Personal Philosophy on Heaven and Hell Themes

Jonas is a fellow student who I met after joining college. He is very smart and has interesting philosophies. He came from the southern part of the country where he grew up on a farm. Later on, he moved to the city where he attended high school. In a philosophy class where each of us gave opinions on certain topics, I found him to be particularly interesting. His opinions were based on his religious beliefs.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Philosophy on Heaven and Hell Themes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Jonas, when we die, we go to either the Heaven or the ell. However, this is usually predestined. Therefore, he is of the opinion that when someone is born, he/she has a tag of either Heaven or Hell. This predicament thereby nullifies all our actions while being on earth. Jonas claims that all people are assigned with this status at birth. He claims that his opinion does not reflect views of any particular religion but reflect his opinion on the afterlife. Jonas claims that he does not believe that an individual’s actions determine whether they go to Heaven or Hell. Instead, a person’s predestination dictates his/her actions here on earth. This means that the things people find themselves doing in their day-to-day life are in order. For instance, those people who are doing what may be considered as bad things are just following their predestined path. According to Jonas, all people serve as teachers to their fellow human beings. This means that whatever their situation is, it is meant to teach people a lesson. This means that a person’s good or bad situations educate others in a certain way. For instance, he provided an example of someone who was struggling against drug addiction. While this was a problem to that person, it educated the rest of the people on the dangers of drug use. Jonas’ opinions were very well articulated and the examp les he gave were very relevant. His opinions were on matters of religion. As a fan of religious philosophy and a believer of Heaven and Hell, I found Jonas opinions very interesting. His claim that our actions here on earth are null, seems to be very farfetched. According to him, our predestined path determines what we do. These claims, however, made me think about the way people are always trying to be good people. While some of them achieve it easily, others have no success. This might mean that people who embark on doing good things do so because it is easy for them.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This can be interpreted to mean that they are predestined to be good people. The same applies to those people who are struggling to be good people, they are predestined to be bad, and they cannot change it. My opinion though is that our actions determine whether we go to Heaven or ell a nd not the other way around. However, his philosophy about all human being subjects was moving. It made sense to think that whenever someone is faces insurmountable problems, he/she is helping someone else. For instance, when someone does not study and fails, someone else learns from it. This would explain the various challenges that individuals encounter in their day-to-day lives. It would also explain why some things happen to people for seemingly no reason. Sometimes, when I am faced with a challenge, I reflect on this philosophy. This essay on Personal Philosophy on Heaven and Hell Themes was written and submitted by user Eden Kerr to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

2 Ways To Make a Model Comet That Makes a Tail

2 Ways To Make a Model Comet That Makes a Tail   A real comet is a mixture of several materials. While each comet has its own unique chemical signature, most of them contain water ice, organic compounds, dust, and rocky or stony chunks. Its fun to make your own comet and expose it to a simulated solar wind to observe its behavior. Heres how to make a model comet that behaves like the real deal. This particular recipe uses solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) so that it will sublimate into a comet tail when exposed to heat. Feel free to substitute ingredients to see what effect they have on your model. Use caution with the dry ice. It is extremely cold and can give you frostbite if you touch it. Wear gloves! Dry Ice Model Comet Materials A bowl or pot large enough to hold your ingredientsA cup of water (it will freeze into ice when mixed with the cold dry ice)A cup of dirt (this contains organic compounds and grit, like a real comet)A cup of sand (many comets contain silicates, like sand or quartz)Some charcoal (comets contain dark material, which can be carbon, like charcoal)A bit of household ammonia or window cleaner (ammonia is a nitrogen compound observed in comets)A couple of cups of crushed dry ice (carbon dioxide is common in comets)Syrup (optional: adds organic compounds and helps the comet stick together)Newspaper (optional: place it on your workspace to make clean-up easier) Make the Comet If your dry ice arrives in large chunks, you can place it in a paper bag and smash it with a hammer to crush it. If you get dry ice pellets, you can use them as they are. Use a wooden spoon or gloved hand to mix together the ingredients and crush them together to make a lumpy ball. Like real comets, your model may break apart. One tip to help it stick together is to let it rest for a couple of moments before picking it up and examining it. You can simulate the solar wind to make a comet tail by blowing on the model. The heat of your breath will mimic the warmth of the sun. Do you smell the ammonia? Real comets smell a bit like window cleaner! Liquid Nitrogen Comet Another way to simulate a comet with a tail is to use liquid nitrogen. For this comet, you dip a porous, rocky material into liquid nitrogen and remove it to see the vapor trail. Since liquid nitrogen is even colder than dry ice, youll want to use long-handled tongs. A good material for the rocky comet is a charcoal briquette. Compare the Simulated Comet To a Real Comet Comets that we see come from either the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt. The Oort Cloud is a sphere of material that surrounds the solar system. The Kuiper Belt is a region located beyond Neptune that contains many icy bodies within range of the Suns gravity. A real comet may be considered to be a sort of dirty snowball made of frozen water, dust, rocks, and dust. There are three parts to a comet: Nucleus - The dirty snowball part of the comet is its nucleus, which consists of meteoritic dirt, frozen gases (like dry ice), and water.Coma - As the nucleus of the comet moves close enough to the Sun, it warms and the frozen gases sublimate into vapor. The vapor pulls dust particles with it away from the nucleus. Light reflecting off the dust accounts for the fuzzy shape of a comet.Tail - Comets are in motion, so they leave a trail of gas and dust in their wake. The solar wind also pushes matter away from the comet and ionizes it into a bright tail. Depending on its location, a comet may have one or two tails.

