Church History

God is the Divine Author of a set of books, songs, narratives and letters that were written as a way for man to draw nearer to Him through His loving Son Jesus the Christ. God’s Word is an expression of who God is and who His Son is. J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays wrote a book called Grasping God’s Word. Within this book, the authors inspire their readers by giving a detailed reason why we study the Bible. They say, â€Å"The reason we study the Bible is that we want to hear God’s Word to us. They go on to say, â€Å"The Bible was written by numerous human authors, but the divine aspect of it is inseparably and mysteriously interwoven into every verse. The term we use to describe this relationship between the divine role and the human role is inspiration. Inspiration can be defined as the process in which God directed individuals, incorporating their abilities and styles, to produce His message to humankind. †[1] Our Bible is an inspired canon of the 39 received books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. The combined 66 books of the Old and New Testament form the orthodox belief which was founded upon the inspired moving of God among man and creation. What were the events and movements that were influential in the recognition of the canonical books? Furthermore, what methodology was used by the applicable individuals and councils that deemed these 66 books the inspired Word of God? In her work titled, â€Å"The Establishment of Christian Orthodoxy of the Holy Bible†, Kathy McFarland gives us a very in depth understanding of the foundation of orthodoxy and the establishment of canon. I will begin by reviewing her thought about the foundation of orthodoxy. McFarland states, â€Å"Both Christians and pagans were shocked by the heretical ideas that were developing by the late second-century. Irenaeus, a Christian author who represented the ‘mainstream', non-gnostic Christianity, wrote a book attacking Gnosticism because it denigrated the material world, removing the ability for God's active interest from being expressed, and separated the God of the Old Testament from the God of the New. Tertullian agreed with Irenaeus that the Christian faith originated with Jesus and established a standard which belief could be tested. As Tertullian put it in his Prescription against the heretics, â€Å"It is clear that all doctrine which agrees with the apostolic churches – those moulds and original sources of the faith – must be considered true, as undoubtedly containing what those churches received from the apostles, the apostles from Christ, Christ from God. And all doctrine must be considered false which contradicts the truth of the churches and apostles of Christ and God. â€Å"This apostolic principle became extremely important in later centuries as the orthodox standards of faith were established. Now we have an understanding of the foundation of orthodoxy, I will now delve into McFarland thoughts on the establishment of the canon. â€Å"Christians possessed the writings by the apostles and their disciples that they believed expressed the rule of faith in written form by the time of Irenaeus and Tertullian, Most of the local churches within the Roman world agreed to which writings should be included in the NT canon by the second century; however, this agreement was not formalized until the third council of Carthage in 397. Most scholars believe that the New Testament canon was completed by A.  D. 100, if not earlier. They would read these writings in the practice of their faith as they met, and thought of these writings as equal to the writings the Jewish Scripture. The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), was in the Canon as the New Testament began to be added over a period of 400 years. The basis for including a book in Scripture was apparent within the process of declaring the Christian Canon, and required that each addition be prophetic, authoritative, authentic, life-transforming, widely recognized as the Word of God and reliable. Those declared inspired were of two basic categories of both eyewitness accounts of the Messiah (the Gospels), and letters from key witnesses written to various groups of believers (the Epistles). Concentrated effort was made to establish the authoritative collection of inspired books of the Bible into the Canon during the fourth century; however, there had been earlier attempts to list the acceptable books. The Muratorian Canon had listed all the books of the Bible except for 1 John, 1 and 2 Peter, Hebrews and James around A.  D. 180, and the Syriac Version of the Canon lists all of the books except Revelation in the third century. The apocryphal writings were seen as less than inspired by the fourth century, and many of the books previously held in high regard were beginning to disappear, as the formal establishment of Canon began. Both the East and the West Churches established their Canons in the fourth century on the criterion of maintaining a connection to the apostles or their immediate disciples in the collection of writings. Athanasius of Alexandria listed the complete 27 books of the New Testament for the Eastern Church, while Jerome listed just 39 Old Testament books with our present-day 27 New Testament ones for the West Church. The resulting Vulgate Bible, translated by Jerome to Latin, was used throughout the Christian world. The Synods of Carthage confirmed the 27 books of the New Testament of our present day Bibles in 397 and 418. [2] We have taken a look into the thoughts of Kathy McFarland. Now let’s take a journey into the mind of Sam A. Smith, the author of â€Å"Important Truths About the Bible, Part 2: How and Where Did We Get Our Bible? Smith makes the following observations about the canonicity of the books of the Bible: Canonicity refers to a book’s status, as to whether or not it should be regarded as divinely authoritative (inspired) and thus worthy to be included within the canon (the group of writings recognized as the Word of God). Perhaps you have wondered how the early church knew which books should be regarded as part of the Bible, and which ones should be excluded (like Tobit, Judith, Baruch, the Gospel of Thomas)? Many people mistakenly think that some group of church officials at the council of Nicia in A.  