Sexual offender registration laws Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sexual offender registration laws - Term Paper Example The paper tells that the origins of Megan's Law can be traced from parents/guardians right to know if a dangerous sexual predator moves into their neighborhood and to protect communities from sexual offenders. Megan was kidnapped, raped and murdered by a dangerous sexual offender living in their neighborhood. Her parents circulated a petition demanding immediate legislative action. The petition amassed over 400,000 signatures, and the law was passed in 89 days. In accordance with Megan's Law, federally known as The Jacob Wetterling Act in 1994, amended in 1998 with Section 115 of the General Provisions of Title I of the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (CJSA) provide that states are required to register sex offenders and perform community notification. However, each state differs in terms of how it administers the information/methods of registrations. Lavenson notes that bill stipulates sex offenders to be prohibited f rom living within 1,000 feet of a school, day care center, church, and anywhere where children are known to congregate, including parks, playgrounds, and bus stops and therefore, is not a practical solution. Under Georgia law, sec 5, revised paragraph 10, of sexual offenders; classification; change and enact provisions, sex crimes include: child sexual abuse, child molestation, aggravated child molestation, to entice children for indecent reasons, to sexually exploit children, transports a child to a location in order to molest the child., Sexual exploitation of a child downloading pornographic material of persons under the age of 18, child pornography, sexual battery, aggravated sodomy, rape and even kidnapping of a minor.(5) http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20092010/106632.pdf Regulations regarding sexual offender registration The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is responsible for registration of sexual offenders in accordance with O.C.G.A.  §Ã‚  42-1-12. Sec 20(a) prov ides that a sexual offender is an individual  who has been convicted of a criminal offense against a minor or any dangerous sexual offense under the laws of another state or territory, under the laws of the United States, Uniform Code of Military Justice, or in a tribal court of a criminal offense against a minor or a dangerous sexual offense. The term sexual offender is a broad term, with sexual predator being used to describe a more severe physical or repeat sexual offense (Travis, Jeremy). Sexually dangerous predator is defined in sec 21(a) as a person who was designated as a sexually dangerous predator between July 1, 1996, and June 30, 2006; or a person who is determined by the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board to be at risk of perpetrating any future dangerous sexual

Referendums: Arguments For and Against

Referendums: Arguments For and Against What are the arguments for and against the holding of popular referendums? Under what circumstances, if any, should they be held? The referendum has its origins in direct democracy, and can therefore be dated back to the 5th Century BC in the Greek city state of Athens. The concept of a referendum has changed and developed in line with democracy and can now be found in a number of differing forms throughout the developed world. A referendum is broadly defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as â€Å"a general vote by the electorate on a single political question†; however this definition fails to make distinctions between the many types of referendum which exist, or the modern day importance of referendums. In an initial classification there are three types of referendum as defined by the Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia. Obligatory referendums; which are required by law, optional referendums; which are put on the ballot when a sufficient number of voters sign a petition demanding that a law passed by the legislature be ratified by the people, and voluntary referendums; when legislatures submit to voter s to decide an issue or to test public opinion. There are a number of widely credited arguments both for and against the holding of popular referendums, however, there are only a few key ideas encapsulated in these arguments. Those in favour of referendums generally tend to point out that they; promote political participation and increase voter knowledge on issues as well as helping to strengthen democracy and further legitimate the government. Whilst arguments against referendums concentrate on ideas; that the public are ill equipped to make important political decisions, and that the information they do have is distorted through media influence, that referendums only provide an idea of public opinion at that one point in time, and that referendums weaken and remove power from the representative institutions elected by the public. The holding of popular referendums is key in a democratic system where the people are becoming, not only disengaged but disinterested in the political process as a whole. The use of referendums can help to counter this affect, provided that clear guidelines are set for when a referendum should take place. The word democracy comes from the Latin demos meaning the people and kratos meaning power or rule (OED); rule by the people. The practicalities of this literal