Ancient Egyptian Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ancient Egyptian Religion - Essay Example During ancient history of Egypt, most religious practices centered on the pharaoh, who used to be the king of Egypt. This pharaoh was believed by ordinary Egyptians to be descended from the gods, as Egyptians, during this old time in history, believed in many deities, not just one God. In that sense, the pharaoh acted as the intermediary person between people and the gods. Another important aspect of the ancient Egyptian religion was the sincere belief in the afterlife and this belief shaped their funerary practices. As such, ancient Egyptians made great efforts to ensure the survival of their bodies and souls after death, providing tombs, grave goods, and offerings to preserve the bodies and spirits of the deceased. After believing in a number of deities for long periods of time, a new religious trend started to emerge, depending on monotheism and belief in one God. The birth of Moses represented the climax of this religious trend in old Egypt. Moses lived during the 13th or the 14t h century B.C. The story of the name as mentioned in the second chapter of the Exodus answers the question. The story says that the Egyptian princess who saved the child from the Nile gave him his name: â€Å"because I picked him up from the water†, so he will be called Moshe. But it is obvious that this is not the appropriate explanation (Freud, "Translation and study by Dr. Abdel Moniem El Hefny". 1991, 26) In another version of the story, an author says in Jadishness Lexicon magazine the interpretation of the name in the Torah is â€Å"the one who was picked up from the water† (the name of Moshe only means â€Å"the one who was picked up†). This opinion may be supported by two other arguments; the first one is that it is absurd to say that an Egyptian princess knows the Hebrew language, and the second one is that it is most probable that the water from which the child was picked up is not the Nile ("A History of Christianity in Egypt"). Many people suggested a long time ago that Moses’ name is derived from the Egyptian language because of a newly published book written by the chronicler Peristide, â€Å"Egypt’s history†: â€Å"It is important to notice that the name of Moses is an Egyptian name. It is not other than the word mose that means â€Å"a child†, which is an abbreviation of the compound name, for example â€Å"Amon Mose† that means â€Å"the child Amon† or â€Å"Betah Mose† that means â€Å"the child Betah†. But this divine name has been gradually omitted by use, and was limited to the boy’s name of Moses. However, when Peristide mentioned unrelated names, he reviewed the list of the names of the Egyptian kings which are similar in terms of the religious connotations, for example â€Å"Ah-Moses† (Ahmos), â€Å"Tut-Moses† (Tuhutmos) and â€Å"Ra-Moses† (Ramses). (Soliman, 1988, 25) Many authors who discovered that the name Moses is an Egyptian name, to conclude that the one who bears an Egyptian name must be Egyptian himself, or at least to say that this is possible (Freud, "Translation and study by Dr. Abdel Moniem El Hefny", 1991, 26). The first family where he was born is usually a special family according to legends. But it is here a very modest Jewish family. And the second family where the child was raised is, as usual, a modest one. But here, it is the Egyptian royal house as the princess has raised him by her side. This discrepancy from the traditional type of legends seemed really odd to many researchers, to the extent that Eduardo Myer and others said that the original form of the legend was different; as Pharaoh had a dream warning him of his grandson who will be dangerous to him and to his kingdom. Therefore, this resulted into delivering the child to the Nile waters

I want to get married, Ghad Abdel Aal Assignment

I want to get married, Ghad Abdel Aal - Assignment Example in Egypt, a country that has over 3 million spinsters over the age of the 35, 25% of marriages ending up in divorce within a year and 50% of men between the youthful and economically active age of 25-29 are unmarried. Ghada strives to obtain a â€Å"Mr. Right† that will be accepted by the parents, but fails to secure one despite attending numerous living room meetings arranged by friends and family. Young men are failing to rise to the expectations of their parents and girls experience the stiffest challenge when time comes for them to be married. While some might perceive Ghada to be debauched and the foulest example of single ladies, she in fact portrays the exasperating, interesting, amusing and lousy world of dating, aspects that can be attributed to the new millennium. Moreover, Ghada reveals the overwrought gender relations predominant not only in Egypt but also in many developing countries. While intermarriages seemed to popup in the story, it is something that a good portion of the contemporary society is yet to embrace and give the modern woman more freedom to determine her fate. Disparagingly, parents have failed in guiding their children in the growth and development process, a factor that has increase the challenges being experienced by young people of Ghada’s age and this challenges the existence of families and social

