...9, 2016 The Odyssey: The Power of Gods The epic of Homer The Odyssey is about Odysseus and his 10 year struggle to return home Ithaca where his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus are struggling with the suitors who are waiting to take Penelope’s hand and Ithaca’s throne while they await for Odysseus return. However, Odysseus struggled to return Ithaca for the reason that Poseidon one of the gods that appear during the epic prevent him to return to his homeland. The theme that I considered interesting about the epic The Odyssey is the Power of Gods. Gods were considered ‘supreme’to humans. This was because humans plead to the Gods whenever they need to achieve something, and the gods decided to please or not to please humans according to human’s effort in obtain their help. Through the epic The Odyssey from Homer, in numerous occasions gods interact with humans for example, in Book II ,Athena one of the goddesses interact with Telemachus as Mentor and she advises him to embark in a journey to go to look for his father Odysseus “the journey you have your heart set on won’t be delayed. I myself, your father’s old comrade, will equip a fast ship and sail along with you” (II.309-311). It seems that the power of gods in this epic is a very important part of human’s life. In addition, another aspect of the relationship between the gods and humans is that since humans believe gods have all the power over them, humans often fear the gods and therefore they honor them or...
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...Introduction Throughout the Introduction to Theology class we have covered a wide variety of topics. Today, we live in such a fast paced society that things often get overlooked. I will be discussing a few topics which I feel are important topics today. One of my topics is something that most of the people I know fear, death. Another important topic that will be discussed is the power of God. Death One of the greatest fears that most people have in their lives is death. I wonder why this is so? Do people mostly fear the way that they will die? Do they feel as if they haven’t accomplished everything they have wanted to in their life? I feel these things attribute to the fear that people have with death. There are several examples of death throughout the Bible. Thousands died from diseases, crimes, and committing sins which they were instructed not to do. One example of this is one of the Ten Commandments, thou shall not kill. So why is there so much murder that takes place throughout the Bible and in our world today? Do people not understand the magnitude of this commandment? I cannot attest to witnessing a murder myself but have seen several news reports on them. In fact the news is normally scattered with terrible news of death and murderers. Life is such a precious gift given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ they think it is something to which they show little value. One day, hopefully, more individuals will value life and the murdering that happens throughout...
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...What makes Christ to be God? If Christ truly is God, He must have certain attributes that qualify Him to be so. Many doubt the deity of Christ. There are many different viewpoints as to why Christ is not God. Each detracts from the strength of the gospel. If Christ was not God, then He lied when He claimed that He was. If He is a lair, then He was not a sinless sacrifice when He died on the cross. If He was not sinless, He loses the ability to save man from sin. Therefore, it is so important for Christians that Christ be God. Christ is one hundred percent God even though He was one hundred percent man. The evidence is displayed in His attributes through His power, His holiness, and His omniscience. First, Jesus displays His deity through His Power. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus claims to possess all power in heaven and in earth. Where did this power come from? No power over the heaven and earth, either authoritative or supernatural power, can be given by man. The power must come from God. God has the authority over heaven and earth as said in Isaiah 66:1. Because Jesus contained this power, He must be God. Many times Jesus displayed his power over nature. He calmed the storm with His words, fed over five thousand people with just five loaves and two fishes, walked on water, turned the water into wine, exists eternally, and performed many more miracles. “How did Jesus calm the storm? Again, the answer is obvious: His deity. Jesus had such power over creation that His words instantly...
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...from God. Similarly, Elizabeth 1 believed that God had entrusted her with a kingdom to defend, a church that she had to lead in a true way and a people that she had to protect from both foreign enemies and themselves. Elizabeth 1 parliamentary government allowed her to rule the people of England at the same time satisfy...
