Compare and Contrast Essay Christianity, Islam, and Judaism

Although Christianity, Islam and Judaism are all religions that grew from the same central idea of one divine god named Abraham in the general time zone of 2500 BC, and in the holy city of Jerusalem, they are all very different from each other. Christianity, Islam and Judaism are all similar religions in some ways but are also very different from each other in other ways. The religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism are all similar because of a few very distinct reasons. The biggest reason that these religions are similar is because they all believe in one god called Abraham. Abraham is considered the founder or forefather of all three religions. All three religions also have a holy book which is another big similarity. Although each†¦show more content†¦There holy book is called Quran and contains the revelations that god made to Muhammad. They believe that through god Mecca was the holy city and the center of Islam. The five pillars are very different from any other religion because all Muslims must know them and they are the key to Islam. They are Shahada, Salat, Zakat. Siyam, and the Hajj. The Hajj is a key step in the five pillars and it tells that a Muslim must travel to Mecca to participate in a series of rituals if money and heath is stable. Islam’s holy building is called a mosque. They also have two major sects called sun ni and shii. Judaism is different from Islam and Christianity in surprisingly different ways considering that this was the starting religion and all other religions branched off from here. Jews believe that the Torah is the most important part of the holy book, which is called Tenakh and is written in Hebrew. The holy book has three distinct parts called Neviim, Ketuvim, and torah. They believe that about 3,000 years ago, God gave the torah to Moses, Judaism’s most important prophet. Judaism’s rituals involve breaking of Shabbat bread, and sharing wine. They worship on Friday evening and Saturday morning. They come together at a Holy building called a synagogue to pray. Jews are orthodox, conservative and reformed. As you can see although Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are all similar religions in some ways they are alsoShow MoreRelated Compare and Contrast Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay824 Words   |  4 PagesCompare and Contrast Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Human beings have always been curious about the meaning and purpose of life. Religions try to answer the curiosity people have about there being a higher source, typically identifying this greater domination as God. Some beliefs teach that there is only one G-d this is defined as a monotheistic religion. Some examples of monotheistic religions are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Although each sect has a different perspective on teachingsRead MoreChristianity, Islam, And Judaism1353 Words   |  6 Pages Compare and Contrast essay: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism Introduction of Religions Christianity most widely distributed of the world religions, having substantial representation in all the populated continents of the globe. Its total membership may exceed 1.7 billion people. Islam, a major world religion founded in Arabia and based on the teachings of Muhammad, who is called the Prophet. One who practices Islam is a Muslim. Muslims follow the Koran, the written revelation broug ht by MuhammadRead MoreComparing Judaism, Christianity, And Islamic Essay933 Words   |  4 PagesComparing and Contrasting: Judaism, Christianity, and Islamic As we all are aware of the many different forms of religion around the world, but are mostly only familiar with the faith that we were raised or chose to practice. Out of all forms of faiths there are three that are most popular, which are Judaism, Christianity, and Islamic. According to pbs.org, all â€Å"three were born in the Middle East and are all† monotheist religions. All in which consider Abraham â€Å"to be the first Jew† and â€Å"their firstRead MoreCCOT And CC Essay1549 Words   |  7 PagesAfrica Compare and contrast life in foraging societies with life in agricultural societies after the Agricultural Revolution Identify two key changes in early African history that resulted in a new period in the history of the region The Middle East Analyze the political changes in the Middle East from the Agricultural Revolution to 600 c.e. Compare and contrast the basic features of TWO of the following religious systems prior to 600 c.e. Polytheism Judaism Christianity Asia Compare the originsRead MoreThe Similarities Between Islam and Christianity Essay examples998 Words   |  4 PagesAt the first glance, Islam and Christianity appear to have nothing in common, however; as you go beyond the surface, they appear to have many similarities such as their beliefs of God, their beliefs of life after death, their holy scriptures, and their prayers. These religions, although are two entirely different beliefs, share a similar origin. Like many other religions, they both claim to be the one and only true way to God. In order to truly see and understand their similarities, one must dateRead MoreWorld Religion Engagement Paper # 2 Essay1627 Words   |  7 Pagestheir way in order to ensure their newest visitor understood the flow of service and the significance of the ritual which took place on the first Shabbat or Sabbath of the month. The following essay will serve to detail the worship experience as well as how it and other beliefs of Judaism compare/contr ast with the Christian faith. Worship Experience The writer did not have any personal Jewish associates in order to interview so it was incumbent upon to seek out a local congregation which wouldRead MoreDefining Religion Essay1687 Words   |  7 Pagesengage in religious practices in order to discover the social or psychological factors causing them to act in such a way. Such an assumption often tends to lead students of religion to doubt the value of being religious. Others, by contrast, would associate studying religion with discovering internal truth, perhaps by practicing certain devotional exercises, or thinking philosophically about questions relating to religion. This assumption often tends to confirm for theRead MoreCritique Of Marx And Burke1981 Words   |  8 PagesThis essay will be arguing that Marx and Burke held heavily contrasted views in regards to the role of religion in political. The topic of religion in politics has been highly debated throughout the ages, and the viewpoints held by these two scholars is meant to exemplify the struggle of opposing political ideologies. Marx believed that religion should be abolished and entirely separated from the state, and Burke believed that church and state should remain united in governance. To support this argumentRead MoreThe Arabs By David Lamb1943 Words   |  8 PagesDavid Lamb seems to try and give an accurate presentation of the current world of the Arabs, but does reinforce some of the Western stereotypes in his book. Lamb opens up about everything he sees, but what he cannot ignore is the Muslim religion Islam. â€Å"But the Arab remains always the Arab, a man held hostage by religion and culturally obsessed with identity†. This opening statement describes what a lot of Westerner’s feel when it comes to talking about the Arabs, and that is their faith is theRead MoreReligious Unrest in Nigeria9418 Words   |  38 Pagesmisunderstanding between two or more religious groups leading to death and mass destruction of lives and properties 1.2 Types of Religion: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism Judaism Major Religions of the World Since the early times of Paganism, religion has diversified and grown to include major monotheistic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as Indian and Far Eastern religions like Buddhism and Sikhism, Iranic religions like Zoroastrianism and Bahia, and African indigenous-based