The Plea Bargain Stage of a Criminal Case

The Plea Bargain Stage of a Criminal Case Due to the overburdened criminal justice system, the vast majority of  criminal cases  are settled through a process known as plea bargaining. In a plea bargain agreement, the defendant agrees to plead guilty rather than proceeding to a jury trial. When Does Plea Bargaining Occur? In a plea bargain deal, both sides gain something from the arrangement. The prosecution gains a conviction without the time and expense of a trial, while the defendant might get a reduced sentence or have some of the charges against them dropped. In some cases (for example, the Jaycee Dugard case), the prosecution will offer a plea deal so the victim does not have to go through the drama and stress of testifying at a trial. Factors Influencing a Plea Deal Whether or not the prosecution and defense agree to enter into plea bargain negotiations depend on several factors: The seriousness of the  crime itself.The strength of the evidence against the defendant.The likelihood of a guilty verdict at trial. Criminal Court Dockets Overwhelmed If the charge is very serious and the evidence against the defendant is very strong, as in the first-degree murder case against Casey Anthony, for example, the prosecution can refuse to enter into any plea deal. However, if the evidence in a case is such that the prosecution might find it difficult to convince a juror beyond a reasonable doubt, the prosecution may be willing to negotiate a plea deal. The reason the average criminal case is settled by a plea bargain is because of the overwhelming caseload facing the court system. Only about 10 percent of criminal cases go to trial. Reduced Charges, Reduced Sentence For a guilty defendant, the advantages to a plea bargain are obvious: either reduced charges or a reduced sentence. Sometimes, a plea deal can reduce a felony charge to a misdemeanor, a significant difference for the defendant. Many plea deals have resulted in a reduced sentence for the defendant. One hitch in the plea bargain system is the fact that the judge in the case does not have to accept it. The prosecution can only recommend the agreement to the judge, but cannot guarantee that the judge will follow it. Bargaining Prohibited in Some Cases Also, some states have passed laws prohibiting plea bargaining in certain cases. Some states will not allow a drunk driving charge to be bargained down to reckless driving, for example. Other states prohibit plea bargains for sex offenders or repeat offenders who may be considered to be a danger to the public. The plea bargain itself usually takes place between the prosecutors office and the defense attorney. Rarely do prosecutors bargain directly with defendants. Victims Considered in Plea Bargains For a plea bargain to be accepted, the defendant has to knowingly waive his right to a trial by jury and the facts in the case have to support the charges to which the defendant is pleading. Some states have victims rights laws that require a prosecutor to discuss the terms of any plea deal with the victim of the crime before making the offer to the defendant.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Racial and Ethnic Diversity - Essay Example is rise in diversity so much of a problem This is an imperative question, for by viewing growth in racial and cultural diversity as a problem, policy makers, educators, and journalists, have set the stage for how societies will respond to this change. This does not mean that a change in the ethnic and racial structure of a school or community does not throw up new challenges or necessitate a change in approach as regards the part of educators. New immigrants palpably speak languages other than English, and in several California school districts, it is not unusual for over 40 foreign languages to be there among the student population. The arrival of racial minorities time and again leads to racial clashes and the venting of several kinds of bias and intolerance. Those receiving the new arrivals feel endangered and apprehensive and counter with antagonism and resentment. Finally, and most significantly, diversity is deemed as problematic because American schools have traditionally seen cultural incorporation of immigrants and non-whites as essential to their mission. One of the biggest concerns of politicians and educators during the nineteenth century was how new immigrants would be integrated into the American mainstream. Public schools were often considered the most rational place where task of converting foreigners into Americans could be executed. Still, "Americanization" was not restricted to foreigners. In the southwest it was routine for Native American children to be separated form their families and sent to boarding schools. The point was to convert them into Christians. As far as African American and many Mexican American children were concerned, segregated schooling actually saved them from being subjected to... According to the report findings diversity is deemed as problematic because American schools have traditionally seen cultural incorporation of immigrants and non-whites as essential to their mission. One of the biggest concerns of politicians and educators during the nineteenth century was how new immigrants would be integrated into the American mainstream. Public schools were often considered the most rational place where task of converting foreigners into Americans could be executed. As the paper declares today de-segregation has changed that too. As a consequence, the spoken language of children – be it Ebonics or Spanish - has frequently been subject to eradication. In addition, the cultural variations of these children are associated with cultural inferiority far too often, and not unpredictably, children from these groups are likely to fare poorly in school, get into serious trouble, or for that matter even drop out. Given America’s history, and given the authentic challenges that escort an increase in diversity, several educators and communities would treat this as a problem. Small towns and rural areas are showing that diversity is the country’s future and there is a concerted effort being shown in fostering diversity in the years to come. There is another option. Instead of reacting to rising diversity with apprehension and insecurity, it is feasible to treat diversity as an asset and work out ways of responding to it which facilitate the society to reap benefits from this pluralism.

