To Essay or Not to Essay

To Essay or Not to Essay About the sites If you’re one of many who haven’t heard of essay writing sites, at their core they’re content mills for students but with the ethics of desperate writers and lazy students thrown out the window. iWriteEssays.com offers to write high school and college papers, admissions, dissertations and theses. They charge students between $12.50 to $48/page, depending on the student’s deadline and type of piece. On the high end, they claim being able to provide a paper in eight hours at the right price. â€Å"We can write anything from high school to PhD  level.† says Brandon S., a member of the iWriteEssayssupport team. What does this mean for writers? â€Å"Writers receive compensation based on the number of pages they write,† he says, noting that some websites have a set rate and others will pay based on the demand for that particular paper.   A quick search unearths hundreds of these sites. Essaywriters.netpromises writers their best efforts towards â€Å"making your freelance writing jobs easy, efficient (and) highly paid.† Another, EssayShark.com, allows writers to set their own pay for the order. StudyBay.com claims an average rate of $120 offered Posing as a student, I asked Brandon S. if an essay I ordered through an essay site could get thrown out. â€Å"Yes,† he admitted. â€Å"Presenting someone else’s work as your own is a form of plagiarism.† Then I asked: â€Å"Have you ever had trouble?† He replied, â€Å"No. Our services are confidential. There is no way for professors and teachers to tell that the essays are written Good to know they’re aware of this themselves, then . . . An author’s perspective â€Å"One word: Unethical,† says Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, a member of Editors Association of Earth . Sarah Varnam, the owner of a Toronto-based content creation and editing company, agrees. â€Å"Sites that provide restructuring of arguments, or even worse, complete re-writes or essays for money are, indeed, highly unethical. Not only are you putting your professional image at risk, as plagiarism is a serious offense, but the student is defying the purpose of higher education. She’s been contacted For legitimate copyediting jobs for students, author Ryan Dunlop suggests talking to professors and thesis advisers to find out what’s allowed – or not. Has a student really earned their degree if the work isn’t theirs? Before saying yes to writing for an essay-writing site, consider how you would feel if the doctor about to operate on you passed on a thesis written

Most Important Symbols in The Great Gatsby, Analyzed

Most Important Symbols in The Great Gatsby, Analyzed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you ever come across an object or an image in a book that was really over-described? That the author seemed way too over-invested in? Most of the time, that feeling is a hint that what you've encountered is a symbol! The Great Gatsby features many objects and images that pop up exactly like this. But how do you interpret Great Gatsby symbols once you've found them? And how can you find symbols that don't have as much signposting around them? In this article, I'll take you through an explanation of what symbols are, how to locate them, and how to write about them. I'll also point you to in-depth articles about each of the most important symbols in The Great Gatsby. Roadmap to This Article What are symbols and why do authors use them? How do you find symbols in a work of fiction? Tips and advice for writing essays about symbols Links to our detailed, in-depth discussions about the key symbols in The Great Gatsby Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. What Is a Symbol? Think about your own life. You probably save mementos from travel, or meaningful events, because they represent the experience or your connection a person rather than simply because they are airplane tickets or dried flowers. Just like these mementos are symbols of your feelings, memories, or hopes, so a symbol in a work of literature is something concrete that stands for an abstract idea. In other words, it's when an object, a character, or a place doesn't just represent that type of object, but also evokes a feeling or a concept. This means that symbols have several layers of meaning, most of which are often hidden at first. What you are doing when you interpret a symbol is going above and beyond the object's literal definition to see a deeper, less obvious meaning. Remember, symbols do not always have the same meaning or interpretation, so a particular symbol's significance varies depending on context between different works, or even within the same work. Symbols vs. Motifs A symbol isn't the same thing as a motif. A symbol occurs once or a few times, but a motif runs through the whole work. A symbol tends to be something concrete that represents or stands for an abstract idea or concept, but a motif's meaning typically comes from the different ways and situations in which it recurs. For example, in The Great Gatsby, one important symbol is the green light on Daisy's dock, which is a concrete object that also represents the abstract concepts of