Religious Change Over Time in Latin America and Caribbean Essay

Throughout the years of 1450 to present, the religion of Latin America and the Caribbean went through a number of changes. Although the religious beliefs and practices of these areas were mostly animistic prior to 1450, they proved to be flexible and went through many alterations get to where they are today. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors, the Latin American people had never heard of Catholocism, which would eventually become a dominant religion. In the early centuries of Latin America, the religion was polytheistic. The people known as Aztecs, who lived in towns located along rivers, built sacred temples to honor their many gods. They worshiped at least 128 deities in total, including Tlaloc, the god of rain. Little distinction was made between the world of the gods and the natural world. The temples, some of which still stand today, were made of earth and/or large burial mounds. The burials included art such as pottery, paintings, and carvings and were often accompanied by rituals. These rituals contained human sacrifice, cannibalism, and executions. In the period after militarism, human sacrifice became much more prominent than before. It has been questioned whether the reason for the sacrifice was actually the result of religious conviction, or simply done as a tactic of terror towards rulers and priests. Aztec people had known nothing other than this lifestyle for centuries until a new culture made its way to their land. In 1492, Spanish Conquistadors such as Hernan Cortes sailed to the coast of Latin America, bringing their religious views along with them. Cortes and his army of 600 conquered the land, destroying precious temples in the process. They pulled down all the polytheistic idols, rearranging their stone to replace them with Christian architecture such as Catholic cathedrals. In this time period, art and architecture were prominent and intended to serve the glory of God. Dominican friar Bartolome de Las Casas replaced the Aztec’s long-practiced human sacrifice with Catholic mass. In addition to the conquistadors, there was another group called the Jesuits who sought new followers of their religion. The Jesuits offered special privileges to those who converted to Catholicism, while the Spanish convinced the people that their Catholic God would provide protection from diseases and harm. Although the majority of the people were won over by Catholicism, some chose to remain isolated and continued to practice polytheism. Regardless, all Aztec people remained devoted to their religion. Meanwhile in the Caribbean, Spanish and Italian merchants began to import African slaves to work on the few sugar plantations that operated on the islands. These slaves brought a mixture of religious beliefs along with them, their own pagan views mixing with Christianity. In both present day Latin America and Caribbean, Catholicism is the dominant religion. In modern day Caribbean, the small non- Catholic population consists of various forms of Christianity that were formed with the arrival of African slaves. One of these other religions is Rastafarianism. This is a form of Christianity with a distinct Caribbean style. It uses the Bible as its main text, but interprets it much differently than the more traditional Christian sects. On the other hand, the Latin American non-Catholic population consists of a small group of people who were not converted by the Conquistadors and chose to remain animistic. Throughout all the changing, some Latin Americans have had the same animistic beliefs despite what’s been going on around them. The Latin American people always have and always will be devoted to their religion, as we can tell by the great pyramids mounds they built that are still standing today. Prior to 1450, religious beliefs and practices in Latin America were polytheistic and included human sacrifice. When the Spanish Conquistadors and Jesuits came to the area, Catholicism was introduced and began to spread rapidly. Now, in present day Latin America and Caribbean, it is impossible to avoid Catholicism. It has become the major, dominant religion of the area and its followers are as devoted as ever. In addition to the large Catholic population, there continues to be a mixture of religions and practices of polytheism and voodoo throughout the area. Societies change for a number of reasons, one being foreign influence. If it wasn’t for the missionaries coming into the Latin American and Caribbean society, the people would most likely have remained polytheistic forever, because there would be nothing new introduced. For these reasons, religion in Latin America and Caribbean has changed drastically from its early years, while also staying the same in some ways.

Purpose of College

Going to college is very important to me and has many purposes. Attending college can be challenging, but it can only help you and your future. One important reason to attend college is to further your education. Furthering your education not only helps you understand things in life, but it also allows you to get a degree. By having a degree It can open doors for Job opportunities and many other things. Getting my degree is very important to me. College Is also a time to grow up and become an adult.College is a time to learn to be Independent, to learn to be responsible, to mature, and to learn real world responsibilities. One must become responsible while In college, because you don't have parents to tell you what to do anymore. Your decisions affect you, and can affect the people around you. My parents have stressed to me since day one how Important college Is. They told me I wasn't getting a free ticket Into college, and that I had to work and become something of myself. I had to work not only on my academics, but also at my athletics. Liege Is a wonderful opportunity to make lifelong friendships and memories that one can cherish forever. Being a part of a school is a great feeling and I can't thank my parents enough for pushing me every step of the way to get me where I am today. It was a little ruff, but it was all worth it. College is a time for one to have fun, and to become a part of your school you attend. Get involved. Join something you haven't done before, whether it is a sport, a faith based organization, or something involving your field of study.College is all about learning new things and experiencing things you never have before, so why not take advantage of it. College is a very important thing to me, and it is something everyone should take seriously because it is not free, and you can learn so much from attending college. College is a once in a lifetime thing, so I say make the best of it. I cannot wait to see what the rest of this year has in store for me here at South. It is a great school and I am so thankful I am here!

