Amnesty is Already a Verb

Acquittal is Already a Verb Acquittal is Already a Verb Acquittal is Already a Verb By Maeve Maddox A peruser questions a word she heard expressed by a Fox News commentator: [The broadcaster used] the non-word â€Å"amnetize† to mean â€Å"granting pardon to.† Just to ensure that it's anything but a genuine word, I found it as â€Å"amnetize† and â€Å"amnitize.† How would we be able to stop this linguistic grotesqueness before it spreads? There’s no access for amnetize in either the Oxford English Dictionary or in Merriam-Webster. I checked the Ngram Viewer also: no indication of it there. As per OED and M-W, the action word that implies â€Å"grant absolution to† has a similar structure as the thing: OED acquittal (action word): To offer pardon to, to confess to reprieve; to broadcast the disregarding of the past offenses of (rebels). M-W absolution (transitive action word): to concede acquittal to A Google look for the action word amnetizewith and without citation marksgarnered just around 300 hits. The two settings where I found the action word structure amnetize were in conversations of sports contracts and in posts reproachful of US migration strategy: What is the race to amnetize Scola? To account for Howard? That’ll be the subject of a third acquittal in a couple of years except if the officials amnetize-as-they-go. There isnt an Illegal Alien he won’t Amnetize!  the obama cronies will soon amnetize 40+ million new voters Im plunking down to type a contention that says the Spurs shouldnt and wont amnetize Richard Jefferson this season. One author addresses the legitimacy of the word even while utilizing it; another walls it in quotes to show that the word is being utilized in a nonstandard manner: Obama and the democrats need gravely to amnetize (is that a word?) each of the 12-20 million illegals. With by far most of ‘amnetized’ illegals casting a ballot Democrat, they will take the following presidential political race. The sort of reprieve implied with regards to sports alludes to â€Å"amnesty clauses† in contracts among players and establishments: The Amnesty Clause is a statement haggled into the recently confirmed Collective Bargaining Agreement between the players and proprietors which permits a group to discharge one player from their list and be liberated from any money related commitments to that player. This was added to permit groups to clear pay top space in anticipation of new compensation top rules.â A player who is discharged under this program is supposed to be â€Å"amnestied.† Sporting Charts Dictionary Note that this official definition utilizes the action word structure amnestied and not amnetized. Primary concern: The standard action word that goes with the thing acquittal is absolution, not â€Å"amnetize.† Need to improve your English quickly a day? Get a membership and begin getting our composing tips and activities every day! Continue learning! Peruse the Misused Words classification, check our famous posts, or pick a related post below:Arrive To versus Show up AtUsed To versus Use ToHow Long Should a Synopsis Be?

