God

This earth whereupon we live and breathe, the sky wherein we look at the numerous stars of small and large sizes twinkling, the sun that blazes and gives us light and energy, the moon that emits soothing lights and allures us and above all numerous other beings that we see around us; the twittering of birds, the cattle grazing in the vast pastures, the air which is utmost essential for our survival, the mountains whereupon we go for recreation and touring purposes, the eruption of volcanoes, the gliding waves of rivers, the bulging, frothing and roaring water of the oceans, the pointed cliffs and high and low ridges of the mountains, the calm and quiet vales and dales, the vast unlimited dry sandy tracts of the deserts blooming wherein flowers in the thorny bushes; all these things to whom we can see with our eyes and that are beyond our sight tell us that there is an Almighty being who has created all these things and running all the matters of this universe and all other universes to whom we have not been able to get to by now despite so much advancement of the present day society, make us know that it is He the Almighty Allah who is administering all beings, material or immaterial,  alluring or non-alluring, fanciful or otherwise, being or non-being,  all the bounties essential to the human beings with much ease and comfort and whatever qualms and colours, hue and queue occurs in this world is of the Commandments of His supreme Being, who is One and Alone and none else is like Him and to whom all purities and praises belong to Him. The more we, as being human beings, think of him come to know that it is He,  the Allah Alone and Almighty, who has made this earth and its beings and other universes that are off of our vision and sight. The coming of seasons and its turning into the summer into fall, fall into the spring, spring into winter and winter into rainy season, and all the bliss and bounties that take place out of this change and whose benefit we get in the form of corns, fruits and cereals and what not and it is He who has accorded us the title of Ashraful Makhlooqaat, the superior being among all other beings of the universe.

The whole universe that is in our sight and beyond is subservient and subordinate to His Command and Will who is the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious and the Most Powerful than all other beings. His blessing and bounties are in abundance. He has given us tongue to speak of, eyes to see to, ear to listen to, and legs to move and walk from one place to another place and above all the brain to ponder over, to utilize according to our own contemplation so that we could ponder over His Being who is One and none else is like Him and all other things and beings that He has created for our use and utilization. If anything among His bounties we get loss we cannot regain that if He doesn’t intend so but if He wills we can have; time and tide does not affect on it.

It is the common perception, such as, a patient who cannot see, since the doctor has operated upon his eye successfully so he has gained his vision but it is not so rather it is Allah who gave the wisdom to a doctor that he became able to operate upon successfully and hence the patient regained his vision and not the doctor who operated upon but the Allah who willed so and therefore the cure took place. If Allah didn’t will so there was none on the earth to recover his eyesight. In the like manner, whatever changes and vicissitudes and ups and downs take place anywhere in this world all that happen owing to His Commandments and Wills and not due to any other being whatever powerful that might be.

He is so merciful and gracious that he demands us nothing except that we, the human beings, obey his Commandments and Orders as he desires of us so that he could shower his blessings and benedictions that he has created for those who obey him without nay and oblige him with much sincerity and uprightness and who serve his other beings according to his commandments and guidance as he has laid down in the Holy Quran and as to which the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) has preached and practiced and has asked us the human beings to act upon. We, being true Muslim, must adhere to His All Commandments by the core of our hearts so that He may forgive us; bestow on us His numerous bounties in this world and the world hereafter.

“To Rule The Night” by James B. Irwin English 10 2/14/09 “As we flew into space we had a new sense of ourselves, of the earth, and of the nearness of God. I sensed the beginning of some sort of deep change taking place inside of me” -James B. Irwin The author’s purpose in the biography, “To Rule The Night,” by James B. Irwin, is to inform the reader of his life, particularly his trip to the moon and how God opened doors for him to share the word with thousands of people. Also in his book he talks about his childhood and how his father was a big Air force addict which influenced him to join the military.

He also talks about what happened when he got back to Earth, about all the interviews, and the famous Postage stamp incident that occurred between the crew and a German stamp dealer. (64)“…to show that our good postal service delivers any place in the universe, I have the pleasant task of canceling , here on the moon, the first stamp of a new issue…” Dave went on to sell all the new stamps to the German stamp dealer. I believe that he did achieve in informing me on his journey to the moon and his life.