Persuasive Speech The Electoral College - 1202 Words

Persuasive Speech Outline General Purpose: The general Purpose of my speech is to persuade Specific Purpose: The specific purpose of my speech is to persuade the audience to agree that the Electoral College should be abolished. Thesis: The Electoral College is unfair and should be abolished because of the â€Å"winner takes all rule,† the chance that a president cannot have the support of the majority of the voters, and candidates would campaign equally in every state. I. Introduction a. Hello everybody, today I am going to talk about a topic that could change the course of American History forever. b. The Electoral College is the process in which electors vote for the president of the United States. i. There are 538 electors between all 50†¦show more content†¦This will ultimately lead to a larger voter turnout across the nation, specifically in traditionally conservative or liberal states. III. Body Paragraph 2 a. Along with the â€Å"winner takes all† rule, the electoral should be abolished when deciding the president of the United States because of the chance that the president can win the election without the support of the majority of voters. b. Although this is rare, it has happened. In the year 2000, republican George W. Bush beat his democratic opponent Al Gore in the Electoral College with 271 electoral votes to Gore’s 266 votes. i. However Al gore beat Bush in the popular vote by receiving almost 700,000 more votes. 1. I got this information off of Dave Leip s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections on USelectionatlas.com ii. This phenomenon also occurred in the most recent 2016 election between the republican’s Donald Trump and the democrat’s Hillary Clinton. 1. This election however wasn’t as close as the 2000 election. Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by a drastic margin in the Electoral College with 306 votes to Hillary’s 232. 2. Even though Donald Trump had almost 15 percent more electors than her, Clinton beat Trump in the popular vote by around 2.5 million voters. a. This information was also found on USelectionatlas.com 3. This means that over half of the nation isShow MoreRelatedElectoral College Essay909 Words   |  4 PagesAsia Ray POS-301 May,6,2016 Instructor: Kathleen Sedille The structure and function of the electoral college consist of a process that was establish in the U.S Constitution by congress and electors, in which they the people would decide on voting for the President and Vice president of the United States of America. Within the qualification of voting, each presidential candidate running to become the next president of the United States of America, must have their very own electors ofRead MoreSpeech : Why You Should Be Politically Aware1304 Words   |  6 PagesSophie Pappas Speech 1 - 12:30 Ward Topic: Why you should be politically aware. General Purpose: To Persuade Thesis: We should all educate ourselves to be politically woke even if you hate the system so this reality show of an election and outcome that all of us were negatively shocked by won’t happen again. Persuasive Speech So, Donald Trump is the president-elect and I still wake up every morning with a slightly dead soul and single tear shedding down my face. I remembered beingRead MoreThe Legacy of Ronald Reagan: The Fortieth President of the United States716 Words   |  3 Pagesstorytelling. After high school Reagan went to Eureka College to study economics and sociology. Reagan’s high school interests carried on with him to college as he joined a fraternity, became a cheerleader, played football, was captain of the swim team, and voted the student body president. After graduating from College Reagan auditioned to many small town radio stations. He announced at the University of Iowa’s football games and soon with his persuasive voice started announcing for the Chicago Cubs baseballRead MoreThe Summer Of 1787 : The Men Who Invented The Constitution1517 Words   |  7 Pagesconflicting