Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays

Animal Farm was written by George Orwell and published in 1946. This story is about the Manor Farm in England, around the time of the Russian revolution. The animals on this farm started their own revolution because they were so irritated with the way they were being treated. At the beginning of the story, the Old Major calls a meeting in the barn and speaks about Rebellion and Animalism. Shortly after that the Old Major died’s and then the rebellion starts to take place. Mr. Jones is like a bad guy to the Animals. Napoleon to is also another major villain. But after Jones is gone, all of his tools are burned, and now its time for the animals to take a look around the farmhouse. The name Manor Farm is changed to Animal Farm and the Seven Commandments are established. They then start to begin the hay harvest. During the hay harvest Boxer says, â€Å"I will work harder† as his personal motto. The harvest turned out to be a success. At this point the pigs are now beginning to abuse their power. Pretty soon the pigeons are sent to spread the word of the rebellion to other animals. And Mr. Jones tries to recapture the farm in the Battle of the Cowshed. Mr. Jones was unable to defeat the animals, therefore the animals got a boost of confidence. Now at this point Mollie runs away and Snowball begins his plans for a windmill. When Snowball’s plans are finished, Napoleon’s dog’s start to chase him off the farm. The farm just lost the best leader they could have had. They loose their chance to give input on what direction the farm should go, and Napoleon begings blaming Snowball for all the things that he did not do. Now Napoleon sets the animals to work on Sundays again and acquires Mr. Whymper as the farm’s broker. Napoleon starts to sell some of the farm’s produce. And the pigs start sleeping one hour later, and in beds. Then the windmill gets blown over and Snowball gets the blame. At this point the pigs still continue to abuse the power and stealing from the other animals. Napoleon stops making appearances to the other animals and makes a deal with Mr. Whymper to sell 400 eggs a week. Napoleon also gets some animals to confess of wrong doings and then â€Å"makes examples of them,† by killing them.

Review of the Amazing Spider-Man Movie

The Amazing Spider-Man Review I have always enjoyed action films. I would state that this fact does make me somewhat biased for this review. Fictional characters that are super heroes only made them better for me. I went into this movie knowing it was going to be one that I would enjoy. This year has had a few different super hero films such as The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. The Avengers released May 4th, 2012, was a box office hit, topping the charts for weeks. The Amazing Spider-Man was released just two months afterward on July 3rd.The super hero fan world was still in awe with The Avengers, myself included. I still wanted to watch The Amazing Spider-Man because I love super heroes. I give this movie 4. 5 stars out of 5 stars. I just did not think Sony could top The Avengers. Both films far exceeded the expectations I had built up for them. The Amazing Spider-Man will never measure up to the sheer scale and epic action of The Avengers, but it was still an action packed fi lm. The plot for The Amazing Spider-Man is a different sort of story altogether from that of The Avengers.The Amazing Spider-Man movie is not trying to tell a different story than Sony’s previous expedition into the Spider-Man realm, just simply a different spin on the story. The biggest question I asked myself was will the new story stand up against the previous trilogy. It is the story of Peter Parker, an average, though brilliant, teen trying to make it through high school. Peter’s father, with his secretive work, caused both of his parents to disappear one night, leaving him with his aunt and uncle to be an orphan of sorts.He has since grown up, but he unexpectedly begins uncovering clues about his father and his work. This chance discovery of his dads’ old research into cross-species genetics sends Peter searching for clues at Oscorp, his father’s old employer. There, while he is snooping around, he accidentally comes into contact with a genetically engineered spider. Peters’ high school crush, Gwen Stacy interns alongside the brilliant, but disabled Curt Connors, who was his father’s closest associate before he disappeared. That introduction to Dr.Connors results in Connors and young Parker bonding over scientific theory. Peter hands over parts of his father’s work that was thought to be lost. From there the experiments Dr. Connors has been working on are able to work, creating formulas and serums that allow rats to regrow their limbs. Things quickly spiral out of control. The doctor finds himself opposite Spider-Man before too long. In the middle of this conflict, there is a budding romance between Peter and the girl he has secretly admired for years. Andrew Garfield plays a fairly different Peter Parker than Tobey Maguire did.Despite being rather good-looking and decently dressed, he is more socially awkward, has zero friends and is more inept around girls than Tobey’s was. It feels more in line w ith what I believe Peter Parker was like from the comics, although perhaps a bit more modern-day. The bottom line is that it just works. Peter is much more likable and feels much more fleshed out. It is not that Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker was not executed well, it was. In the previous releases the story and characters in Raimi’s original three movies were all so idyllic.Everyone, in his movies, was a good person and no one made mistakes. The emotional tone and serious nature of the story is not quite driven down your throat as much in this film, thanks in large part to the humor sprinkled liberally throughout the film. The drama comes from the Lizard, as he is known in the comics. The creature is at least eight to nine feet tall, with massive, retractable, razor-sharp claws, seemingly unlimited strength