Psychology and Theology Essay Example for Free

Psychology and Theology Essay 1. My personal experience involves a combination of secular and religious study in the area of counseling.   This experience and education has led to a conclusion that although there are a number of opposing factors in the beliefs and theories used in both, the two are neither completely oppositional to each other nor mutually exclusive.   In many ways the views and methods of both can be combined to make a very effective counseling technique and a well rounded counselor (McMinn, 1996). Secular counseling has numerous theories on how people learn and that the ways they learn affect the methods needed to modify negative behaviors.    These techniques can work to some degree, such as offering a dollar for getting an A on a paper.   Children then become more motivated to get A’s.   These techniques often fail to create long term results however, as people often get tired and the excitement of the reward fades.   They then go back to old ways.   When the eternal rewards of spiritual counseling are added, however, the motivation for long term behavior change becomes much more long term. The two methods of counseling differ most greatly in life’s focus.   Secular counseling teaches that a strong sense of self will solve all problems, where as religious counseling teaches to focus everything around God and the problems will diminish (Kajer, 2006).   These can however be combined with the focus on God, while still encouraging the person to forgive himself and be comfortable with himself as the person God created.   This keeps the focus where it belongs while helping the person recognize himself as a creation from God. I have learned to find a combination of these views by realizing why secular counseling often fails, and realizing that although a person needs to be humble he still needs to respect what is God’s creation and take care of it. 2. All human beings have sinned, but not all of psychology is sinful or thinking  about humans as sinful.   Psychology is about the study of human behavior and because much of human behavior especially that requiring counseling is sinful, there is a degree of sin involved.   This does not make psychology sinful.   There are many psychologists and secular counselors with spiritual views and backgrounds.   Most of them are bound by legalities and job guidelines to keep the spiritual aspect of counseling out of the job, but not only because they are sinful humans or because they are thinking about sinful humans. Many of the theorists in psychology have developed theories that contradict many Biblical teachings, the most notable one being self actualization.   In this theory, the person’s main goal is to reach the perfect self at which time he has reached the ultimate existence. This additionally is based on the theory that human beings are inherently good and not evil and can naturally distinguish between right and wrong (Management, 2005). Obviously this kind of thinking is sinful as spiritual people are supposed to strive to be closer to God and to live according to his will in order to reach the ultimate existence. If a counselor can balance the basic idea of psychology (the study of human behavior) and the theological values, there is no reason psychology should be considered a sinful study or practice.   It does focus on the behavior of humans and how to change deviant behavior to make it more positive.   It is based on discovering how people learn and then taking that knowledge to help modify behavior.   It only becomes a sinful practice when those studying or teaching it contradict God’s teachings. 3. My goal as a counselor should be to help minimize the pain and negative  effects of suffering and to help prevent as many future problems as possible.   In order for a counselor to continue to function and perform the job successfully, it is important to remember and understand that there is no way to prevent every cause of pain and heal all suffering.   There is no way to completely take away the pain a child feels after losing a parent or prevent an accident from happening.   It would not be realistic for any counselor to think it is possible or even ideal to keep all pain from happening. People are allowed to suffer disappointments, set backs and losses in order for them to learn from them (Gress, 2007).   If   everything worked out exactly as people wanted them to and there were never any disappointments the world would be filled with a bunch of spoiled adults, who were unable to appreciate anything. Counselors who go into the profession with the belief they can solve every problem and make everyone’s pain completely go away are setting themselves up for failure and disappointment, because they are expecting to accomplish the impossible.   Those who set the realistic goals of providing comfort, minimizing grieving, speeding emotional healing, and modifying behavior when needed are the counselors most likely to stay in the field long term.   The ones who hope to solve everyone’s problems have a tendency to take the problems upon themselves and â€Å"burn out† relatively soon.   