Guided Analysis: Suffering Essay

Guided Analysis: Suffering
Guided Analysis: Suffering

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Guided Analysis: Suffering

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Address the following questions, responding to each one directly below the question. Your total word count (including all questions and answers combined) should be between 900-1150 words. Include a reference page.

1. Describe a time when you experienced a significant period of suffering. How did you deal with that experience? How did you find comfort in the midst of suffering?
2. Briefly summarize the problem of evil and suffering. Cite and reference the lecture and/or Chapter 9 in the textbook.
3. Briefly summarize the Christian worldview’s response to the problem of evil and suffering. Cite and reference the lecture and/or Chapter 9 in the textbook.

Guided Analysis: Suffering

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4. Imagine that a close friend has just suffered through a great personal loss (death of a loved one, natural disaster, disease, job loss, divorce, or a broken relationship) and your friend asks you why God would let such a terrible thing happen. How would you respond to your friend?
5. According to Chapter 7 in the textbook, how might the problem of evil and suffering lead one to the conclusion that moral absolutes exist?

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Spiritual or religious values and traditions

Spiritual or religious values and traditions
Spiritual or religious values and traditions

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Spiritual or religious values and traditions

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What spiritual or religious values and traditions underscore concern for environmental health? Discuss the role of spiritual or faith-based institutions in environmental stewardship. How have these spiritual or ministerial efforts supported local public health initiatives? What collaborative efforts have been made in environmental health, both locally and globally, with regard to spiritual or faith-based collaboration?

Well-functioning healthcare systems are fundamental for maintaining healthy populations. Good health is essential for a country’s economic productivity and social development.

Community public health initiatives focus on identifying specific geographic areas with high levels of need and helping those communities overcome barriers to living healthier lives. Community members’ average lifespans can differ by 20 to 30 years based on inequities that restrict access to healthy food, affordable health care, and mental health support, according to the American Public Health Association.

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Chaplaincy Biblical Foundations

Chaplaincy Biblical Foundations
Chaplaincy Biblical Foundations

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Chaplaincy Biblical Foundations

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RESEARCH PAPER: PART 1 INSTRUCTIONS

The incarnation of Jesus Christ sets the stage for chaplain ministry. Just as Jesus entered into a secular world to accomplish his ministry (John 3:16), so chaplains are called into secular and pluralistic environments to minister.

Note, Jesus relied on His words and actions to fulfill his mission to redeem and make an eternal relationship possible for all believers. Romans 10:17 reminds one that actions alone are not enough. “Faith comes by hearing the word of God.” Jesus died for our sins, but without him telling us who he was and why he came we would remain ignorant of salvation. John 1:14 reveals that “The Word became flesh.” It is not enough for chaplains to bear the presence of Christ, they are also called to bear his Word, words of salvation, words of hope, words of comfort, words of peace, etc.

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Assignment: Write a 5 page paper drawing parallels between Jesus Christ’s incarnational ministry of presence (actions) and His ministry in word, and the chaplains ministry of presence (actions) and his/her ministry in word. When making various parallels, start with the scripture passage that reveals a certain truth about Jesus’ ministry of presence and ministry in word and then reflect on how the chaplain should model that behavior.

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The Role of Non-Government Organizations

The Role of Non-Government Organizations
The Role of Non-Government Organizations

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In the document The Role of Non-Government Organizations there is this statement: “InterAction’s PVO Standard 7.1.5 states: “A member’s programs shall respect the dignity, values, history, religion and culture of the people served.” The guidelines that follow have several four sub-points.

Using the resources of this document, other texts and resources and your own experience, respond to this question:

How might InterAction’s guidelines for its members to avoid conflicts between religious and relief missions affect how a religious organization responds to a major disaster?

Are these standards the same or different from those required by military personnel conducting relief operations?

Which of those standards were the most readily banned from international relief operations?

This link will take you to the PVO: (http://www.interaction.org/membership-standards)

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Strategy For Couple Counseling Through Church Ministry

Couple Counseling
Couple Counseling

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Strategy For Couple Counseling Through Church Ministry

Not a single marriage unit is devoid of conflict. This is because every couple comprise of two clearly different people, with different backgrounds, experiences, personalities and emotional dispositions. In spite of the compatibility between a husband and wife, these two distinct individuals will always have fairly different viewpoints which will create tension and even conflict in the marriage union (Solomon, 2008). Some of the core sources of conflict in marriage include careers, in-laws, money, sex, children and a host of other marital related issues.

When marital conflicts are left unsettled they could cripple a relationship and even lead to divorce or separation. Many couples do not have acumen for proper communication, hence they are not able to articulate their problems and this could be a major setback when it comes to conflict resolution in a marriage unit (Egan, 2006).

The major difference between couples living in marital bliss and the loveless couple is not found in whether they have conflict or not, it’s found in whether they care for each other and they are able to articulate and resolve their problems. The objective of this paper is to uncover the root of the problems between the partners in this conflicted couple for the purposes of providing a ministry plan for resolving their problems.

