The Colossal Head Essays - Egyptology, Africa, Ancient Egypt

The Colossal Head The Colossal Head When we think of ancient Egyptian art, we think of deteriorating stone statues, bits and pieces of old architecture, and faded paintings of animals in dark caves and caverns. All of these ancient ruins are part of what shaped Egyptian culture back in the times of Dynasties. Their artwork not only revealed so much of their religion, rituals, and culture, but it also served as a basis for developing and advancing art. The Colossal Head, found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was one of the many early sculptures of Egypt. It came from the late Third or early Fourth Dynasty (2600-2530 B.C.E.). It's no more than two feet high and is made of Red Granite stone. The face of the sculpture has a fleshy, full look to it and most of the features are very blunt, giving it a very healthy, powerful appearance. The eyes are empty as are the eyes of most ancient sculptures so as not to give them any particular focus or expression, and they are styled with regular upper and lower curves, making them semicircular. The mouth is long and fine-lipped which is typical of Fourth Dynasty kings. It curves neither up nor down, showing no emotion whatsoever, creating a very vacant, placid stare. The Seated Statue of Gudea and The Female Head from Uruk are just a couple of other statues with the same empty, expressionless stare. However, the rest of the features of the sculpture and the thick neck are more like images from the Third Dynasty. The tops of the ears and the tip of the nose have been broken off either with carelessness or with time, both of which cause the damage of many ancient sculptures. The statue of Senmut with Princess Nefrua is another of the many sculptures that had been broken over time. Although it has not been proven, the sculpture has been identified as King Huni who best fits the style of this image of an early Old Kingdom Pharaoh. This particular sculpture matches the description of so many others, almost like a generic pattern. Nearly every sculpture from the Third and Fourth Dynasties has the bold facial features, the vacant eyes, and the emotionless face. They were never intended to impress, but to simply be a devotion to a higher power or ruler. While each statue is always slightly different than the next, they seem to all fall into the same category and have the same style, always very modest and usually religious. Egypt is a land of dazzling buried treasure and quiet tomb secrets. Only the dead can experience these treasures however, for they were gifts from the living for the afterlife. The Egyptians, like so many other cultures, were polytheistic and firmly believed in life after death. To make the transition from life to death, the Egyptians would bury their dead with some of their favorite items to take with them to the afterlife. Some of these treasures were very extravagant and valuable. It seemed almost as if the afterlife was more important than actually living. They spent their existence preparing for what came next. Whole temples and enormous statues were constructed as dedication to the deceased. The Stepped Pyramid of King Zozer, measuring three hundred ninety-four feet by three hundred sixty feet, was just one of the many pyramids built in honor of a pharaoh or ruler. The term "Pharaoh" comes from the bible. When we hear this word we think of government, religion, and a way of life. The scriptures used this name to designate rulers in Egypt. It was also used to describe the "Great House", the royal palace where all orders affecting the civil and religious life of the Egyptians were issued. Eventually, the king began being referred to as the "Great House" or Pharaoh and it soon became customary to combine this name with the king's personal name. From then on, Egypt always had a pharaoh ruling over them. By doing this, Egypt had developed one of the first great civilizations that was literate, bureaucratic, and technologically advanced. It centered all it's power and aspirations around a single divine pharaoh who was the master of ceremonies and who made all decisions for Egypt. Egyptian culture was very similar to Greek culture throughout the Third and Fourth Dynasties (the Third Dynasty was also known as the Memphite Dynasty because while some areas of Egypt began to lose their importance, Memphis secured its position as the capital). They influenced and contributed to each others civilizations by means of architectural advancements, religious beliefs, and technological

Hottest Product and Services Essay Example

Hottest Product and Services Essay Example Hottest Product and Services Essay Hottest Product and Services Essay Hottest Fashion Whats hot now? One of the most popular current trends is the American Swag this fashion may consist of pastel colors, floral, prints, collars and much more. Also duffer clothing is very popular within the UK at the moment it has taken the UK by storm. Duffer clothing is stylish and comfortable and is a must-have piece of clothing in your wardrobe this year. Hottest Upcoming Angel, often mistaken for a rapper because of his street-like image is what Hot lately. Angels unique talent distinguishes him from other male singers, he brings his Tyler to any genre of music he sings, and some of his hottest consists of Angel Ft Sneak-Ride Out, Angel-wonderful, and many more. Angel has made many well- known artists such as, Wretch 32, Sneak, Chipmunk, etc. One of Angels newest tracks out is to his cover of Cheryl Cole Call