Free Essays on Little And Big Dipper

The Big Dipper is one of the most distinctive asterisms in the sky, also known as the Ursa Major or the Great Bear. The Big Dipper is a group of seven bright stars, three that form a handle and four that form a bowl. Fugitive slaves before the Civil War knew it as "the drinking gourd", a signpost in the sky pointing the way north to safety, to Canada where slavery was outlawed. In 1926, when Alaska had to create its own flag, they used the big dipper and the North Star as a design for their flag. It is a piece of Stone Age culture thought to be at least 8,000 to 12,000 years old. In different countries, the Big Dipper has a different name. For instance, In Ireland it was called the "King David's Chariot," from one of that island's early kings. In France, it was the "Great Chariot." And in the British Isles these seven stars are known widely as "The Plough." The Little Dipper is a constellation reflecting and being the smaller version of the Big Dipper. It can be found by looking directly up from the two outermost stars which form the bowl on the Big Dipper. These two stars point us to Polaris, the Pole Star indicating the North Pole, which is at the end of the Little Dipper's handle. The Big Dipper The Little Dipper The 7 stars that are a part of the Big Dipper are: 1. Alkaid 2. Mizar 3. Alioth 4. Megrez 5. Dubhe 6. Merak 7. Phad or Phecda In the Big Dipper, Mizar, the second star from the end, is actually made up of 4 stars. The brighter 2nd magnitude Mizar, and a fainter 4th magnitude nearby star, Alcor are separated by about 11.8 minutes of arc, and being able to detect the two as separate is considered a test of good eyesight. However Alcor is not part of Mizar. Mizar is at a distance of 78 light years from the Sun, and Alcor at 81 light years. The Big Dipper is setting in the northwestern sky at 7:30 p.m. Use the two Pointer stars at the end of the bowl of the ... Free Essays on Little And Big Dipper Free Essays on Little And Big Dipper The Big Dipper is one of the most distinctive asterisms in the sky, also known as the Ursa Major or the Great Bear. The Big Dipper is a group of seven bright stars, three that form a handle and four that form a bowl. Fugitive slaves before the Civil War knew it as "the drinking gourd", a signpost in the sky pointing the way north to safety, to Canada where slavery was outlawed. In 1926, when Alaska had to create its own flag, they used the big dipper and the North Star as a design for their flag. It is a piece of Stone Age culture thought to be at least 8,000 to 12,000 years old. In different countries, the Big Dipper has a different name. For instance, In Ireland it was called the "King David's Chariot," from one of that island's early kings. In France, it was the "Great Chariot." And in the British Isles these seven stars are known widely as "The Plough." The Little Dipper is a constellation reflecting and being the smaller version of the Big Dipper. It can be found by looking directly up from the two outermost stars which form the bowl on the Big Dipper. These two stars point us to Polaris, the Pole Star indicating the North Pole, which is at the end of the Little Dipper's handle. The Big Dipper The Little Dipper The 7 stars that are a part of the Big Dipper are: 1. Alkaid 2. Mizar 3. Alioth 4. Megrez 5. Dubhe 6. Merak 7. Phad or Phecda In the Big Dipper, Mizar, the second star from the end, is actually made up of 4 stars. The brighter 2nd magnitude Mizar, and a fainter 4th magnitude nearby star, Alcor are separated by about 11.8 minutes of arc, and being able to detect the two as separate is considered a test of good eyesight. However Alcor is not part of Mizar. Mizar is at a distance of 78 light years from the Sun, and Alcor at 81 light years. The Big Dipper is setting in the northwestern sky at 7:30 p.m. Use the two Pointer stars at the end of the bowl of the ...

