English Lesson 70: 500 Word Essay

"If you wanted to make money by writing a self-improvement book for Americans, what topic would you choose??"


 I would write a self-improvement book on nutrition, exercise, and weight loss.I think this is a very important and relevant topic in today's modern society. According to Wikipedia, obesity rates in the United States are higher than any other in the world. It is estimated that by 2020, more than 3/4 of the American population will either be overweight or obese. It has become a very serious issue, with a large portion of the population(100,000-400,000) dying from it each year.          


Some factors that have contributed greatly to obesity are a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. The majority of Americans have office jobs, which involve sitting at a computer/desk for most of their work day.They also spend a lot of their free time involved in watching television, playing video games, reading, and computer use. They aren't forced to get exercise in their commute to work either, because of the heavy reliance on cars for transportation.

 It is well-known that there are many benefits of physical exercise and an active lifestyle. It helps to decrease the risk of cancer and diabetes, increases your life span, and improves your mental health and mood. In addition, it plays a big role in maintaining a healthy weight and strengthening your bones and muscles. Because of the extreme lack of physical exercise, Americans are far more prone to sickness and disease. This isn't even mentioning the fact that they feel tired and sluggish all the time, because of their poor lifestyle choices.

Of course, the food that people consume also controls their physical, mental and emotional well-being. Fast food has put obesity on a sharp incline, especially as one-third of children(ages 4-19) eat it every single day! High-calorie and high-fat foods, such as the burgers and fries offered at these establishments are very detrimental to one's fitness. It's also worth noting that soda and other sweet drinks can cause weight gain in people. Drinking water is the effective and proper way to stay hydrated, as it has zero calories and has beneficial vitamins and minerals. 

Many types of soda on the other hand, contain caffeine(a diuretic) which leaves someone dehydrated the more they drink. Soda also has a high amount of sugar, in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Obviously this isn't a good thing  for people to be ingesting on a regular basis. Sugar has been shown to cause a number of issues including: weight gain, obesity, elevated blood sugar, and and high blood sugar. It's also because of soda that a growing percentage of children are diabetic and suffer from blood-sugar problems. 

It's astounding the dramatic difference Americans could have in their health, if they would simply make some small changes. If they would just increment some form of exercise in their lives, they would see a drastic change in their overall health and well-being. It's also easier to avoid fast food, if families would eat food at home together more often. There are plenty of delicious, healthy alternatives to enjoy, without the added carbs, calories, and fat. A number of companies make frozen meals, snacks, and soups that are quick but also nourishing.
There is an abundance of choices exercise-wise to pick from, many of which are not only effective but fun. Pilates, yoga, spin and dance classes are available to anyone who wishes to take them, as well as DVD workouts to do at home.










                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Western Civilization Short Essay: Two Topics( 12.22.16)

1) What kinds of contributions did the monks make to European society?

2) What was the attitude of most Christian writers toward the philosophers of ancient Greece?

3) Based on your reading of the Rule of St. Benedict, how would you describe the way of life and the spirit that animated a Benedictine monastery?

Question 1: What kind of contributions did the monks make to European society?

The monks introduced the idea of physical labor as being commendable, for one thing. Before them, the ancient world found manual work to be disgusting and something only slaves/commoners did. But the monks thought that physical duties were holy and weren't something to be ashamed of doing. They made a number of impressive contributions to Europe, over the course of centuries. The Roman empire had existed for 1500 years, and was beginning to crumble completely. While the rest of Europe began to despair, the monks were relatively unaffected because of their independence from the outside world. They were far more self-reliant and creative about surviving in the world. The agricultural restoration of Europe, after the fall of Rome, was largely due to them. They initiated new crops and production methods and educated locals in their findings. English professor Henry Gooddell says quote," They saved agriculture when nobody else could save it."

The Cistercian monks made significant process in the creation of factories and the use of water power. They were experts in fulling cloth, sieving flour, crushing wheat, and tanning. They also were highly successful in trades such as metallurgy(iron-making), animal husbandry(breeding) and the brewing of wine and beer. Finally, the Monks were instrumental in preserving ancient Greek literature and Biblical manuscripts. They spent numerous hours painstakingly copying out these works, in beautiful handwriting.If it weren't for them, a large portion of precious documents would be lost to us forever. 

