Analysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist - 1558 Words

Susana Stewart: Instructor: Course: Date: INTRODUCTION The question of God’s existence has been challenged by many philosophers and non-philosophers alike over the years. Arguments that have been used to support the existence of a divine being includes; the cosmological argument and the theological argument. However, there are some who oppose these arguments and philosopher H.J. McCloskey is among this group. In the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist† written by H.J. McCloskey, he argues that both these arguments are false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskey believes that without proper proof, we must completely dismiss the idea of God’s existence. In his well-written article, he offers a few reasons why he believes that atheism is a much more comfortable belief versus, a belief in a God who allows the suffering of his people. He suggested that the problem of evil and the fact that evil exists meant that God could not exist. McCloskey urges that people should just help each other rather than, placing their faith in a God that is clearly imperfect due to the imperfect world that he has created. Credible as McCloskey may be, I saw many errors in his theory. It is my opinion that his attempt to define God is completely unsound, and his philosophy is at best debatable. In this response paper, I will be carefully examining each argument and also presenting a counter argument. I will be taking the stance from the perspective of a minimal theism whoShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1504 Words   |  7 PagesTheists and atheists have debated the existence of God for eons. Is there a God? If there is an all-powerful, omniscient being of sorts, then what proof do we have that he exists? If God does exist then why is there so much evil in the world? Why do innocent people suffer? Such questions may never be answered definitively. In the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist,† H.J. McCloskey presents some arguments made by theists in favor of the existence of God and then proceeds to debate those arguments from anRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1538 Words   |  7 Pagesexistence of a divine being includes the cosmological argument and the theological argument. However there are some who oppose these arguments and philosopher H.J. McCloskey is among this group. In the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist† written by H.J. McCloskey, he argues that both these arguments are false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskey believes that without proper proof, we must completely dismiss the idea of God’s existence. In his well-written article he offers a fewRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist1136 Words   |  5 Pages H. J McCloskey in his article, On Being an Atheist, is trying to show the readers are more reasonable and comfortable belief than that of Christianity. In the article he also puts up an ar gument concerning two theistic point of which is the cosmological and teleological argument. McCloskey also talks about the problems resulting from all the evil in the world. He goes as far to point out this evil in a world the God had made and blames God for it. Due to that fact and other issues, he believesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1634 Words   |  7 PagesH.J. McCloskey is an author who expresses his belief in atheism through his work. In 1968, He published an article called, â€Å"On Being an Atheist†. His view of God and the Christian belief is well thought out and addressed, however, in this essay I will be responding to some of his atheistic views and will be attempting to respond to them from a theistic worldview approach. In the article McCloskey, chooses to use the word â€Å"proof† instead of the word â€Å"theory†. By doing this he is making his argumentRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1290 Words   |  6 Pagesexistence of a divine being includes the cosmological argument and the theological argument. However there are some who oppose these arguments and philosopher H.J. McCloskey is among this group. In the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist† written by H.J. McCloskey, he argues that both these arguments are false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskey believes that without proper proof, we must completely dismiss the idea of God’s existence. In his well-written article he offers a fewRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1794 Words   |  8 PagesH. J. McCloskey wrote the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist† in 1968 giving his reasons for rejecting God. He attempts to define God all while dismissing Him at the same time. He focuses on one of the most difficult things to explain in general which is evil and suffering in the world, yet we claim to have a perfect, and loving God. Though McCloskey desires proof and critiques the cosmological and teleological arguments against Gods existence, the most reasonable explanation for the universe itself isRead MoreAnalysis Of The Short Article On Being An Atheist 1714 Words   |  7 Pagesof Evil H. J. McCloskey is the author of the short article â€Å"On Being an Atheist†. He has also written many more books on the support of atheism. For this essay we will be looking at his article â€Å"On Being an Atheist†. In his article, McCloskey examines many Christian arguments for the existence of God. McCloskey not only says that Christians are wrong in using these arguments but he critically analyzes them from the view point of a devout