Couple Counseling

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Case Study: Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Couple

Strengths Of The Couple:

According to the information educed from the facilitator’s report concerning Walter and Pam, key elements concerning this couple come out prominently. Foremost, the couple has a potential to live and work out their issues together because they have a lot in common, some of the strengths they share create a backdrop for a strong affectionate love relationship.

Notably, every marriage has got its pressures, the question is not how to avoid tensions in a relationship but how to broach them when they come (Clinebell, 2008).The reason why tensions should not be allowed to escalate particularly in this couple is because they could lead to isolation and later abandonment, thus Walter and Pam must be taught how to act when conflict occurs.  

Walter and Pam have demonstrated the ability to manage their finances; in this area they have demonstrated adeptness because they scored above average. The couple is able to plan and budget their money together, this is a plus for the couple because they are able to avoid unnecessary tensions arising from impulse buying and unmet family needs. Planning together enables them to have common financial goals thus they are able to invest wisely and plan for the future (Ron, 2012).

Planning together also eliminates suspicion which could arise when each partner is managing their own funds. The word of God states that God commands blessing where there is unity. It therefore goes without saying that as the couple plan their finances together and execute their plans in unison God is going to bless them and expand their territories in the area of finances.

Couple Counseling

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Remaining in accord in a marriage scenario has been difficult since Adam and Eve, this is because two distinct individuals with their own goals must enmesh and hope to experience oneness as God intended. Unfortunately, human beings are selfish and each craves his own independence. The prophet Isaiah portrayed the human egocentric problem many years ago: “All of us like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Every human being is selfish and intuitively looks out for number one, this directly leads to conflict.

It’s imperative to find out the areas where couples have similarity in order to build a ground for unity and harmonious marriage relationship. For example, Walter and Pam watch their health closely, they are both active and adhere to the rules of good nutrition. This is a positive attribute as it will enable the family to work out on their lifestyles to make sure that they age gracefully, this also minimizes their doctor visits and ensures that they will raise healthy children.

Pam and Walter have a knack for solving problems amongst other parties and even their own children, this strength enables them to create an amiable home environment where their children can feel secure since all their emotional needs are met. Moreover, the couple is able to create time to spend with their children and understand their social and emotional needs. By taking care of their children they provide a safe space for growth to make sure that their children are not trailed by psychological and mental disorders later in life.

When children are in good health, couples are able to forge ahead and achieve their goals in life. This marriage offers Walter and Pam a tremendous opportunity to overcome selfishness, as they give out their time and support for others and their children they are able to move attention from the self thus becoming a better couple. The answer for ending selfishness in a marriage is elaborated in the teachings of Jesus who taught us that instead of wanting to be first, we must be willing to be last; instead of being served we should serve. Jesus would wish for each person to love their spouse in the same measure as they love themselves. God’s plan for couples is to give up, give in and give all in order to honor His name.  

Couple Counseling

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In this couple there is another attribute of the man (Walter) which serves as a bridge for solving many unresolved issues in the marriage. Walter has the ability to forgive easily and let go when hurt by his spouse or others. Human beings will try to love and protect each other no matter how hard they try, at one point they will fail and failure will hurt the other party (Navidian & Bahari, 2014). The definitive relief for hurt is the calming salve of forgiveness (Steele & Plenty, 2015).

This couple therefore has the key for maintaining an open and intimate love relationship since Walter is able to ask and grant forgiveness quickly. As Pam works out her relationship with God, she will also find the grace to forgive others easily. Jesus taught his disciples that said, “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matthew 6:14–15). This instruction clearly teaches all the God fearing couples to be forgivers.  

The forgiveness of God entails giving up resentment and the human desire to punish willingly (Kennedy, 2008). It’s an act of sacrifice freely letting the offending party off the hook. As a follower of Christ, an individual should not do this under coercion, screaming or objection rather one should do it with a gentle spirit and love Paul argued the church of Ephesus to be kind to one another tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ had forgiven them (Ephesians 4:32).

As Walter demonstrates his ability to willing forgive and let go of an offence, Pam will be able to comprehend its significance and gradually learn to forgive easily as its an healing balm to every heartache.

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Couple Counseling

The couple is also blessed because they adhere to Christian teaching and therefore have there spiritual beliefs etched in supreme God. This is an area of unity, it mean that the couple can fellowship and even present their problems to God in one accord through prayers. By following into the teachings of the word of God they can grow together and learn how to love, please and respect one another. Paul admonished the Philippians;

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4.

Followers of Christ must conquer selfishness so that they do not give the devil a foothold in their marriage. Being a God fearing couple, Walter and Pam will be taught by the Lord how to be selfless considering others better themselves. In this kind of scenario there will be no room for name calling, violence or criticism. Once humility takes root in a marriage, there is room for forgiveness understanding and operating in harmony. The couple in this case study has a major strength in that they are able to handle transitions.