Book Idea How to Find Good Book Ideas Guaranteed to Stir Envy

Book Idea How to Find Good Book Ideas Guaranteed to Stir Envy Book Idea: How to Find Good Book Ideas Guaranteed to Stir Envy A good book idea is rare.As much as you think all of your book ideas are fantastic and anyone would love to read themyou might be completely wrong.And I’ll explain why shortly but first, if you want to skip ahead and discover if your book idea is indeed a great one, take this intuitive quiz that will tell you exactly how it fares against the competition.Click Here to Take the Quiz!What makes a good book?A good book is a combination of high passion on your end, making your readers feel intensely along with a structure that toys with their emotions and an overall message worth sharing.In order to come up with a good book idea, you have to understand what makes a book great and then work backward from there.This might seem a little vague but in reality, this combination isn’t easy to come by.A good book takes time, effort, and the right formula to get right. If you want to leave readers feeling stunned in the best way (and ready to give you those coveted 5-star reviews), i t’s essential to first start with a great book idea.Here are some of the top qualities that make a book good:It invokes high levels of emotion in the readerIt has an overarching theme or messageA strong, pleasant voiceA structure that builds on itselfQuality writing that’s enjoyable to read and visualizeOriginality Once you know what your book needs, it’s time to figure out what you should write about.NOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Self-Publishing Program. Learn more about it hereWhat should I write my book about?When determining what you should write your book about,start with figuring out if you want to write fiction or nonfiction.If you want to write nonfiction:Fiction and nonfiction are basically two different worlds when it comes to writing.You have to determine if you’re someone who wants to write fiction or nonfiction. This decision is typically simple to mak e because if you dont have an interest in creating new worlds, realities, or making up characters, fiction is not for you.On the other hand, if you love to write guides and how-tos and maybe even self-help related books, nonfiction is going to be a better fit for you.If you want to write fiction:You have to start by determining what kind of fiction you want to write.Which genre will be your battlefield?These are just the more popular fiction genres:RomanceFantasy / Sci-fiContemporaryMysteryThriller / HorrorSatireYoung AdultIn order to choose, pick the genre you enjoy reading the most. That means if you love fantasy and typically read that more than anything else, this will be the genre you’ll enjoy writing the most.Once you know what you want to write, you have to learn how to come up with a good book idea in it. Coming Up With a Good Book Idea for Both Nonfiction and FictionWe’re going to separate these two simply because the process is so different. Coming up with fi ction book ideas differs greatly from nonfiction because they cover much different information, key elements, and reader intent.- How do I come up with a fiction idea for a book?Fiction is amazing because you can come up with pretty much anything and it can be formed into a good book idea.Let us help you break it down.#1 Use writing prompts to spark your creativityIf you have a hard time coming up with book ideas, then what you really need is something to prompt your mind into thinking creatively and imaginatively.And that something is a writing prompt.Writing prompts are very short ideas or story concepts for you to use in order to get started. Think of them as the catalyst for your imagination.We actually have a list of over 200 original fiction writing prompts created for this specific purpose.You can fill out the form below to download them! These prompts might contain the beginning of your next book idea. #2 Do some people watchingHead to a park or airport and just sit down to watch people. This might seem a little odd (or even a tad bit creepy) to you but it’s often a great way to get real:She was perched at her desk, the monotonous tap-tap-tap of the keys a familiar comfort amidst the silence of her lonesome. Leaning in, her eyes flitted across the screen, following the lead of each word she typed.Start writing yours and your mind might just come up with a book idea for you to take to publication.Other Methods for Coming Up With Book IdeasEveryone is different and all of our minds work differently. And that means if you want to come up with a good book idea, you’ll have to try a number of different methods to determine what works best for you.Here are some alternative methods for coming up with a book idea that aren’t listed above.#1 The snowball methodThis is a technique that helps your ideas build on one another much like a snowball builds on itself when yo u start rolling it through the snow.How its Done:How to do this book idea-generating exercise: This is done by writing down a broad concept first, like: Confidence. From there, you will list more specific but still general terms related to this, like: Gain more confidence Confidence and your mood Confidence in the workplace -What affects confidence?After you have these ideas, pick a single one to narrow down even more until you have a niche-specific book idea.#2 Your own twist on a heavily-searched topicThis is for you nonfiction writers out there. In order to find topics that are searched a lot, hop on Amazon, choose â€Å"Books† from the search bar drop-down, then click the search icon or hit enter (yes, without typing anything in the search field).This will bring you to the generic â€Å"home page† for books. Scroll down a little bit and locate the left sidebar with the different categories like â€Å"Popular in Books,† â€Å"More in Books,† and mor e.From here, choose â€Å"Top 20 Lists in Books† as seen below.You can easily scroll through the different sections in order to get an idea for what’s the most popular.Now, most of these will be fiction, as it’s the top-selling genre.If you want to find nonfiction-specific top sellers, repeat the first two steps in order to go back to the books â€Å"homepage.†Then scroll down until you find the â€Å"Books† category with specific genres beneath. You can click on the genre you have the most interest in, like â€Å"Self-Help† in the example below.From here, scroll down until you find the â€Å"Bestsellers† section in which you can discover the hottest titles and topics they cover so you can shape your book idea based on what will sell, like in the image below.#4 Write down any and all ideasEven if they’re tiny and you think they could never make a great book, write them down.You never know what could blossom into sometime incre dible. Maybe JK Rowling never thought an idea about a wizard in school would be interesting and look what happened there!Next Steps If You’re Serious!If you have a book idea or even if you don’t, we can help.Book a call with one of our experts in order to discuss if your book idea is good and how you can dive deeper and uncover a final idea for your book.

