The Church of Scientology Essay Example For Students

The Church of Scientology Essay The point is emphasized to that many of these charges are against top officials in the Church not merely isolated incidents of radicals, so for every court case presented in the article so to is the title of the member being charged. The heavy research that has gone into Watchers work may be contrasted with the informal article written by the Scientology insider. Whether an intentional effort was made in order to cover up aspects of the Church that were too controversial to discuss, or the author merely did not feel the need to use hard evidence to support his ideas, the article appears to be personal opinion versus substantial research. We will write a custom essay on The Church of Scientology specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The author Bernie even goes so far as to admit that cultic aspects are evident in the Church of Scientology, yet he does not discuss what these aspects are or how they are evident. The insider does not use any outside sources in his body of work, unlike the extensive bibliography that follows Watchers article, instead he solely relies on his own experience in the Church to validate the article. Throughout the Watcher article there are many Scientology policies that are used in support of her argument. The idea of suppressive acts within the Church explains why Scientologists try to silence criticism at any cost, because it is a part of their religious doctrine to protect the name of the Church. Watcher has even managed to secure Scientology documents that help to indict the Church further, one such document reveals how members are held against their will providing members of the Church feel they are going through a nervous breakdown. Who determines the mental state of the member, however is a council composed of top officials in the Church rather than some sort of mental heath professional. The insider in sharp contrast does not refer at all to specific Scientology policies, he merely gives a broad overview of the Church and its ability to cure any members emotional or mental state of anguish. This has often been an accusation brought against new religious movements and their deceptive techniques of recruitment, that initially they will give very little specifics about the Church and make it appear to be a universally acceptable group centered around ideas of health and happiness. In this sense the insiders argument seems insubstantial, and plays into preconceived notions of new religious movements and their recruitment methods. After analyzing the few similarities and countless areas of contention between the two articles there are obvious conclusions that must be drawn. First, when analyzing the insider versus outsider perspective it is important to keep in mind that no one side is purely neutral in their beliefs. It would be nai ve to think that the insider would be overly critical of their experience, as well as the outsider to be out rightly supportive of a new religious movement. It is the job of the respective individual to prove something to the reader, whether it be that Scientology is beneficial to society or a stereotypical cult-like new religious group. Therefore it is not a matter of identifying which perspective remained along neutral lines, but which author argued the best case for their point. In this particular analysis the outsider managed to present a strong case against the Church of Scientology using hard evidence to support every claim that was made. Unlike her insider counterpart, Watcher as a writer was able to criticize the Church of Scientology from a number of fronts without confusing personal opinion for hard evidence. The downfall of the insiders article was that their emotion and feelings toward the Church of Scientology clouded their ability to critically access the religions policy and practices. It is essential to this study, however that we acknowledge that this is but one comparison between an outsider and an insiders perspective on a new religious movement. .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd , .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd .postImageUrl , .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd , .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd:hover , .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd:visited , .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd:active { border:0!important; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd:active , .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u31357235c46c83b44acb874300795edd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Trail of Tears EssayWe cannot conclude with absolute certainty that every insider relies on soft data to prove their point, just as we are unable to conclude that the outsiders perspective will always have the more sophisticated research methods. What we can take out of this analysis is the idea that the more knowledge we have on a certain topic the more enlightened we become. Relying on one source for all of our information, whether it be outsider or insider is a narrow minded way to go about understanding something as complex as new religious movements. Like any topic we study throughout our lives we must treat new religious movements as unique and multifaceted institutions, whereby relying solely on one persons interpretation will not advance our knowledge of the subject. Bibliography Bernie, John. Another look at Scientology An Insiders Look at the Controversy 4 July 2004 http://bernie. cncfamily. com/ars. htm. Melton, Gordon, J. The Church of Scientology. Italy: Signature Books, 2000. Miller, Russell. Bare-Faced Messiah: The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard. New York: Sphere Books, 1987. Vosper, Cyril. The Mindbenders. London: Neville Spearman Publishing, 1971. Watcher, Kristy. Whats Wrong with Scientology Scientology Lies 21 March 2002 http://www. scientology-lies. com/whatswrong. html. 1 Melton, Gordon, J. The Church of Scientology. Italy: Signature Books, 2000. p. 53. 2 Watcher, Kristy. Whats Wrong with Scientology Scientology Lies 21 March 2002 http://www. scientology-lies. com/whatswrong. html. p. 3. 3 Ibid. p. 2. 4 Bernie, John. Another look at Scientology An Insiders Look at the Controversy 4 July 2004 http://bernie. cncfamily.com/ars. htm. p. 5. 5 Ibid. p. 7. 6 Bernie, John. Another look at Scientology An Insiders Look at the Controversy 4 July 2004 http://bernie. cncfamily. com/ars. htm. p. 3. 7 Watcher, Kristy. Whats Wrong with Scientology Scientology Lies 21 March 2002 http://www. scientology-lies. com/whatswrong. html. p. 2.

