Are All Religions Basically The Same?

Are All Religions Basically The Same? Imagine that three people are all touching a part of an elephant. The first is touching the elephants leg and says that the elephant is like the truck of a tree. The second is touching the elephants trunk and disagrees with the first. They think that the trunk is more like a large snake. The third person thinks that the elephant is more like a great wall because they are toughing the side. Each person is convinced that they are right and the others are wrong because of what they know and have experienced. What they dont realize is that they are all technically right because they are each describing a different aspect of the elephant. The same analogy can be applied to the major religions of the world. In 1973, John Hick discussed the idea for a paradigm shift in thinking about different religions in his book God and the Universe of Faiths. Hicks idea is that the different religions could be viewed as different human responses to one divine reality In a later book, Hick presented a theory that attempted to explain all the religions. Hick refers to this theory as a pluralistic hypothesis and defines it as that all religions can be described as culturally conditioned responses to the same ultimate reality. This theory faces one major difficulty though, the contradicting claims that each different religions makes. How can it be possible that all major religions are responses of the same ultimate reality if they contradict one another? For a pluralistic view to be plausible, the hypothesis has to sufficiently explain how religions can make incompatible claims while at the same time be responses of the same ultimate reality. To overcome this difficulty, Hick attempts to explain four critical factors: (1) people are inherently religious; (2) the substantial diversity of the content of religious beliefs; (3) that religious beliefs are not an illusion; and (4) that basically every religion positively changes its followers lives. Hick doesnt spend much time on the first two factors because they are self-evident to most. To argue the third factor Hick examines naturalism and absolutism. Naturalism is the belief that only natural laws and forces operate in the world and that nothing exists beyond the natural world. Hick believes that the universe can be understood when looking at it from this perspective. What he does not find plausible with the claim is that all religious beliefs are delusional. Absolutism, in contrast to naturalism, generally accepts a realist view of religious phenomena. Absolutism is also setup so that only one system of religious beliefs is exactly true and all other religions which disagree with it are false. Hick rejects this attitude because although absolutism may seem plausible when looking at only one religion, application to the real world leaves it highly implausible. Also if absolutism were true, empirical evidence would exist to confirm it. It is obvious that different religions hold conflicting beliefs on several aspects. It seems obvious enough also that almost every religion has positive moral change on its believers. So it implausible to believe that only one religion is true and it is the people who believe this that Hicks hypothesis has the most appeal to because it provides the framework for the claim that any religion which positively affects its believers lives is valid. However, for the hypothesis to be plausible it must sufficiently cover the conflicting truth-claims problem. A difficulty Hicks pluralistic hypothesis faces is the conflicting belief systems of various religions. In Hicks book An Interpretation of Religion, Hick claims that all religions authentically experience what he defines as the Real. Yet each religion has beliefs that are different and often contradict other religions. The question then is if different belief systems and conflicting truth-claims leaves Hicks pluralistic theory implausible. Hick does not believe that conflicting truth-claims disproves his theory but they do present a difficulty. Hick devotes an entire chapter in An Interpretation of Religion to discussing them, covering three separate points on which religions tend to disagree on. First are matters of historical fact, then matters of trans-historical fact and differing conceptions of the Real. Hick believes that these disagreements can be resolved by applying the historical method but it proves to be difficult. One reason is because many historical claims of religions have no other historical support outside the religion that makes them. Hick reasons that historical differences just must be accepted, because many are not over central articles of faith. Hicks basic argument is that most historical disagreements cannot be resolved and since the disagreements are not related to the essence of any religion, resolving them is not critical to the argument and therefore the disagreements do not create a problem for his hypothesis. Later in is his book, Hick considers conflicting trans-historical truth-claims. He defines them as having to do with questions to which there is, in principle, a true answer but which cannot be established by historical or other empirical evidence. Two examples he gives are the nature of the universe and the fate at death of human beings. The nature of the universe has been a main dispute between theistic and non-theistic religions. In applying Hicks definition, this is a dispute to which there is, in principle, only one valid answer. Nevertheless, the question cannot currently be answered, even by modern science because current scientific cosmologies can be companionable with either perspective. The fate at death of human beings is another example of conflicting trans-historical truth claims. This conflict mainly arises between eastern and western religions. Eastern religions emphasize multiple reincarnations or rebirths after death. Western theistic religions claim though that a person lives a single life that is followed by judgment at death to determine their eternal fate. These points are important to Hicks pluralistic hypothesis. In Hicks examination of various religions, he does not directly address different religions different beliefs of what happens at death because despite the differing beliefs, Hick reasons that every faith helps its people develop morally which he believes is an essential result of the switch from self-centeredness to Reality-centeredness. On this basis, he argues that these differences do not hamper salvation/liberation and therefore do not present any problems for his hypothesis. In his book, Hick also examines conflicting beliefs about the ultimate Reality. Hicks hypothesis asserts that all religions are correct interpretations