and a powerful prehensile tail. Spider-Man fights it three or four times through the film, using his agility, speed and powerful webbing to full advantage. And he nee ds to.The Lizard is absolutely fearsome, cold-blooded, and terrifying. The Lizard is much more monster than super villain and the critical injuries constantly inflicted upon Peter made me wonder if this film should have been rated higher than PG-13. The action is very tense due to the violent nature of the villain, but that simply moves the plot line along. A lot of things help tell the story in this version, especially the budding romance between Parker and Gwen Stacy. His original girlfriend from the comics is cast as a very genuine teenager and becomes very likable when played by the talented Emma Stone.Gwen is an intern that works directly with Dr. Connors, further complicating the already intricate web of relationships in the story. Her family, only briefly shown are not very memorable, with special exception to her father, the Chief of Police. Dennis Leary, in this role, plays a dry, sarcastic, impatient man to perfection here, as he hunts down Spider-Man to stop his string of vigilante crimes. Martin Sheen and Sally Field embody the loving, caring, wise Uncle Ben and Aunt May, respectively. This movie gives them both much more vitality and character than in the original series.Putting life into the movie took on an entirely different view with the special effects being among the best you can see in such a film. Notable praise goes to the film’s 3-D work. This is one of three films, the other two being Avatar and Prometheus, to be filmed in and then released in 3-D, rather than filmed in 2-D and converted to 3-D. The CGI (computer-generated imagery) characters are animated brilliantly and move like they were alive. Spider-Man succeeds in hitting all of those strange poses that are his signature moves on the flashy covers of his comics.It helps add more â€Å"comic authenticity† that Garfield himself is very tall, nimble and lanky. All traits I think Maguire does not really possess, being a little shorter in stature and a bit more ripped and bulky. If the film falls short in one category, it is the soundtrack, which I thought was serviceable, but not very memorable. All together it was better thought out film with more insight into Peter’s motivation and his turmoil. Gone are the nerdy narrations from Tobey Maguire. Gone are the idyllic people populating the original franchise.Raimi’s Spider-Man bounced headlong into danger from the get-go to save the innocent and protect those who could not protect themselves. Webb’s Spider-Man is not trying to save anyone so much as get revenge, until the point where he decides to save a boy trapped in a burning car. His actions and heroics from then on, speak more volumes than the original three films combined. Peter feels responsible for protecting people because he both chooses to be and because has to be. That is what a super hero is made of. Therefore I give this movie 4. 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Eng 221 Essay - 1978 Words

|[pic] |Syllabus | | |College of Information Systems Technology | | |ENG/221 Version 4 | | |Technical Writing Fundamentals | Copyright  © 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course covers the†¦show more content†¦| | |Show MoreRelatedENG/221 Course Syllabus2166 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ Course Syllabus College of Information Systems Technology ENG/221 Version 5 Technical Writing Fundamentals Copyright  © 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course covers the fundamentals and best practices of using written communication in business and in the information technologies. 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Man of Greed and Power The Tragedy of Macbeth - 1089 Words

Ambition for great power leads to the downfall of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Contributing to the downfall and demise of Macbeth, three sinister witches plan to foil Macbeth through telling him prophecies of his future. But, through the freewill of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth they paved their own road to destruction. Lady Macbeth is a woman who is not mentally strong enough to commit a murder but is mentally capable of persuading someone into committing the crime for her. Macbeth is gullible at first judgment, but soon became a man on a murderous rampage to keep his title as king of Scotland. Starting with murdering King Duncan to Birnam Wood advancing to Dunsinane, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth initiate Macbeth’s downfall. Starting with the†¦show more content†¦She proves that she can be the mastermind behind a plan but cannot do the dirty work herself. Following King Duncan’s death is the death of Banquo. â€Å"Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none† (Shakespeare 1.3.67), says Witches to Banquo, reveals Banquo will not be king, but he will father the future kings of Scotland. Banquo accompanied Macbeth as they both received their prophecies from the witches. Macbeth, knowing Banquo knows the same information, soon plans to murder Banquo during his crowning. In scene one, act three of The Tragedy of Macbeth; Macbeth starts to make his own decisions as to what he should do to keep his title as King of Scotland. Soon Macbeth succumbs to evil and his inability to recover his lost innocence. He begins to care less about life itself, considering the fact he has already damned himself to hell by murdering King Duncan. Neither Macbeth nor Lady Macbeth can enjoy their time as ruler because of their evil doings. Macbeth soon takes matters into his own hands and goes to the furthest extent to keep his title. He approaches the witches with a demanding attitude commanding them to tell him more of his future. â€Å"How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!/What is’t you do?