Christian Apologist Essay Example for Free

Christian Apologist Essay Included in the 10 most influential Christians of the 20th century alongside Karl Barth, Pope John XXIII, Martin Luther King Jr, and Billy Graham, the Christian History magazine named him the atheist scholar who became an Anglican, an apologist, and a ‘patron saint’ of Christians everywhere. He was also dubbed as an â€Å"apostle to the skeptics† because he resolutely answered frequent objections individuals had when it came to accepting Christ as their Savior (christianodyssey. com). Born into a Protestant family in Ireland on November 29, 1898, C.   S. Lewis was the son of A. J. Lewis, a solicitor, and Flora Augusta, a promising mathematician. He bore a lonely and unhappy childhood. Especially crushed by the death of his mother due to cancer when he was nine years old, Lewis was left disheartened with God (christianodyssey. com). Lewis came to reject Christianity at an early age, becoming an affirmed atheist. He reasoned that Christian myths were mediocre and that the Christian god must be a sadist (about. com). Whilst being inquired about his religious view, C. S.  Lewis labeled the worship of Christ and the Christian faith as one mythology among many. (christianodyssey. com). Lewis was married to Helen Joy Davidman. She was a Jewish American with two children of her own. Davidman was good-natured and shared her husband’s joy in argument. Sadly, she died of cancer in 1960 (kirjasto. htm). After a prolonged period poor health and sporadic recovery, Lewis himself died on November 22, 1963 (christianodyssey. com). Fondly called Jack by his loved ones, Lewis was a well-known professor at both Oxford and Cambridge. Lewis’ 25 books on Christian topics include Mere Christianity (1952), The Problem of Pain (1940), Miracles (1947), The Screwtape Letters (1942), Surprised by Joy (1955) and The Great Divorce (1945). The Pilgrim’s Regress (1933) was about his own experience while on his way to conversion (christianodyssey. com). In The Problem of Pain (1940), it is asked, If God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain? Here, Lewis reasoned that the wrong choices people tend to make usually account for the suffering they are eventually faced (kirjasto. htm). Here we see that Lewis is trying to give rational answers to queries people have without completely basing it on blind faith. Critics usually look for an understanding based on the cause-and-effect principle. The Chronicles of Narnia has turned out to be the most lasting of Lewiss novels. It retells the story of the Creation, the fall and redemption of humanity and also includes other Christian themes in allegorical form. The portal to Narnia, a version of Paradise, is a wardrobe through which four sibling children enter this secondary world. In the first story the bad Witch is destroyed in a battle. The final books deal with Narnias beginning and end. In the last Armageddon story, with its death-and-resurrection theme, the struggle was between a king and the forces of evil (kirjasto. htm). We need to understand here that if readers can understand the mechanics of Narnia and how the plot of this story works with the inclusion of certain Christian themes, they can better understand Christian beliefs from a more objective point of view and accept it. The same point of view they read and understood The Chronicles of Narnia. Lewis presented the basic teachings of orthodox Christianity — teachings he labeled â€Å"mere Christianity† (inplainsite. rg). Lewis went on British radio between 1942 and 1944. His discussions during those years were on what he called mere Christianity, that is, the universal and most doctrinal beliefs of the faith. This very collection of radio talks were later tied together in one of Lewis’ most influential books, Mere Christianity (christianodyssey. com). Lewis’s project in this book was to defend â€Å"mere Christianity,† or the most essential basics of the Christian faith, against unbelievers. (leaderu. com) Lewis based his defense of Christianity on an argument from morality. The Moral Argument states that there is a universal â€Å"moral conscience† amongst all human beings. Everybody possesses an internal sense of moral obligation to realize the difference between right and wrong and choose to do what is right. Lewis ascertains that the existence of this common â€Å"moral conscience,† can only be the consequential result from the existence of a god who created all humans. (about. com). C. S. Lewis disputed for reason-based Christianity as opposed to faith-based Christianity. This is a questionable decision on Lewis’ part