The Ontological Argument for Gods existence Essay

The Ontological Argument for Gods existence - Essay Example Arguments for the existence of God are based on revelations of the Realized Souls. At their level everything is perfect, ever the same, and without any confusion or contradiction. All confusion and arguments arise, when mind-level intellectuals begin to interpret the revelations of the transcendental! Arguments for the existence of God based on general revelation are also called natural theology. Next to general revelations, is the special revelation and this is the area where the problems for the humanity begin due to their wrong understanding/interpretation. Those issues are: who God is, what God has done and will do and how He expects us to live. Such divine instructions are found in The Bible, Qur’an, Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Vedas, etc. Natural theology based on reasoning is incapable of demonstrating God’s existence. Relying on one’s own thought and reasoning skills to reach God is full of pitfalls. Human beings are likely to confuse the limitations of their thoughts as the limitation of God. Arguments for the existence of God based on the appearance of design in the world again form part of the domain of reasoning and inductive logic. Design arguments are also known as teleological arguments. The perfect order in the universe is offered as the perfect reason for the existence of God. The perfect order seen in the universe cannot be a matter of c hance. If the watch needs the watch maker, the universe needs the universe-maker, so say the Creationists. The universe must be the product of intelligent design, they believe. Objections to the design arguments say that it is not necessary to depend upon a God-hypothesis to explain the orderly positioning of the things in the world. Science is capable of explaining everything, according to such votaries. They argue that life is created from the â€Å"Big-bang†, and one sees the natural evolutionary process in the things around. But these people

How to Be a Better Writer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to Be a Better Writer - Essay Example To become a better writer, a person should adopt a regular habit of writing. One should follow a routine of trying to write done at least a paragraph every day. The ability of writing can further be enhanced if a person gets his writings checked by someone who has more knowledge and expertise in the field. This will assist the writer to know his faults and correct them in future work. A person can also meet professional writers and take their guidance and learn from their experiences.To become a better writer, a person should adopt a regular habit of writing. One should follow a routine of trying to write done at least a paragraph every day. The ability of writing can further be enhanced if a person gets his writings checked by someone who has more knowledge and expertise in the field. This will assist the writer to know his faults and correct them in future work. A person can also meet professional writers and take their guidance and learn from their experiences. Reading can also pr ove to be very beneficial for the writer and assist him in developing better writing skills. This is because in this way a writer can go through different ways of writing and understand the way of which he is the most comfortable. Vocabulary is also an essential part of writing as it enhances the pool of words which the writer can use in his writing.  