† (Shakespeare 4.1.47-48), says Macbeth to Witches, symbolizes the shift in Macbeth’s attitude. It shows Macbeth has taken control in the decisions he makes as to approaching the Witches to learn more of his fate, and if possible tries toShow MoreRelated Shakespeares Macbeth does not Follow Aristotles Standards for a Tragedy1567 Words   |  7 PagesMacbeth does not Follow Aristotles Standards for a Tragedy There have been many great tragic authors throughout history: Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles from ancient Greece; Corneille and Hugo from France; Grillparzer and Schiller from Germany; and Marlowe, Webster, and Shakespeare from England. From this long list of men, Shakespeare is the most commonly known. Many Shakespearean critics agree that Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet are great tragedies. Many critics also claim that Macbeth isRead MoreParallels Between Macbeth and Satan in Macbeth by William Shakespeare582 Words   |  3 PagesBetween Macbeth and Satan in Macbeth by William Shakespeare In William Shakespeares Macbeth, Shakespeare creates parallels between the protagonist, Macbeth, and Satan. Many critics believe Macbeth and Satan share a common thread in their high peaks and low drops. Throughout the play, Macbeth is very much the shadow of Satan in his eminence, ambitions, and consequences. Macbeth mirrors Satan in being the right hand man for his king and second in power. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth isRead MoreMacbeth Essay on Evil1092 Words   |  5 PagesMacbeth is a real tragedy written by William Shakespeare for what’s presented is a morally significant struggle, one that attempts to engage our sympathies and understanding. In this dark and powerful tragedy, Macbeth is a part of several murders, including the murder of King Duncan of Scotland. Macbeth performs these murders after he encounters the weird sisters and hears the prophecy that he will one day become the King of Scotland. But although Macbeth was the one that was directly involved inRead MoreMacbeth Book Review809 Words   |  4 PagesLadan Abdullahi Macbeth’s Destiny: The Tragedy of Macbeth Review William Shakespeare is a playwright and actor born in April 1564. William, a wealthy landowner who lived in Stratford upon-Avon, married Anne Hathaway and had three children. In 1623, Shakespeare published The Tragedy of Macbeth. Whilst researching for Macbeth, â€Å"Shakespeare found a spectacle of violence- the slaughter of whole armies and of innocent families, the ambush of noble by murderers, the brutal execution of rebels. HeRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth 1129 Words   |  5 PagesWindsor 02/10/16 Macbeth William Shakespeare wrote one of best tragedies in english literature, which was titled Macbeth. The tragedy, as it is considered by critics of yesterday s literary world, frown upon the evil dimension of conflict, offering a dark and atmosphere of a world dominated by the powers of darkness. Macbeth, more so than any of Shakespeare s other tragic protagonists, has to face the powers and decide: should he give in or should he resist? Macbeth understands theRead MoreEssay on The Roles of Greed and Pride in Shakespeares Macbeth1284 Words   |  6 Pagesdetermined not to stray from where they think they should end up, even if it means throwing away their principles and values in the process. Through Shakespeares Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth’s original character and values are destroyed because of the influence from the witches prophecies, Lady Macbeths greed, and his own hidden ambition. Macbeth begins to defer from his original character when he learns of the witches’ prophecies, which leads him to believe he is fated to be king and to pursue thatRead MoreEssay The Fault of the Character Macbeth in Shakespeares Macbeth1220 Words   |  5 PagesCharacter Macbeth in Shakespeares Macbeth Macbeth by William Shakespeare is the story of a brave, honourable soldier who ruins his life due to his own greed for power, respect and wealth. The story starts with Macbeth as the kings favorite soldier, a very respectful, honorable man. Macbeth then is told by the witches his life will change for the better - All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!. In a desperate effort to obtain this promised position of King, Macbeth takes hisRead MoreSimilarities Between Macbeth and the Film, A Simple Plan848 Words   |  3 Pages Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy that teaches readers about ambition and greed which resulted in tragedy. The play features many interesting scenes, references to the unknown, and several interesting characters. In 1998, a film was made from Sam Raimi based on a book of the same name, called A Simple Plan. Although the plots are not the same, characters and setting are very similar. The main idea of A Simple Plan illustrates important similarities to Macbeth. The characters have similar feelingsRead MoreTask: - Explain What Act 1 Scene 7 Tells Us About the Character of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. What Is Troubling Macbeth at the Beginning of the Scene and How Does Lady Macbeth Persuade Him to Go Through with the Murder of Duncan?1636 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare Task: - Explain what act 1 scene 7 tells us about the character of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. What is troubling Macbeth at the beginning of the scene and how does Lady Macbeth persuade him to go through with the murder of Duncan? My aim in this essay is to explain what Act 1, scene 7 tells us about the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and what troubles does Macbeth come across and how does Lady Macbeth persuade him to murder King Duncan. The purpose that Shakespeare wrote actRead MoreMacbeth Character Analysis Essay1006 Words   |  5 Pagesmayhem to the stage. Macbeth is one of the greatest tragic characters ever to take the stage. Macbeths wrong doings and courageous acts makes the story exciting. Macbeth is an ambitious character who murders and betrays people for power and what he wants. With all of Macbeths courageous acts and greed it brought an abundance of tragedy and death throughout the story. Macbeth makes himself seem like a great noble man. He was a great battle hero but he let all the greed and power hungry part of him