Buncefield Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Buncefield Disaster - Essay Example Disasters are major accidents which take place on a large scale in specific areas. However it is not necessary that the whole areas are affected by these large scale disasters. Such a disaster which would be described in this report would be a mass disaster which took place on the 11th of December 2005. The disaster famously known as the Buncefield disaster took place because of an overfilled storage tank at the Buncefield Oil Depot located close to Hemel Hempstead, Herfordshire UK. The disaster was so huge that it expanded and took over other 20 storage tanks and the fire further spread. The horrible incident resulted in the combustion of that area for several days (Buncefield Major Incident Investigation Board, 2006). The oil depot that was destroyed in that incident was one of the largest distribution terminals employed to store refined oil, petrol, aviation turbine fuel, diesel and other kerosene supplies. The explosion that started in the early morning of 11th December, 2005 resulted in the explosion of the large stocks of these refined products. The explosion was further fortified by petrol, diesel, gas and other products. The intensity of the disaster remained firm for 3-4 days. The last major combustions were stubbed out on Wednesday 14th December. However, the fire was not completely extinguished until 15th December. The explosion was so intense that the blast was heard up to about 200 miles (320 km) away. The devastating blast affected the nearby area including commercial buildings and the industrial area. The working week directed towards a great loss of many workers who were supposed to be residing there. 43 people were harmed; however, luckily no serious injuries or deaths were recorde d. The spectators and crews found this incident much destructive and confirmed that it is possibly the largest incident of this sort in peacetime Europe.