ideas about what the final Constitution should look like, the Convention became a long, gruelin g process for the delegates. Many proposals were voted on, reviewed by committees, forgotten about, and reintroduced only to be voted on again. Persuasive speeches were lengthy, and tempers flared as agonizing debates lasted hours. As the months passed by, many were worried that the Convention would yield no final product, as â€Å"delegates spoke openly of throwing in the towel and quitting the ConventionRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Michelle Obama s 2016 Democratic National Convention Speech1551 Words   |  7 Pages Michelle Obama’s 2016 Democratic National Convention Speech was beautifully presented; as she spoke about the issues that faces Mrs. Clinton as well as herself, education, health and welfare of this nation as a whole and why Hillary Clinton should be the next president of the United States of America. As I listen to this speech I realized that Michelle Obama uses rhetorical devices and appeals throughout this entire speech, and frankly since her purpose is to persuade the people of the this countryRead More`` Build That Wall `` By Donald Trump1866 Words   |  8 PagesHis thoughts about illegal immigration have caused controversy and chaos in the past year. This analysis will take a deep look into on of his illegal immigration speeches to Arizona and focus on the ethos, pathos, logos, and delivery of that speech. This speech dives into his illegal immigration plan with an attempt to get everyone on the same page as him. Trump is going to utilize ethos, pathos, and logos t o persuade the audience that a drastic change to our borders needs to be set in place. TrumpRead More The Elections of 1948 and 2004 Essay3532 Words   |  15 Pagesget him elected. Harry Truman was on the attack. The polls showed him far behind, so he figured he had ground to cover. He was quoted by the AP in the New York Times as saying â€Å"†¦if my opponent had the courage to discuss the issues.† (â€Å"President’s Speech in Pittsburg†). This recent election went similar. Although we did not have one candidate kick back and let his looks drive his campaign, we did have a candidate try and rely on his image to get him elected. It was viciously attacked, as well asRead MoreBiographies Of Donald Trump s Life Essay2255 Words   |  10 Pagesparents sent him to a military academy for high school. They hoped that his education there would also discipline him to make him a better child/person. He furthered his education by studying economics at Whar ton College at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1971, after he finished college, he took over his father’s real estate company. He renamed the company the Trump Organization. As he was very involved in economics, he would buy many pieces of land and create buildings, mostly in the ManhattanRead MoreA Linguistic Analysis of Obama’s Inaugural Address9492 Words   |  38 Pagesspecifically, I shall propose and focus on the idea that the composition of the speech has an aim to create a unity of the speaker and the audience in order to deliver the message. Moreover, the speaker maintains the atmosphere of unity throughout the speech, so that the speech produces an effect when the audience becomes a co-author of it. My thesis will also discuss some aspects of persuasive strategies employed in the speech from those dating back as long as Ancient Greece to temporal discourses. TheRead More Richard Nixon Essay2727 Words   |  11 Pagesin a packinghouse, janitor at a swimmi ng pool, and barker at an amusement park. While in college, Nixon served as bookkeeper and as manager of the vegetable department of his fathers store. Always a good student, he was invited by Harvard and Yale to apply for scholarships, but his older brothers illness and the Depression made his presence close to home necessary. So he attended nearby Whittier College, where he graduated second in his class in 1934. He went on to law school at Duke University