I did enjoy this book also I thought it was encouraging how he was saved, (60) “certainly God had been watching over us that day. ” I think this book was meant for who ever was reading it because of all the interesting details, any kid could be interested in because he talks about living in zero Gs and how you eat with no gravity. (24) “All food containers were labeled A, B, C, D, E, and all meals were color-coded…. So if a meal floated by and you identified it as red, you could say, ‘Hey Dave you’ve lost your entree. Also for an adult because of the actual story of it the fact that he went to the moon and the maturity it was written in. It was appealing even from a Christian stand point because no matter where you are God can work in you. Well I believe the message I got from it was that God is everywhere and loves us enough to make the moon and all the stars. One of the themes that I noticed was he was a hard worker and was a respectful person. But I noticed a difference in him after he got saved; he was happier and was looking for opportunities to share the gospel.

Well a element that contributed to the theme has to be the vastness of space, because how can you go into space and not realize how magnificent God is if this is just what He made. The tone of the book seemed to be a very experience filled life. He did well in high school, joined the military, went into the air force, became a pilot, joined the space program, went to the moon, and became a revived Christian. Well while reading the book some elements that helped me identify the tone was the detail everything was described, (48) “Of course, you are constantly dodging rocks and craters.

You hit a rock and you are literally airborne. You just bounce into space, float for a while, and then come down. ” I think first of all the authors purpose, like I said before was to inform us of his adventure, and the tone just goes along with it. He seemed to be a well educated man with great imagination and ability to retain facts, individual moments and tell it back to you so that you felt like you were right there with them. (33) “I wish we had such things as drops in space, but without any up of down, water doesn’t drop out. It just makes a blob, and the blob just keeps on getting larger and larger. The vocabulary was not hard to understand; almost anyone could have read this book really. But at the same time it wasn’t to simple to were you thought the book was for a child, (127) “My new home was a rambling wooden building up on the hill that must have been the old officers quarters back during World War 2. ” There really weren’t any unusual qualities, except that the way that the book was written. It started out with his journey to the moon, then his childhood and worked its self back up. The book had much detail and really did a great job of catching my attention.

Also I enjoyed reading this book because I thought I was on the moon. But it wasn’t just that that caught my attention at the end of the book was the best part to me, (200) “There were 5000 in the audience, with the floor and aisles packed absolutely to capacity. I had a terrible stomach ache, and I asked the Lord to give me the right words and to give me strength. He really answered my prayer. About a hundred people came forward, and I felt that we had enjoyed a great experience. ” Well, I think that, if you mean James B Irwin when you say “subjects”, he accomplished a lot in his life.

That his life is an example that you can go to the moon and god still not be done with you. (203) “I have a sort of clarifying sense of uncovering Gods plan for my new life on earth. God has permitted me to live on top of the mountains, and when I have been cast down, He has brought me back on the tops of the hills again. Being able to give my testimony before people without fear, to share my spiritual voyage and to ask them to accept Jesus Christ, has been a tremendous experience for me. ” He seemed to emphasized in the end of his book the importance of his wife and there relationship with God. 205) “The whole experience in the Holy land was the most inspiring to way to turn the corner of the old year into a new year for High Flight. The experience moved us and gave us a chance to rededicate ourselves to each other as a family and to our mission. ” Well since the book was a biography there were many environments, when he was in space, on the moon, coming back, all the press, his child hood, his marriage problems, sharing the gospel round the world. But, something I noticed was he was never prideful or self centered, (180) “Frankly I do not care for all the fame and publicity…. A historical detail was, (18) “We knew that if we cleared the tower we had reasonable chance of survival if something should go wrong. I watched all the systems I was responsible for on my side of the spacecraft. We cleared the tower. It was almost the happiest moment of my life to realize that after all those years it was now my turn. At last I was leaving the earth. ” I think that it has a major effect on him, (43) “There was a excitement of exploring a place where man had never been before, but the most exciting thing, that really moved me and touched my soul, was that I could feel Gods presence there. Something that I learned from him was that his NASA training was hard and he almost dropped out, (180) “I had been so programmed I was like a robot. I had to eat, drink, sleep, and dream my work- I had to be saturated…. When I told Mary that I might drop out of the program… ” I learned from him, when he didn’t drop out, I learned that you have to persevere threw hard times. I want to join the Navy and I know that its going to be hard but it was herd for him and his wife, but he didn’t drop out or give up. The only main incident that he brings up in the end of the book was his relationship with his wife.

