...On August 19, 2009, Tommy Davis, the chief spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International, received a letter from the film director and screenwriter Paul Haggis. “For ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology of San Diego,” Haggis wrote. Before the 2008 elections, a staff member at Scientology’s San Diego church had signed its name to an online petition supporting Proposition 8, which asserted that the State of California should sanction marriage only “between a man and a woman.” The proposition passed. As Haggis saw it, the San Diego church’s “public sponsorship of Proposition 8, which succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and lesbian citizens of California—rights that were granted them by the Supreme Court of our state—is a stain on the integrity of our organization and a stain on us personally. Our public association with that hate-filled legislation shames us.” Haggis wrote, “Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.” He concluded, “I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology.” Haggis was prominent in both Scientology and Hollywood, two communities that often converge. Although he is less famous than certain other Scientologists, such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, he had been in the organization for nearly thirty-five years. Haggis wrote the screenplay for “Million Dollar Baby,” which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2004, and he wrote and directed...
Words: 2456 - Pages: 10
...themselves as one of six religions; atheism and agnosticism do not count. Egypt’s draft constitution makes room for only three faiths: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Sharia law, which covers only Muslims unless incorporated into national law, assumes people are born into their parents’ religion. Thus ex-Muslim atheists are guilty of apostasy—a hudud crime against God, like adultery and drinking alcohol. Potential sanctions can be severe: eight states, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Sudan have the death penalty on their statute books for such offences. In reality such punishments are rarely meted out. Most atheists are prosecuted for blasphemy or for inciting hatred. (Atheists born to non-Muslim families are not considered apostates, but they can still be prosecuted for other crimes against religion.) Even in places where laws are lenient, religious authorities and social attitudes can be harsh, with vigilantes inflicting beatings or beheadings. Many, like Kacem el-Ghazzali, a Moroccan, reckon the only solution is to escape abroad. The...
Words: 1160 - Pages: 5
...Review of the film The film, which really starts a few years before 1492 and closures a few years after the fact, begins off with a great deal of grave and traditionally successful scene-setting as Columbus' child and biographer, Fernando, reviews his father, the visionary of inconceivable dreams. The myth of Columbus-as-legend propagated in 1492: Conquest of Paradise just on the grounds that I didn't generally think about chronicled correctness. But rather I focused around the moderate moving plot line or the motion picture's sensational enhancements. With such a lazy sympathy toward history, it is not hard to see how 1492: Conquest of Paradise's over-rearrangements of history went unnoticed. It is this present exposition's objective to analyze how the film depicts the Tainos and Columbus' connection to one another, and hope to measure up these depictions to different authentic records to perceive how the motion picture sustains the homogeneous "history of civilization" by keeping Columbus free from any accuse that Spain's colonization involved. The Columbus-as-legend myth remains to a great extent in place in spite of the motion picture's endeavor to make him a more mind boggling character. Examples of historical accuracy "I want to travel all over the seas," the father tells the young Fernando as they remained in attractive profile looking at the western skyline. "I want to get behind the weather."Give or take 45 minutes and a few throne-room scenes later, Columbus sets...
Words: 899 - Pages: 4
...Khalid ibn AI-Waleed “The Sword of Allah” (d. 21 A.H.) It is reported that Prophet Muhammad said, ‘The better ones of you in the Days of Ignoranceare the better ones of you in Islam when they understand (the religion).” These wise words of Prophet Muhammad were best proved in the case of our hero today, Khalid ibn AI-Waleed. For, it was Khalid ibn AI-Waleed who managed to cause the defeat of the Muslim army atUhud,??before his conversion t o Islam. After his acceptance of the Faith , Khalid ibn AI-Waleed was the champion of many a decisive battle in favour of Islam, such as the battle against Musaylimah the Imposter and the battle of Yarmauk against the Roman Empire’s army in Syria. In fact , the reader of history will find that Khalid ibn Al-Waleed was a military strategist and commander with very few equals in human history, a man who turned many a defeat or near defeat into glorious victories, as well shall see in the few examples we will be quoting. The first military encounter in which our hero showed his genius was the Battle of Uhud, which he (while a polytheist) caused to be the worst for Muslims in the early days of Islam. This battle was initiated by the Makkan polytheists in revenge for their defeat at the Battle of Badr, where more than thousand of them were defeated by only a little over three hundred Muslims fighters. In the Battle of Uhad, Prophet Muhammad placed a group of archers on a nearby hill to give protection to the back of the Muslim army with specific...
