Roman Catholicism In Brazil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Roman Catholicism In Brazil - Essay Example the impact of the next aspect of the Brazilian religious marketplace to be considered: the Catholic church’s declining power and influence relative to other traditions. (p. 245) The erosion of Roman Catholicism’s longstanding dominant status in Brazil’s religious marketplace over recent decades is most evident in the dwindling of the Catholic rank and file. For instance, census data showed that from the 1970s up to the present, the Catholics’ share of the population was dipping in contrast to the steady rise of the Protestant percentage. The most reliable estimates place the Catholic population in the country to have dropped to a staggering 75%. (Smith and Prokopy, p. 246) This decrease seem to reflect that which some called as a veritable internal diaspora in which Catholics by the thousands have switched their primary allegiance to evangelical Protestantism, Pentecostalism, Umbanda, Afro-Brazilian traditions of Kardecism. Also, this has encouraged what came to be known as privatized type of Catholicism, wherein the faithful, instead of strictly adhering to church teachings, continued to have only irregular contact with the priests bec ause of their shortage. There are some critics who view this sea of change in the Brazilian religious economy was the Catholic hierarchy’s shift to a more tolerant stance regarding religious pluralism. One should remember that that during the preconciliar period, Afro-Brazilian traditions and Umbanda were systematically denounced by the press, often at the instigation of the Catholic hierarchy. Whether there are some valid issues in regard to the exodus of some Catholics towards other denominations or not, the fact remains that Brazilians have a deep sense of religiosity. In this regard, we go back to how popular Catholic traditions are hardly episodic, fortunately they are also not routinized. (Reily 2002, p. 213) Furthermore, while popular Catholicism stands in opposition to the centralized official church, it is