Hierarchical Team

A various leveled group is a sort of group association structure in which the group is separated into chains of importance and there are many center administration (Mohr 1982). There is a general supervisor of the group who is place at the highest point of the order. This supervisor is answerable for driving or controlling the administrators in every chain of command to ensure that the team’s destinations are met just as the general targets of the association. The chief works with the center directors to ensure that the group is ran easily and that the authoritative objectives are being accomplished by the group. There is a chief in every progression who is known as a center administrator who is responsible for their own area of expertise. This encourages the division to be autonomous and consequently can manage their own issues in their area of expertise without troubling what different offices are doing. The chief who is responsible for this division is drives the office towards accomplishing group objectives (Heckscher and Donnellon 1994). The director is capable of the entire office everywhere and in ensuring that the team’s destinations are being accomplished just as the general goals of the association. The center chiefs convey their advancement to the general group supervisor who can assess execution and choose if the group is accomplishing the proposed targets just as the general goals of the association. Since in progressive groups the group is separated into chains of command (Robbins and Judge 2007), the group can run easily in light of the fact that every office has its own employments which are allotted to it and the division can embrace their occupations freely. This aides in ensuring that the division or rather the chain of command attempts their work impeccably as they are liable for themselves and can not accuse some other office or progressive system in the event that they don't convey. This makes every office to make a solid effort to accomplish their objective so as not to be accused in the event that the group neglects to accomplish the proposed goals just as hierarchical targets. The colleagues can associate as they work and along these lines (Thareja 2007), can join their abilities and accomplish the authoritative objectives without any problem. The structure beneath shows how a progressive group resembles. A group in an association is significant as it enables the individuals in an association to fill in as group so as to accomplish authoritative objectives. Individuals are additionally ready to work in a neighborly domain and consequently, they can make a decent workplace just as a progressively loosened up condition. At the point when individuals work when they are loose, they can convey better than those individuals who work under any pressure (Thareja 2007). In this manner, individuals in the progressive group can convey well than those individuals that are working separately on the grounds that; the individuals in the various leveled group can interface as they play out their obligations. Focal points of various leveled group 1.Division of work-every chain of importance inside the progressive group is dispensed sure employments to attempt, hence, they can embrace the assignments (Lim and Sambrook 2010) in light of the fact that that is the thing that they are acceptable at and in this manner can convey the best. 2.Flexibility-inside a group, there are individuals who can perform more than one errands. In this manner, in the event that somebody is missing in an office, someone else can play out their obligations and in this manner, work can proceed easily absent a lot of issue. 3.The progressive systems inside the group can share thoughts. This will help in ensuring that the authoritative objectives are met. 4.Because the divisions are free, they can settle on their own choices which is best for them and which will assist them with accomplishing the team’s objectives just as hierarchical objectives. 5.Even however the entire chain of command is a group, every division is assigned their specific employment, causes the office to feel the responsibility for progress (Pugh 1990). For instance, if a division in a group is distributed crafted by promotion, the chain of importance will feel better if there is an expanded deal. 6.Working as a group despite the fact that in a chain of importance supports the assurance of the laborers. This is on the grounds that, they can interface as they work, and the work is shared among the progressive systems. 7.Because the group is sorted out in a various leveled way, administration is partaken in that, a center supervisor is dispensed for every division (Thareja 2007), this aides in smooth running of the group and that, not only one individual who is answerable for the group yet a few people as per the quantity of chains of command in that group. 8.The group can convey better items since they are involved a blend of individuals with various gifts and consequently, these abilities can be utilized to accomplish authoritative objectives. Inconveniences 1.Work can be partitioned unreasonably among the offices. The work that the entire group should embrace might be separated unreasonably among the offices or the chains of importance (Amaral and Uzzi 2007). This subsequently implies a few chains of importance or offices might be dispensed a greater number of occupations than the others accordingly making them work more than different offices. 2.Arguments among the offices may rise. On the off chance that the team’s destinations are not met, the divisions may begin accusing each other and along these lines result to contentions and even crushed connections in the association. 3.Because every office can settle on their own choice, coordination of that group might be troublesome as the offices work freely. 4.Because the various leveled group center more around filling in as a group instead of an individual, a few gifts and abilities of certain laborers may become stale in light of the fact that they may not be required or utilized in the group (Burns and Stalker 1961). 5.Poor correspondence since, correspondence is vertical in that, the top supervisor in the progressive system needs to impart through the chains of command while the administrator at the base of the pecking order needs to arrive at the top director vertically. 6.If one office neglects to play out its errands, it might prompt the disappointment of the entire group in that the entire group will most likely be unable to accomplish its objectives.

