The Problem Of Evil By John Hick | Analaysis

The Problem Of Evil By John Hick | Analaysis In this final paper I review the contemporary issue The Problem of Evil by John Hick on pages 143 to 147 of the Burr Goldfinger text. Hick has four main points in his article. First, that within the Christian doctrine there is no dilemma concern the existence of Evil because Second, the concept of Evil is necessary for the measuring of actions so that Third, human souls can choose to move nearer or farther from God, meaning that Fourth, our existence and world is a type of soul factory measuring and creating souls that are worthy to the presence of God. Some quick internet searches on John Hick reveals that he is a very well respected and prolific writer on the topic of God, Philosophy, Theology, and the relationship of Religion and Science (http://www.johnhick.org.uk/jsite/). Further he has several advanced degrees from some very prestigious universities to include a doctorate of philosophy from Oxford University and a doctorate in literature (or Letters it is not clear) from the University of Edinburgh. Hicks clear writing style and excellent arguments have clearly earned him a place of prominence within high academic circles. This article is in the section concerning God Religion. What is especially interesting, and suggests the overall quality of the thinking, is that Hick is able to turn the tables on an argument that at one time seemed to put a nail in the coffin of theology. Until reading this article, I did struggle with the dilemma of Evil against the existence of God. At first blush and even with some deeper inquiry they do seem to be at odds. These are reasonable questions: If God is all powerful and all good, why does Evil exist? Why do bad things happen to good people? And so on. Through a well thought out argument Hick addresses this, and further suggests, cleverly being able to stay within the theology and thinking of Christian doctrine, that a creator God given the goals and temperament of the Christian God, would see Evil as a necessary requirement for a world designed to create souls worthy of His presence. Summary of Article Hick has written an extensive essay outlining a philosophical argument suggesting that it is not a contradiction to believe in a Christian version of God while still acknowledging the existence of Evil in its many forms. The dilemma he is arguing against is the idea that a perfectly loving creator God would not allow, or would abolish Evil from his created world. Since we can see that Evil clearly exists, it is reasonable to assume that either there is no creator God, God is not Omni-powerful, or God must not be perfectly loving (Goldinger and Burr 143). Hick goes on to summarize Augustine, who defined Evil as a distortion of something valuable; a movement away from God by humans (Goldinger and Burr 144). This is an important distinction because it suggests that Christian doctrine does not dismiss Evil, but identifies it as having meaning and purpose within the realm created by God. It identifies direction of the soul against actions, where good actions move a soul closer to God and evil actions move a soul farther away from God. Further, Hick summarizes the Christian viewpoint of the creation of the earth not of an absolute paradise created by God for his human creations to dwell in, but as a soul factory creating believers and preparing souls to enter the presence of God (Goldinger and Burr 146). To this end, Hick suggests that a perfect world would neither serve as a vehicle to produce souls worthy of Heaven, nor be a consistent and logical place for free-willed humans to dwell. Too much inconsistency would be necessary, for example should someone fall from a height that would break their back, gravity would have to change characteristics such that the fall would not hurt them, less they suffer the pain of the injury, and so on, several of these types of analogys are offered. He further offers that without Evil there would be no measuring stick to understand good and Just actions. To that end Hick summarizes his argument by saying that the existence of Evil fits perfectly into a theological model that accepts both free will, and the ability to measure a persons soul against the actions and choices they make, where worthy souls choose good actions that move them closer to God and unworthy souls choose actions that are Evil and move then away from God. Philosophical Critique As pure philosophy goes this article is actually one of the best explanations I have ever read concerning the problem of evil within a Christian theological framework. Its underlying premise is that our world as created by God is a type of soul factory, and when viewed as such can only make logical sense is real choices can be made by us, many with the consequence of evil and harm to others. Further, within these context natural disasters that bring evil upon people is necessary, for without itself sacrifice, heroism, and true goodwill could not be attempted or offered by people, thus denying any true measurement or preparedness of the human soul to be in the presence of God. Without evil human souls would not be able to learn from their actions, observe the actions of others, and make choices that allow them to either move nearer or farther from God. If the world we created such that any choice we made could never bring evil on another, and never provide a consequence to the choice we make, our souls would never develop beyond that of spoiled children. Touch choices and touch consequences are necessary in a world designed as a proving ground for the soul. Further, without the necessary context of evil we would not be able to contemplate the true divinity of God nor of our own existence. There would be no reason to attempt any endeavor or any type beyond pure self-gratification. Since evil is necessary for the measuring of our actions within the constructs of the world as a soul factory, the reality of Evil is necessary for a creator God looking to produce real creations, and not simple automatons that are capable of evolving into something more. All of this does not justify evil actions, or provide any type of moral platform for anyone to justify an evil action, it simply provides necessary context for us to understand the reasons for our choices and why it is important to make choices that move us closer to God. What is especially interesting about this argument is that it turns the dilemma concern the existence of Evil and the existence of God on its ear, and takes an argument that at one time was believed and held onto by anti-Christians as an absolute proof against the existence of God, and makes it a pretty good argument FOR the existence of God. Not only does it dispel the dilemma, it builds on it in a very interesting way and argues that no real creator God would even consider designing a world without evil, given the other theological elements of Christianity. Conclusion Upon reviewing the arguments presented in The Problem of Evil by John Hick on pages 143 to 147 of the Burr Goldfinger text and Hicks has four main points, you discover a very well thought out and logical philosophical argument that seems to hold in both logical construct and keep its underlying assumption valid within the necessary area of Christian doctrine. The idea that God created the world as a soul factory is supported by the concept of freewill and choice, and the measurement of choice within a reality with real choices and real consequences. Upon close examination this is not a dilemma concerning the existence and nature of God, but a reassurance that Christianity is in fact based upon a rational view of the world and that it can be defended using logic and sound reason. This article interested me very much and I will be going out and purchasing some other books by Hick to see if he is able to put together complete tombs that are as well thought out and as interesting as this article was. Given that he has published over 20 books and given his academic appointments, I suspect I am in for a fun bit of reading.