Question 2: What was the attitude of most Christian writers toward the philosophers of ancient Greece?

Many people commonly think that the Christian viewpoint is one of scorn, towards anything contrary to their religion. However in actuality this is far from the attitude had by the majority of Christian writers. They were fairly open to the concepts of Greek philosophy and poets such as Plato and Homer. They were some writers(such as Tertullian) who were strictly opposed to using any life reference-book but the Christian Gospels and Epistles of Paul. But for the most part, Christians were willing to glean bits and pieces of valuable truth from Greek literature. The Greek apologist, St. Justin Martyr, believed that many Greek ideas could actually be traced back to the Old Testament. He thought that all the theories behind Stoicism, Platonism and other Greek religions were a river to Christianity. He said quote, that"Christianity is the fulfillment of philosophy and Christ the fulfillment of Socrates." 

St. Basil the Great was another Christian theologian who defended Greek writings. He wrote an Exhortation to Christian Youth, in which he says "the seeds of Christianity may be found in these writings." He claimed that there are many concepts in them already taught in light of Christian teaching.He didn't deny that there was some flawed material in the works, but did acknowledge the obvious beauty in each one.


In conclusion, Christians were pretty much impartial to Greek thought. They didn't agree with every aspect of their beliefs, but they weren't opposed to seeing the good in them. There was certainly plenty of spirituality and good motives in the writing.

English Lesson 65 Essay-250 words

"Write a critique of Paine's pamphlets from the point of view of a loyalist in 1778."


Paine's Common Sense and American Crisis are both extremely unfair in their biased viewpoint. He repeatedly makes mention of those loyal to the king as evil and corrupt individuals. According to him, anyone who associates with the British is asking for trouble. Paine says that are not to be trusted and leaves no room to doubt his claims. His hatred for Englishmen is rather contradictory, as he himself was born in Britain! He was unsuccessful in all his pursuits whilst he lived there, as a tax-collector,businessman, and husband. He only recently immigrated from Britain to America, so it is strange that he has so quickly adopted Patriotic views.

He is an avid supporter of a civil war, to win independence from his own mother country! Abandoning the system he was brought up in, he clings to a revolutionary and rebellious standpoint.  Paine says the only way to achieve freedom and liberty is through bloodshed and conflict. He paints our own dear King George III as a tyrant and a monster, who is out to torture Americans and make their lives miserable.Taxing them harshly and unfairly, he is only out to accomplish the deeds of destruction,states Paine. The time is imminent for a separation from the King and Parliament, as well as an official Declaration of Independence. 


Thomas Paine's significantly bad influence through these Pamphlets has led many Americans to forget their allegiance to the British crown. He has astoundingly rallied together a horde of rebels, who before his impact were steady in their support of the country from whence they came. His writings are a disgraceful pack of lies spewed about his fellow-countrymen and a rally for insurrection.

Western Civilization Essay- Week 13

Writing assignment: Answer one of the following in 250 words:

1) Based on what you read in Acts, discuss Paul's missionary journeys.

2) Based on what you learned in Lesson 62, what was Christian life like between the famous letter of Pliny until the reign of Constantine?

3) What are some of the arguments advanced by Minucius Felix in defense of Christianity?

4) What are a few things we learn about early Christianity from the Didache?

2.Based on what you learned in Lesson 62, what was Christian life like between the famous letter of Pliny until the reign of Constantine?

Christian life was very difficult and unpredictable before the reign of Constantine. It was generally considered illegal and scorned, until the Edict Of Milan was enacted. Many Romans scorned and hated the Christians and wanted nothing to do with them. Because of the Christians refusal to worship Roman Gods, they were generally hated and looked down on. The Roman emperor was also considered a God and it was mandatory to worship him. Yet this was in strict contrast with the Christians belief in only one God, Jesus. They believed the emperor was only a man, to be respected and revered, but was not immortal. Naturally, this outraged a great many people in authority, as a blatant act of disobedience.