Enabling Its Not Blaming the Family

Enabling Its Not Blaming the Family Addiction Alcohol Use Print Enabling: Its Not Blaming the Family Many Times Family Members Sincerely Think They Are Helping By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Updated on February 16, 2018 Sometimes Helping Really Doesnt Help. © Getty Images More in Addiction Alcohol Use Binge Drinking Withdrawal and Relapse Children of Alcoholics Drunk Driving Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Each time an article on enabling is featured on the this site or in the weekly newsletter, it prompts email from readers who feel like the articles are somehow blaming the friends and family members of the alcoholic or addict for their problems. Although the articles always explain that family members do not cause the problem, love ones can find themselves contributing to the situation with their actions and reactions. Al-Anon Family Groups Three Cs say, I didnt cause it, I cant control it and I cant cure it, but many Al-Anon members find their actions and reactions can contribute to the family chaos. Recently, when I featured an article on enabling on my Twitter account or my Facebook page, I received an email from a reader that contained the following edited paragraph: Blaming the Family? Blaming a family for a condition that a person who has willingly, knowingly, and VOLUNTARILY, acquired regarding an addiction is BEYOND WRONG! No family (unless its a family full of dysfunctional addicts/alcoholics!) TEACHES a fellow family member HOW to become addicted to a drug! So where is this bulls*** addiction is a family disease, myth coming from? First of all, having been an active member of Al-Anon Family Groups for more than 25 years, I am not blaming the family member for the alcoholics problems - I am a family member. Nothing that I ever did caused my family members alcoholism and nothing I did ever stopped it either. Enabling, Not Helping But after years of reading books and listening to other Al-Anon members share their experiences, I decided that some of the things that I thought I was doing to help the family situation were actually creating an atmosphere in which the dysfunctional behavior could continue. Instead of helping the situation, I was actually enabling it to continue in many ways. This quiz can help illustrate how you may be enabling. Well-Meaning, Good-Intentioned The problem for me, and for many others who have found themselves in the same situation, is that I had no idea that some of the things that I was doing were part of the problem instead of part of the solution. Just as many others well-meaning, good-intentioned love ones, I was not aware of all of the different ways that I was enabling the insanity to continue. I didnt realize at the time when I called in sick for the alcoholic, lied for her, covered up for her and made excuses for her so that she could keep her job and maintain her reputation, that I was actually enabling her to continue in her destructive behavior rather than face the real consequences for her actions. Perhaps if I had allowed her to deal with the natural consequences of drinking, rather than stepping in and trying to fix things, she might have decided she needed to seek help for her problem. A Family Disease Also like many others in that situation, I found that I had gradually become so absorbed in trying to fix the alcoholics problems that I in fact lost much of myself in the process. It happened so slowly and insidiously over time that I didnt even realize how much I had been affected by the experience. I was affected in ways that I didnt even realize. In many ways I was mentally and emotionally just as sick as the alcoholic, all the while blaming the alcoholic for all of the problems! Thats why its called a family disease. It can sneak up on you and affect you psychologically, spiritually and even physically without you even knowing it. But I didnt stay sick. I found recovery through Al-Anon Family Groups. I learned to stop being part of the problem, when someone 25 years ago explained to me the concept of enabling and pointed out that little that I had done previously had ever helped the situation at all.

Summary of Shakespeares Sister Written by Virginia Woolf Free Essay Example, 1250 words

Opportunities and how this changes destiny is furthered with the expectations that are given to Judith s life because of her gender. The example is one which shows how the changes in destiny and life path are altered according to gender. Shakespeare is immediately able to go to London to study while Judith is expected to be married and to not oppose her position in life. But then her parents came home and told her to mend the stockings and mind the stew and not moon about with books and papers . She cried out that marriage was hateful to her, and for that, she was severely beaten by her father (Woolf, 57). Woolf sets the example of what it means to be a woman and what the gender basis and expectations are in society. This is one which Shakespeare s sister can t get out of and is associated with as her destiny. The gender difference is the example of how Judith s doors are based on household chores and moving into marriage, despite her desires. The gender example is one which i s noted as common among those in society while creating a specific association with what it means to be a woman. Even though the concepts of Judith occur with the examples of what it means to be a woman, there is also an understanding that the social order is the reason why this happens. The cause is based on the 17th century being regarded as the only way to have a gender basis in society. The effect is that Judith is unable to study in school and is unable to fulfill her desires. [cause and effect] Woolf also acknowledges that there is a direct association with the social order of the time and that this is where the challenge should be for changes in gender and the ability to offer the opportunity to everyone. Woolf states: For a genius like Shakespeare s is not born among laboring, uneducated, servile people. It was not born in England among the Saxons and the Britains (Woolf, 58). This example is one which shows that the cause is based specifically on the order of societ y and what is expected as well as where one can meet their identity through this. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Shakespeares Sister Written by Virginia Woolf or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now

British Monarchy - Should They Stay or Should They Go...

British monarchy - Should they stay or should they go? Yona Oshrat The nurse Jacintha Saldanha was looking after Prince William’s wife Kate – who was suffering from morning sickness – when two Australian DJs called the hospital impersonating The Queen and Prince Charles. Believing the call was genuine she then transferred the call to the ward where Kate was staying where another nurse gave information about Kate’s condition. The nurse found hanged after the hoax call to the hospital - she committed suicide. The British Royal Family is well known all over the world, partly due to the fact that Britain once ruled large parts of the world, but also because of all the scandals and difficulties that have made bold and sensational newspaper†¦show more content†¦Moreover the annual cost of around  £37 million is good value for money. In any case, Monarchy is meant to be majestic, yet there seems to be a deliberate move to diminish the majesty of the Monarchy. So long as the Monarch remains a symbol of the nation, then no expense should be spared. A nation which values itself will treat its national icons with prestige and respect. In addition The Monarch is a national icon. An icon which cannot be replaced adequately by any other politician or personality. This is because the British Monarchy embodies British history and identity in all its aspects, both good and bad. When you see the Queen you not only see history since 1952, when she took the throne, but you see a person who provides a living sense of historical continuity with the past. A living continuity between the past, the present and the future. Thats something that no politician can provide. All politicians come and go, but Monarchy is forever. With its traditions, its history, its ceremonial, and with its standing and respect throughout the world, the British Monarchy represents a unique national treasure, without which the United Kingdom would be sorely impoverished. The monarchy has existed in its current form since the 10th century. Although the monarch plays only a ceremonial role, having lost all political power, the monarch is still the head of state. This basically makes the case that inheritance of public office is wrong in principle,

