Thursday, December 26, 2019

Essay about Knowing God Mysticism in Christianity and...

Knowing God: Mysticism in Christianity and Other Religions Mysticism, mystic experiences, and encounters with the divine are important—and even integral—to many religions throughout the world. Mysticism, defined as experiencing the divine, should have a special importance in Christianity. Christianity posits a God who is transcendent, yet immanent, and as Christians we believe we can have a relationship with the Deity. Because of this we should have a unique conception of mystical experiences as significant to our spiritual lives. I will begin by giving an overview of mysticism in other religious traditions—Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Islam, and Judaism—and then concentrate on the role that mysticism and experience should have in†¦show more content†¦One cannot achieve unity with divine, nor have an experience of the divine that is in anyway unusual, simply because the individual and the deity are one and the same; all experiences in life are experiences with the divine because there is no distinction between divine and non-divine. It is because of this that the divine is transcendent, subsuming all things into its being. Islam Orthodox Islam emphasizes the absolute transcendence of God, but there is a sect of Islam called Sufism, which has placed a major emphasis on mystical experiences. To quote John Esposito: The Sufi path is a way of purification, a discipline of mind and body whose goal is to directly experience the ultimate reality. Sufis seek to experience God directly, utilizing poverty, fasting, silence, celibacy, recitation of the Most Beautiful names of Allah, music, dance, and veneration of the saints. Sufism is a combination of worldly renunciation and meditation with undying devotional love of God. Geoffrey Parrinder says that the chief characteristic of Sufism is the loss of will to find the eternal self in God. The word used for this is fana, the obliteration of the soul in God, which has three stages—obliteration ofShow MoreRelatedChristian Mysticism Essay1219 Words   |  5 PagesMysticism is a word we find in many books that relate to religious experiences. Mysticism is interpreted as searching for spiritual truth and wisdom through the unification with the Divine. Many Christians today believe that the words associated with mysticism like meditation and mystic are not coherently related with Christianity, but more with many Eastern religions. Eastern religions are definitely known for their mysticism, but it is believed to not be a part of Christianity. Mysticism is actuallyRead MoreThe Nature of Islam 1006 Words   |  4 PagesThe Nature of Islam Although Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1.6 billion devotees, making up about twenty-three percent of the world’s population, for the hoi polloi, the image of Islam remains unclear. In contrast to contrary popular belief, research shows that Islamic practice is simplicity itself. Muslims live a normal life on a day to day basis. Its’ practice does not require mediation of ministers, priests or gurus, instead it incorporates five rules to live byRead MoreThe Search For Truth Through God1354 Words   |  6 PagesNovember 8, 2014 â€Å"Love Loves Difficult Things† The search for truth through God is where the philosophy of attaining knowledge intersects with religious doctrine. Although the esoteric and mystical system of Sufism has its origin in Islamic orthodoxy, Sufism can be seen as less as an individual sect and more of a stepping-stone towards Christian revelation. In the Sufi allegory The Conference of the Birds by Farid Ud-Din Attar, God is represented as a mystical essence within and beyond all of creationRead MoreThe existence of God Based on Religious Experience Essay2414 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿1. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the argument for the existence of God based on religious experience. (18) 2. ‘The argument merely indicates the probability of God and this is of little value to a religious believer.’ Discuss. (12) In contrast to the classical arguments for the existence of God, namely the ontological, cosmological and teleological arguments, the argument from religious experience doesn’t just entail a set logical of points arriving at a conclusion on a piece of paperRead More Trading Salvation for Personal Gratification in Anna Karenina1287 Words   |  6 Pages The epigraph of Anna Karenina: Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord, implies that judgment is a theological entitlement   (Romans, 12:19).   Tolstoy uses both social and moral issues to illustrate his characters attitudes towards religion.   For Oblonsky, Vronsky, and Karenin, religious values are secondary.   Their lives are devoted to establishing a social position and monetary gain.   Levin finds salvation and happiness because they learn to live for something beyond themselves andRead MoreEssay Camparing Christian Mysticism and Buddhism3257 Words   |  14 Pagesdoes one begin to describe the indescribable? The very act of discussing ineffability questions whether anything can be truly ineffable in the first place. Religion almost always critically depends on the ineffability of some experience or entity. This is a widespread tendency, but some would argue that it is a rule for all religions. That there must be the recognition of something â€Å"beyond,† â€Å"transcendent† or â€Å"pure.