Also, there were those who made ludicrous claims that the Christians were cannibals. This conclusion stemmed from their ritual act of communion, the eating of Christ's body and drinking his blood. Obviously this wasn't a literal, but rather symbolic act of remembrance of how Jesus saved them from sin(by his death).Christians were also accused of committing incest and murdering infants. These condemnations were also completely unfounded and had no evidence to them at all. Followers of Christ met together in his name and referred to each other fondly, as brothers and sisters. They sang hymns and discussed their commitment to love each other and not fall into serious sin.From this, somehow rumors were spread that these gatherings involved incest and open sex. These were just some of the unjust and bizarre allegations made against them.

However, Christians were not specifically sought out all the time. There wasn't constant purges, where many of them were executed at a time. If someone was reported by their neighbor, then they had reason to fear death and severe punishment. But if they kept their activities undercover, there wasn't a lot for them to be concerned about. There were some areas of Rome, where it was certainly more dangerous to be Christian than others. You could be disowned by your own family and turned over to the authorities, if your beliefs were discovered. But in other provinces, as long as you kept to yourself and didn't stir up trouble, you had little to worry about.

A good portion of the Emperors didn't bother with the Christians, if they weren't causing mob riots or disturbing the public peace. They had more pressing matters on their mind, then this fairly peaceable religion that had emerged. There were several of the Emperors, who detested the Christian sect with burning passion Nero was a notorious one of these, annihilating a multitude of Christians in 64 A.D. He purposely started the Great Fire of Rome and then proceeded to blame it on them. They were then executed in the most brutal manners, with some being crucified and thrown to beasts, in the arena. The Christians also suffered tremendously under the rule of Diocletian, from 303-305 A.D.(during the Great Persecution). During this time period, they were forced to make sacrifices to the Roman emperor, or be put to death. Their property was confiscated and their sacred books and churches burned.This persecution went down in history as the most severe, devastating one in the Roman empire.

It wasn't until Constantine took power in 306 A.D.,that the Christians were granted liberty and freedom to live out their faith. He composed the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. which granted Christians complete rights to worship the God of their choice. By this time, the public had grown rather tired of the persecutions and the drama had begun to wane. As a result of the edict, Christianity was eventually adopted as the official religion of the Roman Empire, in 380 A.D( by Theodosius I). An era of peace was ushered in, and pagans and Christians could mingle freely, in spite of their differing ideologies.

500 Word Essay: Most Ilogical Argument of Paine's Common Sense

Paine's Common Sense pamphlet is a document composed almost entirely of rhetoric, rather than logic and reason. He states information as if it were facts, when he really has no evidence to back up his claims.  His arguments have no firm foundation or basis whatsoever to support them.

For one thing, he had little right to be writing this thesis on independence and revolution in America. He was an immigrant from Great Britain, newly arrived only two years prior to the publication of"Common Sense". 

Whilst in Norfolk, England, he was a complete failure as a tax-collector, businessman, and husband. Upon arriving in 1775. he worked as a journalist. Paine hadn't even been present for the Stamp Act crisis and other such events in the colonies.

So it was rather foolish of him to think he was qualified to lecture and advice on these matters. Regardless, his document became quickly popular and was widely distributed throughout New England. 

In the first 3 months, it generated 100,000 copies! There was hardly a single American, who hadn't either read it or had it dictated to them. Common Sense was the single most important document in U.S. History, even more so than the Bible. Thomas Paine's name didn't become known as first, because he claimed neutrality. In the cover of it, he refers to himself as simply"an Englishman".

Soon however he was renown and famous by all loyal Americans. The bell tolled for rebellion and insurrection and they responded. It can't be overemphasized the impact Paine had on the American Revolution. He played a hugely crucial rule in the American's view of their mother country and of the king.

His influence was unparalleled, and can't be compared with any other political activist in this time period. He rallied the Patriots together, with the overpowering emotion and power of his words. Paine had the keen ability of convincing people of the legitimacy of the cause. Excusing the Quaker's pacifist arguments, he insisted the only alternative was a civil war. Bloodshed was inevitable, and history had always depended on.

Calm and peaceable answers to America's issues with their mother country wouldn't be effective. There would have to be a battle between the two countries in order to decide their differences. Thomas stated that the very idea of an island ruling over a continent was ludicrous in of itself. He also believed it stupid to call England America" mother", the way that it treated it's so-called"child"

A mother was supposed to nurture and love for her children, not unfairly tax them and treat them disrespectfully. He argued that the true mother was Europe, as a good portion of New England's residents came from here. Paine asserted that less than a 1/3 of the continent's inhabitants were original Brits. This was one of the disputes that had poor,weak verification to it. 