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example A reasonable attempt is made by the print advertisement designer in order to communicate the message of the cheesy filled Cheezels crisps. Therefore, the advertisement successfully transfers the message across to the target audience. The use of objects such as a mouse trap and a Cheezels ring in place of a cheese illustrates the â€Å"Made with Real Cheese† commanding text and emphasizes the presence of real cheese as an ingredient to give an authentic cheesy taste. Furthermore, the use of colors and the focus of the image on the mouse trap and cheese with the rest of the image slightly blurred makes a stress on the cheese. The mouse trap with a cheese displays that the Cheezels ring is just like real cheese so that even a mouse can be trapped by using a Cheezels ring instead of real cheese. The mouse will be caught after it mistakes the Cheezels ring for real cheese. The background is made slightly fuzzy so as to keep the concentration and focus of the viewer on the mouse tra p and the cheese and the background objects are largely irrelevant to the whole idea of making the viewer feel the cheesy craving in his or her mouth and go purchase a bag of Cheezels. An attempt has been made to appeal to the pathos through the idea of a mouse getting killed as it mistakes the Cheezels ring for real cheese. ... The focus and positioning of the camera is done such that it enables the viewer to view the floor of the house with a wall behind that has a subtle and soothing color. The floor is where the mouse trap fixed with a Cheezels ring is placed. The single sofa at the back also demonstrates a laid-back atmosphere. The idea is that the owner of the house is in a relaxed environment where he has placed a Cheezels ring on the mouse trap in order to capture the mouse. The whole setting of the background including all its objects such as the sofa, floor, wall, mouse trap and most importantly the Cheezels ring creates a homely environment. However, no attempt is made at a logical level to prove the credibility of the â€Å"Made with Real Cheese† idea. That is, no facts or figures such as the nutritional information of the ingredients have been given to prove the cheesy flavor. The use of the images and objects particularly the mouse trap and Cheezels ring have been used as a tool to manip ulate the minds so that the viewers perceive sensory feelings that stimulate the taste center of the brain. So, the attempt has been made to persuade by stimulating their sense of taste so that its audience feels hungry and inevitably feels the urge to go buy a bag of Cheezels. Clearly, the focus is on the emotional side of human beings where the hunger provoking image of the cheesy Cheezels ring causes the viewer to develop a craving for the product. The meticulous selection of the image along with the arrangement of a tag which mentions the brand name and the slogan â€Å"Made with Real Cheese† under a bar code adds on to the creative print advertisement. The fact that the tag was positioned at the top right with the appropriate use of colors to make

Explain the principle psychological perspective Essay Example for Free

Explain the principle psychological perspective Essay Behaviourist A perspective means a way of seeing things. Behaviourist is the first approach in this criterion. Behaviourist is the study of human minds, they study behaviour. The behaviourist sees the brain as a black box, this is because as they study animals it is easy to experiment, and they think that humans and animals are similar. The behaviourist wanted to become scientist, which is why they carried out the experiment. Although JB Watson (1887) was the founder of this theorist he studied the work of Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936). Pavlov did an experiment once on a dog. The dog salivated every time Pavlov came to the lab with the food. The dog then started associating the time, the bell and the brown coat. This kind of association is called classic conditioning. JB Watson also once experimented on a little boy called Albert. JB Watson taught Albert to have fear of the rats. Albert had a white fluffy rabbit. One day a white rat came pass Albert, but Albert did not seem to be frightened. JB Watson stood behind Albert’s back with metals. Every time the rat went pass JB banged the metals