U.S. Civil Rights Milestones of the Early Twentieth Century Free Essays

It would be almost impossible to discuss the issue of civil rights in the U.S. without mentioning Martin Luther King. We will write a custom essay sample on U.S. Civil Rights Milestones of the Early Twentieth Century or any similar topic only for you Order Now He was the undeniable leader and hero of the American Civil Rights Movement of the twentieth century. He is widely recognized for his valiant efforts to advance civil rights for African Americans in the U.S. in the late 1950’s and 60’s. Countless streets and buildings carry his name and the country celebrates a national holiday on his birthday in January. He was the founder and first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The SCLC organized non-violent protests throughout the South. However, many people in the U.S. are not aware of any of the events in the Civil Rights Movement that took place before Dr. King’s leadership. The three major milestones that set the stage for Martin Luther King and the SCLC to advance the cause of U.S. civil rights were the integration of the military, the Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education decision, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The first noteworthy event of the twentieth century that advanced the cause of civil rights was executive order 9981. President Truman became enlightened about the plight of African Americans when he met with civil rights activists in the White House in 1946. After establishing a committee to recommend preventive measures to fight discrimination, Truman signed executive order 9981 that called for the integration of the military (Executive Order 9981). However, it was not fully enforced until the U.S. became involved in the Korean War. A legal decision that had a lasting impact on civil rights was the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education handed down in 1955. It established that public schools should not be segregated. Though it was challenged by several southern states for many years, all the states eventually followed it (Brown v. Board of Education).The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a protest orchestrated by Dr. King. Most people remember Rosa Parks as the brave woman who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. Her arrest led to a boycott of the buses in Montgomery, Alabama for over a year. The protest was successful and led to Martin Luther King’s presidency of the SCLC. As the president of the SCLC, he led many protests and marches and gave countless memorable speeches to champion civil rights (Montgomery Bus Boycott). Before MLK assumed a leadership role in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement through his presidency of the SCLC, other key events took place to pave the way for the fight for equality. Truman’s Executive Order 9981 in 1948 eventually led to complete racial integration in the military. Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education legally ended public school segregation, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott resulted in the end of illegal desegregation on public transportation. These historic events preceded Dr. King’s numerous achievements and helped energize the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Works Cited â€Å"Brown v. Board of Education.†Ã‚  History.com, AE Television Networks, 2009, www.history.com/. â€Å"Executive Order 9981.†Ã‚  Encyclopedia.com, Encyclopedia.com, 2016, www.encyclopedia.com/. â€Å"Montgomery Bus Boycott.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 2018, www.britannica.com/. How to cite U.S. Civil Rights Milestones of the Early Twentieth Century, Papers

