...cites, he builds a solid basis for a biblical worldview: all people are sinful; Christ died to forgive sin; humankind is made right with God through faith; this begins a new life with a relationship with God. The Christian life is not abstract theology unconnected with life, but it has practical implications that will affect how choices are made in a person’s life each day. Having a biblical worldview sets the foundation of transformation by God’s word in every aspect of life. Paul addresses the issue of creation in Romans 1, “For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). God reveals himself in creation. Psalm 19:1 says: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork.” The entire universe testifies to the Creator and brilliantly displays the glory of God. Nature shows us a God of might,...
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...the Supreme Court decided to allow same-sex couples to marry, or at least recognize their union. This stirred up a lot of controversy. Many people felt like victims and were disgusted with the final ruling. The people that felt this way did not know how to fathom that this could be happening in the United States and may have even felt ashamed of living in the county. This was the first time that same sex marriage was even brought to court in the United States and many people believed that it never would be. “Mike Huckabee, the erstwhile presidential candidate and former governor of Arkansas who now hawks the Religious Right’s agenda on Fox News, said no less than Jesus Christ himself was devastated by the Supreme Court’s action. ‘Jesus wept,’ tweeted Huckabee, who presumed that Christ not only follows Supreme Court cases, but is deeply invested in their outcome” (Brown 1). When looking through research someone may come upon a book and on the second page of John Corvino and Maggie Gallagher’s book, Debating...
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...HOMOSEXUALITY AND CHRISTIANITY 3 Working Outline I. The term homosexuality is frequently use to describe both orientation and behavior. (Main idea). A. People often use the terms sexual identity and sexual orientation interchangeably. 1. Sexual identity relates to individual expression of feelings. whether heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual involved in the metabolic processes of the brain and body. a. Heterosexual feelings involve an emotional and/or a physical attraction to the opposite sex. b. Homosexual feelings involve an emotional and/or a physical attraction to the same sex. c. Bisexual feelings involve an emotional and/or a physical attraction to same and opposite sex. 2. Sexual orientation describes the direction and focus of sexual and emotional attractions experienced by a person. a. Sexual direction and focus b. Emotional attraction and focus B. Many myths surrounding homosexuality exist and they need to be corrected. Here are five essential myths (First subordinate idea). 1. Perhaps the most destructive is the beliefs that homosexuals are child molesters. a. A homosexual can molest a child. b. A heterosexual can molest a chld. 2. The belief that homosexuals are promiscuous and incapable of long-term committed monogamous relationships. c. This is a general statement that shows no knowledge of this particular population...
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...Born that Way? The largest battle being fought in America today is between some churches and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. These two sides have been at war for many years and neither has given in or let down. One side, churches, believes whole-heartedly that homosexuality is a sin and should not be accepted in society today, mostly illustrated through homosexual marriage. On the flip side, however, homosexuals believe that they are an oppressed minority that just wants to feel like they belong somewhere. They would like the right to marry whomever they please and at whatever the cost. The whole situation is caused by tradition versus conformation in some churches, and the effect of this is a battle between two...
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...Allowed? Homosexuality has been a taboo existence in the past, but now it is accepted more and more across the globe. However, the institution of marriage amongst the gay community has become a controversial issue, as was interracial marriage in the past. Although there are increasing parts of the United States and the rest of the world in support of marriage equality throughout the LGBT community, there are still those who remain against it. In this paper, you will read views and information from both sides stating why gay marriage should be legalized or remain illegal from the standpoints of family, equal rights, and religion. Homosexual and bisexual behavior has been documented around the world since ancient times via art, literature, and other historical artifacts (History of Homosexuality, 2013). In fact, studies show that many people are unaware that a peer, family member, or friend is homosexual. With that being said, why should gay marriage be so controversial? Supporters of gay marriage as well as the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgender) community agree that gay marriage should be legalized without stipulations. Those in civil unions are allowed to legally adopt children, but they cannot be in the hospital room when their partner passes away. It is unjust. Marriage should exist between two people who love each other, despite gender. To state one of the reasons against gay marriage is procreation is absurd. If that is the case, ‘traditional’...
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...In order to graduate I had to do a research paper. The topic was "Survival in the Real World" and then we picked a topic from there. I, of course, did mine on homosexuality. One of the greatest poets of the twentieth century, Dr Seuss, once said, "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind" ("Quotations" 13). That is, essentially, the greatest advice a person can receive and is at the heart of gay rights. As a young homosexual grows into adulthood and enters the "real world" he or she will, without a doubt, encounter someone who "minds." Whether it be socially, legally, religiously, or even internally challenges will emerge. These challenges must be recognized, understood, confronted, and, hopefully, overcome. Some of these challenges cannot be confronted without taking legal action or changing the way another person thinks, therefore rendering the challenge, for most people, difficult or otherwise impossible to overcome. In these cases the individual's only method of overcoming the issue is through various resource organizations or support from friends and/or family. In other cases, the challenge is an emotional one and can only be overcome through an internal process of acceptance and understanding. Those cases are the most common for homosexuals and include important processes such as "coming out." Assumptions and homophobia are one of the biggest problems for homosexuals if they are to get the majority of...