My Name. Hes reached over 1,670,000 views and is slowly making his way to the top. Hottest Video Lamebrain Express Yourself He definitely expressed himself for sure in this video! This video has over 3,100,000 views; its colorful, positive, uplifting and inspiring. He stands out from other UK artist and shows his creativity through his music and videos. His video doesnt follow any of the traditional characteristics of a usual I-J artist; it is creative, old school and retro. The actual song express yourself has been remixed by various artist, Lamebrain versions is the hottest so far and has the most originality. His name is Timothy McKenzie but is better known by his stage name Labyrinth, born in 1989, he has achieved two top 10 singles in the UK and has been signed to Simon Swells record label. Many record labels wanted McKenzie as a producer but Jewell signed him as a solo act. McKenzie started his big time career by producing for Master Shorter in his debut album A. D. H. D. , also producing and featuring on Tine Temperas first single Pass Out, which entered the I-J singles charts at number 1 . Lamebrain is an artist you need to know about! Hottest Mixture The hottest mixture out now is Roll Deep No Comment Star by the British group Roll Deep. Roll Deep have managed to produce a perfect mixture. Its a return to good glorious grime music and a reminder of why Roll Deep is so important. Its successful mixture this magnificent, their upcoming album can only be automatically amazing. , No comment star is a testament to Roll Deep, who have now been in the music game for ten years. Unsurprisingly, theyve changed since the beginning, and whilst the sounds and lyrics may not be as edgy, and their clothes may be a bit nicer the fact remains that this is still grime. All in all No Comment Star is a really positive release, to Just for Roll Deep, but also for grime, as it brings the up-tempo hype flavor that have been associated with the genre from the start. Hottest group After they won the Cofactor life has gone so uphill for this group Little Mix , they have made so many new songs and have received over 4,100,000 views. Dreams have really come true for these four girls, they have the latest fashion trends and are making hit after hit. These girls could truly be the next Spice Girls with their flavor and image and really showing that the I-J. Little Mix are the first girl band to win X Factor, also they was formed on x factor and originally auditioned as solo artist ! The band members include Jess Nelson, 20, Peppier Edwards, 18, Leigh-Anne Opinion, 18 and Jade Authorial, 18. Jess, has been in the center of a cyber-bullying ordeal since being on the show. People had been discussing her weight over Twitter. However, the X Factor star has bounced back and is showing the bullies shes proud of who she is! Little Mix is going to go far , watch out for them.

(history 24) summerize Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(history 24) summerize - Essay Example Such incidences have been responsible the creation of security agencies like Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) which were mandated to infringe into the liberty of the citizens at the discretion of the president. The strongest part of the highlighted chapters under study in this book gives evidence of much power for the executive to warrant uncensored arrests and prosecution of people. The Vietnam War attracted discontent among many citizens as far as the taxpayer’s money wastage is concerned. In a bid to stay on course, the government resorted to police to consistently suppress the dissidents. It can be noted that United States under the leadership of president bush continued to hide behind terrorism to violate the rights of innocent citizens of Muslim faith (Kolin 43-66). It is equally evident that despite its global campaign for democracy, United States even under the administration of Obama has significantly violated foreign po licies by attack in other countries for vested interested like was the case of Iraq and the alleged measures against terrorist entities. The highlighted reading from pages 124-147 expresses the increasing conduct of United States to become a police state. The threat of terrorism attack and other socio-economic vulnerability perceived to be eminent from external aggression by the United States is responsible for its increased surveillance of internal territories and foreign lands. Their evident disregard of the judicial system as far human rights is concerned (McCoy 135-151). Taking the case of terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, several Muslims were deported and arrests carried out in full glare of various civil rights institutions under the supervision of the government (Kolin 126-9). The foreign policy of United States is a tool that is left for the executive to manipulate to their

Operations Managment of Fullers Brewery and Vue Cinemas Term Paper