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..."Mathematical Proof Of No God" where this guy used Set Theory to prove that God doesn't exist. Being intrigued by that, I set out and successfully proved the same exact thing, using the same exact assumptions he used but with one differece: I used Boolean Logic and he used Set Theory. So here's my proof: Recently I watched this YouTube video called "Mathematical Proof Of No God" where this guy used Set Theory to prove that God doesn't exist. Being intrigued by that, I set out and successfully proved the same exact thing, using the same exact assumptions he used but with one differece: I used Boolean Logic and he used Set Theory. So here's my proof: Proof of the Non-Existance of God Assumptions: 1) Set: "something which contains elements." Denoted as: "{ }" 2) God: "omnipotent being, who has the power to do anything and there is nothing he /she cannot to." Denoted as: "God". 3) Fact: "there is no universal set that isn't contained in another set, including itself. Denoted as: "U". 4) Consequence: "God is a universal set of powers." IF: "x" is the set which contains all elements of powers, AND God has the power to do anything and there is nothing it couldn't do, THEN: God is the universal quantifier of all "x": {x,x1,x2,x3,...xn} Λ God → God{∀x} But - Considering a well known law of set theory - IF: God is the universal quantifier of all x, THEN: God MUST be contained in another set: God{∀x} → U ( God{∀x}) PROOF:...
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...The Power of the Deities Introduction In “The Knight’s Tale,” by Geoffrey Chaucer, a handful of gods are mentioned. In this tale of two men fighting for a woman, various deities are called upon for assistance. Specifically, Venus, Mars, Diana, Saturn, and Fortune. Which god is more powerful than the other? This short response paper will review evidence from “The Knight’s Tale” and rank the gods from least to most powerful. The Deities The goddess of Fortune, also known as the Roman goddess Fortuna, is associated with both good and bad fortune. In his tale, Chaucer depicts the goddess as a woman spinning her wheel to determine the fortunes of her people. Chaucer writes, “Thanks be to Fortune's treacherous wheel, there's none can rest assured of constant weal” (Chaucer 28). This statement suggests that no matter how one prayed to Fortune, they were really at the mercy of the wheel. Although she is mentioned several times throughout the tale, she never makes an appearance or makes any comments. This makes one question if she truly exists or if she is a made-up entity that is credited for fortunes and blamed for misfortunes. The tale provides no proof of her power or existence. The grieving widow of King Capaneus gave up praying to Fortune and began praying in Pity’s temple to the goddess of Clemency for compassion and mercy (Chaucer 28). The fate of the characters, in regards to fortune or misfortune, is attributed to chance as explained by the treacherous wheel. For this reason...
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...Do you believe that gods are morally superior to humans? In the Iliad there is a very complex relationship between the gods and the humans. One would commonly believe that the gods help the humans stay moral, however in the Iliad it is almost the exact opposite. This essay, through textual evidence as well as through arguments from authority, will show how the gods are in fact less moral than the humans. Often those who start or refuse to stop an unjust war are considered to be immoral people, or in the case of the Iliad as immoral gods. According to Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on War, “War can be necessary and proportionate only if it serves an end worth all this death and destruction” (Lazar 3.1). Meaning war may be needed if there is a just reason and if the war will prevent even more catastrophe. The gods in the Iliad time and time again act immoral by provoking unjust wars and frequently encouraging wars to continue that are coming to an end, such as when Athena "stirs" the fighting at the wishes of Zeus, Zeus telling Athena to "Urge on the Danaans" (Book 17, 537-543). In the Iliad each god has their own self-serving plan for what they wish to happen and every one of them uses the...