He talk about how much happier they are together and that God has really helped them grow together. (205) “Mary is a lot closer to me bow that she has been-we have both changed a great deal, and she is tremendously reinforcing me. ” It reveals that when it comes down to it none of his experiences matter to him, just him, his wife and God. (211) “Mary, you know, is the greatest nurse I could ever ask for. And she took care of me the way she did ten years before, after the crash. It has been an ideal relationship since I got back…”

After reading this book I would say that God is great because, James Irwin had grown up in a Christian home but, never truly followed Christ until he went to space. Afterward, you see a huge difference in his life, and a growth of sincerity with his wife. I learned that I shouldn’t let my achievements or pride get in the away of my walk with God. And I think that James Irwin does a great job of setting that example. I chose this book because I was curious to what it was like to go to space and how it would affect someone if they did. Plus I didn’t really know too much about the Apollo missions and what they did.

Some ways that I relate to him is my stubbornness; he was stubborn to his physical welfare, and im stubborn about my points of views. He told the press in his book that he never was physically fatigued while on the moon, but I remember him saying that he was on EVA2. Another way I relate to him is that he loved to fly. James B. Irwin wrote that he was depressed when he had his first heat attack because he couldn’t fly. I liked this book and really enjoyed reading it. I wasn’t too excited at first about reading a biography. But, it turned out to be a great book.

A couple of reasons I like “To Rule The Night” was because of the detail he used to describe going to space, and how the book was geared toured God and trusting Him. One of my favorite parts of the book was when he described the living conditions of living in a no gravity environment. I like it because it’s different and unique; it’s not something you would find in any book. I wouldn’t change anything in the book it is well written and has much detail. I think anyone that is interested in the experiences of few, and how a Christian is suppose to live for Christ, would like this biography of James B. Irwin.

Stop. Tell the driver to pause and command the tires to be silent. Make sure everyone is quiet and not fidgeting. Direct those who are waving to cease wagging their hands and let them glance for a quick second at this still moment-in-time and think. Look. Examine the picture. Why is everyone saying goodbye? Is it because waving is an acceptable folkway that has now become clich� and is just an easy way out when parting? Why are those who have raised hands crying? What is causing such emotion to be stirred in so many all at once?

Why do I feel the same way?

Camp comes once a year. One week of late nights, talking, fellowship with other believers and close encounters with God. Camp is another world; a place unlike home. However, that yellow school bus always brings us back to reality, reminding us that this oasis is only temporary. Yet despite camp’s brevity, its memories will always dwell in the back of my mind, always moving, breathing, living. They are translated into ink and laid out onto paper but they are animated in my mind – looping in my memory. I am inundated in the recollection of their faces. They are here with me.

Now I sit. I sit looking at these photos by myself, but this one stands out. It was the last day of camp and a grey day at that. Everyone was saying their last goodbyes. We already missed one another. At the time, I don’t think we realized that we would be together soon; camp would only be a year away and the winter retreat a mere six months. But who thinks of that at the time? Who reflects on such details when so overcome with emotion? That’s what pictures are for: to look back and rethink situations, to clear your head and to revisit and understand past circumstances. Now looking back I understand and am at peace – I will see them soon.

This realization excites me; the thought of seeing their faces enthuses me like the thought of a warm summer day. Once again we will have the chance to talk about and worship Jesus and not hold anything back. It is seldom that I get the chance to have companionship with other Christians and to be in an environment where everyone’s focus is on God. Times like these I savor; slowly nibbling a piece of chocolate – sweet and smooth -letting it melt on my tongue. But like any piece of chocolate, there is an end to it. Goodbye waves and driveways are in inevitable. However, when we go home, our relationship with our God stays the same; we are still followers of Jesus – only now swimming up stream. Yet we do this together; we may not be side by side but we all love our God simultaneously.

