ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Graham Greene’s novel “ The Power and the Glory” written in the 1940’s is a significance reference to the Lords Prayer which stipulates that Gods kingdom, His power and the glory shall rule now and forever. This indicates that religion will withstand any force against it since God wants people to inherit His Kingdom. The state’s persecution of the church is seen through the suffering of the priest who has to overcome great challenges posed by the socialist State and the fascist Red Shirts, who violates the church through such acts as forcing the priest to marry. Regardless of the government power and attempts to eliminate the church, the peasants still cling to their faith in God as they seek a higher authority for spiritual nourishment. Therefore religion will survive the State’s persecution and the people will still have faith in God. Throughout the novel, Greene uses images to depict the brutal rejection and opposition to the church and anything that is associated with it. The priest spends a night of moral, emotional and physical torment in jail. The Mexican government puts the priest in jail for his unwavering faith and belief in God. While the jail is just a simple structure where the powerful earthy authorities use to incarcerate the righteous, it also symbolizes the entire world. In the eyes of the priest, the world is like a jail, where the righteous are surrounded by sinfulness and hopelessness. In jail, the sinfulness of the world is replica of the copulating couple (Greene 115). This is a mockery not only to the priest but also to religion at large. It shows the extent to which the righteous suffer through many trials and temptations and the extent to which the State will go to pour scorn on the church as well as those who believe in God. Suffice to say that the copulating couple was put there bearing in mind the fact that Catholicism frowns upon such pleasures. As the priest puts it, the jail was like “the world elsewhere, where people snatched at causes of pleasure and pride in cramped and disagreeable surroundings, a world where there was no time to do anything worth doing, and always one dreamed of escape” (Green 124). The priest recognizes the kind of government’s opposition that he and other believers have to go through because of their faith. Regardless of the powerful opposition forces, the priest does not yield and continues, amidst great suffering, in doing graceful acts of faith. Greene has written many novels, all of which dwell succinctly on the tumultuous relationship between politics and religion. “ The Power and the Glory” is no exception. In this novel, Greene shows how hostile politics is to religion. Like the jail which is a representation of the harshness that the authorities have towards religion, the lieutenant is in eve
Shinto is a cultural and religious way some people in Japan adhere to. It is strongly embedded in history and culture of Japan. Shinto has been the major force throughout the history of the country and remains the same in the present day; it can be said, it has had its dominant presence in the Japanese culture. To a wider extent, it focuses on spirituality. The cultural perspective brings in the functions of purification that are simple and natural. The book puts forth two categories of Shinto whose practices are still undertaken by millions of Japanese in the modern world. Kasulis refers to one category, called existentialists and the other group is called essentialists. Spirituality Shinto is presented in a philosophical approach that compares and identifies the Japanese cultural practices. Shinto’s existentialists are reported to practice Shinto in a spontaneous manner that looks universal to them. These practices seem conventional. Those who treat Shinto as some kind of religion by asserting their adherence to its practices and acting as it stipulates are referred to as Essentialist Shinto practitioners. Through them Shinto becomes a set of beliefs and actions. The latter appears to be more common and the widely practiced category. 1 Essentialist Shintos have practices that create a sense of belonging and contentment in the wonders and mysteries. Those who subscribe to this type of Shinto consider it a more defined religion. Some of the practices of Shinto include Emperor Worship that was introduced during the reign of Emperor Meiji. The emperor is held in the highest regard as he is considered to come from the lineage of Amaterasu and as such, he is his representative. They also believe that Japan is the land of Kami and have specific days of the year when they visit the shrines. The Shinto also used to refer to people who practice Shinto, they also believe in Kiki myths. Shinto becomes a focal point of integration because the other category of Shinto, existentialists are comfortable with people who can be Shinto yet at the same time they practice Buddhism, Christianity, or Taoism. These people believe that Shinto can be a form of identity and, therefore, one can practice other believes. To pull these other aspects together Shinto comes with a lot of intimacy that introduces social and cosmological sense among the believers. This could be the explanation behind Motoori Norinaga conversion into becoming a Shinto. His perspective could be analyzed from the point of inclusiveness as he played a great role in modernizing Shinto practices. This stems from historical roots that at one time Shinto was almost swallowed by Buddhism until political practices had to be termed as nonreligious. Years before the labeling, Shinto had become almost dormant. Kami plays a critical role in strengthening spirituality among the Shinto. The priests at Kokugakuin serve to preserve the interests of the land of Japan that is believed to have given to Shinto by Kami. Kojiki and Nihonshiki are myths or tales that reinforce the belief in Shinto as the priests interpret them. The sensitive nature of Shinto similar to other
