The Theological Dilemma of Pain and Suffering Essay -- The Problem Of P

The existence of pain and suffering in a world created by a good and almighty God is a fundamental theological dilemma and may be the most serious objection to the Christian religion. In the book, The Problem Of Pain , author C.S. Lewis addresses the issue of pain as a mere problem that demands a solution; he formulates it and goes about solving it. "If God were good, He would make His creatures perfectly happy, and if He were almighty He would be able to do what He wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both" (p. 16). According to Lewis, this is the problem of pain in its simplest form. In his attempt to solve the problem of pain Lewis evaluates the past and the origin of religion, he offers his interpretation of the various justifications for why pain exists in today's society, and explains how one should deal with pain in order to live out God's will in the future. This essay will examine these rationales and will conclude with a n analysis on how Lewis handles the four foundational sources for understanding the will of God through scripture, tradition, history, and modern context. Lewis evaluates the past in order to explain the problem of pain. He does this by examining the origin of religion and discussing the three elements associated with all developed religions, in addition to an added one in Christianity. The first element is the experiences of the Numinous. Humans are capable of sensing the divine and spiritual presence through the Numinous. The Numinous is a mixed feeling of awe and dread and distinct from fear. Lewis states that there are two possible views of Numinous. The first is that it is simply in the mind and serves no biological function; yet will not disa... ...ainst the traditional and historical interpretations of the scriptures in the Bible. In addition, in becomes apparent early on in his book that Lewis does not believe the Adam and Eve story can be taken seriously by his audience at a literal level in a Darwinian age. In conclusion, Lewis relies heavily on scripture, tradition, and history to explain evilness in terms of the Fall of man, to reject theories of Monism and Dualism, to justify how a good Creator could make a bad creature, and to convey the concept of hell. Conversely, Lewis relies on modern context when questioning God's omnipotence. All in all, Lewis relies to some extent on all four foundational sources in order to understand the will of God and attempt to solve the problem of pain. Works Cited Lewis, C. S. The Problem of Pain. New York: Macmillan, 1962. Print.

How I Learned to Read Essay

When I was little my Mom and 2 older sisters enjoyed reading. My favorite books when I was younger were the little Critter books by Mercer Mayer’s, which they would always read to me. Seeing them read the books and watching how everything they had read related to the pictures inside the books made me want to learn to read, which led to me learning to read when I was about 5 years old, once I began reading I couldn’t put down a book. At the age of 4 I learned the alphabet and what sounds each letter made. As I got older I began learning how to pronounce words put together and sentences by using flashcards with pictures on them. When I started learning to read I was happy and anxious. Seeing the pictures with the letter it started with helped me remember how the letters sound. An example is D and then there would be a Dog on the flashcard. However learning to read was stressful to me, I would get frustrated and mad because I couldn’t pronounce words correctly. I thought since I wanted to read that I would just begin to read suddenly. I didn’t realize that to learn to read was a dedication and that it would be difficult at the beginning, and that it meant don’t give up and to keep trying until I accomplished what I wanted to learn. Me wanting to learn to read was a goal I had when I was younger, and not only taught me how to read but not to give up on any goals I might have in life.