and Albert was startled, JB did this couple of times until Albert was scared of the rat, however Albert was not only scared of the white rat, it was also scared of his white fluffy rabbit as them to animals has the same colour. BF Skinner was also another behaviourist theorist, he did an experiment on a rat in a cage, he put some food on the food pallet for the rat, the rat accidently put its foot on the lever and food cam e out. So the rat did this few time and knew that if the rat puts the foot on the lever food would come out, this type of experiment was positive reinforcement. On the opposite Skinner experimented on the negative reinforcement. Skinner investigated this by giving the rat a small electric shock whenever it pressed the lever. The consequence of lever pressing was experienced as unpleasant, so the rat learnt to stop pressing the lever. Psycho dynamic Freud ( 1856-1939) and Erikson(1902-194) are two men who came up with the psycho dynamic theory. Freud said that we humans are like animals driven by basic biological natures. He came up with the psyche idea. He said that the psyche idea had three stages, ID means the basic animal instinct, for example, eating sleeping and reproducing, SUPER EGO means morality and EGO means reality and logic. It is said that Freud was the earliest thinkers to bring public attention the idea that us humans are not always aware of some aspects in our lives. He believed that we lock up memories that we do not want to remember or feeling that we do not want to expose somewhere in our brains. He referred consciousness to a tip of an iceberg. He referred pre consciousness at the middle of the ice berg and he also referred unconsciousness as at the bottom of the iceberg. He also came up with defence mechanisms. He knew that when people do not want to remember things, they want to deny it. This mechanism has five stages. Denial is when a person reject the thought or feeling, repression is when we push down the bad memories to the unconsciousness however it could leak at some points. Projection is when a person pushes the social unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else. Rationalisation means making excuses and lastly sublimation is putting all the energies onto something else. Freud also came up with the early experience; he came up with this idea which has five stages. Oral means mouth, anal means anus, phallic is a Latin word for penis, latent which means resting and genital which means private parts. Erikson agrees with Freud however he thought that this continues throughout our life time and were essentially social in nature. Social Learning Theory The theorist of social learning theory is bandura. He is said to be sympathetic towards behaviourist. Although bandura does not criticize, he tells the behaviourist to build up to it. Bandura agrees with the positive reinforcement. Albert bandura said that leaning takes place in social situations, such as in the family or with friends and other people. How Skinner came up with positive reinforcement, Albert came up with vicarious reinforcement, this means when people observe and get affected. For example, Barbara is good to her mother and the father praises her, her sister is observing it but she gets affected by how she is getting treated by her parents, Barbara’s sister was vicariously reinforced. The other idea bandura came up with was role model and modelling. The people we learn from are our role model but the process of imitating the person is called modelling. Modelling has five stages, attention, which is when a person is attracted to a celebrity or a person they reall y like. Retention is when the person is keeping the likeness inside them, reproduction is when he person copies the behaviour, motivation is when the person is tempted to do what the celebrity does and lastly self efficacy is when the person is confident in one area. It is said that we do not imitate all behaviour we observe and remember. Humanistic This approach has been found by two theorist called Carl Rogers (1902-1987) and Abraham Maslow. Carl Rogers (1902-1087) theory is based on clinic and it is also based on the years he has been dealing with different clients with different problems. Rogers sees people as good and he thinks that â€Å"good mental health is a natural progression of human development†. This quote shows that he is stating that human being instinctively know what is bad and what is not. Rogers came up with an idea of an actualisation theory. This is the natural motivation that every human being has. For example, we as human beings try to do very risky things, such as flying to the moon. Some of our hobbies is to create music and paint pictures, we do all because we want to be the best we can, achieve and become successful in the future. He also came