The Belief in God

Table of Contents Introduction Arguments for the belief in God Arguments against the belief in God Conclusion Works Cited Introduction Arguments have been propounded on whether God exists in reality or merely in the human mind. The two major schools of thought are: belief in the existence of God and the belief that the universe just happened. Within these two schools, again, justifications differ. This work argues in favour of the existence of God, borrowing a lot from the arguments of St Anselm.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Belief in God specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In debating the existence of God, St Anselm has borrowed a lot from the bible and from nature as well. He has given examples of the natural events and logical arguments all in support of the idea of the existence of God (Berkhof 36). Arguments for the belief in God To begin with, St Anselm argues that God’s existence is a realit y in the human understanding. The existence of this idea in the human mind, according to this argument, means that there is such a possibility. If there were no such a possibility, then even the thought would not be existing (Berkhof 45). A different look at the idea revolves around the possibility of God’s existence. Since the arguments for the existence bears no fundamental contradictions, and therefore a logical possibility, then God might be existing in reality. Contradictions in philosophy come about when logical flow lacks in an argument. For instance, a phenomena existing and not existing at the same time, results into fallacious arguments. The concept of God is free from any form internal contradictions, because by the mere mention one gets an idea of what is meant, the idea of an omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent Being (Berkhof 47). A further argument for the existence of God is derive from a point of an already belief in the existence of God. St Anselm argues that the idea of the existence of God is acceptable. This being the case therefore, that God exists in our minds, and that humanity acknowledges that God is greater that humanity, then God must be existing in reality. Whatever exists exclusively in our understanding should be, logically, greater than whatever exists merely in the spirit, that is, in the minds. The existence of God is justified in the sense that existence in the mind as a concept limits the idea of God already in the minds of people (Berkhof 49).Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Arguments against the belief in God If God were to exist in our mind and not in reality, then the many attributes given to him would be baseless. More so, it would be less convincing in theoretical terms, and even prayers made in God’s name would not be as emotional. Therefore, the thinking that God exists in spirit can only be s trengthened by an imagination of a physical God, and thus the real nature of God’s existence. Should this argument be adopted, then it follows automatically that God exists and that he is greater than humanity. Supposing that the existence of God was considered in light of the argument that God exists in the mind but not in the physical world, then it would mean that God is a Being, above whom there is another being. In logical sense, this argument is a contradiction, standing contrary to the belief that God is omnipotent (Toner 103). It is also possible that there has to be a moving mover, a Being greater than all other beings, a Being that made all others in to motion. According to St Thomas of Aquinas, to end the long causality chain, there has to be an end, and this end, the Prime Mover, is God. Alongside this argument is an argument that there is always an efficient cause. A phenomenon cannot by any understanding be its own efficient cause. To put this argument of an eff icient cause to rest, St Thomas of Aquinas suggests the existence of God, the beginning of everything there is in the universe (Toner 104). The concept of possibility and necessity as argued by St Thomas is yet another way of arguing the case. Every thing that exists must have of necessity, a source. In other words, everything possible must, be necessity, have a cause, as nothing can cause itself. Only God caused himself, and all other things are traced back to God. God is the Being that does not need another pre-existing phenomenon to come to existence (Toner 107). Conclusion The existence of God is further justified by a design-based argument. That nature is well planned and well balanced, that things happen in routine basis, which would have otherwise been impossible were it not that there is a greater Being who orders the universe. There are many things that lack intelligence, but act intelligently. This means that all these have a force behind them, and the force is arguably Go d (Berkhof 67). The above arguments lead to a conclusion that God exists, and that he is the all powerful God, the author and finisher of all under and above the sun. Therefore, God does not only exist in the mind, but also in reality.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Belief in God specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Berkhof, L. â€Å"Systematic Theology.† Grand Rapids (1939). Print. Toner, Patrick. â€Å"The Existence of God.† The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6 (1909). print. This essay on The Belief in God was written and submitted by user Tomas to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Paper Sample

