The Meaning Of Catholic Church Architecture Theology Religion Essay

The Meaning Of Catholic Church Architecture Theology Religion Essay Theology in Stone: The Meaning of Catholic Church Architecture. If a tour of the Catholic churches were to be formed, you would be in need of a guide. The reason for this is simple. Catholic churches have assigned symbolic meaning to the various parts of the church building. This symbolism is shown not only on the exterior of the building, but also through-out the interior and the Holy items within. There are several misconceptions surrounding Catholic churches and its architecture. One myth about the church states that the Vatican Council requires the rejection of traditional church architecture and the promotion of more modern architecture. This myth is supported by what Roman Catholics have built during the last three decades rather than what the Church has taught. Even by vocational reports, the church architecture of the past decade has been a complete calamity. Nevertheless, actions frequently speak louder than words, and the faithful have been led to accept that the Church necessitates its structures to be functional abstractions. There has also been controversy surrounding the Catholic church praising saints or items and symbols, it is easy to see why someone may say that it is not possible or welcomed to build a beautiful church. This happens to be completely wrong. We live in an age where men have been flown to the moon and insanely ample sums of money are exhausted on sporting arenas. Of course we should also be able to construct these structures of the same quality as the previous Christian basilicas or Gothic cathedrals. In recent layman architecture we are observing a great resurgence of traditional architecture and craftsmanship. Following the book Ugly as Sin, there are three natural laws of Catholic church architecture. The church must have verticality [1]. It is said that a good, successful, and vertical church will stick out above the other smaller buildings in the area. This is so the heavenly Jerusalem (which I interpret as Heaven) is passed through the church. Verticality, itself creates this condition of existence. Its this beingness that makes divine architecture at all possible. Windows, columns, supports, and sacred art should fortify this heavenward ambition. The ceilings pronunciation should create a sense of transcendence toward the Heaven through the mosaics and murals as well as the use of natural light used on the body of the church. (Ugly as Sin, 24) The second of the three natural laws of church architecture is permanence [2]. The building itself symbolizes Christs presence in the world. (Christs presence in the world is the same yesterday and today and forever.) The same thing goes for the church. It must be lasting and surpass space and time. Typically, stone or brick will be used as the material to form the exterior of the church in order to satisfy permanence. This permanence is yet another way of creating transcendence. An authentic Catholic church construction is a work of art that communicates the preceding importance of the Churchs architectural heritage. It refers to the past, serves the present, and informs the future. (Ugly as Sin, 26) The last natural law, Iconography [3]. The Catholic church must have Iconography, this will distinguish the building as a church. A creditable church will also use iconography to capture something bigger. meditation; painting, sculpture, and architecture are meant to work together to produce a unified effect. (St. Ignatius Loyola) This is said to emphasize the importance of beautiful creations in the world. A churchs architectural appearance should reverberate Gods creation. In specifically, man, who was made in the image of God. Art has been, is, and will be forever, the greatest agency for spiritual impression that the Church may claim. writes architect Ralph Adams Cram. He writes in addition; because of art, Christians have defined the creative symbolism that lift us to God. The iconography may also display the life of Jesus through-out the Church in a story of pictures, symbols, items, or furniture. (Ugly as Sin, 27) Our journey will lead us to the front, or facade of the church which may be the most artistic and memorable piece of the church. There could be elaborate stained glass, sculptures or memorials in the facade. The stained glass is most commonly above the large wooden doors that create a gate-way that guards the interior of the church. Often the facade shows a story formed around the detailed artwork. When discussing the shape of the church, other than height, you will find the building to be in the shape of a cross. Also, the church transepts will be pointing to the North and South. A transept is the transverse arm of a cruciform church. The left transept is the North transept and the right transept is the South transept. A dome is usually formed at the center of the transepts. The liturgy is supposed to be conducted facing East under this dome where Gods people have gathered. Upon entering the church, you come to the Narthax, which means entry. The transition from the outside world to the inside. This can also be a covered porch-like structure outside of the building. A certain attitude should be attributed to the scents and sounds when entering the Narthax. As you progress through the church, you will find the Nave, which means ship in Latin. This is where followers sit or stand when receiving the liturgy. Churches in the Gothic era typically had screens covering the sanctuary. This area was treated as the Holy of Holies. The sanctuary is where the Tabernacle is kept and where there should be a burning tabernacle light. When the Tabernacle is presented, followers genuflect. When the Sacrament is exposed, Catholics kneel on both knees. The alter is the next significant item found in the Church. The Altar should be set and made of stone and contain a relic of a Saint (usually a hair or other small body part). This is also where the Tabernacle is usually kept. (Jeremiah) The Church performs many functions. Of the most important, there is, worship, hymns or songs, and discipline. Worship facilitates our relationship with God and makes it possible for us to communicate with him in both private and public. Worship more commonly is a public function, done in the mass and amongst other believers. Hymns are another pertinent aspect or function of the church. These allow us to express feelings and emotions we have for God and and the relationship weve formed with him. We also see discipline in the church, this is spiritual discipline. This faithfulness regards our hearts, psyche, and spirit. Prayer should be something we Christians enjoy doing and desire being a part of. It may sound like discipline is referring to punishment, when the real meaning of discipline is something that disciples, or enables (learning). Discipleship refers to the continuous teaching and mentorship. Passing the word through the generations. It has been said, no man is good left alo ne. Nor is it good for a Christian to be left alone. We must encourage ministry by giving permission, training, tools, and removing any impedance. (Six Functions of the Church) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Fellowship can serve as a mutual relationship among Christians. Fellowship means sharing life experiences, emotions and burdens. This encourages Christians to help not only one another but also those who do not believe in Christ. All of these functions are served by the Catholic Church and serve a distinct, pious, purpose for members of the church. (Six Functions of the Church) The architecture that forms the church is invariably important to the teachings of the bible and Jesus life. The shapes, scents, and designs assist the learning and provide certain sensations that parallel the traditional mass and liturgy. Architecture plays an important part as symbolism for the church. Much of the artistic features about the church represent something greater or tell a story. The church must also seek to perform a few major functions; worship, hymns, and spiritual disciplines. All of these functions are to bring us closer to God and his heavenly Jerusalem and every aspect of the church is to transcend the spirit through-out us, Gods people. Cites: Ugly As Sin ECN Article Jeremiah, David. Signs of Life. Thomas Nelson, Publishers, 10/02/2007. Print. Six Functions of the Church.  GCI. N.p.. Web. 11 Mar 2013. .