Words: 2051 - Pages: 9
...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY WHAT THE DECIAN PERSUCTION REVEALED ABOUT THE CHURCH A PAPER SUBMITTED TO … IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CHHI 520 BY KIMBERLY SOUTER LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA FEBRAURY 19, 2014 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………. 3 THE CLIMATE ON THE EVE OF DECIUS’ EDICT…………………………………… 3 The Church in the Third Century………………………………………………….. 3 The Imperial Crisis of the Third Century (AD 235-284)………………………….. 5 DECIUS’ EDICT AND ITS EFFECT…………………………………………………….. 5 Cyprian…………………………………………………………………………….. 7 EXILES…..………………………………………………………………………………... 8 APOSTATES OR THE “LAPSED”…….………………………………………………… 10 MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS………………………………………………………… 12 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………. 14 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………. 16 INTRODUCTION Certain tensions existed with the rise of Christianity within the Roman Empire. Prior to the advent of Christianity and even up to 200 AD, Rome was relatively tolerant of religions. Judaism was accepted into the mix of various pagan religions of the Empire, and in its infancy Christianity was simply considered a sect of Judaism, which seemed to pose no real threat to the Empire because Jews did not seek to proselytize. However, Christians were zealous in their worship of Jesus and their spreading of His message, so that in the third century Rome’s policy toward the Christians changed. Persecution...
Words: 4839 - Pages: 20
...James Phillips English 101-006, Ms. Medlin Rogerian Argument Nov. 13, 2015 Home schools vs. Publix schools Making sure safety and educational support for all home schooling students should be a top priority as the state works to help parents who want to still have an opportunity to home school their children. Over twenty thousand Carolinians students attend school at home in 2013 and according to Martin-Chang, Gould, and Meuse (2011), the national number of home school kids was close to two million children in 2010. She noted that while home schooling has become a “fashionable choice” for young urban professionals who want the best education for their children. The subject is still full of controversies about learning and social development, governmental involvement, standards, and safety. Opponents of home schooling believe too much is often left up to parents, who can teach their kids anything they desire and limit contact with other kids their age and environments. Home schooling is often associated with extremism, and potentially abusive situations are harder to identify when the home school students are isolated. Opponents fear that some parents choose home schooling out of fear or displeasure, rather than making a thoughtful choice based on their child’s needs. Proponents of home schooling believe home schooled children are healthy and advanced learners because they receive one-on-one attention and have some degree of control over their learning. They believe...
Words: 1550 - Pages: 7
...Film is the new history book. Discussion board one: The Political cause of Prejudice. The underlying causes of a conflict are what make it intractable. Since each conflict is unique, there is no one underlying cause. That said there is one common denominator to all conflicts: they are all based on long-lasting and deep divisions upon politics and governance and their allied topics of human rights, justice, and so forth. Historically these caused many of the world’s most significant conflicts, and continue to do so in today’s society. As I look back through history at the major events that have shaped our world, WWI and II, the Kosovo crisis, Iraq, 911, and 7/7 bombing, I notice a common underlying cause: the influence of a government or political group. For example, during the late spring and early summer of 1994, almost a million Rwandans were killed by their fellow citizens. Almost all the Tutsi and many moderate Hutu were massacred by militant Hutus, urged on by the government. The government forced people into a mindset that caused the deaths of thousands of people. Another example would be the conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland can be traced back to the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 which solidified Protestant control over the island. The protestant political parties caused outrage within the catholic community resulting in a ‘thirty years war’ between the two groups. More recently the war in Iraq Osama Bin Laden was a dictator whose political...
Words: 400 - Pages: 2
...As a result of low self-esteem caused by racial discrimination, many characters in the novel and play attempt to dissociate themselves from their ethnic background and portray a new identity to conform to social standards. In The Bluest Eye, Morrison inserts a chapter in the novel introducing Geraldine and other women similar to her. In the chapter, Geraldine and these women are characterized as black women who develop thrift, patience, high morals, and good manners. They actively strive to separate themselves from the “dreadful funkiness” of “passion”, “nature”, and “the wide range of human emotions”, and “wherever it erupts, this Funk, they wipe it away, where it crusts, they dissolve it; wherever it drips, flowers, or clings, they find it...