D. 325 sat down and voted on which books they thought should be included and that’s how we got our Bible. But that simply isn’t the way it happened. Actually, so far as we can determine, each target group to which a portion of Scripture was addressed immediately recognized it as Scripture on a par with all other Scripture. This is true of both Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures. Note the following examples of how Scripture was immediately recognized as the Word of God by the target audience. Moses’ writings were placed beside the Ark of the Covenant (Deut. 31:24-29). Daniel, a contemporary of Jeremiah, regarded Jeremiah’s prophetic writings as Scripture (Dan. 9:1-2 cf. Jer. 25:11). Peter recognized Paul’s writing as being on a par with the Old Testament Scriptures (2 Pet. 3:14-16). Church councils only stated the churches official recognition on the books that had long since been received, and denied equal status to more recent, spurious documents. In order to understand how we came to have the specific sixty-six books that are in our Bible we need to look at the formation of the Old Testament and New Testament canons individually. The word â€Å"canon† means â€Å"authority,† or â€Å"standard† by which other things are judged. The word â€Å"canon† when used of Scripture refers to the books deemed to be authoritative, i. e. , God’s Word. The Protestant canon contains sixty-six books. The Roman Catholic canon is longer, having added several books in the sixteenth century which were not regarded as canonical by the early church—to which effect Jerome included a notation in his Latin translation. ] Let’s look at the status of the Old Testament and New Testament canons. The question of which books should be included in the Old Testament is fairly simple and was settled before Christ was born. Note the following. 1) Except for the Sadducees, who only accepted the books of Moses, the Jewish people regarded as Scripture the same thirty-nine books as the Protestant church today (though they had them arranged so that some books now split were combined, e. g. , 1 & 2 Samuel). 2) The Old Testament that Jesus used was essentially the same as the one used today. ) The Old Testament apocryphal books accepted by the Roman Catholic Church in the sixteenth century were never accepted as Scripture by Jesus or the Jewish people; nor did the early Church accept them. 4) Early quotations of the apocryphal books by some church fathers (Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria and Cyprian)–none of whom were Old Testament or Hebrew scholars–occurred at a time when the extent of the Old Testament canon was not well understood (especially by non-Jewish r eligious leaders), and some may have mistakenly thought that these books had been an accepted part of the Hebrew canon, when in fact they were not. Concerning the New Testament canon, since the gospels and the letters that were written to the early churches were scattered over the Roman Empire, it took a bit of time for the churches to assess what they had and to weed out common letters from those received as the inspired Word of God. There was very little pressure to do this until suspicious documents began to show up in key doctrinal disputes. Then it became necessary to determine the scope of the New Testament canon. It is extremely important to understand that the early church did not determine which books would become Scripture; they merely endeavored to recognize which books the churches had already received as Scripture, and to exclude spurious documents. Such tests weren’t arbitrary; they were derived from what the church leaders already knew about the character of Scripture from those books of undisputed authenticity. The following are some of the questions the early church used to assess the status of a document in question. 1) Does the writing claim to be inspired, and is its message consistent with other books of undisputed authenticity? 2) Is the author a recognized servant of God (an apostle, prophet, or early church leader)? 3) Are there good reasons to believe the document was written at the time and by the author from whom it purports to have originated? (In other words: Is it authentic? ) 4) Is the document factually correct? 5) Does the document claim to be authoritative (i. e. , the word of the Lord)? 6) Is the document in doctrinal agreement with other accepted books? ) Is there any evidence of fulfilled prophecy in the document? 7) Does the book have a universal character (i. e. , a message that transcends the local culture and milieu)? 8) Is the message of the document sublime (that is, based on what we know about God from other received books, can we conceive of God saying the things contained in the document)? Don’t get the idea that this exact list of questions was checked off for each and every book or document, but generally if a document was challenged; it was challenged on the grounds of one or more of the issues raised by these questions.

Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun

â€Å"May I never wake up from the American dream. † Carrie Latet describes the most sought after dream: the dream of a house surrounded by a white picket fence, the dream people work their entire lives for, the dream people fight wars for: the American dream. However, America’s rise to industrialism in the 19th and 20th centuries replaced this dream with the desire to get rich fast. This change led people to believe that it is possible, common even, to obtain wealth rapidly; yet this is not the case. Sometimes, when an individual is unable to acquire such extreme wealth, he create a sense of false reality for himself, his common sense is blurred, and he sees opportunities where there are none. Characters Walter Lee Younger and Willy Loman are prime examples of this, both pinning their hopes on unattainable dreams to hide the feelings of failure. The theme of illusion versus reality is present in both Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman through the portrayal of main characters Walter and Willy in their struggles for happiness and prosperity. Although the two characters have similar dreams, Walter, a dynamic character, breaks through the fantasy while Willy, a static character, remains trapped in his illusion. Willy Loman has a very specific dream, a contorted version of the American dream. Willy dreams of being successful and providing for his family, but also to be popular and well liked: a spin off the classic American dream, which is generally just to have a happy life. Driven by his need for success and popularity, Willy ignores his calling for nature and throws all his heart into becoming a salesman. Willy is enthralled by the story of Dave Singleman, his inspiration and idol. â€Å"I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want. ‘Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people† (Miller 81). This story is the sole reason for Willy’s desire to be a successful salesman, but what he does not realize is that Singleman’s case is one in a million. Although he doggedly pursues a career in selling, Willy also recognizes his need and desire for nature in his retirement plans. As he tells Linda, â€Å"Before it’s all over we’re gonna get a little place out in the country, and I’ll raise some vegetables, a couple of chickens . . . † (72). However, his failure to acknowledge nature as his true passion fuels his failure in the business world as well. Denis Diderot concludes, â€Å"Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things. † Tempted by success and money, Willy veers from his passion for the outdoors towards business, for which he has little passion. The theme of nature is prevalent from the play’s beginning as, â€Å"A melody is heard, played upon a flute. It is small and fine, telling of grass and trees and the horizon. †(11). This specific tune is often associated with Willy’s character, distancing him from the environment, but emphasizing the connection Willy has to it. Many would argue, Willy has set himself up for failure by choosing the business career. In order to escape the feeling of dejection, Willy reverts to his falsely joyful past and creates multiple illusions for himself, seeing the world through a glass clouded with desire and failure. One of Willy’s greatest regrets is refusing to accompany Ben to Alaska. â€Å"If I’d gone with him to Alaska that time, everything would’ve been totally different† (45). Ben’s success in Alaska not only presents Willy with the possibility of money, but it would also satisfy his connection with nature. Ben’s voice in the play continually represents Willy’s resentment of his decision to stay, and his longing for a second chance to take the opportunity. Next, Willy fondly retreats to his past, a past glossed over in gold. Willy imagines a happy and cheerful history with his family, including his father, whom he never actually knew. Ben! Please tell about Dad. I want my boys to hear. I want them to know the kind of stock they spring from. † (48). This is ironic, because Willy doesn’t remember his father aside from his beard and his flute, so he would not know if his father would be someone to admire. Even though Willy does not have a job, he wants so badly to continue being a salesman that he still drives out to Boston and other cities, deluding his faithful wife, Linda Loman, and in part, himself, to think that he is going on important selling missions. Willy lies so convincingly that, when Ben proposes the idea of going to Alaska, a shocked Linda exclaims, â€Å"You’re well liked, and the boys love you, and someday – why, old man Wagner told him just the other day that if he keeps it up he’ll be a member of the firm . . . † (85). Linda is clearly oblivious to the fact that Willy is crestfallen and miserable. Willy even tries to prove to himself that he is happy, but the only true reason he remains a salesman is to gain the money he believes accompanies the job. Throughout Willy’s struggle, Charley, a FOIL to Willy, is constantly at Willy’s side helping him. Charley is Willy’s crutch, his reality check, and basically his only friend. While Willy fights to keep his family afloat, Charley has a steady job; while Willy manages his children’s lives, Charley leaves his only son, Bernard, to find his own path; while Willy loses his grip on reality, Charley has a firm grasp and a level head. Charley is the true example of the hard working, happy man achieving the American dream. Willy’s failure to recognize his own despondent state is primarily what causes his tragic downfall. As the play nears the end, Willy is faced with a decision. He knows that he will not be able to work much longer, and that at some point, he will have to rely on his sons. Willy also realizes that he has nothing to pass down to his sons. The solution he comes up with is suicide. Willy determines that this proposition is legitimate because it benefits his whole family. While talking with Ben, Willy justifies his decision by saying, â€Å"[Linda’s] suffered. . . Remember, it’s a guaranteed twenty-thousand-dollar proposition† (125-126). When Biff confronts him, Willy comes to an astonishing realization: â€Å"Biff – he likes me! (133). This only further deepens Willy’s desire to commit suicide, which would allow his family to collect the insurance money. However, the real reason for Willy’s tragic end is his static personality. His refusal to see the world as it is and his refusal to change means that he is veiled by his distorted vision of life forever. Willy is never able to break through his illusio n, truly believing that he is more valuable dead than alive. Finally, the decision is made and Willy commits suicide. â€Å"The car speeds off . . . moving away at full speed. . . The music crashes down in a frenzy of sound, which becomes the soft pulsation of a single cello string† (136). The rest of the Loman family is left alone, without the insurance money. As Charley sums up at the funeral, â€Å"He had the wrong dreams. All, all, wrong† (138). Willy died because he didn’t know how to forge his own path. Although he had the chance to turn back, he remained a salesman because he was in it for the money. Had he changed his mind and followed his heart, he would certainly have had an entirely different end. But that was his predicament: Willy Loman did not have the ability to change, something that Walter Lee Younger does have. Walter Lee Younger has dreams that are very similar to Willy’s: to provide for his family and to be successful. Unlike Willy Loman, though, Walter’s dreams of happiness for his family in addition to success. As an African American man, Walter constantly struggles against racial boundaries. The pressure to support his struggling family, including his sister and mother is a constant weight on his back. Walter informs Mama, â€Å"I want so many things that they are driving me crazy . . Sometimes it’s like I can see the future stretched out in front of me . . . Just waiting for me – a big, looming blank space – full of nothing† (73). Like any father or husband, Walter desperately wants a comfortable and content life. The tension between Walter and his wife, Ruth, partially stems from Walter’s inability to deal with his low income, low class job. â€Å"I open and close doors all day long. I drive a man around in a limousine and I say ‘Yes, sir; no, sir; very good, sir . . . that ain’t no kind of job . . . that ain’t nothing at all† (73). Not only is Walter dissatisfied with his job as a limousine driver, but he is embarrassed by it. Walter is desperate, but as a black man, his options for a new occupation are limited to those of a similar caliber to his current job. However, Walter finds an opportunity that could turn his life around. â€Å"I been out talking with people who understand me. People who care about what I got on my mind. † (87), â€Å". . . we got it figured out, me and Willy and Bobo† (33). Inspired by this new hope, Walter envisions a future of prosperity and happiness. This is mostly fueled by Walter’s idol: Charlie Atkins. Similar to Willy’s infatuation with Dave Singleman, Walter believes that Atkins, who owns a dry cleaning business which grosses $100,000 per year, is success incarnate. Atkins is Walter’s inspiration for his own dream of buying liquor store with Bobo and Willy Harris, which could be made possible by the insurance money from his father’s death. In addition to his dreams for himself, Walter also has dreams for his son. Like most fathers, he wants a better life for his son, â€Å"Just tell me where you want to go to school and you’ll go. Just tell me, what it is you want to be – and you’ll be it . . . Whatever you want to be – Yessir! You just name it, son . . . and I hand you the world! † (109). Although Walter has all the same dreams as a white man of his age, they are harder to obtain due to racial boundaries, and Walter must find a way to overcome these limitations. With so many things unperfected in his life, Walter sees money as a solution to his problems. For the Youngers, the symbol of money represents a new house, new clothing and shoes for everyone, especially forWalter’s son, Travis, more food for their table, education for Travis and Walter’s sister, Beneatha, as well as the down payment on Walter’s liquor store. When Mama questions Walter â€Å"How come you talk so much ‘bout money† (74), Walter responds, â€Å"it is life, Mama! . . . it was always about money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it† (74). It is ironic that Walter comments that money is life, because the most significant money in the Younger family comes from Big Walter’s $10,000 life insurance check. As Asagai explains to Beneatha, â€Å"Isn’t there something wrong in a house – in a world – where all dreams, good or bad, must depend on the death of a man? † (135). The illusion Walter holds that money is life contrasts with the reality that the money comes from death. Later, Walter becomes very frustrated as he realizes how unfair the world is, â€Å"Somebody tell me – tell me, who decides which woman is suppose to wear pearls in this world. I tell you I am a man – and I think my wife should wear some pearls in this world† (143). Because of all this pent-up regret and disappointment, Walter reverts to Willy Harris and Bobo’s plan for a source of comfort and hope. His desperation clouds his common sense, and when Mama entrusts him with the remaining insurance money, Walter invests all of it in the liquor store, even that intended for Beneatha’s education. Despite his poor decision, Walter has a â€Å"newfound exuberance† (112). He truly believes that this new deal will turn his family around in a new direction, â€Å"I got wings! You got wings! All God’s children got wings! † (125). However, things take a spin when Bobo arrives with the despairing news that Willy Harris, revealed as a con man, has disappeared with the money. Walter’s incredulity is clear as he realizes that all of the hope he has built up over the liquor store has disappeared like a flash of lightening. Now that all of the insurance money is gone on Walter’s watch, he is even more responsible for his family’s desperate state. Luckily, he is presented with a chance to redeem himself. Before the disheartening news that Willy Harris stole the Younger’s insurance money arrives, Walter is extremely confident. He is even willing to cooperate