Could broadband be the benchmark for globalization’s progress and adoption Free Essays

Though there have been considerable advances in the field of internet technology, not all problems are addressed to reach globalization’s progress and adoption. This is in contrast to the steady and rapid advances in semiconductor technology, information storage, networking, and applications, the interaction of IT with various elements of society is more complex. Although IT performance in many cases improves exponentially, the utility to users in many cases improves more slowly (Chandra et al. We will write a custom essay sample on Could broadband be the benchmark for globalization’s progress and adoption? or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2000). For example, a doubling of computer processing speeds may bring only small improvements in the most widely used applications, such as word processing or spreadsheets. Furthermore, although it is common to talk about the â€Å"impact† or â€Å"effect† of IT or the Internet—implying a one-way influence—the interaction of IT with society is multidirectional and multidimensional. Over the past two decades, many studies have explored how organizations use IT. Cumulatively, these studies have found that a simple model of IT leading to social and organizational effects does not hold (Kling 2000). Instead, IT is developed and used in a social context in which organizations and individuals shape the technology and the way it is used. The implementation of IT is an ongoing social process that involves changes in people’s roles and in organizational procedures. Incentives and trust are important factors in the success of IT implementation. And broadband proliferation is an important ingredient of globalization. The public debate in this country on the War in Iraq has been the most hotly contested issue in recent history and shows no sign of letting up. Through all the policy proposals, failures and triumphs many positive viewpoints have emerged about how to address the most distressing issues related to United State’s new found global role: exporter of security. Dr. Barnett believes this is positive trend overall: â€Å"That is why the public debate about this war has been so important: It forces Americans to come to terms with what I believe is the new security paradigm that shapes this age, namely, Disconnectedness defines danger. † I think that last statement is an apt template for understanding the daunting task facing the broadband era: the age of transactional transformation. It is in the disconnectedness that defines the danger for our productiveness and growth, and hence our economy as a whole. The disconnectedness from novel approaches, the disconnectedness from relevant value models, disconnectedness from persistent progression to universal broadband access. Perhaps there is a need to view broadband technology adoption as a historical process in the same vain as globalization. Unfortunately, for many, this leads to a nasty polemic on it’s relative merits. Barnett has this to say on this issue: The problem with most discussion of globalization is that too many experts treat it as a binary outcome: Either it is great and sweeping the planet, or it is horrid and failing humanity everywhere. Neither view really works, because globalization as a historical process is simply too big and too complex for such summary judgments. Instead, this new world must be defined by where globalization has truly taken root and where it has not. Barnett goes on to say: Show me where globalization is thick with network connectivity, financial transactions, liberal media flows, and collective security, and I will show you regions featuring stable governments, rising standards of living, and more deaths by suicide than murder. These parts of the world I call the Functioning Core, or Core. But show me where globalization is thinning or just plain absent, and I will show you regions plagued by politically repressive regimes, widespread poverty and disease, routine mass murder, and most important the chronic conflicts that incubate the next generation of global terrorists. These parts of the world I call the Non-Integrating Gap, or Gap. Could broadband be the benchmark for globalization’s progress and adoption? It can be, I believe the more the connectedness to the Functioning Core the greater the value rendered. Broadband access providers whether wireline or wireless will have to holistically reconsider the ramifications of globalization in this context. They can do much to advance it positively or hinder it destructively. The lessons for content providers may seem less obvious but in a globalize economy the more connectedness the richer the value doesn’t always resolve neatly. Microsoft, Google, Cisco, Apple, Oracle, Yahoo, eBay and IBM to name a few, have all handle this transition quite nicely. And if supporting and expanding the core is what the new economy is all about then I can think of no better marker for globalization than broadband. This proposed study will try to find out if indeed broadband can be the benchmark for globalization’s progress and at the same time, will it balance with societal impacts? Will the globalization’s progress and adoption will take into consideration the affect on the people as whole? REFERENCES CHANDRA, B. , DAHLIN, M. , GAO, L. , AND NAYATE, A. 2001. End-to-end WAN Service Availability. In Proc. 3rd USITS (San Francisco, CA, 2001), pp. 97–108. Kling, R. (2000). Learning about information technologies and social change: The contribution of social informatics. The Information Society, 16(3), 217-232. Sawyer, S. and Rosenbaum, H. (2000). Social informatics in the information sciences: Current activities and emerging directions. [Electronic Version] Informing Science. 3 (2), 89-95 available Suchman, L. (1994). Supporting articulation work: Aspects of a feminist practice of office technology production. In R. Kling (Ed. ), Computerization and Controversy (pp. 407-423). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Williams, R. , Edge, D. (1996). The social shaping of technology. Research Policy, 2 How to cite Could broadband be the benchmark for globalization’s progress and adoption?, Papers