Immigration Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Immigration Law - Essay Example The effectiveness of these three key features of the 2009 Act depends on politics and in some cases implementation. It is only along these lines that these three features will have an impact on present or future life in the UK. Border Control Part I of BCIA 2009 deals with the control of the UK’s borders (Border, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, Part I). The simplification for travellers to Britain including returning residents follows from the government’s intention to provide for a â€Å"unified border force† under the auspices of the UK Border Agency (Millington and Williams 2010, p. 597). Essentially, the unified border force enables immigration officers to also assume the role of customs officers. This means that a single agency is responsible for detecting and detecting exploitation of immigration and customs laws at the UK’s ports of entry (Vine 2010, p. 3). For this present transfer of border checks to a single agency means that daily travelle rs will be spared having to report to two separate check points upon entering the UK. Traditionally, travellers had to present themselves to both immigration and customs officers in order to be cleared for entry. ... Moreover, the UK Border Agency works together with Law Enforcement and within the framework of the UK Counter Terrorism Strategy for the purpose of detecting and preventing entrants to the UK who may cause harm to the UK or its citizens (Grimwood 2009, p. 3). This degree of border security comes with a political climate where border security has grown in importance since the 11 September 2001 terror attacks in the US. This is evidenced by the tightened border security enlisted by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and the Borders Act 2007. Both act enhanced the authority for the control of immigration. Section 21 of the 2009 Act permits the exchange of information between the UK Border Agency and other government agencies (Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, Section 21). The degree to which the UK Border Agency is permitted to share and exchange intelligence and information on travellers with law enforcement and other agencies at home and abroad, opens up the pos sibility that returning residents and foreigners will be vulnerable to intense scrutiny and invasion of privacy. Contacts at home and abroad may also come under intense scrutiny and be subjected to invasion of privacy should a traveller or returning resident with whom they are connected come under investigation or suspicion by the UK Border Agency or one of its partners. There is also a risk of discrimination and racial profiling as political and public concerns over the threat of terrorism persist (Vine 2010, p. 3). Together with the transfer to the Border Agency of the intrusive strip, search and entry powers previously granted to customs (Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, Section 26), the risk of invasion of privacy and

Essay on Police and the Community Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Police and the Community - Essay Example A lesser barricade could be people’s self-esteem and self-perception (Morris, 2008). This is because they do not view themselves as activists or leaders. This perceptual concern is a barrier for over 36% of the adults in America. Not being an activist or leader is a barrier for 42% of adults who are not involved but wish to be. Disengaged participants in several focus groups stated that they wish for a fearless director with organizational skills, knowledge, plans, enthusiasm, a selfless attitude, and honesty. This group also puts more weight in disliking politics than adults on not knowing anyone else taking part in the activity. In order to overcome these obstacles, authorities that are involved in public participations should ensure that those who are involved in the activity are protected. Authorities need to educate people on these barriers and assure them that they will be safe after they take part in the activity (Thurlow, 2008). Question 2 Policy makers have a tough ta sk of carrying out what is best for their constituents plus their countries. This makes them the voice of the citizens. It is extremely vital that a police chief should be a policy maker for his constituent or country due to several reasons. These reasons are: police chiefs have interests of constituents and interests in the country. They also defend the constitution. Since policy makers are elected by the public, this will also give a chance to police chiefs to be elected by the public. Each policy maker has an obligation of defending the constitution. Police chiefs are also obliged to defend the American constitution, and this makes the liable policy makers (Chief of Police, 2007). A policy