† Prior to judging Christian or Buddhist beliefs, it is necessary to understandRead MoreEssay on The Sufi Philosophy in Islamic Faith1274 Words   |  6 Pagesbeliefs from that of the other Islamic sects that we know of today. One thing I personally found interesting is how this particular sect of Islam isn’t as popularly spoken of like the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam. Some of the most interesting and distinctive differences in this division of Islam is are wool clothing that the Sufi’s wear along with the most popular practice they are known for, the Whirling Dervishes. Yet these faith has many similarities with many other religions and sects of Islam.Read MoreA Comparative Analysis of the Various Contemporary Theologies Presented by Paul Enns and Millard J. Erickson3614 Words   |  15 Pagesstudy of God†. According to the online Wikipedia, Paul P. Enns is an evangelical Christian pastor, biblical scholar and writer who serves as a full-time minister at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, and as adjunct professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is notable as one of the translators of the updated New American Standard Bible and as the author of The Moody Handbook of Theology. Enns defines theology as â€Å"coming from the Greek words theos, meaning â€Å"God†, and logosRead MoreThe Romantic Era1008 Words   |  5 Pagesissues and spiritual filter into his own works. Blake trusted in the correspondence between the physical world and spiritual world, be was able to do that by using poetic metaphors and express his beliefs. Blake was able to integrate the bible and other Christian traditions into his mythology. Romanticism â€Å"is a phenomenon characterized by reliance on the imagination and subjectivity of approach, freedom of thought and expression, an idealization of nature†. It has been said that Romantics wrote withRead More The Colossian Heresy Essay example2864 Words   |  12 Pagesstood Colossae. Before the Christian era, Colossae was a principle city in the Lycus Valley . Part of a major trade route in Asia minor from Ephesus to Miletus, the city was most known for its production of textiles, especially its purple wool . With other large cities such as Laodicea and Hierapolis, this was a well-populated and high business area in the Lycus Valley. Yet, with changes in the road system, Laodicea became a more important trade city than Colossae. And though once a city of great prominence

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Contributions Of College Athletics - 1406 Words

College athletics have become one of America’s most lucrative businesses grossing billions of dollars off of student-athletes and competing against the entertainment giants, however, this has not always been the case. In a way, the student-athlete has become our culture’s holy man as he or she is admired for their immense feats of athleticism and skill on the gridiron or the court. To understand the miraculous story of the change of the student-athlete, an individual must first look at the origin of the term student-athlete. In the 1950s, Ray Dennison died from a blunt force cerebral trauma received while playing football in Colorado for the Fort Lewis AM Aggies. Therefore, the Dennison family filed for worker’s compensation death†¦show more content†¦As a result, student-athletes have struggled to maintain their GPA. Furthermore, the graduation rates for power five conference universities (PAC 12, BIG 10, SEC, ACC, and BIG 12) are horrendous because of the lack of time allocated for academics. For example, in 2010, the average graduation rate for March Madness, the NCAA Basketball championship tournament, teams’ was 43%, an unacceptable rate. On the other hand, the increase in hours spent per week has caused student-athletes to identify more as athletes than students (Best college online). A direct effect of the universities admitting college athletes that are not ready is students cannot complete basic general education classes. According to Mary Willingham, a learning specialist at the University of North Carolina, there were basketball players at the University of North Carolina who were illiterate. All in all, the shift of student-athletes to solely athletes is unacceptable, however, can be solved by the following: have an agency within the NCAA to keep universities accountable for rule violations that disrupt the learning of athletes, use revenue generated from the student-athletes to provide academic support to ensure learning, and/or have a third party agency keep universities accountable for rule violations. The first proposed idea that would place precedence on the student aspect of being a student-athlete isShow MoreRelatedShould College Athletes Be Paid?1340 Words   |  6 PagesFor over a century, college athletics have thrilled generations of fans; from alumni gathered in stadiums to armchair quarterbacks, the fervor of team loyalty reaches spiritual proportions. This popularity is evident from the gigantic economy college athletics have created, with the NCAA raking in nearly eleven billion dollars last year (Edelman 7). A problem overlooked in spite of this boom is the exploitation of the people who make this venture so profitable: the players. Although it has not alwaysRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid? Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesOne school of thought currently cycling throughout media circles is the definition and compensation of college student-athletes. Some colleges and universities provide student-athletes with complete or partially-paid tuition expenses, lodgin g, books, and other educational incidentals while the athlete plays sports at their institution. Many advocates for fair market compensation for college athletes argue that some Division 1 athletes â€Å"labor under very strict or arduous conditions, so they reallyRead More The Need for Reform in Collegiate Sports Essay1669 Words   |  7 Pagesintercollegiate athletics is attempting to maximize educational quality and athletic excellence simultaneously. Each of which will inevitably impinge on one another. Universities claim that their athletes are amateurs who are attending college for academic achievement and play sports in their free time. This is an impossible task for anybody. Higher education has entered the arena of big business with its athletic programs and with it many problems have emerged for coaches, athletes, and the athletic systemRead MoreCollege Athletes Should Be Paid1323 Words   |  6 PagesCollege Athletes Should Be Paid College sports is a multi-billion dollar industry. Each year thousands of high school students are recruited to play college sports, but under strict conditions. Students are required to do well in athletics while keeping up with their academics. College athletes spend up to forty five hours per week on practices, training, and games. In addition, they spend roughly forty hours on their academics. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) does not thinkRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1350 Words   |  6 Pagesamericans.With american sports gaining popularity, the growth of college sports went on the rise. In 2013, The National Collegiate Athletic Association statistically generated $912,804,046 (Alesia, 2014). With all of this income that the NCAA brought in, one has to raise the question, should college athletes be paid? Even though college athletes are student athletes, they should be paid because they are practically employees to the college without compens ation. But why should a student athlete be paidRead MoreNcaa Athletics : Management 4901282 Words   |  6 Pages NCAA Athletics Management 490 Wisam AbuKamleh November 16, 2016 â€Å" If excellence is achieved in the form of execution and performance, winning will frequently follow† Robert C Schneider NCAA is the National Collegiate Association. This organization is a non-profit. Its primary goal is to look over the well-being and strives for achievement from the athletes. Just like other organization NCAA has guidelines that the student body has to get as members. To be apart of the organizationRead Morebenefits of youth sports1111 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿SS Mr. Ricks Comp I October 28, 2013 The positive effects of youth sports Athletics can have a very major impact on a child’s life. Students who participate in youth athletics learn many life skills that can positively affect their lives. Athletics benefit children in physical, psychological, and social development. Studies show that youth who participate in organized sports during middle and high school do better academically and are offered greater job prospects than children who do notRead MoreCollege Athletes Should Be Paid1683 Words   |  7 PagesIn the recent past, college athletics has gained massive fame in the United States. The immense fame of the college athletics has developed over the past twenty years. The massive development and fame of the college athletics have resulted in improved incomes for the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). Due to increased revenue received by the NCAA, the participates in athletics in the colleges has fuelled the argument of whether the college athletes need to be paid and rewarded moreRe ad MoreMy College and Career Choices Essay1058 Words   |  5 Pagesthat question. College has always been in my plans but which college? Well, I have it narrowed down to three excellent and well -known colleges. Ohio University of Athens, The Ohio State University of Columbus and Miami University are the colleges that I feel would foremost prepare me to become an athletic trainer. My first college choice is Ohio University of Athens; I think that Ohio University is a prominent university. Also, I like the rural location of the college. This college provides the classesRead MoreIn Recent Years, There Has Been Increased Dialogue Concerning1275 Words   |  6 PagesIn recent years, there has been increased dialogue concerning the topic of compensating college athletes above athletic scholarships. Scholars, the media, and fans have debated this issues of whether intercollegiate athletes should receive remuneration for participation in sports beyond their education-related compensation of tuition, room, and board. Compensation for student athletes, particularly Division I football and basketball poses a greater concern about the moral and ethical conduct of those