atheist. While H. J. McCloskey gives his strong beliefs onRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist By H. J. Gilman1664 Words   |  7 PagesIn the article, â€Å"On Being an Atheist† by H. J. McCloskey’s, he makes several arguments as â€Å"proof† of God’s non-existence to support his atheism. He attacks arguments made by advocates on the existence of God. The arguments argued by Theist are not arguments for proof of God’s existence but are arguments for definitive beliefs of Godâ €™s existence. Any argument on proving the Almighty God’s existence is unsatisfactory. The Theist does not attempt to offer â€Å"proof† of God’s existence but rather offerRead MoreArticle Analysis of H J McCloskeys On Being an Atheist2019 Words   |  8 PagesIn some ways, it is refreshing to read H.J. McCloskeys article, On Being an Atheist. Most people assume atheists are simple nihilists who do not subscribe to any sort of convictions or beliefs. The authors text, however, refutes this conventional viewpoint by producing several reasons for embracing atheism, many of which are studied and labored counterarguments to typical claims of theists. The most important part of this essay is found in its opening paragraphs, in which the author makes a veryRead MoreThere s No Heaven By Salman Rushdie930 Words   |  4 Pagesof the same feelings as those expressed by author Salman Rushdie in his article Imagine There s No Heaven. In his article, Rushdie explains to his readers the faults with religion and explains to them how religion itself is holding humankind back from achieving much greater. Authors like Akinfenwa Oluwaseun also share supporting views and provide important evidence that support Rushdie s argument. In Oluwaseun s article, The Role of Religion in Modern Society: Masses Opium or Tool for Development

Songkran Festival in Thailand for Economy - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theSongkran Festival in Thailand for Economy. Answer: Introduction Different kinds of events have now become a good resource of not only a mass enjoyment but it has also become a significant resource of economy generation in the respective country. Events can be of varied kinds such as film festival, annual festival, music festival and many others like such (Kitterlin Yoo 2014). Songkran festival is one of the kinds of such festivals but definitely with different faiths and beliefs behind it. The paper therefore figures out the factual findings behind the event (Tsai Sakulsinlapakorn, 2016). The main purpose of this assignment is to analyze the Songkran festival based on different parameters such as its impact on the different stakeholders and the theoretical perspectives of the Songkran festival. Historical background of the event Songkran festival is the biggest event celebrated in the country Thailand every year in the month of April from 13th to 15th. The start of the event can be traced in the earlier times when the believers used to offer foods to the Buddhist monks. The holy water offered by the monks had then taken the religious beliefs, which is ever since then has continued. The celebration of Songkran festival is now more done for the holy purpose. People view this as a good resource to purify their souls by being into the rainfall (Agarwal, 2013). Literature Review Event in terms of principles of sustainability Principle of sustainability can be well defined with the help of Triple Bottom Line approach. Triple Bottom Line approach is a theoretical framework that analyses the impact of a business on the three important factors such as environment, society and the economy (Starik Kanashiro, 2013). On a similar note, this section of the assignment checks the impact of the selected festival on the social life of the Thais, on the surrounding environment and on the local economy. Environmental impact- The impact of a business or any event on the environment is growing in concerns for the common people. Common people have now much concern on the betterment of environment. Sustainability has become an integral asset of the different practices that organizations today perform. They do so to ensure that their business is aligned with environmental cause also (Beckmann, Hielscher Pies, 2014). Social impact- Events do also affect the social life of people living close to such events. The different kinds of events do affect its audience distinctively. However, events based on ritual beliefs have different impacts on the society. It changes their way of thinking. It changes their way of living and also their way of beliefs (Porananond, 2015). Economy impact- Such events do also have an indirect impact on the local economy. This happens because of several reasons such as the increasing fall of foreign visitors. An increasing fall of foreign visitors is also accompanied with an increasing number of local people. If such a huge gathering is a part of an event and that for a long duration of time, it really helps the local economy of the country to improve to a significant level (Lee, 2016). Experiences and meanings attached to the event Different people have different experiences regarding the event. To some people, it just means a good source to have some kind of enjoyment. However, there are many who are associated to the various kinds of events for their different beliefs thoughts. Despite all the distinguish beliefs and views on the different kinds of events, it is understandable that events are close to many (Karlsson, 2013). Positive and negative impacts outcomes of the event The impact of the event on the economy is readily observable. This does not only benefit the different industries associated with this. It