yearning and the American Dream. Those same themes are also connected to one of the novel's many motifs- Gatsby's verbal tic of calling everyone "old sport." This phrase isn't a symbol, but its oddness point to the not-quite-successful way Gatsby is trying to act like the social elite. That being said, you could always make the case that a particularly resonant instance of a motif is in itself a symbol of some idea! In literary analysis, to the maker of the best argument go the spoils. Symbols vs. Themes A symbol isn't the same thing as a theme. Symbols are objects that carry a literal and one or several figurative meanings, while themes are central ideas that can usually be summed up in a word or a phrase. Symbols help explain themes, demonstrate varying versions of a theme, or build emotional richness into the way a theme works in the book you're reading. For example, one theme in The Great Gatsby is "morality and ethics." But we can't know what the novel wants us to think about morality or ethics until we notice that the only symbolic representation of a higher moral power in the book is the inanimate billboard of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. This symbol represents a lack of moral oversight in the world of the novel. This crown: a symbol of monarchy? Of imperial oppression? Of unbearable ostentatiousness? Depends on the context. Why Do Authors Use Symbols? At its core, a symbol is a literary device that enhances fiction by building richness and adding color, depth, and realism. Rather than having the author have to explain everything in a heavy-handed way, symbols allow readers to discover connections between characters, bits of plot, and different settings on their own. Authors also use symbolism to tie certain things that may initially seem unimportant to overarching themes, or to connect disparate objects or places to unify a work- all without having to be didactic or moralizing. For example, in The Great Gatsby, the symbol of the valley of ashes connects West and East Egg to the industrial poverty that the rich Long Islanders would rather simply ignore. Finally, symbols create a more active and engaging reading experience for you! Hunting for symbols and interpreting their meaning makes you think, and it also makes you have a much more visceral, emotional reaction to the abstract ideas central to the book. In the case of The Great Gatsby, watching Gatsby reach in vain for the green light makes us feel his yearning much more than if the author had simply written, "Gatsby wanted to reunite with Daisy." How Do You Find Symbols? Mostly likely, your assignment will pick out specific symbols for you to analyze. However, often teachers ask you to find and explore a symbol of your own choosing. So how do you know what's just a thing and what is imbued with a deeper meaning? Symbols Are Everywhere First, you have to realize that almost anything can be a symbol. Place. Often a setting isn't simply a location where events happen. Sometimes it's also a shorthand, evocative way of representing a particular set of people or their ideas. For example, in The Great Gatsby, Myrtle's Manhattan apartment isn't simply a place for her to host parties, but it also stands for her ambition and aspiration to leave her working-class life behind. More globally, it stands for the vulgar approximation of the upper class that the East Egg crowd scorns and mocks. Object. This is probably the most common type of symbol- a thing that carries meaning over and above its inherent thing-ness. In this novel, almost every object described at any length can be seen a symbol. Think, for instance, of the ridiculously expensive pearl necklace Tom gives Daisy before their wedding. He means it to be symbolic of his love for her, but it is also clearly a symbol of the way he uses his wealth to control other people (something he will later do with Myrtle). More globally, it symbolizes the rich using their money to get their way. Action. Sometimes, a character's actions, gestures, ways of speaking, or behaviors are themselves symbolic, representing an idea about that character alone, or about a group of similar people. One of Gatsby's most telling gestures is the outstretched arm pose he does several times in the book (like at the end of Chapter 1 or in the beginning of Chapter 8). One of Gatsby's most defining characteristics is his striving drive to attain Daisy's love and a position in the upper class- basically, a life that's just out of reach. His habitual gesture of reaching for the ungraspable symbolizes this trait. Person. Infrequently, a character can also function as a symbol of a greater idea. This is literary device is hard to pull off, because making a person into a symbol tends to take away at least some of their individuality and personhood. This is exactly what happens in The Great Gatsby, where Daisy is at once herself (lover to Gatsby, cousin to Nick, wife to Tom, mother to Pammy), and also a symbol of the American Dream and its flaws. Is adjusting a cufflink: a symbol of impeccable taste? Prissy fussiness? Anxiety? Depends on who is doing it and why. Universally Meaningful Symbols Some symbols are culturally