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Greek and Roman Society Essay Example For Students

Greek and Roman Society Essay Dover BeachChris JonesENG 125: Introduction to LiteratureInstructor: Terri HennessyOctober 10, 2011It was written of Arnold, ?His poetry endures because of its directness, and the literal fidelity of his beautifully circumstantial description of nature, of scenes, and places, imbued with a kind of majestic sadness which takes the place of music? (Kunitz). After reading this description of Arnold?s style it is clear that ?Dover Beach? is a very typical example of his work. I selected ?Dover Beach? as the poem I wished to study for several reasons. First, its setting is a place I can identify with, having taken the ferry between Calais and Dover and having viewed the scenery from the same spot as Arnold does in his poem. The opening lines spoke to me in that respect and the poem jumped out of the anthology at me. In addition, I have always been drawn to and fascinated by the sea; its sounds, regularity, and strength. Finally, the poem has directness and accessibility that drew me in on ce it had attracted my attention; I found that I could concentrate more on the themes, style, and form and less on simply trying to understand whom the speaker was and what he was doing. Arnold first published ?Dover Beach? in 1867, and it has been repeatedly described as an example of introspective, romantic, and modern poetry. Arnold?s own description of his poetry as ?wandering between two worlds? seems to fit perfectly with the style of this poem, as it also moves between two worlds: the relentless nature of the sea (the old tradition and order) and the coming of the modern world (with the resulting threats to faith) spoken of in the last two stanzas. From a biographical perspective, it seems that this melancholy poem was written at a time in his life when Arnold was the happiest. His diary records that in September 1851 Arnold stayed in Dover, having just been married and on his way to the honeymoon. This was about the time ?Dover Beach? is believed to have been written, and the woman Arnold calls to the window in the first stanza must certainly be his bride. Interestingly, the romantic scenery and mood of the beginning of the poem (honeymoon?) are in contrast w ith what comes later, which are deeper thoughts, reflections, and uncertainties about fundamental changes in the world. The speaker is observing present events (the sights and sounds of a scene of nature) and reflecting on them and expanding them into a larger context. This woman is his intended audience, although the world at large is implied as the recipient of his sad message. The themes of ?Dover Beach? are several. Above all, the poem laments the collapse of spirituality, religion, and long-standing traditions in the face of an uncertain and threatening modernity. Change of an unstoppable and uncontrollable form is approaching, and Arnold is longingly looking back at the faith-based world that is disappearing. This central theme reaches its full force in the third and fourth stanzas with the introduction of a proper noun: The Sea of Faith. This faith was once like the sea, touching every shore, and the simile in line 23 enhances that vision further. The poet?s mood sours and a negativity, which started with a historical reference to Sophocles in the second stanza, takes over. The brief plea from the poet to his lover at the start of the fourth stanza to be honest and truthful is a wish to hold on to what little is left in the world: humanity and trust. We continue the deterioration in stanza four to reach the haunting images that close the poem: ?darkling plain,? ?alarms of struggle and flight,? and ?ignorant armies clash.? Thus, we see that this first and most important theme is expressed through a well-developed transition from line to line and stanza to stanza and how it builds strength in the work; we begin with a calm sea and end with clashing armies. A second theme is in the poem is time; it appears throughout the work. We have references to the passing of time in an inevitable and unchangeable manner, as in lines 10 through 12 when Arnold shows the movement of pebbles on the beach. The movements of the sea are like the motions of a clock: the word ?cadence? in line 13 supports this thematic idea. In other lines we see words like ?the light Gleams and is gone,? ?eternal,? ?ebb and flow,? ?Sophocles long ago,? and ?was once,? all expanding beyond the present with glimpses into the past and projections of the future. Time is an essential theme to the poem because we must to understand the changes in the world from a historical, even evolutionary perspective. In the final three stanzas we pass through two thousand years of human history. A final theme worthy of mention is the ?majestic sadness? or misery of the poem. This sadness is not trivial or limited to some small aspect of the poet?s personal life; it literally washes over the entire work and extends to encompass all of mankind, supported by words like ?melancholy,? ?pain,? and line 33 with its description of the new world which: ?Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light.? The tone of the poem is fairly consistent. After spending time setting the scene and characters in the first stanza, the poet closes in line 14 with a ?note of sadness? leading into the misery of the second stanza. The poet?s tone is gloomy throughout the final three stanzas, yet with no sense of bitterness or irony. The fact that it is evening, quiet in the bay and dark across the Channel, and the presence of words reflecting sorrow and helplessness create a feeling that this poem is to be read in a quiet, formal, and controlled manner. The speaker may be sad but he is not in a panic; the only exclamation marks used in the poem are when speaking to his lover/partner, not in his view of the world. .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 , .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 .postImageUrl , .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 , .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5:hover , .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5:visited , .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5:active { border:0!important; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5:active , .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5 .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u11dacd11f057819aa34ef2fb76caadb5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The atomic bomb EssayThe form of the poem is also interesting, appearing at first glance to lack structure. Form in poetry is most effective when it is not obvious; Arnold, a student, poet, and critic of poetry his entire life, knew what he was doing with ?Dover Beach.? It seems to lack rhyme or rhythmic patterns, but on closer inspection these do exist. The use of iambic rhythm (as in line 13: ?With tremulous cadence slow?), a common metrical foot in verse, complements and develops the themes, and the irregular pattern of either 6, 8, or 10 syllables in each line matches the rhythm and flow of the sea, time, and history. The lines are rhyming: in the first three stanzas t he rhymes are separated by between two and five lines, not intrusive and easily missed. In the final stanza, to create a sense of urgency and draw attention to the close, the rhyming lines move closer together and become very noticeable. There is no pattern to the length of stanzas, and punctuation appears where necessary, not always related to the ending of lines. The use of capitalization in the initial words of each line adds to the perception of unity and focus. The overall impression is that what the poet is expressing is important and serious enough not to be shaped to fit any strict structure or form; the form should adapt to the poet. A common figure of speech used in this work is personification, especially in the first stanza to describe the moon, cliffs, sea, and pebbles. Finally, the language of the poem is excellent in the creation of mental and sensory images, most related to the sea and scattered throughout the stanzas. We see the cliffs of England, taste and smell th e sweetness of the night air, hear the grating roar of the pebbles, touch the partner standing by our side at the window. More thought must be put into the final three lines, they may be visualized in a variety of ways: I see civilians and refugees caught between two nations engaged in a modern and highly destructive war. In summary, through the use of style, form, and thematic vision, Matthew Arnold?s ?Dover Beach? has the characteristics of all good art: it synergistically is much more than the sum of its parts, and despite its melancholy, its poetic elements evoke beauty in the eyes of the audience. Its attempt to address the struggles between the old order and the modern spirit in nineteenth century life make it a historical classic as well. There are many different interpretations of the poem, but what they share is recognition of the critical thought, structural effort, and challenging themes, which are evident in ?Dover Beach.? ReferenceClugston, R.W. 2010. Journey Into Liter ature. Dover Beach. San Diego, California:Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content.ashford.edu/booksKunitz, Stanley. 1936. British Authors of the Nineteenth Century. New York: H.W. Wilson,Touche, Julia. 2000. Arnold?s ?Dover Beach?: A Commentary Retrieved October 10, 2011from http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/arnold/touche4.htmlVlaeva, Denitza. 2000. Dover Beach? by Matthew Arnold ? Critical Appreciation.? Retrieved October 10, 2011 from http://liternet.bg/publish/denny/dov_bea.html

Monday, December 2, 2019

Serial Killers free essay sample

