Criticism of the Bible

universe’s component parts; likewise, “if the Word of God is in the universe . . . and has entered into it in its every part, what is there surprising or unfitting in our saying that He has entered also into human nature?” (Ch. 7). Athanasius handled criticisms against the crucifixion, by asking why not another form of death? Athanasius argues that the death of Christ was public so that none might question the validity of his death and in turn question his resurrection. With regards to the…

plain style similar to that of the Puritans (Donovan 30). In addition to evoking emotion, Stowe also worked to humanize the blacks in her story by emphasizing literacy and including crucial imagery. It was believed that forcing slaves to read the Bible would instill obedience in them, therefore for a while, it was taught to them until the slave rebellions. In another work uncovered by Hochman, A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Stowe explains how the reluctance to teach slaves to read stemmed from the…

5. What is Zinns basic criticism of historian Samuel Eliot Morison’s book Christopher Columbus? * Zinns basic criticism of the book is that Morison praises Columbus too much, he goes overboard. According to Zinn, Columbus was a bad guy. Zinn was more on the people’s side, and would have liked to see their view on things. 6. What major issues does Bartolome de las Casas bring up regarding Spanish expeditions in the Caribbean? * Bartolome brings up the treatment of the native people by…

up in a very religious family, which impacted her life later on. A majority of her works reflect a religious focus based on her upbringing. One of her most famous works was Goblin Market and Other Poems. This collection of poems is an allusion to Bible, discussing themes of temptation, salvation, gender roles, feminism, and sexual desires. She wrote the poem “A Daughter of Eve” as a part of this collection when it was published in 1875. In this poem, Rossetti is describing a life, possibly her…

In verse 16, the Bible states that if a man sleeps with an unmarried virgin he must pay her “bride-price” and marry her if her father agrees to the marriage. “If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.” These verses…

non-noble. The Wife of Bath justifies her marriages because she has interpreted the Bible in her own way. She references Solomon and his practice of polygamy and wonders, “But of no nombre mencioun made he, / Of bigamye, or of octogamye; / Why sholde men thanne speke of it vileynye?” (32-34). The Wife makes an interesting point, why should men be allowed sexual and marital freedom but frown upon women doing the same, if the Bible should allow it? The Wife is resentful about being treated…

“Confronting Without Offending: Positive and Practical Steps to Resolving Conflict,”, is a book written by Deborah Smith Pegues (2009), used to describe in detail how confrontation and conflict can be dealt with through biblical principles and effective communication. The author Pegues, believes that confrontation is Godly and mandated by the Lord. Pegues breaks the book into five parts including Confrontation: The Bridge to Harmony, Biblical Confrontation and Conflict Management, Strategies for…

The American dream is often thought of by the powerful phrase from the United States Declaration of Independence, which states in part “the preservation of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” What the signers of the Declaration of Independence acknowledged is that the preservation of these rights comes from endeavoring through hard work and dedication. Unfortunately, their idea of work has become alienated by modern economy and those who strive to earn more than their fair share…

anti-EIT camp and are very skeptical about the program. Dr. David Gushee, a Christian ethicist and historian, wrote an article for Christianity Today entitled, “5 Reasons Torture is always wrong.” In this article, Gushee lays out five reasons why the Bible does not complement torture, specifically EITs. He begins with the argument that “torture violates the dignity of the human being.” Gushee cites Genesis 1:26-28 where all men are “created in the image of God” and when society tortures other…

Animals and the Environment Specisism says that all humans are better than animals. There are two types of theorists when it comes to animal welfare: traditionalists and abolitionists. The arguments for animal welfare is that they provide food and there is no pain in going through with animal welfare. The only persons who don’t benefit from animal welfare are vegans and vegetarians because they don’t eat any type of meat. Another argument for animal welfare is experimentation. Specifically,…