Is Science a Religion Essay Example for Free

Is Science a Religion Essay Is science a religion? This topic has been debated by many creationists and scientists alike. The philosophy of science makes no claims to knowledge about the supernatural or metaphysical and, by not so doing, is left with an enterprise that although hugely successful is also permanently on trial (Manne, 2010). The only thing scientists can agree upon is the empirical nature of science, but the steps from observations to theory are not without philosophical problems. DISCUSSION Thomas Kuhn thinks that scientific paradigms are essentially pictures of the world that are consistent with observations and logically coherent. But such pictures are necessarily always incomplete, at least until such time as we know everything, and our minds seem to struggle to accept this; it seems like there is an aesthetic compulsion to create harmonious images, even if that means filling in the spaces with metaphysical constructs. Andrew Brown states that the dictionary is wrong; science can be a religion too. He explains that if you strictly use the dictionary definition of science then it cannot be considered a religion, but if you look at science objectively you can see how it could be considered one. He makes a strong argument that religion has too many definitions for science to not be considered one. Richard Dawkins believes the opposite. He states that science is based upon verifiable evidence. Religious faith not only lacks evidence, its independence from evidence is its main virtue. Dawkins makes a good argument for science not being a religion. He even goes so far as to reconsider his stance only if science can get as much education time as religion does. Dawkins’ Atheist views are widely known but there are many more scientists that believe religion has no place in the world. Michael Ruse, on the other hand, asks why religion is not being taught in public schools while science is. His argument is that if â€Å"God exists† is a religious claim, why then is â€Å"God does not exist† not a religious claim? And if Creationism implies God exists and cannot therefore be taught, why then should science which implies God does not exist be taught? I am sure Dawkins was referring to Sunday school and bible study when he referred to science getting as much education time as science, but Ruse has a valid point. Science is taught in schools due to separation of church and state, therefore everyone has to learn science. Sunday school is voluntary. Peter Harrison demonstrated how the role of religion in the rise of modern science often focused on the way in which religion motivated particular individuals, or provided the essential content of approaches to nature. These relate to the origins of science and assume that, once established, modern science becomes self-justifying. However, seventeenth century criticisms of science, such as attacks on the Royal Society, suggest that science remained unimportant for quite some time. The rise of science to cultural importance in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was possible only because science was eventually able to establish itself as religiously useful initiative. Religion played a key role not only in the origins of modern science, but in providing the ongoing social sanctions that ensured its persistence and rise to prominence. This is a concept I am sure Dawkins would not appreciate, yet it has merit. The relationship between Science and Religion can be explained from two discrete points of view. Some would argue that scientific explanations are the only means of explaining our existence, while others would argue that religion and the story of creation provide a sufficient amount of the worlds conception. Religion and science both have the same basis, which are truth and understanding. It is this similarity that allows a direct link between science and religion. I believe that there is sufficient evidence to prove that science and religion are compatible. Albert Einstein had the same opinion when he presented the idea of the nature of light that was argued for hundreds of years. Scientology is also a proven example of compatibility between religion and science. Also, when looking at the two from a more general point of view, it would be obvious to say that they can both work together to give us a better understanding of the universe. In the early 1700s, a constructive debate on the true nature of light led to various arguments and theories. The corpuscular theory, which was more religious based, depicted light being tiny particles that were transferred from a source like the Sun to a destination. A more scientific theory suggested that light was a wave phenomenon where the energy was carried by a wave motion and not by movement of actual particles. In the early 1900s, Albert Einstein discovered that light was both a wave and it was composed of tiny particles. He felt that both sides were right all along and both contributed to finding out the true nature of light. With this discovery, he felt that there was a strong link between science and religion. Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind (Einstein, A). Saying this, he believed strongly in the fact that religion and science were compatible. He believed that religion was a byproduct of fear and a tool to help the primitive human mind deal with it. He believed that many leaders and rulers incorporated religion into their daily functions to secure their rule. The question â€Å"is science a religion? † still remains. The problem may lie in how science and religion differentiate in their distinct methodologies of searching for knowledge and belief. Science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge based on scientific method, it attempts to collect accurate information about the shared reality and to model it in a way that can be used to make reliable. They have concrete and quantitative predictions about events; everything has a hypothesis and has reasons to prove it. Science gains their knowledge through scientific method: testing hypotheses to develop theories through elucidation of facts or evaluation by experiments. It develops theories of the world which best fit the observed physical observed evidence. It can be categorized into two major types of sciences: human science and natural science and they rely mainly on empirical evidence. Religion is a set of beliefs and is related to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction. Theologians believe in the omnipotent power that God has, they put faith on God and use religion as a tool to satisfy their unanswerable questions and desire to know. Some religious people maintain that religious knowledge is absolute and infallible. However, the knowledge each person believes in varies as religious knowledge varies from religion and each individual. Science tends to be more tangible while religion is more imperceptible according to senses. There is domestic danger in being a world religious leader and technological powerhouse. Religious commitment and leadership in science and technology greatly enlarges the potential for conflict between faith and science in the United States. The relationship between religion and views of science should be of interest not just to scientists and social scientists concerned with public opinion research, but to policy makers as well. Public opinion has significant impact upon the making of public policy. Commonly held perceptions about particular scientific findings could help determine the eventual shape of laws and other policies for issues such as abortion or climate change (Keeter, 2007). Tradition has taught mankind that religion and science are two competing theories that can never be intermixed. Science and religion put forth competing theories on how the world was created, who is responsible for such creation, and what happens to individuals when they die. Further, science proposes solutions for many of society’s problems that many religions clearly define as wrong, such as abortion, stem cell research, and cloning. Early scientists and philosophers integrated science and religion to explain the course and state of the cosmos. For instance, Galileo, Kepler, Descartes, and Newton all asserted that mathematical relations, the foundation of science, were a product of God. According to the four, it was God who invented mathematics and then imposed mathematical laws on the universe to back them up. More than 100 years ago, William James remarked, â€Å"I do not see why a critical science of religions might not eventually command as general a public adhesion as is commanded by a physical science†. In James view, studying religion by way of science could shed more light on the issue than philosophy alone. James believed that philosophy fell short in that it failed to â€Å"capture the depth, motion, and vitality of religion†. By focusing on religion from a scientific point of view, researchers could better determine the concreteness of the religious experience. So, is science a religion? The answer is it depends on who you ask.  There is no concrete evidence to prove that it is or isn’t. I tend to believe that it could be. People like Richard Dawkins say emphatically no, yet he has blind faith that â€Å"what science cannot explain today, it will be able to explain tomorrow† (McGrath, pg. 148). Some have even gone so far as to compare Dawkins’ â€Å"infatuation† with Darwin with the Christian’s worship of Jesus Christ. I have not read anything that proves this but it could be another example of how science can be viewed as a religion. Either way, it seems that some level of faith is required for both and we can learn a lot from each one.