Critiquing Qualitative Research, Essay/Paper Sample Critique of a Qualitative Research Abstract This essay entails qualitative research study critique. The main research study that will be critiqued is Mr. Seda’s Identity theft and university students: do they know, do they care? Published in 2014.   Mr. Ludek Seda lectures at Flinders Business School. He has different qualifications such as Bachelor of Legal Studies (Police University of the Czech Republic), Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) (Flinders University), Certified Fraud Examiner (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners), among other. His responsibility includes FBS Academic Integrity Coordinator. Throughout his research study, Mr. Ludek used semi-structured interviews that were periodically scheduled. The interviews served as the primary tool for collection of data. Twelve undergraduate students from Flinders Business School were sampled out of the entire population for the purpose of research. There were six females and six male and face-to-face interview design was used. The purpose of the research was to offer an explanation of factors influencing the relationship between University student’s awareness of identity theft risks and the prohibitory steps they take. My critique of Mr. Seda’s Identity theft and university students: do they know, do they care?   Will involve holistically evaluating the study as an epitome of a qualitative research. Moreover, I will base my arguments on factors that must be considered when developing research questions and research approaches for a qualitative research (Seda, 2014). Critique of a Qualitative Research The Identity theft and university students: do they know, do they care? Has two research questions. The first question- Do university students know about identity theft? Second question- Do university students care about identity theft? These two research questions are valid and within the scope of the research study. The research uses these questions as a guidance for his research. They focus on the identity theft. The questions have exploratory verbs and specify the participants. The research questions are developed with long-term agenda. Furthermore, they are well defined (Bryman, 2012). The qualitative research approach used in the study is semi-structured interviews.   The following are the ways in which the researcher develops the design: The first thing is that he prepares the questions ahead of time. At this stage the interviewer gets ready for the data collection by scheduling his dates of carrying out the interviews. Consequently, the questions set are open-ended. The open-ended questions provide the opportunity for discussions that diverge from guide of interview.   The researcher is able to tape-record the interviews and analyze them after transcript. However, the disadvantage of semi-structured interview is that it is difficult to conducting interview and putting down notes simultaneously. Developing a dialogue and rapport are essential in offsetting the difficulty of recording the interview while conducting the interview. Mr. Ludek uses semi-structured interviews that are periodically schedule (Rowley, 2012). The research study contains logical and clear connections with the components. The design choice puts ethical implications into consideration. For example, Seda chooses to interview six female and six male students. His choice of design is fair and just to gender divide because it does not show gender discrimination. The identity theft is a problem affecting both female and male students (Australian Crime Commission , 2011). Conclusion In conclusion, Seda’s Identity theft and university students: do they know, do they care? is a qualitative research study whose research questions and alignment exemplifies all the requirements for a perfect qualitative study. Seda uses quality research questions that leads into the answers to the identity theft among college students. References Australian Crime Commission . ( 2011). Organised Crime in Australia, Australian Crime Commission,. Australia. Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Rowley, J. (2012). Conducting research interviews†, Management Research Review (Vols. 35 Nos 3/4, ). Retrieved 10 13, 2016 Seda, L. (2014). Identity theft and university students: do they know, do they care?. Journal of Financial Crime, Vol. 21( 4), .461 483. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JFC-05-2013-0032

Healthy Grief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Healthy Grief - Essay Example There are several differences in the exact stages, but one of the most commonly used is Kubler-Ross’s five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (Pastan, 1996). This essay uses Kubler-Ross’s grieving process theory to analyze the stories of Job and Dan. Job has been blessed by God with a prosperous and contented life. But his faith is tested by God by allowing Satan to take away all the precious things Job has, such as his huge belongings, livelihood, and his beloved family. This massive loss has brought too much grief to Job. However, Job’s grieving process does not rigidly follow Kubler-Ross’s five-stage model. His first response is ‘acceptance’, which should be the last phase. He completely accepts that all the things taken away from him belong to God and only God has the power to take them. Eventually, while his sufferings pile up, Job became angry. His anger is rooted in his belief that he has done nothing wrong and thus does not deserve the sufferings he endures. But when God comes up to him, Job bargains by asking for forgiveness. Similarly, Dan, who is facing death, initially accepts the reality of dying by objectively looking at his situation. He accepts that his time has finally come and that it is time for him to answer for all his sins. Afterward, he becomes angry of himself for trying to kill Joseph and for all the evil deeds he has done throughout his life. The only difference between Job and Dan is the cause of their grief: Job witnesses the death of his beloved family while Dan faces his own death. However, what is fascinating about these stories is that even with the presence of grief joy still blooms in the heart of Job and Dan. Their grief develops from a painful acceptance of what is most important to them; whereas joy relights in them the marvel of God’s salvation through acceptance of their tragic experiences. Thus, according to Archer