with Mama’s plan to move into their new house in Clybourne Park, a plan Walter had previously opposed. When Karl Lindner arrives to persuade the Youngers not to move into their new house, Walter confronts him. â€Å"We told him to get out! . . . Oh, we was some proud folks this afternoon . . † (142). However, after the terrible news of the lost insurance money is disclosed, Walter is not so sure-footed. He realizes the difficult financial situation, not to mention the peril that this move will put them in. Ruth, who desperately wants to move, reads her husband’s hesitation and questions him, â€Å"You talking ‘bout taking them people’s money to keep us from moving in that house? † (142) and Walter replies, â€Å"I’m telling you that’s what’s going to happen! † (142). Despite his strong opinion about not moving, Walter experiences a change of heart when Lindner returns. He realizes how much the chance to live is really worth as he sees the potential for Travis, Beneatha, and even for himself and Ruth, and how much the new house will help each of them to grow and flourish. Counter to Willy Loman, Walter learns to value life, learning that money does not necessarily give you a blissful, carefree life. Walter asserts to Lindner, â€Å"We have all thought about your offer . . . and we have decided to move into our house because my father – my father – he earned it for us brick by brick. . . . Travis . . . my son . . . he makes the sixth generation of our family in this country . . And that’s my sister over there and she’s going to be a doctor – and we are very proud . . . we are very proud people† (148). Walter’s dynamic character allows him to emerge from his black hole of despair, a trait that Willy Loman lacked, therefore triggering his own tragic downfall. Now that he is able to accept his mistake of losing all of the insurance money and has shattered the illusion that it is possible for everyone to be as successful and rich as Charlie Atkins, and that excessive wealth does not equate to happiness, Walter can fully appreciate his life, especially his loving family. From a first look, the Younger and Loman families could not be more different. Through careful analysis, though, one finds that they are astoundingly similar. Both working class families, they consistently struggle to maintain their current standards of living, a struggle made much more difficult by the expectant illusions Walter Lee and Willy cling to. The theme of illusion versus reality is vital in both A Raisin in the Sun and Death of a Salesman, demonstrating the harsh reality that a person’s life will never be perfect, and that some people will use heir imagination to fill in the gaps. The sad truth is that some people, like Willy Loman, are never able to break through the illusion. Bent on success and popularity, Willy renders himself victim to his mind forever, ending in death for him, and tragedy for his family. Others, such as Walter Lee Younger, possess the inner strength necessary to break free from this perfect, imaginary world to see that all they want, all they need, and all they seek, is right before them.

The Matrix Linked Christianity

Matrix movie is full of violence but there are some powerful concepts in it that will help us to understand what really the real world is, that may help us to be different from usual people, leaving the secular society and do the things that are needed to be done. When Neo took the red pill and woke up in the pod or vat, it was just like when we turn to Jesus and woke up from the Matrix that we live in called material society.Like Neo when he woke up in the pod, he realized that humans are slaves to an empire of man-made, intelligent machines and the first year of most of us who turned back after with Christ was extremely confusing (The Christian Science Monitor, 2003). Things we had believed for years no longer made any sense whatsoever. Neo said, â€Å"how come my eyes hurt so much†, and Morpheus replied, â€Å"It's because you never used them before†. Neither had most of us used our spiritual eyes, and when the light of Jesus hit us, we were empowered to see things t hrough our spiritual eyes, but it also hurt like crazy cause no one understood us.Lots of people had never yet wake up from Matrix, and these people are the most person who will always turned us down, people who are our love ones. Analysis of Matrix from Christian View The Matrix: our civilization The Resistance: members of the Christian family including Angels in heaven (people not plugged into the Matrix) and Christians on earth (people plugged into the Matrix. ) The only job of the Resistance is to wake people up from the Matrix and get them to join the Resistance.Sentient programs: angels of the Devil roaming the earth (Matrix) looking for members of the Resistance (Christians) who they can kill or interfere with. Morpheus: John the Baptist Cypher: Judas Neo: Jesus Christ Life in the Matrix is not real life and there is a supreme negative intelligence running the Matrix. It is smarter than any human being. It outsmarts people into thinking they are living life and getting ahead (successful in the Matrix) when they are really asleep, dying and lying dormant in the pod (or vat) with the life being sucked out of them by the source of the Matrix (the Machines- the Devil).In the movie this â€Å"life† is human electromagnetic energy – in real world that â€Å"life† is our spiritual energy, the soul that the devil sucks out of us, as we are lying spiritually unconscious. In the world of The Matrix, men are â€Å"born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. † Then comes â€Å"the One,† the promised deliverer who will overcome mankind’s enemy and liberate the human race from bondage. Morpheus has been foretold that he will find this figure of prophecy; and, like John the Baptist heralding Jesus as the Lamb of God, Morpheus recognizes Neo to be the One.According to Morpheus, the Matrix is â€Å"the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth† (Wikipedia, 200 6). The Matrix is symbolic of sin that keeps the human race blinded about reality. â€Å"It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. † Each person is â€Å"born into