universal. That means that in almost every place, these objects will have layers of meaning built into them. So feel free to interpret these universally meaningful symbols in any work you come across! Here are some examples: Colors. Most civilizations imbue colors with meaning, although that meaning is by no means always the same either from one culture to another, or even within the same culture. For instance, think about the way we perceive the color red. It can sometimes represent a warning (red means stop), but at other times, it's a symbol of love and passion (red roses mean romance). In our case, The Great Gatsby places lots of significance on the color green, for example, which is associated both with hope and with sickness and death. Celestial Bodies. The moon, the sun, stars- these are all potential symbols. They don't play as prominent a role in The Great Gatsby as they do in some other books, but you can still find a lot of significance in the way the moon tends to illuminate the truth. It's particularly evident in Chapters 8 and 9, when the moon makes Gatsby look like a criminal to Nick after Myrtle's murder, and when Nick imagines East Egg as a creepy El Greco painting or as the lush shore Dutch sailors would have seen. Plants, Nature, Weather Events, or Bodies of Water. If it's naturally-occurring, and if it intersects with the characters in any way, chances are it can be read as a symbol of something. Weather, in particular, plays a key function in this novel, especially when in extreme situations, like when Gatsby and Daisy's reunion is almost ruined by a downpour, or when the tense confrontation in the Plaza Hotel is made even more excruciating by the unrelenting heat. In each case, the weather can be interpreted as a symbol for the characters' emotions. Body Parts. It's not surprising that humans find other humans' bodies to be of particular significance. Whenever a book pays a lot of attention to hands, eyes, lips, or any other part of the body, there are bound to be layers of meaning behind it. In this novel, bodies are very important symbols of how characters are perceived. Whether it's Myrtle's gruesomely graphic corpse which speaks to the many ways her body is mistreated, or Daisy's siren-like voice, which points to the way Gatsby sees her more as a mythically desirable prize than as a real live person, body parts are meaningful. Discrete and Original Symbols Many symbols aren't ones that have universal associations, but are instead more idiosyncratic and book-specific. Here are some tips for how to locate these less obvious Great Gatsby symbols. Lingering Description. Pay close attention to places or objects that are described at length, especially if the novel comes back to them multiple times, or if their description has a key element that slips its boundaries and starts being applied to other things. For example, in The Great Gatsby, the valley of ashes is a strange, dusty, gray place that is never referred to by its real place name (Queens), or some made-up town name (like West Egg and East Egg), but is instead given this Biblically-inflected nickname. Not only that, but the dust and ash that cover everything in this place are also said to coat the people that live there- so much so that even when George leaves his garage, he is still described as "ashen" (8.110). Incongruity. Anything that is either completely out of place in its surroundings, or is creepy, confusing, mysterious, or discomfiting in some way is probably a symbol. For example, the billboard with the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg clearly unnerves everyone who looks at it. And it's totally out of place: it's the only colorful object in the gray valley of ashes, and it's advertising something that is no longer being sold. Character Obsession. Anything that one of the main characters is fixated on is probably a symbol. In our case, Gatsby's unyielding focus on the green light at the end of Daisy's dock clearly marks this as no ordinary shore marker for night sailing. Why is that chair not like the others? What does symbolize by standing out? Tips and Advice for Writing About Symbols Most of your assignments will ask you to analyze a symbol and explore its significance in the novel. So how do you do this well? There are two different types of essay you can build. How to Write an Essay Built Around Close-Readings This kind of essay is a great way to show your engagement with the text. Because you'll stay so close to what is on the page, you'll be protected from making your essay too broad, generalized, and unsupported by evidence. How do you write this kind of essay? When you're planning your essay, look for each instance of the symbol you'll be discussing. One good way to do this is to use an online, searchable version of the text here (like this one or this one), and search for keywords associated with your symbol. Remember to first read the book all the way through to know what you're looking for, and to try several versions of your keyword when searching. When you're writing your essay: First, build out from the instances of the symbol you found. Discuss the symbol's meaning in each