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...CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO HOMOSEXUALITY 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION I. BIBLE AND HOMOSEXUALITY 1. Biblical View of Sexuality 2. Old Testament on Homosexuality 2a. Stories of Sodom and Gibeah 2b. Levitical Texts 3. New Testament on Homosexuality 3a. Paul’s Statements in Romans 3b. Other Pauline Texts II. BIOLOGY AND HOMOSEXUALITY III. LAW AND HOMOSEXUALITY IV. CHURCH AND THE HOMOSEXUAL CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY 2 INTRODUCTION On 2nd July 2009, in a landmark judgement, the Delhi High Court struck down the provision of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalised consensual sexual acts of adults in private, holding that it violated the fundamental right of life and liberty and the right to equality as guaranteed in the Constitution. Pronouncing the order in Naz Foundation (India) Trust v. Government of NCT, Delhi and Others, Writ Petition (Civil) No. 7455 of 2001, a division bench of Chief Justice A.P Shah and Justice S. Murlidhar said “We declare that Section 377 IPC, insofar it criminalizes consensual sexual acts of adults in private, is violative of Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the Constitution.” While gay-rights movements...
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...Identified 5 Presentation of Analysis and/or Literature Review 7 Literature Review 7 Judicial Review and Ultra Vires 8 Abuse of Discretion 9 Improper Purposes 9 Unreasonableness 9 Irrelevant/Immaterial Considerations 9 Natural Justice 10 Legitimate Expectation 11 Discussion of Findings 12 Recommendations/Solutions 16 Conclusion 18 Bibliography 19 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Using case law, this research paper will provide a critical analysis on the legal issues raised in the case of David vs. The Empowerment Board of Antigua. Several issues of administrative law were identified in this case, and the researchers have sought to examine their respective implications to David and the Empowerment Board. The findings of this case focus less on the final decision of the Empowerment Board, but concentrates on the prevailing factors involved in the decision. The principles of Substantives Ultra Vires, Natural Justice and Legitimate Expectations form a major part of this study and consequently the researchers have recommended options to be considered by both David and the Empowerment Board. BACKGROUND FACTS Across the globe there is growing pressure by homosexual couples to get their “unions” officially recognized by governments. This would enable them to be legally considered married, and thus provide them with the protection and benefits currently only enjoyed by heterosexual couples...
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... | |There seems to be a great deal of controversy about “doctrine”. To those outside the Church the mere mention of the word | |conjures up visions that range from “outdate historical notions” to “things that Christians fight over”. It does not fair much | |better inside many churches. Today the mention of doctrine seems to carry an almost negative connotation to it. There are many | |prominent leaders inside of Christianity today who make an impassioned plea for us to ignore doctrine and just “love Jesus”. Are| |these valid requests? Is God the one behind all of this? Is doctrine on its way out? We hear comments such as, “let the body of | |Christ come together”, and “leave your doctrine and return to Jesus” resonating in the messages of many pulpits and songs today.| | | |Why is this so? What are the reasons for this type of plea coming from Christians? These arguments take many forms, but follow | |the same basic pattern. The following points can be seen in a majority of them. The pattern is similar to this: | |First, the church is a place where all must feel welcome. This is what Jesus taught. | |Second, anything that causes disharmony in the church goes against what Jesus wants for the church and must be avoided. | |Third, since doctrine...
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...happen now or a thousand years from now. I believe this is an incorrect belief, because the signs we are to watch for (Mark 13:32-37) are prophecies still being fulfilled. Obviously, they were not all fulfilled in the First Century. A good twenty-five percent of the Bible is prophecy, and much of it concerns the end times. So it would make complete sense when Jesus commanded us to watch for Him, to be alert for His Trumpet Call as our Blessed Hope and not be discouraged because of the times we are living in. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "[Ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?" (Luke 12:56) Meaning that the Pharisees should have been discerning about the times they were living in and watching those signs. And notice He called them "hypocrites" because they had their eyes and focus on the wrong things. Well, here we are in 2006 in the 21st Century world, but most people who should be watching for their Lord are fast asleep instead of awake! There are signs (prophecies being fulfilled) everywhere you look if you know what to look for and why you are looking there, that indicate the Lord is really near. Prophecies...
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...challenge its most treasured beliefs. ~ Donna Evans As humans, we understand a little about our complex bodies even with the greatest medical science. It is what it is. Then why lie? Secrecy and stigma are worse than the condition itself. Without truth and transparency, it is difficult to pass laws, provide equal rights, offer support and help for all. We need to have an environment which encourages truth, tolerance, and respect for all. Are there only two genders or is there a third gender?Regardless of which side of the issue you are on, we can all agree thattruth is always the right option and secrecy and lying have no place for a long-term solution in a civilized society. There are several issues withsecrecy and lying. First it is wrong. Second it does not take into account the feelings and trauma of the person being lied to. Third it could lead to criminal acts such as if lying is a crime under oath. What are the bioethics for disclosure to spouses? It is NOT about gender identity or it is NOT about the sexual identity, it is about the HUMAN identity which is to say the truth. As a human being, everyone deserves a feeling of “belonging”, understanding and acceptance. Without recognition of the truth, how will an intersex person marry legally or how can an intersex couple (who are infertile) adopt a child legally or have a child through in vitro fertilization (IVF) legally? What about the equal laws and rights of the young, male, spouse caregiver of the intersex patient...