Operations Managment of Fullers Brewery and Vue Cinemas - Term Paper Example In considering the operational differences between the two businesses, the essay will now give a compassion of the operational aspects considered in each of the four variables of the four V model: Volume In the first instance, the volume of an operation simply represents the level of production and will dictate the overall approach used towards manufacture or delivery of a good or service (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2008). In the case of Fuller’s Brewery volume can be measured in a number of ways but always relates back to the delivery of a physical product. In essence, from an operational perspective, the volume is measured in liquid volume measurements. From a pure scale perspective, while the operations of Fuller’s Brewery are concentrated in the Southeast, distribution takes place on a national basis requiring an operation in scale which is able to accommodate such demands. By stark contrast, Vue as a service provider is unable to measure volume on such a simple c ommodity basis, instead, volume here relates the number of â€Å"guest experiences† in other words, the number of tickets sold to customers in a given period. While this may be true of the main product, it should also be indicated that Vue makes a significant amount of profit from the sale of ancillary products such as beverages and snacks, items which may be easier to quantify with traditional measures of volume. Like, Fuller’s Brewery, Vue operates on a national basis. However, as a service provider, such large volumes require a more localized approach to supply, rather than a centralized production and distribution model as seen in the former business. Variety represents the number of products or services provided by an operator (Slack et al, 2010). Here a broad or narrow view may be taken of the variety of products produced within an operation. For instance taking the operation at Fuller’s Brewery, at the broad level of the operation can be split down into j ust two key product areas, cask ales made for the licensed premises business and canned and bottled beers designed to be sold from non-licensed premises such as the supermarket.

Philosophy of Art Essay Example for Free

Philosophy of Art Essay Introduction This paper attempts to establish what practitioners of philosophy can learn from practitioners of Art. In doing so, the paper first looks into art and philosophy so as to offer a clear understanding of the subjects, before turning into the main theme. What is Art?   Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the above question appears simple, it is interesting and can, and is answered by reverting to the philosophy of art. In addition, art embraces descriptions of beauty, taste, symbolism as well as representation. Philosophy of art also explores the association existing between the individual artist (ideas), and the bigger congregation (audiences, culture, and universe) (Carroll N, 1998). That being the case, what does philosophy of art tell us about art? Some versions assert that art is a creative activity, expression or process of humans. According to Leo Tolstoy ‘Art is that human activity which consists in one human consciously conveying to others, by certain external signs, the feelings he has experienced and in others being affected by those feelings and also experiencing them.’ (Carroll N, 1998). On the other hand, when something is done perfectly or acquainted by study and practice; it is referred to as an art (Carroll N, 1998). For instance, driving a car, dressing in a nice dress, laying a child to sleep or even the art of conversion. In essence, art includes objects developed by humans that have aesthetic value or present symbolic meaning encompassing drawings, paintings as well as sculpture. Thus from the above observations, art can be said to be a symbolic representation of peoples association with nature (reality/environments). It is able to offer the concealed relations between things. It is beauty, it is truth. However, what does truth and beauty imply? This is where philosophy comes in as philosophy is the art of establishing the truth such that this truth is applied to life. In the same manner, art can be based on established truth that express the wonder and beauty of a relationship to the universe as it is acknowledged in the works of Marcel Proust and Henry Mattisse (Diffey T, 1995). ‘Art is a selective recreation of reality according to an artist’s metaphysical value judgments. An artist recreates those aspects of reality which represent his fundamental view of man’s natures.’   Ã‚  (Marcell Proust)( Diffey T, 1995), while Henry Mattisse writes ‘when we speak of nature, it is wrong to forget that we are ourselves a part of nature. We ought to view ourselves with the same curiosity and openness with which we study a tree, the sky or a thought because we too are linked to the entire universe (Diffey T, 1995).’ The different forms of art are visual arts which involve aspects such as painting, photography and sculpture among others, and fine arts which embrace music, dance, theatre, literature, poetry, etc. What is philosophy? As William Thomas points out, ‘Philosophy studies the fundamental nature of existence of man and man’s relationship to existence†¦in the realm of cognition, the special sciences are the trees but philosophy is the soil which makes the forest possible’ (Bender J, 1993). A philosophy is an all inclusive organization of ideas concerning human nature as well as the nature of the truth we live in. it is a guide of living since the subjects it deals with are crucial and enveloping, establishing the course we take in life and how we treat other people. Among the most important field that philosopher’s deal with fall into a number of separate fields. Among them, the most imperatives ones are; metaphysics which deals with the theory of reality, epistemology that connotes the theory of knowledge, ethics which is theory of moral values, politics which is theory of legal rights and government and aesthetics which refers to theory of nature of art (Carroll N, 1998). The vehicle