Words: 398 - Pages: 2
...Ahmadi spokesmen like the strutting Qasim Rashid and the execrable Harris Zafar, the author of a recent Washington Post op-ed, carry water for the same Islamic supremacists who would cheerfully slit their throats if they were back in Pakistan, and instead target those who stand up for the Ahmadis and decry their persecution. In the WaPo, Zafar offered a manifesto for the destruction of the freedom of speech worthy of a true totalitarian – and emblematic of the Islamic supremacist war on free speech and all criticism of Islam. “The difference between Islam’s view on free speech and the view promoted by free speech advocates these days,” Zafar asserts, “is the intention and ultimate goal each seeks to promote. Whereas many secularists champion individual privileges, Islam promotes the principle of uniting mankind and cultivating love and understanding among people. Both endorse freedom for people to express themselves, but Islam promotes unity, whereas modern-day free speech advocates promote individualism.” This glossy Orwellian language, “uniting mankind and cultivating love and understanding among people,” actually means “imposing Sharia upon mankind, and subjugating non-Muslims as inferiors under its rule.” That’s the unity Zafar envisions, as the Ahmadis teach Sharia supremacy even as they eschew violent jihad. Zafar makes this clear when he says that “the ultimate goal of Islam is to unite mankind under a single banner of peace.” The only unity of mankind that Islam’s...
Words: 607 - Pages: 3
...with the prophet, the 23 year old Hamza wrote , “I have loved things in you, and hated others,” wrote Hamza, 23, on Twitter, in an imaginary conversation with the Prophet Muhammad, who died over a thousand years ago. “If I saw you, I would not kiss you, but extend my hand to you as any other friend, and would smile at you. But I will not pray for you.” The prophet Muhammad founded the Islam religion in Mecca more than 1400 years ago. The Muslims see him like an almost sacred person and can never be criticized and neither his works put to doubt. Therefore, the reaction that exploded from this comments can be easily understood. The post receive more than 30,000 tweets through out cyberspace and mostly attacked the young man calling him a apostate which can lead to death penalty in Saudi Arabia. A group was even formed on facebook with over 8,000 followers who asked for his death. The former columnist of the daily Al-Bilad was stunned by peoples reaction which made him remove the comments and even delete his twitter account. He then fled away from the country on 9th February but was arrested in Malaysia tried to board a board a plane to New Zealand where he had planned to seek political asylum. Saudi Arabia’s King, Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz had ordered an arrest warrant on him and his kingdom had an interpole allegedly activated to make sure he was detained wherever he was in the world. Later on, he was detained back in the kingdom with charges of apostasy which attracts a death...
Words: 550 - Pages: 3
...25 Second, we will explore how the theme of inheritance relates to the response of God’s people in chapters 56:1–63:6. In 56:1-8 the servants are identified as those individuals (including Gentiles and eunuchs) who respond with character (justice and faithfulness) to God. In the following sections (56:9–57:21) two distinctive responses are portrayed: the responses of the wicked and the righteous. Whereas God condemns the wicked in 56:9–57:13a, he justifies the righteous and separates them from the wicked in 57:13b-21. There is thematic continuity between chapter 57 and chapter 58 in terms of calling for a response from God’s people to the inheritance. The response of God’s people in chapter 58 is expressed in two ways: the response to God with...
Words: 413 - Pages: 2
...LAW 3235 SEM 2 2013/2014 QUESTION ‘’ Syariah court has no legitimacy for non-muslim’’ Discuss the jurisdiction of Syariah court and civil court in Malaysia. INTRODUCTION Position of syariah court in Malaysia Syariah refers to Sharia law in Islamic religious law and deals with exclusively Islamic laws, having jurisdiction upon every Muslim in Malaysia. The dual-system of law in Malaysia is provided for in Article 121(1A) of the Constitution of Malaysia.The Syariah Court system is one of the two separate system of courts which exists in Malaysian legal system. There is a parallel system of state Syariah Court, which has limited jurisdiction over matters of state Islamic law (Shariah). The Syariah Courts have jurisdictions only over matters involving Muslim, and can generally only pass sentences of not more than three years imprisonment, a fine of up to RM5,000, and/or up to six strokes of the cane. Article 145 of the constitution says the Attorney General of Malaysia has no power over matters related to the Sharia courts. There are three levels of the courts: Appeal, High and Subordinate. Unlike the civil courts in Malaysia, which is a federalised court system, the Syariah Court is primarily established out of state law. Similarly syariah or Islamic law is a matter of state law, with the exception of theFederal Territories of Malaysia, as provided in Article 3 of the Constitution. Thus syariah law in one state might differ to that of another state. There are 13...