up with the idea of unconditional positive regard; he said that this is when people like you, because of who you are regardless of your performances and conformity. The opposite of this is conditional positive regard, which simply explains when someone likes you if their expectations are fulfilled. In other words, Rogers believed that some of the people feel wanted and belonged when they fulfilled other people’s expectations and that is when they develop conditional self regard. Cognitive Approach Cognitive approach is found by three theorist, Jean Piaget, Kelly and beck/Ellis. With the invention of computers and other aids brain activities was like the operation of a computer. Loads of researches have been devoted to understand the process of cognitive, such as attention, memory information processing and problem solving. Jean Piaget came up with an idea related to how people develop throughout their lives. He came to a conclusion that cognition develops through a series of stages. There are four stages that Piaget has mentioned in the theory. The first stage is called the sensory motor, it means that babies from 0 to 2 are experiencing through motor and the sense. stage 2 is the pre operational, this is when children from 2 to 7 develop languages along with the memory, stage 3 is the concrete operational which means that the child can now understand conservations but cannot solve problems yet. The last stage is the formal stage, this is when the children can abstract thought s and present problems of their own and other people. Biological Approach The theorist of this theory is called Arnold Gessel (1880-1961), Gessel came up with the idea is that people are born with a set of genes and the genes carries different personalities, so the theorist is stating that behaviour does not to do with environment and what can of people you socialise with but it is to do with the genes the person is born with. This is quite different to the humanistic approach where the effectiveness of nurture is paramount. Gessel believes that as the baby is being formed in the womb of the mother, for example, the heart being first to form. As the child develops the genes allows to flower over the person. The theorist came up with the genetic influences on behaviour idea. He thinks that genes effect behaviour in many ways, some illnesses such as Huntingdons disease is caused by the genes caused by the parents genes or the genes from the family. This disorder will change the person’s behaviour, for example, they will speak in appropriately and they will become aggressive.

Rene Descartes Meditations Critique

Rene Descartes Meditations Critique The flow of this paper will primarily be a series of inquiries on Rene Descartes methodic doubt as a philosophical method which has become the foundation of his metaphysics. In other words, this paper will point out several inconsistencies in Rene Descartes deductive process starting from its roots up to the conclusions he arrived at. In the Rene Descartes Meditations of First Philosophy, he expounded the epistemological problems surrounding the scholastic tradition. He furthers his argument that human knowledge is relying too much on traditional doctrines, which he said is based on unproven presuppositions. This gave way to the birth of a dilemma between what is certain knowledge and what is unwarranted belief. This mind set of Descartes led him to develop a method by which he can deduce what is true from a single fundamental principle This is Rene Descartes Universal Methodic Doubt. He started by stating that in order for us to seek for truth, it was necessary, at least once in the course of our lives, to doubt, as far as possible, of all things. He said that in the course of ones life, many prejudices have been accepted as true, that in turn deviate us from knowing certain truth. He also stated that we ought to consider as absolutely false all that is doubtful. He then went on to discuss why we should doubt our senses. He stated that it is common knowledge that our sense is not infallible, our senses are subject to error, and thus it would be imprudent to put our trust onto something that deceives us on a regular basis. He further argued that we cannot really acquire certainty on what is real when in fact we experience the same stimulations whether we are asleep and dreaming, or awake. The next subject of Descartes universal methodic doubt is mathematical demonstrations. He argued that there was no guarantee about the certainty of such mathematical demonstrations because of mans fallibility. He said that there was no way to be sure that we are not deceived by a God who made it appear to us that things exists but in truth are non-existent. He even went on to assume that God does not exist for the sake of argument, in which he replied