bondage†¦ a prison, for your mind. † The illusion of the matrix is so we do not wake up to the realization of our slavery. It would seem that the machines then are Satan and his demons trying to deceive mankind concerning his true state of bondage.Neo's real name is Thomas Anderson, perhaps referring to â€Å"doubting Thomas† of the Bible (since it took him so long to believe he was the One). The name Anderson means â€Å"son of man,† a title used by Jesus in reference to himself. He mimics the true Savior by having both a death and resurrection. After his resurrection, the matrix (sin) no longer has dominion over him. This is in contrast to the reality of the Savior who died in history. Death and sin had no power over Christ. As Christ died for manki nd, Neo dies to save the world.At the end, Neo determines to show the world the truth, just as Christ said He is the truth. Neo destroys Agent Smith and Christ destroyed evil. The world is set free from the bondage of the matrix, and Christ frees those who believe in Him from the bondage of sin. A character Choi, says to him â€Å"Hallelujah. You're my savior, man. My own personal Jesus Christ. † A plate in Morpheus' ship Nebuchadnezzar says â€Å"Mark III No. 11,† a probable allusion to the Bible: Mark 3:11 reads, â€Å"Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, ‘You are the Son of God!‘† (About, 2006). Anderson's hacker alias Neo is an anagram for the One. He is The One who is prophesied to liberate humanity from the chains that imprison them in their computer-generated illusion. First, however, he has to die – and he is killed in room 303. But, after 72 seconds (analogous to 3 days), Neo rises again. Soon t hereafter, he also ascends up into the heavens. There is a battle between the machines (an allegory for the devil and his angels) and the Resistance (Angels and saints.) The members of the Resistance who are not presently plugged into the Matrix are kind of like angels because they can help people in the Matrix (by hacking into it) but are not able to directly interfere in human choice. This battle outside the Matrix is like the battle in the heavens between the angels of the devil and God's angels and saints of God. Members of the Resistance, who are plugged into the Matrix and have an identity there, are able to do things that the people in the Matrix can't do. They are more intuitive, have greater power to fight evil etc.But they are reliant on the members of the Resistance who are back at the ship (Angels). Life as a member of the Resistance is exciting. However, the sentient programs are very interested in destroying these members of the Resistance. The sentient programs have n o interest in the other people in the Matrix because they know they have them already. The machines that run the Matrix see the Resistance as a threat and therefore try to kill them or interfere with their activities (an allegory for Persecution of Christians in the Media etc. )Some people who belong to the Resistance have â€Å"real† jobs in the Matrix like those who are asleep plugged into it. But because the Resistance has been woken up to the fact that the Matrix is unreal, they no longer see things in the Matrix in the same way as other people, even though they are doing regular jobs. They see it as an illusion. These regular jobs are just positions like a spy in the Second World War who would work in a German shoe repair or other trivial job. But they are simply put there as a posting to achieve the greater end.The decision to take the red pill is a completely free choice with no one forcing it. Taking the red pill is an allegory for the choice to completely surrender t o Jesus. It is the only hope for the future. Otherwise they stay asleep. The job of the Matrix is to keep people â€Å"engaged† in the day to day trivial things of life in the Matrix so they stay asleep and die while hooked up to the pod (or vat). And then they are ejected into the sewer mote (hell). When Neo woke up he was ejected into the mote (hell) but was rescued by the Resistance (Angels). This is similar to Jesus in the desert.Angels waited upon Jesus and nursed him back to health after he was 40 days in the desert the same way the members of the Resistance nursed Neo back to health when he woke up from the Matrix. This was the start of Neo's participation in the Resistance. Jesus' ministry started after the 40 days in the desert. Of course there’s also a Judas figure (in one scene he and Neo drink from the same cup, as Jesus and Judas dipped in the same dish). Cypher is a Judas figure. Which is pretty obvious. Cypher knows that the Matrix is not real and that a ny pleasures he experiences there are illusory (What is the Matrix, 1999).When Smith (the sentient program) outsmarts Neo, near the end of the movie, he knew what Neo was thinking and so was one step ahead of him waiting in the room where Neo went to make the phone call. That is when Smith shoots Neo as he went to make the phone call in room 303. When we don't completely surrender to Christ, our best plans will not succeed in getting us out of the Matrix (material world) because the devil can read our actions and behavior. So he is always one step ahead of us like Smith was when he was waiting for Neo in the room where Neo was going to make the phone call.Neo dies and is raised to life again. When Neo came back to life and realized he was the one. He was no longer thinking about what he would do next. He was plugged into his Divine power. Neo was no longer planning ahead. He was responding to his spiritual connectedness in the moment. And so Smith could no longer figure out what Neo was going to do next and was no longer able to be one step ahead of Neo. Smith was no longer able to read what Neo would do next because Neo didn't even know, Neo was simply responding to his spiritual connectedness, which, in fact put Neo one step ahead of Smith.If we trust God, we don't know what he is going to do next with us, but neither does the devil. In that way God can outsmart the devil in our lives. It's when we wrestle to keep control of our lives that we are subject to interference from the devil because he will always be a step ahead of us. Life as a Christian