The Whaling And Whale Watching Industry Tourism Essay

The Whaling And Whale Watching Industry Tourism Essay The ecotourism industry, once a niche market for the environmentally concerned travellers is getting more popular in the recent years and the number of tourists participating in this particular tourism segment is increasing (Wood, 2001). Ecotourism initially describe the nature-based travel to relatively undisturbed areas with education as the main purpose. Through the years, the concept of ecotourism has matured to a definition that should comprise of a few elements including nature-based, active participation, progressive education travel, interpretation of natural environments, social and cultural components, involvement and returns for the local community and also the management to be ecologically and environmentally sustainable (Parks, Parks, Allen, 2009). In ecotourism, the activities can range from a few hours of nature appreciation to a long duration tour that will take months. This includes activities such as presentation of the marine biology on a cruise (cetacean-watching), a guided tour in a national park, snorkelling and many more. The main objective of this essay is to further discuss whale-watching, a type of cetacean watching, around the world and if this activity is affecting the behaviours of the whales population near the coastal area. Whale-watching Whale-watching is a commercial activity that is carried out by the tourists to observe, swim with and/or listen to the whales in their natural habitat. These activities are normally for recreation purpose; however whale-watching can also serve scientific and educational purpose. During the past years, a phenomenal growth for whale watching as tourism activity has been observed around the world. This particular activity has involved an estimated of 9 million participants yearly in 87 countries and generates approximately US$1 billion each year (Hoyt, 2000) With the lucrative profit from obtainable from whale-watching activity, this have led to heated debates on the whale-watching and whaling industry. It has been argued that whaling is incompatible with whale-watching (Parsons Draheim, A reason not to support whaling a tourism impact case study from the Dominican Republic, 2009). In a survey conducted, it was found out that 91.4% of whale-watching tourists would not go to countries whereby they hunt whales for commercial purpose to engage in whale watching; and that 79% of them would even boycott visiting the country (Parsons and Rawles, 2003, cited in (Parsons Draheim, A reason not to support whaling a tourism impact case study from the Dominican Republic, 2009)). A few of the more popular sites for whale-watching includes: Kaikoura, New Zealand; Tofino and Telegraph Cove, in British Columbia, Canada; Ogata and Ogasawara, Japan; Friday Harbour, Washington, USA; Hervey Bay, Byron Bay, and Monkey Mia, Australia; Husavik, Iceland and many more. According to Hoyt (2000), the most common focal species for whale-watching industries are the humpback whales, gray whales, northern and southern right whales, blue whales, minke whales, sperm whales, short-finned pilot whales, orcas and bottlenose dolphin. Despite the benefits obtained from whale-watching activity, operators should take caution while carrying out these activities as the recreational activities in the inshore water can pose a major threat to the whales and dolphins. The threats can due to direct cause such as injuries due to accidental cuts by the boatà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s propeller, or an indirect stress to them from the high frequency sounds made by the vesselà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s motor. In order to prevent such harms towards the animals, the operators should follow by the marine code of conduct in order to protect the animalà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s welfare. There are different set of code of conduct that are used across the world but the common rules found in these code includes maintaining a certain distance from the animals, maintain a predictable course and speed when near the animals and also move away if signs of disturbance are displayed by the animals. However, is it sufficient to just adhere to the code of conduct and should there be more actions to be undertaken by the government to aid in the sustainability of this tourism activity. Several studies have been carried out throughout several regions to discuss more on the issues of the whale-watching activities and whether this activity is sustainable. Literature Reviews Whaling and Whale-Watching Debates have been going on worldwide on the issue on whether whaling can co-exist with whale-watching in a region. It has been stated that there is an urgent need to evaluate the cultural and the environmental values of the tourists and find out what are the factors that attracts or discourages them from participating in whale-watching activity (Higham, 2007 and Lusseau, 2008, cited in (Parsons Draheim, A reason not to support whaling a tourism impact case study from the Dominican Republic, 2009)). However, there are rebuttal on such claims, indicating that the fact whereby countries such as Iceland, Japan and Norway all engage in active whaling and yet have whale-watching activities within their countries and thus it is not valid to argue that whaling and whale-watching are incompatible (Corkeron, 2006, cited in (Parsons Draheim, A reason not to support whaling a tourism impact case study from the Dominican Republic, 2009)). According to Parson and Draheim (2009), the tourists whom participated in cetacean tourism tend to hold strong environmental values and thus may have very strong sentiments against whaling. Also, tourism receipts is the major source of economic income for the Dominican Republic, any activity that may affects the stability of this income could have major impacts within the country. The study also shows that with a highly visible national policy towards cetacean conservation, and opposition to the hunting and capture of cetaceans, it would be beneficial in attracting tourists to the country, whereas a visible pro-whaling policy might repel the tourists (Parsons Draheim, A reason not to support whaling a tourism impact case study from the Dominican Republic, 2009). Higham and Lusseau, (2008) also state that the answer to whether whaling and whale-watching activity can coexist depends largely in the perceptions, values and behaviours of the tourists themselves. Effects of whale-watching on the animals Despite the lucrative profits that can be obtained from whale-watching activity, the well-being of the animals involved in the activity, which mainly includes the cetaceans should be emphasised, which thus leads to increasing number of studies focusing on whether the whale-watching activity will cause disturbance to the animals. Disturbance in this case is defined as the negative influence that interferes with the natural behaviour of cetaceans and has a harmful outcome (Ritter, 2003, cited in (Stamation, Croft, Shaughnessy, Waples, Briggs, 2009)). One of such studies was carried out in the whale-watching site at New South Wales (NSW). The main focus of whale-watching in NSW is the humpback whales, although there are also tours to watch other marine mammals such as dolphins and seals. Most of the watching will occur during the whaleà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s southern migration when the whales move much slower than on their passage northwards. Signs of disturbance in the humpback whales around the world include orientation away from the vessel, increased in swimming speeds, prolonged submergence and changes in the respiration behaviour and such avoidance behaviour are observed in this study (Stamation, Croft, Shaughnessy, Waples, Briggs, 2009). As this study is a short term study, it cannot be used to conclude that such avoidance behaviours will cause any detrimental outcome for the whales involved. However, the possibilities of inducing negative long-term effects onto the whales due to the reduction of the time spent foraging; resting, socializing or suckling should not be