Motherhood in Sula

Toni Morrison’s Sula revolves around the relationship of her two main characters, Sula and Nel. The childhood friends grow apart with age. Although it is indicated that their friendship is the most important relationship they participate in, they eventually betray each other and lead dishonest lives. Throughout the novel, we see their constantly deteriorating relationship as a result of absence of a family life. Sula is a novel about the influence family may have on the make up of someone’s personality.In particular, the novel examines the effect parents can have on their children and the conscious effort the main characters make to be unlike their mothers. Nel’s maternal grandmother was a prostitute in New Orleans and so her daughter Helene (Nel’s mother) does everything in her power to lead a life that opposes the path her mother took. She holds everyone to the highest standard, sees everyone as the best they can be, and expects everyone else to see her the same way. Those who fall short of these expectations are subject to judgment, in her mind.Helene plays a significant role in the early parts of the novel—she is an important figure in Medallion, described as â€Å"an impressive woman,† who â€Å"won all social battles with presence. † (18) In this first description of Helene, Morrison quickly falls into an epic catalogue, repeating the first words of each short part of a long sentence again and again (â€Å"Helene who†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). This repetition allows the reader to understand the influence Helene has on the town; we see why she is respected. Unlike her mother in everyway, she is well known for the good she has done.She has an esteemed presence. Morrison emphasizes the details of her success to highlight how different she has made her life from her mother’s. There is an episode in the early parts of the novel, however, that keeps everything we learn about Helene in perspective. She is a well-resp ected woman within the Bottom, but on the train trip she takes with Nel, we see that her religious and respectful nature does not protect her from racism. When treated with disrespect by a racist train conductor, Helene smiles â€Å"like a street pup. (21) Her attempt to appease the train conductor confirms his superiority and spurs a sense of anger in the black soldiers that observe the event. This occurrence on the train establishes a sense of place for Morrison’s readers. We see Helene in a new light. She is respected and loved in her town, but to those who do not know her, she is simply a black middle class woman—one of a demographic that in 1920 (and to this day) receives the least respect. After Morrison provides a full understanding of Helene, we meet the woman who has inadvertently shaped her life and clearly, Nel’s mother wants nothing more than to return to the Bottom.Helene plays a minor role in the novel as a whole (she quickly disappears after the beginning). In understanding her character, though, a more complete understanding of Nel can be accomplished. Just like her mother, Nel wishes to be nothing like her mother. Many times during her childhood, we see her attempts to differentiate herself from her mother. Perhaps it is a simple case of the grass is always greener, but Nel’s perception of Sula’s home is indicative of her attempts to become different. Nel loves the unkempt nature of the house.She loves the noise and the people and even the lack of attention that Eva gives to Sula. Although she will grow to live a life that is full of order, as a child, she looks for opportunities to remove herself from that world. Sula is a quintessential example of this escape. She realizes this desire to be different upon her return from the trip. She doesn’t want to be anyone’s child; she develops a sense of â€Å"me-ness,† and likens her mother’s true personality to â€Å"custard pudding,â₠¬  feeble and afraid to challenge societal structure. 29; 28) Most important of all the changes the train trip provides, though, is Nel’s newfound â€Å"strength to cultivate a friend in spite of her mother. † (29) This strength opens the door for Sula to change her life. Nel and Sula’s relationship is a complex one, which allows for the novel to become incredibly in depth and driven by interesting characters. Sula’s relationships with her mother and grandmother are opposite of Nel’s relationship with her mother. This is, perhaps, why their personalities differ so much once they reach adulthood. Both become their mothers.Her mother and grandmother, who obviously favor her brother, essentially ignore Sula. Hannah, her mother, is a very sexual woman who enjoys the company of many men in town to the disapproval of Sula. Because of her mother’s actions, Sula views her with an indifferent and callous sense of hostility. Still, Sula reacts in a n egative way when hears her mother say, â€Å"‘I just don’t like her’† in reference to her daughter. (57) The difference between loving someone and liking someone is made clear here. It develops the idea of a mother’s ambivalent love.When a child is aggravating, it can be frustrating to love them. But for Hannah, she simply does not like the person Sula is becoming. This realization, for Sula, removes her from her childhood. She sees the idea of love in a new light—it can be an overwhelming feeling that commands responsibility and irritation. With this comment, we see Sula as an adult for the first time, exposed to the negative side of human emotion for the first time. Sula’s relationship with her mother comes to a harrowing climax when Hannah is set on flames and Sula stands and watches.She is not shocked, we later learn, but intrigued. This says much about Sula as a person, but it also is interesting concerning her dynamic with her mo ther. She acts as her mother would have in this situation; she is cold and disconnected, and cares little about the person in need. Sula’s reaction to the fire is strikingly similar to the way her mother brought her up. Perhaps all of the disregard Hannah showed towards Sula came back in her death. Sula, with no feeling of love or like for her mother, simply watched her die.Hannah’s words about Sula before she died, that she did not like her, freed Sula, in a way. Because Hannah did not like Sula, Sula felt no need to love Hannah. The connection was lost. Interestingly, at her mother’s death, we see Sula become comparable to her mother for the first time. Sula eventually becomes more and more like her mother, with no emotional connections to anyone. Almost with no regard for the person she cares for most in the world, she sleeps with Nel’s husband. She doesn’t know the real name of the person she participates in her only romantic relationship with. Disconnected and completely unemotional, Sula as the adult she becomes is first seen at her mother’s death. Nel and Sula, much like many people in the world, are defined by their mothers. Any attempt they made throughout the novel to push themselves further from what their mothers were proved futile. Helene’s over-bearing motherhood and incredible need for order resulted in Nel acting out slightly in adolescence but eventually becoming as stable and constant and respectable as her mother.Hannah’s lack of attention towards Sula and constant promiscuity led to Sula acting in the same way, with no love toward the people who cared most about her. Their mothers differ on an incredible number of features and perhaps this is one reason why Nel and Sula’s relationship goes from sister-like to betrayal and hatred. Morrison makes it clear in this novel that we are what our mothers make us, whether we make a conscious effort to do so, like Nel, or if we are so affec ted by the ways in which they act that we simply have no choice but to fall into their past routines, like Sula.