is completely different from when we planned our lives. We don't know what God will do next and we just trust and listen and watch God outsmart evil in our lives. Then the devil can no longer be a step ahead of us (i. e. , waiting at the door to shoot us like Smith did to Neo when Neo was thinking for himself).I understand the fear of surrender but this is a good surrender, it is plugging into a source of power t hat outsmarts evil in my life. I think it is the only source. Jesus is â€Å"The One†. The reality of this world and man’s destiny is clearly revealed in God’s Word. Man is not his own savior, but he is a condemned sinner in bondage to sin; as a result, man is spiritually dead. Jesus Christ is the savior who did not leave it up to people to see how they felt about Him in order to believe. Rather, He gave many signs proving, in fact, that He is God and Savior. His death and resurrection is a historic fact.The man who thinks he will save himself is grievously deceived. It is only in trusting in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection to atone for man’s sin that a repentant sinner can be released from the bondage of sin and experience eternal fellowship with his Creator. There are also other problematic implications to the film. From a Christian perspective, to begin with, the whole premise of the unknowing enslavement of all of humanity by machines is a staggeringly apocalyptic event that raises serious eschatological questions: Would God allows all of humanity to be subjected to so immense a deception?Descartes argued not. Consider especially the implications of generations of humans living and dying without real physical contact with one another. While it’s possible to imagine Christian faith existing in such a world (and indeed Morpheus mentions people going to church in the Matrix), the Church itself, and in particular apostolic succession and the papacy, cannot be perpetuated under these conditions, since there is no physical laying on of hands.(This problem is mitigated, though, by the fact that the film does establish that not all of mankind is in the Matrix — there is one surviving human community, Zion, where it’s possible to imagine the Church having survived. On the other hand, what we see of Zion in the sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, offers no indication whatsoever of any Christian presence. ) In fa ct, God and religion seem to be basically irrelevant to the characters in the film. Morality, too, tends generally to be a non-issue.Of course there’s the glaring disregard for life seen especially in the lobby massacre. Beyond this, Neo himself has a shady background, and although he is in many ways transformed during the course of the film, this doesn’t include any kind of moral transformation. Likewise, Morpheus sets people free from the Matrix, but there’s no indication that they’re any freer from sin or evil. Consider a scene in which a character named Mouse invites Neo to have virtual sex with a digital woman of his creation.The other crewmembers may needle Mouse as a â€Å"digital pimp,† but there’s no real moral backbone to their criticism. (â€Å"Pay no attention to these hypocrites,† Mouse tells Neo. â€Å"To deny our impulses is to deny the very thing that makes us human. â€Å") Of course there’s no rule that says that characters fighting against a great evil must be depicted as paragons of virtue. On the other hand, the film’s overall lack of moral perspective does make it hard to see it as meaningfully â€Å"Christian. † References The Holy Bible. 2005. December 4, 2006. The Matrix. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 4 December 2006. December 4, 2006. . The Matrix and Christianity. About. 2006. December 2, 2006. The Gospel according to Neo. The Christian Science Monitor. May 09, 2003. December 2, 2006. Wake Up!. What is the Matrix. 1999. December 2, 2006. .

Hunger Games Essay Essay

In the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins the characters are put to the ultimate test to survive or end up dead. In dangerous and life threatening wilderness situations, one needs hunting skills, physical strength and mental strength in order to overcome the odds. One needs hunting skills to overcome the odds in a dangerous or life threatening wilderness situation. Peeta mentions Katniss’s hunting skills â€Å"She’s excellent, my father always comments on how the arrow never pierces the body, she this everyone in the eye†. This quote shows that if Katniss is ever starving she can rely on her skills to guarantee her a kill. Katniss also killed a deer with her bow, so she could provide food for her family so they did not starve and die. If you did not have good skills with a bow you would not be able to take down a deer, and if you relied on that for food you would probably starve. Also when Katniss finds the careers supplies she shoots the bag of apples so they fall and trigger the mines. By shooting the bag of apples it shows how accurate Katniss is with a bow, you also need this accuracy for hunting and killing in the games, and real life to guarantee a kill. Along with hunting skills one will need physical strength to overcome the odds in a life threatening wilderness situation. Katniss: â€Å"I’m fast though, and by the time they’ve reached the base of my trunk I’m twenty feet up†. If you were out in the wilderness and you had to climb a tree you would need physical strength like Katniss had. Another example of physical strength, Katniss: â€Å"I can see the muscles ripple in Cato’s arms as he sharply jerks the boys head to the side†. When Cato kills the boy it shows that you will need physical strength if you ever had to engage in hand to hand combat. Along with hunting skills and physical strength you also need to have mental strength. Katniss: â€Å"the Tracker Jackers begin to buzz and I can hear them coming out, back and forth, back and forth, the branch with the nest crashes down through the lower branches†. Sometimes you will just have to push through things, even if they hurt and in the end it will pay off, you just have to want it bad enough. Another example of mental strength is when Katniss is forced to pretend to love Peeta.