Graduation Speech Millennials And College Debt

Delaney Johnson Ms. Mathis, 11 English III B May 28, 2016 Millennials and College Debt Everyone has a dream, and in America, when someone reaches the financial and ethical position they desire to achieve, it is referred to as reaching one’s American dream. For numerous amounts of people, the American dream involves life events such as finding a stable career or job, buying a house, getting married, having children, and nurturing a future generation. While an individual’s dream may differ from another’s, most people do not want to worry if they can afford the lifestyle they want to live. Unfortunately, a millennial’s American dream is especially hard to achieve in this day of age, due to the ravenous debt that lingers after they graduate from college. College debt, lack of jobs, and minimal buying power are all factors that contribute to the endeavor of a millennial’s delay in beginning an efficient form of independence. The amount of debt that American students are carrying after college graduation is incr easing at a rapid rate. A study conducted by The Institute for College Access Success resulted in the revelation that 70% of students graduate with a total amount of $28,950 in college debt, which is an increase by 2% since 2013. Shockingly, student college debt had reached 1 trillion by 2012, as well as surpassing credit card and auto loan debt. Why exactly is debt going up as time continues? Well, college tuition is slowly but surelyShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesNarcissist? 132 Myth or Science? Personality Predicts the Performance of Entrepreneurs 142 glOBalization! The Right Personality for a Global Workplace 143 An Ethical Choice Should You Try to Change Someone’s Personality? 147 Point/Counterpoint Millennials Are More Narcissistic 155 Questions for Review 156 Experiential Exercise What Organizational Culture Do You Prefer? 156 Ethical Dilemma Freedom or Lack of Commitment? 156 Case Incident 1 Is There a Price for Being Too Nice? 157 Case Incident 2

Influence of Religion on African Culture Free Essays

string(33) " in traditional African culture\." Africa is a continent of diversity. In this diversity there are hundreds of tribes and communities each practicing its own culture and religion. It would be very difficult to define Africa’s traditional religion as it would be difficult to define its culture. We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Religion on African Culture or any similar topic only for you Order Now More so, it is extremely difficult to establish the dividing line between African Culture and African Religion. However, as much as there were many African Traditional Religions, their similarities were more dominant than their differences. We take up these similarities and encompass them as one African Traditional Religion. In this report, we explore the important aspects of Africa’s Traditional Religions and cultures that cut across the entire continent. This essay is based on various researches done by prominent scholars, historical background of Africa, news and books relevant to African studies. This report attempts to define religion, culture, and explores the major religions, African Traditional Religion (ATR), Christianity and Islam and their influence and impact on African culture. Africa is one of the World’s six continents. It is the second largest and second most populous continent after Asia. Other continents include; Asia, America-North, America-South, Australia, Europe. Geologically, Present-day Africa, occupying one-fifth of Earth’s land surface, is the central remnant of the ancient southern supercontinent called Gondwanaland, a landmass once made up of South America, Australia, Antarctica, India, and Africa. This massive supercontinent broke apart between 195 million and 135 million years ago, cleaved by the same geological forces that continue to transform Earth’s crust today. At about 30. 2 million km? (11. 7 million sq  mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth’s total surface area and 20. % of the total land area. With 1. 0 billion people (as of 2009) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14. 72% of the world’s human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent has 54 sovereign states, including Mad agascar, various island groups, and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a member state of the African Union whose statehood is disputed by Morocco. Afri was the name of several Semitic peoples who dwelt in North Africa near Carthage (in modern Tunisia). Their name is usually connected with Phoenician afar, â€Å"dust†, but a 1981 hypothesis has asserted that it stems from a Berber word ifri or Ifran meaning â€Å"cave†, in reference to cave dwellers. Africa or Ifri or Afer is name of Banu Ifran from Algeria and Tripolitania (Berber Tribe of Yafran). Pre-colonial Africa possessed perhaps as many as 10,000 different states and polities characterised by many different sorts of political organisation and rule. These included small family groups of hunter-gatherers such as the San people of southern Africa; larger, more structured groups such as the family clan groupings of the Bantu-speaking people of central and southern Africa, heavily structured clan groups in the Horn of Africa, the large Sahelian kingdoms, and autonomous city-states and kingdoms such as those of the Akan, Yoruba and Igbo people (also misspelled as Ibo) in West Africa, and the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa. Religion originates from the Latin world religare (re: back, and ligare: to bind), and this brings up the world â€Å"being bound. † faith is usually the core element of religion. Faith encompasses â€Å"Value-center,† â€Å"trust,† â€Å"loyalty,† and â€Å"meaning†. It is difficult to define religion. A good definition of religion is one that expounds on the following key traits; Belief in something sacred (for example, gods or other supernatural beings), A distinction between sacred and profane objects, Ritual acts focused on sacred objects, A moral code believed to have a sacred or supernatural basis, characteristically religious feelings (awe, sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration), which tend to be aroused in the presence of sacred objects and during the practice of ritual, prayer and other forms of communication with the supernatural, world view, or a general picture of the world as a whole and the place of the individual therein. This picture contains some specification of an over-all purpose or point of the world and an indication of how the individual fits into it, a more or less total organization of one’s life based on the world view, A social group bound together by the above. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning â€Å"to cultivate †) is a term that has various meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of â€Å"culture† in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions. However, the word â€Å"culture† is most commonly used in three basic senses: Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as culture, An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning and the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group. Culture has six core elements; politics, economics, ethics, aesthetics, kinship and religion. And out of these, religion â€Å"is by far the richest part of the African heritage. † It shapes their cultures, their social life, their politics, and their economics and is at the same time shaped by this same way of life. Some of the major religions that influenced African culture; African traditional religion, Christianity and Islam African Traditional Religion It is a unique religion whose sources include: sacred places and religious objects such as rocks, hills, mountains, trees, caves and other holy places; rituals, ceremonies and festivals of the people; art and symbols; music and dance; proverbs, riddles, and wise sayings; and names of people and places. Beliefs cover topics such as God, spirits, birth, death, the hereafter, magic, and witchcraft. Religion, in the African indigenous context, permeates all departments of life. Africa’s traditional religion is based on the Ubuntu philosophy, which is a Zulu word for human-ness, and was developed over many centuries in traditional African culture. You read "Influence of Religion on African Culture" in category "Papers" This culture was pre-literate, pre-scientific and pre-industrial. The concept of Ubuntu was originally expressed in the songs and stories, the customs and the institutions of the people. Another distinctive quality of the Ubuntu philosophy is the African emphasis on consensus. Indeed, the African traditional culture has, seemingly, an almost infinite capacity for the pursuit of consensus and reconciliation. Democracy in the African way does not simply boil down to majority rule since it operates in the form of discussions geared towards a consensus. Christianity The Christian religion was founded in what is today Israel and Palestine 2000 years ago at the beginning of the Common Era. Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, a Jewish teacher and prophet. Early Christians (followers of Christ) believed that Jesus was divine in that he was the son of God. Islam Islam is a religion that was founded by Prophet Mohammed. It geographic origin can be traced to the modern-day Saudi Arabia. Influences of Religion on African Culture Religion being one of the core components of culture has a great influence on culture. Every religion practiced in Africa today has had a profound effect on the African culture, be it the African Traditional Religion, Christianity or Islam. Christianity Influence on African Culture arrived in Africa in two groups. One important group was centered in Egypt and had influence throughout North Africa. This group was known as the Gnostics. One of the other major factions of the early Christianity was centered in Rome. This faction was very much influenced by the teachings of the Apostle Paul. This faction became prominent in the fourth century C. E. when the Roman Empire officially became Christian. Recognizing the importance of a sacred text in solidifying their control over Christianity, the Roman faction brought together a collection of writings by early Christians and proclaimed these writings were inspired by God and that they were the true testament of the life and teachings of Jesus. This collection is known as the New Testament and is a central part of the Christian Bible. However, in creating the New Testament the Roman faction rejected as heresy all other writings about Jesus’ life and teachings, including many books written by North African Gnostic Christians In spite of the repression of the Gnostic Christians by Roman Christians, Christianity continued to flourish throughout North Africa until the arrival of Islam in the seventh century C. E. The Christians in this area were known as Coptic Christians, named after the main language of the area. By the time of the arrival of Islam, the Coptic Orthodox Church had lost most of the Gnostic influence, although the Coptic faith, like the Gnostics placed a great deal of emphasis on contemplation and monasticism. In structure, it was similar to the Church of Rome in that it practiced the same sacraments, and the church structure was made up of priests and bishops. Like the Roman Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church is headed by a Patriarch (similar to the Pope in the Roman Church) who lives in Alexandria. Even after Egypt had been taken over by Arab Moslems, the Coptic Christians continued to form a small but important segment of Egyptian society. Indeed, Coptic Christians today comprise approximately fifteen per cent of the Egyptian population. Christianity was introduced in Nubia by Christian monks and traders in the fifth and sixth centuries C. E. By the seventh century, the rulers of Nubia and most Nubians had converted to Christianity. In practice and