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...Divine Omnipotence and Thomas Aquinas In the evaluation of divine omnipotence, the natural assumption that God is capable of all things must be submitted to inquiry and close consideration. Although omnipotence is technically defined as all-encompassing, unlimited power, divine omnipotence is understood by many in a paradoxical way in the view that there are certain things that God, even as an ‘all-powerful being’, cannot do. In response to the argument that God is not omnipotent because he cannot falsify a necessary truth, Thomas Aquinas would argue that God’s power does not - and rationally should not be expected to - include things that are logically impossible. Under Aquinas’ assessment of the scope of omnipotence, the necessary truth argument is unsound because the statement ‘God cannot falsify a necessary truth’ is void by the definitional contradiction in falsifying a necessary truth. Aquinas acknowledged the difficulty in defining and comprehending God’s power: “all confess that God is omnipotent…[but] it seems difficult to explain in what God’s omnipotence precisely consists” . However Aquinas eventually comes to assert that if something can be, then God can bring it about; His power extends to anything that does not involve a direct contradiction. For example, God cannot make a circle into a square. By definition, a circle is a geometric shape with no corners and a square is a geometric shape with four corners. Fundamentally, the states of being a square and...
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...a better car, etc. For this better life we look up to a higher power to help us to reach our needs. In the American Heritage dictionary the definition of spirituality is, “ relating to or consisting of spirit, Ecclesiastical; sacred”. Most cultures call this spirit, “ God”. Gods in all cultures, from the earliest recorded evidence, have the same characteristics. Gods must be perfect, they are the omniscient originators of the universe, they are the principle objects of faith and worship, and they are of supernatural powers. I have chosen a portrait from the magazine, Christianity Today, December 9th, 2002. The faces have eyes to show us that they see where they are going, but the faces are without features because they represent that all mankind is included in the goal of reaching a higher power with the help of the higher power. Evidence has been found that suggests that since the very earliest civilization, humans have looked to a higher power. There has to be some sense of guidance from someone that is trustworthy, someone who has never made a mistake, and someone who judges, punishes, and rewards human behavior. In early Mesopotamia, in the order of the governmental hierarchy, the diviners would interpret signs in the universe that they considered signs from the Gods. Events such as floods and droughts, winning and loosing wars, good crops and bad crops. These things would be signs to let them know if the Gods were pleased or angry. The diviners would converse with the high...
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...Representations of power in Oedipus Rex: A study of the characterisation of Oedipus, Jocasta and Teiresias. Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, an ancient Greek tragedy inspired by the tragic demise of the once great ruler Pericles, is a tale of power. In this fateful downfall of the king, Sophocles plays out representations of power through the key characters of Oedipus, Jocasta and Teiresias; particularly evident in ways in which the characters interact and respond to prevailing circumstances whilst trying to resolve their own dilemmas. The actions of these key characters expose the nature of power in Oedipus Rex as corrosive and destructive. Oedipus is destroyed by his passion for the truth and the power he wields in seeking it and, his destruction is tragic in consequence. As the play opens, Oedipus’ powers are formidable. Oedipus is the leader of the city of Thebes; the “City of Light”. He is a noble man entrusted by the people with the kingship of Thebes; a power bestowed upon Oedipus when he “broke [the] bondage [of Thebes] to the vile Enchantress” with the “[stopping] of the riddler’s mouth”. Oedipus is granted the power of “Cadmus’ ancient line” which comes with the responsibility for caring for the citizens of Thebes. When the supplicants appeal to King Oedipus to rid Thebes of the deadly pestilence, Oedipus responds willingly to their needs; “I will start afresh; and bring everything into the light.” This thirst for truth is destructive and his actions driven by self-promotion...
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...their God and that reliance on their faith have brought them opportunities for desired fame, fortune, glory, knowledge, wisdom, and power. These opportunities were directly influenced by their Gods and it was their servitude to God that presented them with a better life. Conversely, characters who did not comply with their Gods were punished by being stripped of opportunities they once had. Characters going against God’s word were then left to live a fateful unravelling, when they could have been rewarded...
