Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation Essay Martin Luther is credited for starting the Protestant Reformation by declaring the corruption he saw in the Roman Catholic Church. By standing firm in his faith and openly going against the church, hes able to get the people thinking for themselves and discovering the truth of their leaders and religion. Martin Luther was born November 10, 1483 in Eislenben, Germany, to copper miner Hans and peasant Margaretha Luder. Living in poverty, his father is set on Luther becoming a lawyer for higher income and family honor. In 1501, he enrolled at Master of Arts in Erford, and received his Bachelors degree in 1502 and Masters in 1505. He then enrolled to the law school. In 1505, hes caught in a thunderstorm and asks God for deliverance. Since he lived through the fright, he then devotes himself to God, dropping out of law school and joining the monastery, although against his fathers orders. While searching for personal salvation, Luther took his spiritual growth very seriously and often times punished himself. He spent most hours praying and confessing. Through this, he began to notice his frequent and awful sins. He was told to follow after academics which he then taught theology at the University of Wittenberg. On October 18, 1512, he is given a Doctorate in Theology. In 1513, he studied Psalm 22 and gained enlightenment. He realized, as Paul said, The just will live by faith, and that salvation comes with solely faith and not religious works or practices. Luthers knowledge of the Scriptures and his analytical mind caused him to see the power-hungry church leaders corruption. A major issue Luther saw was the selling of indulgences which were ways to get people of the church to pay for prayers and salvation. The Roman Catholic Church used these indulgences to put fear into their followers and money into their own pockets. Along with that complaint and others, Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the church door on October 31, 1517. Within two weeks, the news of his rebellion spread through Germany and throughout Europe in two months. The Johannes Gutenberg Printing Press played a vital role in this expansion. Within days, many copies of the news was made and sent out. This gave the people of the church and of the nations concrete evidence of their leaders  corruption. Soon, the fear of the people faded and so did the churchs power. In 1520, Luther is threatened with excommunication from the church. In January of 1520 he is excommunicated and named as a heretic. In April of 1521, the Diet of Worms met and Luther is questioned about his act. He is told to recant but he refuses to do so unless the Scriptures would have him do otherwise. In 1522, Luther translates the New Testament to German where again, the printing press made it available to society. He also formed his own church, Lutheranism, and teaches his practices and gains followers. On June 13, 1525, he married former nun Katharina von Bora and went on to have six children together. As time goes on, he gains many health problems and dies at the age of 62 on February 18, 1546. Through personal enlightenment and rebellion, Martin Luther started the transformation of the Christian church and many of its practices today. By refusing the deception of the church, he leads a revolt against the church and sets the example of strong, unshakable faith. Luthers impact on religion didnt stop in the 1500s, and is still standing firm and modeling the religion of society now.

The Reform of the Electoral College Essay example -- Political Reform

The United States, well known for its democracy, holds elections every four years to elect its President. Every American citizen over the age of 18 has a right to cast a vote in the presidential election. The voting process, although it seems easy and straightforward, can be very complicated. In the 2000 election, Al Gore captured the majority of votes, but George Bush won. The reason for this strange outcome and why Al Gore lost was because of the Electoral College. The Electoral College is voting system where different states are given a certain amount of votes in the election, and which ever candidate wins a state, is given that state’s votes. The Electoral College is out of date, and should be replaced by the Popular Vote system, which declares a president purely on who collects the most votes from the American people. The Popular Vote system is better than the electoral college, because it gives the American people a true say in the presidential election, and doesn ’t filter their votes out in so called â€Å"mini state elections†. The electoral college is too flawed to continue to run the presedential elections of the united states, it gives an unfair advantage to smaller states in the United States, it promotes the two party system, it restricts campainging process because of the way certain canidates are forced to strategically focuse on certain states, and finally it elects minority presidents into office. Why should america keep the flawed electoral college, and continue to see all the problems occur over and over agan, if there is a better way. Some people still feel that the electoral college is the best voting system to elect the president. They claim that if the electoral college was removed and replaced with th... .... New Haven: Yale UP, 1999. United States of America. The U.S. Constitution. 17 Sept. 1787. 15 Feb. 2004 . Keyssar, Alex. "It Pays to Win the Smaller States." The New York Times 20 Nov. 2000, Late ed., sec. A: 27. Plissner, Martin. "Bush by 537; Gore by 537,179." The New York Times 16 Nov. 2001, sec. A: 25. Knipp, Katie , and Stephanie Lazzaro. Electoral College -- Outdated or Valuable Asset to Election Process? 9 Dec. 2003. Digital Partners Network. 1 Feb. 2004 Dunham, Richard S. "Will History Repeat Itself in 2004?" Business Week 22 Dec. 2003: 51. Rothwell, Jenn T. "Prospects for the Electoral College after Election 2000." Social Education 65 (2001) Abbott, David W., and James P. Levine. Wrong Winner. New York: Praeger, 1991

