School Prayer Essay Example for Free

School Prayer Essay In simple terms, prayer is talking to God or a god. During that conversation, the person praying may use his or her own words or, â€Å"a set order of words,† such as the Lord’s Prayer to speak to God, may â€Å"request or wish† something from a God. The conversation may be vocal or silent. Questions involving school prayer are among the most argumentative questions posed to the courts. This has been the case decades ago and still occurring today. The history of prayer in the public education system is a story of legal rendering. The relationship between religion and government in the United States is governed by the First Amendment of the Constitution, which both prevents the government from establishing religion and protects privately initiated religious expression and activities from government discrimination. The First Amendment establishes certain limits on the conduct of public school officials as it relates to religious activity, including prayer. The First Amendment says, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, [known as the Establishment Clause], or prohibiting the free exercise thereof [known as the Free Exercise Clause],† (U.  S. Constitution) When deciding a case, the court has to balance between favoring a religion and prohibiting it. Landmark Case: Engle vs. Vitale The Supreme Court has many times held that the First Amendment requires public school leaders to be neutral in their treatment of religion. This means not showing favoritism toward any religion but yet not showing any hostile expression towards any religious doings, such as prayer. One of the most famous court cases involving religion and public schools happened in a New York City school district in the 1950s. Each morning before classes started, students would say a twenty-two word prayer that was created by the school board. Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country. A few parents objected, saying that this school promoted prayer violated the First Amendment. The New York Supreme Court ruled against the parents, who was represented by Stephen Engle. After taking their claim to a higher court numerous times, the court case Engle v. Vitale (1962), finally made it to the Supreme Court. In 1962 the Supreme Court Judges voted, the vote was 6 to 1, deciding that the twenty-two word prayer was unconstitutional. It was decided that the prayer, â€Å"singled out a particular religious practice contradicting the Establishment Clause of the First Amendement. † (Haas 48) This landmark case is one of the significant case laws used in order to determine neutrality in questions of school prayer. It was decided that teachers and other public school officials may not lead their classes in prayer, devotional readings from the Bible, or other religious activities. Engel v. Vitale, 370 U. S. 421 (1962) Violation of the Establishment Clause: Sante Fe v. Doe While school leaders may not lead their students in prayer, according to 105 ILCS 20/5, Students do have the right to pray at school. They must respect the schools policies, regulations, and rules that are in place regarding any disruption to the educational system. This being said, â€Å"students may read their Bibles during study hall or other non-structured time, may say grace, and may discuss religion with their peers during non-directed free time, such as time spent on the playground, on a school bus, in the hallways, or in the cafeteria. † (Braun 184) This student right and Illinois compiled statute was tested in the case of Sante Fe Independent School District v. Doe. Santa Fe v. Doe centered on the Santa Fe Independent School District policy allowing student-led prayer before football games. Santa Fe Independent School District had a history of student-led prayer. The students were elected by their peers to lead prayer at a school event. An Appellate Court ruling found that the district’s policy was unconstitutional in accordance with the Establishment Clause. The Court stated that the policy was not only an actual endorsement of prayer, but also a perceived endorsement, and, therefore, sent a message to nonbelievers that they were outsiders and that believers were the favored group in the community If the prayer is student lead, driven, and initiated it does not go against the constitution. The Supreme Court ruled saying, â€Å"The delivery of such a message, over the schools public address system, by a speaker representing the student body, under the supervision of the school faculty, and pursuant to a school policy that explicitly and implicitly encourages public prayer is not properly characterized as private speech† (Santa Fe v. Doe, 2000). Moment of Silence for Prayer: Wallace v. Jaffrey? So far a few things have been decided. The first is that any school-sponsored religious practice is prohibited because it is in violation of the Establishment Clause. The second thing is that students do have a right to freely exercise their personal religious practices as long as they do it during non-structured times; but where does the law stand on moments of silence that schools use for personal prayer times? After court cases such as Engle vs. Vitale it was obvious that religion in schools was diminishing. To counter back at these Supreme Court rulings many states started establishing moments of silence at the beginning of each school day as a substitute for the vocal prayer that had been taken away. These moments of silence are permissible as long as they are done for a secular purpose. Wallace v. Jaffrey is the only case that the Supreme Court has heard on a moment of silence in schools. The case contested an Alabama law that established a moment of silence for the purpose of â€Å"meditation or voluntary prayer† (Wallace v. Jaffrey, 1985). The court found that the statue was unconstitutional because it was enacted solely for the purpose of promoting religion in schools. The majority opinion found that any statute establishing a moment of silence that included the word â€Å"prayer† was unconstitutional. 