Counselors need to focus on the most significant problem for each person and work on one thing at a time. 4. The subject of a healthy sense of self is one major difference between  psychology and theology.   Both views involve people who are happy, and focused on a goal, but the views differ greatly in the center of the focus. Many psychological theories focus on making people feel good about themselves and then everything else in the world will fall into place.   In this case a healthy sense of self is essentially a â€Å"puffed up self†, or a person who thinks of himself as the most important person in the world and can do no wrong.   This involves making the person become the center of his Universe. The Biblical view of a healthy sense of self places God in the proper place as the center of man’s universe and when the focus is on God, everything else falls into place.   This requires the person to learn humility and to give God his proper credit for the role he plays in a person’s life.   The view here is that when a person is focused on living life for God, he will be happy and comforted in the knowledge that he is putting forth his best effort for God. A person with a true healthy sense of self would be a person who values himself as a creation of God and a worker for him.   This is a person who knows his place in the world, yet places the focus of the world on God.   As the person strives to be more like God, he appreciates what God has provided him and uses the talents God has given him.   This person is happy and well adjusted to the world around him.   He knows his talents and his mission and uses them to grow closer to God. This description of a healthy sense of self tends to lean more towards the Biblical view, but does place value on the person and God’s creation and teaches the person to have respect for himself.   This is consistent with God’s teaching that the body is his temple and that people need to care for their bodies and respect them. 5. Scripture can provide answers to essentially any problem that is faced by  people.   Verses that say â€Å"through God all things are possible† or â€Å"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me† (NIV) provide people with the knowledge that they do not have to face problems alone and that there is hope.  Ã‚   When a counselor is allowed to use scripture and the hope it provides, the counselor has a great deal more comforting hope to provide the person who is suffering. The instruction and guidance provided by scripture can provide the counselor with a great deal of information and guidance to help the counselee though most of life’s situations.   It additionally provides more appropriate alternatives to deviant behavior and provides people with ways to resist the temptation of falling back into old unhealthy habits.   In more extreme cases the Bible can show examples of what has happened to people who could not change behavior or are unable to turn problems over to God. In addition to providing the counselor with the most powerful tool available, it can provide a source of comfort and hope for the counselor as well.   When a counselor begins to feel overwhelmed or helpless, the same verses that provide comfort to the counselees facing crisis can provide renewed strength and hope for the counselor. Scripture provides the hope, answers, and promises to help people overcome the greatest obstacles, but they need to follow the directions and examples the Bible provides. 6. Most secular counseling jobs do not allow counselors to use scripture or express their personal religious beliefs to counselees.   The purpose of this is to avoid pressuring people into complying with beliefs that go against their religious beliefs.   In the United States people do have the right of religious freedom.   The rights of others have to be respected by the counselor.   Using prayer in these settings could cause the counselor to lose his job, or the counselee could lose respect for the professionalism of the counselor. Religious counselors have more freedom in this area due to the fact that they are counseling in a spiritual based setting.   When people seek the help of these counselors, they know they are going to a person who uses the Bible as a reference and a basis for the counseling.   Payer is more accepted and sometimes expected in these counseling settings and can be very helpful with counselees who need the hope and guidance of God (Goliath, 2007). A counselor with a new counselee should ask the person if they would like to pray,   this provides the counselee the option of being prayed for if they would like it.   For those who do not feel comfortable with prayer or would not take the prayer seriously additionally have the option of passing on it. The counselor can pray for those who choose against prayer when the session is over.   During the private times of prayer the counselor can ask for guidance to help the person not only overcome the crisis, but to grow more comfortable with prayer and asking God for his help.   Everyone needs prayer, but if a person prefers private prayer or has different beliefs than the counselor, it can either cause the counselee to not return or can cause a setback in the counseling process.   