ignored. Conservative approach on the management of the humpback whale-watching industry should be adopted to ensure that the short term impacts that was discovered in this study does not translate to the long term impacts (Stamation, Croft, Shaughnessy, Waples, Briggs, 2009). Another study has been done on the killer whales to find out the behavioural responses of this species towards the whale-watching boats. It was stated that with the exposure of millions of the tourists to the animals in their natural environment, this may change the attitudes towards the protection of the critical habitat and threatened populations. Guidelines for whale-watching should be based on the actual impacts of the human activity on the whale behaviour instead of the perceived effects. Once again, it have being emphasised that when a whale is been disturbed, it shows sign of avoidance either by varying the duration of its dives, or by swimming faster or altering the direction of swimming. Antagonistic behaviours such as slapping flukes or fins on the surface of the water may also be displayed. Since the changes in behaviours of the whales are observed when boats are near, management of whale-watching should adopt more conservative distance guidelines to present even greater b enefit to the animals (Williams, Trites, Bain, 2002). Sustainability of whale-watching As mentioned above, whale-watching industry has enjoyed a phenomenal growth and brings in lucrative profit for the community that carries out this activity. With that, there are more participants in this industry and hence leading to an increasing number of regulations and guidelines that were developed in an attempt to ensure the sustainability of the industry. The need to develop appropriate guidelines for the commercial whale-watching activities should be attend to. Also, with the limited data available on the species and their behaviours there will be an urgent need to develop new knowledge and understanding to help guide management of the industry (Valentine, Birtles, Curnock, Arnold, Dunstan, 2004). The sustainability of the whale-watching activity and its associated benefits could be significantly affected by the changes in the occurrence of the local cetacean species in response to the global climate change. Global climate change refers to the net change in climate over time which is a consequence of either natural variability or human activity. It has been identified that both direct and indirect means by which changing of the sea surface temperature could affect the cetacean distribution. With that, it can cause the change in range of species distribution, the occurrence and abundance of individuals and the timing and lengths of migrations; the effects on reproductive success and mortality levels. The above have clearly shown the potential implications for both cetacean species and whale-watching tourism (Lambert, Hunter, Pierce, MacLeod, 2010). Findings Studies on the operations of the whale-watching activities in two different regions, New Zealand and Iceland have been done. Whale-watching in New Zealand At Kaikoura, New Zealand, the male sperm whales are the primary focus for the commercially important whale-watching industry. With the growing industry, there is an increase in the concerns over the social, educational and environmental impacts of whale-watching on both the local human and whale populations. The cetacean relies on echolocation for foraging and communication, hence these species becomes exceptionally vulnerable to changes in their acoustic environment. For example, the addition of anthropogenic sound sources via the boats presence (research boat and whale-watching boats) results in a reduction of the mean blow interval of the whales. These tendencies to shorten breath are due to the stress respond by the animals (Richter, Dawson, Slooten, 2006). On top of the decreased respiratory periods, shorter surfacing intervals and sharp directional changes have also been identified as potentially unacceptable changes in behaviour. The above are evidences that are enough to suggest that the whale-watching industry in Kaikoura is having an adverse effect on the whales (Curtin, 2003). Whale-watching in Iceland In Iceland the whale-watching industry did not begin until 1990 and the country is becoming a major player rapidly within the international whale-watching market (Parsons Rawles, 2010). As the coastal water of Iceland host a variety of cetacean species which includes the humpback whales, minke whales, blue whales and killer whales that are the target of whale-watching operations. Although the whaling activity in the Icelandic waters had ceased in 1989, but then whaling resumes during 2003 despite there is no legal process for that. The Icelandic government did little consideration on how the resume of the commercial whaling might impact on the whale-watching industry. And through the studies, it was discovered that the resumption of commercial whaling could cause a massive and critical reduction in the number of whale-watching tourist going on whale-watching trips in Iceland which in turn results in a loss of direct income (Parsons Rawles, 2010). Since whale-watching is currently the pillar of the Icelandic economy, thus care must be taken so that the Icelandic government does not destroy it. Analysis Through the reviews of the studies that have been done on the whale-watching activity in various regions, particularly New Zealand and Iceland, it can be concluded that the whale-watching industry is a growing industry that is bound to bring in high revenue for the community that is conducting such activities. However, the whale-watching activity that is being carried out can cause disturbance to the cetaceans in the regions which leads to the change in behaviours of these animals. These changes in behaviours can cause adverse effect on the animals. On top of that, the whale-watching activity might cause direct injuries to these animals through the cuts by the propeller of the boats. Another issue is that commercial whaling should not coexist with the whale-watching activity. As it has been found out that most of the whale-watchers are very environmentally motivated and they display great interest in the animal welfare issues (Parsons Rawles, 2010). Since majority of the whale-watchers have voiced out that they would boycott visiting a country that conducts hunts for cetaceans, places with whale-watching activity should consider with care regarding the implementation of whaling activity in the region since whale-watching can bring in high revenue for the destination and that introduction of whaling might bring down the benefit of whale-watching. Recommendation Voluntary approaches are being considered as an important tool for the conservation and environmental management. The voluntary approaches towards conservation can include agreements between regulatory agencies and private enterprise, agreements among the industrial firms, or code of conduct within a professional or industrial group (Wiley, Moller, Pace III, Carlson, 2008). Voluntary agreement to the operational procedures can be established for commercial whale-watching vessels that are used to view the endangered or protected species of whales. Guidelines can be created to avoid whale strikes and to prevent the whale-watching boats from disrupting the animals. This is important as in some of the areas, commercial whale-watching boats have a relatively high frequency of collisions with the whales, contributing high noise levels around the whales, disrupting whale behaviour and reducing the reproductive fitness of the whale (Wiley, Moller, Pace III, Carlson, 2008). Besides the use of voluntary approach, collaborative relationships can be established between the whale-watching companies and the related organizations and individuals that make up the organizational field. These collaborations can play an important role in structuring the relationships and understandings of members of the field (Lawrence, Phillips, Hardy, 1999). By collaboration, it refers to a cooperative, inter-organisational relationship that is negotiated in an ongoing communicative method. Science education Conclusion