for philosophical guidance is religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism as well as Islam. Religions vary from philosophers not in the issues they deal with but in the ways they employ to address them. Religions are based on mythic stories that existed earlier before discovery of unequivocally cogent methods of inquiry (Bender J, 1993). The present day religion (majority of) appeal to mystical faith as well as revelation sort of belief that claim legitimacy independent of logic, and the scientific method, at least made for the biggest subjects. However, majority of religions are in their commencement pre-rational as opposed to anti-rational, a story teller’s account of philosophic issues as opposed to scientists (Bender J, 1993). Philosophy in Greek connotes ‘love of wisdom’. Philosophy is founded on rational arguments and appeal to facts (Bender J, 1993). Modern science history began with philosophical enquiries and the scientific method of research and proof is an aspect of the general approach that a philosopher attempts to bring to a question; one that is coherent and vigorous. Philosophy is known to offer deep and wide questions presently. Dealing with the issues in each branch of philosophy calls for integration of everything one knows concerning reality (metaphysics) or humanity (epistemology, ethics, politics and aesthetics) recommending reasonable inclination in philosophy therefore is not a simple job. Frankly, philosophers more often than not disagree about principle subject; some slipping their own positions in the mix as well (Diffey T, 1995). Thus, there is no particular philosophy world wide as is the case with physics, chemistry among other disciplines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having clearly distinguished the two disciplines, then we can embark on the issue of what a philosopher can learn from an artist. This calls us to explore the subfield of philosophy. It relates to nature of art, in addition to performing of arts as well as painting, sculpture and literature (Diffey T, 1995). Major concerns in aesthetic comprise of how artistic creations should be construed as well as assessed and how the arts are linked to one another, to natural beauty, morality, religious science as well as other crucial aspects of human life. The association between art and epistemology has been everlastingly tenuous and burdened with a lot of arguments (Diffey T, 1995). It is acknowledged that there is something meaningful from experiences as well as interactions with works of arts. However, it is not considered as obvious that whether or not the experiences one has with art can produce propositional understanding that is represented by true vindicated belief (Diffey T, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Whereas engaging objects aesthetically is both insightness and emotionally burdening practice, it is also essentially cognitive. Therefore, it can be said that aesthetic engagement is based on various epistemological concerns (Carroll N, 1998). For instance, philosophers claim to know about art. People say that they believed the play was good or bad, but the emotions it produced were called for, justified, manipulative or suitable. In most cases, people allege that they learn from art, that art alters their view of the world and that art has influence on the way they view as well as make sense of the world (Carroll N, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It also widely acknowledged that works of arts particularly good works of art, can cause view points about the world and can in turn offer knowledge concerning the world (Carroll N, 1998). However, what can exactly be known about art? Does art have any sort of propositional content that resembles the context that philosophers claim to require for other sort of knowledge claim?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The subject of whether philosophers have something to learn from artists revolves back to the period of Plato. Plato warned about the perils of making a fuss of mimetic as well as narrative demonstrations of the world and human actions. A practitioner of philosophy by his engagement with art permits certain emotions or activities that are able to facilitate or produce knowledge. It should be acknowledged that some aspects of art work that are able to produce greater understanding of the surrounding world (Carroll N, 1998).   In this case, art becomes a source of insight as well as awareness, even though it cannot be put into propositional language.   It can help people (philosophy practitioners) see the world in a new or different way (Carroll N, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They are often those who view art as being incapable of offering knowledge primarily because it does not generate any truth; they argue that since art cannot offer facts or produce arguments then there is nothing to learn from it (Diffey T, 1995).   They further argue that art cannot be acknowledged as a source of knowledge as it is not productive of knowledge, construed in the convectional sense of vindictive true belief. They assert that art is devoid of propositional content capable of being learnt the conventional way, whereas it has influences that promote knowledge and that can promote or weaken the development of understanding. Thus the net effect is to reject art as a source of knowledge as it does not offer true beliefs and furthermore because it does not as well as cannot vindicate the views that it does express (Diffey T, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, those who are for and those against concur that art is a source of knowledge, the only way that it can probably satisfy such a function be it that knowledge neglected something crucial to art’s nature as well as value (Diffey T, 1995). Plato articulates that it is possible for an artist to make a representation of a thing without having advance knowledge of his presentation.   