of the Real. However, one obvious problem of this is the drastically different notion of the Real that each religion holds. As Hick previously claims, each religions deity is a correct, yet different face of the Real and since no concepts, categories, or distinctions can be applied to the Real, this prevents any potential contradiction between religions. So the differences between the basic concepts and practices of different religions, the different (and often) conflicting historical and trans-historical beliefs and the varied belief systems on which all of them are formed, are harmonious with Hicks pluralistic hypothesis. Compatible in that the multiple world religions constitute different conceptions and perceptions of, and responses to, the Real from within the different cultural ways of being human. However, Hicks hypothesis does not offer a satisfactory explanation of the problem of the conflicting truth-claims of the different religions. In order for Hicks hypothesis to be probable it has to be free from internal contradictions and accurately explain religious phenomena. It cannot sufficiently meet either of these conditions. This paper began with the scenario of three people each touching a different part of an elephant. This metaphor is basically a simplified version of Hicks hypothesis. Each religion is like a man who is unable to see the elephant as the whole it really is. But how do we know that the people are all describing the same elephant? Perhaps the first was actually holding the truck of a tree and the second was actually holding a fire hose and the third was touching the side of a building. This scenario has a critical flaw, it assumes the same thing it allegedly proves, that all three were touching an elephant. Furthermore, the scenario described does not really describe the worlds religions. None of the descriptions were conflicting, just different. What if each of the statements made about the elephant contradicted the statements of the others? Would it still be possible to assume that everyone is describing the same elephant? How much contradiction is required before it becomes clear that its not the same elephant everyone is describing? This same question can be applied to Hicks hypothesis. With the conflicting truth-claims of various religions, is it really reasonable to accept Hicks claim that all religions are just different interpretations of the same reality? Hick addresses the credibility of the possibility that every religion worships the same God and just refers to him by different names in Disputed Questions, entitled Jews, Christians, Muslims: Do We All Worship the Same God? He concludes that the trouble of this claim is that the various descriptions have to be compatible. The same criticism Hick applied against that position can be applied to Hicks own hypothesis. The differences between religions are far too great for his hypothesis to be plausible. Sensitivity Analysis: Applications and Issues Sensitivity Analysis: Applications and Issues For a given linear programming model, finding the optimal solution is of major importance. But it is not the only information available. There is a very good amount of sensitivity information. It is basically the information that accounts for what happens when data values are changed. Sensitivity analysis basically talks about how the uncertainity in the output of a model can be attributed to different sources of uncertainity in the input model. Uncertainity analysis is a related practice which quantifies the uncertainity in the output of a model. In an ideal situation, uncertainity and sensitivity analysis must run in tandem. If a study is carried out which involves some form of statistical modelling (forming mathematical equations involving variables), sensitivity analysis is used in order to investigate exactly how robust the study is. It is also used for a wide range of other purposes including decision making, error checking in models, understanding the relationship between input and output variables and enhancing communication between the people who make the decisions and the people involved in constructing the models. For example, we know that there are some variables which are always uncertain in a budgeting process. Operating expenses, future tax rates, interest rates etc. Are some of the variables which may not be known with a great amount of accuracy. In this regard sensitivity analysis basically helps us in understanding that if these variables deviate from their expected values, then how will the business, model or system that is being analyzed will be affected. An assumption called certainty assumption needs to be invoked in order to formulate a problem as a linear program. The assumption involved knowing what value the data took on, and decisions are made based on that data. However, this assumption is somewhat doubtful: the data might be unknown, or guessed at, or otherwise inaccurate. Thus, determining the effect on the optimal decisions if the values are changed is clearly not feasible because some numbers in the data are more important than others. Can we find the important numbers? Can we determine the effect of misestimation? In order to address these questions, linear programming is very handy. Data changes are showed up in the optimal table. A case study using involving sensitivity analysis is worked upon using solver in the later part of the report. 1.2. TABLEAU SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS Assume that we solve a linear program by ourselves which ends up with an optimal table (or tableau to use a more technical term).We know what an optimal table looks like: It has all the non-negative values in the row 0 (which we also refer to as the cost row), all non-negative right-hand-side values, and an identity matrix embedded. If we have to determine the effect of a change in the data, we will have to try and determine how that change affected the final tableau and thus, try and reform the final tableau accordingly. 1.2.1. COST CHANGES The first change that we will consider is changing the cost value by some delta in the original problem. The original problem and the optimal table are already given. If the same exact calculations are done with the modified problem, we would have the same final optimal table except that the corresponding cost entry would be lower by delta (this happens because the only operations which we do with the first row are add or subtract scalar multiples of it through m to other rows: we never add or subtract the scalar multiples of row 0 to the other rows). For example,let us take the problem Max 3x+2y Subject to x+y = 0 1 + delta >= 0 which holds for -1 = 5.4 11 NZ DISTILLATE: DAN + DJN + DUN >= 8.7 12 US DISTILLATE: DUP + DUN

