What are your thoughts on present day religious ideologies Are they Essay

What are your thoughts on present day religious ideologies Are they much different from Greek and Roman religious beliefs Explain - Essay Example In the ancient times, the Greeks and Romans were identified by their worship of â€Å"many gods† and goddesses (Mikalson, 2010, p. 224).1 The present day Christians, Jews, and Muslims only recognize one God. It is however worth noting that Hindus have many gods whereas atheists believe in none. The aspect of believing in multiple gods for the ancient Greeks and Romans as compared to one God for the present day religions is the largest distinctive factor between the two kind of religious ideologies. However, there are a couple of other differences and some similarities too that can be identified between the two groups. Firstly, the present day religions believe that God is unanimously powerful and he is able to control every aspect of life by Himself. On the other hand, Greeks and Romans appreciated the fact that the gods were powerful but they associated each god with a specific area of power. For instance, Zeus was the god of the skies, earthquakes, storms, lightning, and so on.2 Similarly, present day religious ideologies tend to describe God as good, morally pure and blameless. Contrary, the Romans and Greeks believed that the gods had similar personalities to the human beings. They believed that the gods too did wrongs, felt jealous and rage as much as they felt mercy and compassion. The present day Christian ideologies tend explain that people can talk directly to God through prayers and that their prayers would be answered appropriately.3 This is however not the case for the ancient Greeks and Romans, who believed that although gods would sometimes listen to prayers, especially if the individual has offered a sacrifice, the person that offered a better sacrifice will most likely get the help from the gods. Ultimately, even though the present day religious ideologies and the Greek and Romans religious beliefs have some

Various Influences on the Development of Social Policies Term Paper

Various Influences on the Development of Social Policies - Term Paper Example The death penalty was also part of the Fourteenth Century B.C.'s Hittite Code; in the Seventh Century B.C.'s Draconian Code of Athens, which made death the only punishment for all crimes; and in the Fifth Century B.C.'s Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets. Death sentences were carried out by such means as crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and implement. (Randa, 1997). Britain influenced America the use of the death penalty. When European settlers came to the new world, they brought the practice of capital punishment. The first recorded execution in the new colonies was that of Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608. Kendall was executed for being a spy for Spain. In 1612, Virginia Governor Sir Thomas Dale enacted the Divine, Moral and Martial Laws, which provided the death penalty for even minor offenses such as stealing grapes, killing chickens, and trading with Indians. Laws regarding the death penalty varied from colony to colony. The Massachusetts Bay Colony held its first execution in 1630, even though the Capital Laws of New England did not go into effect until years later. The New York Colony instituted the Duke's Laws of 1665. Under these laws, offenses such as striking one's mother or father, or denying the "true God," were punishable by death. (Randa, 1997). Media is a powerful source of information. There are cases wherein cases are being trialed publicly thru media. This has influenced the development of policy in the death penalty. Before death penalty execution is being seen by people thru television. After that incident a lot of people reacted differently, some agree and some think that it is inhuman.