The Problem Of Evil Philosophy Essay

The Problem Of Evil Philosophy Essay The Problem of Evil is a provocative philosophical issue that has perplexed the minds of great thinkers throughout the ages up to the present time. Intellectuals such Aristotle, Averroes, and Kant have vigorously debated and held various positions concerning the reality of malevolence in the world and how it correlates to the eminence of a Higher Being, better known as God. Questions such as If God is altogether good, where does evil come from? and Why does God reveal that he is going to punish the wicked if He created them to be that way in the first place? are among literally hundreds of others that have been contemplated in the minds of millions all over the world. The objective of this paper will be to address questions such as the aforementioned, as well as to spotlight an associated dilemma, The True Innate Nature of Man, which quite fittingly arises as a subheading under this broad heading of The Problem of Evil. The True Innate Nature of Man also serves as a quandary for numerous individuals who aspire to comprehend the supposed world beyond sensible perception. This too can be a confounding issue for most students of knowledge, as there are various opinions about what the correct stance of mans nature in relation to Gods is; although some may be deemed as more correct than others. Is it that man was created in the image of God, yet still in a corrupt state of sin due to a crime committed by his alleged father Adam for which he needs redemption, as affirmed by Christian theologians such as Thomas Aquinas? Or is that man is born absolutely pure on the true, bona fide nature of goodness or fitra (in Arabic) but may be tarnished by his environment, as asserted by Islamic metaphysicians such as Avicenna and Averroes? Perhaps it is neither, and man was actually born inherently evil and immoral, but may be trained to do good by following the Tao or Proper Way as is taught by Confucians including Xun Zi, also known as Hsun-tzu. A thorough investigation into the topic of The Problem of Evil and its sub related subject matter, The True Innate Nature of Man, is sure to clear many misconceptions and reveal the fundamentals of the issue. God, as defined by The American Century Dictionary, refers to the creator and ruler of the universe and the being or spirit worshipped as immortal and with supernatural power over nature, human fortunes, etc. As such, due to the postulation that God is the One that creates human beings, bestows on them reason and intelligence, provides for them food and drink, and promises a reward in one way or another for the righteous, while not asking anything from them except that they worship Him alone, the rational mainstream view is that He is a good God. Not only is he just a good God, but He is a perfect God; a God that is absolutely and eternally free from any and all faults and shortcomings of any kind, whether inwardly or outwardly, or deliberately or unintentionally. The supposed problem does arise for the skeptic, however, when this perception of God is applied practically to the sensible world that is filled with crimes such as theft, murder, and rape, as well as diseases including HI V/AIDS, leukemia, and cancer. There seems to be an apparent contradiction in the notion of God being a good God and there being evil in the world. According to the logic of the skeptic, since God created everything from nothing and can be traced back to the origin of everything and identified as the unmoved mover, He must also be accredited with having evil as one of His attributes. In reality, there is no genuine contradiction between the actualities of God being good and there being evil in the world. The misapprehension here stems from the fact that there is confusion in the minds of many with regards to the free will of man and the omniscience of God. Human beings have been created with a choice of whether or not they want to be virtuous upright citizens on earth. Their free will allows them to commit immoral actions if they truly wish to do so. The choices that they have are merely a reflection of the circumstances around them which may or may not be favorable. Nevertheless, they still do have a choice and may opt to do the right thing. The selection to be virtuous or immoral is ultimately made by the human being himself and not by God. Even though God knows any and all things that have already happened or will take place in the future, the choice is left to the person to do as he pleases. The knowledge of God is not to be confused with the deeds of man; th e latter being imperfect, while the former, flawless. Evil actions such as murder and prostitution are thus a result of the imperfections of man and are not to be attributed to God directly because He does not force any of His servants to commit the crime. Rather, He allows them to commit the offenses out of their own desires and in conjunction with His infinite wisdom. As a result, it may be said that since God is the creator of each and every single thing in the universe from nothing, He is also indirectly the creator of evil since even though human beings are directly to blame for the evil perpetrated on earth, He created the human beings to begin with. With that issue being settled, a more complicated one still remains in that of natural diseases, disasters, and occurrences. Part of the reason that diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cancer infect people is because of their refusal to act in a prudent and temperate manner. Before proceeding, however, it is necessary to explain what this virtue of temperance is and how it should apply in human beings day to day life: The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines temperance as a habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions. The ancient, as well as contemporary scholars of philosophy such as Thomas Aquinas, Stephen Pope, and Diana Cates generally seem to agree with this definition by consensus on a broad level. It is located in the concupiscible appetite, which deals primarily with the human lusts of eating, drinking and sexual desire; as opposed to the irascible appetite that is involved in the emotions of anger and exasperation. As Thomas Aquinas indicates in Summa Theologica IIa IIae, q. 141, a. 2, ad 2, temperance is a habit of responding with tranquility or serenity of soul to sense impressions of food, drink, and sexual relations. Its principal function is to moderate in the mean between extremes the emotions of enjoyments and service concerning the pleasures of touch and taste in order to achieve the good of reason as known in the concupiscible passions. Furthermore, it is con cerned with the sentiment of maintaining the gratification of sense pleasure as a whole, especially