1985 the Supreme Court concluded that Alabama’s silent meditation and prayer statute violated the Establishment Clause. Alexander 217) Explaining how this ruling came to be, an understanding of how our courts can make such a decision is needed first. The Establishment Clause Tests: The Supreme Court uses three tests to determine violations of the Establishment Clause. The tests may be considered singularly or together to determine constitutionality. The court has repeatedly stressed that the Constitution prohibits public schools from teaching children in religion. But it is not always easy to determine exactly what constitutes teaching or school sponsorship of religious acts. To help explain the establishment clause, which is often a question in issues of school prayer, the court uses several tests. The three main tests include the Lemon, coercion, and endorsement test. Lemon Test: The Lemon test gets its name from the 1973 decision in Lemon v. Kurtzman, in which the Court struck down a state program that was giving aid to religious elementary and secondary schools. The Lemon test is a three prong test, each part being just as important as the other two. Using the Lemon test, a court must first determine whether the law or government action in question has a secular purpose. This prong is based on the idea that government should only concern itself in civil matters, leaving religion to the conscience of the individual. Second, a court would ask whether the state action has the primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion. Finally, the court would consider whether the action excessively entangles religion and government. While religion and government must interact at some points while co-existing in society, the concern here is that they do not so overlap and intertwine that people have difficulty differentiating between the two. Although this test has come under fire from certain Supreme Court Justices, it has never been over turned, and it is still used to guide decisions in courts today. Coercion Test: Some justices propose allowing more government support for religion than the Lemon test allows, their support stands with the coercion test. Justice Kennedy created the coercion test in Lee v. Weisman. The coercion test is used to determine whether or not the government coerced participation in the religious activity. In regard to public schools, it is used to determine whether or not students experienced a coercive effect. Based on the 1992 case of Lee v. Weisman, 505 U. S. 577 the religious practice is examined to see to what extent, if any, pressure is applied to force or â€Å"coerce† individuals to participate. The Court has defined that the government does not violate the establishment clause unless it, (1) provides direct aid to religion in a way that would tend to establish a state church, or (2) coerces people to support or participate in religion against their will. Even the coercion test is subject to varying interpretations. This was evident and illustrated in Lee v.  Weisman. Endorsement Test: The third test that was proposed by Justice Sandra Day OConnor is the endorsement test. It was used in the 1984 case of Lynch v. Donnelly, asking whether a particular government action amounts to an endorsement of religion, thus violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Its with this test that a government action is invalid if it creates a perception in the mind of a reasonable observer that a religion is being endorsed or disapproved. The endorsement test has been included into the Lemon test. While the endorsement test has been applied in many cases, it has not produced a conclusive answer to the question of constitutionality in all cases. There is a forth test that is sometimes used in establishment-clause decisions, it is the neutrality test. While the Lemon, coercion, and endorsement test are used in matters of expression the neutrality test is mainly used in issues dealing with funding. Making sure the government is giving neutral aid to public and religious schools with no religious promotion. Because of its dealings and ruling in funding matters, the neutrality test is not often used in issues of prayer in public schools. The Wallace case is legally significant for representing the value of neutrality underlying the Establishment Clause. It also showed the significance for the Lemon test as the main test for evaluating the constitutionality of public school involvement in religion. The Court in Wallace showed its position that the Establishment Clause â€Å"‘requires the state to be a neutral in its relations with groups of religious believers and non-believers. ’† (Lofaso 30) The Court then concluded that Alabama’s moment-of-silence statute violated the Establishment Clause because it failed the purpose prong of the Lemon test: â€Å"The legislature enacted . . for the sole purpose of expressing the State’s endorsement of prayer activities for one minute at the beginning of each school day. Does Location of the Prayer Matter? It was almost a half-century ago that the Supreme Court in Engle v. Vitale established that daily prayer in the classroom is unconstitutional. Since then, this thought has grown due to cases where location of the prayer have been put into question. Now the Supreme Court extends their thinking to include, â€Å"any particular form of prayer which is to be used as an official prayer in carrying on any program of governmentally sponsored religious activity. The Supreme Court continued to keep watch even when school prayer moved outside the classroom to a graduation ceremony. In Lee v. Weisman, principals at public schools in Providence, Rhode Island invited clergy to speak at graduations. The principals provided the clergy with guidelines, which essentially boiled down to keeping the prayers nonsectarian. When Principal Lee invited a rabbi to give a prayer at Nathan Bishop Middle School’s graduation, Deborah Weisman and her parents objected. When the Weismans alleged a violation of the Establishment Clause, the school board argued that an event as significant as graduation warranted prayer. The lower courts agreed with the Weismans and the Supreme Court affirmed. The school board argued that graduation was a voluntary event. The Court dismissed this argument, finding graduation to be an important event in a student’s life that must not be forfeited due to different religious beliefs and that the government must not get involved. In 1992 the Court decided that it was unconstitutional for a member of the clergy to deliver an invocation or benediction at a public school graduation, and that in doing so, the school endorsed religion and required students who were non-believers to accept the religious practices. Conclusion: Supreme Court decisions provide insight into the debate against school prayer. Because of the various Court rulings on the school prayer issue, we do have a foundation to base other decisions off of when issues arise with mixing church and state in the public educational system. Students today can not be forced to recite any prayer that has been endorsed by the school, but they may practice a moment of silence during the school day as long as they are not required to use that time for prayer. Students are also free to exercise their religious beliefs. They may read their Bibles during non structured time and pray as long as they are following the rules and regulations regarding school disruption. If at any time the state gets involved, or the activities become school-sponsored then the religious acts are unconstitutional and violate the First Amendment. It is important to remember that the United States exists today because the founders sought to live in a country free from government interference, especially concerning religion. Individuals are free to exercise their beliefs as long as they are not forcing those beliefs unto others.

