I know that this paragraph is short, and this is because the document is short. It would have been helpful for them to explain, why they think he is a god, and go into more detail so that the reader could have a deeper understanding. This explains my thesis because they needed a god or a ruler. They believed he possessed great power over…
This applies to society today given that our relationship with God has been misled through the materialistic deception we are subjected to on a daily basis in this capitalistic society, which Paul has already warned us about. Another example is when Paul addresses the divisions between the Jewish and Gentile communities, and how he served as an Apostle who sought to unite both groups. Similarly, we can look at Martin Luther King Jr. and how he utilized God’s word against separatist groups such as the KKK in order to liberate…
Luke used numerous sources and traditions that shaped a coherent, chronologically sequential account of events covering around three decades. This not only puts all of the events surrounding Jesus into a timeline, but makes Acts be a timeline for the New Testament. This passage fits with the whole of Acts as it describes what the early church was doing. As well as, how Ananis and Sapphira died and how this impacted the…
1. How would you describe King Saul’s frame of mind? What is his reaction to those who try to help him? 2. What is Saul’s opinion of the prophet Samuel?…
In this paper I will argue that St. Anselm’s ontological argument is not adequate in proving the existence of God. First I will discuss his ambiguous use of the term “God”. Then, I will move on to analyze the term “greatest” made in his premises. Lastly, I will also criticize Anselm's argument by demonstrating that Anselm’s reply to Gaunilo’s objections are unconvincing. Anselm was the first one who developed the ontological argument, an argument for God’s existence based on reason, not on physical evidence.…
Several years ago, an atheist named, H.J. McCloskey, published an article in the journal Question One, and the article was called “On Being an Atheist”. In this article, McCloskey explains why the argument of God fails. I thought the paper was very well written; however, some of his assumptions about all theists were wrong and he spoke very poorly of anyone with a theistic opinion. During this paper I will argue why some of McCloskey’s arguments were invalid, and I am going to try and explain the different arguments from a theistic worldview. Before I can really go in, and talk about each argument McCloskey lists in his article, I would like to talk about the word choice he used in this article.…
McCloskey’s article, “On being an atheist” presented ideals and points that were thought provoking. It can be seen from the beginning of the article, McCloskey is a proud, and seemingly closed minded atheist. This type of attitude when debating such a heavily weighted topic becomes difficult to engage and even persuade. Throughout his article, McCloskey discusses four areas that surround atheism. The four areas are: Cosmological Argument, Teleological Argument, Problem of Evil, and Atheism as Comforting.…
David Bentley Hart, a renowned theologian and philosopher, has accepted the challenge presented by the New Atheist ideals. In Hart’s publication, Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies he explains to the reader the falsehood of Atheism and how the rejection of Christianity has negatively impacted humanity. There are four themes that Hart uses to convey this message: Faith and reason in today’s society, Christianity’s influence and misunderstanding throughout the Middle Ages, Christianity’s attempt to shape present culture, and why the rejection of the peaceful religion will cause a negative impact. Within this explanation, both theologians and atheist philosophers are able to explore a true account of how…
Zayd Boucaud Professor Sarah Allen Philosophy December 4, 2017 "Cleanthes' Argument from Design" This essay will divulge into the deeper meaning of Cleanthes’ argument from design, with an explanation of not only his views, but the opposition’s as well (with a further understanding about why his argument may be proven invalid.) Cleanthes’ premises (leading to his valid conclusion) will have further, more simple explanations that will show his own reasoning in favor of God’s existence.) Flaws in his argument will be displayed subsequently, which will lead to the conclusion of his argument overall: ample validity but simply lacking soundness.…
In 1968, H.J. McCloskey wrote an article titled “On Being an Atheist”. McCloskey used this article to explain his arguments against the existence of God. As an atheist, McCloskey believes that there are no proofs that God exists or that the universe was created. For the Christian this is the basis for everything they believe. While there is no way of proving definitively that a creator exists, Christians have a responsibility to be knowledgeable and ready to give a response to these arguments.…
A few years after Christ, Paul was born to a family of Jews in the City of Tarsus. His parents were both of Jewish lineage, resulting in his practicing of Judaism in his adolescence. During his schooling, Gamaliel, a Pharisee in Jerusalem, was Paul’s teacher. Paul spent his childhood learning to convert all followers of other faiths to Judaism using any means necessary. The occasional quotes from Greek poets in Paul’s writings allude that Paul also learned Greek and other languages from Gamaliel.…
Throughout the book, Armstrong provides a vast amount of information that deals historically with how men and women have perceived God. She provides a chapter, and sometimes more than one chapter, dealing with how each one of Judaism, Christianity and Islam perceived God throughout history. Each historical chapter of the book is rich with information concerning how and why each religion has certain beliefs. However, a flaw of being so rich in information is the lack of simplicity and clarity. It is difficult to clearly comprehend the main theme that Armstrong is attempting to extenuate.…
Introduction: “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: ‘It is well for a man not to touch a woman.’” This is according to the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. Although Saint Paul goes on to say that it is better for one to be married to avoid sexual immorality, historians widely believe that his sexual ethics, especially in relation to virginity, played a significant role in the lives of Christians, especially young women, throughout the early Church. The Acts of Paul, an apocryphal text according to Saint Jerome, written between 185-195 C.E. relates an expanded treatise of Paul’s understanding of the necessity, or lack thereof, for identifiable sexuality within human life and marriage. Expounded upon further…
I assert the position that to argue the existence of God, first depends on how much control one is or is not willing to exercise over oneself. The belief in the existence of an omnipotent, supreme being or force, requires one to relinquish some sort of control over one’s own faith and reason in return for the entitlement of certain divine positive rights. For example, the concept of salvation in Christianity requires repentance and faith in the holy trinity. this then, entitles the devotee comfort that they have been spared from eternal damnation. It also provides a comprehensive ethical and moral framework, by which one can model their life from.…
Three important themes to consider when reading the Hebrew Bible are God’s relationship with humanity, humanity’s attempt to be like God, and humanity’s disobedience of God. These themes are important in any religious text because they are crucial to understanding the human condition and the purpose of human existence. Genesis reveals how God’s relationship changes because of disobedience, as well as how a desire to be equal to God motivates disobedience. This is important in how it explains the ultimate reason humans sin and how it affects God’s relationship with humanity.…