Transition is likely to bring strain and stress the family as a whole. Owing to their resilience, this couple is able to avoid anger disrespect and demands during any transitions in their family (Mack, 2010). In order to enhance more growth in this area, the couple should be taught how to find solutions to their problems without hurting each other’s feelings. The interest of every spouse should be given a consideration so that any arising conflict can be resolved amicably.  

Couple Counseling

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Weaknesses Of The Couple:

The major root of conflict in a marriage is owing to the fact that opposites attract, so people tend to married by people with varied personalities who bring, strength spice and difference in their lives(Milne,2006) ). For example, the extroverted people are attracted by the introverts; the docile people also tend to go for the hyper active types. It’s a strange phenomenon but mainly that is how people get paired in marriages and the difference in their personalities inevitably brings about conflict because of varied reasoning and perceptions.

After being married for awhile due to the varied temperaments, the attractions amongst couples may become repellents. This could lead to mean remarks, unnecessary arguments and misunderstanding when handling finances (Egan, 2006). Often, couples find their disparities so wide that they don’t understand why God put them together. You may find that your backgrounds and your personalities are so different that you wonder how and why God placed you together in the first place.

The key to resolving any tensions in a marriage is foremost understanding and accepting the differences amongst the couple in order to resolve them (Backus, 2005). Just like Adam accepted Eve, God’s gift, each one is to accept their spouse. God in his wisdom and mercy gives every individual a spouse who completes them in a very special way.  In the given case of Walter and Pam, Walter is more reserved and does not know how to handle friends and family; Pam on the other hand is more amiable and opens up their home for the relatives and friends.

Although she means well, this exuberant character does not go well with Walter and he often feels like strangers are enclosing on their space. In order to work out on this weakness, Pam must be considerate and minimize the innumerable visits from others, as she orients Walter to her world she could try and visit her friends rather than her friends visiting her frequently. Slowly, as Walter learns and accepts her perception and attachment to friends he will be able to create a room for her to entertain friends and visitors.

Couple Counseling

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This couple also experiences another problem in the area of sexual satisfaction. This is a problem commonly found amongst young couples especially when the children are young.  Often women place a lot of time, energy and attachment to the children to the point that they neglect their own husbands (Steele& Plenty, 2015). Often, men suffer silently and this could have an emotional toll on the couple. Romantic love cannot blossom unless the emotional needs of every partner are met.

The facilitator should help Pam and Walter to make a commitment to create and maintain romantic love, identify habits that destroy romance in their relationship and overcome those habits and finally identify the most important emotional needs of every partner (Milne, 2006). Once emotional needs of every partner are met, romance blossoms and this creates way for sexual satisfaction. The frequency and quality of sexual relationship that the couple will have will depend on the level of their emotional satisfaction,

Walter should set aside quality time to talk and enjoy the company of his wife. He must often help her with household chores to create time for their intimacy and he should be gentle, caring and understanding. Women crave more affection; they value gifts and like to spend time with their men talking (American Psychological Association, 2012). Walter should create room for all these to create ease and affection in their marriage. On the other hand Pam should respect and support her husband, give him space and make sure that she has reserved time for just the two of them.

Couple Counseling

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Romance in a love relationship must b cultivated and nurtured to make sure that it does not die away. Each partner in the relationship must identify and communicate their emotional needs, when making love women like to be touched and adored. Men also like watching the physique of their women during love making; it’s therefore the duty of Pam to stay attractive and sexy for her husband. Sexual satisfaction is not automatic it comes as a result of hard work, the couple must plan and deliberately take the necessary measures to make sure that they give each other maximum satisfaction. Consulting, a marriage counselor could help the couple voice out their needs and how they would like those needs to be met.

In the area of leisure activities, Walter is a bit closed up. Often, they don’t to find a common ground on what is best for their leisure activities. Pam is a very extroverted individual who values fun and pleasure so she does not have a problem with the family leisure activities. Often, because Walter is not very talkative Pam does not understand some of his attributes, she does not like how he spent his leisure and some of the habits that he shows.

This area brings in friction because the couple has not agreed on what is suitable for the family in general and how each individual can spent his/her leisure time. In order to resolve the conflict in this area, each partner is supposed to set aside his/anger or bitterness and keep the relationship current. The couple must resolve to remain in solid fellowship with each other and the children no matter their differences this will ensure that they are not isolated because of their differences. 

           Lack of proper communication has been a great impediment to this couple; this challenge hinders the couple from resolving their day to day conflicts. The quality of the family communication is low and hinders ease in flow of information which could escalate into misunderstanding.  This couple can be terrific even in the face of the various conflicts and stresses, the goal of goal of re-establishing and sustaining love in marriage is important than conflict resolution. When a couple is bonded through love and understanding conflict resolution becomes a lot easy, when there is love proper procedures for resolving conflict are instituted minimizing chances of misunderstanding. 