Deutsche Bank Spying affaire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Deutsche Bank Spying affaire - Research Paper Example c, the affair struck at the heart of a country still struggling with its past identity where spying on citizens in the Communist East was a matter of course. How the bank will weather these latest charges is one question. What impact the investigations will have on stakeholders is another that affects not only the future of Deutsche Bank but also its reputation and credibility as a major player on the world financial stage. The four cases of surveillance concern a nuisance shareholder, an investigative journalist, a supervisory board member suspected of leaking information, four senior bank managers and a private person who sent threatening letters to Deutsche Bank board members. Among the targets of the surveillance were Gerald Herrmann, a former union leader and supervisory board member who was suspected of leaking sensitive company information to the media.  Michael Bohndorf, an activist shareholder who has been critical of the bank; and Hermann-Josef Lamberti, Deutsche Banks chief operating officer. The Bank launched its own investigation in the spring of 2009 and by mid-summer the affair had been turned over to BaFin, the German financial regulator. The investigative results were passed to the German data protection authority who has in turn submitted them to the German public prosecutors office. Tactics employed by the bank included media reports that detectives hired by Deutsche Bank were instructed to test Lambertis security consciousness by trying to plant a GPS tracking device in his car and sending a bouquet of flowers containing an inactive microphone to his home. Bohndorf, the activist shareholder, said that private investigators posed as vacationers and spied on his home on the Spanish island of Ibiza after he asked a number of provocative questions at a Deutsche Bank shareholders meeting in 2006. His contention was that detectives tried to determine if he had a weakness for women by setting up a "honey trap" operation that involved a chance

Nursing Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing Theories - Assignment Example This can be achieved by following and applying a theory for each time of intended care i.e. Nightingales Environment theory to care for the patients’ environment, Watson philosophy and Science of Caring to help build a bond with the patient and Parse human becoming theory to cater to the patient’s emotional and psychological needs. Nightingales Environment Theory was theorised by none other than Florence Nightingale who is an aspiration for all nurses around the world. Florence Nightingale believed that the nurse was primarily responsible in utilizing the environment and assist in speedy recovery of the patient. This particular theory primarily focuses on taking care of the patient by managing the patients’ environment either at home or within the nursing settings. The theory states that the patients’ environment needs to be altered in such a way that the conditions are optimal for his/her comfort, well being and recovery. The alterations may include ventilation, temperature, air flow, cleanliness, bedding, food, and even offering of word of hope or advice. Posotive changes in one’s environment have a positive effect on the life and well being of a person. The second theory is Watsons Philosophy and science of Caring forms the basis of philosophical and ethical responsibility of nurses. It is the ethical responsibility of the nurse to provide heartfelt care to each and every patient that the nurse comes in contact with. It helps them develop a bond with the patients under their care. The nurses need develop a strong relation by offering dignity, respect and love to their patients. The nurses need to be open to their patient and take care of them with eagerness and warmth and build a caring and protective environment around the patient and guide the patient find inner harmony. The relation maybe made stronger by sharing experiences, offering hope and talking to each other without any ego or other problems. The Parse Human

