Christian People At The First Crusades - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 809 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/08/08 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Crusades Essay Did you like this example? The crusades were a time of glory, faith, brotherhood, and hope. But with the good comes the bad. Those were also times of bloodshed, cruelty, greed and dominance. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Christian People At The First Crusades" essay for you Create order Like any story there are different people with different interpretations of that same story. This was an interesting time because the crusades did not start just because of religion, many political and economic aspects were involved as well. The crusades also happened because the European Christians wanted to take control away from the Heathens, they believed the crusades would cleanse them of their sins, help them expand and acquire new land in the east, and to possibly open trade routes between Europe and the east. Although all of those factors were involved with the crusades the biggest concern for them was following their faith. Acquiring land is important however many of the people who were involved in the crusades were not noblemen or knights who could afford to buy new land. The crusades was almost a need for the people because times were hard, brother was killing brother but the crusades gave them a purpose and hope. The crusades was so successful because the mentality of the society at the time was very much into god and pleasing this higher power.   Clearly having been moved by Pope Urbans passion and effective rhetoric both authors have helped us imagine as if we were there in France listening to Pope Urbans speech ourselves. These interpretations help us to remember the events that happened during the crusades so that they may not be lost over time. Although both authors were interpreting the same topic both works were very different from the other. Although they were very different I found a good amount of similarities. Both accounts tried to almost scare the people into joining the war, biblical text was used to support their claims, both authors showed support for religious war in the name of god. Fulcher and Robert believed the conquerors of the holy land sinned against god. Both works called upon the common folk to go to war. Both documents have the same purpose which was to persuade the people. The accounts also describe the oppression being done to the Christian people in the holy land. The authors believed the sold iers had to sacrifice for god, god would support those who participated in the war and guaranteed them a place in heaven. The works point out the enemies who are the Turks and it was gods will for the European Christians to reconquer the land. Starting with Fulcher of Chartres the differences were very prominent. Fulchers interpretation was more subtle and more positive and less aggressive. His account cites more direct scriptures, speaks to the audience as the servants of god, and similar to the pope said that whoever is unclean can be cleansed by fighting in the war. He talks about how the Turks were cursed and all Christians should unite against the Heathens. Women, children, the elderly and feeble should not join the war. Focuses on the actions of god toward the people if they do not purify the land of sins.   Fulcher accounted a more religious based speech. He accounted Pope urban saying those who do not go to war will be punished by god. This account leans more toward convincing the people by emphasizing the rewards of praising and defending god. Fulchers version entices the peoples greed for everlasting riches. Since Robert the Monks account was written approximately twenty-five years after the speech was given its probably one of the reasons historians dont find it as credible as Fulchers and why it greatly differs from Fulchers account. Robert the monk accounted Pope Urbans speech more descriptive and threatening. This work used more imagery to explain the events and atrocities that are occurring in Christian lands. Historians found this account exaggerated. This version of the speech speaks to the audience as a race chosen and beloved by god.   He goes into detail about who should aid in the war. He believed you needed religious permission to go on such a religious expedition. Everyone poor and old should join the war efforts. Unlike Fulcher, Robert said that you should fight in the war because thats just simply what good Christian people do. The people who do not fight are either unworthy or bad people. Fulcher says his audience has been blessed by god so it is their time to repay their blessings and the dead will be rewarded greatly for what they left behind for the war. Robert the monks account entices the more aggressive side of the people. These accounts also influenced by personality, life experience and background. Two very different men but with very similar mentalities. Without these presumably accurate accounts the first crusades would be lost to us like so many ancient questions still puzzling historians today.

Water Pollution is the Source of Major Conflict in Our...