Born into our ethics Essays

Born into our ethics Essays Born into our ethics Essay Born into our ethics Essay Ethical motives does non necessitate faith We are born into our moralss, merely as we are born into a faith. From an early age we are instructed to act a certain manner, and most, if non all our beliefs become so much apart of our life s that it is impossible to divide our spiritual beliefs, from our ethical values. Personal moralss and faith are the anchor that makes up an person. These two simple, but complex features place us into a category and define who we are, place us in certain way, and specify what we believe. Many factors in today s universe set up the foundation of our faith and moralss, and normally the value of moralss and faith become so introduced into 1s life that different sentiments and thoughts come together and get down statements, wars, and differences. Because of this distinction of thoughts, one admirations if one out of the two values can still be practiced in life. I believe that moralss does non necessitate faith in order to populate a life with good moralss and ethical motives. As Dr. Richard H. Anderson from the University of Colorado provinces, ethics is a set of behavior criterions from a given scene ; it defines the construction of relationships, and defines who we are and what we hold to be true. This criterion describes how twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours determinations should be carried out, and defines the manner one must life. In today s churches and faith seminars, many curates and priests preach that there can be no moral moralss without faith. This statement is false. Many bookmans argue the hypothesis that faith keeps people in line because of the promise of Eden and the menace of snake pit. Christians of today s universe behave morally because they are scared of God s wrath. As Sandra lafave provinces from West Valley College of Philosophy, Only the menace of decease will discourage people from crimes. In my sentiment, this statement does non back up that faith is needed in moralss. An atheist in today s universe behaves morally because this is how he or she was brought up in the universe. The moral and ethical act that atheist carry out is done by personal satisfaction and cognizing right from incorrect, non because they are scared of the wrath of God. The actions that we carry out are developed through larning from the cli p we are born, until the present. Ethical motives is developed through personal experiences ; whether it is positive or negative, but many Christians argue that it is the Ten Commandments that one can establish their ethical motives and moralss on. The Ten Commandments are a set of moral regulations and guidelines. Kevin Knight, a priest from the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Marry provinces, The Ten Commandments are precepts bearing on the cardinal duties of faith and morality and incarnating the revealed look of the Creator s will in relation to adult male s whole responsibility to God and to his fellow-creatures. This significance that these regulations must be fallowed in order to achieve ageless felicity. Christians are forced to be frightened of the wrath of God in order to make good. These exact same rules can be practiced and expressed in visible radiation that there is no Godhead to fear. These of course learned and practiced moralss are taught from kid goon and are used non in fright of God, but in order to life a morally right life where others will esteem you. As Dr. Paul Kurtz sates, from the University of New York at Buffalo, there are a figure of of import humanistic values that we should endeavor to recogniz e in our personal lives, and that we need to leave to the immature. They are the ethical excellences. These values include liberty, intelligence, self-discipline, self-respect, creativeness, high motive, good heath, exuberance, and Joie de vivre. This list of values pushes one to experience happiness and well-being. All of these values, in the terminal, forces one to populate a good life without holding to fallow the Ten Commandments which prematurely is done because of the fright of God. As Dr. Kurtz provinces, The significance of life is non to be discovered merely after decease in some hidden, cryptic kingdom. On the contrary, it can be found by eating the lush fruit of the Tree of Life and by life in the here and now as to the full and creatively as we can. When moralss and faith are perceived together one may experience as if they are forced to move the manner they do. Personally, I act out my actions from what I was taught when I was immature and what I feel is right and incorrect and non because I fear the wrath of God. Unlike faith, which punishes you everlastingly from errors, moralss is proceeded to learn an person a moral lesson and have this lesson understood and carried out throughout life. For illustration, as a immature kid we were punished if we stole, and we were punished if we told a prevarication and were held accountable for our ain actions. This penalty helped me understand what was right and incorrect. As an grownup, I now understand that I am accountable for my ain actions and this is why I do what I do on a day-to-day footing, non because of a fright of God. In decision, I believe that moralss does non necessitate faith and that life can be balanced through moralss and good moral value, non faith. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.wikihow.com/Determine-Moral-Principles-Without-Religion

How can we conserve biodiversity on a global scale using evidence from Essay

How can we conserve biodiversity on a global scale using evidence from evolution in deep time - Essay Example Because of the changes in the plate tectonics combined with the fossil remains of the ancient reefs which was formed approximately between 360 to 440 million years ago (Veron, 2004), rock formation that we have today is formed. Aside from the changes in the Earth’s surface, the extinction of each species may also contribute to the formation of a new species. In line with this matter, Fredrickson and Onstott (1996) discussed the possibility that the subterranean bacteria could have been responsible not only in the erosion process of rocks but also in terms of converting the minerals from one form to another. Millions of years ago, the atmosphere was composed of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, sulphur, and nitrogen gases (Brasier et al., 2002; Haynes, 2002). Biologists suspected that the presence of photosynthetic bacteria around two to three million years ago has changed the atmospheric condition we have today by releasing some oxygen into the atmosphere. (Haynes, 2002) The living fossils managed to survived hundreds of million years ago. However, 99.9% of all the species are now extinct (Raup, 1991, pp. 3 – 6). For this study, the past human and environmental factors that can significantly affect the extinction of some of plants, animals, micro-organisms, and the ecosystem among others will be thoroughly discussed followed by reflecting on how we can effectively conserve biodiversity on a global scale based on the identified major causes of extinction. As part of the conclusion, recommended ways on how we can prevent the mass destruction of biodiversity will be provided in details. Human actions can result to a significant change within the environmental. Because of heavy industrialization, the loss of habitat due to heavy pollution or the extinction of trees in the forests are among the common factors that could endanger the plant and animal