Religion Essay -- Catechism, Catholic Church

In 1999, police officers killed a man who they were chasing for three-consecutive hours. While he was being chased, five California TV helicopters broadcasted the event live, and the entire public, including his family, saw his death. The Church’s teaching reveals whether the live broadcasting of violent acts is ethical or unethical. Throughout the years the media has increased the reporting of real violent acts, but they are not beneficial to the common good due to the negative effects it has on human dignity. Firstly, the Catechism Of The Catholic Church teaches that all media is limited to what the common good requires. To illustrate, Pope Paul VI says that, â€Å"The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good† (CCC 2494). This shows that all information disclosed by the media must be beneficial to the common good. Secondly, the Catechism states that all media that is broadcasted to the public must never oppose the common good. For example Pope Paul VI says the, â€Å"[the media] must adjust their economic, political or artistic and technical aspects so as never to oppose the common good† (Inter Mirifica 11). Revealing that the media must not disclose any information that may â€Å"oppose the common good†. Thirdly, the media releases wanton violent acts, which u ndermine the value of human dignity. For instance, the Catechism Of The Catholic Church teaches that, â€Å"Social justice can be obtained only in respecting the transcendent dignity of man† (CCC 1929). This means that â€Å"real† news reports can only be beneficial to the common good if they respect the dignity of man. Lastly, The Catechism Of The Catholic Church teaches that no matter what physical or mental state the person(s) are in the media must still respect ... ...s and dignity of† the person(s) must be always respected. Thus, the media must take into consideration the harm they may cause to the public and the loss of respect for human dignity. To conclude, the media's coverage of real violent acts in the news does not benefit the common good. The media uses the human right to information as a tool to broadcast as much news as possible for profit. They do not censor any of the gratuitous violence. The journalists are left to blame due to the responsibility they hold when disclosing the information they have learned to the public. Also, the uncensored violence can harm the public and it disrespects the dignity of the person(s). Over the years the media’s perspective of what â€Å"news† is has changed drastically, from information to entertainment. No matter where you go or what you watch, for some reason there is always violence.

Identity and Belonging: Witness

‘Where we come from and our attitude to it are powerful forces in our lives. ’ â€Å"This gun of the hand is for the taking of human life. We believe it is wrong to take a life. That is only for God. † The conflicting notions and difference between cultures is thoroughly represented throughout Peter Weir’s stunning and thematically moving film ‘Witness’ in which two different worlds with two different value systems are profoundly presented to its viewers. Having a sense of belonging is essential to identity; it is a basic human instinct to belong and to have faith in certain beliefs, the preoccupations meaningfully explored within Weir’s creations. Moreover, through the use of film techniques and representation, Weir has managed to captivate and compel his audience to indulge into the hardships and strategic traditions in which the Amish community follow and also allows the audience to gain a further understanding to the extreme disciplinary law of the ‘Ordnung. The protagonist, John Book, faces a tedious journey to bring justice to contemptible crime and must undergo an ultimate sacrifice of ‘changing his ways,’ which would cause a crucial disregard to all his life lessons that have shaped and guided him, in order to gain the acceptance he subsequently strives for from his ‘former carers’ and unique counterparts of the Amish community. Book also faces the riveting dilemma to assert or deny his d isreputable love with Rachel as well as apprehend where he truly belongs. Weir’s film is positioned between two worlds; the good and the evil, decency and corruption, head and heart, the Amish and the ‘English’. Throughout the film, the complexities of parallel worlds are explored where the different worlds begin to sporadically intertwine. ‘We want nothing to do with your laws,’ at the beginning of the film when Rachel first becomes subject to Detective John Book’s questioning and police procedures, she is taken out of her comfort zone and is presented with a world she knows not of. Rachel is more so driven by the forceful nature of her own predecessors and ‘elders’ which intuitively leads to her attitude of not wanting to abide by the laws of a different world from her own. The passiveness of the Amish is explored as they are depicted as being self-cast as outsiders, basing their lives solely on natural things due to their own stringent belief that it will bring them closer to God. Furthermore, the audience is able to gain an insight to the cultural restrictions in which the Amish live by; living in a rural society where there are no radios, telephones, or televisions, where the only means of transportation is a horse and buggy, and where one dresses to look â€Å"plain. † The depiction of the Amish community in the film is extraordinarily contrasted with the modern contemporary society of the Americans, otherwise known as ‘the English’ by the Amish people. Book’s world is portrayed as being the human function of corruption where ‘somewhere along the way [cops] lose their meaning. ’ Book is inevitably accustomed to deceit, brutality and violence that it consumes him and is the very essence in which drives him forward and acts accountable for his actions. He is inescapably surrounded by it, so much so that he is not completely oblivious to the corruption occurring within the very organisation that is meant to oppose it, his own police department. Book’s duty to investigate corruption within his police department leaves him shot. This violence from Book’s own world and place of belonging is what ironically leads to him going into hiding amongst the Amish people in order for him to protect Rachel and Samuel. He is significantly driven by his job of policing that it acts as a powerful force in his life in which he is suited to, ‘[Elaine] thinks you like policing because you think you are right about everything and you're the only one who can do anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Evidently, Book is quite complacent living his own life in his contemporary society as it composes of his identity and sense of belonging. At a further contrast, the contemporary society of the Americans deem to be utterly dependant on technology, not just as helpful tools but also for ones own sense of luxury. In the film, when Book is in town with Eli accompanied by other Amish they are ambushed by tourists who simply treat them as though they are placed there for their own amusement, the Amish are not acknowledged as being actual human beings. The tourists bombard them with taking photos and Book does not follow the placid way of the Amish, ‘Lady, you take my picture with that thing and I'm gonna rip your brassiere off†¦ nd strangle you with it! You got that? ’ Though Book attempts to conform to the ways of the Amish he is still so accustomed to his old ways that where he comes from is his own sense of belonging. Furthermore, Book’s trial of ‘fitting in’ with the Amish is ultimately tested when he cannot rid himself of his urban assertiveness and simply turns to violence when a g roup of ‘townies’ harass Daniel Hochleitner, of the Amish, to which Book violently punches one of them in the face though ‘it’s not our way [of the Amish]. Book is fundamentally fixed in his ways, ‘it’s my way,’ and initially disregards his attempts to fit in with the Amish and gain their acceptance. Consequently, Book’s violent actions lead to Schaeffer and his despicable partners being able to locate and track down where Book is staying in hiding. Though Book has sufficiently failed in his attempts to conform to the ways of the Amish, it is evident that he finally makes a connection with the Amish community during the traditional barn-raising scene in the film where Book helps out and realises that for the Amish, community is more important than any other modern necessity. Despite Book’s connection with the Amish he is still mildly branded as an outsider to their community and is only truly accepted through the eyes of Rachel. During the course of the film, Book and Rachel begin to grow affectionate for one another. The attraction between the two only grows stronger as the film progresses and Weir uses intended camera angles and film techniques to represent a change in the status quo. When Book and Rachel are together, they are always filmed through doorways. Book is depicted as always being in the doorway, symbolising that he cannot get past it whereas Rachel is always in through it. However, as the attraction grows stronger, specifically after they kiss, Book talks to Rachel through the door of chicken wire, the holes in the wire imply that Book can now get through to the Amish community yet some of his own identity and predispositions will always remain behind the chicken wire. More so the attraction is shown within the scene in the barn in which Book is fixing his car with his radio on, an ultimate defiance of the ways of the Amish, to which Rachel responds positively. They begin to dance and although Book appreciates the moment, he does not fully understand that he is breaching the wishes of the elders in the community and ominously causes Rachel to act in such a manner which is stupendously frowned upon by her peers. Despite Eli's warning that she will be â€Å"shunned† if she becomes too close to John, Rachel defiantly gives in to her feelings for the outsider. Though they come from two different worlds, hold different values, nd live different lives, their emotions and feelings towards one another prove to be the same. Eventually Book comes to terms with his limitations and realises that he does not belong in Lancaster County with Rachel despite his utmost attempts to try and change himself in order to belong. Book remains too dependant on things from his world and his reliance on technology bounds him. The life lessons and fixed ways in which Book continuously holds onto prove to a big part of his identity that to completely disregard t hem would be a vital sacrifice. His attempts to try and belong with the Amish are boldly thwarted by his own understanding of his significant influence on young Samuel, ‘I would only kill the bad man. ’ His very presence brings danger and the aspect of life in which the Amish try to avoid, that is, murder. The place in which one comes from, one’s home and upbringing, proves to be a powerful force in one’s life. Having a place to belong is essential to identity and life lessons taught prove to be guidance throughout life. It is essential to belong and people will try and change themselves in order to feel as though they fit in. However, to merge two completely different worlds together would be controversial and ultimately unprincipled. The love shared between Book and Rachel would never work because they were two different, they were bestowed with different values, different upbringings and essentially different morals. Book could never stay with the Amish, â€Å"He's going back to his world, where he belongs. He knows it, and you know it, too. †