structure, the Nubian church was similar to the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt. In June, 18, 1452, Pope Nicholas V issued the papal bull ‘Dum Diversas’, granting King Alfonso V of Portugal the right to â€Å"attack, conquer, and subjugate Saracens, Pagans and other enemies of Christ wherever they may be found. † It gave title over all lands and possessions seized and permitted the Portuguese to take the inhabitants and consign them to perpetual slavery. Dum Diversas legitimised the colonial slave trade that begun around this time with the expeditions by Henry the Navigator to find a sea route to India, which were financed with African slaves. This approval of slavery was reaffirmed and extended in his Romanus Pontifex of 1455. The transatlantic trade in Africans was founded on Christianity. Religion was key in motivating Prince Henry of Portugal, later called Henry, â€Å"the Navigator† (1394-1460), to put in motion Europe’s aggressive and ruthless expeditions to Africa. Henry was not only the governor of Algrave Province, who managed a large economic infrastructure based on the unbridled grasp of enormous wealth from trans-Saharan commerce, but he was also the administrator of the Order of Christ, the Portuguese successor to the Knights Templar, a famous Western military order founded in the aftermath of the First Crusade at Clermont on November 27, 1095. As one of the best fighting units, the Soldiers of Christ prompted a series of striking maritime exploits, ensuring the safety of Europeans who made pilgrimages to Jerusalem. It is important to note that during this historical period, the feudal states of European countries were just beginning to unite and major religious wars were being fought between Christians and Muslims, especially the Moors in Morocco. Henry trained men to sail from Portugal, down the west coast of Africa in search of the limits to the Muslim world, in order to halt the Islamization of West Africa and to accelerate the spread of Christianity. In order to further God’s intentions for humankind, Ogbu Kalu contends that within the context of religious logic, papal bulls offered rights of patronage to Henry, authorizing him to appoint clerical orders for evangelization and to fend off competing European interests. According to Peter Russell, Henry the Navigator considered conversion and enslavement as interchangeable terms, experiencing no cognitive dissonance in using Christianity as a civilizing agent for making converts into slaves. In â€Å"Christianity: Missionaries in Africa,† Modupe Labode sums it up this way: The case of the Portuguese exemplifies the close relationship between Crown and Church. In the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), the pope recognized Portuguese claims to Africa. The Crown was also responsible for attempting to convert the indigenous people to Christianity. Much of the missionary effort over the next two and half centuries was conducted under Portuguese authority. The vast majority of the missionaries at this time were Roman Catholic priests, many of them belonged to religious orders such as the Jesuits, Capuchins, and Franciscans. Influence of Islam on African Culture led to the spread of Islam, from its heartland in the Middle East and North Africa to India and Southeast Asia, revealed the power of the religion and its commercial and sometimes military attributes. The spread of Islam across much of the northern third of Africa produced profound effects on both those who converted and those who resisted the new faith. Islamization also served to link Muslim Africa even more closely to the outside world through trade, religion, and politics. Trade and long-distance commerce, in fact, was carried out in many parts of the continent and linked regions beyond the orbit of Muslim penetration. Until about 1450, however, Islam provided the major external contact between sub-Saharan Africa and the world. State building took place in many areas of the continent under a variety of conditions. West Africa, for example, experienced both the cultural influence of Islam and its own internal dynamic of state building and civilization developments that produced, in some places, great artistic accomplishments. The existence of stateless societies and their transformation into states are a constant of African history even beyond 1500. As we have seen with Egypt, North Africa was also linked across the Sahara to the rest of Africa in many ways. With the rise of Islam, those ties became even closer. Between A. D. 640 and 700 the followers of Muhammad swept across North Africa from Suez to the Pillars of Hercules on Morocco’s Atlantic shore. By A. D. 670 Muslims ruled Tunisia, or Ifriqiya, what the Romans had called Africa. (The Arabs originally used this word as the name for eastern North Africa and Maghrib for lands to the West. ) By 711, Arab and Berber armies had crossed into Spain. In opposition to the states dominated by the Arabic rulers, the peoples of the desert, the Berbers, formed states of their own at places such as Fez in Morocco and at Sijilimasa, the old city of the trans-Saharan caravan trade. By the 11th century, under pressure from new Muslim invaders from the East, a great puritanical reformist movement, whose followers were called the Almoravids, grew among the desert Berbers of the western Sahara. Launched on the course of a jihad, a holy war waged to purify, spread, or protect the faith, the Almoravids moved southward against the African kingdoms of the savanna and westward into Spain. Islam offered a number of attractions within Africa. Its fundamental teaching that all Muslims are equal within the community of believers made the acceptance of conquerors and new rulers easier. The Islamic tradition of uniting the powers of the state and religion in the person of the ruler or caliph appealed to some African kings as a way of reinforcing their authority. The concept that all members of the ummah, or community of believers, were equal put the newly converted Berbers and later Africans on an equal footing with the Arabs, at least