in the elation supplementing the impression of predominantly touch and secondarily taste. The ideal balance of temperance is generally found between the excess extreme of indulgence and the defect extreme of insensibility, while leaning slightly towards insensibility in this respect. Since the human species has an overwhelming innate desire for excess with regards to the pleasures of the flesh, it is only natural that most people seek to avoid this excess, and lean towards the defect while seeking to uphold the integrity of moral standards. The proximate object of temperance is the concupiscible appetite; pleasure on a general level, and contentment and grief more specifically. The remote object of this cardinal virtue is anything and everything that generates the gratification of touch and taste in an individual person; that is to say, food, drink, and sex. Through habitual moderation of temperance, as with any other virtue, the good of reason can be achieved in this regard. (Introduction to Ethics by John A. Osterle) It is clear from this brief introduction to temperance that this is a most serious issue that many people are heedless of. Moderation in deeds, particularly those of the sexual nature, preserves the wellbeing of individuals while an excess leads to their ruin. HIV/AIDS is the direct cause of the choice of human beings to be promiscuous in their sexual activities or act in some other carnal manner. God should not be held liable for the intemperate and depraved actions of human beings. Similarly, the diseases of certain types of cancers such as lung cancer and other ailments of the kidneys and such are usually the result of the choices of man to smoke sedatives or drink alcohol. Even though man has knowledge of the fact that these items have harmful effects on their wellbeing, he still chooses to willingly purchase and utilize them anyway; not only damaging ones self, but paying money to do so as well! The evil result of these diseases is brought upon only from the intemperate and male volent actions of man. While God did indeed create these types of diseases, He undoubtedly cannot be attributed as being the direct cause of someone acquiring them, as He does not force anyone to take the means to obtain these diseases even though He has perfect knowledge of the unfortunate individuals who will. The final type of alleged evil that occurs in the world which some people mistakenly attribute directly to God is that of natural disasters or occurrences such as earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, inherited diseases (both mental and physical), and the like that result in casualties. With regards to this type of evil, there is no clear cut definitive answer and it must be accepted that since God is described as All-Wise, there is wisdom behind all of these perceived tragedies. To explain, the perception of human beings is deficient, while Gods knowledge and wisdom are perfect. Even the greatest of metaphysicians such as Aristotle and Plato attested to this actuality. It would be irrational to try and prove that God creates evil through these calamities because human beings do not know the wisdom behind these occurrences. The truth of the matter is that there is actually much good behind these perceived dreadful and appalling incidents. A case in point example which may be likened to the understanding of this concept of the perception of natural disasters by human beings is that of when a parent accompanies his or her young child to the doctors office to obtain a flu vaccination from the doctor. The young child would be shocked at the fact that his parent would allow a person to thrust a six inch needle into his arm. The child does not have the foresight to understand that this is what is best and most beneficial for him; his perception of the action leads him to believe that this is a malicious undertaking being committed. However, it is apparent to any logical person that the good of this action by the doctor far outweighs any temporary harm that the needle may have been caused to the youth. Accordingly, this action would not be deemed an evil act. On the contrary, this action would be considered virtuous and very much necessary, even though the child might not agree at this point in his development. Similarly, since all human beings are mortal and vastly dis similar to God in that they are neither All-Wise nor Omniscient, they do not have the foresight that God does. Therefore, it would be extremely rash for them to label something as evil even though they do not understand the very core foundation of it. The good of these so-called natural disasters is evidently there, even if people do not have the perception to sense or understand it. A sub-related theme to The Problem of Evil is known as The True Innate Nature of Man. The genuine natural disposition of human beings is essential to understanding The Problem of Evil because if it can be proven that the mans natural disposition is one that is towards righteousness, this would also strengthen the argument in favor of the proposition that there is no valid Problem of Evil. Since the creation often reflects the creator, a legitimately good concept of the internal disposition of man would indicate an eternally good God, while an evil concept of the internal disposition of man would suggest some legitimacy to the Problem of Evil. Basically, the two main views with regards to The True Innate Nature of Man are that it is either one of vice and iniquity or it is one of morality and virtue. Scholars have rigorously debated this topic with great diligence in order to persuade the masses of people to see things from their perspective. The vast majority of religious scholars, h owever, have settled upon the notion that man is born virtuous, but with the ability to perform evil. The reasons for this view are abundant and not difficult to comprehend. Another view held by some of the scholars is that man is born inherently evil, but may be trained to do virtuous deeds. Attempting to explain and refute this view would certainly be much more remarkable, as the vast majority of people are oblivious to the arguments presented by the philosophers for this view and whether or not they actually carry any weight. One such unorthodox philosophical intellectual who believed that The True Innate Nature of Man is evil was a Confucian by the name of Xun Zi, better known as Hsun-tzu. He held the belief that all human beings are born inherently evil by nature. According to him, human beings must be trained thoroughly in order to become virtuous. Goodness is acquired by learning and cultivation from the sages. He puts a great deal of emphasis on the sages and regarded learning from these sages as an essential aspect in an individuals journey towards