Family Structure Essay

To day the young children of age five are more likely to end up in foreign universities with their perfect English because of their improved education due to one-child policy. They are called ‘little emperors’ in the Chinese household today. The family structure is kind of 1-2-4 formula. – one child, two parents and four grand parents. Another common expression is ‘six packets, one month’ indicating parents and two grand parents relying on the one and the only child. Socio economic development had brought about radical changes in family size and structure in China. The 4th census 1 family has 3. 97 persons on an average calculated on the 10 % sample data. .† Instead of large families consisting of several generations and many members, small families has now become a principal family type in China. According to the analysis of the sample data from the 4th Census, the family size is mainly decided by the fertility level in particular regions, and it also depends on the economic development† . The fifth census has brought about three changes in the family structures. â€Å"First, relatively stable family types represented by those consisting of lineal family members of three generations. Three-generation lineal families in cities are maintained owing to loose inner management while in rural areas such maintenance arises from a larger proportion of the only son. Second, family types apparently on the rise. The one-child-policy implemented for over two decades is the major impetus for evident growth of the nuclear family type composed of the husband and the wife. Generation-skipping lineal families have grown at the highest rate. Such families not only signify an important phenomenon in a transitional period of the Chinese society, but also reflect deficiencies of China’s social development. The number of one-person families is also on the rise. Major factors accounting for such a phenomenon are late marriage of young people, longer life expectancy of the elderly and increasing ratio of aged widows and widowers. Third, family types showing a declining trend. The number of incomplete nuclear families obviously decreases while that of standard nuclear families also falls slightly. Decline of the latter mainly results from increase of nuclear families composed of the husband and the wife, or different adjustments inside nuclear families. In the future, the structure of Chinese families will generally maintain such a situation and there will be other changes in some family types. Simplified structure and shrinking size of current families lead to changes in family function and relationships among family members, which will ultimately impose some impacts on the whole society† . Study using national data from the 1996 Life History and Social Change in Contemporary China survey (N= 3,087) to assess the effect of the economic transition on parent-adult child coresidence in urban China says that â€Å"Previous studies find that, thanks to state actions, traditional patterns in coresidence persisted in post-Mao urban China. This study still finds high levels of coresidence. China’s aging population, coupled with an underdeveloped social security system, means that the traditional role of family will remain strong. It also uncovers three new patterns, however, best explained as caused by changes in the economic realm. First, the coresidence pattern changes over parents’ life course, shifting from child-centered to parent-centred as parents age. Second, class differentials begin to emerge, most notably seen in the unique patterns of the entrepreneurial class. Last, gender differentials remain significant, but the tilt toward sons has strengthened. † Conclusion From the foregoing discussion we can conclude that China is at the cross roads and it is difficult to predict that if it abandons one-child policy, the problem of aging population and looming labour shortage could be solved. The socio-economic developments has been motivating people to resort to limited families and even without such a mandatory policy of one-child, the same trend will continue. Population is not likely to proliferate and the only solution possible is encouraging floating migration for making good the ensuing labour shortage and implementation of pension for old age people which the Government should come forward to grant for all the sacrifices that this segment of the population have made during the last several decades towards achieving the country’s goals.