context, paying close attention to the author's word choice, sentence structure, and any literary devices like similes or metaphors. How does the symbol stay the same with each appearance? How does it change between appearances? What does this change or lack or change demonstrate? Second, link the symbol to its larger meaning within the novel through these choices the author made about the way the symbol is described. What theme or themes is this symbol is connected to? What does it represent for the characters associated with it? How can you tell? How to Write an Essay Built Around an Argument This type of essay is great if you're making a statement about why a symbol is the way that it is, or why it's being used to represent what it represents. You can use it to show your understanding of the book as a whole. How do you write this kind of essay? First, follow the same planning steps as the close-reading essay above. Then: Make an argument. It's not enough to just describe the symbol and explain its possible meanings. Instead, you have to make sure that you're making some kind of point about why/how the symbol works. How do you know if you're making an argument and not just saying the obvious? If you can imagine someone arguing the opposite of what you're saying, then you've got an argument on your hands. Work from the text out. You'll still need to do a certain amount of close reading to nail this essay, so start small by analyzing chunks of the text where the symbol pops up, and then broadening your points out to the rest of the book. This way, your argument will be strengthened by textual evidence rather than seeming to come out of nowhere Don't overthink it. For example, it's fine to argue that the green light on Daisy's dock stands for delusional optimism- but it definitely doesn't stand for environmental degradation. Watch out for stretching your symbol analysis too far from what the text is telling you. Do these paintbrushes symbolize creativity? Sure. A wealth of resources? Maybe. Industrialist waste? Probably not. Analyzing The Great Gatsby Symbols This novel is very rich, symbol-wise. For in-depth discussion of the most important object symbols, check out our articles on: The green light on Daisy's dock The valley of ashes The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Some characters (primarily the women) are often treated as symbols as well. For more on how that works, read our guides to: Daisy Buchanan Myrtle Wilson The Bottom Line A symbol in a work of literature is something concrete that stands for an abstract idea. A symbol isn't the same thing as a motif, since a motif's meaning typically comes from the different ways and situations in which it recurs. A symbol isn't the same thing as a theme, which is a central idea that can usually be summed up in a word or a phrase. Authors use symbols to help explain themes, demonstrate varying versions of a theme, or build emotional richness into the way a theme works in the book you're reading. Almost anything can be a symbol: a place, an object, an action, or even a person. Some symbols are culturally universal, like colors, celestial bodies, plants and nature, or parts of the body. Many symbols are book-specific symbols. You can find them by paying attention to any objects that are described at length, are out of place in its surroundings, are creepy, confusing, mysterious, or discomfiting in some way, or are obsessed over by one or more characters. Most of your assignments will ask you to analyze a symbol and explore its significance in the novel. You can either write an essay built around close-readings, analyzing how the different ways a symbol is described in the novel connects it to a specific theme. Or you can write an essay built around an argument, where you prove a particular interpretation of a symbol in the book. What's Next? Learn how to write about the themes in The Great Gatsby that symbols are usually linked to. Explore the differences between symbols and motifs further in our overview of The Great Gatsby's motifs. Brush up on the context of these symbols with our summary of The Great Gatsby. Get help on other assignments by reading our guides on analyzing or comparing and contrasting characters and learning how to identify personification, imagery, tone words, and rhetorical devices. Need help building your vocabulary to analyze other works of literature? We teach you all the literary devices you must know, the literary elements that appear in every story and first/second/third person POV here. If you're analyzing poetry (or Shakespeare), you'll also want to check out our articles on iambic pentameter and assonance. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Aramco project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aramco project - Essay Example The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest Arabian state in Western Asia covering a land area of approximately 2,150,000 km2. it is the second largest in the Arab world after Algeria. Its neighboring states are Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast, and Yemen in the south. Currently the Kingdom has a population of 28.7 million people and is a world leader in the production an export of oil. The country’s national petroleum and natural gas production is called Saudi Aramco. The company is Arabian American and is based in Dhahran. Saudi Aramco is among the largest integrated energy production companies around the globe. Aramco was founded in the year1933, by the Standard Oil Company of California. Saudi Aramco’s is a story of the discovery and development of some of the greatest oil reserves ever known in the world and the rapid transformation of Saudi Arabia from a once desert kingdom to the modern nation-state that we know. Saudi Aramcos value as estimated by the New York Times is approximately $10 trillion and this makes it the most valuable firm globally. Saudi Aramco enjoys more than ten percent of the global market in terms oil supply and controls 98% of Saudi’s oil reserves which in turn represent 25% of the total global oil reserves. Considering that the petroleum sector contributes about 40% of Saudi Arabia’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Saudi Aramco is no doubt a cornerstone in the national economy. As such, Aramco is under intense pressure to remain competitive not only in the kingdom but also internationally. It I for this reason that the company requires a very efficient labor force. It has responded to this demand by developing and implementing a training program known as the Professional Development

Public Sector vs. Private Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Sector vs. Private Sector - Essay Example As a result, they have a vested interest in seeing salaries rise for all employees. Another essential difference in collective bargaining between private and public sectors is related to location and labor value. Unlike private sector companies, public sector institutions are not capable of threatening to relocate for lower-wage costs (Guyton 213). This is evident in education where in response to union strikes, schools cannot possibly outsource employment overseas, as companies like Nike and have done. However, unions are able to use statistics from surrounding areas to pressure public sector companies to raise wages. Indeed union negotiations are one of the major distinguishing characteristics in private and public sector collective bargaining. Private salary disputes are restricted by the knowledge that customers are able to obtain products elsewhere, whereas in the public realm it is often difficult or impossible for patrons to go to the closet competitor (Boggs 9). Libraries are an example of this situation. The union representatives are often long-term officials who have experience in negotiations, whereas the officials they are dealing with are appointed or elected officials who often only spend short amounts of time in their positions. As a result, negotiations are somewhat slanted in favor of the public union representatives. While labor relations in the United States used to be more highly shifted toward private sector employee union membership, major changes have occurred in the intervening fifty-years. For instance, in 1956 American private sector union membership was 34.7%, more than three times as much as the public sector rate of 11.1%. In 2006, public and private sectors were seen to undergo and drastic change as union membership had shifted from 36.2% in the public sector to 7.4%. for the private sector (Guyton 210). When distinguishing public and private

Career Choice :: essays research papers

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person has to make in their life. It is so important because that is what we will have to do to support ourselves throughout life. Imagine being stuck in a dead end job and having to go to work every morning and dreading it. That is no spending oneÕs time and life is too short to work 35 years and be unhappy with it. If a person likes the job they do then it is not work, because finding satisfaction out of a job can bring great happiness. That information has enabled me to make the decision of choosing my area of study and career in the field of Information Technology. Many things have lead up to my decision to choose a career in Information Systems. It started at my first semester at my local community college. I was enrolled in their graphic design program and most of the classes I was taking consisted of art classes. My first computer class was working in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. They are graphic programs that many graphic designerÕs use to make their design work. While working with these programs I was very intrigued by the power of computers and how they work. While going to school at the local community college I soon got a job at CitiMortgage working at the computer help desk. I was learning more about computers and networking which helped lead to my decision to change my degree of study to information systems. Along with my change of interest and working for a company that helps pay for my school I was looking for a better college to attend and that had a program that would fit my needs. I soon became aware of Maryville University and the weekend and evening college program that they offered.