in law. Despite these egalitarian and somewhat utopian ideas within Islam, practice differed considerably at local levels. Social stratification remained important in Islamicized societies and ethnic distinctions also divided the believers. The Muslim concept of a ruler who united civil and religious authority reinforced traditional ideas of kingship. It is also important to note that in Africa, as elsewhere in the world, the formation of states heightened social differences and made these societies more hierarchical. Africans had been enslaved by others before, and Nubian (African) slaves had been known in the classical world, but with the Muslim conquests of North Africa and commercial penetration to the south, slavery became a more widely diffused phenomenon, and a slave trade in Africans developed on a new scale. In theory, slavery was viewed by Muslims as a stage in the process of conversion – a way of preparing pagans to become Muslims – but in reality conversion did not guarantee freedom. Slaves in the Islamic world were used in a variety of occupations, such as domestic servants and laborers, but they were also used as soldiers and administrators who, having no local ties and affiliations, were considered to be dependent and thus trustworthy by their masters. Slaves were also used as eunuchs and concubines; thus the emphasis on women and children. The trade caravans from the Sahel across the Sahara often transported slaves as well as gold. Other slave-trade routes developed from the African interior to the east African coast. The tendency for the children of slave mothers to eventually be freed and integrated into Muslim society, while positive in one sense, also meant a constant demand for more slaves. Islam provided the residents of these towns a universal set of ethics and beliefs that made their maritime contacts easier; but in East Africa, as in the savanna kingdoms of West Africa, Islamization was slow to penetrate among the general population, and when it did, the result was often a compromise between indigenous ways and the new faith. By the thirteenth century, a string of urbanized trading ports sharing the common Bantu-based and Arabic-influenced Swahili language and other cultural traits – although governed by separate Muslim ruling families – had developed along the coast. Towns such as Mogadishu, Mombasa, Malindi, Kilwa, Pate, and Zanzibar eventually contained mosques, tombs, and palaces of cut stone and coral. Ivory, gold, iron, slaves, and exotic animals were exported from these ports in exchange for silks from Persia and porcelain from China for the ruling Muslim families. African culture remained strong throughout the area. Swahili language was essentially a Bantu language into which a large number of Arabic words were incorporated, though many of them were not incorporated until the 16th century. The language was written in an Arabic script sometime prior to the 13th century; the ruling families could also converse in Arabic. Islam itself penetrated very little into the interior among the hunters, pastoralists, and farmers. Even the areas of the coast near the trading towns remained relatively unaffected. In the towns, the stone and coral buildings of the Muslim elite were surrounded by mud and thatch houses of the non-Muslim common people, so that Islamization was to some extent class-based. Still, a culture developed that fused Islamic and traditional elements. Family lineage, for example, was traced both through the maternal line, which controlled property (the traditioral African practice), and through the paternal line, as was the Muslim custom. The enduring legacy of the influence of religion on African culture led to majority of Africans profess either Christian or Islamic faith. Considering that there lie a thin veneer between culture and religion, it is imperative that these two religions have fundamentally altered the African culture, if there exist any. These religions spread into Africa aboard various vehicles, including; slavery, colonialism, trade, education, among others. These religions emphasized a ruler-ship founded on a hierarchy focused on one centre of power, the imperial dictatorship. This was contrary to African culture that was less hierarchical and more collegiate, that emphasized on dialogue and consensus. It is this imperialist hierarchical structure that still causes chaos in Africa today. To a large extend most Africans remain colonized, whether politically, economically, religiously, culturally, spiritually or otherwise. A society that is still colonized is not a free society, it is a society wallowing deeply in the swampy marshes of slavery. Africa, the mother of humanity, as it stands now is one whose veil of religion and garment of culture has been torn. It is a mother whose dignity has been raped, and its young children defiled by the older siblings who came back from their adventures abroad. One most fundamental question would be: Is colonialism and slavery a just price that Africans have to pay eternally for the reward of education and trade? Whichever way the answer comes to be, Africa needs restoration. Restoration is only possible if Africans can wake up to spiritual reality and eschew the bondage of foreign religion consumed by it from its renegade sons and daughters. The turning point can only be achieved if Africans realize that religion and spirituality are distinct – that spirituality possessed by a religious person can never be fresh and neither can religion exist in a pure spirituality. Africa must free itself from this intoxicating addiction to foreign religion, and for that matter, any religion for it to be truly free. CONCLUSION. In conclusion, a keen oversee at history slowly shows us more cleary the influence of religion on African culture. The change due to the influence may not have taken place there and then but took time spreading its roots and slowly merging with the native culture and in some other instances completely eroding it. Just like how Christianity was introduced to Africa, the natives did not completely embrace it just like that, they took their precious time and in present day Africa, it is still being practiced and no one can pin point the exact time when Christianity was completely taken in by the natives of the past. These different religions which were introduced to African culture or way of life made other cultures to take a complete turnaround from their practices and events. How to cite Influence of Religion on African Culture, Papers