Physics of an Mri Machine

The Physics of an MRI Machine. Whitney Wright PH106/006 Dr. Probst 06/05/2012 The Physics of an MRI Machine There are many physical concepts used in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging, also known as MRI, machine. There are many physical concepts used when an MRI is taken of the body, such as; radio waves, resonance and pulse sequences, magnetic fields being produced and lastly, magnets. Radio waves much stronger than the magnetic field of the Earth are sent through the body which causes the nuclei in the body to move to a different position.When the nuclei move back to the place they originated from, they send back radio waves that the scanner on the machine picks up and turns them into a picture. Resonance is very common within multiple branches of physics, without resonance we wouldn’t have television, music or radio. Resonance is also one of the most unexplained phenomenons in physics; it causes glass to break with a high pitched voice, bridges to collapse and also earthquakes ca using buildings to collapse.Within the MRI, nuclear magnetic resonance is used, this is when magnetic fields and radio waves cause the atoms in the body to give off tiny radio waves (Bellis). The explanation of Pulse sequences are defined in a basic way by the article â€Å"MRI Physics: pulse sequences† as ‘the pulse sequences define the manner in which the radiofrequency pulses, which generate the detectable signals, and magnetic field gradients, which provide the spatial encoding of the signals’ (Sharma). When the pulse sequences are used a sequence diagram is used to show how the sequences will occur during the MRI.There are many different sequences available; each used for creating certain images, the most commonly used is the spin echo sequence. When magnetic fields are produced, it means an electron has moved along a wire creating a magnetic field around that electron. When the wire is in the form of a loop, or multiple loops in this case, a very large magn etic field is produced and it runs perpendicular to the field. The magnets within the MRI are known as the primary magnet and the gradient magnets. The primary magnet or permanent magnet is the coiled wire that creates the magnetic field.These coils have to be stored at -450( Fahrenheit within a type of liquid helium. These magnetic fields are between 10,000 and 30,000 times stronger than the magnetic field of Earth. The gradient magnets consist of three smaller magnets within the MRI machine. These magnets are about 1/1000 as strong as the primary magnet and allow smaller images of the area to be produced. These magnets help focus on a particular part of the body (Cluett). There are many other physical concepts that I did not discuss used within the MRI machine.The main concepts are radio waves, resonance, pulse sequences, magnetic fields being produced and magnets. Works Cited Bellis, Mary. â€Å"Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI. †Ã‚  About. com, Investors. New York Times Com pany, n. d. Web. 5 June 2012. . Cluett, Jonathan. â€Å"MRI: What is a MRI?. †Ã‚  About. com, Orthopedics. New York Times Company, 15 Aug. 2011. Web. 5 June 2012. . Sharma, Harish, and Jim Lagopoulos. â€Å"MRI physics: pulse sequences. †Ã‚  Acta Neuropsychiatrica  22. 2 (2010): 90. EBSCOhost. Web. 5 June 2012. .

Attila the Hun - Portraits

Hotel and Motel Beginner English Language Practice

Make sure to understand the use of the verb like when checking-in to a hotel, as well as how to ask polite questions with the modal verbs can and may. Understanding vocabulary related to travel will help you communicate when you are in a motel or a hotel. Getting a Room for the Night Desk clerk: Good evening. Can I help you?Guest: Yes, please. Id like a room for the night.Desk clerk:  Would you like a single room, or a double room?Guest:  A single room, please. How much is the room?Desk clerk:  Its $55 per night.Guest:  Can I pay by credit card?Desk clerk:  Certainly. We take Visa, Master Card and American Express. Could you fill in this form, please?Guest:  Do you need my passport number?Desk clerk:  No, just an address and your signature.Guest:  Ã‚  (fills out the form) Here you are.Desk clerk:  Heres your key. Your room number is 212.Guest:  Thank you.Desk clerk:  Thank you. If you need anything, dial 0 for the reception area. Have a good stay! Key Vocabulary Can I help you?Id like a roomSingle, double roomCan I pay by credit card?Fill in this formPassport numberRoom numberReceptionWhere is the...ElevatorLobbyIs breakfast included?Do you offer room service?