definition, often referred to as direct democracy, are almost impossible in our world today, where in the UK in 2005 there were 44,245,939 people registered to vote (www.idea.int)[1]. However, representative democracy is a â€Å"limited and indirect form of democracy† (Heywood 2007:74) which relies on, in most cases, an electoral mandate for legitimacy. This electoral mandate has been called into question on a number of occasions in modern political history, most notably in the US presidential election of 2005 between George W Bush and Al Gore, and again in the UK General Election of 2005. Referendums could be seen in a modern political context as a stepping stone between direct and representative democracy. It is fair to say that in the majority of developed political societies people have the opportunity to vote into office representatives whom they believe to share policy views with. However, it would be impossible for any political party to represent all the views of its members and supporters, as a result parties may include certain policy promises in their manifestos that their voters do not want to see implemented (Caramani 2008:254). This, along with the fact that people vote for parties for such a wide range of reasons, mean that it is not possible to conclude that peoples policy preferences are the same as the party they vote for (Setala 1999: 14-16). Therefore, a referendum allows the public to show a direct opinion on a specific policy matter they would otherwise be impossible. Linked to the idea that referendums strengthen democracy with regards to policy decisions, there is also the theory that they legitimate government between elections. The period between major governmental elections is, in many countries, several years. In this time period governments can, for the most part, make decisions without any public consultation. There is therefore a danger that although these officials are elected as representatives, it is only the opposition parties and the checks and balances outlined in constitutions that prevent them from deviating from their original promises. Referendums allow the government to not only gauge public opinion on policy but also to make clear that the decisions they are making are in line with public attitude on issues concerning them, therefore providing another check against the power of government. Opponents to referendums argue that instead of strengthening democracy and legitimising government they in fact weaken the political system by removing power from elected bodies. Representative democracy is founded on the principle that elected officials represent the views of the people and make decisions on their behalf; therefore a referendum undermines this principle. Sir Patrick Nairne observed that â€Å"if Members of Parliament are elected to settle national issues of major policy brought before them by the Government, is it right to throw such issues back to the voters to settle† (Qvotrup 2005:23). This argument concerning the weakening of bodies is, although worth acknowledging, very limited in its view on referendums. It concentrates for the most part on the idea that referendums remove decision making power from elected bodies and would therefore render them both less effective and less powerful. However, this is an extreme view that fails to recognise that referend ums can be used to aid governments as well as the people, and provide a vital link between the two, as has already been argued. In the majority of political systems across the world we are witnessing a worrying downward trend in voter turnout. This can be attributed to a number of causes including; partisan dealignment, disenchantment with the political system and indifference to politics. Referendums can be used to help promote political participation by enabling the electorate to become better educated and informed and therefore reduce the feeling of alienation (Heywood 2007:250). By providing people with the opportunity to participate in referendums they are presented with the opportunity to educate and inform themselves on political issues. There is clearly a link between an informed electorate and higher levels of political participation, as Verba, Schlozman and Brady (1995) argue. This correlation arises from the fact that a more politically educated electorate is able understand the workings of government, and the issues affecting them; therefore seek to bring about change. Switzerland was one of the f irst countries to introduce referendums to make decisions on proposed legislation. Although turnout figures in Switzerland are not very high, around 45% (www.idea.int)[2], it can be argued that the Swiss people are more politically active than turnout figures show due to the fact that there is such a large number of referendums not everyone votes in all of them, and also that they are more involved with political parties and in other ways than most other countries. Aside from elections there are very few ways in which citizens can directly influence political decisions. There are provisions in most democratic countries for the electorate to have some personal contact with their representative, however for the most part people do not make use of this tool because they believe it to be ineffectual; issues raised in these arenas rarely have an effect on the outcome of policy. People are also able to join political parties yet; again, they are faced with the same problems of ineffectuality. A