I can still remember the warm kiss of the sun dancing on my arm; the sensation of relaxation and comfort came down from the sky and hugged me, masking the inner sadness I had welling up inside. Yet, looking back at this picture, I can now remember also a great sense of confidence, knowing I was and am not alone in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ; those on the ground I was waving goodbye to and those whom I was sitting with on the bus all have the same purpose.

This picture is a monument – lasting evidence, a reminder and an example of a great and notable event in my life: camp. It was a place where I became closer to God and made many marvelous friends. I will miss my brethren but despite the reality of our separation, there is comfort. There is comfort in knowing I will see them soon and until then we share the same purpose in unity. We don’t have to be physically together in order to be brothers and sisters in Christ. We are connected by a common denominator: God.

So tell those who are waving to stop… pause… realize… We may not be united in close proximity, but like a flag in the wind we are one.

World Religions – Social Justice Issue Paper Legalization of Marijuana Introduction: Tracey Martin Every Religion demonstrates unique aim to adhere to specific way of living. “Typically, members of the Religious institutes either take vows of evangelical chastity, poverty and obedience (the “Evangelical Counsels”) to lead life in imitation of Christ Jesus or those following the Rule of SST. Benedict, the vow of obedience, stability (that is.

To remain with this particular community till death and not seek to move to another), and “conversion of life”which implicitly includes the counsels of chastity and evangelical poverty’ (Booker, 2003). “The golden rule exists in all Religions in some form. It is a statement, in summary, of the basic requirement for all human behavior. It appears sometimes in positive form: Jesus said, Do to others whatever you have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). It also appears in negative form: Confucius said, “What you do not want done to you, do not do to others” (Analects 15. 3) Since this is the fundamental obligation in all religions, why are so many religions involved in so many of the most bitter conflicts in the world? “(Booker, 2003). With that question dated, we will explore and compare the view points offered by Catholicism and the United Methodist (Methodism) related to the social Justice issue around the legalization of Marijuana. Supporting Data: The controversy over the legalization of illegal drugs in the U. S. , has been an ongoing debate over the last decade or greater.

From the early sass’s to the sass’s, Congress had enacted marijuana control laws, which saw a change in penalties for possession in the early sass’s, imposing minimum sentence of 2 years for first-offense, and again increased in 1956 based on the Narcotic Control Act, which classified marijuana with iron. By 1965, the first-time drug offense carried a sentence of 5 to 20 years of imprisonment, and second offense carried 10-40 years. It was noted in 1956, the United States had 1. 6 million arrests, and by 1970 ‘s the annual numbers had tripled.

The early sass’s, President Nixon proposed the war on drugs, related to the drug epidemic, which also lead the urban American public to believe it was the cause of the increase in crime. 1971, a treaty with Columbia was signed with the United States, as the first step to the war on drugs. The goal was to raise awareness among lawmakers and to stop the production ND trafficking from the Caribbean to the United States. By the sass’s, the war on drugs met challenges from the fight for power and the display of violence, observed from drug cartels.

The violence and uprising led various murders from lawmakers, judges, and other public officials. Over the last few decades, noted changes with the legal status of marijuana has been seen. Eleven States have passed laws that discriminative the possession of marijuana for personal usage, and other states continue to evaluate their state policies. In the sass’s, the worldwide epidemic of AID, parked the consideration for medical usage, which in 2005 policy was presented to lawmakers for consideration as the “Last Resort and Fundamental Rights”.

The policy review demonstrated Cancer and Aids patients experienced signs and symptoms from treatments, and marijuana alleviated the side effects, when no other methods had been successful for treatment. The history of marijuana continues to be a political controversy in the United States, which is observed at both the state and federal levels. Lawmakers are not the only ones undecided in regard to public and medical views push for legalization. Many opinions have been documented for the acceptance and noncompliance for the legalization of marijuana.

Points of view are divided in the medical communities with the psychiatric doctors pushing opposition due to substance abuse concerns in the general populations and adolescents. Churches/ or Religious Institutes are offering opinions based on values and beliefs stemming from the religious order. The general public of the United States also seems to be divided based on familial values and beliefs or the continued awareness through media coverage and acknowledgment of divided view points. The basic view points identified for the two different religions beliefs are as follows: Catholicism – 1. Apostle Peter as its first leader. 2.

