Sermon on the Mount

verses, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. He goes on to say that we, as Christians, are to turn the other cheek and forgive those who have wronged us. The problem with using this to negate the practice of capital punishment is that the Sermon on the Mount is directed towards the individual. The purpose of Government is to maintain order and protect its citizens. Since the purposes of the individual and the purposes of the government are so different, they cannot be held to the same…

African culture is said to revolve around the celebration of life. Life being not merely a physical life, or the health of tissues and proper functioning of the body, but also sharp senses and intellect that strives for the pursuit of truth and goodness in the context of a community. This in some way approximates the American Constitutional phrase, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". However, the only difference is that in African tradition, this is a communal pursuit, whereas in…

Thereafter, the thus declared Son of God drew crowds of people wherever he traveled, who were eager to hear all he had to say. To quench their seemingly insatiable appetite for his wisdom, Jesus gave a speech on a mountain, better known as his Sermon on a Mount. In this address to his disciples, Jesus affirmed the omnipresent importance of humility, acceptance, and the importance of treating your neighbor as you would want to be yourself. Additionally,…

Hester comes out as a young woman who is ashamed of her actions for committing adultery however still deeply cares for her child. To me she seems as if she bears a dark secret or perhaps pain for what she had done. The author compares Hester and her daughter as sins, however also later mentioning that pearl is a blessing. Hester uses the baby to confirm to herself that everything happening to her is real and there. Chapters 4-5: Hester at first decides not to drink the medicine given to her by…

This paper will discuss the differences between Kant’s Categorical Imperative, the Golden Rule, and the Silver Rule. I will begin by introducing the definition of Kant’s categorical imperative along with the three formulations that it consists of. This will be followed by an explanation of the golden and silver rule, in addition to how the origins are steeply in connect with religion. As a final point I will discuss the juxtaposition between Kant’s categorical imperative, the golden rule and…

Sermon January 22, 2017 – Rev. Nancy Bidlespacher We have just heard the text from the gospel of Mark 3:19-21: “Then [Jesus] went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’” The King James Version of the Bible translates the concern of Jesus’ family for him in these words: “He is beside himself.” The old J. B. Phillips New Testament translates it, “People…

C. S. Lewis, in his classic work “Mere Christianity,” describes a basic Christian worldview. A significant theme of the book is on what the issues of morality means for the human race, as well as what morality means in relation to God and to one another. Where does morality come from and how does one become moral? Morality originates with God, Lewis argues, nor can man be truly moral apart from the transforming work of Jesus Christ. In a chapter entitled, “The Three Parts of Morality,” Lewis…

belief in the Bible. For example, the Sermon on the Mount. Christ states, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also” (Matthew 5:38-39). They would say that Jesus is telling us that violence is never the answer even if someone has wronged you. Another Biblical reason for pacifism comes later in the Sermon of the Mount when Christ states, “You have…

Shakespeare also uses some biblical references in his work that Christian readers can really relate to. The play Measure for Measure contains more biblical references than any other Shakespearean play. It begins “with the eponymous reference to the Sermon on the Mount, and continuing with numerous references that link the interpretation…

From its earliest time, human history recounts wars among its civilizations. Wars were, and still are, typically accompanied by arguments for and against waging them. Many have justified war; many have lamented its consequences. It is said that war is a part of an effort to eradicate it all together someday, or that it is an inevitable part of life. War is a difficult subject to explain. There are several reasons why they take place, most of them unjustifiable. Unjustifiable as war might be, it…