maker is a person who is responsible for making the policies of an organization. This includes the government or any other institution that requires regulations. A statesman refers to a diplomat or politician who has had a long, as well as respected duty at the national or international level. It has been said that police chiefs should be politicians. This is not a brilliant idea. Politicians have an obligation of representing and responding to the constituents, voting on legislation, participating in budget discussions and taking part in committees. Even though, police chiefs need to realize these factors, their central duty is to implement the law. This is a vital duty. They need to be separated from political matters so that they could execute their tasks to the fullest. If police chiefs are allowed to be statesmen, then this would interfere with the neutrality of the police force from politics. It will interrupt with the activities of the police force (Samuels, 2000). Question 3 Similarities Community oriented policing as a philosophy that encourages organizational strategies, which hold up the organized use of problem-solving techniques and partnerships, to tackle the immediate factors that give rise to public security issues. The security issues are social disorders , crime as well as fear of crime. Community oriented policing also comprises of three key components in America as well as other nations. These components are: community partnership, organizational transformation as well as problem solving. Most countries, including the United States, think that

Poetry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Poetry Analysis Essay The poem is quick to assert that, maybe even provide a caveat, that one should take their life seriously and live their life to the fullest. It’s interesting that Byron beings to reflect on his life at this age, and I find it even more interesting that the poem was written on the last year he would live. One thing Byron emphasizes heavily on this poem is love and compassion. His first lines are an admittance that he does not have a partner by his side (lines 5-8). Many people fear dying alone, and Byron is not immune to such anxiety. Byron is even envious for those who have found love (lines 13-15). The â€Å"Chain† Byron says he wears symbolizes loneliness, perhaps even failure. He fears that his ultimate failure in life would be his lack of a companion, and that he cannot fill that void. I think Byron than goes on to say that love is happiness: and to have an absence in love would leave a person empty. Byron realizes he has failed in the one area he defines to be the most important and to recover from that and at least die in an honorable/memorable way is to take the soldier’s death. Since he has no significant other to speak highly of him when he is gone, he could at least have his fellow brothers-in-arms speak of him when he’s gone (most likely due to the soldier’s death). Overall, I’d say Byron is quite malcontented with how he’s lived his life. But I would say he was rather too harsh on himself, he fails to recognize all the great and wonderful things he has achieved in his life. But I also know that no one can determine whether or not someone was successful in life; that can only be determined by how that individual perceives themselves. The poem as a whole seems to be a reflection, but also a sad epiphany that Byron has not done all that he could have done with his life. This leads to the reoccurring theme that has been illustrated by almost all poets of this age: The ‘carpe diem’ seize the day/moment mentality. Darkness At the beginning lines of the poem, Byron sets up the reader to understand that this vision of the future, while not a current reality, could easily become so if mankind does not change his interaction with the environment. A cataclysmic event has occurred in which the sun is destroyed. For the eco-critic, this could be representative of any sort of environmental issue that is the result of man’s irreverence for the Earth – nuclear war, pollution, overpopulation. The poem does not need to explain how the sun was destroyed, just that the event happened and as a result, mankind’s decent into chaos and death was imminent. Mankind’s reaction to the event is to burn both civilization and nature in order to provide fuel to continue its existence. The next section forewarns the reader that following environmental catastrophe will be nothing but destruction. The destruction of nature occurs in the form of the overuse of resources, such as animals for food and trees for fuel. Men and animals would seemingly succumb to an almost hysteric state in which the law of survival becomes the only law, which is heralded as truth. This state of kill or be killed ultimately produced more concerns for the fate of mankind. Not only has the environment