Couple Counseling

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Notably, Pam has weaknesses when it comes to managing her personal stress, when she encounters a stressful situation she doesn’t have the ability to internalize her stress she allows it to trickle to others even affecting the children. The best way to handle personal stress is foremost, identifying the cause of stress and then working out to eliminate all the factors leading to stress.

Moreover, it’s very prudish to talk to someone about the stressful situation as this helps a person to organize her thoughts. Therefore, Pam should come up with a strategy on the proper procedure to follow any time she is going through a stressful situation to avoid impacting the family members negatively

Strategy For Counseling And Supporting The Couple Through Church Ministry.

In order to counsel the couple in this case study effectively the ministry will devise an effective plan of action to help meet the objective of stabilizing this couple together and ensure that they attain social and emotional stability. This couple comprise of two individuals, each has got his own experiences, background and personality. Owing to some unacceptable habits and interesting idiosyncrasies they may not fit together easily. Each partner has got his expectations to be met plus trials and tribulations in life which the couple must overcome; all these factors inevitably breed a ground for conflict.

Step (i) The Couple Must Know And Accept Their Differences

Pam and Walter were brought up in different environments and they were taught varied habits, values and traditions. Pam is an extrovert while Walter is an introvert, while Pam likes to party with friends and relatives Walter would rather have his space. All these are differences between the couple that must be understood and accepted. The couple must work out to find an area of compromise to avoid straining each other.  

From the personality profile its apparent that Walter scores below average on most of the traits, for instance in regard to social change and emotional stability he scores below average. Pam on the other hand records higher scores above average (Risse, 2012). These results imply that both parties are different with varied personalities, its imperative for the two partners to know their differences in order to minimize areas of friction in their relationship (Collins, 2007). They must be encouraged to have a free communication through which they will be able to share their emotions and perceptions and reduce unnecessary conflict.

Couple Counseling

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Step (ii) Defeating Selfishness

All the differences between this couple are magnified because they feed the selfish and sinful nature of human beings. As good Christians the couple should be taught how to put the interest of the others first. The couple must be taught how to give up their own will for the will of the other. By giving up their will to Christ and continuously seeking to please the Lord, the couple will be able to resolve their conflicts and live amicably.

Romans 12:18 states “If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” According to this scripture, in order to live peacefully, the couple must pursue peace, this means taking the initiative to resolve a difficult conflict instead of waiting for the other offending party to take the first step.

Step (iii) Loving Confrontation

  • The couple will be taught the art of confronting each other with grace and tactfulness a skill which requires patience, wisdom and a lot of humility. Here are some of the tips on how this confrontation can be done.
  • The words used during the confrontation should not hurt they should bring healing and wholeness to the relationship to avoid isolating the confronted partner.
  • The attitude should be right, the message conveyed should be clear, I love you and respects you and I want you to respect me too.
  • This confrontation should be done at the right time in the right place to avoid disrespect and misundersnidng.
  • When communicating its imperative to listen to each other and ask questions for any clarifications.
  • During confrontation just voice one issue at a time, this is not time for raising many complains its time to express an area of concern.
  • Focus on the problem, but not the person, avoid name calling and belittling each other.

Step (iv) Forgiving Each Other

Often, couples will fail and this will lead to conflict, when one partner wrongs the other he should be brave enough to ask for forgiveness quickly. The couple should not let their differences escalate into a misundersnding. As sooner as a couple apologizes, the strains and tensions are minimized or finished.

Couple Counseling

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Step (v) Returning a Blessing for an Insult

1Peter 3:8-9 says, “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.” Many couples have become experts in pointing out what is not right always. Some castigate their partners on their looks, their friends, their cooking style and many more. This way they don’t have a better way to relate to each other.

Returning a blessing for an insult means stepping aside and refusing to retaliate even when your partner wrongs you. This is possible through God’s help and the humility taught by the Holy Spirit. This also means doing well like speaking kind and gentle words; keep your tongue from evil and avoiding deceitful words. A pat on the shoulder and a gentle hug and all these little deeds of affection come along way to minimize tension and bring peace for the married couple. God’s purpose in all the marriage conflicts is to test the faith of His children. Once the faith is tested it produces endurance and glory to God.  

References

American Psychological Association. (2012). Publication Manual of the American Psychological  Association. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Backus, W. (2005). Telling the Truth to Troubled People. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House.Baker, S.(2011) School Counselor’s Handbook: a Guide for Professional Growth and Development. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Benner, D, (2007).  Christian Counseling and Psychotherapy. Baker Book House.

Clinebell, H. (2008) Basic Types of Pastoral Care & Counseling: Resources for the Ministry of Healing and Growth. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Collins, G(2007). Christian Counseling: a Comprehensive Guide. Waco, TX: Word Books.

Egan, G. (2006)  The Skilled Helper: a Systematic Approach to Effective Helping. 3rd ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Ivey A.E., (2003).Intentional Interviewing and Counseling. Fifth Edition. Thompson, Brook.

Kennedy, E. (2008) On Becoming a Counselor: a Basic Guide for Non-professional Counselors. New York: Seabury Press.