The Symbol Of The South Essays - Political History, Vexillology

The Symbol Of The South The Symbol of the South The battle flag of the South stands above the capitol building in Columbia, SC. It waves proudly, echoing the lives and blood of men who sacrificed everything they were, and everything they had for something they believed in. They fought valliantly and bravely to protect their homeland, and to gain independence of the Union. The flag stands there, not as a symbol of hate, racial inequality, or blood-thirsty war, but as a symbol reflecting the rich South and the men who gave everything for it. Black and white, Indian, Irish and English, so many fought in the war. Blacks stood, shoulder to shoulder, with white men. Their blood is embedded as deeply as any white man's in the flag of the Confederacy. We all bleed red, the blood of many races were mingled on those ghostly battlefields when the smoke cleared. Removing the flag from where it has stood for over 60 years would be like saying that all of those men had given their lives for naught. Perhaps it would not have been best for the South to have won the war, but we should respect and uphold the men who fought so bravely for their cause. The mistaken idea that the Civil War was about slavery is one of the many causes that the flag's right to be above the capitol is questioned. This mistaken idea often causes problems between the races of this state. Slavery was wrong. I would never try to justify it, because it can not be justified. It was simply wrong, God made us all equal. A human being was never intended to be treated like an animal, animals even were not meant to be treated like slaves. Slavery is a sensitive area, but the flag does not reflect this. The war was about the South's right to make it's own laws, and to be free from the Union. There were many Black soldiers there in the Confederacy of their own will. They loved the South just as any white man. The flag means to harm to black people; it is there representing many lives of blacks who died in the war as well! Most of the white men who fought in the war did not even own slaves. The very high majority were not slave owners at all. When will the people see that the flag is not a symbol of hate? It is a symbol of pride, blood, and the lives of many men. Any and every man who fough in that war would want to see that flag flying above the state building. It has been said that the flag had a place in history, but that it has no place in the present. How can that be? The history makes the present what it is! Many people have exploited the flag. Hate-mongers fly it proudly in their racist ways, but they are the wrong ones. It is not the flag that reflects hate, it is their hearts. People who would misuse the flag in that way are not worthy of having it at all. It is people such as themselves who have ruined the reputation of the flag that once meant so much. The Confederate Flag belongs above the state capitol. It should be where the people of the South can watch it stand in it's glory. It should be the tie between races, not the wall seperating them. People who would remove it couldn't feel much pride for their state, or the blood of the ones who made it what it is. When the people of the state walk by that flag, they should hear the battle cry of the South. I am one who hopes to see the flag standing in the future. It has earned and it deserves the place where it is, and it should remain there to remind people of their heritage and history. American History