Task Instructions Essay Example

Task Instructions Essay If God made the world, then he must be absent without leave! Write an essay examining the evidence that both supports and rejects the belief of the existence in God. Introduction Since the beginning of time, people have always been mystified as to whether God exists or not. This is a very vital question that occasionally lurks in the mind of every human being, because it informs us as to what our purpose to life is, and above all, who created us. Our curiosity has driven us to search deep and far for evidence for and against the existence of God. However, as yet Science has not been successful in providing us with satisfactory answers for either case, which is why people have not yet reached an answer that they can trust, though Scientists are determined to provide a reliable answer very shortly. We will write a custom essay sample on Task Instructions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Task Instructions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Task Instructions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Ever since it has been known, the majority of people have always believed that God is responsible for the creation of the universe. This is because many people have found it impossible that the entire human race as well as the animals and plants that this world contains have originated from a so-called coincidence. Throughout the stone ages, many people wondered as to what Gods appearance would be like. In order to show their beliefs, ideas and views, they painted pictures on caves. They also drew pictures to portray heaven and hell. However, in comparison to the Ancient times, many people are no longer in favour of the existence of God, because they want evidence to support their beliefs. My assignment will hopefully provide information that both supports and rejects the belief of God. Throughout my essay, I will try my utmost hardest to remain in a completely neutral position, and not be biased in any way whatsoever, despite the fact that I have firm belief in God. The Cosmological Argument There is a famous saying; Something cannot be made out of nothing. This is the view of Thomas Aquinas, a religious scholar. He is also reported to have said, Everything in the universe has a cause. Trace those causes back, and there must have been a first cause that triggered everything else. God is that first cause. The above quotation denotes that without a God, everything else is non-existent. If Science has so far been successful in providing a reason for practically everything, then why has it not been successful in providing us with a believable reason for the non-existence of God? This view leads on to The Big Bang theory, which is that once, everything in the universe was simply dense mass, smaller than the eye of a needle. Due to an unknown cause, it began to expand 15,000 million years ago. From that point onwards, to this day, the universe is said to have continued to expand. However, Scientists opine that one day the universe will stop expanding and begin to contract. Although The Big Bang Theory is the only possible explanation contradicting the existence of God, many people do not believe in it, because there are too many coincidences. For example, if there were too much energy used to create the Earth, then the Earth would not even exist, due to the speed of the force. Similarly, If there was not enough energy, even then the Earth would not exist, because the speed of the force would be too less. Therefore, exactly the accurate amount of energy is needed. In the same way, if the universe were one hundred miles closer to the sun, or even one hundred miles further away from the sun, the world would be completely non-existent today. This is because if our planet were one hundred miles closer to the sun, we would die of the extreme heat, that us, as humans cannot possibly endure. If our planet were one hundred miles further away from the sun, we would die of the extreme cold that us, as humans, and other animals cannot possibly tolerate. Many people refuse to accept the above-mentioned facts to be coincidences. They believe that the only possible explanation regarding all these coincidences would be the existence of God Many atheists and even some agnostics are in favour of the Big Bang theory. They believe that the occurrence of the Big Bang was just pure chance, and thus, there is no God. There is a well known African proverb, No rain, no mushrooms, No God, No world. This saying denotes that for the existence of the world, God is a vital ingredient, without which the world would not exist, just like without water, it is impossible for mushroom to grow properly. The Argument from Design The argument from design is that there is such complex, fascinating patterns and design in the natural world, that it seems as if someone must have designed the world. Everything in this world, as well as the human body is so intricately designed that it seems rather unlikely for this to happen by mere chance. Two famous people, namely Sir Isaac Newton and William Paley have firmly expressed their personal views over this matter: Newton And The Thumb Sir Isaac Newton, a founder of modern science, who lived in the seventeenth century is reported to have said, In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of the existence of God. This view is very interesting because it is amazing that every single human on this