In actuality, a very good portion of the immigrants were from England, which made many of them loyal towards the country. Paine's claims had no facts to back them at all, and were extremely unwise and illogical. Another one of his rationalizations was that a decent number of people agreed separation was unavoidable. 

This is almost laughable, in it's ridiculousness. Paine had only resided in the colonies for less than 2 years. There was no justifiable reason to assume he'd talked to enough locals to say this. He doesn't list any specific names of people, or show that he did a study of any type. His readers are just supposed to blindly believe everything, and not question the validity of his premises. 

Western Civilization Essay: 12.8.16

Writing assignment: How would you compare the teachings of Christianity, as described in the New Testament passages we read for this week, to the values cherished by earlier civilizations we have discussed (particularly the Greeks, and the values expressed in Homer's works)? Conversely, can you see anything in common between Christianity and some of the great ancient thinkers we have discussed?



Beginnings of Christianity/atmosphere during it's creation
Christianity held the answers for many of the questions people were asking, at the time of its development. Moral philosophers, like Socrates and Plato were starting to reject the ancient Greek religions. Undermining these gods, they began to seek new solutions and viewpoints on the world. Many were dissatisfied with the Stoic philosophy, which rendered them uninspired and cold. It wasn't a religion of love and humanity and didn't allow any natural human reactions/emotions to life. Relevant topics, like life after death and finding one's meaning in life

In 537 B.C, The Jews were released from their long captivity in Babylon, after the Persian defeat of the Babylonians. Some of them returned to their native homeland, Palestine to rebuild the temple(and to return to their old life). They protected the purity of their religion and regarded themselves as special in God's eyes.But the other Jews dispersed to foreign countries, such as Egypt, Antioch, Spain, and Italy. In these new places, they were exposed to Greek viewpoints and thought. As a result they became more liberal or open to the possibility of their religion as universal. Generally, the promised Messiah was believed by the Jews to be their own personal savior, not meant for other races of people. 

This perception was slowly becoming abandoned though, as new ideas were adopted. The Jews entertained the possibility that the Messiah would be a savior for all people. They also considered that he wouldn't be a military leader, but instead a manifestation of their religion. 

When Jesus came to earth, this truth slowly became clear and evident. Jesus revealed himself to have come to save them from sin and from themselves, not the Romans. He also emphasized reflecting on the inward heart and it's intentions, not the outward appearance of rituals and laws. His fundamental theory was love for God and for other people. Of course this was naturally a disappointment to people like the Zealots, who wanted an insurrection against Rome. Jesus proved that the Jews idea of a hero was far from what God's actual plan was. 

In comparison to the Greek religions, Christianity was definitely a more dependable and welcoming faith to accept. The Greek gods were unpredictable and just as petty and selfish as humans can be. They were demanding and manipulative, as well as cunning and evil. The Greeks would often make deals with their Gods, in order to attain something they wanted.

Whereas Jesus was a loving and merciful figure to be worshipped and revered. He laid his own life down for all mankind and then rose from the dead, to save humanity from their destruction. He also came to Earth as a man like those he served and healed by miracles. He was holy and a immortal being, yet also tempted as men are to sin. But he conquered all of the lawlessness and evil desires in him.

He accomplished this miraculous feat to prove that through him, we to can overcome and defeat sin. He took all of our transgressions on himself when he was crucified, and then also won the battle with death.

This was also a living proof that a Christian's journey does not end in death, and he will be victorious over it.
If one believes in Jesus, then the end of life will only be the start of a beautiful eternity spent with his creator. He is saved by the grace of God and not by his own merits.

Many of these core premises of Christianity are very contrary to Greek religion. The Greeks had complicated opinions on the subject of an afterlife.  If your family didn't provide a proper burial, you would supposedly be "trapped" between earth and the underworld.If you were outright evil, you would be sentenced to a horrible place called Tarturus, where souls were burned with fiery lava. If you had lived a good life, you would be rewarded with life in a idyllic peaceful place. If you had sinned often, you would be banished to the Fields of Punishment. This wasn't as terrible as Tarturus, although it certainly wasn't heaven either. Souls who had committed suicide were forced to wander in isolated and sorrowful places, forever regretting this decision. 