Brainwashing Our Future Essay Example for Free

Brainwashing Our Future Essay Around the globe today, the belief that a perfect body existing is at an all-time high. With airbrushing being used on practically every photo of actors/actresses/models, young adults get the false sense that they have to be a specific way to be prefect or normal even. It’s unjust that airbrushing photos leads these young adults to hate on themselves or on others for not being something that, in all reality, isn’t even real. Airbrushed photos of modern idols case teenagers to participate in unhealthy eating disorders, to bully fellow peers, and to obtain emotional problems that will stay with them for a lifetime. With airbrushing of photos also comes the unhealthy practice of eating disorders in young adult, especially young women, to fulfill the belief that doing so will result in having â€Å"matched up to their beauty and perfection† (Petten Van). Disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating have become most commonly found in the adolescent population because of these photos. In general, teen girls grow up seeing airbrushed photos which cause the desire to be â€Å"perfect†, later resulting in eating disorders. 42% of 1st to 3rd grade girls want to be thinner and 86% females report onset of eating disorder by age 20; 43% report onset between ages 16 and 20 (â€Å"Eating Disorder Statistics†). As a result, death rate of young adults has increased immensely and continues to surrender the hope of ever ending the cycle of teen disorders. Generally, as the number of adolescents who attain an eating disorder increases, so does the number of deaths to the teen populatio n. Airbrushing also contributes to bullying. Young adults are given the idea that one has to be a specific way in order to be accepted, so as a rule, teenagers bully one another out of jealousy or belief that all should fit what is seen as the norm due to airbrushing. But in return, there is the â€Å"5% of Americans that naturally possess the body type portrayed in magazine images† (â€Å"Eating Disorder Statistics†). That 5% is also bullied by those brainwashed by society to see it as the standard form. It makes sense that â€Å"a healthy girl does not have a solid sense of who she is and can be very susceptible to thinking one should look like the models, even though the model is airbrushed and really only a fantasy† (Cooper). Demi Lovato, a young teen pop star, has â€Å"openly aired her troubles† many times, describing the effects eating disorders and bullying that resulted from social media, like airbrushed photos, had on her life (LaPort). Bullying is the result of teens not having many idols that are raw and â€Å"going through what many of them are† (LaPort). Summing up the overall affect airbrushing has on adolescents comes down to these: emotional predicaments that can stay on one’s heart and mind until the very last breath. As a victim of bullying, my cousin Morgan shared her thoughts and feelings on her experiences. â€Å"The things they said were so harsh†¦unforgettable,† she whispered. â€Å"Every day I look at myself and repeat those words, even though I physically know they aren’t true.† She is one of â€Å"160,000 children who miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students† (â€Å"Make Beats Not Beat Downs: Facts and Statistics†). Bullying and eating disorders do not have short term effects, and can affect even the most confident person on the planet. These long term emotional situations are hurting the young minds of society and it all comes back to the pointless use of airbrushing. Some believe airbrushing is â€Å"just and image†¦a fantasy if you will†, regardless of the effect it has on adolescents (Cooper). Which is true, but teenagers are at the point of learning who they are and look to these photos of their idols to help decide, or figure out, who exactly is it that they see themselves being as adults. Others believe that airbrushing protects the eyes of younger minds from inappropriate matters like tattoos, thongs, or smoking. In response, the sooner one learns what the real world has to offer, bad and good, the sooner one realizes that everything isn’t perfect and can make decisions based on actual matters. Parents cannot protect children from the ideas of society surrounding them no matter how much they try. Would one rather children learn by looking at something everywhere around them or by hearing it from a mind not brainwashed by the wrong doings? The governments that allow the use of airbrushing on models and actors could easily pass a law to ban the deceptive practice of airbrushing. But the government won’t act unless the citizens act upon it first. By celebrities themselves opposing the act of an artist reconstructing their photos, and sewing them if done regardless, soon enough there won’t be any airbrushed photos to be released to the public. Previous victims of eating disorders or bullying should take a stand and tell the government, and its people, just how badly these photos affect the generations of society today. If not stopped now, then when will airbrushing ever come to an end? It’s time to end it and stop brainwashing our future. Works Cited A) Catapano, Rosanna. ANAD (The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) n.p. n.d. Web. 22 March 2013. B) Diller, Vivian. â€Å"Is Photoshop Destroying America’s Body Image.† Huffpost Post. N.p. n.d. Web. 22 March 2013. C) Petten Van, Vanessa. â€Å"Photoshop: The Effect On Teen Girls and Why It Needs to be Banned.† Radical Parenting. n.p. n.d. Web. 22 March 2013.

The Northern Lights Essay -- Plays Literature Shakespeare Papers

The Northern Lights I hardly see how one can begin to consider Shakespeare without finding some way to account for his pervasive presence in the most unlikely contexts: here, there, and everywhere at once. He is a system of northern lights, an aurora borealis visible where most of us will never go. Libraries and playhouses (and cinemas) cannot contain him; he has become a spirit or "spell of light," almost too vast to apprehend. Harold Bloom, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human I don’t expect this short paper to reach the northern lights. I don’t think my mind can travel that far, and a plane ticket is probably too expensive. After three months of study, Shakespeare has exhausted me. I realize many scholars spend their whole lives in libraries trying to reach the elusive bard. I’m either out of shape or lazy. I have learned one thing this quarter. I don’t have to travel to the northern lights to find Shakespeare. I discovered him one day in a play, within a small scene, as a character, in an illusion. This quarter I had the opportunity to perform Edgar in a small production of King Lear. I truly believe Edgar is the embodiment of Shakespeare. I just had to perform him to figure it out. Now, I must confess; I haven’t read every Shakespeare play twice, so I don’t know if other characters fit the mold better than Edgar. Also, I assure you I’m not losing my mind as I write this. I feel quite healthy. I just had o ne of those most rare visions. Fortunately, I didn’t have to be an ass to have this dream. On the Dover cliffs, under the hot sun, with a director screaming action, and a camera pointing towards me, I found Shakespeare. This quarter I had the opportunity to experience Shakespeare everywhere at once. I read fo... ... more and more I read. He is the great magician to me, the playwright with his bag of tricks. I saw theater in his illusions. I learned this quarter you don’t have to travel to the ends of the earth to find Shakespeare. "How fearful and dizzy ‘tis to cast one’s eyes so low!" Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998. Goldberg, Jonathan. "Perspectives: Dover Cliff and the Condition of Representation." King Lear, William Shakespeare. Ed. Kiernan Ryan. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992. Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Pocket Books, 1993. Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ed. Wolfgang Clemen. New York: Signet Classic, 1998. Shakespeare, William. Complete Sonnets. Ed. Stanley Appelbaum. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1991.