Water is an important resource for every organism on Earth, yet water pollution has become a major conflict all around the world. Water makes up most of Earth and is a necessary factor for both the environment and people. Even though water is something that the human race can’t survive without, water is constantly being polluted because of humans. Oil pollution, global warming, eutrophication, sewage, air pollution, marine debris, industrial waste and radioactive waste have become the main causes of our water being polluted. All of these causes are effects of the human way of life. People have grown so careless that they don’t realize they are poisoning themselves. Water pollution needs to be considered more because it is something that†¦show more content†¦These chemicals don’t only poison surrounding wild life but they can also cause a lot of damage to surrounding families in that area who come in contact with the water. Debris getting dumped in river, lakes, and oceans is also increasing pollution in water. In 2003, a study stated that 80% of coral reefs in Asia were endangering to collapse with twenty years because of debris pollution (What Future†¦). Major bodies of water have become a main dumping ground for items such as cardboard, plastic, newspaper, and glass. Both plastic and glass can take up to a few centuries to completely break down. These products kill the sea life or cause them to evacuate the polluted area causing a disastrous outcome. Another factor of water pollution is air pollution. Air pollution is an after effect of factory smoke and it has become dirty enough that rain is becoming acidic. Acid rain poisons the marine life by filling all bodies of water with toxins. A brown cloud of pollution called Asian Haze hovered over Asia in 2002 causing damage to plant life (What Future†¦). 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Abraham and Sarah Free Essays

string(40) " out of his anticipation of the future\." Abraham and Sarah The story of Abraham and Sarah is an important one, especially because Abraham is the father (and Sarah the mother) of the Israelite nation. When looked at from a broad point of view, this story of an ancient family and their relationship with God becomes a parable which teaches others to put their trust in God and provides examples of how to live a righteous life in the eyes of this God. When looked at from a narrower point of view, one can examine the motivations and personalities of the individuals this story focuses on. We will write a custom essay sample on Abraham and Sarah or any similar topic only for you Order Now Abraham is born blessed because he is the ancestor of Shem and Sarah shares in this blessing because she is his wife. However, Abraham receives an even greater blessing from God, after the death of his father, when he is promised not only a blessed life, but also a multitude of descendents who will share in his blessing and come to make up God’s chosen people. Though Abraham and Sarah express a deep faith in their God, they show difficulties in trusting his words, but this lack of trust allows for their relationship with God to be developed through acts by both parties. God intervenes on their behalf, constantly affirming his covenant with Abraham, and Abraham and Sarah consistently act in ways which prove their righteousness and that they are deserving of this great blessing. The development of Abraham and Sarah, through the story of their lives, not only demonstrates the power and emotions of God and the maturation of their relationship with God, but also the maturation of themselves and their faith in God. Abraham is an essential character, not only in the biblical story of his life but, more importantly, in the biblical history of the Israelite nation. However, Abraham was not a flawless person and it is through the choices and actions that he carried out, both right and wrong, that his character can be understood. On one hand, Abraham represents an ideal follower of God, not only is he personally chosen to be blessed by God but, he also listens obediently and shows a strong concern for the well-being of others. Abraham is initially blessed because he is a descendent of Shem who was blessed by Noah, however, he receives a much greater blessing than the one he was born with at the age of seventy-five. It is at this time that God tells Abraham â€Å"Go from your country, your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. † (Genesis 12. 1-3) Abraham, along with his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot, his slaves, and his possessions, left Haran, where he had settled, and went to the â€Å"land of Canaan. † (Genesis 12. 