that a lesser cause of his being will likewise mean that there will be a greater reason for us to believe that we could be continuously be deceived. Finally Descartes concluded that we cannot doubt our existence while we ourselves are, in fact, doubting. He stated that we cannot suppose that we are not while we doubt because we cannot possibly conceive that what thinks does not exist at the very moment when it thinks. This is how Descartes arrived at the single fundamental principle that he was seeking in order to deduce other forms of truth Cogito, ergo sum! At this point Rene Descartes encountered a problem in his line of thought. He cannot rely on the truth of his existence when it is based on the trustworthiness of his reasoning because his reasoning ability is also subject to the very method he created the universal methodic doubt. This is when he demonstrated the existence of an infinitely perfect being, who gave man faculties which are trustworthy and capable of discovering truth. His ontological argument about Gods existence is as follows. He stated that we have the idea of God as an infinitely perfect being in our mind. And it is necessary for an infinitely perfect being to exist; otherwise it is not an infinitely perfect being. He also tried to prove Gods existence by means of causality. He, once again, began with the premise that we have the idea of an infinitely perfect God, and since the idea represents an infinitely perfect being, we being finite, cannot have been able to produce such an idea using our limited faculties. This idea being beyond our limited capacities can only originate from a being that possess infinite perfection. After examining Descartes metaphysics from its roots up to its conclusions, this paper will pose various inquiries regarding the inconsistencies of Rene Descartes method. Rene Descartes began his inquiry by doubting all form of knowledge without exception, he even went further as to deem things with the slightest possibility of doubt as absolutely false. Using Descartes very own method, what makes the idea of an infinitely perfect God true? And if the idea of an infinitely perfect God doubtful how can he deduce, from this doubtful idea, the existence of God? Rene Descartes used the idea of the existence of God as an escape route to his philosophical dead end regarding the trustworthiness of his reasoning ability, but the idea of an infinitely perfect being is subject to his universal methodic doubt, thus he cannot prove the trustworthiness of his reasoning abilities, not to mention that the very same doubtful trustworthiness of his reasoning ability was used to prove the existence of God in the first place. In only goes to show that since the very idea of a God is doubtful, every other thing must remain doubtful. The trustworthiness of Rene Descartes reasoning ability was assumed as an effect of the existence of an infinitely perfect being; and this infinitely perfect beings perfection is made certain to him by means of his reasoning ability, before he was able to prove the validity of the trustworthiness of his reasoning ability. He assumed the trustworthiness of his reasoning ability in order to prove the existence of God in order to prove the trustworthiness of his reasoning ability, thus he commits a fallacy called begging the question also known as a circular argument. His line of thought was nullified because a doubtfully valid faculty can produce only a doubtfully valid argument, and a doubtfully valid argument can only lead to a doubtfully valid conclusion. This series of inconsistencies in Rene Descartes method goes to show that the very moment Rene Descartes decided to adopt a method of universal doubt to deduce a fundamental philosophical principle in which he will deduce other forms of truth, is the same moment that he created an unsurpassable wall that will render any method of acquiring truth impossible. His actual procedure in all the arguments he presented is that he presupposes the validity of his reasoning when in fact it is also subject to the methodic doubt that he devised hindering him from accepting the validity of his reasoning before he can prove the existence of an infinitely perfect God. The only possible end for his arguments is to accept a sort of universal scepticism, because no certitude can ever be attained in a system that doubts and ultimately deem the foundations of human reason as false. If the very nature of his mind is subject to doubt, not to mention deemed as absolutely false, then all ideas, judgements, a nd inferences can no longer be trusted. If Descartes mistrusts the simple judgments of 2+3=5 and A square has four sides, how can he trust his faculties in making the far more complicated arguments with which he tries to prove Gods existence and infinite perfection?