The Five Pillars Of Islam - 1591 Words

Islam Notes The most important Muslim practices are the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam are the five obligations that every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life according to Islam. The Five Pillars consist of: Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca Why are they important? Carrying out these obligations provides the framework of a Muslim s life, and weaves their everyday activities and their beliefs into a single cloth of religious devotion. No matter how sincerely a†¦show more content†¦In case military action appears necessary, not everyone can declare jihad. The religious military campaign has to be declared by a proper authority, advised by scholars, who say the religion and people are under threat and violence is imperative to defend them. The concept of just war is very important. The concept of jihad has been hijacked by many political and religious groups over the ages in a bid to justify various forms of violence. In most cases, Islamic splinter groups invoked jihad to fight against the established Islamic order. Scholars say this misuse of jihad contradicts Islam. Examples of sanctioned military jihad include the Muslims defensive battles against the Crusaders in medieval times, and before that some responses by Muslims against Byzantine and Persian attacks during the period of the early Islamic conquests. WHAT JIHAD IS NOT Jihad is not a violent concept. Jihad is not a declaration of war against other religions. It is worth noting that the Koran specifically refers to Jews and Christians as people of the book who should be protected and respected. All three faiths worship the same God. Allah is just the Arabic word for God, and is used by Christian Arabs as well as Muslims. Military action in the name of Islam has not been common in the history of Islam. Scholars says most calls for violent jihad are notShow MoreRelatedThe Five Pillars Of Islam2378 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿ The Five Pillars Of Islam Subject: Religious Education Name: Nathaniel Hall Date of Submission: April 9, 2014 Table Of Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦2 The Shahadah†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦.3 The Salat†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 The Zakat†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...5 The Sawm†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦6 The Hajj†¦..................................................................Read MoreThe Five Pillars Of Islam989 Words   |  4 Pagesimportant Muslim practices are the Five Pillars of Islam. These duties are rooted in the teachings of the Qur’an and in the example of the prophet, Muhammad. Therefore, Muslims are expected to observe them with the utmost respect and devotion. These pillars form the foundation for all good deeds and acts of worship to God. And, carrying out the Five Pillars demonstrates that faith comes first. The profession of faith, shahadah, is the first of the Five Pillars. The shahada is the most fundamentalRead MoreFive Pillars Of Islam And Islam1119 Words   |  5 PagesFive Pillars of Islam All great things are built on a solid and strong foundation. The religion of Islam is no different. The foundation on which Islam was built is known as The Five Pillars of Islam. These are the essential duties that are required of all Muslims. The pillars are the shahadah (declaration of faith), salah (establishment of the five ritual prayers), zakah (almsgiving), sawm (fasting the month of Ramadan), and hajj (pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca). These five pillars are inRead MoreIslam : The Five Pillars Of Islam1412 Words   |  6 Pagesto reflect and cultivate their faith through practicing the Arkan al-Islam - the Five Pillars of Islam. Islam embraces the paradigm of submission to the will of Allah for adherents to understand their place in the universe. The pillars are a foundation for the Muslim faith as evident by Muhammad s statement of ‘Islam is built upon five [pillars]’ recorded in the Hadith 3. This entails the declaration of faith (Shahadah), the five dai ly prayers (Salat), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting during the monthRead MoreThe Five Pillars Of Islam1439 Words   |  6 Pagestheir faith through practicing the Arkan al-Islam - the Five Pillars of Islam. It is the foundation for Muslim faith as evident by Muhammads statement of ‘Islam is built upon five [pillars]’ recorded in the Hadith 3. This entails the declaration of faith (Shahadah), the five daily prayers (Salat), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting during the month of Ramadan (Sawm) and the Hajj pilgrimage. The Shahada translated as ‘testimony’ is the first pillar of Islam that involves reciting the testimony of faithRead MoreThe Five Pillars Of Islam1201 Words   |  5 PagesThe five pillars of Islam are five official acts considered mandatory for all Muslims. The  Quran  presents them as a structure of devotion and a sign of obligation to faith. One most accomplish them all to live a good and responsible life according to Islam. These pillars comprise of:  Shahada which means the declaration of faith, preforming the five daily prayers, giving money to the needy and the poor, cleansing the soul through fasting during the month of Ramadan, the pilgrimage once in a lifetimeRead MoreThe Five Pillars Of Islam Essay764 Words   |  4 Pagesal-Bukhari, fortunately, the five pillars of Islam are actually seen outlined within the very first Hadith. The Five pillars, according to Traditions and Encounters, are a framework of obligations present to help form a unified Islami c community (p.263-264); Muhammad himself, in the 38th hadith, describes the five pillars as the baseline obligations of a Muslim to please Allah and enter paradise. The first Hadith states thusly, â€Å"Allah’s Apostle said: Islam is based on five [principles]: 1. To testifyRead MoreThe Five Pillars Of Islam1289 Words   |  6 Pagestrusted with something fulfill your trust, avoid sexual immorality, lower your gaze (out of modesty), and restrain your hands from injustice. One of the Five Pillars of Islam: the Pillar of faith, including belief in One God, belief in God’s scriptures, belief in God’s angels, belief in God’s messengers, and belief in the Day of Judgement. One of the five necessary purposes of Islamic law: God commands justice, doing good, and generosity towards relatives and He forbids what is shameful, blameworthyRead MoreIslam Five Pillars1344 Words   |  6 PagesExplain and analyse the significance of the Five Pillars of Islam on the individual and the community making reference to the principal beliefs where relevant. Central to the Muslim belief is the importance of devotion and total submission to Allah. This is put into practice through the Five Pillars of Islam –the five obligatory duties that must be performed by all practising Muslims. These are the acts of faith, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage. Carrying out these duties creates structureRead MoreThe Five Pillars Of Islam1322 Words   |  6 Pagesof guidelines for moral instruction that is central to all. These rules are called the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars serves as a moral compass for all Muslims and are universally accepted. They are mentioned specifically in the Qur’an as they were recited to Muhammad. The first of the Five Pillars is the creed. It states that, â€Å"There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger,†. This pillar is at the core for the Muslim faith. A person truly becomes a Muslim when he/she recites