Food Ethics Essay

The ethics surrounding food hasn’t always been a major contributor in ones decision on what to eat. In the beginning, we would have to physically hunt or gather our meals in order to survive. The choice of what was for breakfast, lunch or dinner solely relied on what was accessible to us. The ethical questions would only come as a result of a modernized food system, where other options for food became accessible and convenient. In the essay Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace, the author describes lobsters in New England in the 1800’s as having an â€Å"Unbelievable abundance (238). Read more:  Good people analysis  essay These crustaceous creatures were all over the shores of New England. Wallace writes about the Boston seashore as, â€Å"being littered with lobsters after hard storms†¦ (238). † Yet, Lobster were considered â€Å"low-class† and as Wallace states, â€Å"†¦eaten only by the poor and institutionalized (237). † It was considered unethical to even feed the poor lobster â€Å"†¦more than once a week (238). † This was modernized New England, which eventually changed at the turn of the century, just as Lobster shifted from being â€Å"low class† to â€Å"chewable fuel†. As the world became more industrialized, food became centralized. The shift from small businesses to large companies started to occur. The lobster industry changed as well during these times as Wallace describes, â€Å"Maine’s earliest lobster industry was based around a dozen such seaside canneries in the 1840’s, from which lobster was shipped as far away as California†¦ (238). † Just like the lobster industry in New England, many companies in the United States started to fulfill the demands for products to gain a profit. Ethics became secondary to making money. Corporations would produce so much that they would drive the price down, increasing its affordability and making it more accessible and widely consumed. Eventually, large companies would become so efficient and affordable, that small businesses like farms and mom and pop shops found it increasingly difficult to compete. Many small companies and farms had to either adjust their products to niche markets or work as a subsidiary to these corporations. Along with mass production of products, was a new manufacturing process. Foods started to become streamlined in such a way that they would grow in the harshest of environments. These new forms of industrialization lead to the creation of processed foods. The companies found ways to maximize profits while making the costs as affordable as possible for the consumer. The supermarkets offered everything one could think of, packaged and ready to eat. Although the prices for most foods were at an all-time low, hunger and malnutrition still existed. There were also issues arising regarding consumer trust in food safety, and the effects on the human body. As a result of these cost efficient products, people in the United States started to become increasingly heavy, leading to an obesity epidemic and a major health crisis. The ethical issues involving economical behavior of consumers and agricultural ethics are at question. Is it unethical for corporations to mass produce unhealthy foods, knowing the adverse side effects on the environment and growing rates of obesity in the United States? The trend seemed to lead to, the more affordable the food, the more we consume. Is this a personal problem or are the companies to blame for offering these products to us? We must first look into the goals of a business and if ethics play any part in the obligations to supply our population with affordable food. The very basic objective to any business is to create a profit. This is what allows companies to continue function and thrive. The best way for this to happen is to make something that is sellable and where there is room for profit. In the food industry corn is not only a commodity it’s a common ingredient in almost every product on our shelves. According to Michael Pollan, in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, It is also used to feed most of the animals that become meats in our supermarkets. To say that corn is widely used would be an understatement. It seemed that we couldn’t produce enough of this plant. Not only is our climate great for growing it, we also were able to store it very effectively. The boom in corn production can be traced back to the nineteen seventies. Since those same years, â€Å"†¦American’s average daily intake of calories has jumped by more than 10 percent (Pollan 102). † The reason for this increased caloric intake leaves many to question whether people are eating more because it’s less expensive or people are eating the same amounts but the food contains more calories. Either way, the companies that were producing these items didn’t seem to be bothered by the problem affecting â€Å"three of every five Americans being overweight (Pollan 102). † The truth is that the companies are driven by profits. The Americans who consume these foods create the profits. Additionally, a lot of these companies are traded on the public market and have a responsibility to their shareholders, who subsequently are the same ones buying these foods. So the companies were being driven to make profits for the people invested. Two of the biggest soda companies in the world, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, have followed these trends as well. As Pollen says, â€Å"By 1984, Coca-Cola and Pepsi had switched over entirely from sugar to high-fructose corn syrup. Why? Because HFCS was a few cents cheaper than sugar (thanks in part to tariffs on imported sugarcane secured by corn refiners) and consumers didn’t seem to notice the substitution (104). †It’s as if these corn companies were monopolizing the industry, trying to turn-over as much product as possible. The increased production would eventually lead to increased portion sizes. Instead of lowering the prices of products, companies started charging a small upcharge for additional food and soda. This practice of continually turning over product has become so dangerous that now, â€Å"†¦in 2000 the number of people suffering from [overnutrition]-a billion- had surpassed the number suffering from malnutrition-800 million (Pollan 102). † There is clearly something broken with this system. These companies are catering to our consumer appetites and enabling us to act accordingly. You would think that the prices of the food being low would solve our food problems globally, but the answer is unfortunately no. These companies are in places where there is both a market for high sales and where they can grow these crops. Most of the areas that are facing malnutrition are in remote areas of the world. These areas wouldn’t make the companies money and therefor there isn’t an incentive for them. On the other hand, America is of course one of the largest consumer countries in the world. Our desire for food is unsurpassed by most counties. There is no question that Americans have a sweet tooth. It is part of the human makeup to consume high energy foods and is linked to natural selection. According to Pollan, â€Å"Add fat or sugar to anything and it’s going to taste better on the tongue of an animal that natural selection has wired to seek out energy-dense foods (107). † Pollan also suggests that, â€Å"natural selection predisposed us to the taste of sugar and fat (its texture as well as taste) because sugars and fats offer the most energy (which is what a calorie is) per bite (106). It’s only natural for humans to consume these ingredients, because after all we are â€Å"predisposed† to do them. This of course doesn’t mean that we are completely free of blame for our overindulging. We are all individuals and are responsible in formulating our own decisions. The companies which provide us with these calorie-packed foods and beverages also list their nutritional information on the packages. If we were to eat any packaged foods, we would be responsible for understanding the health risks involved. The real problem is whether we have the mental capacity to control our physical urges. There is extensive research that suggests, â€Å"†¦people {presented} with large portions will eat up to 30 percent more (Pollan 106). † At one time in our history, this might have served us. Now, there is no question that our bodies are becoming poisoned from this. Knowing all of this information, companies continue doing their best to offer these calorie-packed foods. This is evident in just about every corner store and fast food restaurant. The ethics concerning public safety and effects on the human body are clear. Companies are only concerned over their ability to raise a profit. Their aim to create profits from the overconsumption of high energy foods has been effective in making Americans unhealthy, while continuing to turn over profits. While the companies are certainly a large part of the problem, the consumers are also to blame. They have enabled this overproduction by continuing to consume the same products making them sick. Additionally, people seem to be ignoring their recommended caloric intakes and are choosing to eat more and more. Companies can only be blamed for producing products with limited nutritional value. They are ethically absolved of their responsibilities if they inform their consumers properly. Their goal is to make profits, not worry whether their consumers are eating the recommended serving size or not. The best way to take control of this issue would to be to consume less and choose healthier options as individuals. The more aware we become as individuals, the healthier we will become as a society.