Belief that Jesus Christ is Divine. 3. Transubstantiation; elements become really, truly, the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ at consecration, Real Presence of Christ, and the sacrament. (full communion). 4. Possession of the “threefold ordained ministry’. 5. Belief that the church is the vessel and deposit fullness of the teachings of Jesus Christ. 6. A belief in the necessity and efficacy of sacraments. 7. The usage of sacred images, candles and music, often incense and water at airship. 8. Veneration of Mary, the mother of Jesus as the blessed virgin Mary. 9. The distinction between God, Saints and Virgin Mary among the Saints. 0. Seven sacraments or “sacred mysteries” Methodism: 1. Tribune God, God is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 2. Scripture; writings of Old and New Testament inspired by God. 3. Sin, human beings are intended to bear the image of God. Sin estranges people from god and corrupts human nature from ability to heal or save ourselves. 4. Salvation through Jesus Christ; through stoning death, resurrection, presence through history and promised return. . Sanctification; draws one to Christian perfection, “habitually filled with the love of God and neighbor” and as ” having the mind of Christ and walking as he walked”. . Sacraments; two recognized. 7. Free Will; free to make choices because of God’s divine grace and people are truly accountable before God for their choices. 8. Grace; God gives unmerited favor freely to all though it may be resisted. Though the identified beliefs and practices during worship are different. The two religions identify very similar views regarding social issues. Opposing examples include: Abortion, Addiction, Capital Punishment, Suicide ND Euthanasia, War, and the threat of human life and dignity.

With the examination of the two religious views regarding the legalization of marijuana. Neither one of the religions endorses the use of Marijuana or “smoking pot”. Clergy emphasize God ‘s disapproval to mind-altering drugs, and promote abstinence from the use of illegal drugs, which is considered factors for crime, disease, death and family dysfunction. Marijuana is is described as a precursor or the gateway drug to the use of other drugs. With review of Amendment 64 in Colorado though, almost all the signers are Unitarians or liberal Mainline Protestants.

Nearly one third are United Methodists pastors, but presumed they do not preside over any of the larger congregations. Also several Jewish rabbis, but no Catholic or Orthodox clergy. “Apparently there’s no specific denominational official stance for or against the actual legalization. The absence of a stance is a little surprising, as Methodists were the original Prohibitionists”. (Dooley, 2013) “The traditional clergy are on stronger ground when citing the already experienced abuse of medical marijuana laws. Stronger theological insights into what a civil state could and should ban versus regulate would be lawful.

Those who believe in creating a more Just and godly society need to argue for maintaining a healthy common culture of mutual responsibility that guards against vice without exceeding the state’s proper vocation”. (Dooley, 2013). Both national religious institutes have made reference to the religious documents that blind their belief and values. For the Catholics documents such as traditional Papal, Conciliator and Episcopal. The Methodists cite Doctrine of Standards, and the Book of Discipline. Pope Francis quoted ” In every suffering brother and sister we embrace the suffering body of Christ. Dealers of death…. Allow the logic of power and money’,When addressing chemical addiction. United Methodists quote the church founder John Wesley ” None are recognized as Methodists who did not recognize the named Standards of Doctrine”. Conclusion: In the end the same question of; why are so many religions involved in so many of the most bitter conflicts in the world? “(Booker, 2003). I think the answer is still very divided, especially when examining a social issue. The legalization of marijuana, has been controversy since it was first introduced as an alternative approach for pacific medical treatments for signs and symptoms.

As lawmakers are currently divided in overall decision, it is also demonstrated thru the different religious institute, from one end of the spectrum to the other. There is a divide of opinion and focus, relating to the process and the end result. Religions are focusing on the belief, values and the good of all people. Others of the more liberal religious orders relate more to the statistics of criminal behavior, financial costs to the general pubic, and the logic of usage by an individual person as a controlled substance (comparative to alcohol consumption).