What is a serial killer? Eric Hickey (2012) in â€Å"Serial Killers: Defining Serial Murder† defines what a serial killer is exactly. In the article the Hickey describes serial killers are usually sexual attacks and murder of young women, men, and children by a male who follows a patter, physical or psychological. I think that the author made a good definition of a serial killer, even though it is stereotypical to describe a serial killer. Scientists have trouble picking a side in the debate because some serial killers represent one side and the others on the other side. Shirley Scott in (2012) â€Å"What makes serial killers tick† gave some examples of some red flags. Statistically, the average serial killer is a white male from a lower-to-middle-class background, usually in his twenties or thirties. Many were physically or emotionally abused by parents. Some were adopted. As children, fledgling serial killers often set fires, torture animals, and wet their beds. We will write a custom essay sample on Serial Killers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These examples of red flags are perfect. People need to know what kind of things they need to look for to keep their kids and themselves safe. The nature versus Nurture debate Nature In the article â€Å"Biological determinism† explains that Biological determinism is the theory that our genes and genetic makeup determine every aspect of our being and of our personality. The people that believe in biological determinism believe that things are predetermined and the environment and social factors cannot influence or change them. Daniel Larson (2012) in â€Å"Serial murderers: The Construction† goes into detail about the psychological side of the debate. Fox and Levin find that serial killers know right from wrong, know exactly what they are doing, and can control their desire to kill, but choose not to do so; they are more cruel than crazy (Fox and Levin 1994). Instead of the insanity plea, it is found that serial murderers tend to be more sociopathic than anything. Sociopaths, or psychopaths, are classified more as people with a disorder of character rather than the mind. It is found that the insane are typically not mentally able to carry out the act of murder let alone plan one (Fox and Levin 1994) there was study done by Reid, et al. The intention of his study was to identify demographic, clinical, and forensic characteristics of adolescent mass murderers. The subjects were obtained by a criminal computer databases, finding 34 subjects committed 27 mass murders between 1958 and 1999. These results show also that all subjects were male with a median age resting at 17 years. Other observations were as follows: many were described as loners, typically having antisocial disorder, almost half were bullied, and alcohol and drug abuse among the subjects was common. These results are representative of only adolescent mass murderers; however, they indicate what qualities and characteristics are frequent of killers in general, especially when one considers the works of Freud and Mead and their theories of childhood socialization (Brym and Lie 2003). Further, the outcome does reflect the same trend as the study by Lundy, Pfohl, and Kuperman, that is sociopath is evident in most murderers. Kelsey Henry in â€Å"Psychological perspectives on free will vs. determinism and nature v. urture† states that according to this theory, physical matter is subject to the laws of science while the human mind does not abide by any natural law. This concept remained the basis of scientific thought for some time until modern science proved that some behavior has a biological basis and some personality traits are passed down through genetics. Nurture The nurture part of the debate is how the person was raised. The national center for crisis posted article â₠¬Å"Serial killers: nature vs. nurture. How serial killer are born† going into detail about the crimes that have happened and if it was connected to their past and if they were abused at a young age. The serial killer may have been beat when they were young and they learned from their parents. Larson in â€Å"Serial murderers: The Construction† states that socialization is said to begin after birth. The social learning theory is a theory that uses the childhood of serial offenders to identify the main reasons for causation. The social learning theory examines the offender’s past for clues in explaining aggressive behavior. The central idea of this theory is the relation of childhood victimization or observation of violent acts to future activities in criminal behavior. According to Hickey, stress caused by childhood traumatization may be a trigger to criminal behavior in adulthood. It is important to understand that most people go through one or more of these traumatization with no lifelong effects. However, in the future serial killer, the inability to cope with the stress involved with these traumas leads to the offending acts. Hickey continues to say that the most common form of childhood traumatization is familial rejection, while other traumas act as the icing on the cake, they top it off. Kellie Wallace (2012) in â€Å"Nature vs. nurture: Are serial killers born or made? † shared a quote from Ted Bundy. â€Å"The environment can play a large role too. Ted Bundy infamously said that pornography triggered his blood lust to kill. â€Å"It influences their perspective, changes their decision making and pushes those boundaries,† Ian Minnis said. As a society, we cannot monitor every household however small changes must be made in the most unusual places. As Doris McIlwain said earlier in the interview, â€Å"Prisons do not rehabilitate. (We need to have) a society that opens up opportunity for those who are struggling and emphasize positive community bonds not just punishment. †Ã¢â‚¬  Conclusion The authors reviewed here agree that the nature versus nurture theory can clearly go either way. Scientists still have to gather more information to prove a standing ground on the matter.