For instance, painters represent cobblers when the painters have no idea how to make shoes, and poets write about virtue such as beauty and courage without any clear knowledge of these attributes (Carroll N, 1998). To Plato, it is only philosophers and moreover, those who struggle to intuit (feel) the forms and employ abstract reasoning are able to have know-how of these virtues.   To him, the same things exist even for the literary arts in particular.   He asserts that the more one engages in emotions brought about by representations, the more likely one is to suffer the influences of an unstable soul and finally the growth of bad attitude (Carroll N, 1998). Aristotle seems to have agreed with Plato that art influences the development of one’s moral character.   These two philosophers believed that people learn from art, however, Plato argued that the gained knowledge was harmful while Aristotle argued that it was beneficial (Carroll N, 1998). Going back to the period of renaissance and beyond it should be noted that the works of art such as poetry and fiction engages the emotions of a philosopher in a healthy way rather as opposed to detrimental manner (Bender J, 1993).   Some philosophers point out that there are there crucial types of knowledge claims that can be made concerning arts which are distinguished by objects. The first is what philosophers claim to know or believe concerning the art object itself and anything unreal or fictional worlds might be linked to that object. The second aspect of knowledge claim about art relates to what is known or believed to be appropriate emotional reaction to the art work. It is crucial to note at this point that works of art are correct, understood through having a certain kind of emotional response to them (Bender J, 1993). The only problem encountered in this course is that it is not possible to establish the kind of response that is appropriate in relation to a particular work of art (Bender J, 1993). The last kind of knowledge claim that is available as far as art is concerned relates to the nature of information art can offer about the whole world (Bender J, 1993). It is important to note that art affords imperative insight into the way philosophers order and understand the world. Art gives a certain degree of meaning to the lives of philosophers. Art, particularly literature, draws out novel views (beliefs) as well as new knowledge concerning the world (Bender J, 1993). Conclusion From the above, it is noteworthy that philosophy practitioners have a lot to learn from practitioners of art. It is important to acknowledge what constitutes knowledge so as to be able to understand how art impacts the subject. Reference Bender, John (1993).   â€Å"Art as a Source of Knowledge: Linking Analytic Aesthetics and Epistemology.† In Contemporary Philosophy of Art, ed. John Bender and Gene Blocker. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Carroll, Noel (1998). â€Å"Art, Narrative, and Moral Understanding.† In Aesthetics and Ethics: Essays at the Intersection, ed. Jerrold Levinson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Diffey, T .J (1995): â€Å"What Can We Learn From Art?† Australasian Journal of Philosophy 73 202-11.

The Bill of Rights: Americas Last Defense Against the Federal Suffocat

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is our Bill of Rights necessary? Does it put a limit on our government, or on our liberty? Do these ten amendments hold the same meaning today as they did two-hundred and fourteen years ago? Are they now or have they ever been relevant? These questions were debated by our nation’s founding fathers in the eighteenth century and continue to be debated by the historians, academics, and political scientists today. Over the course of the last two centuries, its meaning has been twisted and stretched by the interpretation and misinterpretation of our legislature and, most of all, by the Supreme Court wielding its power of judicial review. It is my belief that these rights were and are absolutely essential to maintaining any liberty in this country; however, I also believe they have placed a limit on our liberties in that the government has come to restrict many rights that are not expressly declared in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Perhaps, it is nece ssary to convene a convention dedicated to defining and expanding the protected rights and to put these revisions to the people through normal amendment processes requiring ratification by three-quarters of the states.