Currently, there is not an agreed upon solution to the social issue of marijuana be decentralized. Many States have taken it upon themselves to make decisions at the State level, and at this time others continue to evaluate. I think this is an issue that will continue to cause great debate over the coming years, the United States is very divided, from government in Washington, Religious Institutions, and the general public views for lour against the legalization of marijuana at this time. References: Allen, J. L. (2013), Pope decries ” dealers of death” opposes drug legalization, National Catholic Press

Collaboration Assessment Guide Please complete this guide and submit it with your evidence to the collaboration assessment. Part One: Team Evaluation Rate your team according to each of the performance criteria below. Consider the work of all members, including you. Use the comment area to explain your rating. 3=Always Rating for You: 2=Usually 1 -?Sometimes 0=Never Criteria: Rating for the Team: Comments: Listened to others 3 They listened to what everyone had to say Showed respect for others’ opinions

Even if one of us did not like an opinion, we still respected it Completed assigned duties We all completed the assigned parts Participated in discussions We had great discussions Attended meetings on time We were all on time Stayed on task We didn’t get off task Completed high-quality work 2 I did research Completed work on time We completed it on the date we agreed on Part Two: Reflection Respond to the following questions with two to three sentences each. What collaboration task did your group complete? The collaboration task that my group completed was the “stolen girls” and the Jews in concentration camps.

They have a few similarities such as, racism and they are both being prejudice. Describe your specific contribution to the group’s final product. The specific contribution to our final product was comparing the stolen girl and Jews in concentration camps. We finished it within a reasonable amount of time. What did you enjoy most about working with others on this lesson/task? Explain. What I enjoyed most about working with others on this task was the team work we put into the project. Also, how we all got along and it all worked out smoothly. How did your team deal with conflict?

Explain. We did not have any conflicts while we worked on our project. We had a god time working together. Do you feel others were happy with your participation in the lesson/task? Explain. I do indeed feel like others were happy with my participation on the project. In my opinion, I did all I had to do to be a great worker. What will you do differently, if anything, in your next online collaboration opportunity?

Anne Nichols Rochester College I chose to write about these two authors because their views on the Native Americans are both very different and I think it is interesting as to why. Benjamin Franklin who writes (Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America, p. 244-248) seems to have a much more positive and understanding outlook towards the Indians, where Mary Rowland who wrote (From a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs..

Mary Rowland, p. 27-143) is much more negative. Mary was a captive of the Indians for a period of time so her opinion of them is a bit more personal and biased. It seemed as if Franklin wanted people to understand that even though the Indians where different from them that that was okay. All cultures are different, and within those cultures people’s lives are different, but that doesn’t make them evil. His opening line says it perfectly, “Savages we call them, because their Manners differ from ours, which we think the Perfection of Civility.

They think the same of theirs” (IPPP). He starts off by going over the gender roles in their society explaining how the young men are hunters and warriors and at old age provide council. The women till the ground and bring up the children. He also examines how it is a rule of politeness to the Indian people not to answer a public request the same day that it is made, as to not send the wrong message that what is being considered is not important. He goes on for a bit to really emphasize the Indians politeness at all times.

Franklin generally has a warmness toward the Indians and is able to sit back and appreciate them for their culture rather than criticize them because they have different views on the world then the Colonists did. Franklin makes a very interesting comparison when he takes the government in the Indian council and the British House of Commons. He first states about how when someone is going to speak in the Indian council everyone remains quiet and listens, then everyone waits after he is done for him to collect his thoughts and make sure he did not miss anything.

He then speaks about how in the British House of Commons people are usually screaming over another and house speaker has to yell for order. This is a good example by Franklin to show in a way how the Indians where more civil than the Europeans. Mary Rowland does not have the same attitude. Rowland narrates her story in first person and it is about the things she witnessed and the experiences that occurred to her during her time as a captive with the Indians. During an Indian attack she witnessed friends and family being murdered ferociously.

When she was captured she traveled with her youngest gather, battling injury starvation and depression while being moved from Indian village to Indian village. She constantly refers to them as heathens and inhumane creatures along with many other negative terms. Along her Journey her youngest dies and she is separated from her remaining children. Her captives give her a Bible they retrieved from a raid and she quickly turns to her faith to give her the strength she needs to make it through this situation.