Receiving the proper training :: essays research papers

Athletes throughout the United States have so much devotion and dedication to their sport than anything else in the world. For most people their sport comes first even over their families and school. In order for me to enhance in the sport of swimming, training had to be my number one priority, and school and family was no where in my mind. Competing as a swimmer at Conference Championships representing Golden West College to try and earn a spot on the State Championship team was my major goal for the year. I knew I had my races handed to me, just that fact of being placed as the top seed of all of my races, but knowing in the back of my head, the intense workouts and pain to be standing here but not receiving the right taper from my coaches cost me to earn a spot. At the beginning of the season training was just conditioning for your body to get into shape for the grueling workouts ahead. The coaching staff doesn’t really have much enthusiasm to motivate their swimmers. For example, cheering us on while swimming is a major factor because it paces your race while you swim and also gets your adrenalin up and that’s what they lack. The coaches just like to sit in their chairs and jot down times and rarely respond to you about your swim whether it’s good or bad. If you’re ahead of the pack they say you could have done better, they reply the same statement to the losers, so their comments are meaningless. Well soon enough Conference Championships comes around which consist of the local colleges of our surroundings. (OCC, RCC, Saddleback etc..) Once this starts training becomes much and much easier for some athletes who have a less chance to earn a spot on the State team. But for the remaining of the athletes training stays the same. For some of us that didn’t suit to well with our performances. For some swimmers they need to have a longer taper then others because of the amount of muscle they have. So our coaches asked if you truly believe in having a long taper then let us know before workout today so we can plan your schedule. For me, throughout my swimming career I have had two to three week tapers and my performance is at the top.

A poem which depicts a violent incident Essay

TASK: Choose a poem in which there is a dramatic or violent incident. Show how the poet conveys the incident using various poetic techniques. ‘Glasgow 5 March 1971’ by Scottish poet Edwin Morgan effectively conveys a violent incident which occurs on a busy street in Glasgow. The incident captured in this instamatic poem involves a violent attack on a young couple who are pushed through a shop window by thieving youths. The incident is shown vividly through various techniques such as imagery, word choice and structure. Through this poem, Morgan effectively criticises society and our reluctance to help others in need. One of the ways in which Morgan helps us understand the incident is through the use of imagery. The poem begins with a striking metaphor to describe the â€Å"ragged diamond of shattered plate-glass†. The broken glass is being compared to a diamond to help us picture the sharp, glinting edges of the window. This immediately shows how violent the incident is. He goes on to describe the man’s face as â€Å"bristling with fragments of glass†. This metaphor compared the numerous shards of glass on his face to a beard. This again highlights the pain and damage caused to the innocent â€Å"young man†. The serious nature of the injuries is also conveyed by the words â€Å"spurts of arterial blood† which creates the image of blood gushing out of the girl. Her â€Å"wet-look white coat† emphasises the amount of blood and the contrast of red blood on white which creates a strong visual image. The poem then moves on to describe the attackers using effective word choice to convey the lack of compassion shown to the victims. The incident is described as the â€Å"operation† which suggests that this is a purely business-like transaction for these people. There is no emotion. The word â€Å"loot† suggests that the youths’ only care is to grab as many valuables as possible and do it â€Å"smartly†. This highlights the impersonal, business-like manner again, showing a lack of humanity. Again this is done with â€Å"no expression† which shows no concern or care for the couple whose faces show â€Å"surprise† and â€Å"shock†. The word choice used here effectively shows the selfishness of the youths whose only care is to steal with no concern for who gets hurt in this violent incident. . Morgan achieves this by using the present tense, â€Å"a young man and his girl are falling†, â€Å"their arms are starfished†. This creates the effect of seeing the event as a picture rather than an ongoing event. The writer emphasises this with the words â€Å"sharp clear night† which relates to a camera image again. This helps the reader stand back and look at the event objectively without be involved. Morgan is trying to make the point that this is what we do in society when we see violence occurring – stand back and not get involved. This theme of society’s reluctance to help others is shown through the deliberate reference â€Å"in Sauchiehall Street†. This makes it clear that this violent incident took place on a busy street in Glasgow where lots of people would be. He goes on to refer to drivers â€Å"in the background† which again highlights the fact that people do not come forward to help the victims; they â€Å"keep their eyes on the road†. This final line effectively conveys Morgan’s attitude that people turn a blind eye to violence, most likely from fear or lack of compassion. Through presenting this ‘snapshot’ of the incident in â€Å"sharp clear† detail, it makes the reader think about what we would have done in this situation and why people failed to act. In conclusion this poem effectively conveys a violent incident on a busy Glasgow street. Edwin Morgan successfully highlights the lack of concern in our society for others. He achieved this through his instamatic technique, vivid imagery and effective word choice. These techniques helped me visualise the incident well and understand the writer’s message. The poem really made me think about how we treat one another in society as this incident is set in Glasgow in a busy street. It made me wonder if this would actually happen and if people would help or turn a blind eye.

