God and Sin in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

God and Sin in Heart of Darkness A long debated issue that has plagued human beings since the fall of man is what leads people to commit evil actions and whether evil is inherent in all people. In the literary work of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Marlow grapples with those two similar issues. They way in which Charlie Marlow, the protagonist and skipper, goes about determining the answers are by observing his and other people's goals and motivations throughout his voyage of discovery and self-enlightenment in the Congo of Africa. In the novel Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad seems to be suggesting that the environment pushes people to their extremes, so they commit evil actions. I agree with this idea because in the Bible it says; "1 Corinthians 15:33, ...bad company corrupts good character." Anybody can look around and see that the world is evil. You may see people like politicians doing good for the community on the news, but you know that they are truly looking out for their own self-benefit, more money and publicity. Or even in the novel where it tells about Kurtz having the most successful ivory station in Africa, the way in which he achieved this is by raiding other tribes of their possessions. The Bible states that in "1 John 2:16, For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world." There are several cases of people having mental breakdowns because of stress from the world's imperfectness. This mental collapse sometimes results in them attempting to, or actually murdering others, or even committing suicide. In "Jeremiah 17:9, The Heart is more deceitful that all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" This verse gives proof that our hearts are sick from the evil in them, which corrupts good judgment and self-restraint. For another example the character Kurtz, the owner of the inner station, which is the most successful station, turned his back on his European roots. Kurtz became a god to the natives, and killed people who displeased him. Evidently, one has to admit, whether or not they believe in God, that the world is evil, corrupt, and man is prone to react abnormally to a difference of environment.

Muslim views on medical and sexual questions Essay

Transsexuals are people who believe that their mind is trapped within the body of someone who is of the opposite sex. Many of them who are unable to have the necessary sex organ change operation end up committing suicide. However in the terms of shariah law, it is not allowed for men and women to change their gender to the opposite sex. If one goes against the Shariah law, then he/she will be violating the commandments of the Qur’an and Hadith. The Shariah has also gone to the extent where women are not allowed to dress as men, and men are not allowed to dress as women. It is noted in an Hadith that Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) cursed those men who imitated women and those men who imitated women. If one was to undergo a sex change, then he/she will be altering the natural features and organs that Allah had blessed them with. Many patients have problems with their sex lives, so they seek the help of a doctor or in such cases, they are recommended to go to sex counselling sessions. However it is not allowed for Muslim physicians to engage such conversations. If a husband and wife had problems in their sexual lives, then they would consult a doctor of their own sex. They should then give a broad outline of their problem and not go into such detail. The Muslim doctor would not be allowed to find out such explicit details or show the patient videos that demonstrate such sexual acts. However during sexual therapy lessons, explicit video films which demonstrate such explicit acts may be shown to the patient. It is totally against the Shariah Law for the patient to watch such explicit acts. Some people take advantage of mentally retarded people by having sex with them. So in order to reduce the chance of them falling pregnant, they can be sterilized. This is cause due to their mental state, they would be unable to care for the child. Methods of contraception such as the use of pills can be used instead of using the method of sterilisation as it would mean that all chances of a future hope of pregnancy will be lost. It is not allowed for the mental patient to be castrated but medicine can be administrated which would suppress their sexual urges. Recent studies show that homosexuality is genetically inclined. In Islam, homosexuality is forbidden so it is merely a plot from Shaytaan who’s aim is to make homosexuality more acceptable in our society. The main duty of a Muslim psychiatrist is dissuade his/her patient from indulging in such haram acts. The act of homosexuality has been condemned in the Qur’an and Hadith. Brain-stem death is accepted in the field of medicine as doctors have been entrusted in confirming that a person is dead. In Islam, a person is only considered dead when his soul has left its body. The body then becomes cold and stiff. If left for a long period of time, then the body begins to decompose. If these signs are visible, then the person is considered to be dead in terms of the Shariah. If these signs are not visible, then the person is not considered to be dead. In this case, whether a brain-stem dead person is dead or not is not relevant. In either case, the persons organs are not allowed to be removed from the body. The organs and limbs of a deceased person belongs to Allah, so the person has no right in deciding as to whom his organs are donated to. If a fellow human is dying and the only option of survival is of eating another humans limb and another human gladly offers the too, it will not be allowed.

The Civil War Of The United States - 1233 Words

â€Å"Blundering Generation† Division among a population for opposing goals wasn t a new concept brought to light by the Civil War. Almost one hundred years prior to the Civil War, inhabitants of the thirteen colonies fought against each other towards their differing support for their wages of unity. Patriots fought Loyalists for coalition of the colonies, and likewise Northerners now fought Southerners for the preservation of the Union. The imminent breakup of the Union, likewise to the dissolution of British hold, wasn’t only dependent upon the errors of fumbled leaders. Other factors of equal or even greater importance to the collapse of the Union were economic structure, social makeup, and ongoing movements attempting to alter the†¦show more content†¦Lacking mechanical resources, production required cheap manpower for efficiency. Take the manpower away and the South had nothing to uphold or fall back upon; they relied on themselves for consumption and prod uction, basically keeping all economy within the radius below Virginia. The South felt as is it was a completely alternate society with its own set of regulations and how it ran. They did not necessarily associate themselves to being the same Americans as those that resided in the Northern states; therefore, Southerners feared compromise would sacrifice their entire system. The basic mindset of the people was not an economic-based way of seeing social levels, but rather it was racially based. The wealthy white, usually plantation owners, sought to differentiate themselves from poor, unemployed white by owning those that were even below them, slaves. â€Å"Positions hardened as Republicans asserted the sanctity of majority rule, slaveholders perceived a growing threat to their way of life, and abolitionists—both black and white—sought to end slavery.† (http://www.tredegar.org/) Southerners seeked to represent that the wealthy whites were at the top of the hill, the slaves in the valley, and others fell somewhere in a plateau. Anything that could alter Southern society would change the way people saw each other and how relations would occur. Although even the