Death and its effects Essay

There is a certain sequence to life. We are born, we die and the part in the middle is called life. Everyone must die and every religion in the world seems to have a belief about what happens after death. We can die at any age be it by accident, illness, disease or old age. Unfortunately accidents and disease are quite common and cause much more distress to loved ones than if someone dies of old age. This is because of the order of death which we expect. Most people believe that Grandparents should die first, followed by Parents then finally Children. However, the world does not always work this way, spawning the phrase ‘a parent should never have to bury their child’. Accidents can strike someone down at anytime as can illness. When this happens it is usually a shock and the grief caused by this can be dependent on the age – if a younger person dies then the shock can be devastating but if someone dies in their ‘twilight years’ then the shock is greatly reduced as the family is half expecting it and they have led a full life. When someone dies, people cope with it in different ways. Some people cry and sob while others will quietly sit and contemplate. In other instances, people will go into denial and refuse to believe that their loved one is gone. This type of denial is aided by the fact that we do not have to deal with death directly, more often than not we will arrange for a funeral director to plan and take care off everything. Many people tell their loved ones how they feel everyday, this allows them to be secure in that their loved one will not die without them knowing they love them. People do not like for someone to die if they have not told them all that they should have or have ended their last conversation in an argument. They begin to have that underlying feeling of guilt and foreboding. To know that someone knows what you are going through is a great help to the bereaved, friends can come over and offer their support and allow the person to explain how they feel. The whole idea of talking to someone is the basis of therapy and can offer some relief through sympathy/empathy. Funerals, after they have been arranged are often held within the week of the person dying. This is to offer some finality to the whole process and to let the relatives to decide whether they want an ‘open coffin’ or ‘closed coffin’ funeral. Funerals vary from one Christian denomination to another but they all have a glimmer of hope in them for the relatives and friends. The hope of eternal life in the presence of God allows the church to help the bereaved deal with their loss by encouraging them to believe that they will be reunited with them after they die. In a funeral, the coffin is carried from its method of transport to the church (this is usually a hearse, but can be a horse-drawn carriage) by the pall-bearers. These are often the male members of the family who were closest to the deceased. I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. (John 11:25-26) The above verses from John 11 are often read. These words are used to comfort the bereaved as they speak of eternal life and love. There are also often hymns, prayers for the person who has died and other Bible readings. The priest will then give a short sermon on the Christian beliefs of life after death. Eulogies are also often read out by a member of the family or a close friend. A eulogy is a short speech about the life of the person who has died. It is traditional to wear black clothing at funerals. This is not required however and some families will request that guests do not dress in this way. A Roman Catholic funeral also includes a ‘Requiem Mass’. For this, the priest will wear white vestments and the coffin will be covered in a white pall. The coffin is sprinkled with Holy Water and the priest says: In the waters of baptism (name) died with Christ, and rose with him to new life. May s/he now share with him in eternal glory. The coffin is then sprinkled again and later perfumed with incense. After the funeral, many Christians put on a meal for guests to thank them for coming. In the case of Roman Catholics and many Irish Christians, a wake will be put on. A wake is a small, lively party to celebrate the persons passing into Heaven and their life. Of course, the person who all this was held for does not realise. The deceased person is not really there and only an empty shell remains. There are several different, but equally important reasons for holding a funeral. A funeral marks the ending of a human life, as baptism marks the beginning. It also allows the families to go through the various stages of grief. A funeral lets them see that the person is gone forever, but gives them comfort and support from faith. A funeral is used by Christians to be reminded of one of Christianity’s main beliefs – there is life after death and that God will give us strength to face up to our sorrow. Graves are also often erected. These graves are permanent markers to the person and can last hundreds of years. It is very interesting to walk around a cemetery and see the impact someone has made on another persons life as some graves have monumental tombstones on them. These come at a huge price and it is amazing to see that someone has paid so much money for something the deceased will never see In Christian terms, there are two places after you die, Heaven and Hell. There is much debate about whether Heaven and Hell are actual places. The Literalists believe it is as the bible clearly mentions it in the New Testament. According to older theories, Heaven is a place where those who are sinless go to be with God and everyone is happy. On the other hand, Hell was meant to be a place of ‘fire and brimstone’ where everyone suffered for their sins. Now here is where the argument comes in. Many people say that Hell cannot exist because it is impossible for such a loving and forgiving God to create a place of suffering. Some Christians also believe that Heaven and Hell are not so much places as states of mind. Heaven is where you are at peace and can be with God and Hell is where you are confined and isolated from the warmth of God’s love. A