Words: 2400 - Pages: 10
...belief is considered apostasy. If one denies the unity of God or declares to a belief in reincarnation, then that person is guilty of apostasy. Apostasy means, to abandon the religion or a religious principle after accepting it. Moreover, Al-Ghazali was known as one the most influential thinkers in the history of Islam and his aim was to bring humanity closer to God. He was viewed as a faithful Asharite theologian in which one who believes that God is the only direct and indirect cause of actions. In this paper, we will examine Al-Ghazali’s reasons of the three teachings on which the philosophers are guilty of apostasy, and review ibn-Rushd’s defense of philosophy in the Decisive treatise, and decided whether ibn-Sina should be considered an apostate. Al-Ghazali illustrates three philosophical teachings that were apostasy and unorthodoxy. One of the first point is the philosopher’s belief in the eternity of the world. In other words, philosophers claim that the world is eternal and that the emanation of the first intellect and other beings happens because of the necessary causation of God’s essence, therefore the world as a whole is coexistent and coeternal with God. Ibn Sina believed that God does not have knowledge of the specifics of everything that takes place, rather he is is only aware of what takes place in the general sense. Ghazali replies to this saying that God’s creation of the world was eternally chosen, and therefore it does not mean any change in God. However, Al-Ghazali...
Words: 790 - Pages: 4
...about. The setting, and the inquiry, would have satisfied its creator, for Moynahan intends to report the interest that went hand in hand with the rendering of the Spiritual text into English and to arraign a body of evidence against the man who would have hindered its direction. The saint of his story and the casualty of the interest is William Tyndale, English minister, Oxford-prepared language specialist, and early Lutheran, who escapes to the Landmass and deciphers the New Confirmation and the Pentateuch from the first tongues into a tough, poetical English that turns into the premise of the Lord James Biblical canon. The charged is St. Thomas More, Councilor of Lord Henry VIII and Chancellor of the Domain, who impugns Tyndale as an apostate, inquiries out and smolders his interpretation, composes at unfathomable length to negate his treatises, and, Moynahan hypothesizes, resentfully obtains Tyndale's capture on the Landmass right away before his execution, in this way wrecking him from past the grave. There is outrage, obviously, in the wrongdoings of examples of piety, as Moynahan knows. God's Success is at last a rash book for its criticism of All the more, yet it is in part reclaimed by its attracting regard for a scene of English history that no understudy of the Renewal, Catholic or Protestant, can stand to disregard. An essayist of famous histories of Russia, the writer of The Confidence: A History of Christianity , and a previous outside reporter and European supervisor...
Words: 1007 - Pages: 5
...What ISIS Really Wants What is the Islamic State? Where did it come from, and what are its intentions? The simplicity of these questions can be deceiving, and few Western leaders seem to know the answers. In December, The New York Times published confidential comments by Major General Michael K. Nagata, the Special Operations commander for the United States in the Middle East, admitting that he had hardly begun figuring out the Islamic State’s appeal. “We have not defeated the idea,” he said. “We do not even understand the idea.” In the past year, President Obama has referred to the Islamic State, variously, as “not Islamic” and as al-Qaeda’s “jayvee team,” statements that reflected confusion about the group, and may have contributed to significant strategic errors. The group seized Mosul, Iraq, last June, and already rules an area larger than the United Kingdom. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been its leader since May 2010, but until last summer, his most recent known appearance on film was a grainy mug shot from a stay in U.S. captivity at Camp Bucca during the occupation of Iraq. Then, on July 5 of last year, he stepped into the pulpit of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul, to deliver a Ramadan sermon as the first caliph in generations—upgrading his resolution from grainy to high-definition, and his position from hunted guerrilla to commander of all Muslims. The inflow of jihadists that followed, from around the world, was unprecedented in its pace and volume...
Words: 10928 - Pages: 44