because conventional Christianity is indisputably faith-based. Lewis’ principal readers were supposed to be skeptics and atheists rather than current believers. Skeptics doubt for lack of reason and evidence; therefore, only reason and evidence is more likely to draw their reconsideration. In his book, Mere Christianity, Lewis writes: â€Å"I am not asking anyone to accept Christianity if his best reasoning tells him that the weight of the evidence is against it. † (about. com). One of Lewis’ most-often-quoted statements is from Mere Christianity, where he uses reason and logic to introduce three possibilities to us (often known as the Lewis trilemma). According to this trilemma, either Jesus really was God and intentionally lying, or was not God but reckoned himself to be (which would make him a lunatic). Mere Christianity goes on to say that the latter likelihood is not consistent with Jesus character and it is, therefore, most likely that he was being truthful A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. - Mere Christianity (christianodyssey. com). As mentioned earlier in this paper, C. S. Lewis’ readings are mostly meant for critics and unbelievers of the Christian faith. It is not designed for Christians who have accepted Lord Jesus as their Savior because they do not need to be convinced through reason-based writings about Christianity. Lewis was very interested in presenting a reasonable case for the truth of Christianity. I chose C. S. Lewis for my Apologetics term paper because I had always known this personality as the author of my favorite books. Years later, I was overwhelmingly surprised the depth of these novels in correlation to Christian concepts of Creation, Paradise and Armageddon. The applications of Lewis’ teachings can be seen in his Christian writings. They all lean towards reason, approaching Christianity as a religion that has factual grounds in addition of those relying on faith. C. S. Lewis believed the best apology for Christianity was the life of a believer and the way we live our lives. Non-Christians are more likely to be attracted to Christianity through the non-verbal acts and conduct of our life. However he also believed in verbal apologetics. Lewis believed Christianity was rational but at the same time was ultra-rational, i. e. that it was supernatural and divine and went way beyond the limits and scope of rationality (thatimayknowhim. o. uk). Lewis even believed in theistic evolution. In The Problem of Pain he wrote, â€Å"If by saying that man rose from brutality you mean simply that man is physically descended from animals, I have no objections†¦. For long centuries God perfected the animal form which was to become the vehicle of humanity and the image of Himself. He gave it hands whose thumbs could be applied to each of its fingers, and jaws and teeth and the throat capable of articulation, and a brain sufficiently complex to execute all material motions whereby rational thought is incarnated. The creature may have existed for ages in this state before it became man†¦. We do not know how many of these creatures God made, nor how long they continued in the Paradisal state† – The Problem of Pain (svchapel. org) The uniqueness of Lewis’ writings is fairly obvious. In comparison to other apologists, Lewis appealed to the reader’s emotions and sense of imagination. He, therefore, wanted to write about the essence of Christianity by reflecting upon its poignant, visual and imaginative side in its rational coherence. He wanted for the reader to taste the beauty of the faith; to draw the reader into the magnificent story of God’s salvation, to submerge him/her into the universe of Christianity. Many Christians testified that they started to seek heaven only after reading Lewis’ works. The way he is able to depict heaven and the spiritual world enabled the reader to truly understand the gift of Heaven that awaits us (euroleadershipresources. org). It is from C. S. Lewis that we need to learn that the kind of language used to explore God and the content of Christian faith is a matter of epitome importance. The human language has the potential to mediate feelings and understanding on an extremely poignant level. If implemented correctly Christian apologists need to be excited for themselves because of the relationship they are in with God. This very excitement on such a personal level will only help them better to find the right words and literary expressions needed to present the Christian faith. In this way, thanks to C. S. Lewis, Apologetics will become an effective personal testimony of God’s salvation (euroleadershipresources. org).