The Divine Secrets Of The Ya Ya Sisterhood Essay examples -- essays re

Rebecca Wells paints a picture of the various roles that women often must encounter in their lives: mother, daughter, friend. As said by Charlotte Observer "She [Wells] speaks eloquently to what it means to be a mother, a daughter, a wife-and somehow, at last, a person." Wells uses a captivating style to create a simple plot, memorable symbolism and a reoccurring theme of friendship. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood teaches about the importance of giving and receiving love and finding joy in everyday life. The simplistic plot of the novel and the overall theme of love allows the author to span the lives of the main characters. The reader sees the span of the life of two of the main characters, Sidda and her mother Vivi, as they struggle to love each other based on their own childhood experiences. The reader also sees our two main characters in parallel encountering love and affairs of the heart; yet the most powerful love throughout the book is the love of four friends who stick together through the good and the bad. Vivi loves the Ya-Ya’s; as adolescents they are looking for love and someone to look up to. Vivi didn’t know how to love Sidda because Vivi’s mother didn’t know how to love her; therefore, Sidda doesn’t know how to love Connor because she has never experienced love and is now afraid to be in love. The simplicity of the novel is that everyone is always looking to be loved. The simplicity is that in real life people are always searching to be loved, or finding love. Near the beginning of the novel when the ya-ya’s are in their adolescence as young girls, going through the normal obstacles of childhood- fighting with their parents, getting into mischief, smoking and breaking curfew- they realize that by sticking together they can get through anything. They formalize this bond with a ceremony early on, "I am a member of the royal and true tribe of the Ya-Ya’s†¦I do solemnly swear to be loyal sister Ya-Ya’s, and to love and look out for them, and never forsake them through thick and thin, until I take my last human breath" (Wells 71). Wells shows the reader that the inability to show love can be passed down through generations: Sidda expresses to Connor why she is afraid to marry him, "She [Vivi] didn’t know how to love me, so I don’t know how to love you" (Wells 284). Sidda is saying that her mother couldn’t ... ...and that it really was their friendship that guided them through their whole life. And that together they really were all one. "I see lightness and ease. I see suffering somewhere in my mother’s [Vivi] eyes, but also I feel the camaraderie, laughter, friendship" (Wells 313). The Ya-Ya’s are very much at ease giving love to each other. That is what helped them to sustain their friendship for so long and helped them throughout their lives to love each other. Through the lives of five extraordinary women: Sidda, Vivi, Caro, Necie and Teensy, Wells uses a captivating style to create a simple plot. Memorable symbolism and the reoccurring themes of friendship and love in the novel The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Wells shows the reader that love and friendship, even in the smallest form, can sustain through tragedy and triumph-the bonds of the Ya-Ya’s. Works Cited Primary Source: Wells, Rebecca. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. New York New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996. Secondary Source: Wells, Rebecca. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. New York New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996.

Religion, Rituals, and Health

Chapter 4 Religion, Rituals, and Health Overview of Chapter Topics †¢ Introduction: Religion, spirituality, and ritual †¢ Religion in the U. S. †¢ Religion and health behaviors – Effect of religion on health-related behaviors – Religion and health outcomes – Religion and medical decisions †¢ Rituals in relation to health practices †¢ Case Study: Cystic fibrosis in a Hasidic Jewish patient Religion, Spirituality, and Ritual †¢ There is considerable overlap between religion and spirituality. Religion: a belief in and respect for a supernatural power or powers, which is regarded as creator and governor of the universe, and a personal or institutionalized system grounded in such a belief or worship †¢ Spirituality: the life force within each of us, and it refers to an individual’s attempt to find meaning and purpose in life Religion, Spirituality, and Ritual †¢ Religion is more associated with behaviors that can be quant ified than the more inchoate term, spirituality. †¢ Religion can be categorized by denomination, so there is more agreement about the meaning of the term, and it can be more easily quantified (i. . , place of worship) †¢ Similar overlap exists between religion and ritual. – Religion may include established rituals, but not all rituals are associated with a specific religion. – Consequently, this chapter examines the relationship between ritual and health separately from the relationship between religion and