Lakota Woman Essay -- American History Native Americans Essays

Lakota Woman Mary was born with the name Mary Brave Bird. She was a Sioux from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. She belonged to the "Burned Thigh," the Brule Tribe, the Sicangu. The Brules are part of the Seven Sacred Campfires, the seven tribes of the Western Sioux known collectively as the Lakota. The Brule rode horses and were great warriors. Between 1870 and 1880 all Sioux were driven into reservations, fenced in and forced to give up everything. Her family settled in on the reservation in a small place called He-Dog. Her grandpa was a He-Dog and told about the Wounded Knee massacre. Almost three hundred Sioux men, women, and children were killed by white soldiers. Mary was called a iyeska, a breed which the white kids called her. She had white peoples blood in her. Her face was very Indian, but her skin was light. She hated being "white" and loved the summer because she would tan and make her look more Indian. She had a husband from the Crow Dogs which were full-bloods. They were the Sioux of the Sioux. Her people had very strong family ties and everyone cared for everyone. Still even though the white man has ruined their close family ties they have many traditions which keep the intermediate family closely tied together. The whites however completely destroyed the tiyospaye, which is the extended family like the grandparents, uncles and aunts, in-laws and cousins. The government tore the tiyospaye apart and forced the Sioux into the kind of relationship now called the nuclear family. Those who refused to be ruined by the government were pushed back in the country and into isolation and starvation. Her father, Bill Moore, was only part Indian and mostly white. He left almost immediately after Mary was born becaus... ...eonard returned home the entire town came to welcome him. When Leonard returned home the entire tribe came to welcome him. They had a big feast and Mary too was honored. Mary got a new name, Ohitika Win, Brave Woman. She was very honored and proud to have a True Indian name. Both Leonard and Mary had to get used to the changes they both endured over the time Leonard was in jail. Mary was no longer a shy Sioux woman walking with downcast eyes in the footsteps of some man. Mary and her sister were apart for a long time and grew far apart. They no longer viewed things as they used to. Mary Promised herself that she would Sun Dance for four years straight. She started to dance by making flesh offerings for those brothers and sisters who had died. "It was at that moment that I, a white-educated half blood, became wholly Indian. I experienced a great rush of happiness."