Essay Cja 304 Week 1 Assignment - 1142 Words

Effective Communication Pamela Clark CJS 304 April 30, 2012 Dr. Stephen A. Morreale Communication is a two-way process that takes practice and time to be fully effective and is very important in every aspect our personal and professional lives. We communicate every day of our lives both verbally or nonverbally. The process of verbal communication is the exchanging information by transmitting an idea, send that idea, receive feedback, understand the idea and the feedback and provide feedback to the person who sent the message. The main components of communication are context, encoder, message, medium, decoder, and feedback. The context could be social, chronological, cultural, or physical. The individual sending the message will†¦show more content†¦Formal communication is the channel that usually follows the chain of command. This chain is often ran by formal orders, detectives, and written memorandums. In the police organization these forms provide a sense of order and security. Using excessive or exclusive communications however have certain disadvantages . One disadvantage in strict adherence to formal channels can be both time and personnel consuming. Memorandums must be drafter carefully ad must go through the chain of command for endorsements and then must be forwarded to the correct personnel according to departmental policy. Another disadvantage of formal channels is what effect this can have on free flow of information. Using formal channels will require a written record and many people hesitate to put their thoughts in writing because they are intimidated, afraid of losing their job, etc., which restricts the flow of information. However, using formal communications makes it possible for the officers to receive new directives and information concerning crimes rather quickly. Formal communication is less confusing and establishes a paper trail for legal purposes, if the need arrives (Wallace amp; Roberson, 2009). Informal channels are the unofficial route of communication within an agency. Informal communication has also been labeled as â€Å"gossip† and should not be taken seriously until verified. Using informal channels when time is critical actually can save time. Instead of going through the chainShow MoreRelatedCja 304 Week 1 Assignment1149 Words   |  5 PagesEffective Communication Pamela Clark CJS 304 April 30, 2012 Dr. Stephen A. Morreale Communication is a two-way process that takes practice and time to be fully effective and is very important in every aspect our personal and professional lives. We communicate every day of our lives both verbally or nonverbally. The process of verbal communication is the exchanging information by transmitting an idea, send that idea, receive feedback, understand the idea and the feedback and provide feedbackRead MoreCommunication and Criminal Justice6158 Words   |  25 Pages | | |College of Criminal Justice and Security | | |CJA/304 Version 3 | | |Interpersonal Communications | Copyright  © 2012, 2010