Mack, W.(2010) A.  A Homework Manual for Biblical Living. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing.

Milne B. (2006) Know the Truth. Second Edition. Inter-Varsity Press.

Navidian, A., & Bahari, F. (2014). The impact of mixed, hope and forgiveness-focused marital     counselling on interpersonal cognitive distortions of couples filing for divorce. Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing,21(7), 658-666. doi:10.1111/jpm.12058

Risse, J. (2012). Facilitator report. Life Innovations. Inc. Retrieved from:https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6VIRa5GRvEca3BFS3RfbnMxMGs/view

Ron, D. (2012). Dating and the Single Parent: are you ready to Date? Talking with your Kids, Avoiding a Big Mistake, Finding Lasting Love. Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers.

Ronald, E. (1991). Strengthening Marital Intimacy. Kearney, NE: Baker Book House Company.

Steele, G. A., & Plenty, D. (2015). Supervisor–Subordinate Communication Competence and  Job and Communication Satisfaction. Journal of Business Communication52(3), 294

The King James Bible

Ron, Deal L. (2012). Dating and the Single Parent: are you ready to Date? Talking with your Kids, Avoiding a Big Mistake, Finding Lasting Love. Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers.

Ronald, H. E., (1991). Strengthening Marital Intimacy. Kearney, NE: Baker Book House Company.

Solomon, C. (2008) Handbook to Happiness: a Guide to Victorious Living  and Effective Counseling. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Couple Counseling

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On Being an Atheist Essay Paper

On Being an Atheist
On Being an Atheist

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On Being an Atheist

Introduction

Topics in regard to Gods existence have resulted in ongoing battles that have lasted for quite a while. These topics have sparked several debates with some people agreeing with the existence of God while other refuting such claims (Boehme, 2014). However, the debates that pertain to the existence of God have intrigued several philosophical ideas with many people alleging that they being that God cannot be seen, his existence is debatable.

Other schools of thought also allege that if God exists and claims to be all powerful, then evil should not exist in this world. It is essential to note that there are several pieces of evidence that support the existence of God (Boehme, 2014). This paper, therefore, attempts to critic McCloskeys views in regards to the atheist objections and also describes several arguments that establish his illusions of the existence of God including the opposing arguments against his existence.

Proofs Can’t Establish the Case of Gods Existence

To begin with, McCloskeys view implies that there are no proofs that can establish Gods existence and those allegations should be abandoned.  In my view, McCloskey makes no effort to determine what evil is nor does he explain its existence. In other words, he attempts to discredit people’s belief in God by making allegations against the origin of their beliefs. However, McCloskey fails to address why the faith of a people may not be valid and whether they take the time to discover such evidence before they ascent to Christian theism (H.J. McCloskey, 1974).

McCloskey views God as jaded, unforgiving, uncaring, and punitive and believes that the best proofs on the nonexistence of God can be depicted in the evil acts of his creation since morality has strongly subdued the proof of an intelligent creator designing the universe. For Christian, the expressions of truth are only found in Christ’s words in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth and the Life.

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The Cosmological Argument

The author of the article, “On Being Atheist”, opens by giving a description on the reasons theist believe in God.  He purports that the grounds of such beliefs are inadequate and gives the reasons as to why the atheist do not believe in Gods existence. McCloskey in his article tells of a Christian friend who believed that philosophers place so much of importance on the proofs that regard to the existence of God as the foundation to their religious beliefs (H.J. McCloskey, 1974). In my view, in order for the universe to exists, there was its origin or something that created its existence. Nothing has the capacity to create itself and there is the need of an independent creator that existed before the universe.

In the book: Reasonable Faith, William Lane Craig, alludes to the fact that there must be a creator responsible for all the creation activities and the creator needs not a cause to do the things that have an origin. This, therefore, means that everything that exists needs a cause and saying that something has no beginning denies the existence of a predecessor. McCloskey also alleges that the Cosmological Argument does not give us the right to postulate an all-powerful case that he considers uncaused (H.J. McCloskey, 1974). 

In as much as this argument provides no proof of the existence of God , it supports the idea of a necessary being as the only responsible cause that erases the need for an infinite regressive cause. In my view, there is only one possible view that is compatible with other views on Gods existence, a factor that makes it an individual’s choice to desire learning about the existence of God.

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The Teleological Argument

This argument is an argument from the design point of view that alludes to the existence of a maker of all the contingent objects. This argument in some way has some connections with the cosmological argument that implies that all the designs employ a greater designer, there is a designer in the world, and that the designer is the greatest (H.J. McCloskey, 1974).  McCloskey as other philosophers claims that to believe that nature was designed; there is a need for indisputable examples.

In other words, this author claims that the evidence and examples on this must never be refuted and also contends that indisputable claims are essential and unreasonable in defining God. In my own view, a given example or evidence on the existence of God such as nature shows the indisputable possibility of a creator and there is nothing that can be disputed in this claim (H.J. McCloskey, 1974).