Search and Rescue free essay sample

You have 5 seconds to get out into formation! What are you waiting for? Get out of the van now! . The first thought that comes to my mind is, What have I gotten in to, will I be able to survive these two weeks? My partners and I panic as we try to exit the van as quickly as possible, stumbling over seats and each other, we run to the area like chickens running aimlessly for their food. We try our best to stand in formation once we arrive at the area; eyes ahead, hearts pumping brows sweating, this is CARTS. Search and Rescue Training Academy. Remember having a desire to save peoples lives pretty much my entire life, so when I heard about this unit with the Washington County Sheriff Office, applied instantly. In 2013, was accepted into this program along with eighteen others after going through the application process which meant going through oral interviews, filling out an application, and PET tests (physical testing). We also had to go through mandatory trainings such as CPRM and DEAD, and gear checks before we were ready to go through the academy.The academy lasted for about two weeks of which learned many lifesaving skills such as land navigation, rope techniques, medical skills, search techniques, map and compass, GAPS, radio, litter carrying, and many other important skills that is required to becoming a search and rescue member. Now back to the academy. During the two week period of this academy, I would have to say the first two days were the worst part of it, especially the first day because none of us was were expecting the yelling, the endurance exercises, and the little sleep. On the first day was super exhausted because of all the physical excursion that we had to put up with. For example, right when we arrived at the academy we had to do pushup, mountain climbers, and many other kinds of exercises. Also, each day we had about one to two hours of physical training right when we woke up at 6:00 am. This was great because it made our blood flowing as most Of us were freezing in the early morning but again it was also pretty tiring. The second day was challenging too because along with doing the regular exercises, we had litter carrying which we were taught on how to carry them as efficiently s possible.Just for training purposes, inside a litter was six to nine, 60 pound sand bags which was equivalent to a person. Everywhere we went, we had to carry these litters with us. This includes walking to classes, walking to the three meals we had each day, and to anywhere else. Although six people carried one litter, three on each side, after a while it became pretty strenuous for our arms and shoulder muscles as we carried these through the whole academy every single day. This was one instance where I never looked forward too as my muscles werent use to arraying these, but it was a good challenge as my team and learned teamwork and perseverance.Not only did we have the usual exercises/ trainings each day but we also had to be very uniformed. Everything we did, was as a team. Whether it was running or walking together in straight lines, our stance had to be exact, our tent and everything in it had to be exact, we had to Wear the same clothes. Lets just say, this Was like a mini boot camp in the military but much shorter. If we werent uniformed we would get burned which meant doing some kind of exercise that made us wish we ere always uniformed.In other words, we got disciplined, in which even though it hurt it was worth it because it made us, recruits, watch out for each other. The reason that we had to be like this was because it helped us rely on each other as a team so that when we receive a call out for a real search, we will be as efficient as possible in the field. Each team of about shish had a team leader. The team leader was in charge of making sure everyone was uniformed and if we werent, the TTL would get an extra punishment even though he or she didnt do anything wrong.I was one of the team leaders of which I tried my best making sure everyone was looking top notch during inspections. Some of the more noteworthy activities that we did during the academy was repelling off a low angle mountain, team building games, a couple of mock searches, and helicopter rescue. Other than those activities, most of the days were filled up to the brim with classroom work, running from this point to the next doing certain activities, or exercises. There was never a time where we had a break.Every second, minute, and hour was filled with doing something. Even when everyone was sleeping each night there was Firewater which meant two recruits had to patrol the whole area every two Hours and report anything suspicious. This was brutal. It was very tough trying not to fall asleep and to stay warm. Than joyfully there was a new two recruits every Ohio hours so once our two hours were up we went to sleep. At the end of the two weeks, there was a written test and a FAT (field training exercise). This FAT was probably the most important part of the academy.Its basically using all of our new skills that we learned and implementing them into this field training exercise to see if we are ready for real searches that come in the future. This exercise was about 12 hours long. After passing the written test and the FAT, we proudly graduated and were certified ASS Type Ill search and rescue members. During this academy, although it was very hard sometimes physically and mentally, I have learned to be determined in everything I do whether its school, jobs, or trainings. Although there will be obstacles in my life, this academy in a sense has taught me to overcome them.