Doctors Take These Words to Heart

DOCTORS: TAKE THESE WORDS TO HEART By Victoria Cayce Linda was feeling bad. Really bad. She had been overly tired for a week, but since her kids had just gotten over a bug they picked up at school she assumed that the nausea and fatigue were related and went back to plowing through her busy day. Then her upper back began to ache. The dull pain in her chest was making it hard to breathe and she was sweating. She ignored it and kept on going. Three hours later, Linda was dead at the age of 45. Remember back in high school when your teacher was telling you that knowing how to diagram a sentence would be important later in life? While a dangling participle is not a likely cause of death, she may have been on to something. Good communication, or the lack of it, is directly linked to the outcomes of cardiac patient care. And that is a matter of life and death. In the story above, the hypothetical Linda ignores her symptoms because she simply doesn’t know that heart attacks often present differently in females than they do in males. If she had been aware, she would have been more likely to seek emergency treatment that might have saved her life. Sadly, the story of Linda plays out in real life every day. Leading Cause of Death in Women While more and more people have become aware of the dangers of breast cancer and the need for self-examination, many more women are completely uninformed about their heart health. The case for informing women of the dangers of breast cancer is laudable; however, these same women are at greater risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke. According to the Center for Disease Control 1 in 31 women die from some form of cancer each year while one in every four women die from heart disease. The key to improving these numbers is at the local level; healthcare professionals are on the front lines and must do a better job of educating their patients about the risks and symptoms of heart disease in women. Perceptions are Everything Studies have shown that the public has a perception that heart attacks happen more frequently in men. The great disconnect for women is not helped by the media, which tends to portray the dramatic â€Å"Hollywood heart attack† of someone (often a male) who is gripping their chest before they collapse. In reality, many women experience either no symptoms or a dull pain or discomfort that may radiate to the throat, arm, or jaw. Medical providers can do a lot to break this myth by simply talking to their patients about the differences and making information more accessible for them. For example, doctors could start by adding a few questions to the forms that new patients fill out regarding their family history of heart disease. They would follow up by briefly explaining the warning signs for female patients.   The questionnaire might include targeted keywords related to the symptoms such as: Have you been feeling excessively tired in the last few weeks? Have you experienced pain in your neck, back or jaw? Have you been having stomach pain? Have you been having chest discomfort or pain? When patients leave, a nurse, technician, or a member of the office staff could hand them a packet that contains small laminated poster with a magnetized back that can hang on a refrigerator door. Medical offices can also display colorful informational posters that clearly explain things that female patients and their families should know including: How minutes count when someone is having a heart attack How they should give someone with the symptoms of a heart attack an aspirin The differences in male and female heart symptoms Another reason that female patients tend to press on and ignore heart related symptoms is that they do not feel emotionally comfortable seeking medical care. They may also regard their own symptoms as trivial. Doctors and nurses need to create an environment in which female patients especially feel comfortable reporting their symptoms. To address this issue, medical providers must create an atmosphere of trust. Open Doors Save Lives For instance, when discussing issues related to cardiac care, physicians and their staff need to stress the fact that they have an open door policy, and that symptoms should never, ever be ignored. Explaining that it is OK to seek medical care (and that they will not be dismissed out of hand) will go a long way in removing the emotional barriers to care and alleviating fears of being dismissed or labeled a hypochondriac. Unfortunately, the fear of being labeled may not be that far off of the mark as a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine involving more than 10,000 cardiac patients (48% were women) demonstrated that females under the age of 55 were seven times more likely to be turned away than male patients while they were actually experiencing a heart attack. The most common misdiagnosis assigned was listed as â€Å"anxiety.† Women Say it Differently In part, this problem may be related to the fact that women often use different verbal clues to express their symptoms. For instance, female patients are much more likely to complain of â€Å"discomfort† while male patients use the word â€Å"pain.† When combined with the more subtle symptoms of heart attacks in women, this tendency can easily lead to a misdiagnosis. Furthermore, in an American Medical Association study that included more than one million patients, females were found to be twice as likely to die while hospitalized when their symptoms (including changes in an EKG) were not expressed in the classic way that males do when experiencing in a heart attack. Communication is therefore even more critical to providing appropriate care to female patients. Medical providers must go beyond the basics and employ active listening that allow for the inherent differences of male versus female speech patterns and word usage. They must then apply more aggressive treatment strategies when a heart attack is suspected. In other words, they must be willing to dig deeper when females present with less specific and immediate heart related symptoms. Communicating in a Social World Marketing campaigns have had a significant impact on breast cancer awareness. The Susan G Komen Foundation, for instance, uses social media, blogs, touching real-life stories and marathons to help raise funds and awareness. Doctors and nurses can use the same approaches to educate women about heart attack symptoms. They can get their message on social media. They can write engaging blog posts with relatable stories and critical information about heart attack symptoms in men and women.   Their posts can include valuable resources, too, including tools for heart health such as the Heart Attack Risk Calculator. Local health care providers also can incorporate national awareness campaigns into their grassroots efforts. The American Heart Association has created a short film to educate women called Just a Little Heart Attack that is very sharable and could be embedded in social media. Additionally, medical personnel can spread information by holding heart health awareness events that offer free cholesterol checks and heart health screenings. Volunteers could hand out: Red bracelets ( The American Heart Association has designated red as the color for heart awareness) T-shirts with heart health slogans and information Red balloons Memorabilia such as cups, magnets and bumper stickers aimed at increasing awareness Doctors and hospitals also can team up with professional writers and marketers to create slogans and messages that the public can understand and respond to. They can connect with local news stations to get the word out about events. Anyone working in a busy practice understands that time is extremely limited. But bolstering medical practice’s heart attack awareness efforts with a social medial campaign, as well as a blog aimed at a lay audience, gives you the ability to get your critical message across to far more people. The point is to get the word out as often and as clearly as possible, and ultimately, to save lives.