A Critical Analysis of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Essay

A Critical Analysis of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) - Essay Example There are seven main parts that are covered at this stage. They include the social and emotional development. This allows the children to recognize who they are as well as respecting other people in the society. At the same time, the children learn how to perform certain activities such as dressing. Communication and problem solving are other important areas of learning at this stage (Silberfeld 2009, p.67). The children begin developing the confidence needed when communicating. At the same time, they learn how to solve problem through games and listening and answering questions from stories. The curriculum also ensures that children understand the world they live in and development physically and creatively. They understand the world around them through use of different materials and tools to create their surroundings. The EYFS is used as a platform that prepares children for what they will become in future (Beckley 2009, p.98). The knowledge and the kind of preparation at this stag e dictate how the children will respond to learning in future. The environment in which the children are raised is imperative. It determines whether such children become intelligent or not. While certain settings foster intelligence, others do not (Carr 2005, p.65). it is imperative for teachers to know that children at this stage learn more from observation and what they hear. The children believe the information passed to them. They are not able to criticise like their counterparts in late childhood (Callaway 2005, p.67). For that reason, accurate information is vital at this state. This includes the information on chats, which the pupils are expected to read. It is difficult to undo what the children have already recorded in their mind. The curriculum is the most important tool in ensuring that the children acquire the best learning while still in their early stages (Glazzard et al. 2010, p.98). However, one of the most striking feature is the fact that play becomes an integral p art of learning (Edwards 2001, p.38). Children understand better, when concepts are addressed through play. It has been effective in ensuring that children develop both physically, cognitively and socially (Glenda 2003, p.98). Through play for instance, most children are able to discover their potential. This is especially when such children are involved in activities that involve role-play. It is therefore imperative that the curriculum involve all kinds of play to ensure that the children concentrate and get the best out of learning (Goffin 2011, p.78). The following discussion will focus on the role of curriculum in promoting learn as well as how play promotes learning. The environment where the children are exposed is supposed to be safe and free from any materials that would cause any harm. It is the responsibility of the school management to ensure that the structures are well constructed and are safe to be used by the children (. The classroom for instance should have enough space where the children are allowed to play and interact. With the current need for inclusion, I it is also vital that the designs of such classes make it possible for children with disabilities to learn. They ought to be made part of the class and benefit just like any other child. In addition to that, the current classes may have children from different cultural backgrounds. The teacher has a responsibility of ensuring that such students benefit from this kind of setting. To help understand the above themes, I visited a primary school in New Ham East London. It was a class that had the children at the age of between 3 and 4. The class had a total of 25 pupils with one main teacher. The class has children from dif

The European sovereign debt crisis during 2010-2011 Essay - 1

The European sovereign debt crisis during 2010-2011 - Essay Example Matters involving liability crisis have in the recent years being reported globally, as the level of the sovereign arrears of some of the financial scheme of the world have risen, giving them a threat of failure to pay. A Financial network is thought to be in an obligation crisis once its government has failed to pay its debt. However, not any of the nations that are at present in debt disaster has defaulted, but they involve extremely high government debt balances, and their bond output spreads in the securities of the government have gone up, as a result, there is relegation of their sovereign ratings for credit. When an area suffers this crisis, it might be able to undergo a sudden discontinue of inflows from the foreign capital because of major loss of capitalist confidence regarding the economy. The Eurozone had kept an overall acceptable short-term financial credit between 1999 to the year 2007. However, there existed large as well as continuing inequities in the region.  "Greece, Spain, Portugal, and to a lesser extent Ireland†, sustained massive current account shortfalls, and Germany, Netherlands, along with Luxembourg, had profits in the account (Braga & Vincelette 222). The providers of the large plus extended current account losses are dissimilar across these countries. As years went by, the deficits balances of the current financial standing have been increasing, also, a decrease to the surpluses in the other countries. The existing crisis on debt commenced with the demise of the banking corporation in Iceland in the year 2008, and spread to some of the countries in Europe like the Ireland, Portugal, as well as Greece in the year 2009. At the beginning of the second half of this year, reports concerning the debt crisis on the United Sates also blew up (Economic Review 1; Braga & Vincelette 222-225). The crisis originated from various factors and had tremendous implications to the economy of the European countries. GDP Growth in the Euroz one, Q4 2009–Q1 2011 (Belkin, & Mix, & Nelson, 14) Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook, April 2011 (Belkin, & Mix, & Nelson, 4). Reasons behind the Financial Crisis The debts predicaments are featured to pro-cyclical economic policy in the period preceding the economic crisis. The countries impinged on had being managing large and untenable fiscal deficits for several years, largely funded through borrowing. The Government of Greek used deficit spending to increase extraordinarily, the people’s standard of living as the debt funded the joblessness societal benefits, raised the remuneration of public workers along with pensioners’ income, and sustained a mutually respectful labor market. The evident cause of the â€Å"European Debt Crisis† is also the changing of the ‘European Monetary Union’ (EMU) from financial stimuli to fiscal consolidation in the year 2009. Until that year, the EMU together with the entire European Union (EU) and other main financial systems followed the IMF order in the upshot of Lehman Brother’s insolvency, to promote global demand by way of increasing government spending. The