Irony, Ambiguity, Symbols, and Symbolism in Gullivers Travels Essay

Use of Irony, Ambiguity and Symbolism, in Gulliver's Travels      Ã‚  Ã‚   Although it appears simple and straightforward on the surface, a mere travelogue intended solely for the amusement of children, Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift, proves, upon closer examination, to be a critical and insightful work satirizing the political and social systems of eighteenth-century England. Through frequent and successful employment of irony, ambiguity and symbolism, Swift makes comments addressing such specific topics as current political controversies as well as such universal concerns as the moral degeneration of man.   While he incorporates them subtly early in the novel, these observations and criticisms eventually progress to a point where they may shock or offend even the most unsuspecting reader.   In order to witness this evolution of presentation, one need only observe the development of the work's central character, Captain Lemuel Gulliver, as Swift has designed his novel in such a way that, as his aspersions harshen and intensify, so do Gulliver's actions and attitudes.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For instance, in book one, "A Voyage to Lilliput", when Gulliver finds himself lost in a world one-twelfth the size of his own, he proves himself to be quite naive and impressionable.   Although he is simply too large to perceive them in detail, Gulliver judges the country's inhabitants he meets to be as perfect and innocent as their toylike appearances.   He refers to the Lilliputian emperor, a being not even six inches high, as "His Imperial Majesty" and blindly agrees to perform any demanded service, even though he could easily overpower the tiny natio... ... throughout the story in the form of irony and satire, Gulliver himself offers a solution to his situation at the close of the novel.   He realizes that there is little he can do about being human; he simply must learn to live with himself. To achieve this, he suggests looking in a mirror as often as possible, not only so that he might learn to bear the sight of his own person but also so that he may be constantly reminded   of those shortcomings he seeks so desperately to overcome.    Works Cited and Consulted Backscheider, Paula R. A Being More Intense: A Study of the Prose Works of Buynan, Swift, and Defoe. New York: AMS Press, 1984. Carnochan, W. B. Lemuel Gulliver's Mirror for Man. Berkley: University of California Press, 1968. Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.      