righteousness. Furthermore, Hsun-tzu made a clear distinction between nature and conscious activity. Whereas the nature of humans is the characteristics they are born with (i.e. natural instincts) and can never be changed or controlled, conscious activity is something that can be learned and taught by the sages; this is the part of man than can be changed and acquired through learning and effort. In order to support these various claims, Hsun-tzu also lai d down several arguments so that he could expound his bold stance on this issue. His foremost argument to support his claims is the notion that if a ruler did not have any limits or rules to abide by, then he would be unjust to his subjects beneath him. A different argument he uses is that the sage kings and ritual principles recognized that man was born evil, and hence, had to train the common man so that he would be good. Yet another argument presented was the assertion that people are born with intrinsic desires naturally in them, and these desires are never-ending. Clearly, Hsun-tzu is one of the greatest philosophers ever known to hold the view that human beings are born evil, but his arguments for this are questionable at best. Hsun-tzus primary argument for deeming the human nature of man to be evil is his allegation that the people underneath a ruler would be treated unjustly if he did not have any limits to his power. If the entire world were to function this way, there would be immense commotion and disarray. Similarly, if a man did not have any rules to live by, he would also be corrupt and evil. Conscious activity would be needed to show any goodness, and the leaders natural inclination would be towards evil. Therefore, the sage kings are needed so that a person can be transformed from the person he is born as into a moral individual that can eventually be able to honorably lead an entire nation. It may contended, though, that while it is true that a person needs to have some kind of formal training in order to be a just leader, the sage kings and Confucianism in general are not always required. This occurrence has undoubtedly taken place in many parts of the world. Authoritative rulers such as dictators tend to abuse their powers more than democratically elected officials do. This has always been the case throughout history. Since dictators are given much more power than elected individuals, they tend to oppress their citizens more as well. On the other hand, le aders that are given less power, such as the ones in most of the Western world, have a less chance to of becoming tyrannical and obsessed with power. The citizens of these Western countries are more easily able to prevent corruption in the government when it takes place. However, there are exceptions to this argument proposed by Hsun-tzu. There have been instances in history where dictators have not had a repressive stance towards their people. Leaders such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk have been classified by historians as treating their people with dignity and respect. These dictators, as well as others, did not abuse their powers even though they were never trained by the sage kings or even followed the Tao. While Hsun-tzu may argue that the dictators of recent centuries do not have unlimited power, it should be noted that they still have enough to be able to oppress the masses of people in their country and still get away with it. Perhaps following the Tao woul d help improve upon the leadership performance of many of todays heads of states, but this remains to be seen. Hsun- tzus argument that leaders would be unjust if no limitations were placed upon them is an unpersuasive one, as there are still some flaws in it which need to be addressed. Another of Hsun-tzus foremost arguments regarding the True Innate Nature of Man as evil is the affirmation that the sage kings of ancient times were aware of the fact that man was born inherently evil, and thus, they had to train the common man so that he would be good. By the use of ritual principles and setting guidelines and punishments for the individuals actions, a person is refined from his original malevolent nature into a more honorable and virtuous individual. This person then must continually practice Confucianism and the Tao and continually strive to become a better person. According to Hsun-tzu, there would be absolutely no need for sages if the people were naturally born righteous. Logic would hold that this view is vastly constricted. Hsun-tzu is thinking only from the point of view of a Confucian. If a person does not want to follow the Tao or Confucian way or life, then it becomes impossible for this person to develop into a state of goodness. Furthermore, Hsun-tzu is assuming that the sage kings are good people and able to cultivate others just because they are sages, but if they are not known as such in the community, does that make them any less wise or less competent in terms of teaching others about how to become righteous people? Just because a person known as a sage decides something to be correct, doesnt make it so. The sages arent the only morally good people in the world. People in todays society can be known as righteous, and many of them have never even heard about the Tao. The conclusion that Hsun-tzu seems to be drawing is that the fact that there are sages is proof that human beings are intrinsically inclined towards evil. This is illogical because he is basing his whole argument on what some people during the ancient times decided upon. There are people in todays society that do not follow the way of the sage kings and ritual principles, and can still be considered to be moral, righteous beings. This argument of Hsun-tzus may have been true during his time, but definitely not today. The fact that the sages teach humans to be good is not evidence that they are evil. On the contrary, this can go to show just how good humans actually are in their quest to improve their virtuosity from when they are born until they die. Conclusively, a final argument of Hsun-tzus is that human beings are born with intrinsic desires naturally in them, and these desires are endless. No matter how often these desires or natural impulses are acted upon, human beings are never satisfied and will always strive to satisfy these desires, though they can be contained by following the Tao and learning from the sages. Goodness is not natural to people; conscious activity is required to reach a certain level of virtuousness. According to Hsun-tzu, this is proof that people are naturally born evil and must learn to be good. This view of Hsun-tzus is a flawed one because it actually can be proven that goodness is natural to people. An example of this is when human beings deal with infants. Even the most hardened criminals in jail seem to show an