Making the Most of Palindromes

Making the Most of Palindromes Making the Most of Palindromes Making the Most of Palindromes By Guest Author Anyone can come up with a list of palindromes. The real challenge is to use them intelligently in published writing. Can a writer incorporate palindromes (words or phrases that read the same backwards and forwards) in any meaningful and credible way? Or will they remain nothing more than amusing stand-alone oddities? Here are five suggested uses for palindromes in fiction writing: 1. Place them in the mouth of a social misfit. Anyone who quotes palindromes incessantly in real life (â€Å"Go hang a salami, I’m a lasagna hog†) is clearly a person to be pitied. Waiting their moment to spring their new-found witticism upon the unsuspecting audience (â€Å"We panic in a pew†), the palindrome bore will never create one of his own and is always oblivious to the drooping eyelids on his hapless victims. If your novel contains such a nerd, stick a palindrome or two in his mouth and let your readers wince. 2. Use in crime or supernatural genres as a means of filling out a character’s profile. A serial killer who leaves palindromes as his calling card, for instance, may be more memorable than one who merely cuts a lock of the victim’s hair. â€Å"Borrow or rob† seems a possible option for such a criminal. Or, perhaps, â€Å"Dennis and Edna sinned†, for a nasty double murder. 3. Incorporate into historic works especially those set in the ancient world. Both Greek and Roman cultures used palindromes. The Sator Square, for instance, confounds scholars to the present day, with over fifty published books or academic articles seeking to explain this four-ways Latin palindrome: ROTAS OPERA TENET AREPO SATOR The words literally mean, â€Å"The farmer Arepo uses his plough as his form of work†, and have been discovered etched onto several Roman buildings across Europe. Some have suggested that the graffiti is evidence of an early Christian household the letters, stretched out, make the phrase PATER NOSTER (â€Å"Our Father†) in the shape of a cross, with a spare A and O (representing Alpha and Omega). Alternatively, it has been described as a piece of magical incantation, used in Greek-inspired mystery religion. The word Abracadabra was used in a similar way in the second century as a triangular chant believed to posses healing properties. Whatever the meaning, the graffiti shows that palindromes were part of the culture of the classical civilizations. Writers locating their stories in those worlds could do worse than slip in the odd back-to-front phrase   if they can create or find one. 4.   Throw into a comedy, or use as part of a comic interlude. Hammy, Pythonesque work may best suit a character tasked with the immortal lines, â€Å"Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas†, or, â€Å"Ten animals I slam in a net†. Perhaps a suitable palindromic name (Mike Kim, for instance) might also be appropriate for this individual. 5. Create palindrome poetry. We are indebted again to the ancients, who occasionally came up with such verse. Greek, Sanskrit and Hebrew palindromes have all been discovered mostly in the form of proverbs or short poems. Surely, the mother of all niche literature would be to publish your own palindrome poetry, create the blog and monetize the experience through a palindrome product store. Mugs engraved with â€Å"A nut for a jar of tuna† (and your logo) are guaranteed to enliven any office. Perhaps not. The challenge for the palindrome poet, of course, is to get beyond the one-line Napoleons Lament, â€Å"Able was I ere I saw Elba.† The English languages first full-length palindrome novel would, of course, take the art form to the ultimate level and ensure that the writer’s memory would never fade. A reviewer of such a ground-breaking work may, themselves, be tempted to lapse into palindromic praise: â€Å"Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good With"Certified" and "Certificated"While vs. Whilst

Is your social media hurting your job hunt

Is your social media hurting your job hunt If you were asked to describe your college experience at a job interview, you wouldn’t tell the hiring manager you lived for the weekends and were pretty much known as a party animal on campus, would you? Of course not- just like you know better than to put your contact email on your resume under the alias Baccardimami18. But if you’ve been posting pics from that wild night you had last weekend on your public-facing social media, you might be giving potential employers the wrong impression anyway. Everything is on the recordMillennials who grew up with social media have been creating a long record of life events. But as this generation enters the workforce, they are facing a new issue their predecessors never had to deal with. People may have access to every juvenile thought you ever put out into the world, from the age of 13 on. If you have ever made an unsavory comment online or posted a risquà © pic of yourself, your future employers can someday find it and see it a s a red flag.Most of the time we think of social media as an extension of our social lives. From the amazing view of a hike you took, to telling the world you got engaged, you share an aspect of yourself with your friends and maybe reach beyond to friends of friends. But before you post that next evening out, keep in mind that social media is increasingly being used by employers in job searches and even to keep tabs on current employees. Organizations not only use social media for targeted advertising, but also as a way to weed out job candidates from their pool of applicants. If you’re taking too many drunken party pics, you may be starting off on the wrong foot with potential employers.Be your own watchdog (and cheerleader)So what can you do now?First, Google yourself. Often. It’s a good idea to be aware of your internet presence and what information is available to the public. What is the sense that someone gets just by reading your tweets or following your Instagra m feed? Are you sharing your passion? Writing angry rants? Is the internet displaying your best or your worst?Your online presence is a reflection of you- even if it only shows a small part of who you are as a whole. Sometimes it can help to show your qualifications, your media savviness, and even your interest in a certain company where you’re seeking employment. These are positive things employers could find while doing background checks. But if you have an online presence full of red flags, you can’t really scrub the internet.Instead, start building up those positives. Next time you post, remember you may be speaking to a wider audience than just close friends. And while you can’t scrub the internet of every bad thing you ever did, you can start to improve your posting habits and create a stellar view of yourself to the world. If the wrong material shows on page one of Google, develop a professional personal website to try to push those bad results down the p age.Next step: make sure your communications and information you provide a prospective employer match. The ease of the internet makes fact-checking much easier and padding your resume too much becomes riskier. Win any awards lately? It’s probably verifiable online.Don’t live your whole life onlineLastly, are you posting too much? Too little? If you’re obsessed with social media and post too often, this can also be a red flag. Try to unplug once in a while. But the opposite can also be a problem. What if you’re not on social media at all, or hate those LinkedIn invites so much you never built a profile? Maybe a hiring manager won’t see any embarrassing college moments, but not having any information about you may be hurting you too. If employers are using sites to screen candidates, you may just be weeded out automatically if there’s nothing about you on the web.The solution is to control what other people see of you: craft a professional, hi gh-Google-rank web presence that puts your best foot forward. The impression you make to employers doesn’t just happen at the interview. Whether or not you’re on the job market, think before you link, comment, tweet, or post.