Professional market research plan for Bounce Fitness Essay

Research on competition †¢Comparing consumer attitudes to an organisation †¢Services and those of competitors †¢Identifying frequency of use of competitors products and services †¢Identifying key competitors and their strengths †¢Measuring awareness Research on consumers †¢Developing detailed consumer profiles †¢Identifying changes in attitudes and behaviour patterns †¢Identifying existing , potential or lapsed consumers Research on place †¢Identifying attitudes towards location †¢Identifying cooperative opportunities for distribution of information or services †¢Identifying demand for products or services at other locations Research on pricing †¢Identifying attitude towards pricing †¢Identifying cost †¢Testing alternative pricing strategies †¢Research on products and services †¢Evaluating competitors products †¢Evaluating consumer attitudes towards presentation and packaging †¢Identifying potential new products or services or ones which may be at the end of their life cycle †¢Measuring attitudes towards existing products or services Research on promotion †¢Measuring advertising and promotion effectiveness †¢Testing alternative massages †¢Testing and comparing different media options Project 2 Implement, monitor and evaluate the market research plan for Bounce Fitness. A.Develop a detailed ,realistic implementation program †¢Includes an implementation strategy for the identification , selection , contracting and monitoring of all external consultants †¢Defines and communicates clearly all priorities, responsibilities, timelines and budgets, along with all personnel involved †¢Outlines all resources required, where and how they would be obtained, along with associated costs and conditions. †¢Incorporate contingencies for at risk areas †¢Includes a monitoring process to ensure the project sticks to budget and stays on course †¢Determines how you will measure your stakeholder satisfaction at the end of the project †¢Includes an evaluation process for final review of your project. Part B Conduct an information session for contractors †¢Instruction to your researchers in regards to their role and your expectations †¢Documentation and submission procedures †¢Communication strategies Part C Evaluate the research process and findings †¢Evaluate the usefulness of the findings in terms of relevance to initial objectives †¢Evaluate the marketing research methods used †¢Suggest any adjustment required as a result of the evaluations †¢Provide a modified research and implementation plan that reflects the adjustments you would make B 1.Statement of market research needs 2.Include research objectives 3.Include project scope 4.Identify the specific data required, including how it will be gathered , quantified and processed 5.Include estimates of time lines and castings 6.Include all required forms and recording instruments for each research method chosen

Free Essays on Learning From Mistakes

Learning from Mistakes The constant learning that occurs in the everyday lives of humans can often be applied to many aspects in life. This proves true in Patricia Limerick’s essay, â€Å"Haunted America.† Inside Limerick’s essay she explains how we should learn a great deal from war, how we learn from others and our own mistakes. When thinking about her title, â€Å"Haunted America†, the first thing that comes to mind is war and people dying. As Limerick says, â€Å"We live on haunted land, on land that is layers deep in human passion and memory† (503). This quote says that the people who fought at war and died had great consequences that united our nation and we will remember that. Although Americans have often viewed our nation as being free from tradition and on the cutting edge of progress, the past nevertheless shadows our nation and its peoples. Although many wars have taken place with Americans, we some times seem to forget about those who we fought with to gain land. Like the Indians, we still today don’t really recognize them for who they are, we just seem to shove them to the side and forget about them. Today in time you never hear about the Indians accomplishments, it seems as if we just take their land over and never talk about them again. From knowing the real facts on war against the natives, it helps us learn not what to do next time. In Limerick’s essay she has a twelve point guide to war, that has many important issues at stake. In these patterns it teaches us what not to do next time, but they will always be there and remind us what did happen. For instance, like in any class, such as English we might not do something righ t the first time, but after a while we catch on and begin to do whats right, we learn from our own mistakes. As Limerick says, â€Å"a whole range of people who see each other as alien and who feel that they have no common ground, benefit from the tragic events of conquest† (... Free Essays on Learning From Mistakes Free Essays on Learning From Mistakes Learning from Mistakes The constant learning that occurs in the everyday lives of humans can often be applied to many aspects in life. This proves true in Patricia Limerick’s essay, â€Å"Haunted America.† Inside Limerick’s essay she explains how we should learn a great deal from war, how we learn from others and our own mistakes. When thinking about her title, â€Å"Haunted America†, the first thing that comes to mind is war and people dying. As Limerick says, â€Å"We live on haunted land, on land that is layers deep in human passion and memory† (503). This quote says that the people who fought at war and died had great consequences that united our nation and we will remember that. Although Americans have often viewed our nation as being free from tradition and on the cutting edge of progress, the past nevertheless shadows our nation and its peoples. Although many wars have taken place with Americans, we some times seem to forget about those who we fought with to gain land. Like the Indians, we still today don’t really recognize them for who they are, we just seem to shove them to the side and forget about them. Today in time you never hear about the Indians accomplishments, it seems as if we just take their land over and never talk about them again. From knowing the real facts on war against the natives, it helps us learn not what to do next time. In Limerick’s essay she has a twelve point guide to war, that has many important issues at stake. In these patterns it teaches us what not to do next time, but they will always be there and remind us what did happen. For instance, like in any class, such as English we might not do something righ t the first time, but after a while we catch on and begin to do whats right, we learn from our own mistakes. As Limerick says, â€Å"a whole range of people who see each other as alien and who feel that they have no common ground, benefit from the tragic events of conquest† (...