Drama Coursework – The Evaluative Phase

1. My group's performance started in blackout with sad music which sets the mood and grabs the audiences attention making them listen and think. A red light comes up showing importance and there are narrators talking straight away all dressed in white to show purity and it looks a bit like they are angels. We also see the protagonist who is pregnant as she has a baby bump. In Scene 2 bay lifts come and take Mary's things. There is a lot of confusion and action and the bay lifts are dressed all in black to show they are nasty and harsh. We see this when they grab things off the protagonist and throw her to the floor and everyone stares with their arms folded showing negativity and shows Mary is trapped. To show a change of scene there is a light change and the actors with there arms folded turn in to face off. Then there is another scene change shown by the music being raised and a new set being brought on. The actor who plays the bank manager wears a suit to show importance and seriousness and Mary's husband wears a coat to show he has no intension if stopping with Mary and is going to go back outside. I think the next part of the performance is the strongest part of the play as the music is raised very loud and the actors mime an argument which is a contrast and then the protagonist looses the baby but as there is no speech you can interpret it any way you want. It is a very powerful and emotive scene. Then in the last scene a bed is made and the narrators look like nurses. They then give all the factual information about the advert and they all end in a still image on the bed and the lights fade which makes the audience think about what they have just seen and the music fades with it as the music is played all the way through. . In the beginning there is a lot of movement which grabs the audience's attention and there is also a slide and toys to signify a playground. You can tell that the actors are playing children as there voices are high and squeaky. There is a contrast when two of the actors are in a still image and the others are playing: silence verses sound. There is a use of face off when the stage becomes clear and then the actor turns in to a narrator. There is then an argument given in gibberish so the audience can interpret it however they like and there is a prop used to show alcohol. Music comes in which is emotive and shows sadness and all the actors are in a family portrait. It starts out happy and ends up sad showing what it was like before the father started drinking and then after. Then the light changes to a blue spotlight to show a change of scene and it also symbolizes sadness and focuses on one person that gives a monologue. We can tell the actor is a child as she uses a high squeaky voice and has a dolly which seems to give her security and it makes you feel sorry for her. The scene changes and to show the dad is living on the streets he has a drab blanket and grubby clothes and the only possession he has is a box with newspaper in it. People walking by have changed there character and this is shown by change of costume which shows the performance has multiple role-play in it. At the end there is narration to tell the story and it ends with all the actors in a still image with the lights fading. 3. Before I started homelessness and runaways I used to feel scared of anyone I saw living on the street. I thought that because they are worse off than me and desperate they would try and mug me and if they asked for money I quickly walked away feeling nervous. I think I just judged them because they looked different and lived a very different life to what I did. Now I have learnt about homeless people I realise that they aren't scary and are just the same as me. If I see someone homeless on the streets I feel sorry for them and I think this is because I didn't really no why they were living on the streets. I think I just assumed they were all drug addicts but now I no there are lots of different reasons why people live on the streets and I have learnt that there are all types of homeless people. Now if I see someone I would give them some of my extra change if they needed it because I feel so lucky to live in a house and have a nice bed to sleep in and all they have our the clothes on my back. I think I would feel really happy if I had helped a homeless person out if even just a little bit.