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...A2 Religious Studies Revision Booklet To be used alongside the textbook and your classnotes. Contents G581: Philosophy of Religion Religious Language......................................................………p.1 Religious Experience........................................................…...p.7 Miracles..................................................................…………...p.12 Nature of God............................................................………...p.16 Life and Death.........................................................…………..p.20 G582: Religious Ethics Meta-ethics...........................…………………………………….p.25 Free Will and Determinism………………………………….……p.28 Conscience.......................…………………………………….…p.32 Virtue Ethics………………………………………………………..p.36 Sexual Ethics…………………………………………………...….p.40 Environment and Business Ethics……………………………….p.44 Religious Language Introduction The problems of religious language: • If we use language univocally about God, then we are limiting him / making him like a human • If we use language equivocally about God, we cannot be sure what the word means when applied to God • Are statements about God supposed to be cognitive – if so, what evidence proves / disproves them? • Are statements about God supposed to be non-cognitive – if so, do they have any meaning? The Verification...
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...Christian ethics and discover how synonymous Biblical ethics are with the ethics of Christianity. This piece will also look at what it is about the Bible that recommends it as such a major authority of morality and ethical practice. The bible is seen as a ‘guidebook’ for a Christian, giving details on how they should live according to God’s law; however, questions negating the validity of this belief in God’s law often come to the forefront. The Bible permits the stoning to death of adulterers. Something which in contemporary society seems atrocious. A point to be aware of is the huge cultural difference between the bible and contemporary life. If we focus on the difference between the Old Testament and modern day life the cultural difference is one of the chief factors behind the difficulty of using the bible in ethics today. The bible is written in a culturally conditioned format. Language, racial attitudes and the different emphasis on aspects of life including holiness and purity, all count towards the invisible barrier when discussing how synonymous biblical ethics are with the ethics of Christianity. (Rodd, 1995, 89). An issue that arises more than often when discussing biblical and Christian ethics is sexuality. Different churches hold different values and take tradition, Scripture and experience at different levels of importance. Krody says this … “ A central concern in the religious debate on human sexuality is the issue of biblical authority and interpretation...
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...Own Back On the Same Sex Marriage Issue Abstract The following paper will argue for the Catholic Church against those Catholics within the institution what agree with same sex marriage. In fact, a little more than 50 percent of Catholics according to a recent survey by Pew Research accept and support homosexuality and same sex marriage (Lipka, 2014). There will be four opposing arguments make by the magisterium, which is the teaching of the Catholic Church, against same sex marriage. These arguments include; the teachings which prohibit homosexual activity, teachings that need to include those that promote the dignity of the person, the good of marriage as a social institution, and their religious liberties as they exist today. Pope Francis declares that homosexuals are good people they just practice immoral acts that are not accepted within the institute of marriage (Hale, 2015). Arguments are based on the magisterium and our religious liberties. There is hope that that those Catholics in agreement of same sex marriage will return to the beliefs followed by the magisterium following the reading of this information. Introduction The Catholic Church Attempts Bringing Their Own Back On the Same Sex Marriage Issue The Scriptures are not silent within the Catholic Church (Montoya, 2000). He claims that homosexuality in the eyes of the church is treated as a violation according to Scriptures, and a major one standing out is Leviticus 18:20, which states, “you shall not...
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...Legalise Homosexual Marriage Gay marriage should be legalised in Australia. Marriage is about love and commitment to your loved one, not gender. As Australian citizens we have the liberty for pursuit of happiness; however by denying gay marriage, you are proposing the idea that homosexuals don’t have the right to pursue happiness. In a marriage there is one thing that truly matters: love. Not one couple would make it to asking someone to marry them, if there was not some love. Las Vegas, Nevada is also known for being the place where many weddings occur which are annulled within a week. These marriages do not represent the true meaning of love but simply a drunken night in Vegas. In 2011, there were 48,935 divorces granted in Australia; and still rising today. High divorce rates weaken what marriage is defined as. Why are we not able to teach society what marriage really stands for and make it include a homosexual marriage? The definition of love, according to dictionary.com is as follows: “Very strong affection: an intense feeling of tender affection and compassion.” If homosexual people feel this way then why shouldn’t they be able to be married? If they are happy with each other, then why should they be denied the right to marriage? Nancy Cott testified in Perry v. Schwarzenegger that "civil law has always been supreme in defining and regulating marriage” and that religious leaders are accustomed to performing marriages only because the state has given them that authority...
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