Free Essays on The Promise

This article, The Promise, was taken straight from the book â€Å"The Sociological Imagination†. The author of this book is C. Wright Mills, who was thought of as a very controversial sociologist when The Sociological Imagination was published in 1959. The main idea in this excerpt from Mills’ book is that a normal man doesn’t view things the way that a sociologist might view them. One of the major points he makes is that a single man has â€Å"troubles†, while the society he lives in has â€Å"issues†. Even though I thought that this article was difficult to read and follow along with, I did pick up on this idea about â€Å"troubles† and â€Å"issues† pretty easily. One example that Mills uses in the article is marriage. He explains that a man may have a problem in his marriage, and that problem is the only thing he needs to deal with. At the same time, the divorce rate of this same man’s society may be rapidly increasing. Mills explains that sociologists do not tend to focus on the one man’s problem, instead they try to find out a way to help the society as a whole. This same idea was used by the sociologists who we read about, and talked about in lecture, who split up 24 boys into groups of 12 each to study the way the boys would react. These scientists found that the boys acted very similar to society. As the days went on with these groups, the boys became loyal to the other boys in their group, and very competitive towards the opposite group. Each separate group of boys also formed somewhat of a hierarchy, as happens in almost any other group in society. When the two groups of boys were then put back into one big group of 24 to complete tasks, the sociologists noticed that the grudges that were previously held were put aside in order to work as a team and complete these tasks. While reading this article by Mills, I was pretty confused. Not so much by the language that Mills used, but I couldn’t quite get ... Free Essays on The Promise Free Essays on The Promise This article, The Promise, was taken straight from the book â€Å"The Sociological Imagination†. The author of this book is C. Wright Mills, who was thought of as a very controversial sociologist when The Sociological Imagination was published in 1959. The main idea in this excerpt from Mills’ book is that a normal man doesn’t view things the way that a sociologist might view them. One of the major points he makes is that a single man has â€Å"troubles†, while the society he lives in has â€Å"issues†. Even though I thought that this article was difficult to read and follow along with, I did pick up on this idea about â€Å"troubles† and â€Å"issues† pretty easily. One example that Mills uses in the article is marriage. He explains that a man may have a problem in his marriage, and that problem is the only thing he needs to deal with. At the same time, the divorce rate of this same man’s society may be rapidly increasing. Mills explains that sociologists do not tend to focus on the one man’s problem, instead they try to find out a way to help the society as a whole. This same idea was used by the sociologists who we read about, and talked about in lecture, who split up 24 boys into groups of 12 each to study the way the boys would react. These scientists found that the boys acted very similar to society. As the days went on with these groups, the boys became loyal to the other boys in their group, and very competitive towards the opposite group. Each separate group of boys also formed somewhat of a hierarchy, as happens in almost any other group in society. When the two groups of boys were then put back into one big group of 24 to complete tasks, the sociologists noticed that the grudges that were previously held were put aside in order to work as a team and complete these tasks. While reading this article by Mills, I was pretty confused. Not so much by the language that Mills used, but I couldn’t quite get ...