modern story of the literal differences between Heaven and Hell goes as follows: A man dies and is greeted by St. Peter at the gates of Heaven. The man asks if he can see both Heaven and Hell before he is judged. St. Peter agrees and an angel escorts the man into a room. In the room, there is a long dining table. The man asks where they are and the angel tells him that they are in Hell. He explains that in both Heaven and Hell, you are treated equally and can eat all your favorite foods from the table on one condition: you must eat them with 6 foot long utensils. The man ponders on this for a moment then asks what the difference is between the two. The angel tells him that in Heaven, people are well fed as they feed one another while the people in Hell starve as they only try to feed themselves and fail. In Christian beliefs about resurrection, the idea that the whole body is resurrected, not just the soul is prominent. Jesus was recognised by St. Peter after his resurrection (see Corinthians 15:35-57), this shows us that when we are resurrected, our new bodies will be recognisable to our family and friends. Jewish beliefs about death are not so different from those of Christianity. Instead of Heaven and Hell, Jews believe that all souls go to ‘Sheol’, a shadowy underworld. The Jewish faith also has beliefs on resurrection. According to Maimonides, when the Messiah comes, all the dead will be resurrected and judged. In death, every member of the family is affected. Adults know what is going on, but what about the children. What should we tell them? Many parents explain to their children that whoever has died has ‘gone with the angels’. This is often the easiest way as children associate angels with happiness. This reasoning is often why people grow up imagining Heaven to be in the clouds above our Earth and full of angels, it is a remnant of our childhood. However, some parents decide to not tell their children anything. It all depends on the individual child and how they will cope with this new information. Some children can cope with the hard evidence – someone has died and isn’t going to come back, while others cannot grasp the concept of death until they are much older. All religions have theories on life and death. In the New Age religions, many people believe in the Gaia theory. The Gaia theory was developed many hundreds of years ago and can be found in old texts about the meaning of life. The Gaia theory tells us that the Earth on which we live has a spirit and that all living organisms have their spirit given by Gaia (the Earth spirit). These organisms live their respective lives and ‘soak’ up their experiences to enrich its spirit. When the organism dies, its spirit returns to Gaia and the experiences it had allow Gaia to create new lives. After looking at several different religions, it is apparent that all have one thing in common – the belief that after you die a part of you lives on and returns to something, be it Allah, Gaia or God.

Medical Ethics in Islam

In our lives, we often face difficult decisions, some relating to life and death, medical ethics. Should I donate a kidney so that another may live? Should I turn off life support for my brain-dead child? Should I mercifully end the suffering of my terminally ill, elderly mother? If I am pregnant with quintuplets, should I abort one or more so that the others have a better chance of surviving? If I face infertility, how far should I go in treatment so that I might, Allah-willing, have a child? As medical treatment continues to expand and advance, more ethical questions come up. For guidance on such matters, Muslims turn first to the Quran. Allah gives us general guidelines to follow, that are constant and timeless. The Saving of Life ...We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people. And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.... (Quran 5:32) Life and Death are in Allahs Hands Blessed be He in whose hands is the Dominion, and he has Power over all things. He who created death and life that He may test which of you are best in deed, and He is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving. (Quran 67: 1-2) No soul can die except by Allahs permission. (Quran 3:185) Human Beings Should Not Play God Does not man see that it is We who created him from sperm. Yet behold! He stands as an open adversary! And he makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own creation. He says who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones? Say, He will give them life who created them for the first time, for He is versed in every kind of creation. (Quran 36: 77-79) Abortion Kill not your children on a plea of want. We will provide sustenance for you and for them. Come not near shameful deeds whether open or secret. Take not life which God has made sacred except by way of justice and law. Thus He commands you that you may learn wisdom. (6:151) Kill not your children for fear of want. We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin. (17:31) Other Sources of Islamic Law In modern times, as medical treatments advance further, we come across new situations which are not described in detail in the Quran. Oftentimes these fall into a gray area, and it is not as simple to decide what is right or wrong. We then turn to the interpretation of Islamic scholars, who are well-versed in the Quran and Sunnah. If scholars come to a consensus on an issue, it is a strong indication that it is a correct position. Some examples of scholarly fatwas on the subject of medical ethics include: Organ donation is permissible as long as no financial incentive is given, and no permanent harm comes to the donor.Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are prohibited.Mechanical life support should be continued until brain-death or imminent death has been confirmed by a physician or team of physicians, in which case it can be withdrawn.  Assisted reproduction is allowed as long as it is done with sperm and egg between husband and wife.Late-stage abortion is condemned unless necessary to save the mothers life. For specific and unique situations, a patient is advised to speak to an Islamic scholar for guidance.