Film Analysis of All That Heaven Allows Essays -- Papers Movie Film Ci

Film Analysis of All That Heaven Allows Chosen sequence: Golden Rain Tree/Cary's bedroom scene. Before the emergence of 'auteur theory' the director Douglas Sirk was a renowned exponent of classical Hollywood narrative, particularly in the genre of romantic melodrama, of which his film All That Heaven Allows is a classic example. However, he is now regarded as a master of mise-en-scene, one of the few tools left to a director working within the constraints of the Hollywood studio/institutional system who is now thought to have been highly critical of American mainstream culture and society in this prosperous era. 1, 2 The 'Golden Rain Tree' sequence occurs early on in the film after the opening panoramic, establishing shot - showing the scene of the action, a small middle-class New England town in autumn. The main protagonists are soon introduced of which the prime causal agent is an unsettled woman, Cary Scott (Jane Wyman), in keeping with romantic melodrama. As a widow, she is a victim of circumstance who is eager to change her life. Her friend visits (Mona) and hopes to persuade Cary to take a conventional route out of widowhood but, by chance, she meets the gardener, Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson) and from the mise-en-scene in these opening scenes it is obvious that she would prefer a romantic affiliation of some sort with Ron. After a few pleasantries, some tea at the table outside Cary's house and some profound references to gardening, Ron goes to hand Cary a small brance/twig, evidently a token of deep affection. The film so far displays all the conventions of classical narrative and maintains all the dominant ideologies o... ...lassical narrative cinema. In Being There, the character and motives of Gardiner are made much clearer to the viewer through the imaginative use of mise-en-scene, as illustrated above. NOTES 1. Carroll. Essay The Moral Ecology of Melodrama: The Family Plot and Magnificent Obsession. p. 170. 2. Cook. p. 76-79. BIBLIOGRAPHY An Introduction to Film Studies Jill Nelmes (ed.) Routledge 1996 Anatomy of Film Bernard H. Dick St. Martins Press 1998 Key Concepts in Cinema Studies Susan Hayward Routledge 1996 Teach Yourself Film Studies Warren Buckland Hodder & Stoughton 1998 Interpreting the Moving Image Noel Carroll Cambridge University Press 1998 The Cinema Book Pam Cook (ed.) BFI 1985 FILMOGRAPHY All That Heaven Allows Dir. Douglas Sirk Universal 1955 Being There Dir. Hal Ashby 1979

Community Health Nursing Assessment

Community Health Assessment of 78382 Chamberlain College of Nursing NR-443 Fall Session, November 2012 Audrey L. Hendrix Community Health Assessment of 78382 Introduction In an effort to promote the health needs within a community, a successful community health nurse (CHN) must focus on the entire population. In order to accomplish this task, the CHN utilizes a scientific approach to determine the priority population focused health needs for the community.According to Nies & McEwen (2011), a population focus involving an assessment of the community is a primary tool utilized in order to develop planning, interventions, and evaluations for the community at large. The purpose of this paper is to determine a priority health problem of a specific community based on demographic data, epidemiological data, and a windshield survey of the community. Community Data Zip code 78382 is the official postal identification for the city of Rockport, Texas. Rockport is the county seat of Aransas Coun ty.Rockport is a Texas Gulf Coast community located on Live Oak Peninsula between Copano and Aransas Bay on State Highway 35. Named for the rock ledge that lies underneath the coastal shore, Rockport was founded after the Civil War as a cattle slaughtering, packing, and shipping port. This industry continued until the late 1800’s when boatbuilding and fishing began to develop into important industries. After the railroad came to Rockport, tourism and the resort business began to thrive (Shukalo, 2005). After the turn of the century, a major hurricane almost destroyed the entire community.Recovery from this devastating natural disaster was slow but by the late 1920’s the community once again began to thrive. At that time, shrimping became a major industry within the community. Throughout the next four decades, the community continued to grow with the main sources of commerce remaining in the areas of fishing, shrimping, and tourism. Today Rockport is a favorite vacation spot known as the Texas Riviera. Major sources of commercial life today in Rockport are the restaurant and motel industries (Shukalo, 2005). Demographic and Epidemiological DataThe estimated population of Rockport is 8,846 compared to 25,674,681 for the state of Texas. The age breakdown for the population is 5% under the age of 5, 17. 9% under the age of 18, 28. 3% over the age of 65 and 51. 7% female. The state of Texas is 7. 7% under the age of 5, 27. 3% under the age of 18, 10. 3% over the age of 65 and 50. 