begun to be destroyed, here represented by the loss of the sun, but what few resources remain are being consumed at an unsustainable rate. The eco-critic understands that the population of the Earth can and should only become as large as is sustainable by the resources available to it. Byron illustrates this concept through the introduction of famine in the next section of his text. â€Å"The crowd was famish’d by degrees; but two of an enormous city did survive, and they were enemies. † The ultimate warning of eco-criticism is that the result of the widespread destruction of the environment is the widespread destruction of the human race. Byron has created a world in which the only two remaining humans cling to whatever life they have left in the form of a metaphorical flame. The last section of â€Å"Darkness† leaves the reader with a haunting image of a world in which nothing living exists. According to the eco-critic, this is the warning that Byron is delivering to us: either we change our ways and amend our neglect of environmental duty and responsibility, or we eventually perish. The destruction of mankind will come at its own hands, whether it is through environmental cataclysm, overpopulation and the subsequent war and famine, or through the slow poisoning of the Earth. Darkness† is a vehicle by which the eco-critic can forewarn the reader to change. Eco-Criticism, then, becomes a vehicle for change and hope. It is not merely about the destruction of the world, but hope that destruction can be avoided. Epitaph on an Infant This is a short poem, but still has a lot of meaning behind it, pertaining to the circle of life and death. Coleridge is saying that death can come at anytime and any moment, and seize anyone it pleases. Taking the b aby’s life shouldn’t be viewed as an evil or injustice, but rather part of the cycle. The first line can be interpreted to mean that the baby was never able to become exposed to the horrors of the world (sin) or be in the world for too long to have its loss be heart-breaking (sorrow). Not saying the loss of the baby was not a saddening thing, but Coleridge is saying the baby was not in this world long enough for it to be a huge loss. The last line is hopeful, saying the baby was able to â€Å"blossom there†, with there meaning heaven obviously. This, I feel, is how Coleridge viewed situations where the cycle of life seemed to break its own norms with taking a life that many would view as too early to take. This is for those who never got to grasp the mentality that many Romantic embraced during this time, of seizing the day, and living life to its fullest, not having any regrets. Of course, the baby (or any other youngling) is unable to even encounter such mentalities or form its own attitude for life. Even the length of the poem is symbolic; it represents the life span of the young babe, and how short life can ultimately be if one does not take their time to sit back and enjoy it a bit. Human Life Here’s how I interpreted this poem to be, line (cluster) by line (cluster). Lines 1-4: if the human body dies, the soul lives on forever. Lines 5-6: A human is comprised of three things, mind, body, and spirit. Lines 7-9: Everybody dies at some point in their life, and while to may try to prolong it, it is ultimately unavoidable. Lines 10-14: Nature will choose when everyone dies, it does not discriminate. Lines 15-17: When everything does not seem to be going your way, look through your previous dreams, hopes, and fears. Then reflect, and see if everything is as bad as you are making things out to be. Lines 18-22: remember though that each previous event echoes other ones and to be honest why do we wallow in things that are not important, and yet we hide ourselves from matters of much more importance? Lines 23-26: Why do we compare ourselves to events in the past instead of matters in the present moment or future? The past does not change, but we are shaped from it. Lines 27-28: Humans feel what they feel for no apparent reason; yet they seek reasons for why they feel the way they do. And the final line (29): All of a human’s life is nothing but a contradiction. A human will seek answers to many of life’s questions within themselves, but will always have conflict within. With this poem, Coleridge takes a more dark approach to the cycle of life, with his central theme of the poem being clearly stated at the very end â€Å"A beings being is contradiction†. He takes the approach to life of many people spend hours, days, weeks even contemplating the reasons for the seasons, our existence, why we die, and all other philosophical questions; and he asks â€Å"Why even bother seeking such answers? †. Death is unavoidable, and those who try to prolong it or even avoid it, are just walking contradictions. Why try to go against what is everyone’s fate in the end? Coleridge purposes