A Life Worth Fighting for

A Life worth Fighting For There are many babies that are born early; many mothers do everything they can to stay pregnant until at least 27 weeks. There are just some things that can't be stopped. There are many families that rely on insurance companies to help out with that cost, but more and more insurance companies are trying to or are turning down premature babies that are born before 27 weeks. Should insurance companies be able to turn down a premature baby because of the risk of being sued? Many hospitals even have doctors that will not help the baby if the insurance will not help out.Many mothers cannot control when they have a baby. There are many hospitals that even tell the mothers that she is fine and that she is just having Braxton Hicks, but in all honestly she is having actual contractions. There are Terbutaline shots that doctors could use to help stop the contractions if they would actually listen to women. There are also different procedures that can be done to stop from someone’s water breaking. There are more and more insurance companies, especially private companies that are trying to turn down babies that are born before 27 weeks.Private insurance companies sometimes have lower deductibles, but there are a lot of things that they are trying to leave out so they do not have to cover. Companies think that preemies before 27 weeks are a liability and if they helped cover the charges and the baby did not make it that the family would go after them and put them out of business. Sadly many companies are finding that either way they can get sued. There are insurance companies that are turning down preemies; making it so the child does not have a fighting chance at life. With insurance companies turning down preemies, the companies should help pay for abortions.The companies are pretty much stating they rather a fetus not have a chance than to try and help pay for a preemie or a child with a down syndrome. There are some states like Oregon a nd Arizona (Abortion Facts) that have abortion laws that are banning abortion, if a state is going to ban abortion than they should make all the insurance companies that are used in that state cover an infant no matter what. Many insurance companies especially private ones are at a higher liability with covering a child born before 27 weeks. There are some many risks that insurance companies could be faced with.For a premature baby to stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for even two days the hospital bill would range from $25,000 to a $100,000. Many insurance companies don't see any type of outcome from that. They think that a family with a low deductable should have to pay more each month for insurance if the family expects them to pay that much for their child. There are also many â€Å"big named† companies that think spending that much on a baby is ridiculous. Yes, to someone that child may be their only child or only chance at having a baby. Insurance companie s look at the long run.Either the deductable is going to go up or the monthly payment is going to go up. Why should we have insurance companies if they are going to have the option of what they cover when the situation arrives? There have been insurance companies that have been sued for babies that do not make it because they were limited the help and the medication the baby was receiving. On the other hand, there are also insurance companies that are getting sued due to turning down a baby and the baby surviving. Many insurance companies if they cover having a baby that early will only support or help pay for certain things.There are a lot of tests like Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (Premature Infant) that the child needs done and insurance companies refuse to pay for but if the child doesn't have the tests done than the doctors don't know what exactly they need to do to help the baby live. Therefore, there are many babies that do not make it due to an insurance company tu rning down certain things. There have also been many insurance companies that have been sued for turning down helping a family and the child makes it. It is neglect on the insurances part for not giving the chance they deserve.There are quite a few doctors (Smith) (Graham) that refuse to help babies that early because of insurance companies, but there are also doctors that believe a child that early does not have a chance. In 2008 Sara Capewell gave birth to a little boy that the doctors had refused to help or send to the NICU because she was at high risk of having a premature baby and they had told her not to have any more children. (Smith) So the insurance companies are part of the reason infants do not receive proper care, and there are insurance companies get â€Å"lucky† because the doctor refuses to help the family out.There are doctors out there that are only in the profession for the money. They don't care if they are saving a life or not they just want the â€Å"big † paychecks every two weeks. They think that if an insurance company isn't going to help pay for the care of a baby that early than the hospital won't get the money making so they don't get paid. So they turn down families that have no control over the situation. Many mothers are sent home to have the baby so they can have their time with the baby when the infant doesn't make it.How unfair is that to not even give a child a chance because they are worried about not getting paid. Well insurance companies think that they are â€Å"lucky† for there being doctors like that. It makes the hospital look bad not the insurance companies. Every child should have a chance to live. If insurance companies are not going to help a family or mother give that child a chance at life then the insurance company should really look into assisting with birth control and abortion fees. Every child has the right to fight for their life and an insurance company should be there to help no matter what the case is.Works Cited Allen, Vanessa. â€Å"‘Doctors Told Me It Was against the Rules to save My Premature Baby'† Mail Online. 10 Sept. 2009. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Facts About Abortion: State Abortion Laws (U. S. ). † Abort73. com / Abortion Unfiltered. 10 June 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Premature Infant: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. † U. S National Library of Medicine. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. . Smith, Graham. â€Å"England's Healthcare System Allows Premature Babies to Die. † Godlike Productions. 08 Sept. 2009. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. .