rather affects the local economy as well. Positive impact of different events can be but are not limited to such as increasing business of different bodies associate to the event, entertaining resource for those who love entertainment and local economy of the country. Negative impacts can also be in significant numbers. Different events have different negative impacts such as a music festival affects the surrounding environment with sound pollution. This is problematic to the common citizen as well to the students (Riasi Pourmiri, 2015). Impact on stakeholders in the event Stakeholders are those who are associated to the events with their different roles and responsibilities. The theory of stakeholder management resembles its relation with the theory of sustainability, which means to satisfy the needs of every single stakeholder associated to a business or an event. It is indeed a challenge in nowadays to satisfy the needs of every single stakeholder (Tantalo Priem, 2016). Stakeholders are of two kinds such as primary and secondary (Kazadi, Lievens Mahr, 2016). Sustainability has been affected badly by the incapability of the firms to manage their stakeholders. Organizations with better sustainability records have the better capability to manage their respective stakeholders, which is why there are few firms in the world that are famous for their sustainability records (Eccles, Ioannou Serafeim, 2014). Discussion part Songkran festival in terms of principles of sustainability Environmental impact- Songkran festival is one of such events that have an evident impact on the surrounding environment. Thai people believe the event is a resource to wash off their sins and bad deeds. It not only attracts the local people but also attract the foreigners as well. Tourists coming from different parts of world have their interest also in the event. They may have some other perspective towards the event; however, they still take part in the event. Environmentally, the festival score poor on the sustainability account. This is for few important reasons such as the wastage of water and the pollution due to this. There is a huge shortage of water in Thailand. Despite the fact the local government of the country still offers sufficient water to support the ritual beliefs. They have reduced the festival duration from initially of four days to three days but still it does not look good from the perspective of sustainability (Waiyanate, 2016). Another important look out is pollution, which the sp illing of water causes. People use to be in the rain of water with their shoes in the leg. The surrounding of the area is bound to be adjoined with unexpected pollution may be in the form of dirt that different people bring with themselves in the festival (Waiyanate, 2016). Social impact- Songkran festival like the other event festival across the globe attracts a mass participation especially from the local community. It also witnesses a significant participation of the international visitors those who come to Thailand to visit the country. There have been instances of road accidents, which were there because of street gatherings, reckless driving, drinking while driving and many like such. The event itself does not give any preach on any such practices; however, it is becoming responsible for such causes. It has affected them negatively, which is not a very healthy sign for a peaceful atmosphere (Porananond, 2015). Economy impact- Songkran festival, which is celebrated every year in the month of April for three days attracts not only the local people but it, also attracts the foreign visitors who visit the country for the touring purpose. The staying of foreign visitors in the festival does open up ways to an increased frequency of online booking of hotels, air tickets, restaurants etc. Tour operators do earn a significant amount with such event. Not only this, the hotels and the restaurants also earn a very significant amount. The business is enhanced for the hotels, the restaurants and the tour operators. This indirectly influences the local economy of the country. This is for such reason the local government of the country has shown their interest in uplifting the tourism sector of the country (Karlsson, 2013). Experiences and meanings attached to the Songkran festival The event celebrated by the Thais has few background meaning, which is necessary to understand the importance of festival to the Thais people. The Thai people believe that being into the splashing water will wash away their sins and purify their souls. The belief is very much similar to the reasons for which Makar Sankranti is celebrated in India. However, the way of celebration is different. To the Thai people it is very religious and pious too. The other meaning attached to this event is the belief, which the Thai people have for rain. They believe that splashing water in such a way for ritual values will also attract rainfall in the country. Nevertheless, this will compensate the scarcity of water in the country (Karlsson, 2013). Positive and negative impacts outcomes of the Songkran festival Positivity of the event is widely evident in the economic betterment of Thailand. The online booking has gone up. This is because more people are now coming from the different parts of world. They are the visitors who are coming to the country with their special intentions to be the part of the event. This is a good sign for the different hotels, restaurants and the tour operators in Thailand. They have now enhanced business opportunities (Riasi Pourmiri, 2015). Despite of its positive impact on the economy of the country, it has adversely affected the social