such ideas and asks provocative questions to get his readers to think: Is it wiser to spend one’s life contemplating matters that way over everyone’s head, or rather just accept that your life as you know it will end one day, but in the meantime do your best to live it and not let anything shackle you to the bonds of â€Å"I can’t therefore I won’t†. Once again, the Romantic theme of ‘carpe-diem’ is sensed as a undertone to this poem, as Coleridge is warning people to not let the worldly matters trouble them, instead seek out the best in your life. Ode On The Death Of A Favorite Cat Drowned In A Tub Of Goldfishes This poem was quite uncommon for its time, but it still shared the qualities that make the readers think about life, death, and the cycle of the two. The reader is taken on a journey into the life of this cat, Selima, experiencing not only the beauty that is said creature, but also the sad end she came to, quite undeservingly. The third person view Grey utilizes helps show the struggle between life (the cat) versus nature. With the tone being deadly erious, Grey is showing a portrait of the cat as a cat with her conscious tale and ears of jet ( lines 7,11), trying to accomplish no more than procuring a goldfish for lunch. However, the tale takes a deadly turn when the fated Selima goes a paw too far and tumbles face-first into the goldfish tub. The reader, through this tone (which some might call mock-heroic, could they not see the utter tragedy and seriousness of Selimas fate), is taken into the life and death of a ca t who was merely hungry; alas, she ends up swimming with the fishes. The golden hue of the fish is what catches the tabby’s attention, and the cat then tries to catch it’s lunch. Eventually, the cat falls into the pond, and struggles for a while, with no help coming. This can be seen as no matter what you do in your life, when things really matter (such as a life and death situation), the only person one can rely on is themselves. Unfortunately, Grey has a grim way to convey that. The cat surfaces eight times, each time her life force growing weaker and weaker against the struggle ntil eventually Selima, having exhausted all her life, sinks amidst the objects of her lunchtime ambitions. Grey’s powerful message here is clear; be careful where you step, as you may fall into a pond of goldfish and drown. Furthermore, Gray implies, what you covet, though it may be beautiful, may lead you to your death. This can be tied back to the theme of not taking life for granted, and making each day yours. Should one be weighed down with material possessions and worldly goods, they are depriving themselves of the ultimate ‘good’, life itself.

The Crucible by Nicholas Hytner :: Movie Review, Film

This captivating screen version of The Crucible is based on Arthur Miller’s play in 1953. Nicholas Hytner did an excellent job at directing this movie. There are a few faults in the film, but overall it was a wonderful movie. The first fault in the movie was the beginning scene. The scene was supposed to be a night scene. But it looks as if it was early morning. I think Hytner shot the scene during the day and tried to use the night vision but it did not work so well. Another bad scene was when the girls are supposed to faint in the courtroom. The scene was poorly directed and acted. Bob Crowley did a great job with the designing of the costumes. They completely fit with the scenery and the setting. The music was also a plus with this film. It always fit in every scene. The base drumbeats were timed just right in the scene when Elizabeth is questioned about John being an adulterer. Right when she gave her answer the drum went, â€Å"BOOOM!† The camera always seemed to be in just the right place at all times. The cameraman shot every angle perfectly. He caught every person’s reaction, such as in the scene when John admits to lechery with Abigail. First he catches Abigail’s reaction to John’s admittance of this, and then he also catches Reverend Parris’s reaction when the Judge is talking about the girls dancing in the woods. The lighting worked very well in Elizabeth’s scene with the judge. Right before she states her answer, Hytner makes the rain go away and the sun come out and across the back wall of the courtroom. It makes the audience think that something good is about to happen, as if she was going to tell the truth and all the trials were going to stop. One character that stuck out to me is Winona Ryder as Abigail. She has a look of lust. Her eyes show deep sexual passion every time she looks at John Proctor. Ryder’s looks are very intimidating. In the scene when she threatens the girls, not only does her threat, â€Å"†¦let anyone breathe a word or the edge of a word about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring with me a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.