The History of Chocolate

Chocolate is one of the oldest treats enjoyed by many people. By a show of hands, how many people love chocolate? I have loved chocolate ever since I was a little girl. I have enjoyed the different tastes, textures, and styles of it. Chocolate has been one of the oldest treats enjoyed by many people. I want to share with you the history of chocolate, types of chocolate, and some benefits from eating chocolate. Let’s start with the History of Chocolate! Chocolate's history started over 2,000 years ago. It began in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America from the seed of the cacao tree. This small tree grows best in the tropical atmosphere because it receives the best amount of rain, shade, humidity, wind, and nutrients. According to Susan J. Terrio, the author of Crafting the Culture and History of French Chocolate, the first people known to have made chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America. These people, including the Maya and Aztec, mixed ground cacao seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink. This was the very first way that chocolate was consumed. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, they brought the cacao seeds back home to Spain. 1. The chocolate drink was very popular in Spain. It then spread to Europe where new technologies and innovations changed the texture and taste of chocolate. 2. By the mid-1700s, the blossoming Industrial Revolution saw the emergence of innovations that changed the future of chocolate.

Essay on The American Ideology

Essay on The American Ideology Essay on The American Ideology Essay on The American IdeologyAmerican ideology can be influenced by the media to allow a secret government to operate outside of the democratic principles of the United States. G. William Domhoff ideas about opinion-shaping networks give explanation to the impact of the media on public opinion. According to Domhoff, â€Å"structural economic power and control of the two parties, along with the elaboration of an opinion shaping network, results in a polity where there is little or no organized public opinion independent of the limits set by debates within the power elite itself† (p. 200). Domhoff argues that various tools of public opinion formation contribute to the network propaganda. In other words, the media and the government play a crucial role in the formation of public opinion and social order.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Bill Moyers’ documentary The Secret Government The Constitution In Crisis (1987), the secret government is defined as â₠¬Å"an interlocking network of official functionaries, spies, mercenaries, ex-generals, profiteers and super-patriots, who for a variety of motives operate outside the legitimate institutions of government.† Bill Moyers is a talented American journalist, a recognized public commentator who has always been interested in the functioning of the secret government. The secret government is used to assist Presidents in case they lack support of the Congress and citizens. One of the segments of the Moyer clip is a 20 minute segment, which tells about the inner functioning of the secret government, about its successes and failures.   This segment from Moyer’s documentary is very important for understanding of today’s political situation and the role of the secret government. The interviews with outstanding military and intelligence officers, as well as government insiders highlight the key secret objectives of powerful specialized groups that work for the U.S. governmen t. For example, Admiral Gene La Rocque tells about the National Security Act of 1947, which gave Americans the nation’s security. Bill Moyers argues that the CIA has become the major organ of the new secret government. The major goal of this institution has always been to gather foreign intelligence for the U.S. to maintain the leading position at the global level. Besides, covert operations organized by the secret government contributed to the U.S. power.I believe that the secret government violates democracy and the principles of â€Å"Americanism.†Ã‚   Moyer’s documentary The Secret Government The Constitution In Crisis demonstrates that the U.S. government has always been focused on secret operations. Moyer states that â€Å"the secret bank accounts†, â€Å"the shady characters† and other secret elements were aimed at protecting the United States from all types of threats. However, it becomes clear that the secret government has never followed the major democratic principles.   The Economist provides an article, which criticizes the U.S. attitude toward democracy, highlighting democracy-suppression. It has been found that â€Å"the real, secret rules† govern American life (America against democracy, 2013).Thus, the secret government has a strong impact on American ideology through the media, which allow the secret government agents to operate outside of the democratic principles of the United States. American ideology is based on the U.S. Constitution and human rights. However, the secret government operates in its own way, ignoring the established democratic principles in order to maintain the U.S power worldwide.