How to Write A Good Research Paper Step-by-Step Guide - Paperell.com

How to Write A Good Research Paper Step-by-Step Guide How to Write a Good Research Paper: Step-by-Step Guide All college students encounter a task as a research paper writing because it is an integral part of a modern studying program. But many of them are afraid of it and spend the biggest part of the time that intended for writing process to the nerves and other not useful stuff. This can lead to a failure. It is a responsible and serious type of work but if you will follow the main rules and our useful tips you can get the perfect grade and save a bunch of time. Read our article to check the tips and refresh your mind about the general rules and soon you will learn how to write a research paper of the best quality! Let’s start with a definition.A research paper is a kind of an academic assignment that requires conducting quite a deep investigation on a certain topic. Students are usually being asked to investigate some phenomenon, event or issue in order to complete and expand already existing knowledge, verify scientific hypotheses and analyze certain issues that exist in scienc e, nature and social life. This is a popular assignment in various educational institutions.NavigationStep 1: Choose topicStep 2: Do initial researchStep 3: Make an outline Step 4: Write a thesis statementStep 5: Make a DraftStep 6: Find mistakes Step 7: EditStep 8: Do detailed research Step 9: Final writing Step 10: ProofreadStep 1: Choosing a Topic For Research PaperHow to write a research paper and choose the right topic? How to make a good choice? If you have an ability to choose the topic on your own the first thing you need to think about is originality. Think about other students – may be your topic will be way too common, and too many students will select it either. This is an important point for consideration. In fact, if you are striving to make your work distinguished and original try to choose the topic that you are interested in. This will help you make it engaging. It can be something you already know about or something you are good at.If you don’t have any preferences make a brainstorm for ideas;Choose the topic that is closer to you. So, you can understand the literature;Check it for available literature and informational sources. Make sure that is writable.If your topic is too difficult and you don’t have any idea and even brainstorm can’t help you, you always can buy a research paper online, look for ready topics or rewrite some other research papers.Step 2: Conduct a Superficial ResearchIf you have to write a qualitative research – use reliable sources. Choosing well-tried information is obligatory for the successful work. There are a few general types of sources you can use:The simplest way to start your search use research engines;Check some digital encyclopedias and online scholarly database like Encyclopedia Britannica, EBSCO for some information.Don’t forget about the libraries – it is a classical informal source that has a reputation of a salvation place for students of all times!New spapers and magazines can also be useful. Wall street journal and New York Times can be a good place to find a current world information if you need it.Step 3: Make An Outline Of Main Points From Your ResearchHighlight the main ideas and interesting materials that you will use in your future research paper.   Write some information in your notes and try to imagine how your paper will look like.Step 4: Write A Thesis StatementGenerally, the thesis is the same question that the search for answers your work devoted to. What is it? Which hypothesis do you want to confirm or deny? Remember that whole your research work should relate to the thesis, and therefore it is extremely important to define the thesis quite clearly. You need to write your thesis compactly but contain all the main things of your paper.Step 5: Try To Make A Draft Of Your Research PaperAfter you just made everything that we described before – you can finally start trying to write your papers. There is one mor e feature that will make a writing process easier:   If you can’t come up with the introduction – don’t panic. You are not alone there! Writing a memorable intro is one of the biggest issues that people face and often, a student loses too much time to write a perfect introduction and misses out many good ideas because of it. Thus, we recommend you not to get stuck! If you get trapped in the situation like this, the best decision will be to start writing a body of your paper. It would be easier to write your introduction at the end of your writing process. Other way is to pay for research paper writing and dont worry about it. If you don’t have the problems like this, you can write the research paper introduction in the standard way.Writing a research paper introductionIn this part, you need to attract an attention to your work. You can use an interesting statistic, quotes from the famous person, or shocking fact that relate to your topic. For example, y our topic is â€Å"Bad influence of fast-food.   For or against?