Three kinds of political risks evidenced in Chavez’s Venezuela case study Basically from the Chavez’s Venezuela case study, there are ideally various kinds of political risks. However, the three notable kinds include; a progressive curtailing of the political freedoms; allowing the National Assembly to approve a measure which allows the state to appoint and remove the Supreme Court Justices as well as revoking a dozen licenses belonging to radio stations while proposing a legislation for imprisoning broadcasters and journalist found to be harming the state’s interests. The embraced political risks significantly led to drastic changes in the business milieu of Venezuela. Based on the above political risks, it materializes to be politically risky for Chavez’s Venezuela to curtail the political freedom in Venezuela in the sense that most of the passed bills are bound to favor what the sitting government would wish and want to carry out. In fact, the case reveals that the opposition which was supposed to oversee the sitting government actions and evil plans by acting as the watchdog of the citizens had most of its prominent anti Chavez’s political members harassed. For instance, the former presidential candidate, Manuel Rosales who was supposed to put the government on toes to accomplish its pledges had to escape and seek asylum in Peru for fear of being arrested. Other political opponents went into hiding while others were galled leaving Chavez’s government to run the state in manner it desired. This was particularly politically risky given that the drafted constitution had all its constituents passed into law without even debating. That is, there was no strong opposition given that the national assembly of Venezuela mainly comprised of Chavez’s followers. Conversely, it is politically suicidal and risky for the Chavez’s Venezuela government to have powers over the judiciary which allows it to appoint and remove the Supreme Court Justices. In real sense, the judiciary ought to be independent from any kind of political interferences. Vesting the appointment and removal powers in the government’s hand implies that the Supreme Court proceedings are likely to be interfered with by the sitting government. Thus, in as much as the government might be making unlawful moves or act contrary to the constitution, the supreme court judges may lack powers to issue appropriate rulings against the government. It is anticipated that all the rulings may favor the government. For instance, when someone files a petition against the government, the judicial system might be manipulated by the government so that the case is ruled in its favor. It will similarly be difficult for those in the Supr
The Bible, the Christians’ holy book is the main representation of the ancient Hebrew Scriptures. The Bible is a whole library by itself and contains 66 books written by about 40 authors within approximately 1600 years, according to Historians. I t contains 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and therefore represents more clearly the ancient Hebrew writing than the New Testament, which was originally written in Greek. I found the aging of the people in the Hebrew scriptures to be surprising and ridiculous, for example in the Book of Genesis chapter seven verse 6 says, “Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters come on the earth.” it is surprising that a human being could live for such a long time, as opposed to now where not so many people can live beyond the hundred years mark unless the mode of age counting was different then, or there was a misrepresentation of facts. The other thing that surprises me about the Hebrew writings is the lack of clarity in the chronology of events and the absence of clear facts ,for instance chapter two of the Book of Genesis accounts on how God created man (Adam) and a woman (Eve) and placed them in the garden of Eden, they had two sons Abel and Cain, later Cain murdered his brother Abel. This clarity of facts and events breaks down in verse 17 of the same chapter when we are told how Cain lay with his wife, the Bible fails to tell us how Cain’s wife came to be, given that Adam and Eve were the first and only humans to be placed on earth and they only had two sons. The Hebrew Scriptures, which is the foundation of many monotheistic religions in the world, i.e., Christianity, Islam, Jews, and many other religions live more questions than answers. In chapter three of the book of Genesis, when God forbade Adam and Eve from eating the fruit from the center of the garden, was the story symbolic or not? Did the fruit at the center of the garden represent a real fruit or it meant a certain deed? On gaining wisdom, they first realized they were naked; why were these? It probably had a different meaning as opposed to what we have been made to understand, but the answers to these questions are held by the anonymous authors of these texts. The homogeneity of the deity to man is in question, in chapter three, Adam and Eve heard the presence of God as he walked in the garden. Verse four of the same chapter quotes the deity calling on Adam and Eve, “where are you?” Contrary to the present age, Ada