Counselees need to feel comfortable during counseling sessions in order for progress to be made. 6. Sin is often the source of the problems for which people seek counseling.   In  order for the situation to be resolved and the person to get past it, the sin has to at some point be confronted.   The problem is how a counselor should go about confronting the sin.   If the sin is confronted before the counselee is willing to admit that sin is the cause of the problem, there is a chance he will leave and the problem will not get resolved.   If the counselor however spends too much time making the counselee comfortable and avoiding the issue, the sin will not be likely to be confronted and the situation still stands the chance of not getting resolved. In the very first session, the counselor needs to get a back ground of why the counselee has either sought or been referred for counseling.   One of the best ways to do this is to ask him.   Along with this is a good time to ask if there was any sin involved that needs to be forgiven.   If he is able to state the sin and talk about it then the sin should be confronted and resolved very early in the counseling.   Then healing can begin quickly. If the person denies sin as playing a part in the situation, then the instigating situation needs to be discussed in greater detail and possible reasons behind that including sin pointed out.   Once the person is able to understand there is sin in his life, then is the best time to talk about ways to have the sins forgiven both by God and anyone who was sinned against. The best way to confront sin is to ask questions and to provide guidance as  needed.   Direct confrontation often leads people to be offended and shut down, but  questions can lead them to discover the problem on their own.   Although it is never easy to confront someone on sin, a counselor or church leader must do it in order to help those in need overcome the sin (Adams, 1980)

Wis :: essays research papers

. What I Know My first introduction to Islam was when I heard that a new movie would be coming out called Malcolm X. I heard it was supposed to be really good once the filming was finished. So I decided to read the book before I watched the movie so that it would be easier for me to understand it when I see it on the big screen. I borrowed the book from the library and I was really enjoying the book until I got half way through, to the point where the Nation of Islam teaches that white people are devils. I was so disgusted, I didn't finish the book. Finally, the movie was about to be released and I saw the previews on television, plus the reviews in the paper. It looked appealing, and I heard that Malcolm X later dropped out of the NOI and realized that white people are not devils. So I decided to read the book again, and I was very pleased that I finished it this time. However, I did not pursue more knowledge on the subject at this time. Then when I entered Gallaudet, I met a lot of people who were Muslim and I spent quite some time with them. I learned bits and pieces about Islam through socializing with them. I never really asked questions, maybe occasionally I would. I know a little bit about women in general and even less about women's roles. My knowledge about Islam is superficial, but I want to know more in depth; the soul of the Muslim Woman. I know that women must dress modestly and cover their hair. Only their face and hands can show. I also know that many men prefer or consider the main role of women is to stay home and take care of their husbands, children, and protect the home. That practice is stronger in Eastern societies than in America. I understand that many non-Muslims stereotypically think that the way Muslim women are treated is derogatory, because of the way they dress, the roles they play in their community, the limits that society bestows upon them, and that they have few rights. My main goal i s to see why most women choose to stay in Islam and what is really behind the Islamic stereotypes. II. What I Want to Find Out I chose to pick Women in Islam as my topic because I have many Muslim friends and I think they are very interesting.

Nazi Party Rises to Power

Ian Kershaw was a medievalist who, nearly 30 years ago, turned his interests to the history of the Third Reich. This is the second volume of his encyclopaedic biography of Hitler, and the best thing in it is his treatment of Hitler's effect on the German people. He intersperses his biography with evidence of German popular sentiment, fragmentary and yet telling. Many Germans (perhaps understandably) have tried to separate the history of Hitler from the history of the German people during the Third Reich, one historian going so far as to declare that there were no National Socialists, there was only Hitler.This is nonsense, and Kershaw knows it very well. The great majority of the Germans followed Hitler until the very end. Kershaw's Hitler is more telling about the Third Reich than about the man himself. The result is a one-dimensional portrait, and not an illuminating one. This is a pity, because we shall see more and more studies of Hitler (including, I fear, more and more cleverly composed and carefully disguised apologies).There is not one trace of defence or apology here, and Kershaw makes the much-needed and persuasive argument that even when no evidence of direct orders exists, there is no reason to think that his minions were committing their brutalities contrary to, or even without, Hitler's wishes. But Kershaw's portrait of Hitler is that of a single-minded fanatic with crazy ideas who was doomed to defeat. It was not as simple as that.Hitler was no fool, and his abilities as statesman and strategist derived from the same talents that had enabled him to become ruler of Germany. These talents were protean – for instance, his uncanny capacity to foretell what his enemies would not do. Kershaw does not see how close Hitler came to winning the war, not only in the summer of 1940 but in 1941. His knowledge does not extend sufficiently to Hitler's adversaries, or to foreign policy. After November-December 1941 Hitler could no longer win the second wo rld war, but he could still prevail by not losing it.Had he driven Stalin beyond the Volga, forcing an armistice of sorts, or thrown the Anglo-American armies into the sea in 1944, he would not have won the war, but one or other of his enemies would have been compelled to make some kind of arrangement with him. He knew that, and in December 1941 his entire strategy changed. He now faced a long war, and believed that sooner or later the uneasy and unnatural coalition of his enemies, capitalists and communists, would break apart. He was right; but, fortunately, too late for him. ) He also knew that this could not be achieved by diplomacy, but by striking a decisive blow against one of his enemies. At the same time he gave the command of German industry to Speer, turning it into an astonishingly successful and productive war economy. There is almost nothing in Kershaw's book about this momentous change in Hitler's strategy. Nor is there anything about Hitler's attempts to divide the Al lies.Kershaw begins the present volume by summing up his first one: in the 1930s Hitler â€Å"was a political outsider with few, if any, special talents beyond undoubted skills as a demagogue and propagandist†. Yet in his foreign policy before 1939 â€Å"his sense of timing ha[d] been excellent, his combination of bluff and blackmail effective, his manipulation of propaganda to back his coups masterly†. Another contradiction, within one page: â€Å"He was certainly alert to the dangers of a collapse in his popularity, and the likely domestic crisis which would then occur. Yet: â€Å"It is, in fact, doubtful whether he would have believed the accounts of poor morale, even if he had read them. † By 1936 Hitler â€Å"had thought himself infallible; his self-image had reached the stage of outright hubris†. Yet in November 1936 Hitler said to Speer, after a long silence: â€Å"If I succeed, I will be one of the greatest men in history – if I fail, I w ill be condemned, rejected, and damned. † This volume is not well written: there are many errors of facts and dates, and strange words such as â€Å"devotalia†, â€Å"actionism†, â€Å"diplomatic outfall†.The other main shortcoming is Kershaw's extensive dependence on Hitler's statements as his primary source. The problem here is not only that Hitler, despite his loquacity, was a very secretive man (as he himself states on occasion); we must also keep in mind that he was a master of the spoken word (again, something which he often emphasised). The great turning point of his life came in 1919: his decision to enter politics was contemporaneous with his discovery that he was a very efficient speaker.Thereafter, he always spoke with the purpose of influencing his hearers, not only in his public speeches but also in table conversations and talks with Goebbels, on whose diaries Kershaw sometimes unduly depends. Did Hitler always believe what he was saying? Kers haw writes as though he did, yet we have evidence to the contrary. This is especially so in the case of Russia. Kershaw writes that in the 1930s Hitler was â€Å"increasingly preoccupied with the looming threat, as he saw it, from Bolshevism†.Not at all: Hitler gave little thought to Soviet Russia until 1939, but he very ably used the threat of Bolshevism to impress conservatives in Germany and Britain. Several times during the war Hitler praised Stalin for having got rid of the influence of Jews. Yet in all his public statements, including the last ones in April 1945, he proclaimed the peril of â€Å"Jewish Bolshevism†. It is the great merit of British writing to have married biography to history. In the 19th century, professional historians tended to eschew biography.The English tradition was an exception, with enduring results during the 20th century, to the extent that the appetite of the public for serious biographies is now larger than ever before, and every seri ous biographer now follows the practices of historical research. Still, biography requires particular talents, including not only a certain degree of empathy with one's subject but an incisive understanding of human nature. Kershaw is a better historian than he is a biographer.