Pips Growth in Great Expectations :: Great Expectations Essays

Through the novel Great Expectations, it is seen that Pip’s personalities change. He seemed to be immature at the start but in the end he turned out much different and yet also the same. It seems to me that he changed because of those surrounding him and the influence they had on him. The most influential characters were Estella and the Magwitch. Pip at first was very uneducated and had not a clue of his social class or that there even was a social class, so he was content with what he had. As his life went on he met new people from both higher and lower social classes. From here his satisfaction turned to greed and shame, as he longed to be better educated. Pip does learn later on that having money and power and being in the high social class is not as important as having true friends, even if they are lower class. One of the first influential people around him was Estella. She always insulted Pip, yet he fell in love with her. Of course, over time he started to feel ashamed of himself, and of his roots, and he then longed to be a gentleman. Estella overall was a very poor influence on Pip because she was never supportive of him. Pip should have been around people that lifted him up and encouraged him to tell him what he needed to hear. The second is when Pip came across a convict that forced him to steal food from his sister. It is uncovered later that the convict is Magwitch, who for years he had been secretly saving money for him. When Pip is given this money he is finally able to live a gentleman’s lifestyle. This is a great influence given from the Magwitch. However, this only has a physical influence on Pip. Even though Magwitch caused Pip to feel guilty for stealing food, he came back and proved himself a noble character. When Pip sees that his helper was a convict, he realizes that the money he got was a man of a lower social class than himself. This made him feel inferior. But as time went on Pip got to know Magwitch better, he began to see that even people of the lower class can be gentlemen and friendly. Pip's Growth in Great Expectations :: Great Expectations Essays Through the novel Great Expectations, it is seen that Pip’s personalities change. He seemed to be immature at the start but in the end he turned out much different and yet also the same. It seems to me that he changed because of those surrounding him and the influence they had on him. The most influential characters were Estella and the Magwitch. Pip at first was very uneducated and had not a clue of his social class or that there even was a social class, so he was content with what he had. As his life went on he met new people from both higher and lower social classes. From here his satisfaction turned to greed and shame, as he longed to be better educated. Pip does learn later on that having money and power and being in the high social class is not as important as having true friends, even if they are lower class. One of the first influential people around him was Estella. She always insulted Pip, yet he fell in love with her. Of course, over time he started to feel ashamed of himself, and of his roots, and he then longed to be a gentleman. Estella overall was a very poor influence on Pip because she was never supportive of him. Pip should have been around people that lifted him up and encouraged him to tell him what he needed to hear. The second is when Pip came across a convict that forced him to steal food from his sister. It is uncovered later that the convict is Magwitch, who for years he had been secretly saving money for him. When Pip is given this money he is finally able to live a gentleman’s lifestyle. This is a great influence given from the Magwitch. However, this only has a physical influence on Pip. Even though Magwitch caused Pip to feel guilty for stealing food, he came back and proved himself a noble character. When Pip sees that his helper was a convict, he realizes that the money he got was a man of a lower social class than himself. This made him feel inferior. But as time went on Pip got to know Magwitch better, he began to see that even people of the lower class can be gentlemen and friendly.

Natureview Farm Case

Natureview Farm Case Natureview Farm is a small yogurt manufacturer with annual revenues of $13 million. It produces three different size cups – 8 oz. cup, 32 oz. and 4 oz. cup multipack. However, Natureview’s goal is to increase its annual revenue to $20 million in two years. With a solid relationship with its current, successful strategy in the natural foods channel it is considering expanding into the supermarket channel. Conversely, it does not want to hurt the company brand it has created as a premium yogurt brand in the natural foods market and betray those loyal, natural foods customers who made their business what it is today.In the case, Natureview is considering three options to expand its operations to reach its $20 million annual goal:1. Expand six SKUs of the 8-oz. product line into one or two selected supermarkets. The reasons behind this option are:A) Eight-ounce cups represent the largest dollar and unit share of the refrigerated yogurt market, providing significant revenue potential.B) Other natural food brands had successfully expanded their distribution into the supermarket channel. As a leading natural foods brand for yogurt, they can capitalize on the growing trend in natural and organic foods in supermarkets.C) A major Natureview competitor plans to expand into the supermarket channel. Supermarket retailers would likely only have one organic yogurt brand. Therefore, there is a first-mover advantage.2. Expand four SKUs of the 32-oz. size nationally. The reasons behind this option are:A) Currently generated an above-average gross profit margin for Natureview (43. 