5) This instance is also the first show of Abraham’s obedience to God. Abraham’s next show of obedience comes after God grants Abraham an even greater blessing. When Abraham is ninety-nine years old, God comes to him with a covenant to make him â€Å"the ancestor of a multitude of nations†¦and kings† and along with this blesses Sarah with the promise of a son and a blessing equal to Abraham’s for her descendents. Because of their blessings, God gives Abram the name Abraham and Sarai the name Sarah and as a sign of his covenant, God asks that Abraham and all the males in his household be circumcised. Abraham â€Å"circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day,† once again showing his obedience to God. Abraham’s greatest show of obedience to God comes when God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt offering and Abraham sets out to do so the next morning. Abraham, once again, demonstrates exceptional obedience to God, not only proving his character but also his faith, â€Å"for it is Abraham’s actions that gave shape and substantive reality to the God to whom the action was directed. Abraham’s action established his faith as well as the traditions of faith it set in motion. † (Delaney 22) Abraham’s story does more than to present him as thoughtful of God; it also provides examples of Abraham’s thoughtfulness of others. When Abraham hears that his nephew, Lot, has been kidnapped, he quickly set out with three hundred and eighteen trained men to retrieve him. Abraham shows his thoughtfulness of others again when God tells him of his plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham barters with God in an attempt to save the lives of the people living there. These events and Abraham’s reactions to them show what a considerate person Abraham was which also helps to solidify his worthiness as the ancestor of God’s chosen people. Though Abraham demonstrates an exceptional amount of faith in God, it is not unwavering, however, this occasional lack of faith helps to expand on his character. Twice in his travels, Abraham asks Sarah to pretend to be his sister because he is fearful that he will be killed so that she may be taken as a bride, even though God reminds Abraham that he is safe from harm after the first instance. These events help to remind readers of Abraham’s humanity, he faces normal challenges for someone with his lifestyle including â€Å"the vulnerability of the nomad to the whims of nature on the one hand, and, on the other, his desperate need for the foodstuffs of the settled culture with the implied powerlessness which goes with such dependency. † (White 178-179) When looked at from this perspective, Abraham’s lapses in faith become reasonable, but the choice of the author to include these instances can be explained further. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they forever changed the thought processes of humankind, and as part of this, â€Å"[Abraham] now lives out of his anticipation of the future. You read "Abraham and Sarah" in category "Essay examples" † (White 179) Humans are now aware of evil and Abraham’s fears represent this. Through this further examination, it becomes evident why these less proud moments of Abraham’s life are included in his story, because of the way in which these choices help to humanize him and further explain his character. Though Sarah is developed much less than her husband, she is still a pivotal character in both this biblical story and the biblical history of the Israelite nation. Sarah is presented as a strong woman, she shows faith in God and devotion to her duties as a wife and it is through her struggle with motherhood that her character is most developed. Though Sarah is not born blessed, she comes to share in Abraham’s blessing by God for themselves and their descendants, however, the events of Sarah’s life presented in the Bible make her life seem like much more of a struggle than Abraham’s. Twice she risks her well being for the sake of her husband’s fears, even though she is pregnant the second time and it is very possible that first time she did not get away without a sexual encounter with the Pharaoh. Her feelings on theses events are not presented, though one can only imagine her own fears in being given, so willingly, as an object for other men. It is important to remember that the connotations of Sarah’s treatment were not what they are today, but it seems that Sarah’s protection from God was not as whole as Abraham’s. The major issue in the development of Sarah’s character is her inability to conceive a child and the struggles she faces because of this. Sarah’s initial solution to her dilemma is to give her slave Hagar to her husband so that she may provide him with children in an indirect manner. This decision causes many problems later in the story but it is important to note the reasoning behind Sarah’s choice, â€Å"legal contracts unearthed at Nuzu make it evident that a childless wife was actually obliged to do what Sarah did, unless she preferred to see her husband choose another wife for himself. She was unlikely to prefer this-it was a far less evil if the supplementary wife would be someone over whom she had some control, that she might keep her superior position in the household. † (Vawter 139) The difficulties Sarah must have faced in making this decision and the added â€Å"slap in the face† that she must have felt from Hagar conceiving after only being with Abraham on one occasion, when she was not able to conceive after ten years is unimaginable for most and demonstrates the true emotional strength that Sarah must have had. Sarah’s challenges affect more than just her, â€Å"Sarah holds Abram responsible for Hagar’s treatment of her, and a rift develops between Sarah and Abram as is evident by the strong language with which she addresses him. Sarah’s first words to her husband are accusatory. She exclaims: ‘May the wrong done to me be upon you. ’† (the word wrong having violent connotations) (Jeansonne 20) Though most of Sarah’s life is made difficult by her barrenness, she gets a reprieve from God in her old age. When Sarah is ninety years old, God blesses her with a promise that she will conceive a son and that God will establish a covenant with that child â€Å"as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. † (Genesis 17. 