† – You can use the short fact like: Every day fast-food restaurants of one of the most popular world brand serve 68 million people (this is almost of 1% of the worlds population). Also, they are selling 75 hamburgers every second. An interesting introduction will attract the attention of the reader and therefore, it is an important part so try to write it shortly and originally.Writing a body of your paperIt is obligatory to provide confirmation of all the statements you use – thus, in the course of your investigation, you have to find valid facts that support your ideas.Give short but detailed comments. It would be not good if you express opinions without supporting them with facts and evidence; nevertheless, if you cite facts, but do not explain why and where those came from, they will not sound too convincing. Of course, your desire to give the facts to the readers is clear, but make sure you explained everything with help of comments and references. Long and direct quotes are best not to use. The meaning of your work, even if it is called a research, is to show the world your own thoughts on the topic under study.Writing a conclusion for a research paperIn the Conclusion of the research work, we see consistently stated results, it is determined by their correlation with the common goal and specific tasks formulated in the introduction, and self-evaluation given about the work done. In some cases, you can specify ways to continue researching the topic, as well as specific tasks that have to be addressed in this case. It is one of the most significant parts of your work.Step 6: Ask Someone To Read Your DraftSometimes it’s important to ask someone’s opinion because even the most diligent student can skip some mistakes because he wrote the paper on his/her own. So, if you can’t see any mistakes in the draft – it would be a great decision to give it to someone. A fresh look can help define the mistakes. Thus, give the work to your parents, friends or even both of them. Anyway, they can tell you about your grammatical mistakes and other details that you can’t see, and you can also ask their opinion about the used research paper format, maybe you can make the paper look more organically and originally.Step 7: Edit It According To Problems That Were FoundDefining mistakes is important. However, fixing them is even more important! Thus, if you already checked all the mistakes, it is time to edit them – maybe you can add something while editing (leave it if it looks organically to you). You can also make some notes that will help you to not forget any advice that you got.Step 8: Make A More Detailed StudyThis is needed to complete your work. You can also conduct a deeper study in order to improve the knowledge you already obtained and bring the paper to the new level. You can find new facts or arguments. This will h elp to disclose the topic fully.Step 9: Write Your Perfect Research PaperNow, when you have a polished draft, you can finally start writing your text, following the notes you have made. Here you need to consider the formalization of your papers: font, the distance between lines and fields, and if you have a certain type of writing (APA, MLA, etc.) don’t forget to format it.Step 10: ProofreadThis is the last step. It is better to finish your papers beforehand and leave a couple days for proofreading. It would be great if you will not do this in one day and will check it with the fresh and clear mind – you can see everything you haven’t noticed right after you wrote it. Check everything with all the attention to the details. It’s better to reread it couple times after having some rest, to see all the flaws with a fresh look, and don’t forget about creating a correct research paper title page and checking the overall structure of your document! It is important to ensure you have followed all the given requirements!Step 11: Get Your A+If you made everything from the list – there is no other way except getting an A+! Thus, your goal is achieved.Of course, writing this type of work is a long and tedious process that requires attention to details and decent skills, which is why not everyone can handle it from the first try. However, even if you have come across certain issues in the course of writing, there is a solution that can help you out – you can get a brilliant research paper for sale from a professional writer. This way the success will be achieved easier and faster. Besides, you will rid yourself of the need to do all these steps on your own!

The Sound of Music Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Sound of Music - Research Paper Example From the report it is clear that  human beings are such critical and fickle minded creatures. As an artform, it takes a lot for a film to succeed in the industry. The term â€Å"classic† is awarded to only a number of films and critics may not even always agree on branding a film with such accordance. However, when it comes to classics, perhaps every critic would agree that the 1965 film â€Å"The Sound of Music† truly deserves the recognition because it is a fine example of how the right mix of a good story, impeccable acting, breathtaking cinematography, and harmonious sound design could work together to create a film that will be remembered for decades to come.This essay stresses that in â€Å"The Sound of Music,† the story can be summed up as â€Å"Maria sees life from a whole different perspective when she leaves an Austrian convent to become the governess of Captain Von Trapp’s children.† As one can see, the story is quite simple and direct to the poem. On the other hand, the plot may be a little more verbose.  It is 1930’s in Austria and Maria, a lady from the convent who is a bit rough around the edges, has just been assigned as governess of the seven mischievous children of Captain Von Trapp, a Naval officer widower. The naughtiness of the children comes from a desire to get their father’s attention who runs the household in a very strict manner when he is not away. While Maria was initially met with the same hostility that the children awarded to their previous governesses, Maria soon wins them over with her kindness, spunk and musical inclinations.  