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...Does power corrupt, or does it exaggerate the true nature of a leader? Power can be a very controlling thing in a man's life; the turning point is how he uses it. King Nero was a very bad king, he persecuted Christians for who they were. King Pharaoh was against the Israelites for what they believed in and he was a very bad king. King David loved God and loved the people in the kingdom that he ruled over and he was a great king. King Nero hated Christians because they were worshipping God instead of him. Nero publicly burned, stabbed, shot, and hung Christians to set an example to other Christians and because that plan failed, he burned down the whole city, and then he quickly blamed the Christians for starting the fire. He said they did it out of rage and rebellion. He was a liar and a cheater and his people should not have trusted him with power. He abused it to persecute people who didn't listen and follow him. King Pharaoh would've given anything, to just exterminate the Israelites out of existence. He hated them enough that he made them slaves so they would fear him and worship him. In the end, God swallowed Nero's power into the sea where, through Moses, God performed a miracle by making a dry path through the sea for the Israelites to get...
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...9 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………….11 Introduction Considering the exterior influences of contemporary culture, is it possible to live a life totally surrendered to the Lord? Andrew Murray is a palpable example of person who lived a life surrendered to the Lord without compromising or straying from his belief. The exploration of Andrew Murray’s “Absolute Surrender” offers practical application to fulfill the plan of God for believers regardless of exterior influences. Andrew Murray’s convictions suggest that all Christians should approach their life with a wholehearted surrender to God. (Romans 12:2, KJV) “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Exploring the practicability of being totally surrendered to the Lord considering the current exterior influences of contemporary culture addresses the dilemma compromising one’s beliefs to appease man instead of adhering to the will of God. As a theologian acknowledging the possibility of personal applications offers support to aligning theological theory with theological practice, Practical Theology. Using Murray’s perspectives guides the approach of Practical Theology with...
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...Pure Power vs. Justifications In both Genesis and Theogony, the storyline revolves around gods that rule over their realm. A major part of their everyday lives consist of the gods settling quarrels, trying to win a power struggle, or other adventures. It is during these experiences that the gods true dispositions comes out in the form of how they wield however much power they possess and how it affects those under them. Judging by their nature of power and authority, and the state of social order around them, God from Genesis is a more just leader than the gods from Theogony. The highest ranking gods in Theogony, at first Kronos then Zeus, use their power and authority in unjust ways, dismantling the social order around them. Kronos, the first god at the head of Mount Olympus was continuously insecure about the safety of his throne. His primary concern was that one of his children would overthrow him and succeed him. “He had in mind that no proud son of Heaven Should hold the royal rank among the gods Except himself... Therefore he never dropped His guard, but lay in wait and swallowed his children” (Hesiod 38). Kronos possessed the power to eliminate any possible inheritor to the throne by simply eating them. Kronos avoids a clash between gods for power by perpetrating in a unjust actions solely for his own benefit. As a result, the gods around him became disloyal to him as Rhea, the god who bore the children that Kronos ate asks her parents Earth and Heaven to “bring...
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...Elvis Dizdarevic Interpretation of Lit 11/17/2011 Frankenstein: The Pursuit of Dangerous Knowledge By: Elvis Dizdarevic Aristotle once said, “All men by nature desire knowledge” and I tend to agree with him. Every human being strives to be more knowledgeable. It is something we all want. In society, it puts people above one another and gives a certain power to the ones who are intelligent. It is revered to be only a good thing to have and to seek but in some situations pursuing more knowledge is, in fact, dangerous. In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, two main characters have this obsessive pursuit of knowledge; Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein. Walton, an Englishman, is on a quest to be the first to reach the North Pole. His story is the frame for Frankenstein and the monster’s stories. He is a determined man who wants to possess a knowledge that no one else has. Walton desires to explore uncharted lands and to discover new particulars unbeknownst to the average man. Victor Frankenstein parallels Walton in his obsessive pursuit of knowledge. Most would say Frankenstein is even more obsessive. Frankenstein is a man who is purely driven to learn more. While attending the University of Ingolstadt, Frankenstein learns all that his professors have to teach him. After mastering the sciences he becomes fascinated with life and its creation. So much that he neglects his family and stays in his apartment for months at a time to research. He believes that there is...
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