19) Both Sarah and Abraham laugh when they hear that Sarah is to conceive at such an old age. This reaction is represented by the name God chooses for their son, Isaac, which translates as â€Å"he laughs. † This laughter is also a good example of how Abraham and Sarah are like every one else, they â€Å"believed the substance of God’s promise but doubted the details. (Vawter 146) Having Isaac is perhaps the greatest accomplishment of Sarah’s life and after giving birth to him, â€Å"Her response is one of joy an personal triumph†¦Her words imply that no one will again be able to deride her for being childless, but they also indicate that she recognizes the incredible reality she has conceived and given birth. † (Jeansonne 27) The difficulties Sarah has faced throughout her life with her inability to conceive in a time when bearing children was the main purpose of a wife, were finally over, at a time in her life when she had completely given up on any hopes of it. This fulfillment of Sarah’s wishes is only made better by the fact that her son has a blessing from God for a good life and important descendants. When Sarah gave birth to Isaac she became not just a mother to him, but also a mother to the nation of God’s chosen people. With the birth of Isaac, Sarah gains another thing that is important to her; she regains her power in her household. With this power, Sarah chooses to make Hagar and Ishmael leave, â€Å"Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac. † (Genesis 21. 0) Sarah is not mentioned again after this until her death at age one hundred twenty-seven, However, â€Å"although Sarah will no longer figure in Abraham’s life, her death prompts him to procure an important title to the land†¦Although all of the land of Canaan was promised to Abraham by God, this is the first instance in Genesis where Abraham has legal possession of a por tion of it. Sarah’s death plays a genuine part in Abraham’s procurement of this portion of the covenantal promise. † (Jeansonne 29) Abraham and Sarah are the father and mother of God’s chosen people, a title that can be held by only two people in the history of mankind. Their story serves as an example and a reference to God’s followers and their descendants. Though Abraham and Sarah are presented as having lived a righteous life in the eyes of their God, they are, by no means, presented as flawless and it is through further examination of their flaws that they can be understood more completely. Abraham and Sarah were not divine and perfect beings, they were two human beings that faced many difficulties, had many fears, and struggled to find happiness. The sense of normalcy about Abraham and Sarah does more than just allow for an expansion of their character; it provides a realistic example to other followers of this God. This story shows that a blessing by God does not mean a life without difficulty and that God is watching out for his followers, even when it may not seem that way. The story of Abraham shows others to put their faith in God, and he will provide, and no matter how precarious the situation seems, God is watching over those whom he has promised to look out for. The story of Sarah shows others that â€Å"good things come to those who wait,† and to never give up on God, no matter how things may seem, God can always execute his plans. Their story represents the beginnings of the Israelite nation and is a history for those who believe in it, but it transcends the historical as a parable for others who wish to follow the example that Abraham and Sarah have provided so that they may live a righteous life in the eyes of their God. Bibliography 1. Delaney, Carol. Abraham on Trial. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1998. This book addresses the instance of Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac by examining a case where a man sacrificed his child â€Å"because God told him to† and further exploring the implications of Abraham’s actions. 2. Jeansonne, Sharon. The Women of Genesis: From Sarah to Potiphar’s Wife. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1990. This book explores the stories of the women in the Bible and looks at their difficulties, their subjugation, their triumphs, and the effect they had on the stories they are featured in. 3. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Ed.. Michael D. Coogan. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. The annotations found in this Bible help to expand upon the stories within it, explaining important facts lost in translation and details that may not be directly evident. 4. Vawter, Bruce. A Path Through Genesis. 7. New York: Sheed Ward, Inc. , 1967. This book looks at Genesis with great detail, explaining characters, events, and language with historical facts and theological insights. 5. White, Hugh. Narration and Discourse in the Book of Genesis. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991. This book examines the dialogue found in Genesis in great detail, explaining the connotations and meanings of language used. How to cite Abraham and Sarah, Essay examples

Punishment Philosophies free essay sample