6% vs. 36. 0% for the 8-oz. line).B) Fewer competitive offerings in this size and Natureview had a strong competitive advantage in their product’s longer shelf life.C) Although slotting expenses would be higher, promotional expenses would be lower since the 32-oz. size was promoted only twice a year.3. Introduce two SKUs of a children’s multi-pack into na tural foods channel. The reasons behind this option are:A) Company had strong relationships with leading natural food channel retailers, and expansion into supermarket channel could potentially jeopardize the relationship.B) Distribution targets were very achievable for the two SKUs.C) Gross profitability of the line would be 37. % while expenses would be lower; quite attractive. This option may even yield the strongest profit contribution of all strategies taken into consideration.D) Natural foods channel was growing seven times faster than the supermarket channel.For each of the alternatives provided above, these are the issues that need to be encountered respectively:1. It has the highest level of competitive trading promotion and marketing spending. It would require quarterly trade promotions and a meaning marketing budget. It would also cost Natureview $1. M per region per year. Its SGA would also increase by $320,000 annually. Therefore, it would be a costly approach. Also, to achieve its target, Natureview needed to take advantage of its relationships with the top 11 supermarket retail chains in the Northeast and the top 9 chains in the West and occupy majority of the retail space.2. The difficulty was that new users would not readily â€Å"enter the brand† and adopt a multi-size product. Furthermore, to achieve full national distribution within 12 months it would be a difficult task in of itself.Natureview would need to hire more sales personnel who had experience selling to more sophisticated supermarket channels and establish relationships with the supermarket brokers. This would increase SGA expense costs by $160,000. To add to the complexity of the decision, a competitor was rumored to be launching a line called Bright Vista, which would directly compete with Natureview. Moreover, supermarkets were considering launching their own private-label versions of organic yogurt. Therefore, launching the 32-oz. has its issues of being less noticed in a myriad of different products available.3. Introducing the multi-packs requires R&D and Operations costs. It also conflicts with the premium brand positioning it had worked hard to establish due to supermarkets’ emphasis on sales promotions and inconsistent prices. There were also fears that Natureview’s marketing department was unprepared to handle the demands on resources and staffing that entering the supermarket channel would impose. Supermarket distributors were more demanding in logistics and technology than what Natureview was familiar with. However, it is thought that soon, natural foods channel would embark on similar demands.After reviewing all the alternatives and its issues and benefits, I found that moving into supermarkets could have both positive and negative repercussions. Refraining to expand into supermarkets could put Natureview at a competitive disadvantage, considering there are rumors of Natureview’s competitors expanding into supermarket channels. Supermarkets are potentially a huge market for organic yogurt, considering 97% of all yogurts were purchased through this channel and 46% of organic food consumers shop at supermarkets. Two natural food companies have already entered supermarkets and in doing so have increased their revenues by over 200%.Executing a first mover strategy would be crucial if this plan were to be implemented in order to gain brand equity from new consumers who are transitioning into the organic food market. Furthermore, because price inhibits 58% of consumers from buying organic products, Natureview would have to execute a competitive pricing strategy against non-organic yogurts. However, the expenses associated with it (i. e. the trade promotions and SGAs) are quite expensive to take in. The goal is to obtain an increase in revenues by at least $7M. Costs incurred would be at least $2. M annually just expanding into two regions. Therefore, if Natureview would expand to all four regions, the y would incur $5. 2M in just marketing and SGAs. It is quite an expensive approach, especially since there is the fear that your current customers may disown your brand and look for others. You’ll be charging less per unit and you lose the distinctive brand value that’s associated with your brand, which is a premium yogurt manufacturer. Alternatively, my recommendation would be to introduce the multi-packs for children. Your current 8-oz. product is a cash cow; leave it that way.The method to expand would be to enter a product development strategy and use the same channels for distribution. You’ve built a strong relationship with natural food retailers; continue it by product differentiating. Implement the multi-packs as an option for consumers in the natural food retailers and continue to keep the premium price brand positioning. The last thing you want to do is enter a price war; therefore, keep the same channel distribution you are using but instead, introduc e new products through product differentiation.