In regard to McCloskey’s claim on the presence of imperfection and evil is an argument that is incompatible with the perfection of the Divine Creator since the creator set a perfection standard for goodness, but man as a sinful being made the imperfect evil possible.

On the other hand, McCloskey suggests that evolution should take the place of a Divine Designer. In my view, this would imply that everything that exists in nature is primarily motivated by chance, which would hardly be the case since everything in nature requires some guidance (Feser, 2013).

This is a process since everything has a specific construction and certain functions. If there is not a Divine Designer then this would mean that everything in nature may function by chance, a factor that could see things happen in any manner. For example, the snows would come during summer since everything functions in no order.

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On the Problem of Evil

McCloskey also stresses in his articles on his objections on the problem of evil by alluding that no being that is perfect and claims of goodness could create the world in which there is suffering of the creatures. According to Feser (2013), the element of evil remains one of the conversant objections that have widely been presented by the atheists. The atheists tend to view why people should not believe in God as described. These objections are mainly posed by the frequent occurrences of suffering and evil that is presently seen.

This remains the reason why many philosophers, as well as McCloskey, dismiss the claims on Gods existence basing their claims on the presence of evil. The theist approach of Gods view is in relation to His attributes that depict Him as omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent. On the other hand, the atheist believe that if all this attributes point towards God and He truly exists as  He claims then he had the capacity to stop suffering and evil.

Other theists also take a stance on the concept to the of evil by leaning on the free-will defense, which alludes that God was the creator of human beings and was the same giver of the free will to choose what is right and wrong. This according to them is considered better since humanity has the freedom of choice than to haven none. According to this view, the evil that is prevalent in the world today exists since man chose the way of evil (Feser, 2013).

Considering the fact that we have been granted the free will to choose what we opt right or wrong, humanity therefore needs to choose to believe in God, who needs to be worshiped, and praised. God has the capacity to mitigate the element of evil, but this means we may lack the free-will to choose. The coming of Christ to offer salvation to Humanity would not have made any sense if God chose to eliminate evil offer salvation.

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Some theists respond to the problem of evil through a free-will defense in which God is stated as the creator of human beings with a free will since it is better to have the freedom to choose that to lack the freedom of choice (LeDrew, 2013). In other words, the evil that exist in the world is a result of the choice of a man to do evil. As free will beings, we need to believe in God, worship and praise Him. If God would have eliminated evil, then Christ should not have come to offer salvation and he would not have died for our iniquities.

On Atheism as Comforting

At the end of his article, McCloskey concludes by asserting that atheism is more comforting than theism. In his argument on this point, he uses the existence of evil and the sufferings that occur of the innocent to support his atheistic perceptions that a perfect being may not necessarily exist and allow evil things to occur (LeDrew, 2013). He also contends that people who follow theism are more likely to find cold comfort in believing religiously and that people need to find comfort and strength wherever they can find it inclusively.

Thinking about this, it is essential to note that people in many instances may need comfort, a factor that makes them seek for spiritual authorities to assist them in understanding things, both the bad and the good (LeDrew, 2013). A Biblical understanding of the element of comfort is encouragement which can be done through the use of words or the presence of an individual to help in the times of need. Comfort in this case as viewed by Christians remains in the ability of Christians o choose whether to believe in God or not, thus giving them the chance to know God more, understand him and commit to him truthfully.

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Conclusion

McCloskeys view implies that there are no proofs that can establish Gods existence and those allegations should be abandoned.  In my view, McCloskey makes no effort to determine what evil is nor does he explain its existence. McCloskey also alleges that the Cosmological Argument does not give us the right to postulate an all-powerful case that he considers uncaused (Boehme, 2014).  In as much as this argument provides no proof of the existence of God, it supports the idea of a necessary being as the only responsible cause that erases the need for an infinite regressive cause.

On the Teleological Argument McCloskey as well as other philosophers claims that to believe that nature was designed; there is a need for indisputable examples, views that find to substantial backings. McCloskey also stresses in his articles on his objections on the problem of evil by alluding that no being that is perfect and claims of goodness could create the world in which there is suffering of the creatures and concludes by asserting that atheism is more comforting than theism (Boehme, 2014).

In a nutshell, I believe that McCloskey provides minimal pieces of evidence on his claims that are aimed at supporting atheism and instead attempts to point out to the faults of Christians as a claim to refute the existence of God. The arguments of this theist, therefore, point out to the existence of God.

References List

Boehme, A. J. (2014). The Atheist’s Primer. Reviews in Religion & Theology, 21(1), 114-116. doi:10.1111/rirt.12286

Feser, E. (2013). The New Atheists and the Cosmological Argument. Midwest Studies In Philosophy, 37(1), 154-177. doi:10.1111/misp.12000

H.J. McCloskey (1974). “On Being an Atheist, “The Southern Journal of Philosophy – Vol. 15 – Issue 1 – pp. 101-111

LeDrew, S. (2013). Discovering Atheism: Heterogeneity in Trajectories to Atheist Identity and Activism. Sociology of Religion, 74(4), 431-453.