Garment Manufacture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Garment Manufacture - Essay Example Although tariffs will still be in place, the liberalisation of the T&C sector by means of quota abolition is a decisive step towards free trade. But just what does the liberalisation of T&C sector mean to the market and its players (David Birnbaum, 2005) This is where the role of the buyer becomes immensely vital. Manufacturers will need to source raw materials that meet their quality standards and at the same time keep track of competitive prices to keep their brand alive and kicking. Buyers are trained professionals whose hand first-hand information on market trends and vendors. It is in their hands the future of a garment manufacture lie. Garments are an essential part of man's existence. During the age of cavemen, men and women wore the skin of the killed animals to protect them from cold. Gradually, this changed and they began to use plant leaves, and other materials to cover their torso. Though the purpose remains the same, men and women now wear dresses made out of wool, cotton, nylon, synthetic, rayon and silk. Style became a part of society and designers began to showcase their talent through designer wear. Fashion became more pronounced around the 1950s and has since, shown an upward trend. The names of Jean Paul Gaultier, Carolina Herrera, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Carmen Marc Valvo, Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld, and Elie Saab, to name a few, are breakfast names. So what makes them different from others Design and texture, of course! Garments that are worn by people like you and me are in most cases, imitations of what is shown on the ramp. Designer wear are exclusive and cost a fortune. However, garment ma nufacturers the world over, design dresses that are look-alike to their more illustrious cousins on FTV. 3.0 Market Trend For any garment business to succeed or sustain their presence in this highly competitive field, the manufacturer needs to obtain raw materials and at competitive prices. If there is one area of concern, the manufacturer will suffer great lose. Raw materials are an essential aspect of production. If supplies remain unpredictable or truncated, production will seize and the business, doomed. Similarly, if prices escalate and demands grow, there must be a stand-by to cover this. Prices fluctuate periodically and this can affect supplies and pricing. This has to be a very important part of planning. No manufacturer can work on a day-today basis. Orders that are placed over a long period of time need to be executed and at contracted prices. This is when the service of the buyer (sourcing) remains critical. It is never easy for one to identify and maintain continuity with just one supplier. There must be at least a few more alternatives to meet contingency. An important aspect in managing contemporary fashion business is supply chain management. Once an order is placed, the manufactured product needs to reach the designated store or consumer. Retail environment constantly undergoes changes, and unless the product reaches the wholesaler or retailer on time, it could have severe economic and consumer pressure. Market

Colour theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Colour theory - Essay Example RGB colour model is a colour that is based on light. These three colours are the three primary colours with green replacing the colour yellow. When the three colours are combined, then it becomes possible to produce any other colour. This colour model is only used with source of light and does not apply to printing (Albers 2006). CMYK colour model is the colour method that is based on pigments. The initials stand for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. K stands for black. When the four colours are used, it becomes possible to achieve other colours. CMYK model cannot reproduce the same amount of colour as the RGB colour model. This is the reason why when printed yellow-green at times appears slightly muddy. This is the method employed by printers the world over. It is also an intelligent way or mixing paints (Albers 2006). Colour space is a helpful conceptual tool for comprehending the capabilities of colour of a digital file or device. Thus, when one is trying to make a reproduction of colour on another device, the colour spaces reveal whether one will manage to retain the highlight or shadow detail, the saturation of colour as well as, by how much wither of the two will be compromised. The process of keeping colour consistency in digital photography runs from the minute one takes a photo, uploads it to the computer, converting the same to jpegs and printing it using a variety of output technology. The process of editing an image involves the existing profile of the image. This is what is referred to as a working colour space.