Ivan muttered something sullen and Rashel heard footsteps moving away. She lay and listened to her heart slowly calming. â€Å"I’m going to get some sleep,† Quinn said, sounding flat and dull. â€Å"See you Tuesday,† lily said. Tuesday, Rashel thought. Great. It’s going to be a very long two days. They were the most boring two days of her life. She got to know every corner of the small glass-windowed office. The windows were a problem, since she was never absolutely sure if Lily or Ivan were outside one of them, standing in the warehouse proper and looking through. She listened carefully for the warehouse doors, froze instantly at any suspicious sound, and trusted to luck. Daphne woke up Monday morning. Rashel had her neck twisted sideways and was staring through the office glass up at the one tiny window set high in the warehouse wall. Just as it turned gray with dawn, Daphne sat up and screamed. â€Å"Sh! It’s all right! You’re here in the warehouse with me.† â€Å"Rashel?† â€Å"Yeah. We made it. And I’m glad you’re awake.† â€Å"Are we alone?† â€Å"More or less,† Rashel said. â€Å"There are two other girls, but they’re both hypnotized. You’ll see when it gets lighter.† Daphne let out her breath. â€Å"Wow†¦ we did it. That’s great. So how come I’m so completely and utterly terrified?† â€Å"Because you’re a smart girl,† Rashel said grimly. â€Å"Just wait until Tuesday when they take us out.† â€Å"Take us out where?† â€Å"That’s the question.† How to cite Night World : The Chosen Chapter 10, Essay examples

Taking a Stance on Capital Punishment free essay sample

Who are we to decide who should live and who should die? Who are we to decide that the punishment should not fit the crime? Who are we to consider mercy for the merciless? These are just a few questions I would love to be able to ask someone like Carrie Marie Scott, Janna Bruce, or Sheila Whalen but I can not, they all were murdered by Stephen Peter Morin. Stephen was one of the â€Å"botched† executions by lethal injection. It took the technicians almost 45 minutes to find a suitable vein to administer the sentence. I wonder how long it took his three victims to die as he raped and tortured them in a van he sound proofed. As for the time he suffered on the table getting needles stuck in him, I hope it does not happen to anyone that did not torture and kill three innocent people. Where is the humanity for the victims? Then there is the botched execution of John Wayne Gacy. We will write a custom essay sample on Taking a Stance on Capital Punishment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This man tortured and killed over 25 people after his first conviction of child molestation in 1968; yet it is inhumane that his execution took 18 minutes longer to complete than normal because of a clogged IV tube? Perhaps we should ask the family of his victims if it took longer than 18 minutes for them to get over the death of their loved ones. Where is the humanity for the victims? What of the Hodges family? Richard Hodges and his 75 year old mother Mildred were both murdered by suffocation by Bert Leroy Hunter and Tomas Ervin. On December 15th, 1988; Hunter and Ervin broke into the Hodges’ family home at gun point to rob them. The Hodges’ were bound with duct tape and had plastic bags put over their heads causing them to suffocate. Death by suffocation can take upwards of eight minutes to happen; try holding your breath for a minute and you will realize the agony of this death. When hunter was executed his body convulsed violently; but this is the inhumane aspect of this entire ordeal. I feel that I would be cheating the family if I did not mention that this crime was committed after Hunter got out of jail for his first conviction of murder and in jail is where he met his accomplice Ervin. Where is the humanity for the victims? What is a lethal injection? It is a very basic process where Sodium Thiopental is used to put the person to sleep, then Pancuronium is administered to paralyze the muscles, and Potassium Chloride is used to stop the heart; if this is not given the person would die of asphyxiation from the Pancuronium. The person has an IV in both arms although one is only used as a backup in case the main fails. The person on the execution table will always have one right that he or she did not allow their victim to have; the right to die with their dignity. When you look at the very basic facts of this, that no one should take a life; everything is very simple. When people say that â€Å"this poor person died on the execution table in a horrible way;† it is really easy to take a stance and say that it is wrong. The problem is that this is a heavily flawed perspective based on initial reactions without digging further and finding the details about how the ended up on that execution table in the first place. It all comes down to protecting the ones we are supposed to protect; the people who do NOT break the law and their rights have far been overlooked for rights of the ones who victimized them. So you ask for a stance and I will take one: Killing people is wrong, but the people who have killed people should not have a voice in their treatment of way they die; their victims did not. I support lethal injection and capital punishment. So long as people are willing to kill other people in cold blood; I am willing to see them off to their demise and not stand in the way.