exceptional amount of mercy and compassion when dealing with babies and little children. This shows that there is a quantity of good in all human beings that can come out when the circums tances are right. It is definitely true that humans have innate carnal desired similar to those which animals have. In spite of this, humans can be classified of being moral or immoral, while animals cannot. The intelligence of human beings is the aspect that separates them from animals and allows them to be judged according to their respective actions. This same intelligence that people possess causes them to learn to distinguish between what is right and wrong. If peoples psyche can be honed so that they can easily perceive malevolence and righteousness and act accordingly, they can undoubtedly become better human beings. This means that according to this logic, the true nature of human beings must be virtuous because there is an amount of good in the human, however small, that can be honed and cultivated. If humans continually give in to all of their desires like most species of animals do, they will eventually be overcome by them and be deemed immoral by society. Since people are naturally not adept at containing many of our societys taboo desires, they must learn to do so from experienced people such as the sages. Consequently, people will learn how to contain their infinite desires, and over time it will become like second nature for regular people as it has already become for the sage kings. This argument of Hsun-tzus can definitely be deemed as an adequate one, but still not sufficient to prove that human beings are inherently evil. Human beings have to greatly strive in order to stop themselves from acting upon these instincts, so this must mean that they have to continue to consciously act to become virtuous, and goodness is something natural and feasible if one tries hard enough. Clearly, the debate on whether mans intrinsic nature is truly virtuous or immoral is a highly controversial one that many people have strong opinions on and tend to disagree about. The Confucian philosopher Hsun-tzu was of the opinion that human beings are born naturally evil and must be thoroughly trained in order to become good people. He further believed that man is born with natural inclinations towards profit, envy, hatred and desire and if left unattended, these mere inclinations can transform into attributes of strife, violence, crime, and wantonness. However, he also believed that there is no limit to how righteous an individual can become, but true goodness must be attained through thorough and continual learning and cultivation from the sages. Anybody and everybody can become virtuous, although not just anyone can reach the moral level of a sage. The key is to follow Confucianism, the Tao, and learning from the sages. Learning is the most essential concept in an individuals path towards righteousness. Hsun-tzu also made an apparent distinction between nature and conscious activity. By conscious activity and learning from the sages, and following the Confucian rites rigorously, he can transform himself into a morally good person. To further expand on his views, Hsun-tzu presented a number of arguments to convince the masses of people to see things from his perspective. Firstly, he felt that if a ruler is not subject to any limits or rules, then he would be unjust to his the citizens beneath him. This assertion is true sometimes, but not always. There have been exceptions throughout history that contradict this theory. Another argument he proposes is that the sage kings with their ritual principles took notice that people were born evil, and as a result, had to teach the common men so that they would be good. This logic may be deemed as flawed because it took place during th e ancient times and may not be applicable today or even true for that matter, as many individuals would strongly disagree with this claim. The final and most reasonable, although unsound, argument presented by Hsun-tzu is the contention that human beings are born with intrinsic desires naturally in them, and these desires are endless. These desires are never to be completely satisfied no matter how much a person tries to satisfy them. However, they can be controlled through learning from the sages and following the Tao, which is to be in harmony with the laws of heaven. Clearly, there are various positions that can be taken with regards to the true nature of man and Hsun-tzu was of the opinion that human nature is evil. This is a rather ineffectual view, as it can be easily disproven by the use of logic in examining the arguments he presents. The Problem of Evil is a subject matter of philosophy that has been around since the first days of scholarly discussion. The metaphysicians have held various positions on it with the correct position being that there is no real Problem of Evil, but only an apparent misunderstanding of what evil actually is and how it takes place. God may be seemed as the creator of evil in the sense that He is the creator of each and every single thing in the universe out of nothing. In spite of this, He is not the direct reason that evil continually comes into existence, but rather it is due to the actions of human beings and their misjudgments of what the accurate perception of good is that the evil comes to be. Hence, God is indirectly the cause of evil, while man is the direct cause. As for the natural disasters and occurrences such as floods or diseases that happen on earth, there is the perception of evil by human beings but actually there is good in all of these happenings. The All-Wise and Omniscient God is far above what any human being can ever imagine or become, so it is only logical that the humans perception has some weaknesses and shortcomings in it, while Gods does not. This can be likened to a baby in front of its parents; the parents know what is good for the baby while the baby does not even really know what is good for its self. Likewise, God knows what is good for the human beings while the human beings, even though they may think they know, do not unquestionably know what is right or wrong for themselves. As one can clearly see, due to the cumulative evidence provided, The Problem of Evil is not really a problem at all and may be accounted for if a person uses logic and reason to try and contemplate over the nature and characteristics of God. The Innate Nature of Man, as proven earlier, is not inherently evil and thus, by default, should be inherently good. Hopefully, in the future, people will begin to realize these realities so that they can cease to blame others, such as God, for their shortcomings and live up to their respective natures as being citizens with a natural propensity towards goodness and excellence in conduct.

Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary

Early life Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary was born into a mid-low class Malay family; whose house was without necessities and luxuries. His highest education was only until form five, and he never went to university. A whole lot of his knowledge and experience was gained through his own entrepreneurship experience during his youth time. Due in part his family's mediocre-to-poor background, Syed Mokhtar al Bukhary had to step into the working world in his early life, while pursuing his primary and secondary studies. Syed Mokhtar helped his mother planting and selling vegetables in the market and also selling roti canai. His numeric knowledge was used to help his father in doing daily book keeping. After finishing school, Syed Mokhtar helped his father in breeding cow business but only to see the business washed away by foot and mouth disease. Nevertheless, he took over the business and start over by selling meats. He then move on to packaging the meats and start selling them wholesale. His determination paid off and the business started to take off. Career Syed Mokhtar and Zainal started his business in Kedah in the 1990s dealing in rice. More success followed and he moved to rice trading business. He worked even harder after awarded the rice trading license from Lembaga Padi Negara, and was later awarded successions of supplier contract government-linked corporations as partner with Zainal Hatim Hj Ambia Bukhary. As his determination starting to skyrocket, he quickly moved to expand into diversification of other businesses. His next big move was in the logistics business, with initial goal to transport their trading materials. Today, his business empire has grown into areas such as plantation, property development, construction, engineering, power generation, infrastructure and ports. He owns 51. 8% share in Malaysian Mining Corporation via his wholly owned company, Syarikat Impian Teladan Sdn. Bhd. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar and Zainal Hatim personally owns SKS Ventures, which was awarded the task of building the site for 2100MW coal-fired power station at Tanjung Bin, Johor. Tan Sri Syed Mohktar has a 32% share in PERNAS through his own company, Syarikat Ratu Jernih. Syarikat Perdana Padu Sdn. Bhd. and Corak Kukuh Sdn. Bhd. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar and Zainal are Board Members of Syarikat Bina Puri Holdings Berhad, whereby, on his own, he has 7. 34% share. Apart from these, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar and Zainal has varied interest in a number of companies, both in Malaysia as well as abroad. Charity His philanthropic values were nurtured from the age of 23 when he started a small business dealing in rice. When he received his first monthly income of RM1,500, his mother had told him to donate half of it to the poor. [3] From 1996 to 2006, his foundation has contributed almost RM1bil to charity, although his total income is probably in multiples of that figure. He has humanitarian projects in Asia and Africa, including rebuilding the lives of Afghan refugees, Pakistan's ear's tsunami victims and is now working to establish an AIDS hospital in Uganda. Among the foundation's initiatives are the Albukhary Tuition Programme for poor underachievers and the Albukhary Scholarship Programme for poor high achievers. Recognition In appreciation of his enormous services and contributions, he was bestowed with several awards, which among others, include the Panglima Setia Mahkota (P. S. M. ) by His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which carries the title Tan Sri and the Dato' Setia Mahkota Kedah (D. S. D. K. by HRH The Sultan Kedah, which carries the title Dato'. On 10 January 2008 or 1st Muharram 1429 Hijra he was announced and awarded as â€Å"Tokoh Ma'al Hijrah† by The Yang Di Pertuan Agong of Malaysia in recognition of his contribution to nation building and also Controversies A number of companies controlled by Syed Mokhtar have come under attack for development activities on greenfield sites. For example, the clearance of mangroves for the development of Johor Port has led to some criticisms from local environm ental groups. 4] He has also been identified as a major beneficiary of political connections that have given his subsidiary companies monopoly control over crucial Malaysian sectors, including rice, power and ports. Started out in the â€Å"bowl of Malaysia† as a rice trader. Later got government backing. Today controls Malaysia Mining Corporation (MMC); has stakes in Malaysia's Johor Port; the country's largest independent power producer Malakoff; and natural gas distribution company Gas Malaysia. Has invested in MPH (a book retailer in Singapore and Malaysia). He's contributed to a number of Islamic schools, mosques and Islamic arts.