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Final - Essay Example Mothers have always been perceived as the ones responsible in the raising of children but as researches are conducted on children; their need for fathers stands out. Father involvement then is a goal that social welfare is trying to work on. Bunting and McAuley wrote in their article the results of their research that, fathers often point to financial problems as the reason for their little or non-involvement in child raising. Money is indeed an important matter to consider and even though modern families now accept mothers working and earning money for the family instead of fathers, the males often feel they are supposed to be the ones providing the needs of the family and not their spouses. Their research shows that there seems to be some misconceptions of some fathers about their responsibilities. In addition, these misconceptions are coupled by conflicts inside the family. Whether is a problem on communication with the wife or the wife’s parents, the problem poses as a bar rier that distances the father from his child. Bunting and McAuley focused on familial relationships that could be deterrent or beneficial to fatherhood. If the wife’s parents can sometimes get in between father and child relationships, the husband’s parent can do otherwise. The article mentions that â€Å"Miller’s review of the literature on adolescent fathers indicate that as with teenage mothers, paternal grandparents, in particular grandmothers, are an important source of support for young men. This information could be valuable to social workers who can encourage paternal grandparents’ involvement in child-rearing if they are able to. This will not only boost the father’s morale but will also give him the time to work and the chance to see more of his child/children. With the increase of young men fathering children without even having any idea about their responsibilities, guidance should be available from social workers. For this reason, so cial workers should be well-informed with similar information that will guide them on how to help the fathers. Huebner et al. on the other hand gave the result of their interviews and surveys about the reactions of fathers towards social services. From the results, it is shown that 8.3% of the 185 participants gave positive reactions while 48.3% were neutral or have given suggestions and 43,3% gave disappointed comments. This reflects that services for fathers either are not performing well, badly designed or are simply available or known to a few. Some fathers shared their grievances and it is indeed heartbreaking that even in such matters, the problem on prejudice still exists. As one father said, â€Å"The system is biased against fathers and favors mothers.† This is in response to his claim that â€Å"the worker never calls me directly nor tells me what is happening in the case.† Another says that he pays child support and therefore should have the chance to be a f ather. Knowing about these, it should be noted well by social workers to set aside perceiving fathers collectively as bad or unable to competently perform their duties to children like their mothers can. This writer agrees to the idea that mediators should be trained to work with the parents to resolve their differences and not make the situation worse, to guide them in focusing on the needs of

Renewable Energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Renewable Energy - Research Paper Example Since the beginning of industrial revolution, the consumption of energy in the world has been rapidly increasing. The need for renewable sources of energy has resulted from two factors: 1. The pollution resulting from burning of petroleum fuels 2. The inevitable decrease of oil reserves The use of renewable sources of energy as opposed to fossil fuels has led to the reduced rate of carbon emission. Most of the renewable energy is not produced directly from the source for use but has to use some equipment for it to be useful. There are various types of renewable energy. The type of renewable energy used in any particular country depends on its relative geographical location. Types of renewable energy Hydropower Water is denser than air and thus small amount of water is capable of producing a good quantity of energy. Energy gained from water is in different forms; micro hydro, ocean energy, hydroelectric energy and hydro without using dams. Water has a lot of power in it and contribute s the largest percentage of all renewable energy. Its energy is produced using mechanical energy of flowing water. The water is piped through a penstock pipe which turns the generator thus producing electricity. Solar Power Solar energy is among the oldest renewable source of energy. It consists of the energy which comes from the sun inform of solar radiation. Sun energy can be used in three different ways. One of them is the use of solar cells. In solar cells, photovoltaic or photoelectric cells directly transform light into electricity. The second one is solar water heating. Here, heat from sun is used for warming water in glass panels. This glass panels are set at the top of the roof for direct heating by the sun. Therefore, there is no further need of gas or electricity for warming the water. The last is the solar furnaces. They make use of the mirror to which captures the sun radiations to small area thus producing high temperatures. The solar furnaces are commonly used for coo king food. Biomass It is the most versatile form of renewable energy. Biomass fuel includes everything starting from wood to all trash in landfill. This is currently converted into methane for producing natural dry gas. Biomass fuel is burned in boilers thus heating water which turns a stream turbine creating electricity. Recent research has shown that animal waste especially manure is being used for by the dairy forms for energy production. Wind power Wind is one of the oldest sources of energy. As source of energy it involves a very simple process. Wind turbines