Earth has a different fingerprint. Hence, this means that the six billion people currently inhabiting the earth have a unique fingerprint. However, as if that was not fascinating enough, the thing is, that ever since it has been recorded, everyone has had a different fingerprint. To even ponder over this fact is perplexing. It would be extremely difficult to calculate how many different types of fingerprints there have been ever since the beginning of time, and to speculate how many there will be in the future. Paley And The Watch Approximately one hundred years after Sir Isaac Newton voiced his opinion over the existence, or the non-existence of god, a philosopher William Paley used a watch to justify his belief in God. William Paley compared the world to an eighteenth century watch, which was made with amazing architecture, and compared the watchmaker to God. He explained that if he was ever walking across a street, and he found an eighteenth century watch simply lying there, he would presume that the watch belonged to someone, and due to its complex structure, was also made by someone for a purpose, in this specific case, to tell the time with. This is because from a watch with such intricate design, it is apparent that many different materials have been combined together to produce the watch, and even if one part of the watch failed to work, it would affect the working condition of the entire watch. Hence, it is unreasonable to assume that the world was brought into existence through chance, that there is no God, and no purpose to life, because just like a watch, we do have a purpose, just not the same kind of purpose. However, although some leading scholars and scientists of the seventeenth and eighteenth century did believe in God, many did no. For example, Nietzsche, a German philosopher, Epicurus, a Greek philosopher, and Charles Darwin, a scientist, were all strongly opposed to the idea of the existence of God. The German philosopher Nietzsche was famous worldwide for saying God is dead, signed Nietzsche. He believed that the world has no laws, no order, no purpose, and above all, no God. He initiated the belief of Nihilism, which is to believe that there is neither any absolute truth in the world, nor is there any ultimate purpose to life. Unfortunately for Nietzsche, his own words turned their back on him when he was on his deathbed. His sisters sold tickets to people to come and see her brother who was in terrible pain and helplessness and mock him, because the world has no rules. Following the death of Nietzsche, an anonymous person wrote over Nietzsches notice with Nietzsche is dead, signed God. The Greek philosopher Epicurus also did not believe in God simply due to his Problem of evil, which is as follows: If God cannot stop evil in the worldthen God is not all-powerful If God can stop evil, but he chooses not tothen God is not good If god can stop evil, and chooses tothen there would not be any evil. But there is. Why? Because God does not exist. Many religious people have found it very hard to compete with this theory, due to the fact that there is not really much to say in defence, as illness, suffering and pain do exist in the world today. The great scientist, Charles Darwin also did not believe in God, because the views of creation, and the actual creation in the bible contradicted the scientific theories of creation and evolution in the following ways: * Time scale: According to the bible, the process of creation took only six consecutive days, whereas the process of the Big Bang and Evolution took millions of years. * Status Of Humans: Evolution suggests that the human race has evolved from apes, thus belittling the human race, whereas the Bible dignifies the human race by saying that we were purposefully created last by God, after everything else had been brought into existence, so that everything would be prepared for us. It also describes the human race by being very good. * Process: Darwins natural selection was an unguided process, through the survival of the fittest, whereas the Bible shows that God was firmly in charge of the entire process of creation. Religious Experiences Miracles A miracle is an event believed to have a supernatural cause. Even if people do not believe in such occurrences, they often use the word miracle to describe an amazing thing, which seems to have violated a law of nature. Many people who are members of a religious faith believe that a miracle is when God decides to break a law of nature. Hence, miracles are performed by God. For example, when John Rajah fell ill, specialists told him that he was suffering from colitis. Near the end of what doctors called his life, he claims to have received a vision, which he believes was sent by God. In this vision, he said that he saw two tunnels of light. He chose a tunnel, and was brought back to life again. Following this experience, he went to Alpha Classes, in which the priest who was conducting the service asked the sufferer of colitis to come forward. Surprised at the priests knowledge, he went forward, and the priest requested that the entire congregation pray for his recovery. John was so convinced of the return of his perfect health once again, that he stopped taking his prescribed medicines, and converted to Christianity. Miraculously, when John awoke the next morning, he did not feel any pain, and there was no bleeding remaining on his body either. Due to his amazing recovery, his sister, who