Childrens Right to Access the Internet Essay

Before I start I have a question to put to the audience, please raise your hand if you think that parents should prohibit children’s access to the Internet. I am a firm believer in the right of children to have generous access to the Internet. †Copywriter†, her username on warriorforum.com used to be one of those single – home alone mums who had two children to look after and also had to work full time as a nurse. She barely made enough money to feed the children every day and spent next to no time with her 11 year old boy and 6-year-old daughter. She was desperate. One ordinary day – when everything began to change – she found an ad saying â€Å" Earn money online†, intrigued copywriter went to check it out. Now she is a full time blogger after creating 6 successful blogs, which enables her to stay home and talk with her children and never have to worry about a meal at dinner. She has traveled the world and experienced things she never would have without the income from her blogs. Children nowadays (generation Z) are born into a world surrounded with the Internet and technology, unlike their generation X parents for whom the Internet is not as integrated into their life. By taking away their right to Internet, you are depriving them of the many opportunities to learn skills and gain knowledge on the web. People have argued that children should not have free access to the Internet. This is a problem. For example, Knowledge websites such as Wikipedia have replaced the traditional encyclopedias even to the extent that Encyclopedia Britannica has gone out of business. The web has become a key source of information. The Internet holds a vast range of tutorials available at no cost on a raft of subjects. I myself learnt a series of card tricks that are sure to amaze! Many parents do not seem to grasp this technological world we live in – this is a problem. Software developers, program coders and server hosts are among the top 10 most sought out jobs in 2012. These skills were all learned through access to the Internet and when started at a young age the people became experts very quickly. The Internet itself is a medium through which various businesses can be marketed. The techniques involved require an in depth understanding of the Internet itself as a medium, in order to be successful. Many parents do not seem to know this – this is a problem This leads me on very well on to my next topic, that of the benefits of social media. It is a tragedy that in this day and age some parents deny their children a Facebook account even past the age restriction of 13. Facebook is a social network for socializing and keeping in touch with friends across the world. Believe me, it’s a lot cheaper than international phone calls. I myself use Facebook and often check with other classmates on school related topics such as;’ what P.E subject do we have tomorrow.’ Some parents do not seem to understand this – this too is a problem. A core tenet of democracy is freedom of speech. If a parent bans my access to the Internet, are they not infringing my right to freedom of speech? The Internet is a key medium through which I express my opinions these days. Here we have a big problem! Yeah, so what’s the solution? It would be remiss of me not to point out that there are certain dangers involved with the Internet. By this I mean pornography or extreme violence. Therefore I understand the genuine concern that parents have for their children’s safety. One solution for this is to utilize censoring programs such as Net nanny to protect younger children. However the ultimate solution relies in teaching children to â€Å"self-censor† By entrusting them you give them responsibility which is ultimately more effective than restricting something and thus increasing their desire. For example, would you not rather your child learn to drink safely at home rather than underage in a pub with a bunch of strangers? My parents for example, have trusted me and therefore given me full access to the Internet, which I have not misused. In fact in my spare time I run a server, which employs 30 staff all around the world that earns me roughly 2500$ dollars a month. Therefore on balance I firmly believe parents should allow children to access the Internet to a degree suitable for their age. Now please raise your hands if you think parents should prohibit children’s access to the Internet.. Quod erat demonstrandum or in other words I rest my case.

Oregon State University Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Oregon State University is a public research university with an acceptance rate of 81%. Located in Corvallis, Oregon State University is one of only two universities in the country designated as a land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant and sun-grant institution. These designations point to the strong research emphasis at Oregon State. Forestry is OSUs most highly ranked program, and the university manages well over 10,000 acres of forest. Other strong and popular programs are business and engineering. In athletics, the Division I Oregon State Beavers compete in the  Pacific 12 Conference. Considering applying to Oregon State University? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Oregon State University had an acceptance rate of 81%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 81 students were admitted, making Oregon States admissions process somewhat competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 14,890 Percent Admitted 81% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 31% SAT Scores and Requirements Oregon State requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 69% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 540 650 Math 540 660 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of Oregon States admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Oregon State scored between 540 and 650, while 25% scored below 540 and 25% scored above 650. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 540 and 660, while 25% scored below 540 and 25% scored above 660. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1310 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Oregon State. Requirements Oregon State does not require the SAT writing section. Note that OSU does not superscore SAT results; your highest composite SAT from a single test date will be considered. ACT Scores and Requirements OSU requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 45% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 21 28 Math 22 28 Composite 22 28 This admissions data tells us that most of Oregon State Universitys admitted students fall within the top 37% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to OSU received a composite ACT score between 22 and 28, while 25% scored above 28 and 25% scored below 22. Requirements Note that Oregon State does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. OSU does not require the ACT writing section. GPA In 2018, the average high school GPA of Oregon States incoming freshmen class was 3.6. This data suggests that most successful applicants to Oregon State University have primarily A and B grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Oregon State University Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Oregon State University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Oregon State University, which accepts over three-quarters of applicants, has a somewhat selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. However, Oregon State University has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. Strong responses to the Insight Resume questions and participation in meaningful extracurricular activities can strengthen your application, as can a rigorous course schedule including AP, IB, or college coursework. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their test scores are outside of Oregon States average range. In the scattergram above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. As the data show, the majority of admitted students had high school grades in the A or B range, ACT composite scores of 20 or higher, and combined SAT scores of 1000 or better. If You Like Oregon State University, You May Also Like These Schools University of ArizonaStanford UniversitySan Diego State UniversityBoise State UniversityCal Poly - San Luis ObispoColorado State University - Fort CollinsUniversity of California - Davis All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Oregon State University Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Essay And What I Say - 552 Words

The Great Depression lasted from October 24, 1929 until the economic recovery of the 1940s. On October 29, Black Thursday, the stock market crashed heavily, and continued to fall sharply throughout the coming weeks. As a result, the United States and the world were thrown into a decade of poverty and unemployment. The depression affected all sectors of the economy. Farm owners and agricultural workers suffered from falling crop prices. Businesses failed from a lack of investment support and a decline in the ability of the masses to afford their products. Banks closed their doors as the nations citizens hoarded their money and defaulted on loan payments. Unemployment and abject poverty enveloped the nation. Herbert Hoover was President†¦show more content†¦The nation mobilized, and it appeared the economy might improve. However, the economy remained troubled, and criticism of the New Deal rose up in the government and in some political circles. A number of Supreme Court Rulings effectively dismantled the primary mechanisms of FDRs plan. Undaunted, and gaining a public mandate with the Democratic successes in the 1934 midterm election, FDR set forth the Second New Deal in 1935. This program reaffirmed the administrations commitment to public support of the nations troubled people. Great steps were taken in attempts to solve the unemployment problem and stimulate economic recovery. The legislation passed during this period would be the framework of the New Deal throughout the remainder of the decade. The economy showed some signs of recovery but was set back by the 1937 recession. After that, FDR enacted few additional measures to cope with the depression. Finally, economic recovery took place under the war economy of the early 1940s, with levels of poverty and unemployment returned to pre-depression levels. The Depression brought marked changes to the political and entertainment culture of the United States. A culture of dissent and disillusionment produced ample political outlets, such as Huey Longs Share Our Wealth program. Dissent and disillusionment sparked by the depression affected popular culture as well. The 1930s were the golden age of radio. Radio shows, most of them comedies and soap operas,Show MoreRelatedPersonal Narrative : Am I What They Say I Am?1005 Words   |  5 PagesMemoir: Am I What They Say I Am? Never in a million years would I have thought that it would be me. Me of all people to be the one to hear such language. At the tender age of 15, who would have thought this would be something to affect me. I thought we were at a point where these things did not happen anymore. â€Å"†¦ it doesn’t happen in America anymore† she says, â€Å"†¦ are you sure that is what they said?† An issue that is still very evident in this society. 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Online Gambling Enforcement Act Of 2006 - 1203 Words

Back in 1996, the explosion of online casino gambling swept the world. The United States had been a large part of this, and many gamblers had turned to online casinos for all of their gaming. For many years, these casinos continued to be played unabated. Unfortunately, back in 2006, legislation was passed that made it slightly difficult for online casinos to continue to operate. This legislation, sneaked in by piggyback through the Safe Port Act, would be named the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, and it became a thorn in the side of the online gambler, the online casino, and all payment processors there in. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, or the UIGEA, had, in a nutshell, prohibited banks and payment processors from processing transactions that would correlate to online gambling. This has not only complicated loading accounts, but also withdrawing. 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Michelangelo Buonarroti and Religion Essay Example For Students

Michelangelo Buonarroti and Religion Essay Michelangelo showing his religion Michelangelo painted frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and made a sculptor of David. Both the painting and the sculptor point to the great deal knowledge Michelangelo has of the Bible. On the Sistine Chapels ceiling he painted scenes from the book of Genesis, and David the person comes from the first Book of Samuel. Michelangelo has background with the Christian Church and did many sculptures and painting for the church. The religious influence of the church could not be avoid by Michelangelo. He had been introduced to it very early in his life. Sistine Chapels ceiling was a very religious painting Job done by Michelangelo. The Astatines ceiling shows Michelangelo knowledge of Bible events. It has Prophets and Sibyls painted on it, which are very religious figures. It shows the beginning of time to the Flood with Noshs Great Ark. The sculpture of David was done for Saint Peters Cathedral. It gave new meaning to life for the people of Florence. David was not only thought of as a Messiah by the Old Testament Prophets, but also by the people of