are used to convert wind motion (kinetic energy) to the form of mechanical energy. This is in turn used for electricity generation. According to Maczulak (2009), the energy converted the second time using he generator to electrical energy. The converted energy is again passed through a grid where it is then transferred to power stations. The best position to establish the turbines is along the coastal areas, open fields an d hill tops. The biggest wind farms that have ever existed in the world are found in West Texas. Geothermal Power This involves the process of trapping underground heat. Energy that rises almost to the surface in heat form is then built. After the heat naturally forms steam, it is thus used for turning a steam turbine hence generating electricity. The decision on the type of energy source used by each country is based on the countries economy, resources and the willingness of the citizens to corporate. For instance, as suggested

Oneness Of Being Unity With God Religion Essay

Oneness Of Being Unity With God Religion Essay In attempting a study on Sufism one cannot ignore the theology and life of Ibn Arabi. Knà Ã‚ ¾wn by some aц¢ thà Ã‚ µ grà Ã‚ µatà Ã‚ µÃƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬ ¢t of Muslim philiosophers, Ibn à Ã‚ rabi waц¢ bà Ã‚ ¾rn in MurÑ ia in ц¢Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾uth-à Ã‚ µaц¢tà Ã‚ µrn à Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pain, during the time of the development of à Ã‚ ndaluц¢ian Mà Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾riц¢h Ñ ulturà Ã‚ µ. He was born in a situation and moment in time which Jewish, Muslim and Christian intellectuals gained knowledge from each other. Depicting the most sophisticated metaphysical and theoretical philosophy of his era, Ibn Arabi generated an astonishing mystical theology that fundamentally developed from his own spiritual realization. He has been recognized for 800 years as the Sheikh al-Akbar, or the Greatest Master, because the sophisticated characteristics of his wisdom. In these works he presented some unique theological perspectives. One of the most pivotal is his teaching about humanitys unity with God. It is the goal of this paper to attempt to explain why Ibn Arabi stressed this concept as being essential to ones spiritual life. To understand the oneness of being with God, one must first comprehend what Ibn Arabis beliefs were between of the universe and ontology. Ontology for him consisted of three different levels of existence. These were rendered as: Absolute Being, or the unrestricted existence of God, the necessary; the Self Existent, the Absolute non-Being Page 2 which is non-Self Existent; and the Mediator or Separator whereby these two are distinguished one from the other.  [1]   God is the only necessary being. All of the rest of creation depends on God for existence. Creation reflects Gods attributes. Ibn Arabi believes that all things pre-exist as ideas in the knowledge of God. The world is merely an outward aspect of that which in its inward aspect in God.  [2]     Creation should not be confused with God himself, however it is a reflection of God. When you look at creation you realize that is upheld by God but in its very nature buried in it is Gods own nature. It is natural to say that all that exists has a connection with God. This has to be balanced with still acknowledging tanzih as well. This might suggest that this is almost a pantheist view. But Ibn Arabi was not claming that God and the Universe are identical. God created the world that is very different from himself but he still wants to hold a relationship with it. This ends up with humankind seeking union with God. In his manuscript, the Bezels of Wisdom, Arabi makes the claim that what we see and experience is only a dream. While nearly all people are ignorant that we aren not seeing reality, everything that we perceive and sense is an delusion, we know what we see only a representative manifestation of what is the one genuine Reality. Ibn al-Arabi writes, All Page 3 men are asleep; only when they die, do they wake up.  [3]  Ibn Arabi does not signify that one has to expire so one can recognize true Reality. However it is showing that the progression human beings have had to undertake so they can understand apparent actuality to reveal the Reality. It was Ibn al-Arabis estimation, this divine development is a self-annihilation analogous to ones demise. Following the alteration making residence, humans awaken to an totally dissimilar world, liberated of the rationale that conceals the absolute Reality. This death or awakening which Arabi comprehends as reality directs to a new state of knowning the Reality. It is inaccurate to articulate that the two are not connected because the absolute Reality is unlike that we perceive to be as reality. Actually Ibn Arabi upholds that they are very much interconnected. We might think that which we perceive as real is not fully worthless, but is a symbolic representation of the Reality. Both our imaginings or reality are not what they appear to be. The theory concerned in the employment of symbols is a indispensable one. Ibn Arabi labels this as tawil, which can be defined as bringing something back to its foundation. Nothing is what it appears to be. In Islamic terms, every exterior (Zahir) must have an enterior (batin). Tawil means going from Zahir to the batin, outward reality to the inner one. The Universe articulates to him in the language of symbols. The progression of tawil can be relevant to all the wonder of Nature and all that encloses humans in this life. The precepts of religion and the experience within the heart of man are also responsible for the Page 4 deep-seated method of personal interpretation. One must undergo five levels of Divine self- manifestation for this death or conversion that one must experience to interpret these symbols. For Arabi there are five levels of Divine self-manifestation. They are: The plane of the Essence (dhat), the world of the absolute non-manifestation (al-ghayb al-mutlaq) or the Mystery of Mysteries The plane of the Attributes and the Names, the Presence of Divinity (uhulhiyah) The plane of the actions, the presence of Lordship (rububiyah) The plane of Images (amthal) and Imagination (khayal) The plane of senses and sensible experience (mushahadah)  [4]   Together these create completion, however the exacting planes mirror the stages recorded above. The same as was conveyed previously, everything contained by these stages are a depiction of facet of Divine Existence. The entire entity is a revelation, an instruction, or a communication from God.  [5]  To be capable of discovering the uppermost plane, we need to discover the connection that exists even within the transcendence and immanence of God. We can find this possible if one rejects the corporeal nature but also with some of the sense of reason to reach a level of unadulterated intelligence. While understanding this position we will recover the reason we discarded, just the reason we recover with be an entirely different Page 5 type then the one that was thrown away. Liberated of corporeal confines, thethe entirety things on all the planes will be disclose concerning their proper nature. When we distinguish that every of these descriptions are purely diverse varieties of the Divine Being, according to Ibn al-Arabis theology, we will have arrive at ed the uppermost plane of Being. We will be faultless. Regrettably, though it is achievable to attain this plane and get the capability to know Reality on the greatest sacred point, Muhammad is the only one that has accomplished such consciousness. Even though Ibn al-Arabi deems every part of of existence is a dream, he too believes it is feasible to arouse from this dream and discover the unqualified Reality. By freeing ourselves from reason and our corporal nature, we are capable to fuse the transcendence and immanence of God. This permits us to deduce the figurative descriptions of the Divine Existence reflected at the distinctive planes of Being, ultimately directing us to recognize that they are entirely one and the same. Each dream, and all of existence, are a expression of the Absolute. Actuality is the Absolute. Ibn al-Arabi deem that what we see as reality and what we understand of Reality is achievable throughout the course of our minds prospects. Imagination oversee every thing: complete nothingness, the unattainable, the Necessary, and the possibility, and makes them clear through symbols that we can understand. Imagination provides the outline to where all aspects of the Divine Existence, despite whether reason informs us they can or cannot exist. Yet opposites and contradictions, even being in two distinctive places at the same instance, turn out to be reasonable with imagination. Anything that is rational is created by ones imagination. Every part that is reasonable should be interpret. Imagination makes the Page 6 sensible world of reality connect with the spiritual. Accepting imagination role is the solution to interpreting the metaphors imagination generates and unleases what they are aiming to communicate. Humans were originally made in the form of Allah but have forgotten this knowledge and ultimate position that it puts them. Arabi thought that there existed a Perfect Man that remembered and acknowledge the relationship with God and humankind. One should try to become like this person. Ibn Arabi claimed that Muhammad was this Perfect Man. The Quran portrays Muhammad as a highly moral man. He saw clearly who he was by through the actualization of divine names.  [6]  He stands as an example of knowing God and therefore knowing himself. This means of realization connects God and our place in the universe. One must follow the path of takhalluq, or assuming the traits of Muhammad.  [7]  The knowledge of the oneness of God is not just for the Perfect Man but one who receives the idea and is affected by it. But it is through striving to be the Perfect Man that this can happen. One must be able to extinguish the self into the presence of God. This happens within the human heart. This changed person achieves unity with God and becomes a reflection of God in humans. For Ibn Arabi, the soul attains a state of self-annihilation and is able to perceive the unity of all things especially God and its creation. God reveals himself because God wanted to be known. Page 7 It seems that the idea of oneness is almost shirk for a Muslim but Ibn Arabi made a distinction between God as the transcendent and the God that related to the cosmos. Humans were only able to draw near to the God that related to the world. This only happens as one becomes perfected. Then one may be able to acknowledge Gods presence within oneself. Man as barzakh, the connection involving Being and non-Being, is important to Ibn Arabi. Humans are given the important role of being the link between God and creation. When God created Adam and breathed his spirit into him, he placed all of his attributes in humans. We all have the potentional of reflecting Gods nature, living the realities of the Divine Names. Humans reflect Gods Divine Names. This is comparable to Christians claiming that we are made in Gods image. Humankind may have been created with all of Gods attributes in them but we have somehow lost this knowledge. This would correspond with traditional Islamic belief that we have a tendency for forgetfulness. The only path to open up our eyes is through revelation from God. Unity comes when one has realized that our very existence belongs to God. One must be completely absorbed in God. We are limited but we can be connected to God the absolute. To connect with God is the aim of the Sufis life. Within all of us is the desire for God. When we finally come to the knowledge of how the cosmos works and pondering the Divine Names can one attain unity with God. One might even say you must get lost in God. Page 8 This can only happen by certain means. Humanity can draw near to God through the experience of oneness through asceticism. There must be self-purification and self-stripping as well as abstinence and solitude. In this environment real conversation can take place with God. There must be certain guidelines that must be followed. Arabi wrote, do not enter your cell until you are aware of your station and of the extent to which you able to oppose the power of the imagination. If your imagination has power over you, you must go into retreat only under the guidance of a teacher.  [8]  People must have the capacity to receive and encounter God on such a deep level. For the Sufi, it is not to be taken lightly. There is a connection between ones preparedness and the measuring out or ones destiny. This is determined by Allah. Before God brought us to be, he knew the qualities we would need to be able to have the capacity to receive. He brings humans from nonexistence to existence. We cannot worship God in His very Essence only by what is allowed by are preparedness and our destiny. The practice of the dhirk is tremendously important. Dhirk does not simply mean repeating the names of God for a Sufi. It is a liturgy of sorts that includes recitation but also music and dance. These acts will bring to remembrance who God is and what over relationship to him is. At some point in his days, Muhammad predicted that Islam would be divided just as Christianity had started to be separated. Certainly this prophecy was accurate which can be Page 9 seen through the commonness of many sects and atypical viewpoints that are found in the faith of those who assert to be Muslim. One of these division is seen with those who call themselves Sufis. They began engaging in some different behaviors. A number of people initiated in unusual types of devotion and worship. Some began to reject the world surrounding them by way of ascetic exercises. Originally they were regarded as Muslims, though what they were engaged in was an fresh and different. After awhile, a Sufi practice and philiosophy began to advance. Some began to deem those who practiced it to be beyond the religion of Islam. There are similar fanatical Sufi practices that have similarities in Christianity. Equally Christianity and Sufism have roots in a supernatural outlook of God and the religious experience. It is a personal practice concerning an inner voyage of the person to God, not just an practice of relating truths. It is rooted on spirituality more than reason. The understanding is somewhat purposely fashioned by participant through bodily and intellectual exercises, as the encounter does not manifest itself. One must participate in the exercise. There is an stress put on in encountering a personal God. This discovery comes through prayer, meditation, music and even chating and meditation. Another place of common ground is the belief that God addresses people directly to in both Christian and Sufi circles. Christians accept as true that God articulates revelation to them directs them through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one aspect of the trinity, the other essences of God being the Father and also Jesus. Most Christians would agree that they can obtain a relationship with God by communing with the Holy Spirit. This happens through prayer and reflection. Most would say that the Holy Spirit is present in each person Page 10 as part as a outcome of Jesus atonement on the cross to rescue and save humankind. The Holy Spirit was sent after Jesus ascension. The Holy Spirit can articulate openly to people whether they are wide awake or during dreams. Sufis also claim that God communicates directly to them and divulges to special hidden knowledge to them that is not known to others. This idea derives itself from the Sufi belief that Allah inhabits in their souls and that people have divine characteristics. This is precisely the equivalent as the Christian thought of the individual soul that is enlightened and steered by the Holy Spirit. Sufis have created a specific tafsir of the Quran in which they utilize, which exposes the concealed connotation of language and terms of passages that are not clear when trying to uunderstanding them. For instance, Ibn Arabi deduces that the verse Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearings to mean that They hear not except from Him (Allah) and understand not except from Him. They see not except by Him, and they neither turn to you nor to what you have because of what We have made and placed with them.  [9]  Ibn Arabi purports that Allah has sealed the hearts and hearing of Sufi s to everything except from what Allah shows them candidly through their prayers and meditation. Ibn Arabi trusts that his tafsir was divinely inspired and inscribed by way of Divine transcription and Allah placing the implication in his heart. Because there is a focus on personal relationship with the Divine, directly through the Holy Spirit, both religions seem to take on a especially personal manner about them. On the whole the focal point is distracted from the others and society. Their association with God as a whole, only seems to concentrate on the connection to the individuals relationship with Page 11 God. The mystical path can become a distinctively individual solitary way to find God, all relying on the self. The Christian and Sufi prays and mediatates; they may even attend worship, whether in a mosque or other group gathering. Nevertheless, the prominence of thought is generally constantly on the self. The accountability to the others is makes one indifferent and narrowed the importance of others appreciably. This is in disagreement to the overall rationale of religion, as God sent prophets to the people and countries not to just individuals. Islam and Christianity both should integrate the society or atleast others from different ways of life. We are all diversely joined and should be inseparable. When focus is taken off the individual the whole scheme of belief changes. Religion should not be something every individual does absent from the society on his or her own; it is also displayed through every deed that the person