Expansion of Diageo Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Expansion of Diageo Paper - Essay Example Introduction Diageo is world’s top-notch quality drinks company. Through its universal vision as well as local promotional concentration, Diageo provides its customers an exceptional collection of beverage brands including the spirits, wine, and beer types. It was established during the year1997 after its merger with â€Å"Grand Metropolitan Public and Guinness†. Diageo operates in almost185 nations all over the globe and it is listed on both New York and London Stock Exchange. Diageo controls eight of the global top twenty high-quality spirits brand names, together with Smirnoff, the top brand â€Å"by volume† (Lopes, 2007, p. 76) as well as Johnnie Walker, the top brand â€Å"by value† (Lopes, 2007, p. 76). In beer, Diageo possesses the single international solid brand name, Guinness, along with a collection of bigger brand names traded mainly within Africa. Diageo’s wine brands are traded largely within North America along with Great Britain â₠¬Å"across a full range of price points† (Lopes, 2007, p. 77). Within the developed countries such as North America as well as Europe, Diageo has made sturdy ways to marketplace. Moreover, Diageo is the top-notch global spirits business within the developing nations such as â€Å"Africa, Latin America and Asia† (Lopes, 2007, p. 80). These swiftly expanding markets currently consist of more or less â€Å"one third of Diageo’s net sales† (Lopes, 2007, p. 76), rise from 25 percent during the year 2008. By means of persistent ‘organic’ development triggered by infrastructure ventures in addition to focused acquisitions, these markets are likely to chip in 65 percent of Diageo’s net sales by the year 2017. Diageo unites the advantages from universal level with local expertise in user inclinations as well as behaviours to bring outstanding advertising drives. For instance, the â€Å"Keep walking campaign on Johnnie Walker† (Diageo, 2006 , p. 192) has been broadcasting worldwide for more than ten years, supported by the global demand of individual growth. The advertising campaign is accurate to this vision even though the local innovative implementations seem changed universally. In the same way, user information updates Diageo’s improvement drives along with pipeline. The â€Å"premiumisation† (Diageo, 2006, p. 193) of scotch to create demand in clients of high-quality brand names along with the expansion of ‘ready to serve cocktails’ since ‘at-home’ usage raises have been mainly successful. Diageo is focused on creating a sustainable business along its value chain. The techniques with which Diageo supports a constructive part for alcohol within society; values the innate sources, societies as well as individuals it depends on; and supports traditions of excellent supremacy and moral values are all significant factors for growth. The business takes pride in the responsible wa y with which its brands are promoted and the constructive part that reasonable utilization of its brands has in the lives of numerous individuals. Diageo attempts to stay on the top of industry attempts to sponsor sensible drinking and do efforts with other shareholders to fight against wrong use of alcohol. From the time its start during the year

Athletic Affiliation and Violence Against Women Essay

Athletic Affiliation and Violence Against Women - Essay Example I agree with Sunday's findings in that culture plays a large role in determining the frequency of rape. I would argue that females have very little representation in high-level sport, so there is somewhat of a gender imbalance here. Sanday lists the three main causes as violence, male domination, and gender segregation. Sports such as football and hockey are violent enough already, but they also encourage male domination. Finally, females are not equally represented in these environments. If they are, in the case of football, then they are likely to be cheerleaders, which once again fulfill a stereotype that they are only there for entertainment and the pleasure of the players. Although violence against women can occur in all aspects of society, it is more likely to occur in sports because of the pressure.  Females are not equally represented in these environments. If they are, in the case of football, then they are likely to be cheerleaders, which once again fulfill a stereotype t hat they are only there for entertainment and the pleasure of the players. Although violence against women can occur in all aspects of society, it is more likely to occur in sports because of the pressure.

Small Business Success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Small Business Success - Essay Example are believed to be driving forces to the success of small businesses and what business starters ought to do to increase likelihood of their businesses success. Most successful small businesses takes adequate time to set goals that give them clarity on the direction to take and how they need to carry out their activities in order to succeed. They are driven by their goals and objective despite the challenges encountered along the way such as stiff competition and lack of adequate finance (Bider and Johannesson 2005, p.627). Success can therefore be elusive especially if a small enterprise does not have a clear goal. Successful enterprises always provide room for alternative process and ideas if the initial one fails to deliver desired results. This ensures that activities are carried on as usual after occurrence of setbacks because alternative solutions complement the initial approach (Olivo 2001, p.45). For example, when workers in a small business resist changes, management can decide to bargain with them until they reach at a neutral position on how to embrace the new changes. They can also decide to abandon introducing new changes especially if they are likely to adversely affect workers morale which, possibly could results to poor performance. Setbacks are almost common in a business set up and they may require skilful approach to handle them. A business should acknowledge challenges and formulate various policies to help bouncing back to the initial position before occurrence of a certain challenge. A firm with determination on what it expects to achieve will always bounce back to the right track even after suffering huge losses because their aim is to hit their target. This is a very important trait among small businesses as it ensures that a business handle their own issues without much ado. The ability of making independent decision puts a business at a higher competitive notch since they do not have to consult others thus enhancing quick decision