Thiessen, J. (2014). There Is No God: Atheists In America. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 53(2), 453-455. doi:10.1111/jssr.12099

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Role of Religion in Helping Inmates Adjust to Civil Society Movie Review

Role of Religion in Helping Inmates Adjust to Civil Society Movie Review
Role of Religion in Helping Inmates Adjust to Civil Society Movie Review

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Role of Religion in Helping Inmates Adjust to Civil Society Movie Review

INSTRUCTIONS:

Please write a Reflection Paper after you watch the videos.

A few months after he became warden of Angola Prison, Louisiana State Penitentiary, the Warden of Angola Prison approached New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with an unusual request. Known as the “bloodiest prison in America,” Angola was in trouble and Warden Cain envisioned a solution. He wanted to create a process of moral rehabilitation that began with a seminary education, training inmates to become faith leaders inside prison walls.

Please analyze: the long-standing rehabilitative ideal had collapsed, a demise that was sudden and advocated by conservatives and liberals alike.

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Contemporary Metaphors for the Kingdom of God

Contemporary Metaphors for the Kingdom of God
Contemporary Metaphors for the Kingdom of God

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Contemporary metaphors for the kingdom of God

God’s Kingdom is described metaphorically in most parts of the New Testament. As Tame (2005) pointed out, the metaphors used in the New Testament actually do not relate to the contemporary society. This essay is focused on contemporary metaphors for the Kingdom of God. One particular metaphor or parable is used in describing the Kingdom of God.

The essay discusses how the selected metaphor or parable would have made sense to Jesus’ audience during the first century. The impact and meaning of this message to the original audience of Christ is described exhaustively. Lastly, this essay describes the way in which that same message and impact may actually be communicated in the modern context.

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One particular metaphor that has been utilized in describing the Kingdom of God is the Parable of the Mustard Seed. This parable was taught by Jesus Christ in rhetorical hyperbole. Here, Christ makes use of a tree or shrub growing up from a seed to represent the growth of God’s Kingdom (Daniel 4: 11-21; Ezekiel 17: 23; John 12: 24). The growth of the seed attracts the presence of evil – portrayed as birds (Revelation 18: 2; Matthew 13: 4, 19) – to dilute the church whilst exploiting its benefits.

According to Christ, the heavenly kingdom is analogous to a mustard seed that a person takes and sows. Although the mustard seed is in fact the tiniest of all seeds, when this seed grows, it becomes the biggest of plants in the garden and tree where birds come and rest on in its many branches (Morrison, 2011).

Therefore, the picture that Jesus Christ paints in this parable is that of the lowly initial stages of the church undergoing an explosive growth rate. The church grows very big and later on it becomes a source of shelter, rest, and food not just for believers, but also for false professing persons who want to take advantage of or consume its benefits whilst mixing or residing amongst what the seed produced (Galatians 1: 7; Corinthians 11:13; and 1st Corinthians 6,7; 5:1).

Put simply, Christ was predicting that despite the fact that the church would grow to become very large from merely a small beginning, it would not remain unadulterated. Even though this is not a disapproval of the big size of modern Christianity, it actually shows the audience the biggest burden which comes with it. This parable serves not just as a prediction, but also as a warning (Morrison, 2011). 

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Given that the metaphors used to describe the Kingdom of God in the Bible are out of date, it is not easy for people in today’s society to comprehend what Christ is saying. Nowadays, Bible readers struggle to find the meaning of God’s Kingdom (Tame, 2005). The same meaning and impact of the Parable of the Mustard Seed may be communicated in the contemporary context by using the metaphor of financial investments; that is buying growth stocks.

A growth stock is essentially a share in an organization whose earnings grow at a rate that is above average in relation to the market. Growth stocks generate sustainable and considerable positive cash flow and whose earnings and revenues are projected to increase much quicker in relation to the average company in the same industry (Fuscaldo, 2014).

An investor who invests in growth stocks may start off by purchasing a very small amount of stocks in a growth company and as the company continues to grow over time, so does the investor’s assets in that company. Growth stocks are generally attractive to a lot of investors since they are growing (Fuscaldo, 2014). The revenues and earnings of the investor in growth stocks would increase much quicker than investments in other companies in that industry.

Therefore, after a period of time such as 10 years, the earnings of the investor who initially invested $2,000 would be about $150,000 (Fuscaldo, 2014). However, there are challenges for instance the company’s stock price may decline later on and the investor’s earnings reduce. These challenges or risks are comparable to how the church would not remain pure.

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The changed metaphor from the Parable of the Mustard Seed to the metaphor of investing in growth stocks is faithful to the teaching of Christ on God’s Kingdom whilst changing the metaphor for the audience in that my contemporary audience members will easily understand how the Kingdom of God grows. It starts small like a little financial investment in growth stocks of a company that grows slowly but steadily and after some years, the investment will increase into a substantial amount of money for the investor.