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin, we need to understand what a â€Å"bill of rights† is and where it comes from. Bills, or lists, of rights litter American colonial history, from the Declaration of Rights issued to the British parliament in response to the Stamp Act of 1765, which led to the repeal of that act, to those found in state governments such as Virginia and Delaware during the earliest days of the new nation. These lists were written in response to years of oppression suffered by the colonists at the hands of a tyrannical British government. They outlined certain individual rights that were held to be above government regulation by the philosophy of the time. Though the first ten amendments do not constitute the first list of rights ever devised, they are the first list incorporated into a national constitution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The founders developed two contradicting viewpoints on this subject, which threatened to bring the process of ratification to a standstill. In his letters, Federalist 84 and Federalist 85, Alexander Hamilton, writing as â€Å"Publius†, summarized the federalist argument against the bill of rights. He presented what I f... ...oncerns, their philosophies are outdated. Perhaps our constitution is inadequate. If this is so, should we not change it rather than allow the justices of the Supreme Court to decide what it means as they see fit for the current political, social, or economic climate? It took an entire nation to decide the wording of our present constitution. Is it fair to leave its interpretation in the hands of only nine men and women? Does it make sense to allow them to decide that terms which are written as absolutes could, in some cases, be conditional? I propose a simple solution to the problem. We, the people of this nation, need to decide what we want our Constitution to say. Then, we need to rephrase the wording so that it cannot be misinterpreted. This would require amending the amendments that are already in place with more specific language. This could restore the effectiveness of the Bill of Rights and put it back in its rightful place, above the national government. Until that time, the only way the Bill of Rights will continue to provide shelter from government intrusion is to take it at face value and to quit trying to establish conditions under which it doesn’t mean what it says. The Bill of Rights: Americas Last Defense Against the Federal Suffocat   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is our Bill of Rights necessary? Does it put a limit on our government, or on our liberty? Do these ten amendments hold the same meaning today as they did two-hundred and fourteen years ago? Are they now or have they ever been relevant? These questions were debated by our nation’s founding fathers in the eighteenth century and continue to be debated by the historians, academics, and political scientists today. Over the course of the last two centuries, its meaning has been twisted and stretched by the interpretation and misinterpretation of our legislature and, most of all, by the Supreme Court wielding its power of judicial review. It is my belief that these rights were and are absolutely essential to maintaining any liberty in this country; however, I also believe they have placed a limit on our liberties in that the government has come to restrict many rights that are not expressly declared in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Perhaps, it is nece ssary to convene a convention dedicated to defining and expanding the protected rights and to put these revisions to the people through normal amendment processes requiring ratification by three-quarters of the states.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin, we need to understand what a â€Å"bill of rights† is and where it comes from. Bills, or lists, of rights litter American colonial history, from the Declaration of Rights issued to the British parliament in response to the Stamp Act of 1765, which led to the repeal of that act, to those found in state governments such as Virginia and Delaware during the earliest days of the new nation. These lists were written in response to years of oppression suffered by the colonists at the hands of a tyrannical British government. They outlined certain individual rights that were held to be above government regulation by the philosophy of the time. Though the first ten amendments do not constitute the first list of rights ever devised, they are the first list incorporated into a national constitution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The founders developed two contradicting viewpoints on this subject, which threatened to bring the process of ratification to a standstill. In his letters, Federalist 84 and Federalist 85, Alexander Hamilton, writing as â€Å"Publius†, summarized the federalist argument against the bill of rights. He presented what I f... ...oncerns, their philosophies are outdated. Perhaps our constitution is inadequate. If this is so, should we not change it rather than allow the justices of the Supreme Court to decide what it means as they see fit for the current political, social, or economic climate? It took an entire nation to decide the wording of our present constitution. Is it fair to leave its interpretation in the hands of only nine men and women? Does it make sense to allow them to decide that terms which are written as absolutes could, in some cases, be conditional? I propose a simple solution to the problem. We, the people of this nation, need to decide what we want our Constitution to say. Then, we need to rephrase the wording so that it cannot be misinterpreted. This would require amending the amendments that are already in place with more specific language. This could restore the effectiveness of the Bill of Rights and put it back in its rightful place, above the national government. Until that time, the only way the Bill of Rights will continue to provide shelter from government intrusion is to take it at face value and to quit trying to establish conditions under which it doesn’t mean what it says.