The processes by which justice is applied are determined largely by proposed punishment philosophies. These express various concerns and arguments regarding appropriate sentencing and treatment. The philosophy of rehabilitation dominates the proceedings of juvenile courts, and is heavily scrutinized at an adult level, or when the criminal behavior of juveniles continues to accelerate, but when successful is most beneficial for society. The appeals process advances the fair practice of law, helps ensure the rights of due process, and continues to clarify and define justice and the law.Punishment Philosophies The universality of justice is a predominant concern of any nation that strives for true democracy, and in the U. S. , this pursuit is largely undertaken in the court system. If the general basis for an action to constitute a crime lies in the willful and unsanctioned dispossession of anothers life, liberty, or property, then the punitive power of the state to deprive the transgressor of these same rights, in the name of justice, must be exacted with a similar degree of concern. To this end, a variety of punishment philosophies, giving differing weight to the interests of victims, criminals, and society, have developed to clarify the notion, and to influence the practice of justice. While the philosophies of deterrence, rehabilitation, incapacitation, retribution, and restoration can be perceived to prioritize the considerations of victims and society, the handling of youth offenders in juvenile courts, as well as the appellate process, are expressions of consideration for the accused. It is largely agreed upon that punishment for the sole purpose of vengeance is detrimental to the ideals of justice and civility.Sentencing Considerations Sentencing for a crime is contingent upon numerous factors, which involve societal values, precedents, and individual judicial discretion; criminal statutes that vary by state and at a federal level set standard punishments for specific offenses, predominantly based on seriousness and criminal history. Sentencing guidelines, which are a reflection of political climate, social concerns, and punishment philosophies, have been criticized as a factor in prison overpopulation, and for being incompatible with a restorative punishment philosophy.The benefit of these guidelines, however, is that they encourage uniformity in the application of punishment, eliminating discrepancies that could arise as a result of judicial discretion, provide increased predictability for better resource management, and allow communities to focus punitive efforts on the areas of crime that most concern them, ideally reducing the sociological impacts of specific types of crime.For some offense, compulsory sentencing establishes a mandatory minimum incarceration period, which, if supplemented by the policy of truth-in-sentencing, ensures that an offender serve no less than this nondiscretionary requirement. Aside from these, most sentencing is determined through judicial discretion, derived from subscribed precedents, considerations of mitigating factors, and community standards. Overlying all sentencing are the ideological concerns expressed through influential punishment philosophies (Lubitz ; Ross, 2001). PhilosophiesPunishment philosophies represent opinions as to what degree and form of punishment is appropriate, how and to whom it is beneficial, and what is represented in terms of societal values. Because the courts have the power to deprive an offender of property, through fines, seizures, and restitution, liberty, through incarceration, mandatory treatment facilities, and court-ordered service programs, and even life, through the most severe form of punishment, the death penalty, it is imperative that some justification be provided to a society whose sophistication and dignity are thereby judged.While ideology of retribution remains a significant philosophical view in the assessments of applied justice, many would agree that its antiquated eye for an eye approach has little place in civilized discussions of progressive ethics, despite the apparent, i mmediate restoration of moral equilibrium (Grant ; Meyer, 2003). One of the most widely applicable philosophies is deterrence, which is the concept that the threat of punishment should prevent criminal activity.Deterrence can be experienced in one of two ways; the first is specific deterrence, which occurs when an offender becomes less likely to reoffend as a result of punishment that he or she has undergone, while the second, more preferable form is through general deterrence, by which individuals abstain from criminal activity due to the recognition that others have been correspondingly punished. The psychological effectiveness of deterrence largely depends upon three factors: Celerity, severity, and certainty. The celerity, or swiftness with which punishment is imposed, is critical in the sense that individuals are inherently less likely to be concerned with negative consequences that will be experienced at a more distant time. Essentially, the immediate benefit of a crime is perceived to be more real than those future consequences. Related to this is the certainty or likelihood of punishment; if types of crimes are perceived to go largely undetected or unpunished, the potential deterrence is diminished.Severity, or degree of punishment, can have a