referendum therefore provides an answer to increasing ways for the electorate to positively participate in politics. A binding referendum permits the public to make the final decision on a specific policy, although these types of referendums are not widely used, it is rare for a government to go against the public even in a non-binding referendum. In 1975 the UK, both electorate and government, was divided over whether or not it should continue its membership in the European Economic Community. The overwhelming â€Å"Yes† vote to stay in Europe was upheld by the Labour government of the time, although it was not a binding referendum, and was hailed as a â€Å"historic decision† by Prime Minister Harold Wilson (www.bbc.co.uk/news)[3]. The counter arguments to increased political participation and voter knowledge through referendums are that; in fact, referendums can cause voter fatigue and decrease participation, and that the public are ill equipped to make important political decisions. The first of these arguments relies on the premise that the public would be able to vote on all or a large number of policies. However, this move back to direct democracy is not desirable for the public or the government; presenting the public with such a large number of opportunities to vote could indeed cause voting fatigue. There is a compromise to be found between allowing the public to vote on all policy and not allowing them to vote on it at all. The latter of these criticisms on referendums concern voter knowledge. It is ignorant to assume that the electorate are either not informed, or are unable, to educate themselves on political issues put to them in referendums. If people are able to vote and presumably make an informed decision on which political party they wish to represent them they are equally able to do so in a referendum. Critics argue that information is distorted through the media prior to referendums, and this is a problem worth considering. During the first referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland two of Rupert Murdochs biggest selling newspapers The Irish Sun and The Sunday Times were seen as going â€Å"hell for leather on a No vote† (www.guardian.co.uk)[4]; similarly the media coverage on the 1975 Common Market Referendum was heavily biased to the â€Å"Yes† campaign, it has been estimated that twenty times the amount of money was available to this campaign than to the â€Å"No† campa ign (www.europeansinglecurrency.com/referendum)[5]. Although in these instances the media seemed to have an influence on the final outcome there are other, more fundamental, factors which influence peoples decisions, the American political scientist John Zaller encapsulates this idea; â€Å"Every opinion is a marriage of information and predisposition† (Zaller 1992:6). For referendums to be used effectively it is important that the circumstances in which they should be held are clearly defined and upheld by law. When considering this point one must take into account that referendums should not used in a way that, as many opponents argue, undermines the authority of the elected bodies in a representative democracy. An answer to this is that referendums should only be used in matters of constitutional importance and not for other policy decisions. It is, after all, constitutions which safeguard the fundamental rights of the electorate as well as preventing the misuse of power by elected bodies (Dahl 2000: 124-127). However, only allowing people to vote on constitutional changes is very limiting, especially if the issue directly influences the way in which they live, and there may also be instances in which the government wishes to hold a referendum on another issue, therefore a wider definition for circumstances must be found. It would be almost impo ssible to define exactly which policy areas the electorate should be able to vote on in referendums. There are obviously issues on which it would be inappropriate to have a referendum, taxes are an obvious example; there are complex issues on which the public would probably not have the time or adequate resources to inform themselves on and which have no real affect on them, for example defence policies. Therefore the best course of action would probably be to allow the elected body to decide in these instances which policies it is sensible to put to a referendum. Australia, in fact follows these basic guidelines for holding referendums to great success. Compulsory national referendums are â€Å"held to approve government-proposed changes to the Australian Constitution†, the constitution specifies this; furthermore the government can also conduct optional referendums or ‘plebiscites to decide on matters outside of the constitution (www.wikipedia.org)[6]. This system of conducting referendums is ideal because the electorate are guaranteed a vote on constitutional issues as well as being given the opportunity, when appropriate, to vote on other policy matters. Referendums provide a vital direct link between government and the electorate which is otherwise unseen in representative democracies. They can help to promote political participation as well as creating a better informed electorate; they also strengthen democracy in modern society. Yet referendums, despite all of this are often criticised for the way in which they weaken elected bodies and do not provide a true gauge on public opinion, largely due to media influence. However, as has