and the environmental factors of the country. Accident cases are rising with the growing popularity of the Songkran festival. Drivers are driving the vehicles furiously while being in the drinking state. Apart from this, it is also the wastage of water. The country is struggling to get the sufficient water for its people. Moreover, the spill over water is supporting the air pollution. This is never a healthy sign for a country. Impact on stakeholders in the Songkran festival It is necessary for the Songkran festival as well that it satisfies its different stakeholders. In the Songkran festival, the primary stakeholders are the sponsors, participants and suppliers. The secondary stakeholders are the customers who are the local and the international people, the communities, the local government, tourism organizations and the various media personnel. The festival is benefitting its primary stakeholders because the event is growing in popularity with passage of every year. The secondary stakeholders have also been benefitted with this event. The tourism organization is now witnessing an enhanced fall of foreign visitors who also take part in this three day event. The local government is also in the benefiting hands because the festival has also helped to improve the local economy of the country. The local and the international people are also happy with this event for their different reasons. However, community is the one segment, which is getting badly affe cted with the event. The pollution that the festival contributes in is the one worrying factor. Apart from this, an increasing number of road accidents due to reckless driving or driving while drunk have both worsened the situation. The festival is actually enabling a negative outcome of it when it comes to the community or the society (Lertpattaradumrongkul, 2015). Conclusion The Songkran festival is vastly popular in local people of Thailand and the international customers visiting to the country. People living in the country find this festival as a good resource to purify their soul from sins. Many foreign visitors do also visit this festival. They might have a different view; however, they still love to be a part of the event. The festival is growing in popularity with the passage of time, which is benefitting the local economy of the country. Additionally, it has also benefitted the event management team and the hospitality tourism industry of Thailand. However, it has also become a notable resource to pollution and disrupting lives in the community. The event has been held responsible to notable number of road accidents. It has also been held responsible for the water shortage. Moreover, it is an event that contributes to the betterment of the local economy of the country; however, it should be taken care in the extreme hands of the local government . They need to ensure that there is a significant reduction in the road accidents. They also need to ensure that there are no shortages of water in the country. References Agarwal, R. (2013). Water Festivals of Thailand: The Indian Connection.Silpakorn University Journal of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts, 7-18. Beckmann, M., Hielscher, S., Pies, I. (2014). Commitment strategies for sustainability: how business firms can transform trade?offs into winwin outcomes.Business Strategy and the Environment,23(1), 18-37. Eccles, R. G., Ioannou, I., Serafeim, G. (2014). The impact of corporate sustainability on organizational processes and performance.Management Science,60(11), 2835-2857. Karlsson, K. (2013). The Songkran festival in Chiang Tung: A symbolic performance of domination and subordination between Lowland Tai and Hill Tai.Tai Culture,23, 50-62. Karlsson, K. (2013). The Songkran festival in Chiang Tung: A symbolic performance of domination and subordination between Lowland Tai and Hill Tai.Tai Culture,23, 50-62. Kazadi, K., Lievens, A., Mahr, D. (2016). Stakeholder co-creation during the innovation process: Identifying capabilities for knowledge creation among multiple stakeholders.Journal of Business Research,69(2), 525-540. Kitterlin, M., Yoo, M. (2014). Festival motivation and loyalty factors.Tourism Management Studies,10(1). Lee, Y. K. (2016). Impact of government policy and environment quality on visitor loyalty to Taiwan music festivals: Moderating effects of revisit reason and occupation type.Tourism Management,53, 187-196. Lertpattaradumrongkul, H. (2015). An exploratory study of the potential of Joe Louis Theatre to become a must-see performing art of Bangkok: views from the Joe Louis Theatre stakeholders. Porananond, P. (2015). Tourism and the transformation of ritual practice with sand pagodas in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.Tourism Review,70(3), 165-178. Riasi, A., Pourmiri, S. (2015). Effects of online marketing on Iranian ecotourism industry: Economic, sociological, and cultural aspects.Management Science Letters,5(10), 915-926. Starik, M., Kanashiro, P. (2013). Toward a theory of sustainability management: Uncovering and integrating the nearly obvious.Organization Environment,26(1), 7-30. Tantalo, C., Priem, R. L. (2016). Value creation through stakeholder synergy.Strategic Management Journal,37(2), 314-329. Tsai, L. M., Sakulsinlapakorn, K. (2016). Exploring Tourists Push and Pull Travel Motivations to Participate in Songkran Festival in Thailand as a Tourist Destination: A Case of Taiwanese Visitors.Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management,4(5), 183-197. Waiyanate, N. (2016). 617 Advocacy of community accident prevention (community traffic safety checkpoint) during Songkran festival in Thailand, 2015.