Treatment of Women in Ancient Literature Essay - 1647 Words

Women are constantly portrayed as tempting men by using their sexual charms. And so women who remained chaste were held in a higher esteem than those who highlighted their sexuality. Walcot writes, â€Å"The Greeks believed women to be incapable of not exercising their sexual charms and that the results were catastrophic, irrespective of whether or not women set out to cause trouble deliberately or acted in a blissful ignorance of what they were doing† (39). In Homeric tales we see the character Odysseus being held by Calypso and Circe due to their sexual appeal despite him journeying home to be reunited with his wife Penelope after twenty years. However, Penelope is portrayed as being chaste while she waits for her husband to return. This†¦show more content†¦Medea’s strength is portrayed as her madness as she takes control and decides the fate of her enemies. She is a strong character and Euripides allows Medea to have a voice by allowing the audience t o witness her break from the norm of what a woman of her time is expected to do. After giving up her family and former life to be with her husband, Jason, he decides to marry a younger princess while still married to Medea. Medea realizes that women are left to face the most miserable situations and says, â€Å"We women are the most unfortunate creatures† (229). Jason feels that Medea is to be grateful for what he is doing by marrying into royalty as it will afford all of them a better life. The representation of Medea by Euripides is powerful, manipulative, and extremely smart, yet because she is a woman she has limited social power. She has no chance of being a hero because she acts out of hurt in her marriage and love turned to hate. She decides to murder the princess, her children, and leave Jason alone. The power Medea takes may be considered severe, yet she has made the decision not to be a silent wife who does what her husband tells her to do. David M. Schaps writes, â€Å"As Medea sees it-or at least as she presents it-her problems are all based in the fact that she is a woman. Because she is a woman she is powerless; because she is a woman she is peculiarly vulnerable in matters of love; because she is a woman sheShow MoreRelatedGoddess, Whores, Wives and Slaves: Classical Women of Antiquity, written by Sarah B. Pomery1327 Words   |  5 Pages(1995). Goddesses, whores, wives, and slaves: women in classical antiquity. New York: Schocken Books. Goddess, Whores, Wives and Slaves: Classical Women of Antiquity, written by Sarah B. Pomery, focuses on the main categories of women in the literature and society of ancient Greece and Roman over a time period of fifteen hundred years. 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