Miss Brill Essay Example for Free

Miss Brill Essay In Katherine Mansfield’s short story â€Å"Miss Brill,† Mansfield describes Miss Brill as a woman who is in deep denial of her situation. Miss Brill is an elderly woman who is not aware of the distress in her life; because she doesn’t want to face the reality of getting old. Miss Brill shows the personality of a woman who is vain, detached, and over sensitive as she goes through her specific Sunday in the park wearing her favorite â€Å"Dear little thing† fur (65). Because Miss Brill struggles to admit the reality of getting old, her vanity makes her thinks she’s a special person and an actress in the play. Miss Brill believes she has a â€Å"special seat† (65) in Jardin’s Publiques the park where she sits every time. This particular Sunday afternoon is quite special for Miss Brill, because she has taken out her favourite fur from the box. Her â€Å"little rogue† (65) is like a pet â€Å"biting its tail just by her left ear† (65), and she imagines it as her companion. As Miss Brill goes through her day on watching and listening other people in the park she thought, â€Å"She had become really quite expert . . . t listening though she didn’t listen, at sitting in other people’s lives just for a minute while they talked round her† (65). She fantasizes about reading a newspaper to an invalid gentleman snoring besides her, pretending to be on stage and believing she was a good actress. â€Å"An actress are ye? † (67) thought Miss Brill, which again shows her vanity. Although Miss Brill is a teacher and is around people in the park ever y Sunday, her detachment is revealed by her not making any actual contact with her patrons. She is always distant, reserved and aloof. The only companion she has is her fur, she â€Å"laid it on her lap and stroked it† (65). When the band started to play again, she thought the music â€Å"was warm, sunny, yet there was just a faint chill . . . , what was it? . . . , not sadnessa something that made you want to sing? †(67). Miss Brill rejects the feelings of pain and loneliness detaching herself from being hurt. As Miss Brill continues her moment of delusion, her over sensitivity is apparent when a boy and a girl suddenly come to sit ext to her, she is looking forward listening to their conversation as she thought of them as a â€Å"hero and a heroine,† (68) but to her dismay, she hears them talking about her, calling her â€Å"that stupid old thing† (68), and making fun of her favourite fur: â€Å"It’s her fu-fur . . . It’s exactly like a fried whiting† (68). Miss Brill is hurt and on her way home, she skips going to the bakery to buy her favourite treat. Instead she goes straight home, puts her fur in the box and goes into her dark, cupboard-like room. While sitting there for a long time â€Å"she heard something crying,† (68). Miss Brill is the one crying, yet she doesn’t want to face the reality of getting old and the resemblance she has with her old fur. After every denial and rejection of her pain and loneliness, Miss Brill’s reality comes in a harsh way when she hears the young couple making fun of her. Finally, she allows herself to feel the pain, hurt, and loneliness for a moment. Miss Brill’s vanity, detachment, and over sensitivity are her weapons to hide her emotional struggle of accepting the reality of becoming a spinster.

War in Iraq :: Politics Political History Government Essays

War in Iraq Introduction In 1979, President Bakr resigned under pressure from Hussein, who then became president. Immediately after his succession, Hussein called a Baath Party meeting and had all of his opposition systematically murdered. As president, Hussein continued to reinforce his power base by enlarging security forces and employing family members in the government. One 1984 analysis indicated that 50 percent of Iraqis were either employed by the government or military or had a family member who was -- thus making the population intimately connected to and dominated by Hussein. For the past two decades, Hussein has tyrannically ruled Iraq. He started a war with Iran, and his invasion of Kuwait led to the Persian Gulf War. While his abuses are widespread, opposition groups receive little popular support, and uprisings have been minor and easily squelched. Fear of reprisals forced nearly unanimous positive votes for Hussein in the 1995 and 2002 referendums on the presidency. In addition, many in the Middle East seem to believe that if Hussein is deposed the country will break into pieces, leading to more problems in the already troubled region. Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) Gulf War I The Iran-Iraq War permanently altered the course of Iraqi history. It strained Iraqi political and social life, and led to severe economic dislocations. Viewed from a historical perspective, the outbreak of hostilities in 1980 was, in part, just another phase of the ancient Persian-Arab conflict that had been fueled by twentieth-century border disputes. Many observers, however, believe that Saddam Hussein's decision to invade Iran was a personal miscalculation based on ambition and a sense of vulnerability. Saddam Hussein, despite having made significant strides in forging an Iraqi nation-state, feared that Iran's new revolutionary leadership would threaten Iraq's delicate SunniShia balance and would exploit Iraq's geostrategic vulnerabilities--Iraq's minimal access to the Persian Gulf, for example. In this respect, Saddam Hussein's decision to invade Iran has historical precedent; the ancient rulers of Mesopotamia, fearing internal strife and foreign conquest, also engaged in freque nt battles with the peoples of the highlands. Iraq and Iran had engaged in border clashes for many years and had revived the dormant Shatt al Arab waterway dispute in 1979. Iraq claimed the 200-kilometer channel up to the Iranian shore as its territory, while Iran insisted that the thalweg--a line running down the middle of the waterway--negotiated last in 1975, was the official border. The Iraqis, especially the Baath leadership, regarded the 1975 treaty as merely a truce, not a definitive settlement.