Blasphemy

says back then “it was their firm belief that sin and sickness were indissolubly linked together. God seemed to be the only one that could forgive sins.” Jesus then told the man that his sins were forgiven. (Mark 2:6) People were proclaiming blasphemy towards Jesus’ authority. Jesus then commanded the paralytic to get up and go home, and so the man did. The people standing around Jesus were amazed. Jesus forced the sin right out of the…

In 1692, Massachusetts Bay Colony became a site of mass hysteria, defined by Merriam-Webster, as a situation in which a myriad of people behave or react in an extreme or uncontrolled manner as a result of fear or anger. This mass hysteria dispersed itself throughout the region of Salem, involving witchcraft accusations that ushered in a period of trials, torture, imprisonment, and executions. By the time the trials came to a halt, an astonishing 20 people were executed, while an additional 162…

The Gospel of Matthew tells of the story of Jesus's role in the fulfillment of the old prophecy / testament from Isaiah. The author of The Gospel of Matthew begins my informing the readers how Jesus is descended from the line of King David and Abraham. This shows that Jesus is not only a king but the Messiah they’ve all been waiting for. In the book it proceeds to tell of Jesus’s teachings providing even more evidence that he’s as great of a teacher than that of Moses. In the book it talks about…

Islam is one of the fastest growing religions and extends over many different regions. The Arabic term “Islam” means submission to Allah, which is the Arabic word for God. This is the basis of the Islamic faith, and it drives Muslims to strive to live a life that is in complete submission to Allah. Islam was founded by Muhammad (AD 570-632) in modern day Saudi Arabia. Muslims believe that Muhammad received a message from the angel Gabriel and was commanded to write down the words of Allah. These…

“It is in your interest to believe that God exists.” Do you agree? Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher of the 17 century proposed a wager, that indeed, it is in your interest to believe in God. Pascal’s wager is as follows: If God exists and you believe in Him, you will go to heaven upon death and have infinite happiness, while if He does exists but you do not believe in Him, you will go to hell upon dying and experience infinite suffering. If God does not exist but…

William Penn indicates outright freedom of religion in Pennsylvania, Maryland’s Toleration act delved more into protecting Catholicism rather than creating free space for various faiths to express their faith. Maryland’s Toleration act criminalizes blasphemy; making it punishable by death. Punishments including fines were also outlined for various other crimes against the Apostles, the Evangelists, and the Virgin Mary. This shows that Catholicism was held in a superior position relative to other…

This paper seeks to answer questions about democracy by internalizing the materials reviewed during week one of this course, as well as applying this this writer’s perspective. To be sure, it discusses the thought-provoking film, Bloody Cartoons, which emphasizes the antithetical struggles between western beliefs of democracy, which are in conflict with the moral beliefs of Islam. As such, this exploration is organized by answering the following three questions within. Is freedom of speech and…

Censorship in literature either occurs on the basis of “political or moral grounds” (Literature Resource Center). Censorship has evolved over time based upon the government, historical context, and physical location throughout the world. Certain works or ideas are often censored such as “work[s which] present a moral danger on the grounds that it is pornographic, that [has] dangerous theme[s] such as pedophilia or political rebellion, or that it presents an affront to the sociopolitical status…

(Amy 4). Lolita should be banned or challenged because of its detailed way of describing a situation that influences bad actions. The act of banning books has been long-established since colonial times for the basis of religious beliefs such as blasphemy or seditious libel (Donald 2). The prohibition of…

The truth of who you really are became a fallacy to the ears of many young minds, including mine. Implanted since I was a young child, you were always portrayed as the “Big Bad Wolf” who treated the three little pigs as delicious prey rather than a friendly neighbor who wanted to be more than an acquaintance. I question the reasons why you would let the media tarnish your name in such an evil manner. From Walt Disney creating a cartoon short called “Disney’s Silly Symphony: The Three Little…