negative impact at either extreme; a penalty that is not severe enough would fail to outweigh the benefit of the transgression while a penalty that is excessively harsh might prevent a jury from convicting an offender. Because the death penalty is such an extreme form of punishment, prosecutors must carefully consider a jurys potential reluctance to convict if it is a probable outcome (Grant Meyer, 2003).A more successful argument, with regard to capital- and other severe crimes, is incapacitation, which promotes the safety of society through incarceration of offenders. Proponents of the death penalty would maintain that it is the only version of incapacitation that ensures protection from the most dangerous offenders. Prisons and jails also serve to incapacitate criminals, thus insulating the public during periods of incarceration, while intensive supervision and treatment facilities also serve this function to a lesser degree.Perhaps more progressive are the philosophies of restoration, which focuses on the victim and society by allowing an offender to restore balance through compensation to the victim or society by paying fees, restitution, serving jail time, or performing community service, and rehabilitation, which focuses on the offender and his/her relationship to society.The idea that sentencing and incarceration should be rehabilitative has stimulated early release programs, usually through parole boards, for imprisoned offenders who exhibit positive behavior, participate in treatment programs, inside and outside of prison, and pursue higher levels of education while incarcerated (Grant Meyer, 2003). Juvenile Justice The rehabilitation philosophy may have its most significant impact on t he proceedings of juvenile courts, which can handle cases involving youth offenders under the age of eighteen.It is a tenet of the juvenile justice system that young offenders are often malleable enough to be rehabilitated before the momentum of criminal behavior leads them to increasingly severe crimes and adult institutions. Offenders younger than eighteen may be tried as adults, however, based on statutory exclusion, in which specific legislation allows for this based on age and/or degree of violation, judicial waiver, during which certain due process protections must be granted, including the right to a jury trial, or concurrent jurisdiction, in which the prosecutor has the option of trying an offender as an adult.If it is concluded that the case should be heard in a juvenile court, ideally the focus should be less on accountability and more on behavioral causes and reformation (Henning, 2009). Appellate Process Another aspect of the criminal justice system that can significantly address the concerns of the accused is the appeals process. Appeals, which are granted by statutory provision, are petitions for review of the legality of a lower courts judgment by an appellate court that must be petitioned for by a party with a legally-recognizable interest in the case.The appeals process is a safeguard against violations of due process, which must relate to substantive or procedural issues in which the law has been improperly applied or legal procedures have been improperly followed. Generally, an issue must have been raised during the trial and apply to the final decision for an appellate court to hear the case, for which the appellant bears the burden of proof. Appeals must be made to the appropriate court, in ascending hierarchy, of which the U. S.Supreme Court is supreme in federal cases, or state cases that concern a constitutional issue, but only after all state level ave nues have been exhausted. The right of judicial review is granted to supreme courts, allowing them to rule on the constitutionality of legislative, executive, and lower judicial decisions that have been challenged, also the precedents set by appellate courts are binding to the lower courts within their jurisdictions, and the decisions of federal courts, with regard to constitutional issues, are usually binding on state courts.Not only is the appeals process important to convicted individuals who may have their judgments remanded or reversed based on new technologies, legal issues, or shifts in societal values, but it is also responsible for shaping and clarifying points of law, which then becomes part of the legal landscape (Grant ; Meyer, 2003). Conclusion The pursuit of justice is the pursuit of greater equality through the elimination of victimization at all levels.The punishment of those who victimize others is an agenda whose moral implications are confronted through a variety of applicable philosophies that should take into account the greater good of society, the concerns of the victim, and the rights of the accused. Though preference is traditionally given to the victim and society, the implications of stripping the accused of unalienable rights must be given due consideration.The strength of utilitarian and qualitative arguments must be considered alongside those of individual rights and the potential for rehabilitation. Though the appeals process may sometimes result in suspensions of justice, it helps to guarantee protection against victimization at the hands of the justice system. The severity of sentencing demands continued examination however, as new DNA evidence and writs of habeas corpus are of little comfort to exonerated corpses.