2000 US Presidental Election :: essays research papers

The fourth principle of the rule of law state, "all persons must be given due process, that is, a fair chance to defend themselves against formal charges that they have violated the rules." The premise for this principle is the example that, the official body that hears and renders judgment on the charges may be biased against the defendant instead of impartial. The decision of the United States Supreme Court to discontinue the counting of "undervotes" in the state of Florida was not only a politically biased decision, it was also a decision that violated the rule of law. My argument is based on not so much the dissenting opinion of the minority, but of the concurring opinion of the majority of the Supreme Court. A political trial is one in which political considerations, not simply the law and the facts, affect the proceedings and verdict. Every human being has a certain set of morals and beliefs that they hold to be an important part of their character. This is no different for the judges of the Supreme Court. They too have a set of morals and beliefs that they live by. The difference is that their job description says that they have to make decisions not based on their morals and beliefs, but their decisions must be based on the rule of law. It is obvious to me that many of the judges on the Supreme Court, did not follow their job description and instead of basing their decision of Bush vs. Gore on the rule of law, they based it on who they voted for. Every conservative on that panel voted to stop the recount which in turn helped Bush win, and every liberal on the panel voted to continue the recount which would have given Gore a chance at winning. The concurring opinion of the majority seems to make it evident in some of the arguments they make that their opinion was based on politics and not on law. Much of the evidence they bring up only seems to contradict their decision more than support it. In Rehnquist's opinion, with whom Scalia and Thomas join, concurring, he brings up the case of Anderson v. Celebrezze, (1983), in which the court said ''In the context of a Presidential election, state-imposed restrictions implicate a uniquely important national interest. For the President and the Vice President of the United States are the only elected officials who represent all the voters in the Nation.

Major Parts of Corporate Entrepreneurship.

* 4 major parts of corporate entrepreneurship. 1-New business venturing ( corporate venturing) Corporate venturing refers to the creation of a new business within an existing organization. Business dictionary defined corporate venturing as the practice where a large firm takes an equity stake in a small but innovative or specialist firm, to which it may also provide management and marketing expertise. Specifically, corporate venturing emphasized an internal capital resources, proprietary knowledge, and marketing expertise.The concept of corporate venturing has existed for many years in the US where many of the top companies have a venture capital fund or offer strategic alliances. While the number of companies involved is much smaller in this country, it has existed for many years and in many sectors. Traditionally corporate venturing has appealed to high-growth sectors such as pharmaceutical or technology companies. 2. Innovativeness It’s product and service innovation, with emphasis on development and innovation in technology.The innovation of product and services are crucially important to every economy. Innovation and new business development can be initiated by independent individuals or by existing enterprises. Corporate entrepreneurship is ever more considered as a valuable instrument for revitalizing existing companies. It is brought into practice as a tool for business development, revenue growth, and profitability enhancement for pioneering the development of new product, services and processes. 3. Self-renewalIt’s transformation through renewal of key ideas on which an organization is built. Self-renewal has strategic and organizational change implications and includes the redefinition of business concept, reorganization, and the introduction of system-wide changes for innovation. Self-renewal is entrepreneurial because it involves entrepreneurial efforts that result in significant changes to an organization’s business or corpora te level strategy. 4Proactiveness This term includes initiative, risk taking, competitive aggressiveness, and boldness.It attempts to lead rather than follow competitors. A proactive firm is inclined to take risk through experimentation. Some opinion conceives of proactiveness as a continuous search for market opportunities and experimentation with potential responses to changing environmental trend. Entrepreneurial proactiveness depends on the attractiveness of an opportunity and ability of the firm to grasp once it is perceived. Organizational performance depends on entrepreneurial proactiveness if there is uniqueness in the creation of new product from the available resource