Introduction I am writing this memo to inform everyone that there will be changes in policies regarding the use of the company’s corporate blog which will involve the tightening of controls and regulation on the information posted. This is a result of the realization by the Public relations team, that there is a need to control what is posted on the company’s blog to avoid potential controversies and risk of liability in the case of lawsuits. It is important to note that a corporate blog is an important marketing tool that helps get information to customers efficiently and effectively. This online presence however presents serious legal risks to the company if it is not handled well (Savell, 2007). Risks exposures There are several legal risks associated with corporate blogging and these include:   * The risk of defamation- this is a false statement that can cause injury or damage to the reputation of another person or company. It is important to evaluate whether a statement posted on the blog might defame a product, person, or another company. If such a statement is discovered on the blog, it should be removed and clarification made to reduce the damages caused (Savell, 2007).   * Copyright infringement- it is important to ensure that only material that belongs to the company is used or posted on the blog. The company should also make sure that it has the right to use the information or materials posted on the blog to avoid the risk of legal liability. This can be done by acknowledging the author(s) of such information through the policy of fair usage of information (Savell, 2007).   * Trademark infringement- it is important to be careful when using brand names or any other trademarks that belong to other companies or individuals. This should be done only with the permission of such owners (Savell, 2007).   * Employee postings- a company is responsible for what its employees post on the corporate blog within the scope of their employment. The sentiments and opinions of individual employees may not represent those of the company and may therefore pose the risk of liability in case the information posted is not appropriate (Savell, 2007).   * Comments or postings by third parties- comments by third parties may pose serious legal risks to the company and this can be avoided by simply not allowing them. Third parties may post incorrect information on the blog and this becomes the responsibility of the company and not the individual third party (Savell, 2007). Guidelines The Public relations team has therefore come up with various guidelines to ensure
The name of Nietzsche is associated with the rise of fascism. It is not a coincidence as some of the philosopher’s ideas appeared to provide a rational explanation of this movement. However, he is not directly connected to it and his studies were primarily based on the change in society due to the decreasing influence of Christianity on European people (Elbe, 2000). Nietzsche’s search for a new purpose in human life resulted in the widespread dissemination of his ideas and their consequent adoption by fascists. This essay is going to explain the impact of Nietzsche’s nihilism on the rise of ethnic nationalism. Nihilism, as one of the main themes of Nietzsche’s philosophy, reflected the concerns of the author about the future of society in turbulent times. This term appeared in his work The Gay Science , published at the end of the nineteenth century (Drolet, 2020). It was connected to the attempts of the philosopher to find a way out of the political and cultural crisis in Europe. Even though Nietzsche became known as one of the fascist followers, he was worried about the emergence of transnational terrorism, which received support from the followers of anarcho-socialist movements in Europe (Drolet, 2020). The principal problem in their ideas was the apparent justification of their actions by ambiguous humanist ideals. The beginning of ethnic nationalism was conditional upon the rapid development of nihilism that started with the necessity to substitute God and moral values corresponding to this belief with other values. Nietzsche expressed his views by proclaiming “God is dead,” and this phrase indicated a new period in history characterised by the need for a rational rather than divine explanation of human nature (Chamberlain, 2012). Such an explanation was possible only in the case of strengthening a national consciousness and fascists were eager to offer it. The concept of nihilism was used by fascists to manipulate the minds of citizens and thereby instil their ideals. Thus, ethnic nationalism received support due to the need of people to explain the nature of everything with the help of rationality (Chamberlain, 2012. The concept of the world’s divine nature did not satisfy them anymore, and they were eager to follow the new leaders who promised to give the meaning to their lives that was lost with the decline of the church. The philosophical thoughts of Nietzsche greatly contributed to the support of the ethnic nationalist movement by providing the scientific basis for the crisis in Europe. In his works, he described the changing world in the way he perceived it and eventually concluded on the inevitability of societal changes. According to the philosopher, the future of Germany as well as other European countries solely depended on the way such changes would be performed. In addition to those circumstances, Nietzsche highlighted the devaluation of the highest values deriving from Protestantism on the way towards progress as the principal reason for the ongoing societal processes (Elbe, 2000). Therefore, the shifts
Introduction The concept of “Islamic city” is among the most controversial topics in the contemporary urban studies. The three given articles analyze and assess this concept. J.L. Abu-Lughod considers the concept of “Islamic city” inconsistent with reality and claims that it is social, political, and natural factors, not religious ones, that shape a city. K. Adham states that the “Islamization” of the architecture is a result of capitalism, and for M.M. Sakr it is an outcome of globalization. I agree with R. Alissa, according to whom “Islamic” architecture is affected by the Western gaze, but I recognize the benefits of the “Islamization” of architecture. Summarizing the Articles The three articles offered for analysis, “The Islamic City – Historic Myth, Islamic Essence, and Contemporary Relevance” by Janet L. Abu-Lughod, “The Theming of Arabia: Cultural Capitalism and the Re-Invention of Tradition in the Persian Gulf” by Khaled Adham, and “Creating the ‘Arabian’ Architectural Style” by Mamdouh Mohamed Sakr are discussing the topic of the “Islamic city” idea and its relevance to the today’s Islamic world. In her article, Janet L. Abu-Lughod, an eminent American sociologist, emphasizes the influence of Western literature on the modern Orientalist trend in architecture (Abu-Lughod, 1987, p. 155). She criticizes the assumptions of the supporters of the “Islamic city” concept and proves them irrelevant. In particular, the mentions the following assumptions: Islam is an urban religion; Islamic cities are founded by new powers or dynasties; Islamic cities have a congregational Friday mosque and a bazaar; they are divided into resident and non-resident zones. As Abu-Lughod states, all of the assumptions relate only to North African cities and ignore the social organization of the cities (Abu-Lughod, 1987, p. 136-137). As a conclusion, the author claims that cities are shaped more by environmental and political factors than by religious ones (Abu-Lughod, 1987, p. 172). Khaled Adham defines the Arabic trend in city architecture as a form of “cultural capitalism” (Adham, 2008, p. 10-11), i.e. an architectural fashion shaped by economic reality. “The re-invention of heritage,” Adham says, is performed to attract tourists and business partners (Adham, 2008, p. 13). The author offers Dubai and Souk Waquif in Doha as examples of bringing the old traditions back in a somewhat different form and the commercialization of cultural heritage. In a conclusion, Adham mentions that, for cities, “Arabic” style is a way to survive and cope with the conditions of the global capitalist economy. Additionally, such architectural shaping attracts not only tourist but important entrepreneurs as well (Adham, 2008, p. 15). Mam
Abstract The history of the tall building is very old. According to the Old Testament, in the City of Babel, people made a tower with bricks to save themselves from the flood. The tall buildings are the symbol of any country’s pride. This paper first tells about the historical background of tall buildings and discusses some famous high rise buildings. It further compares the structure of the buildings created in the past and present. The paper analyzes the problem in tall buildings and then discusses the rectification of those problems. It concludes that the advancement in computer and material science has made it possible to make high rise towers efficiently. Introduction The modern-day tall buildings symbolize national pride rather than being the embodiment of corporate wealth. The erection of super-tall structures in the Middle East and Asia that supersede the famous high-rise structures like the Empire State Building and the American Towers etc. denotes the idea of projecting the status of a country at the global level. A building is a structure of walls, floors, roofs, and windows. “A ‘tall building ’is a multi-story structure in which most occupants depend on elevators [lifts] to reach their destinations. The most prominent tall buildings are called ‘high-rise buildings ’in most countries and ‘tower blocks ’in Britain and some European countries. The terms do not have internationally agreed definitions” (High-Rise Building: Definition, Development, and Use, 2009, p.1). “Generally, a high-rise structure is considered to be one that extends higher than the maximum reach of available fire-fighting equipment. In absolute numbers, this has been set variously between 75 feet (23 meters) and 100 feet (30 meters), 5 or about seven to ten stories (depending on the slab-to-slab distance between floors)” (High-Rise Building: Definition, Development, and Use, 2009, p.2). Thesis Statement: Structure issues have been present in tall buildings for ages. This paper is an attempt to examine these structure issues under the following points:  1. History of tall buildings  2. Comparison between the old and new tall
Introduction The change in time and events from a conventional world to one that is sophisticated and modern has been accompanied by changes in representation of masculinity and femininity. This is with regard to how the contemporary media represents both man and woman and its position on this. Contrary to the conventional style of representation where the woman was overshadowed by the man, she is now gaining representation in a powerful and autonomic manner that reveals her self-confidence. This paper will bring into light the changing, as well as the adamant phenomenon of representation of masculinity and femininity by the contemporary media. How Contemporary Media represents Masculinity and Femininity The great shift to contemporary visual media has been accompanied by a change in the representation of women. According to the contemporary media, the woman is faced with a lot of responsibilities which she must see to it that they are all handled accordingly. As a result the media has brought out the woman as one who is faced with a lot of challenges, making it difficult for her to live up to other people’s expectations. However, it has been shown that, amidst their dilemmas, women resort to traditional intervention with regard to femininity for a solution. Different articles will explain the different ways which women act in relation to femininity. Men on the other hand have always taken up the authoritarian role that depicts power and strength (Leavy, Gnong and Andrea 261-292). Typical images of the modern woman, for instance pop stars like Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez represent a unique kind of femininity. In this kind of representation, the woman is independent and entitled to her own life. This shows the liberation of women while compared to what was previously the perception of femininity where the woman stayed at home to look after her children and husband. Now, the woman has become more educated and liberated, but the main theme of femininity that has not changed a single bit is beauty. Contemporary media has given the picture of a woman as one who is adventurous, and in so doing has continued to encourage this kind of behavior. This woman is able to capture the best man who is sexually desirable. She then retains this man as long as he is interesting. This kind of woman will also be seen pursuing a great career at the same time. This is a demonstration of the change in representation of femini