health. Religion in the U. S. †¢ In 1999, 95% of population in U. S. reported a belief in God or higher power. †¢ In a 2005 study, 57% of those queried stated that religion is very important in their lives, while some 28% stated that it is fairly important. Since 1992, studies have found consistent rates of attendance at religious places of worship. †¢ Religion and ethnicity may be loosely linked, but a person’s religious affiliation should not be assumed based on his/her ethnicity. Religion and Health Behaviors †¢ Lifestyle is single most prominent influence over health today. †¢ People with religious ties have been shown to follow healthier behavioral patterns than the nonreligious related to – Wider networks of social support than does a strictly secular life – Social networks are often key to coping with life stress so improved coping mechanisms – Proscribed behaviors (i. . , no alcohol consumption or premarital sex) Religion and Health Behaviors †¢ Dietary practices with possible effects on health – Prohibition or restriction of consumption of animal products and beverages – Fasting – Prohibition or restriction of use of stimulants and depressants because of addictive properties †¢ Some religions incorporate the use of stimulants or depressants into their ceremonies †¢ Religious practice may correlate with positive health behaviors generally , as well as with reduced rates of depression and higher rates of marital stability Religion and Health Behaviors Religion thought to correlate to positive outcomes with respect to: – – – – – – – – – – – Hypertension Mortality/longevity Depression Suicide Promiscuous sexual behavior Drug and alcohol use Delinquency General feelings of well-being Hope/purpose/meaning in life Self-esteem Educational attainment Religion and Health Outcomes †¢ Religion also can harm health – Sometimes used to justify hatred, aggression, and prejudice – Can be judgmental, alienating, exclusive – Can cause feeling of religious guilt or feeling of failure to meet religious expectations – May restrict health care services because belief that health is in God’s handsReligion and Medical Decisions †¢ Beginning of life decisions – Abortion: Opposed or strictly limited by many religio ns (i. e. , health of the mother is at risk if pregnancy continued; child would be born with a disability that will cause suffering; rape; incest) – Birth control usage: Varying methods approved or strongly opposed by certain religions; some religions permit hormonal methods but not the methods that block or destroy sperm Religion and Medical Decisions †¢ End of life decisions – Religious belief may influence decisions to accept/reject optional treatments to prolong life at the end i. . , respirators, organ transplants, feeding tubes Religion and Medical Decisions †¢ End of life decisions †¢ Organ donation: perspective is changing— some now view it an act of compassion; related to belief in resurrection †¢ Euthanasia: the act or practice of ending life of someone who is suffering from a terminal illness or incurable condition by lethal injection or suspension of medical treatment – Opposed when viewed as murder or suicide or that it wi ll damage karma (states that one must show respect for preservation of life) – Some see as an act of compassion and concern for dignityReligion and Medical Decisions †¢ End of life decisions †¢ Use of advance directives for end of life care †¢ Advanced directives are legal documents that enable a person to convey his or her decisions about care ahead of time †¢ Include information about use of life-sustaining equipment, artificial hydration and nutrition (tube feeding), resuscitation, organ donation, comfort care †¢ Concerns related to appointing one person as the decision maker in collectivists cultures, person undergoing needless suffering, and if you discuss it, it will happenRitual in Relation to Health Practices †¢ Ritual: a set of actions that usually are very structured and have symbolic meaning or value †¢ May be performed on certain occasions, at regular intervals, or at discretion of individuals or communities; held in private or p ublic †¢ Tied to numerous activities and events i. e. , births, deaths, holidays, club meetings, etc. †¢ Many rituals in health care settings i. . , being on time for appointments, how people are addressed, where patient’s sit Ritual in Relation to Health Practices †¢ Objects as rituals (i. e. , amulets, bracelets, statues, crosses) †¢ Importance of shrines in ritual activities (many are for health and healing) †¢ Rituals involving animal sacrifice (done to build and maintain personal relationship with a spirit) †¢ Birth rituals (i. e. food restrictions, silent birth, how placenta is discarded) †¢ Death rituals (how and when the body is disposed of, prayer, dress, use of flowers) Summary †¢ Religion and spirituality play a major role in people’s lives and in their health decisions and behaviors. †¢ It has been shown to improve health, but also can contribute to health problems †¢ Impacts medical decisions †¢ Many r ituals are related to health and some are tied to specific religions .