Marketing Essay – FedEx Corporation

Fed acquired Kink in 2004 for $2. 4 billion, ‘expand[inning] its presence among small and midsized businesses that have long been Kink's main customer base'. Fed Chairman stated â€Å"it [was] supremely logical for [them] to offer arrives to the whitewall's and office segment that are analogous to what [they] offer [their] corporate customer base† (Deutsche, 2003). Fed has a more defined white-collar customer base, mainly consisting of â€Å"fast-cycle logistics shippers seeking time-definite morning deliveries† (Richer, 2009).Their services will meet demands for time-definite morning deliveries to wholesalers,' (ibid. ) manufacturing businesses, retail stores, and high-value goods. 10 Recommendations Although Fed has been successful in moving into the international arena, it still does not have a competitive advantage in the shipping industry. Its chief competitor, UPS, controls the ground shipping market (see Appendix A), guaranteeing them a large portion of the domestic market share.Fed should maintain a controlling stake in the express delivery market while increasing their market share in domestic ground delivery, by further differentiating itself from UPS through innovation and service offerings. Securing more business partnerships, even at slightly lower margins, will help develop brand loyalty. This is especially true of long-term contracts with large firms. Studies predict the international package market will grow by 5-6% in the coming ears, nearly double the expected annual growth in world GAP (Waistlines, 2014).Fed should continuously invest capital in Asia, whilst penetrating into foreign markets by partnering with local carriers. This will give them valuable insight into a relatively foreign and unknown market. Acquiring smaller shipping companies, such as Excel (I-J) or Suppose (France) also increases their international reach. Fed could seek alternative energy sources to reduce their operating costs. Investing in solar power or bio-fuels could help counter additional costs due to increased fuel prices.Fed should utilize economic aircrafts to increase their carrying capacity, thereby reducing the number of operating planes. Lastly, by forging strategic alliances with oil and gas suppliers, they could bargain for discounts, whilst curtailing the negative effects associated with volatile oil supplies. Looking forward, Fed has positioned itself for growth opportunities in the domestic and international arena. It has exhibited an exceptional track record of international expansion and good financial restraints during times of easy credit, proving it can operate successfully even in a tough economic climate.

Construction Projects and Management Free Essay Example, 2500 words

This procedure focuses on the estimation and monitoring of the time spent by each of the different persons involved in such project activity. This specific monitoring in regards to the time required for the construction projects thus helps in closing the deviations from the total estimated time made for the total project to complete. However the estimated time required for the completion of the total construction project does not consider the random happening of events natural or otherwise that tend to render obstruction to the ideal completion of the project. Thus an important consideration is held in this case that no abnormal events rise during the project tenure that in turn would tend to enhance the time required for the completion of the project. Uncertainty of occurrences in regards to the construction project can be accounted also in the form of contingencies. The contingencies can thereby be accounted using separate techniques like PERT. Though the technique persists for th e accounting of contingencies yet it is found for a number of cases like outbreak of fire or natural calamities the same system of contingency accountability fails to render the correct result. We will write a custom essay sample on Construction Projects and Management or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Thus an adjustment is maintained in the form of contingencies wherein the time set is added to the normal time held for the project to get completed. Again especially in cases of construction projects it is found that the entire project activity gets dismantled owing to disturbing weather conditions. Thus the time management and setting of allowances and allocations need to be maintained on that basis. Construction projects carried out in highways become greatly affected owing to such disturbing conditions that in turn enhance the time required for the completion of the entire project. This condition however can be managed in cases of building construction projects wherein contingencies occurring out of weather disturbances can be effectively managed by the setting up of adequate covers.