is a doctor, was also persuaded to attend Alpha Classes, and soon afterwards, she also followed in her brothers footsteps and accepted Christianity as her religion. Although a theist would opine that the above incident was a miracle, an atheist, and even an agnostic may strongly disagree in regarding this as a miracle, due to the following reasons: * The priest may have been informed of Johns critically ill condition by a close relative, friend, or physician prior to the Alpha class. For this reason, the priest did not have a manifestation from God informing him of the condition of the patient; but instead, he had received information from someone else. * It has been scientifically proven that when a person has firm faith in something, it can be obtained, though it seems impossible. Thus, John Rajah must have had full conviction in recovery, and so in due course, he was cured of his illness, which otherwise could have cost him his life. * In reality, John Rajah may not have been as seriously ill as he was thought to be, so as a matter of fact, his condition was not life threatening at all. * John rajah may have been slightly ill, but by taking numerous forms of drugs as medicine, his condition may have deteriated. This is why he felt much better after he had stopped consuming the prescribed medicines. Other types of Religious Experiences At some time in our lives, most of us have experienced feelings of wonder and admiration at the beauty of nature. Other people can feel the presence of God around them. This is classed as a numinous experience. Many religious leaders have experienced God in places of great natural beauty and power. For example, the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) was in a desert cave when he received the first revelations from Allah. In the same way, Moses was on a mountaintop when the Ten Commandments were revealed to him. Some people experience God in their lives in quite a sudden and dramatic way, which usually results in a significant change in attitude and lifestyle. At times, God speaks to people through thoughts and visions. At other times, God shows guidance through a holy book. For example, Kriss Akabusi, an athlete, converted to Christianity after reading the New Testament cover to cover. He said, I made a decision to dedicate my life to Jesus Christ, something that I have never regretted since. Another example is of Cat Stevens. He was a successful pop star who gave up his career after converting to a religion of peace and obedience, namely Islam. His conversion came after his brother visited Jerusalem, and purchased a copy of the Holy Quraan in the English Language. Although his brother did not accept Islam, he knew that Cat Stevens would be interested in this religion, as he was looking for something to dedicate himself to, because although he was very wealthy, he did not feel peace and tranquillity. His brother gave him the Quraan, and immediately after reading it, he knew that it was time to alter his lifestyle. After entering the fold of Islam, he said, A feeling of belonging ran through me. That day, I was a stream that had just found its ocean. The above two experiences are known as conversion experiences. No matter how persuading such experiences may seem to many people, Atheists claim that these experiences still do not prove that God exists. Some atheists believe that the majority of the miracles mentioned in the bible did not really occur at all, but in order to emphasize the power and superiority of Jesus, such myths were passed down by the disciples of Jesus from generation to generation. Some even explain the incident of the splitting of the ocean in two as the result in the change of the direction of the wind. However, owing to the coincidence of such a thing to happen at such a specific time, not many people are taken in by this theory. Near Death Experiences Many people have claimed to have experienced a near death experience throughout their lives. As yet, there is no proof as to whether near death experiences are scientifically possible or not, though the victims of near death experiences describe them with such intimate detail that they are very hard not to believe. Conclusion Having considered all the evidence and arguments for and against the existence of God, I have still not been persuaded enough to reconsider my firm belief in God. This is simply due to the fact that there is not enough evidence contradicting the belief of the existence of God to incline me to believe that the occurrence of the Big Bang was simply a coincidence. In fact, I do not believe that the Big Bang ever occurred. On the contrary, I believe that God created the entire universe in a period of 6 days. I am in favour of the theories of both Sir Isaac Newton and William Paley, because they both make a lot more sense than the theories of Nietzsche and Charles Darwin. Although I do understand the logic in Epicuruss problem of evil, I am not in favour of it. This is due to the fact that I believe that God has sent us down to this world in order to determine our fate after death, i.e.- heaven or hell. People who believe that the universe came into existence by chance, everything has such intricate designs by chance, every human has a unique fingerprint by chance, every animal has features which adapt to its habitat by chance, miracles occur by chance and near death experiences occur by chance, such people must believe in an awful lot of coincidence!