been argued none of these arguments hold much weight, especially in the face of a system where the use of referendums have clear guidelines, as in Australia, to be used for constitutional amendments and wherever else is seen as fit by the elected bodies in power. Referendums are a tool which should be used more widely in todays political systems of democracy as they are a manageable and positive step towards a hybrid political system which effectively combines representative and direct democracy. Bibliography Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia (2007) (London: Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia, Inc.) Caramani, Daniele (2008) Comparative Politics (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Dahl, Robert. A. (2000) On Democracy (Yale: Yale University Press) Heywood, Andrew (2007) Politics third edition (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan) Oxford Dictionary of English (2005) 2nd edition revised (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Setala, Maija (1999) Referendums and Democratic Government: Normative Theory and the Analysis of Institutions (Basingstoke: Macmillan) Verba, Sidney, Kay Lehman, Schlozman and Henry Brady (1995) Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics (Cambridge: Harvard University Press) Zaller, John (1992) The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) [1] â€Å"United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Voter Turnout International† Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2005 < http://www.idea.int/vt/country_view.cfm?country=GB> (13 Nov. 2009) [2] â€Å"Swiss Confederation Voter Turnout† International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2007 < http://www.idea.int/vt/country_view.cfm?id=42> (13 Nov. 2009) [3] â€Å"1975: UK embraces Europe on Referendum† 1975 < http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/6/newsid_2499000/2499297.stm> (13 Nov. 2009) [4] â€Å"NI votes NO in Irish referendum† 2009 < http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/01/ireland-referendum-rupert-murdoch> (13 Nov 2009) [5] â€Å"Was the 1975 Referendum Conducted Fairley† A British Referendum 2003 < http://www.europeansinglecurrency.com/referendum.htm> (13 Nov 2009) [6] â€Å"Federal Referendums† Referendums in Australia 2009 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_in_Australia> (13 Nov 2009)

Paul Rubens and the Baroque Period Essay -- Essays Papers

Paul Rubens and the Baroque Period For this formal analysis paper I would like to talk about a painting done by the artist named Peter Paul Reubens. The piece itself is entitled, "The Apotheosis of Henry IV and the Proclamation of the Regency of Marie de Medicis on May 14, 1610." The painting was completed in the year 1610, and today it is on display at the Louvre in Paris, France. This painting was one of many that I had to choose from when I was deciding on what to write about. Many internet sites across the world had so many pieces from which to look at, but when it really came down to it, I wanted to write a paper over a topic on which I have held great interest in, that which of course is the Baroque style of painting. Peter Paul Reubens (1577-1640) exemplifies the Baroque style in painting, as did another type of artist from that period who excelled in the art of sculpting. That artist which I speak of, is of course Bernini. Both men were very prolific workers, and according to the text, were the favorites of very powerful rulers. Yet aside from his artistic prowess, I find Reubens' usage of religious themes in his paintings to be very appealing, and I think that is why I liked his work entitled, "The Apotheosis of Henry IV and the Proclamation of the Regency of Marie de Medicis on May 14, 1610," so much. In addition, I was amazed at his mastery of implying the elements and principles of art, which in essence made this work achievable. Therefore, f... Paul Rubens and the Baroque Period Essay -- Essays Papers Paul Rubens and the Baroque Period For this formal analysis paper I would like to talk about a painting done by the artist named Peter Paul Reubens. The piece itself is entitled, "The Apotheosis of Henry IV and the Proclamation of the Regency of Marie de Medicis on May 14, 1610." The painting was completed in the year 1610, and today it is on display at the Louvre in Paris, France. This painting was one of many that I had to choose from when I was deciding on what to write about. Many internet sites across the world had so many pieces from which to look at, but when it really came down to it, I wanted to write a paper over a topic on which I have held great interest in, that which of course is the Baroque style of painting. Peter Paul Reubens (1577-1640) exemplifies the Baroque style in painting, as did another type of artist from that period who excelled in the art of sculpting. That artist which I speak of, is of course Bernini. Both men were very prolific workers, and according to the text, were the favorites of very powerful rulers. Yet aside from his artistic prowess, I find Reubens' usage of religious themes in his paintings to be very appealing, and I think that is why I liked his work entitled, "The Apotheosis of Henry IV and the Proclamation of the Regency of Marie de Medicis on May 14, 1610," so much. In addition, I was amazed at his mastery of implying the elements and principles of art, which in essence made this work achievable. Therefore, f...