American Revolution and the Battle of the Chesapeake

The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes, was fought September 5, 1781, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Fleets and Leaders Royal Navy Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves19 ships of the line French Navy Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse24 ships of the line Background Prior to 1781, Virginia had seen little fighting as the majority operations had taken place far to the north or further south. Early that year, British forces, including those led by traitor Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, arrived in the Chesapeake and commenced raiding. These were later joined by Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis army which had marched north following its bloody victory at the Battle of Guilford Court House. Taking command of all British forces in the region, Cornwallis soon received a confusing string of orders from his superior in New York City, General Sir Henry Clinton. While initially campaigning against American forces in Virginia, including those led by the Marquis de Lafayette, he was later instructed to establish a fortified base at a deep-water port. Assessing his options, Cornwallis elected to utilize Yorktown for this purpose. Arriving at Yorktown, VA, Cornwallis constructed earthworks around the town and built fortifications across the York River at Gloucester Point.   Fleets in Motion During the summer, General George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau requested that Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse bring his French fleet north from the Caribbean for a potential strike against either New York City or Yorktown. After extensive debate, the latter target was chosen by the allied Franco-American command with the understanding that de Grasses ships were necessary to prevent Cornwallis escaping by sea. Aware that de Grasse intended to sail north, a British fleet of 14 ships of the line, under Rear Admiral Samuel Hood, also departed the Caribbean. Taking a more direct route, they arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake on August 25. That same day, a second, smaller French fleet led by the  Comte de Barras departed Newport, RI carrying siege guns and equipment. In an effort to avoid the British, de Barras took a circuitous route with the goal of reaching Virginia and uniting with de Grasse. Not seeing the French near the Chesapeake, Hood decided to continue on to New York to join with Rear Admiral Thomas Graves. Arriving at New York, Hood found that Graves only had five ships of the line in battle condition. Combining their forces, they put to sea heading south towards Virginia. While the British were uniting to the north, de Grasse arrived in the Chesapeake with 27 ships of the line. Quickly detaching three ships to blockade Cornwallis position at Yorktown, de Grasse landed 3,200 soldiers and anchored the bulk of his fleet behind Cape Henry, near the mouth of the bay. The French Put to Sea On September 5, the British fleet appeared off the Chesapeake and sighted the French ships around 9:30 AM. Rather than swiftly attack the French while they were vulnerable, the British followed the tactical doctrine of the day and moved into a line ahead formation. The time required for this maneuver allowed the French to recover from the surprise of the British arrival which had seen many of their warships caught with large portions of their crews ashore. Also, it allowed de Grasse to avoid entering battle against an adverse wind and tidal conditions. Cutting their anchor lines, the French fleet emerged from the bay and formed for battle. As the French exited from the bay, both fleets angled towards each other as they sailed east. A Running Fight As wind and sea conditions continued to change, the French gained the advantage of being able to open their lower gun ports while the British were prevented from doing so without risking water entering their ships. Around 4:00 PM, the vans (lead sections) in each fleet opened fired on their opposite number as the range closed. Though the vans were engaged, a shift in the wind made it difficult for each fleets center and rear to close within range. On the British side, the situation was further hampered by contradictory signals from Graves. As the fighting progressed, the French tactic of aiming for masts and rigging bore fruit as HMS Intrepid (64 guns) and HMS Shrewsbury (74) both fell out of line. As the vans pummeled each other, many of the ships to their rear never were able to engage the enemy. Around 6:30 PM the firing ceased and the British withdrew to windward. For the next four days, the fleets maneuvered within sight of each other. However, neither sought to renew the battle . On the evening of September 9, de Grasse reversed his fleets course, leaving the British behind, and returned to the Chesapeake. Upon arriving, he found reinforcements in the form of 7 ships of the line under de Barras. With 34 ships of the line, de Grasse had full control of the Chesapeake, eliminating Cornwallis hopes for evacuation. Trapped, Cornwallis army was besieged by the combined army of Washington and Rochambeau. After over two weeks of fighting, Cornwallis surrendered on October 17, effectively ending the American Revolution. Aftermath and Impact During the Battle of the Chesapeake, both fleets suffered approximately 320 casualties. In addition, many of the ships in the British van were heavily damaged and unable to continue fighting. Though the battle itself was tactically inconclusive, it was a massive strategic victory for the French. By drawing the British away from the Chesapeake, the French eliminated any hope of rescuing Cornwalliss army. This in turn allowed for the successful siege of Yorktown, which broke the back of British power in the colonies and led to American independence.

Audiovisual Exercise On Cdna Cloning And Characterization

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY - College of Medicine PM-305: Gene Manipulation [DHJ] Assignment: Audiovisual Exercise on cDNA Cloning and Characterisation. This is not a test, but it is a learning exercise designed to make you think about the use of some gene manipulation techniques. During the course of this video demonstration you will be asked the following questions. Each number indicates a different place when the programme will be stopped. Each question is related to the material covered before that stop. You will be given time to think about each answer and make a brief note of it. Any questions which are not directly answered when the programme is re-started will be addressed at the end of the session. You must then make a full record of questions and answers for your continuous assessment. (Question 12 is to be done afterwards. Note the need for diagrams and see submission instructions at the bottom of Page 2.) QUESTIONS: 1. Only cDNA cloning is covered in this video. What other methods are there for obtaining a cloned coding sequence? The method we saw in the video was cloning of a cDNA library. A cDNA library involves the physical cloning of the thaumatin gene by the cDNA fragment being inserted into a suitable vector called a plasmid. This method of cDNA cloning means that only the desired gene is cloned and colonies contain the plasmid can be identified with techniques like the blue white screening. There are other methods we can use though. For instance we could make a

