Original research

Bittersweet Temptation Since the beginning of time—specifically when Adam and Eve were first created, Christians have always struggled with the seductiveness of temptation. For instance, in the first recorded case of sin, Eve, the first human woman, falls victim to temptation by eating “pleasant fruit” that God had explicitly told her not eat (7). After this incident, humans have a severed, disconnected relationship with God. As a result, a myriad of sins were recorded within the text of the…

The fall of man is a very confusing concept to me. I never understood how Adam and Eve could have sinned like they did after being so close to God, after walking and talking with Him directly. I always told myself “If I had been Adam or Eve, there is no way I would have disobeyed God after being so closely united to Him”. But then I think “So why do I keep sinning after every time I receive the Eucharist? Adam and Eve are created in the garden of Eden and everything is in accord with…

The Thin-skinned Tyrant Hits Back—Really Hard The Antichrist is obsessed with persecuting the saints. There is some disagreement over whether or not these saints include believers in Christ that enter into the tribulation period or whether these saints are “new” believers in Christ that come to faith during the tribulation. It all depends on one’s interpretation on the timing of what’s called the rapture; an event where God removes believers from the earth by a super-natural snatching away of…

Biblical Worldview Essay Introduction: The teaching of Romans is not only crucial for Christian theology, but the greatest revivals and reformations throughout the history of Christianity have resulted from an increased understanding and application of the teaching of this epistle (Hindson &Towns, 2014). The apostle Paul authored Romans as a letter to introduce himself to the people of Rome and his wishes to visit them. Also Paul addresses certain components of a worldview that relate to the…

This will not guarantee that justice would be achieved for the less fortunate, the original position states that everyone must come to a collective agreement to make sure that the “least well-off” will inherit equal shares of everything. I believe this is impossible because people will not agree for many reasons. The “veil of ignorance”…

“Harrison Bergeron”, by Kurt Vonnegut, is a short story about a dystopian universe in which everyone is equal through various handicaps. Vonnegut purposely makes this society equal on levels of intelligence, strength, and beauty. Other equality concerns, such as race, are avoided whether intentional or accidental. Vonnegut, throughout his story uses an array of imagery, details, and a particular type of syntax/language. He uses this not only when portraying his characters through their thoughts,…

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne displays how one sin can ruin the lives of many. His purpose is to show how holding in a sin and not being truthful can haunt you and lead to your end. Hawthorne uses several rhetorical device to convey this message, including: antithesis, anaphora, and metaphor. Throughout the text, antithesis is commonly used, especially comparing life and death. For example, Dimmesdale states “Many, many poor soul hath given its confidence to me, not only…

Principles of Justice vs. Utlitarianism Justice is a social concept that is used as an assessment tool in various social institutions such as government, courts, economic systems and education. John Rawls proposed two principles of justice that will help govern in the creation of social and political practices that are fair to all (p. 52): • Rawls’ first principle of justice states that “each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive scheme of equal basic liberties compatible with…

Rawls’ theory of justice: unachievable or ideal to pursue? Justice as fairness is a type of distributive justice, arrived at via designing perfect procedural justice, irrespective of the specific outcome. Using comparison as methodology, John Rawls sets out to dismiss other possible types of political and economic arrangements as unethical. His proposed thought experiment encourages the reader to disrespect all natural and societal endowments and see oneself as an output of an undeserved…

Michelangelo’s The Fall and Expulsion from the Garden of Eden illustrates the biblical story of the Temptation and Fall of Adam and Eve found in the Book of Genesis. The Tree of Life stands in the center of the painting, dividing it into two contrasting scenes; the left representing the Temptation of Adam and Eve, and the right depicting their expulsion from Eden (Fig. 1). The passage begins with God warning Adam and Eve that they will die if they eat the fruit from the tree, as indulging in the…