Put simply, just like financial investments in growth stocks, God’s kingdom has small beginnings; however, its growth is gradual but certain. This updated metaphor is especially suited to today’s audience members since many people nowadays tend to buy stocks in companies as a better way of investing their money rather than just saving them in banks and earning annual interest on their savings.

The metaphor conveys to my audience members the traits of the Messianic Kingdom of God as modelled and taught by Christ since it illustrates how God’s kingdom is comparable to buying growth stocks; has humble beginnings but eventually grows into a big thing.        

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Conclusion

 To sum up, Christ using the mustard seed parable to his audiences was describing the kingdom not simply as a seed, but as the tiniest seed. He was not explaining to the audience members a kingdom which comes in a conflagration of glory – Jesus basically described a kingdom which starts really small. This is not what was expected by the Jewish people at the time, but it was the kingdom of God which Christ stated was forthcoming.

On the whole, the kingdom of God is a narrative regarding slow growth. The meaning and impact of the mustard seed parable could be conveyed in contemporary context using the metaphor of investing in growth stocks; humble start but steady increase. Companies with growth stocks grow at a comparatively faster rate than other companies.    

References

Fuscaldo, D. (2014). 5 characteristics of good growth stocks. Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Longenecker, R. N. (2012). The challenge of Jesus’ parables. Boston, MA: Eardmans

Morrison, M. (2011). The Present and Future Kingdom. Grace Communion International.

Tame , K. (2005). And finally…the kingdom of God is like this… Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

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Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm

Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm
Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm

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Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm

            Healing hospitals are composed of three key components including a culture concerning radical loving care, the integration of technology and work design and a healing physical milieu. Spirituality, on the other hand, is a person’s identified experience or religion in relation to their realism. The philosophy of the healing hospital, therefore, integrates the physical body with the spirit of the person and the spiritual mind in order to provide the best health care possible.

            A physical healing environment provides health care to the spirit, body and mind. This starts with an appropriate culture where the related professionals need to contain a servant’s attitude, action, recognition and the key beliefs of empathy for the patient in meeting the patient’s spiritual and emotional needs (Chapman, 2010). Technology plays an important role in the provision of care as it facilitates better access to tutelage to the patients and increased time availability in order to address the spiritual and mutual needs of the patients as well as better interventional treatments and diagnostic to treat both the body and the mind (Chapman, 2010). 

Furthermore, the design of the facility takes into consideration the three core components of an individual. The design needs to allow protection and privacy, promote the complete wellness of a person and to offer easier access for the patients. These components are significant in facilitating the treatment of the body, mind and the spirit.

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            The key challenge affecting healing environments is to bring the entire medical unit under the thorough concept of healing within hospitals. Healing environments within hospitals are also challenged by spirituality and cynicism, leadership, bureaucracy, business and economics. The notion of incorporating spiritual causes a form of conflict from what health care professionals think and reason. Cynicism affects the healing environments since some people do not believe in the significance of improving the conditions of health care systems or that they do not assist in promoting quality health care services (Chapman, 2010).

In the past, the society was made to believe and taught that spirituality, which is also defined under religion, was to be separated entirely from the workplace. Furthermore, the health care system has transformed within the American economy by occupying a rather large portion of the national gross domestic product. The government and health care businesses need to focus on the profitability and cost to keep the shareholders contented as well as the access to health care viable.

The effectiveness of this perspective is that it would lead to quicker discharges, improved patient to nurse ratio and tight hospital budgets (Chapman, 2010). Patients end up spending huge amounts of cash in accessing care, which influences the healing process of patients. Therefore, health care facilities and hospitals are sometimes faced with huge budget constraints that may lead them to choose between equipment and treatment that offer emotional care and spiritual care (Chapman, 2010).

The Biblical perspective also supports the philosophy of healing hospitals. Such can be identified in the book of Jeremiah chapter 33 verses 6. This specific passage involves the health and healing of individuals by enabling them to be happy and enjoy abundant security and peace in their lives (American Bible Society, 2010).

Therefore, it is evident that the healing hospital concept is supported by this passage. Care givers are responsible for facilitating the healing process through the patient’s spiritual, emotional and physical aspects, which provides them with a sense of peace and security (American Bible Society, 2010).

In conclusion, the success of a healing hospital can only be actualized through the incorporation of the three components and by overcoming the plausible challenges and barriers. Healing hospitals focus on the needs of the patient and the provision of environments that promote the healing process.

This philosopher not only centers on the healing process of the patient and the related holistic aspects but also the general well-being of their family. Henceforth, all hospitals need to put the integration of the healing hospital philosophy into consideration since it promotes excellent provision of services and compassionate care to patients.

References

American Bible Society. (2010). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments, translated out of the original tongues and with the former translations diligently compared & revised, King James Version.

Chapman, E. (2010). Radical loving care: Building the healing hospital in America. Nashville, Tenn: Erie Chapman Foundation

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