Florence. He brought hope as a person and a statue. Michelangelo not only showed that religion was important to him through his works, UT also amortized part of the Bible. The Sistine Chapel is one of the most visited places in the world, and the Colossal David is one of the most well-known sculptors in the world. These two great works of art affect whatever people look at them. Without knowing it people get a brush of religion. Michelangelo shows his view of religion to people even after he has died. Michelangelo lived a life of art. From the day he was born to the day he died he lived art. Michelangelo was one of, if not the best sculptor and painter ever to touch foot on this earth. He any painter made a shining in religious art it was Michelangelo. The Sistine Chapel is located in the Vatican City. This is where Saint Pewters Basilica was built. The Sistine Chapel was a private room for the Pope. Pope Julius II asked Michelangelo to paint on the ceiling. He almost turned it down because he thought of himself as a sculptor not a painter. He took the painting Job on to prove to people that he could paint even though he did not like to do it. Through the works of the Sistine Chapels ceiling and the statue David, Michelangelo amortized his Christian religion. Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 in a town called Cappers, a region f Tuscany, near Florence. Michelangelo father was Ladylove Bonaparte Simon, and his mother Francesca Imitation del Sera. Michelangelo mother decided to send the baby Michelangelo away to be looked after for a while by a stonecutters wife, because his dad didnt have a Job and his family life was difficult. Michelangelo said his love for stone came from the milk of stonecutters wife who nursed him as a baby. Michelangelo wanted to be an artist but his father did not agree. When Michelangelo was seven he was sent to a basic school, he was always sneaking off and drawing something. After many long arguments with his father, Michelangelo finally convinced him that sculpturing and block carving are different. Michelangelo was then allowed to study the arts. Michelangelo father put him in the workshop of the painter Domenici Garlanding. After two years Michelangelo studied at a sculpture school in the Medici gardens. He wanted to Join a bootleg, which is a workshop where young men could learn art with masters. At age 13 he was allowed to Join, and shortly thereafter was invited into the household of Lorenz De Medici, the Magnificent. Because Michelangelo was so good at sculpting, a fellow dent, Pitter Thronging, got Jealous and punched Michelangelo in the nose , giving him a prize fighters nose that makes him so recognizable in his portraits. When Michelangelo talent became known, he no longer paid for the lessons, instead he was paid. Michelangelo produced at least two relief sculptures by the time he was sixteen years old, the battle of the features and the Madonna of the stairs. This showed that Michelangelo had achieved a personal style at a very early age. Most sculptors have not finished learning about style, let alone have heir own style by the age of sixteen. Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564 at almost 90 years old, he was hard at work on a statue. Religion Essay ExampleThe Cathedral asked Michelangelo to sculpted a Colossal David . Michelangelo accepted the offer and guaranteed to complete a Colossal David for the Cathedral in 2 years. Around the chunk of marble he obtained for this feat he built a shed, which was locked at all times. He did not launch immediately into the stone as legend had it, making chips fly off violently as he struggled to set free the image he saw within. For many weeks he examined and measured his material to see what pose it could accommodate. He made sketches of possible positions, and carefully detailed drawings from models for the parts of the figure. He tested out his image in wax on a small scale. Then, and only then did he pick up a point and a mallet to make the first rough spillers fly clattering to the floor. Although it occupied him nearly three years to complete, it was worth the wait for the people living in Florence. Michelangelo phrased his first titan in terms of a civic guardian, symbol of righteousness. None of his later masterpieces so profoundly affected his fellow citizens. The author Gilbert writes: In the precision of its anatomy one can recognize the scientific spirit of investigation of the Florentine; in the forms, which are full of strength, and in the noble, proud ace, one finds the heroic concept of man as a creature who is free and master of his own destiny. Technically this statue marked a change in Michelangelo development. In a single work he achieved the difficult transition from normal scale to the colossal without a flaw, setting back the chin slightly so that it would not cut off too much of the other features from the spectators view, building out the nose and forehead. Religion in David David comes straight from the Bible. In the following lines, from Book one of Samuel, Chapter 17, verses 49 through 51, it tells how David came to slay the giant Goliath: 9 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 1 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath therefore, and slew him, and out off his head therewith . And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. Religion in David is undeniable. He is a part of the Bible therefore a part of religion. A religion which Michelangelo learned about since he was an infant with the stonecutters family. David was sculpted having the look of fear, as if the sculptor knew what David was going through at that exact point in the battle with Goliath. The religion Michelangelo shows through David is immense. Conclusion Both the painting of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling and the sculptor of David reflect the knowledge that Michelangelo has of Pagan religion, but mostly of the Bible. Clifton Harry Levy writes: Religion was the supreme interest of the leaders in human thought during this entry, when the Church played so large a part in the destiny of nations, and very naturally any and every artist who felt the pulse of his time was impelled to prove his power by the skill with which he presented sacred subjects. Art was religious because the people were religious In other words, art could make or break a nation. Michelangelo was trying to make Italy, by giving them the best religious art you could find. In a way the art helped the people survive, fight, and showed them what they could believe in to get away from the agony of living a life of torment. These works illustrated points from the Bible in such a magnificent manner, that they have changed life from the day they were put on display to the present. Religion was, is, and always will be a powerful thing.