In the Christian religion, you don't have to fear death if you are secure in God's love and following him. In his great mercy, he saves people from their sin, if they commit their lives to him whole-heartedly. So you need not fear death, if you turn to Jesus for salvation and grace. There is also only one God in whose sovereignty and control we can rest assured in. The Greeks had multiple Gods, who they couldn't trust or have strong faith in. 

Three Stanza-Song: English. Dec 2nd,2016

 "The Rebel's Chant"


for liberty we'll stand
hands held in unison
all for one and one for all
every man proud and tall


with our brave hearts and noble minds
we'll win this battle,no matter what comes
relentless and resilient despite the storm
against every arrow aimed at us


the giant of tyranny looms overhead
yet we won't be intimidated by his power
our guns at our sides, champion we surely shall
the moment of truth is nigh and our spirits high


give us freedom or give us death
fight till our souls and bodies weary
and even still we'll prevail
to a country no longer chained

December 1, 2016- Western Civ. Short Essay

Question 1: According to Seneca, what is man's unique good? How should a good man conduct himself?

Seneca was a Stoic philosopher, statesmen, dramatist, and advisor/tutor to the Roman emperor Nero. He had an extensive amount of influence on the infamous man, especially during the 5 humane years of Nero's rule. Seneca was an advocate of moral philosopher and wrote epistles on the meaning/purpose of life. He believed that our objective in this world was to live with virtue and purity. We should be always striving to do good and to be upstanding individuals.Centering our existence around these things was the only path to true happiness and purity. This in of itself seems to be an admirable undertaking in life, but Seneca was somewhat of a hypocrite.

His teachings supported this theory, yet he wasn't a very righteous and noble citizen and man. During Nero's rule, he wrote a defense of him after he murdered his own mother! He also made excuses for his insane, brutal actions and gave up on trying to control the dictator. So he wasn't really "practicing what he preached", when he overlooked the heinous crimes that were obviously contrary to accepted morality. 

2) How would you summarize the period of the Julian- Claudian and Flavian emperors? Were they consistently humane and competent, wicked and foolish, or is the pattern erratic? Was there a consistent system of succession from one emperor to another?

The period of these two dynasties was one of both strife and peace, war and harmony. It was a lot like being on a roller-coaster, with highs and lows throughout the 121 years they lasted.  The Julian- Claudian dynasty consisted of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius I, and Nero. This dynasty's prevailing theme seemed to be one of evil, foolish and unpredictable rulers. Nero was a lunatic, who followed the crazy whims of his dark heart. He murdered countless innocent people and committed numerous atrocious felonies as emperor. 

He also blamed the Christians for many things, like the Great Fire of Rome that devastated the city for 6 days( supposedly, he is the one who actually initiated it).He then proceeded to have many of them gruesomely killed, in the Coliseum arena. Nero had no conscience or heart whatsoever, even going so far as to order the execution of his mother! He eventually committed suicide when a rebellion began against him in Gaul and spread to Rome. 
Caligula was just as much of a psychopath, but in a different way. He went on a violent rampage, when he suspected a revolution during his reign. He went on to end the lives of anyone he thought might be involved in this scandalous act. Claudius was more of a stable and reliable man in power but was removed from office because of an illness. 

The Flavian Dynasty consisted of Vespian and his sons, Titus, and Domitian. Titus didn't lead a particularly edifying youth, but regardless was a decent emperor. Yet once his brother, Domitian took over there was once again anarchy. A revolt erupted against him and he was swift to massacre the enemies who dared to work against him. He had a particular detest and hatred for Christians, because they refused to worship any one but their God. He had instituted a law that everyone must treat him and his family as Gods. They were to be revered and regarded as immortals. It was impossible for Christians to follow this rule and stay true to their beliefs. So they were one of the main targets of Domitan's anger and a good portion of them were put to death.


There was definitely more bad rulers than good ones in these two dynasties. Decent and moral emperors were few and far between, when they did arise from the ashes of tyranny.
A steady pattern of succession lasted throughout the years, with men quickly taking the place of their precedents.