makes. There is not enough to emphasis on the community and together their relationship to God. One worries about getting people saved and not how live in community. If one mainly concentrates on their own individual bond with God, the church and the world populace is lacking because of it. Another problem that arises from an individualistic way of expressing religion, every person can develop their own system and beliefs supported by anything they sense God fancies them to do, not what God says they should do. This somewhat explains the mystical understanding where imagination, not reason is implemented. This personal tone of Sufism and Christianity is too often the outcome, whether it has been intentional or not, which can isolate people from God, since they are not following there own way not the way God gave them. Page 12 In trying to evaluate Ibn Arabi individually from a Christian perspective, he makes some claims one can seem to agree with. Christians tend to claim to want a relationship with God and that we are made in the image of God. At first glance this seemed to be similar to Christian thought. This is different for the Christian because it was not just forgetfulness that separates us from God but rebellion. We cannot do anything to bridge to gap between us and God. One needs a savior to pay the atonement for ones sins which make it possible for relationship. Knowledge is not path to get someone there. Christians do talk about how someone must decrease and God increase in their lives. This is very similar to the oneness that is spoken in Sufism. The more someone becomes like God, the less we are like themselves. An attempt is made to leave the carnal nature behind. Those that follow the teachings of John Wesley speak of working towards perfection. Wesley taught that perfection, or sanctification, was possible in this lifetime, though he never claimed to achieve total perfection. This could only happen by intentional behaviors meant to hone in your carnal nature. This is also completemented by first the working of the Holy Spirit in ones life. Most Christians would say that perfection is an unattainable goal. Only Christ was the perfect man. We still need to mature in our faith. That will change us into better people. Sufis have always honored Jesus as the ultimate contemplative. Jesus achieved the ultimate ideal for intimacy by displaying the ascetic life and love for God. Jesus had long Page 13 periods of fasting and prayer retreats that many Sufis would consider a good model. Many Christians shrug off fasting and retreat as unnecessary even though it is commanded by Jesus. This paper sought to explain how for Ibn Arabi, union with God is a pivotal theological concept. This can only be understood by looking at the way he viewed the world including symbolism. These all influence how one sees creation and how one relates to God. For Christianity, Sufism brings some challenges as well as at time places of agreement. It is important for one to understand other concepts to be able to understand ones one theological framework better. We both agree on a personal loving God. Some other ways, like prayer and meditation, are exceptionally important to both groups. One can be challenged as we try to understand each other so there can be more peace. Only in that environment can Christianity be heard and understood. Christianity can not make as much an impact if we do not strive to understand other religions. Christ would want us to observe and interact with people of other religions so others could see Christ through us. Page 14

Blind Faith Exposed in The Victim of Aulis :: Victim of Aulis Essays

Blind Faith Exposed in The Victim of Aulis      Ã‚   During World War II, an entire race of people was decimated as a result of blind adherence to one charismatic ruler; the holocaust has become emblematic of the senseless horror of war and the loss of innocent lives. Perhaps influenced by World War II, the Korean War, and the questioning of complete adherence to authority, whose seeds were just breaking through the glorious faà §ade of the 1950's suburban idyll, Dannie Abse wrote "The Victim of Aulis" in 1951-6. The poem is an accusation against the disastrous effects of blind obedience, particularly as it is manifested in religion and war. Abse anchors his critique within the safely distant realm of Greek mythology; this creates a world with which most readers are familiar and thus transfers his indictment of modern society into the images of the cultural psyche. The poet borrows a scene from Greek mythology depicting the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia to Artemis at the beginning of the Trojan War, which serves as the ultimate expression of the intimate intermingling of war and religion.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Greek gods were not only intimately involved in the action of the Trojan War, they were also the impetus for the war. Although the overt cause of the war was Paris' abduction of Helen, this act was the result of quarrelling goddesses. The Trojan prince Paris was forced to choose the fairest amongst the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. Each goddess attempted to sway Paris with offerings, and Aphrodite's temptation was Helen; this leads to the war and the immortal alliances that overshadow its mortal activities. The story that the poem implicitly addresses is of the Achaen king Agamemnon and his daughter Iphigenia. The Achaen forces have gathered at Aulis before mounting their attack on Troy when one of Artemis' stags is killed; this, coupled with Agamemnon's boasting of the act, is why "Artemis is offended" (51). In retaliation, the goddess imprisons the troops at Aulis by preventing the wind from powering their fleet. In order to appease the god dess and begin the war, Agamemnon sacrifices his own daughter Iphigenia as "the child" who will become "the victim of Aulis." Although Artemis intervenes and makes Iphigenia one of her priestesses, only the goddess knows that Iphigenia escaped death.