Compare how two television programmes you have studied offer comic representation of gender

In this essay I intend to use two sitcoms to answer the question. Gender representation is a major part of many sitcoms and I will be looking into why this is, and how they are represented comically. I will be using an episode of Absolutely Fabulous and an episode of Keeping Up Appearances to provide me with examples to support my ideas and opinions. * Absolutely Fabulous- Eddie- comical features: Over dressed, flamboyant & eccentric appearance No sense of moral or political correctness (buying merchandise from African villages) Physical behaviour- poor co-ordination of arms and hands- looks comical- lots of movement. (Example- when arrives late in & faces questioning from Saffy) Voice-sounds younger than she is & talks like she is younger- comical because trying to hide from her real age Language- talks like a teenager, talks to daughter like she is her mum (role reversal) Also degrading to daughter, loud and immature behaviour. Not stereotypical mum- quite the opposite, stereotypical teenager. (mood swings & behaviour, dress etc) Main interest is men- questions Saffy about when she will finally get a boyfriend. Generally most of her features are exaggerated to increase comical value. Saffy- Comical features: Very boring/ sensible dress sense, dull colours & appearance- even though a teenager. Sensible & boring- role reversal with her mum- example- when telling mum off about returning home late. Body language- reserved, sensible, quiet and controlled. Tries to make deals & compromise with her mum- role reversal again. Also with Patsy- T.V show. Well spoken, doesn't use slang, swear or shout. Stereotypical mum, portrayed through a daughter 9role reversal with her mum) Relies heavily on Saffy. Generally most of her features are exaggerated to increase comical value. Patsy- Comical Features: Shows how women can get wherever they want- slept with her Boss to get a better job. Pretends to be professional. Dresses like she's on a catwalk- completely inappropriate & ridiculous. Uses too much make up & has an overdone hairstyle. Addicted to cigarettes and alcohol. Tries to use and manipulate Saffy- uses sob story to make her appear on T.V show. Appears to be very shallow with not much of a life & few friends- when she is desperate to go to lunch with Eddie, as has no one else to go with. Generally most of her features are exaggerated to increase comical value. Other notes: Patsy and Eddie- more than best friends, rely on & need each other. Magazine editors- all similar to Patsy. Some appear very aristocratic. Main editor- very professional, smartly dressed, busy, taking what some would perceive as a male role. Patsy and Eddie try to get as much free stuff as they can from the building- demonstrates that although they behave like the others, they cant afford to live the lifestyle or dress the same. T.V show- Presenter is typical morning T.V presenter- dress, behaviour and style. Very awkward situation & patsy doesn't know what to do or say, and fails to appreciate the situation- national television. Keeping Up Appearances Hyacinth- Self obsessed, eccentric & extremist. Overpowering and controlling. She is embarrassed of her family except for her rich sister. Very Snobbish. Tries to show off to visitors and family/ friends. Obsessed with material goods & values as well as appearances. Centre of attention. Speaks freely & says what she thinks about others, unaware of others feelings. Richard- Does as he is told, also finds Hyacinth dominating and overpowering. Puts her before his job although it should be the other way round, he finds it difficult to say no to her. Highly sarcastic. Elizabeth- She does not like Hyacinth and is very nervous around her- does not want to do or say the wrong thing. Discusses Hyacinth with her Husband- make jokes and dislike her, particularly Emmet. Daisy- Poor appearance, obviously no money. Tries to do & say the right thing for Hyacinth, like Elizabeth, very nervous around her. Daisy's husband- Very poor appearance, unaware or not bothered. Dislikes Hyacinth. However is not that uncomfortable around her- tries to take biscuits from tin. Again, as with Richard, dry & sarcastic humour. Other Notes: more than gender issues- family & social as well. Hyacinth is centre of attention for all wrong reasons. Hyacinth and Richard have different values in life (far more material) to Daisy and her husband. Conclusion. I conclude that representation of gender is a major part of these two sitcoms. In absolutely fabulous, gender representation is used to make comical situations of women, but underneath, there is a moral and it is saying this is how women are and have ended up but that not all end up this way. It is showing the viewer how women can be, although this is a highly exaggerated situation, I'm sure many can relate to, or know somebody who relates to at least one of the characters in the show. It focus more on gender representation between family and close friends. However, Keeping Up Appearances focuses more on the gender representation and its comical values between relatives and neighbours from different social classes. Again, as with Ab Fab, it mostly features women and the comical features between them, and men play a smaller role.