The Analgesic Effects of Acupuncture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Analgesic Effects of Acupuncture - Assignment Example The paragraph shows an aspect of the medical field that has been rarely studied and is never properly understood. However, as mentioned in the paragraph, Acupuncture has started the to evolve from its roots in Asia to other developed parts of the world. The paragraph is well- written and is focused on the main topic at hand. It does not dwell on other irrelevant facts and figures. The feature of the paragraph that is to be greatly appreciated is the citation of two articles which shows the effects of acupuncture on both animal and humans alike. The studies cited in the paragraph have been explained in the detailed description. The main problem that the researcher noticed in the paragraph is the lack of justification to the main topic. The two articles that are mentioned in the paragraph although selected very well are little less to justify the analgesic effects. The author can add a few more of the relevant articles to prove his point. Furthermore, the author can select such article s which are backed by numbers and figures but the two articles that are already mentioned do not mention the amount or extent of decrease in analgesic pain. Another problem that the researcher found is that the paragraph has a number of problems which include grammatical errors and punctuation errors. These errors should be reviewed before submission. The author can also change some words and find more suitable alternatives for certain words. For e.g. in L3 of the paragraph the word â€Å"part† can be replaced with â€Å"component† or any other suitable word. The third problem that the researcher thinks may cause difficulties among the audience is the use of certain terminologies that are quite difficult to decipher for the general public. The author should add explanations for certain terminologies like Yanglinquan, Yinlinquan, Zhusanli, Dubi, Kunlun, Xuanzhong, Sanyinjiao and Taixi. The fourth problem is that the two articles that are mentioned in the paragraph are n ot well written or descriptive, the methodology should be more well-defined and the results should be based on a certain number and figure rather than the subject’s word of mouth. The mechanism of pain reduction should be elaborately explained as well.

Business & International Trade Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business & International Trade - Assignment Example The two main parts of the current account are the balances of visible and invisible trade (goods and services) and both of these are affected by the exchange rate of a country against others. The basic types of exchange rates are floating exchange rate, where the market dictates movements in the exchange rate; pegged float, where a central bank keeps the rate from deviating too far from a target band or value; fixed exchange rate, which ties the currency to another currency, mostly more widespread currencies such as the U.S. dollar or the euro or a basket of currencies. If the economy of UK has a large and persistent deficit on its balance of payments, then serious economic problems could result, such as: †¢ A fall or depreciation in the value of ?‘s exchange rate (Campbell, 2007, p.110-114) †¢ A decline in the country’s reserves of foreign currency †¢ An unwillingness of foreign investors to put money into the economy. The business importance of these pro blems is likely to be most serious if: †¢ The exchange rate depreciation (or frequent fluctuations in the exchange rate) make importing and exporting too risky (Bean, 2002, p.276) — see section below on exchange rates †¢ The government takes corrective actions by, for example, limiting foreign exchange transactions and putting substantial controls on imports, such as tariffs and quotas (Dale & Haldane, 2005, p.1611-26). This policy (protectionist policy), used currently by Zimbabwe, might have short-term benefits by reducing imports of competitors’ products. However, serious consequences could also result. The policy could lead to retaliation by other countries that will then reduce export demand. Also, import controls are serious for firms that depend on imported supplies of raw materials. Question: How would an increase in the value of the ? against the $ and/or the â‚ ¬ affect the price of UK exports and imports into the UK? (2.1a) Answer: When demand f or a currency exceeds supply, its value will rise. This is called an appreciation because one unit of the currency will buy more units of other currencies. Exchange rate depreciation, on the other hand, is a fall in the external value of a currency as measured by its exchange rate against other currencies. If ?1 increases in value from â‚ ¬2 to â‚ ¬1.5, the value of the ? has appreciated (Fisher et al, 2007, p.19). The domestic firms that would gain from an appreciation of the country’s currency are: †¢ Importers and exporters in the UK of foreign raw materials and components, for whom the domestic currency cost, of these imports will be falling — this increases their competitiveness. †¢ Importers and exporters in the UK of foreign manufactured goods, who are’ able to import the product more cheaply in terms of domestic currency —in 2008, it was claimed that European importers of US-produced cars were profiteering at the expense of consume rs(Britton & Whitley, 2007,p. 152-62). This was because, although the import price of cars was falling due, to the appreciation of the euro against the US dollar, they were not selling them more cheaply to European consumers. Hence, they were taking advantage of the appreciation to make much higher profits (Calvo, 2003, p.383-98). †¢ Lower import prices will help to reduce the rate of inflation for the whole economy and all firms are likely to gain from this more stable position. The domestic fir