Evidentialist Method Apologetics Essay

Introduction Apologetics comes in several different methods that are utilized to defend one’s faith and also to evangelize. One method of apologetics is Evidentialism, also known as Natural Theology. Evidentialism is probably the most popular form of apologetics, if not the one that leads the field. Our current world demands proof and supporting data and Evidentialism stresses the deliverance of accurate substantiation with the hope of bringing cynics and criticizers to the truths of Christianity. Evidentialism continues to excel in the field of apologetics and does well in confronting the major worldviews with the truths of the Christian faith that can be proven with factual analysis. This review will provide the reader with a summary of the Evidentialist Method, a critique of the Evidentialist Method, and a list of some of the more popular Evidentialists. Summary of the Evidentialist Method Apologetics comes from 1 Peter 3:15 and is most properly defined as giving a defense. In his commentary, John Walvoord states, â€Å"(apologian, the â€Å"defense† which a defendant makes before a judge; (Acts 22:1; 25:16) for their hope in Christ.† It is the impetus for Evidentialist apologetics to follow this call and seek to â€Å"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.† Another writer, Dan Story, states, â€Å"This is ‘evidential’ apologetics, and it works on the premise that the weight of the evidence will always support Christianity and always refute contradicting beliefs.† In order for Evidentialism to be effective, it must hold to its premise of dispensing the truths about Christianity by establishing factuality. The Evidentialist is able to take any offered topic and utilize it as evidence as they are stimulated by the antagonist’s desire to deliberate logic and reason. In Acts 19:8, the Apostle Paul was diligently â€Å"arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.† Yet, Paul understood completely that there was none other that could open the hearts of men except God (Acts 16:14). Critique of the Evidentialist Method The Evidentialist Model for apologetics is a very sensible method to be utilized in evangelism. The world today demands physical, tangible proof and relies only on what can be seen and studied, and the Evidentialist is quite versed in the practicality and effective use of the method to clarify God’s truths. The method accepts the essential foundations of the non-believing doubter and tries to supply purposeful truth to that individual area. This reason-giving model has established its effectiveness in apologetics. There are a couple of issues of concern when it comes to the application of Evidentialism. One concern that stands out is that it adopts the thought that the fallen man can come to the supposition of Christ as Savior. It is my contention and belief that aside from the Holy Spirit man cannot come to this conclusion. However, I do feel that via the logical evidence presented, God opens the non-believer’s heart. Story clearly shows the â€Å"Holy Spirit also convicts and convinces people of the truth through extra-biblical evidences.† Popular Evidentialists History shows that the method of Evidentialism has been utilized for quite some time. There have been many superior thinkers who have used the method and have contributed greatly to the enhancement of apologetics. Although the list is long, a few of these men merit mention, William Paley (1743-1805), John Locke (1632-1704), and more contemporarily, Norman Geisler, William Lane Craig, Lee Strobel, Gary Habermas and Ravi Zacharias. These stellar thinkers have all utilized Evidentialism in furthering apologetics. There is an organization worthy of mention, Answers in Genesis, who employs the use of Evidentialism in explaining creationism to minister the truths of God, which also includes the explanation of the Gospel to many non-believing skeptics that exist within many secular evolutionist groups. Conclusion The Great Commission demands that all believers be prepared to defend their faith and be ready to offer a defense for those beliefs. There are many opposing worldviews that stand between men and salvation. When these opposing views are confronted in a loving and practical manner, much misconception can be dispelled in a practical manner. Using Evidentialism, the world that desires substantiation, a method driven apologetic is very successful. Bibliography Booth, Anthony Robert. â€Å"The Two Faces of Evidentialism.† Erkenntnis 67:3 (2007), http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/195447959 (accessed January 18, 2013). Story, Dan. Defending Your Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1997. Story, Dan. Engaging the Closed Minded: Presenting Your Faith to the Confirmed Unbeliever. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1999. Sudduth, Michael. â€Å"Reformed epistemology and Christian apologetics.† Religious Studies 39:3 (2003), http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/197230405/abstract?accountid=12085 (accessed January 18, 2013). Walvoord, John F., Roy B. Zuck, and Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition od the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983. The Holy Bible: New International Version ——————————————– [ 1 ]. John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, Il: Victor Books, 1983-), 1Peter 3:15. [ 2 ]. The Holy Bible: New International Version, Biblegateway.com. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Peter 3:15&version=NIV (accessed January 18, 2013). [ 3 ]. Dan Story, Engaging the Closed Minded: Presenting Your Faith to the Confirmed Unbeliever (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1999), 64. [ 4 ]. Dan Story, Defending Your Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1997), 4.