Christianity vs. Buddhism

Gabriel Tajimaroa Donavan Ingram Eng 1A April 3 2010 Research Essay Christianity vs. Buddhism There are many religions and sacred texts that have shaped complete civilizations and cultures. They have varied in their theories of creation and how man should live and act towards each other and nature. The more I study religions and sacred text the more I see that for the most part they are alike. Most of them share a view of love and peace towards all things living. What varies between them are simply deities. It is these minor differences that cause their followers to completely abstract their sacred text to the point where they have completely deviated from their text and do the opposite of what their text commands. For example Christ lived a life of Love, forgiveness and the general acceptance of human beings (Bible, JOHN 8:2-11). Yet a â€Å"Christian† church was responsible for deaths of Muslim soldiers and Christian soldiers in the fun era known as the crusades (Black P. 200-202). In this essay I will compare and contrast Christianity and Buddhism. Christianity will take the definition of â€Å"Actions of the Christ† as seen in the Bible and The adopted laws of the Christ in the Bible. I will also define the difference between â€Å"Christianity† as adopted thru actions taken by a â€Å"Christian† church. Buddhism will be considered by Buddhist doctrine on how to carry one’s own life. After some consideration I have learned that the Christianity and Buddhism are more alike than they are different. I have learned that â€Å"Christianity† is nothing like the two. The peace and love taught by Christianity’s and Buddhism’s founders are so alike, that the two can be united in the sense that the rules of living can be considered the same. I will begin with Christ’s teachings and actions on how to live and act towards people. In my introduction I cited John 8:2-11. In this piece of John’s text, men bring to the Christ a woman that has been caught in the act of adultery. The men state that under Moses’ law the woman must be stoned to death. The Christ replied â€Å"Let the one of you who is sinless be the first to throw a stone at her. All the men that had heard him left one by one. Christ also let the woman go on her way telling her â€Å"Neither do I condemn you, go your way, from now on sin no more. † In this text it is brought to understand that no man is to may pass judgment on any other soul. Furthermore this shows Christianity’s forgiveness and Love to even those who have practiced wretched m oral crimes so long they recognize their faults. Buddhism’s likeness to men being absent from judgment over one another comes in the form of Karma. Yet Karma takes this idea further Buddhists understand karma as a natural law. There is no higher instance, no judgment, no divine intervention, and no gods that steer man's destiny, but only the law of karma itself, which works on a global time frame. Deeds yield consequences either in the next second, in the next hour, day, month, year, decade, or even in the next lifetime, or in another distant lifetime. -(The Big View) Karma gives to us the understanding that we are not bound by any judgment from any being nor may we pass judgment upon any being. The only judgment comes from ourselves and the natural law of the universe. It is by our own discretion that we know what is right and what is wrong. That we should not persecute any of those that do wrong but that we should rather act out of what is good in our hearts to promote Love, Peace. For if not we will suffer all of our bad deeds in this life or the next. It is because of this Buddhist view of Karma that Buddhists may not harm any sentient being animal or human. Any harm done to any sentient being will be returned to the original culprit in this life or the next. However Christianity is not completely absent to the idea that man should have respect for all things sentient. The Bible does express this idea in its own words I even I have said in my heart with the regard to the sons of mankind that the [true] God is going to select them, that they may see that they themselves are beasts. For there is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects the beast, and they have the same eventuality. As the one dies, so the other dies, and they have but one pirit, so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast, for everything is vanity. All are going to one place, they have all come from dust and they are all returning to dust. -(Bible ECC 3:18-20) The Christian Bible gives us the idea that we are all ONE Man and Beast. That it is impossible for one to harm the other without also harming themselves in the process. The