Simpsons Essays - Television, Series, Entertainment, Free Essays

Simpsons Essays - Television, Series, Entertainment, Free Essays Simpsons Who watches The Simpsons? Composition and Rhetoric For this assignment I watched the show The Simpsons, which comes on the Fox network on Sunday nights at eight. The show is about an animated nuclear family and their everyday lives. The Simpsons targets the middle class families that live in the suburbs of America. The show mainly appeals to families that composed of parents who work at blue-collar jobs and have children, between the ages of 10-18. You can tell this from the commercials, how The Simpsons life style is portrayed and the jokes contained in the show. The commercials seen along side the Simpsons apply to the middle class family. These commercials are meant for both the adults and the children who watch the Simpsons. One such commercial is for Toys R Us. The commercial shows a mom and dad taking their son to the local Toys R Us. Inside the store we get shots of the newest toys to appeal to the kids who are watching the commercial. The commercial then states that it has the most toys for the lowest price. This statement is meant to appeal to the parents who have a low income and can only buy toys that are inexpensive. Among other commercials that are viewed during The Simpsons are family vacation advertisements. One such one is of a family going to Disney world. The commercials states that Disney world has everything for everyone in the family. The advertisement shows the Dad playing golf, which is meant to appeal to the dads who watch the Simpsons. The commercial also shows the mom buying something at the gift shop, which is meant to appeal to the moms who watch the show. And finally the commercial shows the children going on the rides, which is meant to appeal to the kids who watch the show. Another commercial seen with The Simpsons is a commercial for a mini van. In this commercial the mini van is compared to a standard two-door car. The commercial asks, How are you going to fit your family in that two-door car? This commercial is meant to appeal to people who have a large family that needs all that extra space only a mini van can provide. Also the min van comes equipped with a small T.V, and shows kids watching it. This is meant to appeal to children who now instead of just sitting there can watch TV on long trips. All these commercials deal with families. So that means that the television channel is trying to advertise to families who watch The Simpsons. Also the Simpsons mirrors the lifestyle of the people who are watching the show. The show always deals with middle class situations that the viewers can relate to. The family in the show consists of a middle class family with two parents and three kids. Both of the parents graduated from high school and that is the extent of their education. The dad holds a job at the local nuclear power plant. His wife is a housewife and the two kids attend public elementary school. Many of the problems seen in The Simpsons are similar to those, which occur to middle class suburban families. This would appeal to middle class families because they can identify with problems facing The Simpsons. In one episode Bart the eldest son has problems with school bully. He gets into a fight and is beaten up. Later his parents find out about his problem. His mom tells him to tell on the bully while his dad tells him to fight back and shows him how to fight. The parents watching can really relate to The Simpsons. They have dealt with similar situations with their own kids being bulled or getting into fights. While the kids who watch The Simpsons can identify with Bart and his problems with the bully. One other episode The Simpsons had to move because Homer lost his job at the nuclear power plant and showed how the family had to readjust to living in a new town. The episode showed how both the parents and children had to meet new people. Middle class families can understand the frustration that comes along with moving to