Marbury vs Madison Essay examples - 921 Words

Marbury vs Madison As the government was newly establishing its stronghold on the nation, forging its way to a powerful republic and instituting precedents for the future, a struggle to preserve the foundations of American Society instituted by Washington and John Adams existed as Thomas Jefferson took office. In an attempt to maintain the â€Å"edifice of the National Government† believing Jefferson would topple the prestigious nation with his atheist views, Adams appointed various Federalists to the judiciary. Thus, attributing to the single most significant case of the Supreme Court, Marbury Vs. Madison, a struggle between Republicans and Federalists that would end in a future altered by fate. This controversial landmark case†¦show more content†¦A few technicalities derived into a failure to deliver the commissions and therefore once discover by Jefferson who saw them as a judiciary of â€Å"ardent political leaders,† they were kept from delivery. Jefferso n, wanting control appointed some of his own judges, and attempted to abolish the jobs of the new circuit judges, of the few whom received their commission. Thus, threatening the foundation of a stable government and the independence of the judiciary system. John Marshall, Chief Justice, appointed by Adams despised Jefferson and sought to undermine his power and authority, which he felt was unjust. Madbury Vs. Madison gave him this opportunity, an opportunity to attack his enemy head on. He believed the judicial repeal act that Jefferson and this Secretary of State, James Madison, sought, was unconstitutional, and through these beliefs he acted boldly, instituting judicial precedent. William Madbury, feeling he had a right to his position of Justice of Peace, asked the Court to issue an order forcing Madison to appoint Marbury, whose commission he was with holding in order to replace him with a Republican. Marshall demanded an explanation why such a writ should not be ordered, thus attempting to assort authority over the Executive Branch. Marshall was determined to assail upon Jefferson and used this case as an excuse, especially because of the abolition of the circuit courts and theShow MoreRelatedThe Marbury Vs. Madison Case887 Words   |  4 PagesIn the Marbury Vs. Madison’s case Justice John Marshall represented the case and I strongly believe that his points were solid and worth to be granted true and rational. John Marshall’s argument is that the acts of Congress in conflict with the Constitution are not laws and therefore are not progressed into law to the courts, and ultimately the judicial boards’ first responsibility is always to practice and to make firm of the Constitution. Marshall complained that the Constitution is the â€Å"supremeRead More John Marshall Essay1814 Words   |  8 Pagescourt cases over which he presided; Marbury v. Madison (1803), Fletcher v. Peck (1810), Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819), McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), and Gibbons v. Ogden (1824). The first significant case Marshall was faced with was Marbury v. Madison in 1803. In the last few days of his presidency, John Adams appointed members of the Federalist Party to the new offices he created within the judicial branch. When Thomas Jefferson took office he told James Madison, his secretary of state, not toRead MoreJudicial Review : The Supreme Court3113 Words   |  13 Pagesdelegates made statements that were in support of the idea of judicial review† (Prakash 123). The interesting part about the quote is that it states that the idea of judicial review was in place in America many years before the actually case of Marbury v. Madison. Even in the Federalist Papers No. 78 which was published in May 28, 1788, by Alexander Hamilton, went into lengthy discussion about judicial review. 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When Chief justice John Marshall was in control, There was a nation wide law that allowed the supreme court to choose what the constitution actually says. Marbury vs. Madison became the building blocks of the main function of the supreme court s today. Adams’ secretary, JohnRead MoreHow The Death Penalty Changed Over Time Essay1711 Words   |  7 P agesThis semester I learned a bit more about how and why Marbury vs. Madison established the powers of Judicial Review. My previous classes in political science had treated the case as a footnote and it was nice seeing the whole picture. Second, I learned about how the death penalty has changed over time. Lastly this class reaffirmed my belief that in Texas the only way to make lasting change is to prove ones point over the other rather than to simply win in a debate of opinion. 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During this time period, it was strange for a man to go beyond the colony for his education (â€Å"The Founding Fathers: Virginia†). However, Madison went against the social norm, which ultimately gave him an advantage by broadening his understandings of all the differentRead MoreJudicial Review : The Supreme Court867 Words   |  4 Pagesemphasized for the first time in the well-known case of Marbury vs. Madison. In this case, in the year 1803, William Marbury was appointed a s the Justice of the Peace in the district of Columbia by president John Adams; however the secretary of the state, John Marshal failed to deliver this commission in time before the end of John Adam’s term; the new secretary of state James Madison refused to deliver the commission. Marbury reacted by suing James Madison in the supreme court, requesting a writ of mandamusRead MoreComing Together855 Words   |  4 Pagesmost famous cases, Marbury VS Madison in 1803, The Supreme Court declared that the law on which Marbury based his claim was unconstitutional, and therefore the court refused to order Madison to give Marbury his money. This case showed the use of the Judiciary Act of 1789, which ensured that Congress exercises only those powers granted to them by the Constitution. Because of this act, the rights of the people are protected by the courts. In another case of his, Dartmouth College VS Woodward in 1816