Mary throughout her writings is extremely passionate, her tone is generally despair but she remains hopeful that she will be reed eventually. Apart from the tragedy that Mary had to live with I think the two writings are also different because of Marry dedication to her puritan lifestyle. You have these puritans who live and breathe the bible clashing with this culture of people who don’t. Everything about the Indians probably looked heathen to them. Mary draws many references from the Bible which helps her keep hope, I find it ironic that with such a heavy Christian faith that she keeps a negative outlook towards the Indians.

This Puritan way of life has almost lead her to be ignorant of the Native Americans. Rowland fails to ever place the natives in a positive view. On many accounts, Rowland questions why God would allow the natives to prosper off their brutal ways: “But now our perverse and evil carriages in the sight of the Lord, have so offended Him that instead of turning His hand against them, the Lord feeds and nourish them up to be a scourge to the whole land”. She finds it hard to understand that her culture had invaded the natives’ land and in reality they are Just defending themselves and their way of life.

As if stated before the main difference I see between these two authors portrayal of the Native Americans seems to come straight from their personal interactions with them. Franklin had more of a diplomatic view of them while Rowland had to live through a tragedy. Franklin shows a kind attitude towards them and therefore looks at their culture with a much more open mind where Rowland is fearful and angry with the Indians for the deaths of her friends and family, part that with the close mindedness of the puritan way and it’s no wonder she never shows any good will towards them.

St. Augustine’s Confessions St. Augustine lived during a period in which the Roman Empire was in deep decline and Christianity was taking root as the official religion. It was a time of great political stress and widespread religious concern. The Confessions reveals much about his formative years, when he strove to overcome his sensual desires, find faith, and understand religious and philosophical doctrines. Augustine treats this autobiography as much more than an opportunity to narrate his life, however, and there is hardly an event mentioned in his autobiography that does not have an accompanying religious or philosophical clarification.

St. Augustine’s confessions also provide one with a critical aspect of the Christian Bible. Augustine’s confessions form a work that corresponds closely to its content and achieves what it set out to achieve, which is redemption from sins for Augustine and a revelation for the readers. His writing is basically an idea of the return of creation to God; its aim is to inspire others to actively seek this return and to believe in the creation of God. The relationship St. Augustine has with love and God is undeniably irrevocable due to the fact that he cannot distinguish love and God with out one another.

Augustine often experiences darkness, blindness, and confusion while attempting to find truth in God, but he knows that when he eventually finds him his confused heart will be redeemed. Augustine started out in childhood with a state of confusion because he had to live in two different worlds. These two worlds consisted of that of his mother’s (Monica) religious faith and teachings, and the rest of the outside world. The two worlds confused Augustine as a child because his mother praised Christ and Christianity and about the almighty God who helps humans to go to heaven.

In the outside world, it was completely nonreligious. The talk was about striving to achieve. In Carthage, while successfully pursuing his studies, he abandoned his Christian moral teachings of his early years and took in a mistress, with whom he lived with for 10 years. Augustine’s relation to his mistress focuses primarily on the problem of restless love, while showing that Augustine had the desire to love and wanted to be loved. Many young men stayed with a woman until the time came to marry them back then. This is what Augustine performed. He states that, “In those days I lived with a oman, not my lawful wedded wife but a mistress whom I had chosen for no special reason but that my restless passions had alighted on her. But she was the only one and I was faithful to her” (Confessions, IV). This is just one of the many aspects in his life that he considered sinful. Later in his writings, when Augustine talks about his conversation to Neo-Platonism (all actions are considered good or evil) and then Christianity that he classifies his previous behavior as sinful and regrets many of his previous actions. By the time he converted, he viewed every act in which he put himself ahead of God as sinful.

One sin that he mourns greatly and faults himself for is allowing him to be sexually free and having various partners. Although Augustine was regretful for his sin, he also mentions that it was the hardest sin to give up when he was trying to determine if he wanted to convert to Christianity completely. Augustine also attempts to provide another explanation for his previous actions by speculating that his actions were a result of his love for God being somehow misleading; “To him I was led by thee without my knowledge, that by him I might be led to thee in full knowledge” (Confessions, XIII).

One of the biggest struggles that Augustine faced was his belief in God and how God exists. His concern was how we can seek God without really knowing what he is or what we’re exactly looking for. “Within me I had a dearth of that inner food which thyself, my God—although that dearth caused me no hunger” (Confessions, I). He constantly questions the existence of God and his belief in Him. Asking God to “come into me”, Augustine again questions what that phrase could really mean when expressed to God.