resulting idea on how to live would be that we should respect all things living as we would res pect ourselves. A difference between Christianity and Buddhism is their Spiritual leader. One was Jesus the Christ and the other Gautama Buddha. They were two men who lived at different times, different places, and followed by a different ethnicity and culture as it continues today. As both religions believe in reincarnation it is impossible to say that they are not the same man reincarnated to serve as a Spiritual Leader for two peoples. â€Å"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. † -Mahatma Gandhi This is where the difference between â€Å"Christianity† as defined by Church religions and Christianity defined by teachings, actions of the Christ, and scripture take place. It is the difficulty of SOME â€Å"Christian’s† to accept religions that are not their own to be like their own. They ignore their own teachings and do not respect religions which are so like theirs. If you have trouble believing this walk into a â€Å"Christian† church and tell a follower that the Buddhist faith is like their own. Wait for a response. Furthermore, as I stated in my introduction â€Å"Christianity† as a Church religion is responsible for the Crusades. Its â€Å"Christians† are responsible for recent Child Molestations (Washington Post) and the Dark Ages. None of these actions fits with Christianity as the religion of Love and Peace taught by Christ. It is in my understanding that the two most important teachings of Christianity and Buddhism is that we must not pass judgment on others and that we must treat all beings with Love and respect. When we do this there will be no need for courts, police, armies, or weapons. The world will live in what was once called paradise. For when men follow these two simple ideas egardless of their origin the world will know peace. Works Cited The Bible, New World Translation Black, Christopher (2001). Early Modern Italy. Routledge. ISBN 0415214343. The Big View, Accessed: April 1st 2009 http://www. thebigview. com/buddhism/karma. html  ©2009 QuoteDB. com, Accessed: April 1st 2009 http://www. quotedb. com/quotes/1905  ©2009 The Washington Post Company, Accessed: April 1st 2009 http://news week. washingtonpost. com/onfaith/godingovernment/2009/03/sebelius_vs_archbishop_naumann. html? hpid=news-col-blog  ©2009 Christianity vs. Buddhism Gabriel Tajimaroa Donavan Ingram Eng 1A April 3 2010 Research Essay Christianity vs. Buddhism There are many religions and sacred texts that have shaped complete civilizations and cultures. They have varied in their theories of creation and how man should live and act towards each other and nature. The more I study religions and sacred text the more I see that for the most part they are alike. Most of them share a view of love and peace towards all things living. What varies between them are simply deities. It is these minor differences that cause their followers to completely abstract their sacred text to the point where they have completely deviated from their text and do the opposite of what their text commands. For example Christ lived a life of Love, forgiveness and the general acceptance of human beings (Bible, JOHN 8:2-11). Yet a â€Å"Christian† church was responsible for deaths of Muslim soldiers and Christian soldiers in the fun era known as the crusades (Black P. 200-202). In this essay I will compare and contrast Christianity and Buddhism. Christianity will take the definition of â€Å"Actions of the Christ† as seen in the Bible and The adopted laws of the Christ in the Bible. I will also define the difference between â€Å"Christianity† as adopted thru actions taken by a â€Å"Christian† church. Buddhism will be considered by Buddhist doctrine on how to carry one’s own life. After some consideration I have learned that the Christianity and Buddhism are more alike than they are different. I have learned that â€Å"Christianity† is nothing like the two. The peace and love taught by Christianity’s and Buddhism’s founders are so alike, that the two can be united in the sense that the rules of living can be considered the same. I will begin with Christ’s teachings and actions on how to live and act towards people. In my introduction I cited John 8:2-11. In this piece of John’s text, men bring to the Christ a woman that has been caught in the act of adultery. The men state that under Moses’ law the woman must be stoned to death. The Christ replied â€Å"Let the one of you who is sinless be the first to throw a stone at her. All the men that had heard him left one by one. Christ also let the woman go on her way telling her â€Å"Neither do I condemn you, go your way, from now on sin no more. † In this