ARISTOTLES REFUTATION OF PLATOS THEORY OF IDEAS Essay Example For Students

ARISTOTLES REFUTATION OF PLATOS THEORY OF IDEAS Essay Aristotle refutes Platos Theory of Ideas on three basic grounds: that theexistence of Ideas contradicts itself by denying the possibility ofnegations; that his illustrations of Ideas are merely empty metaphors; andthat they theory uses impermanent abstractions to create examples ofperception. Though the theory is meant to establish concrete standards forthe knowledge of reality, Aristotle considers it fraught withinconsistencies and believes that the concept of reality depends upon allforms correlations to other elements. Ideas, Plato believes, are permanent, self-contained absolutes, whichanswered to each item of exact knowledge attained through human thought. Also, Ideas are in Platos view concrete standards by which all humanendeavor can be judged, for the hierarchy of all ideas leads to the highestabsolute that of Good. In addition, the theory claims that states ofbeing are contingent upon the mingling of various Forms of existence, thatknowledge is objective and thus clearly more real, and that only theprocesses of nature were valid entities. However, Aristotle attacks this theory on the grounds that Platosarguments are inconclusive either his assertions are not al all cogent. Aristotle says, or his arguments lead to contradictory conclusions. Forexample, Aristotle claims that Platos arguments lead one to conclude thatentities (such as anything man-made) and negations of concrete ideas couldexist such as non-good in opposition to good. This contradicts Platosown belief that only natural objects could serve as standards of knowledge. Also, Aristotle refutes Platos belief that Ideas are perfect entities untothemselves, independent of subjective human experience. Ideas, Aristotleclaims, are not abstractions on a proverbial pedestal but mere duplicates ofthings witnessed in ordinary daily life. The Ideas of things, he says, arenot inherent to the objects in particular but created separately and placedapart from the objects themselves. Thus, Aristotle says, Platos idea thatIdeas are perfect entities, intangible to subjective human experience, ismeaningless, for all standards are based somewhere in ordinary humanactivity and perception. Thirdly, Aristotle assails Platos efforts to find something common toseveral similar objects at once, a perfect exemplar of the quality thosethings share. Beauty is a perfect example; Plato considered Beauty both anotion and an ideal, isolated by abstractions and fixed permanently whileits representatives fade away. Aristotle claims that abstractions likeBeauty cannot be cast as absolutes, independent of temporal humanexperience; the Idea of Beauty changes with time and individual perceptionsand cannot (as Plato felt) exist forever as a concrete standard. Plato and Aristotle reach some agreement, though, on the topic of reality. Plato believes that all reality was derived from his Ideas (which themselvesdealt with concrete hierarchy of rational ideas. St. Anselm, though, makes the most dogmatic and logically tortuous case forGods existence, relying not upon explanations of goodness, truth, orrational order of ideas but upon an absurd argument. He claims thateveryone has some sense of God, and he claims that for one to deny Godsexistence is an invalid and contradictory assertion; therefore, God exists. Also, Anselm believes that those capable of understanding God cannot believethat he does not exist as if the enormity of the idea was so clear thanonly a fool could not perceive it. His arguments seem the weakest of the four viewpoints here, for they areriddled with dogma and assume that God is a constant using faith alone. Anselm considers faith paramount to logic or other forms of thought and asksno questions as to what powers the universe or what goodness is hebasically follows the Christian party line too closely to be valid. .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .postImageUrl , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:hover , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:visited , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:active { border:0!important; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:active , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Paper motif on Invisible Man EssayIn general, St. Augustine combines Platos idea of a moral hierarchy withhis own rational observations of truth and goodness being embodied in theirhighest form by God. While Plato wavers on Gods superiority, Aristotleviews man as gods pawn, and Anselm uses tortuous dogmatic logic,Augustines arguments seem to make the most sense from not only a Christianpoint of view but from a moral and rational one as well. The philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Anselm on theexistence of God all vary on the issue of Gods nature; though each thinkertakes a different approach to why there is a God, that of St. Augustineseems the most valid because he takes a rational stance and does notdogmatically assume Gods existence. Platos philosophy assumes that God exists as a supremely good being whosegoodness is analogous to Platos concrete concept or the ultimate good. However, God and