Definition of Queer in Relation to Gender and Sexuality Essay

Definition of Queer in Relation to Gender and Sexuality - Essay Example The theory seeks to address the definition of identities of different people who choose to hold onto values that society considers abnormal. Queer defines any behavior, act or approach related to gender, sex, sexuality and feminism that contradicts what society considers normal. The existing gender system is highly regarded by society and the normal class comprises only those who conform to societal values attached to gender. Society uses gender to define different aspects of sexuality. The current gender system faces some challenges because it is binary. One can only be male or female. The aspect of being male or female is used to judge the behavior of an individual as either acceptable in society or not. This brings about the issue of being normal, which is criticized by Warner. Warner challenges the need of homosexuals and transsexuals to receive a ‘normal’ tag from society. Currently, as a matter of fact, society only considers heterosexuals. The gay and lesbians in society face defamation and rejection. Society norms insist that they break the very rules of nature that should remain unbroken. They belong to a third gender, probably, because they defy the rules of the binary gender system that society esteems. Michael Warner challenges the use of the term ‘queer’ which, in his opinion, should be referred to those individuals who claim that sexuality is irrelevant but still strive to be regarded as normal. According to Warner’s critique, the society should reconsider the standards of what qualifies to be normal. He further challenges homosexuals and their Queer theory in a bid to receive the normal tag. According to him, issues of being normal or not only came about when man could keep statistics. Statistics of different aspects have led to determination of a normal value for such an aspect. A variety was acceptable in society before. Logically, each one of us deviates from the normal standards of a society in one way or anot her. Therefore, deviation from the norm should not give rise to shame, rebellion or self-defense. On top of that, Warner argues that society should not condemn to rejection and stigmatization those deviating from the norm (48). Bornstein, on the other hand, blames the stigma attached to those deviating from the societal norm which insists on the binary gender system. Bornstein asserts that the binary status of gender leaves an individual with no choice to express the self-cultivated ideals. It condemns one to conform to the system. In her opinion, society should drop the gender system that condemns one side to oppression and allows the other to enjoy privileges (Bornstein 111). Bornstein wishes society was more accommodating to the class of individuals who choose not to belong to any of the two gender options. She calls them a third class of people or transsexuals. Bornstein envisages a transgendered society in which humans will treat each other fairly, without oppression and superi ority. In her opinion, the future without gender will be a safer place for everyone in society. According to my definition, ‘queer’ refers to any form of expression and identity regarding gender that is not common in society. However, the standards of determining what is normal usually leave no space for self-expression and identity in an innovative way. Therefore, the ‘