Functions of Doctrine in a Christian and African Perspective

Doctrine, in Ninian Smart’s dimensions of religion refers to the writings and textbook knowledge that people have regarding their religion. This is exactly what people believe about their respective religions passed on from the generation to generation. Doctrine is in fact, â€Å"the set of answers one has accepted to life’s profound questions. † It intrinsically comprises what the ethical standards of a certain religion would have and it â€Å"directly affects† the behavior of its followers. The â€Å"symbolic and mythical† are given order by doctrine, since people cannot rely on abstract truths alone.The main purpose of doctrine is to give â€Å"authoritative and sometimes systematic proofs that their religious reality and everyday reality is one and the same. † It may also be said that doctrines are somewhat answers laid out by the authoritative body in a certain religion, to answer the questions of life. They are â€Å"logical† hig hly systematized body of religious knowledge intrinsic in religion. It is evident that when two opposing doctrines clash, â€Å"believers commit the most bloody atrocities in the name of their belief† and in the process stay true to the doctrines they uphold.Certain aspects of the human life such as â€Å"death, suffering and change† are given light by religious doctrines, since it gives a foundation of belief to the religious follower. It may be said that people need something to hold on too, because these facts of life are much too grave for the ordinary human mind. In general, doctrines are â€Å"belief systems which provide answers to certain boundary/identity questions. † What cannot be explained is therefore given light by religious doctrines, and this help in a person’s acceptance of life and its realities.The functions then of doctrine are to â€Å"bring order and focus to myth and ritual†, â€Å"provide institutionalization of answers to the unexplainable†, â€Å"control boundaries of religious expression†, and â€Å"determine what is inclusive and exclusive in a given religion. † African religion has been greatly questioned by early European explorers visiting the continent. Some Africans were actually even converted to both Islam and Christianity through these explorers. In modern times, African religion still continues to be dominantly pagan.Dialogues regarding African religions have had certain difficulties since African â€Å"ethnic groups lack a term for religion in the Western sense as an entity or activity separate from everyday life. † Africans uphold religion as a complete way of life. African religion also may become misleading, since doctrines per tribe differ in degree and belief, where it is only called â€Å"doctrines† for formality purposes. As most world religions, the African religions hold that there is one creator of the universe who withdrew and remains remote f rom the concerns of the world.Believers do not directly talk to this god, nor do they offer sacrifices to him. Instead, secondary divinities are seen as ‘middlemen’ between them and their god. They are considered as â€Å"children of the god† or at least are held to be high ranking in their religious hierarchy. It should be noted that African â€Å"religions do not demand adherence to any single doctrine. † The intent of these religions is almost always pragmatic, where â€Å"religious rituals serve as strategies for reinforcing life, fertility and power. Doctrine then for them is a set of practice and rituals that they do in order for them to survive.What they believe in is that â€Å"the principal vision shared by African religions is that human beings must vigilantly maintain a harmonious relationship with divine powers in order to prosper. † The goal of these religions is to control these divine powers for the betterment of their lives, and â⠂¬Å"ritual is the way to do so†. A practical way of looking at religion and doctrine is what comprises African religions.Ritual then â€Å"ensures a community’s responsible relationship with ancestors who are guardians of the moral order, with spiritual forces within nature, and with the gods. † Of course, for Christianity, it is a totally different story. Doctrine for Christianity is a way of life, yet it is not purely for survival. Rituals are present yet not in the same sense as African religion where they offer animal sacrifices and hold mystical ceremonies. Christian doctrine therefore is an ethical way of life, a compilation of the facts about the religion, compiled by the Catholic Church.Christian doctrine therefore centers on the truth about God, Jesus and life. These are ways on how to live a Christian life which also teaches the way of Jesus. It may be seen as dogmatic, since the early doctrines were considered more of dogma than a religion that can hel p in a person’s salvation. These Catholic doctrines had been protested and continuously scrutinized by scientists and philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche. The Catholic Church has been known in its early years to have imposed a way of life to the Christians, implementing soul and even physical persecution in the name of sin.The Catholic Church, though not changing the religious doctrines through time, adapts to the modern world of democracy and human rights. Persecution, like in Dante’s Inferno is not taught anymore, and was instructed to be uplifted because people follow not because they believe in the doctrine, but because of fear of persecution. Christian doctrine has now become a way of life for most Christians, deepening and rejuvenating their faith in their daily lives through it.