Biology Lecture Notes – Characteristics of Living Things

Studying Life Characteristics of Living Things What are some characteristics of living things? No single characteristic is enough to describe a living thing. Some nonliving things share one or more traits with living things. Living things share the following characteristics: made up of units called cells reproduce based on a universal genetic code grow and develop obtain and use materials and energy respond to their environment maintain a stable internal environment change over time Characteristics of Living Things Living things are made up of cells. A cell is the smallest unit of an organism that can be considered alive. Characteristics of Living Things Living things reproduce. In sexual reproduction, cells from two different parents unite to form the first cell of the new organism. In asexual reproduction, a single parent produces offspring that are identical to itself. Characteristics of Living Things Living things grow and develop. During an organism’s development, cells differentiate, which means that the cells look different from one another and perform different functions. Characteristics of Living Things Living things are based on a universal genetic code. Organisms store the information they need to live, grow, and reproduce in a genetic code in a molecule called DNA. Characteristics of Living Things Living things obtain materials and use energy. The combination of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials is called metabolism. Characteristics of Living Things Living things respond to their environment. A stimulus is a signal to which an organism responds. Characteristics of Living Things Living things maintain a stable internal environment. Although conditions outside an organism may change, conditions inside an organism tend to remain constant. This process is called homeostasis. Characteristics of Living Things Taken as a group, livings things change over time. Over many generations, groups of organisms typically evolve. Big Ideas in Biology Science as a Way of Knowing Science is not just a list of â€Å"facts. † The job of science is to use observations, questions, and experiments to explain the natural world. Interdependence in Nature All forms of life on Earth are connected together into a biosphere, which literally means â€Å"living planet. The relationship between organisms and their environment depends on both the flow of energy and the cycling of matter. Matter and Energy Life’s most basic requirements are matter that serves as nutrients to build body structure and energy to fuel the processes of life. Cellular Basis of Life Organisms are composed of one or more cells, which are the smallest uni ts that can be considered fully alive. Information and Heredity Life’s processes are directed by information carried in a genetic code that is common, with minor variations, to every organism on Earth. That information, carried in DNA, is copied and passed from parents to offspring. Unity and Diversity of Life All living things are fundamentally alike at the molecular level, even though life takes an almost unbelievable variety of forms Evolution In biology, evolution, or the change in living things through time, explains inherited similarities as well as the diversity of life. Structure and Function Structures evolve in ways that make particular functions possible, allowing organisms to adapt to a wide range of environments. Homeostasis An organism’s ability to maintain a relatively stable internal environment in the face of changing external conditions is vital to its survival. Science, Technology, and Society Science seeks to provide useful information, but only a public that truly understands science and how it works can determine how that information should be applied. Branches of Biology There a many branches of biology. For example: Zoologists study animals. Botanists study plants. Paleontologists study ancient life. The job of science is to use observations, questions, and How can life be tudied at different levels? Branches of Biology Some of the levels at which life can be studied include: molecules cells organisms populations of a single kind of organism communities of different organisms in an area the biosphere Biosphere The part of Earth that contains all ecosystems Branches of Biology Ecosystem Community and its nonliving surroundings Branches of Biology Community Populations that live together in a defined area Population Group of organisms of one type that live in the same area Organism Individual living thing Groups of Cells Tissues, organs, and organ systems Cells Smallest functional unit of life Molecules Groups of atoms; smallest unit of most chemical compounds At all these levels, smaller living systems are found within larger systems. Biology in Everyday Life More than any other area of study, biology touches your life every day. Biology provides information about the food you need and the methods for sustaining the world’s food supplies. Biology describes the conditions of good health and the behaviors and diseases that can harm you. Biology is used to diagnose and treat medical problems. Biology identifies environmental factors that might threaten you. Biology in Everyday Life Biology helps you understand what effects the quality of your life. Biology provides decision makers with useful information and analytical skills needed to predict and effect the future of the planet. Quiz 1-3 An increase in size is known as growth. metabolism. development. differentiation. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of all living things? use of energy made of cells stable internal environment need for oxygen Which of the following are branches in the study of biology? ells, tissues, organs, and organisms botany, cell biology, ecology, and zoology populations, communities, and ecosystems the genetic code, evolution, and the biosphere The genetic code is carried in Water. DNA. proteins. soil. Which of the following shows the levels of organization in correct order from the simplest to the most complex? organisms, cells, populations, molecules, ecosystems ecosystems, populati ons, organisms, cells, molecules molecules, cells, organisms, populations, ecosystems molecules, organisms, cells, populations, ecosystems

A List of Iron Alloys and Steel

This is a list of iron alloys. Included are various types of iron and steel. Steel (carbon)Stainless steel (chromium, nickel)AL-6XNAlloy 20CelestriumMarine-grade stainless steelMartensitic stainless steelSurgical stainless steel (chromium, molybdenum, nickel)Silicon steel (silicon)Tool steel (tungsten or manganese)Bulat steelChromoly (chromium, molybdenum)Crucible steelDamascus steelHSLA steelHigh-speed steelMaraging steelReynolds 531Wootz steelIronAnthracite iron (carbon)Cast iron (carbon)Pig iron (carbon)Wrought iron (carbon)Fernico (nickel, cobalt)Elinvar (nickel, chromium)Invar (nickel)Kovar (cobalt)Spiegeleisen (manganese, carbon, silicon)FerroalloysFerroboronFerrochrome (chromium)FerromagnesiumFerromanganeseFerromolybdenumFerronickelFerrophosphorusFerrotitaniumFerrovanadiumFerrosilicon