Later on in the writing, Augustine came across a book, in which he referred to as “books of eloquence” (Confessions, IV), called Hortensius by Cicero. He admired this book very much and its philosophical ways which he proclaims it “changed my whole attitude and turned my prayers toward thee, O Lord, and gave me new hope and new desires” (Confessions, IV). The reading caused him to reach toward God, even though he had only learned of God seriously through Monica, his mother whom was of Christian faith. It helped him to develop a different outlook on God and take life more seriously.

Furthermore, the death of Augustine’s friend made him realize that all love should be rooted in God. His friend became very ill with a fever and eventually passed away. Augustine felt extreme grief and sorrow for his friend’s death. He believes that the main cause of his misery lies in the fact that he loves his friend with the type of love that should have been reserved for God alone. Therefore, he felt that all human love is going to fade unless this love is grounded in the eternal God who never changes and will always remain.

While love exists between two souls with whom we want to be with, this type of love will always have a basis from God. Throughout the Confessions, love and wisdom, his desire to love and be loved, are all driving forces for Augustine’s desire to find peace in God. Augustine often experiences darkness, blindness, and confusion while attempting to find peace in God and peace within himself, but he knows that when he eventually finds him his restless heart will be saved. Augustine felt that love might help him have a solid purpose in life and would guide him through his time of conversion.

Love is a natural feeling for human race and becomes a necessity for all people. For Augustine, the first love has to be for the love of God. It must come before all others. He states that “the thought of you stirs him so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you” (Confessions, I). Holding God as love’s priority, it helped Augustine to shape his life, his mind and his beliefs.

He never realized what a big difference it makes in one’s life when it is opened up to love and to love Christ. For Augustine, the answer to his questions and confusion lies in God’s grace. These answers are to the most difficult questions on life and faith. Throughout his writing, there was no time where he had been without love, but he had loved in pieces, hidden, and conflicting ways. He had loved his mother, Monica, from the beginning. He had also loved the name and image of Christ, but was in state of confusion many times therefore doubting his faith and beliefs.

Through the Confessions, Augustine leaves himself and his past to praising God and loving him because he felt guilty with himself and his importance of God in his life. He found a place in God that he never imagined could happen. His guilty mind and heart finally found rest in God. Love also played a significant role during his conversion. It helped guide him towards God and Christ in a positive way that influenced the rest of his life. All these various themes of love helped and guided Augustine through his conversion.

This formation was the discovery of a new self and the discovery of the new world he sees now through his conversion. The conversion taught him truth and to believe in God. His desire to understand wisdom, which was through the readings by Cicero, brought about a new view for Christ. Though he converted, Augustine’s full connection with the love of Christ was still yet incomplete for him. His mind was not satisfied with any one direction. The most critical and influential form of love that Augustine had was love for God and the love for Christ.

It was almost as if he was exposed to a new realm and he opened up his life up to God more and more each day by praising him, telling God how much he loves him now. Augustine states, “then, O Lord, you laid your most gentle, most merciful finger on my heart and set my thoughts in order, for I began to realize that I believed countless things which I had never seen or which I had taken place when I was not there to see” (Confessions, VI). The Confessions tells a story in the form of a long conversion with God. Through this conversion to Catholic Christianity, Augustine encounters many aspects of love.

These forms of love guide him towards an ultimate relationship with God. His restless heart finally finds peace and rest in God after the conversion. Augustine finds many ways in which he can find peace in God. He is genuinely sorry for having turned away from God, the one source of peace and happiness. Augustine is extremely thankful for having been given the opportunity to live with God. Augustine uses love as his gate to God’s grace. All in all, the Confessions can be read as Augustine’s way of redemption from his sins and his revelation of love to God and Christ.

Augustine’s transition from a sinner to a faithful Christian was also evidence to God’s greatness. Even though Augustine committed unacceptable sins, it was a good thing for him in that he found the strength to believe and love God. This is because of what he has obtained from analyzing texts, such as Cicero’s writings, and Christian philosophy and the fact that he can truly understand the root causes of his sins that he committed instead of simply implying them based on what a book says.