4% female (U. S. Census Bureau, 2012). Caucasian is the largest ethnic group in Rockport at 88. 7%, African-American at 1. 5%, American Indians at 0. 7%, Asian at 2. 4%, Native Hawaiian at 0. 1% and Hispanics at 20. 8%. The state of Texas lists Caucasians at 70. %, African-Americans at 11. 8%, American Indians at 0. 7%, Native Hawaiian at 0. 1% and Hispanics at 45. 3% (U. S. Census Bureau, 2012). Currently 14. 7% of the population over the age of five in Rockport does not spe ak English in the home setting, 87% of the population over the age of 25 is a high school graduate, and 32. 3% over the age of 25 has a bachelor’s degree. In comparison, the state of Texas lists 34. 2% over the age of five that do not speak English in the home, 80% over the age of 25 with a high school diploma, and 25. 8% over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree (U. S. Census Bureau, 2012).Per capita income in Rockport is $30,513 compared to $24,870 for the state of Texas. The median income per household is $44,487 and the state of Texas is $49,646. Individuals living below the poverty level in Rockport are 17. 6% of the population compared to 16. 89% for the state of Texas (U. S. Census Bureau, 2012). Current infant mortality in Rockport is 4. 2 per 1000 live births compared to six per 1000 live births for the state of Texas. Adult obesity is 26. 6% of the population in Rockport and 10. 7% of the population is diabetic. Childhood obesity is 23. 3% of the Rockport p opulation compared to 32. % in the state of Texas (Kaiser Health News, 2012). In 2002, Aransas County was listed as one of the top 10 dirtiest counties in Texas due to air pollution from a local chemical plant (Scorecard, 2012). Windshield Survey Within the community, a large amount of individuals are visible. Many are entering convenience stores and some are standing in the parking lot areas talking. A variety of ages is noted and the two major ethnic groups in the community, Caucasian and Hispanic, are the two that are the most visible. Many of the individual are overweight or obese. Some are well dressed while others are disheveled in appearance.Pregnant women are visible as well as women with small children. The general condition of the homes in Rockport is diverse. Many of the homes are multi-million dollar structures while others are dilapidated and in need of serious repair. People seen in the downtown area are walking but away from that area, most people are travelling in ca rs. Some people are travelling on bicycles or golf carts in designated areas. Three areas of public housing are noted but there are no visible signs of public transportation. Numerous campaign signs are visible throughout the entire community.One adult day care and two child day centers are noted during the survey. Two grade schools, one middle school, two private church schools, and one high school are seen during the survey. Many of the homes in the neighborhoods in the area are dirty and in need of repair. The yards are full of garbage and items such as old appliances, empty beer cans, and cars on blocks. Some of the roads are in need of repair and almost too narrow for two cars to traverse safely. Most of the business buildings have handicapped ramps leading up the sidewalks. Parking lots have handicapped parking and the doors have handicapped buttons.One large park is noted during the survey but the park was sparsely populated during the survey. Very few children are visible du ring the survey. Numerous full service restaurants as well as fast food facilities are seen throughout the community. Rockport has no hospital but there is one emergency care clinic. Two dialysis centers, one assisted living facility, and three long-term care centers are noted. Two physical therapy facilities are also seen during the survey as well as three dentist offices. While driving throughout the neighborhoods, very few children are seen outside playing.No neighborhood watch signs are visible in any of the neighborhoods. Numerous churches are seen throughout the entire community. No evidence of gang activity, drug abuse or alcohol abuse is visible during the survey. One herbal shop is located in the downtown area. Next door to the herbal store, there is an advertisement for massage therapy sessions. Signs advertising health clinics, lectures, or health fairs are not visible during the survey. Problem Assessment data clearly defines obesity as a focus health area. The combined percentage totals for the adults and children within the Rockport community that suffer from obesity is 49. %. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) obesity is one of the most common and most expensive health problems facing the United States. One of the objectives of Healthy People 2020 is to improve nutritional status and promote weight loss. When individual are overweight or obese, they are also at a high risk for numerous other medical complications such as hypertension, Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, osteoporosis, and many more diseases (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). Historical SignificanceBefore the 1900’s being overweight was considered a hallmark symbol of wealth and health. The additional weight indicated that the individual had the financial resources to obtain a vast amount of food. Today, however, obesity is indicative of current and future medical problems. Prior to the many modern day c onveniences that most individuals use today, people toiled at intense labor to make a living. Meals were prepared from scratch and microwave meals were not available. In addition, food was expensive and difficult to acquire. Walking was common and until the late 1980’s obesity was not a problem in the United States (Wiley, 2012).Summary Obesity is a medical health problem that has becoming an increasing health care dilemma for minorities, low-income populations, and immigrants. These populations are vulnerable to these health care issues due to a variety of factors such as cultural diet choices, genetics, lack of funds to resource more nutritious foods and lifestyle choices. Throughout the United States, obesity and diabetes are reaching epidemic levels (Candib, 2007). Individuals today live a more sedentary lifestyle. They eat more fast foods, fried food and consume drinks high in sugar content.Children in the public school system consume meals high in carbohydrates and ofte n engage in little or no physical activity. Lack of income reduces consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and parents often purchase cheaper luncheon meats such as hot dogs rather than the more expensive cuts of meat. When the fast food giants introduced the super sizing concept to the world, thus began the super sizing of the population. References Candib, L. (2007) Obesity and diabetes in vulnerable population: Reflections on proximal and distal causes. Retrieved online from: http://annfammed. org/content/5/6/547. ull Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) Obesity. Retrieved online from: http://www. cdc. gov/obesity Kaiser Health News (2012) Texas. Retrieved online from: http://www. statehealthfacts. org Nies, M. A. , & McEwen, M. (2011) Community public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (5th ed. ). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier Onboard Informatics (2010) Aransas County, Texas (TX). Retrieved online from: http://www. city-data. com/county/Aransa s-County-Tx. html Scorecard (2012) Pollution report card. Retrieved online from: http://scorecard. goodguide. com Shukalo, A. 2005) Handbook of Texas online. Retrieved online from: http://tshaonline. org/handbook/online/articles/hgr05 U. S. Census Bureau (2012) QuickFacts. Retrieved online from: http://www. census. gov/ U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (2012) Healthy people 2020: Nutrition and weight status. Retrieved online from: http://www. healthypeople. gov/2020/topicobjectives2020/overview. aspx? topicid=29 Wiley, S. (2012) Obesity history in the America. Retrieved online from: http://www. livestrong. com/article/359624-obesity-in-america/ Community Health Assessment of Rockport, Texas Introduction

An Essential Factor For African American - 1636 Words

Persistency: An Essential factor for an African American Racial and educational inequalities were abundant in all aspects of life for African Americans in America during most of the 20th century. Separation became the new motto for all of America even years after the end of slavery. With the contribution of Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, and Malcolm X, equality for blacks was made possible. It is invariably true that persistence is demonstrated in the works: â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King Jr., â€Å"Graduation† by Maya Angelou and â€Å"A Homemade Education† by Malcolm X despite the oppositions these writers faced while trying to accomplish goals of racial equality to educational attainment. Persistency is relentlessly revealed by Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X as they face obstacles such as being given limited resources during their incarceration. Also, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X both reveal their persistency as they use their imprisonment as a path to still get their m essage heard. Lastly, Maya Angelou and Malcolm X both acquire the importance of education while fearlessly presenting their persistency as they face various obstacles such as discouragement. In an attempt to get their message heard while simultaneously acquiring an understanding of racial inequality, both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X relentlessly demonstrate their persistency as they encounter obstacles such as having limited resources during their incarceration.Show MoreRelatedAfrican American Nursing Students Have The Lowest Graduation Rate Essay1059 Words   |  5 PagesAlthough African-Americans represent the largest minority group, studies show they have the lowest success rates in nursing programs. According to the AACN (2013), â€Å"African-American nursing students have the lowest graduation rate when compared to other minority groups†. 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