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain - 1479 Words

Huck Finn: The Truth In America’s History â€Å"Neither literature nor history should be changed to be politically correct. Huckleberry Finn should be taught using appropriate historical context.† (Brinks). In the December of 1884, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is published in the United Kingdom. The novel is known as a product of the literature of its time; it’s main focus on the element of realism. It is incredibly widespread, it’s popularity gained from being one of the first books written in informal English. That popularity is still in act today, earning the novel its label of being an ‘American Classic.’ To the good people of America’s misfortune, Huck Finn is put into deliberation of its relevance in the classroom. Innumerable amounts of people question whether the book is appropriate for students because of its use of the deplorable â€Å"N-word.† In opposition of the argument, there are many aspects of the novel that provide excellent teach ing moments for the children of today to be educated on. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a meaningful book that deserves its place in the American high school school curriculum because it speaks the truth of the nation’s past, provides unparalleled teaching moments and is clearly a product of realism. History is something that cannot be changed, so there is no need to change it for appearance’s sake. In order for future generations to live on and not repeat past mistakes, teachers must be brutallyShow MoreRelatedThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain830 Words   |  3 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is â€Å"A Great American Novel†, because of its complexity and richness. Twain writes dialogue that brings his characters to life. He creates characters with unique voice and helps the reader connect to the book. Anyone who reads it is forced to develop feelings for each character. Even though there is a great amount of controversy over the use of some choices, such as the â€Å"n word†, it makes the book more realistic. In the beginning of the novel Huck,Read MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1103 Words   |  5 PagesDmitri Van Duine Jr English Mr. Nelson November 27th The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Written by Mark Twain filled his stories with many examples of satire as to convey a message while also writing an interesting story. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn revolves around the adventures of a young boy called Huckleberry Finn, who is about thirteen years old. Tom Sawyer is Huck’s best friend and around the same age as Huck. He is onlyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain Essay1055 Words   |  5 PagesZambrano Mrs. Patmor AP Lit-Period 5 28 September 2016 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1835 Mark Twain embodies realism in almost every aspect of his writing not excluding The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which in he portrays such a lifelike setting that it almost gives you this sense of reality through the point of view of a young man that has an urge for freedom yet struggles to conform to society s norms due to his adolescence. Twain s ability to unmask the true identities of the charactersRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain931 Words   |  4 PagesWolski Mrs. Goska English 2H Period 3 22 October 2014 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mob mentality is the way an individual’s decisions become influenced by the often unprincipled actions of a crowd. Mark Twain penned The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain grew up in America’s southern states during the early 1800’s, a time in which moral confusion erupted within the minds of humans. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn s protagonist is a young boy named Huck who freely travels alongRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1375 Words   |  6 Pagesmention the years spent growing and maturing physically. Teenagers are stuck in an inbetween state where they must learn who they want to become and what they want to be when they grow older. The same is true for Huckleberry Finn, from the book â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain. This is a book that was written in a time of great confusion over moral codes and standards. It was a world split in half by two different worlds of people; those who opposed, a nd those who promoted slavery.Read MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain2083 Words   |  9 PagesSatire in Huckleberry Finn In the novel â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain, we are told a story about a young boy and his slave companion’s journey down the Mississippi River and all of their encounters with other characters. Twain constructed a beautiful narrative on how young Huck Finn, the protagonist in the story, learns about the world and from other adult characters, how he is shaped into his own person. At the time this book was made however, this novel provided serious socialRead MoreMark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1575 Words   |  6 Pages Mark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Controversy Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is a highly recognizable figure in American literature. Born in Florida, Missouri Mark Twain and his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri where Twain discovered and fell in love with the mighty Mississippi River. The river and his life in Hannibal became his inspiration and guiding light in most of his writing. Although Twain loved the river and did a great deal of traveling, he eventuallyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1005 Words   |  5 Pages In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain in the 19th century is about a young boy named Huck Finn and Jim, a runaway slave who go on an adventure. The two travel on a raft along the Mississippi river creating a bond and making memories. Mark Twain presents Huckleberry Finn as a dynamic character who at first views Jim as property and eventually considers Jim as a friend, showing a change in maturity. 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The novelRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain810 Words   |  4 PagesBefore Mark Twain started to write two of his most famous novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark was known to use his characters to display his own thoughts and opinions. â€Å"This device allowed him to s ay just about anything he wanted, provided he could convincingly claim he was simply reporting what others had said.† (Twain, 1283). Mark Twain used this process to be a foundation of his lectures, by manipulating his popularly with his readers. During the story