text it is brought to understand that no man is to may pass judgment on any other soul. Furthermore this shows Christianity’s forgiveness and Love to even those who have practiced wretched m oral crimes so long they recognize their faults. Buddhism’s likeness to men being absent from judgment over one another comes in the form of Karma. Yet Karma takes this idea further Buddhists understand karma as a natural law. There is no higher instance, no judgment, no divine intervention, and no gods that steer man's destiny, but only the law of karma itself, which works on a global time frame. Deeds yield consequences either in the next second, in the next hour, day, month, year, decade, or even in the next lifetime, or in another distant lifetime. -(The Big View) Karma gives to us the understanding that we are not bound by any judgment from any being nor may we pass judgment upon any being. The only judgment comes from ourselves and the natural law of the universe. It is by our own discretion that we know what is right and what is wrong. That we should not persecute any of those that do wrong but that we should rather act out of what is good in our hearts to promote Love, Peace. For if not we will suffer all of our bad deeds in this life or the next. It is because of this Buddhist view of Karma that Buddhists may not harm any sentient being animal or human. Any harm done to any sentient being will be returned to the original culprit in this life or the next. However Christianity is not completely absent to the idea that man should have respect for all things sentient. The Bible does express this idea in its own words I even I have said in my heart with the regard to the sons of mankind that the [true] God is going to select them, that they may see that they themselves are beasts. For there is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects the beast, and they have the same eventuality. As the one dies, so the other dies, and they have but one pirit, so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast, for everything is vanity. All are going to one place, they have all come from dust and they are all returning to dust. -(Bible ECC 3:18-20) The Christian Bible gives us the idea that we are all ONE Man and Beast. That it is impossible for one to harm the other without also harming themselves in the process. The resulting idea on how to live would be that we should respect all things living as we would res pect ourselves. A difference between Christianity and Buddhism is their Spiritual leader. One was Jesus the Christ and the other Gautama Buddha. They were two men who lived at different times, different places, and followed by a different ethnicity and culture as it continues today. As both religions believe in reincarnation it is impossible to say that they are not the same man reincarnated to serve as a Spiritual Leader for two peoples. â€Å"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. † -Mahatma Gandhi This is where the difference between â€Å"Christianity† as defined by Church religions and Christianity defined by teachings, actions of the Christ, and scripture take place. It is the difficulty of SOME â€Å"Christian’s† to accept religions that are not their own to be like their own. They ignore their own teachings and do not respect religions which are so like theirs. If you have trouble believing this walk into a â€Å"Christian† church and tell a follower that the Buddhist faith is like their own. Wait for a response. Furthermore, as I stated in my introduction â€Å"Christianity† as a Church religion is responsible for the Crusades. Its â€Å"Christians† are responsible for recent Child Molestations (Washington Post) and the Dark Ages. None of these actions fits with Christianity as the religion of Love and Peace taught by Christ. It is in my understanding that the two most important teachings of Christianity and Buddhism is that we must not pass judgment on others and that we must treat all beings with Love and respect. When we do this there will be no need for courts, police, armies, or weapons. The world will live in what was once called paradise. For when men follow these two simple ideas egardless of their origin the world will know peace. Works Cited The Bible, New World Translation Black, Christopher (2001). Early Modern Italy. Routledge. ISBN 0415214343. The Big View, Accessed: April 1st 2009 http://www. thebigview. com/buddhism/karma. html  ©2009 QuoteDB. com, Accessed: April 1st 2009 http://www. quotedb. com/quotes/1905  ©2009 The Washington Post Company, Accessed: April 1st 2009 http://news week. washingtonpost. com/onfaith/godingovernment/2009/03/sebelius_vs_archbishop_naumann. html? hpid=news-col-blog  ©2009