Discuss the historical context of the passage in Israel's history and Essay

Discuss the historical context of the passage in Israel's history and the significance of the passage for Biblical Religion - Essay Example Historic reading of the flood myth shows us how the ancient Israelites understood their place in the universe, their relationship to God, their relationship to other nations, and God’s feelings toward and desires for them. A historical reading of the story of Noah can tell us many things about the ancient Israelites. McDermott explains how comparing the Biblical account of the flood to a similar and undoubtedly related story in the epic of Gilgamesh helps demonstrate the worldview of the ancient Israelites. First of all, the prevalence of such tales across a diversity of cultures suggests to modern readers â€Å"that there must have been some wide event behind them† (McDermott 31-2). However, as tantalizing as this information is, it is not specific to the Pentateuch. More interesting are the differences between the two views of God and intention. In particular, the Gilgamesh account portrays a world with many gods, who do not always agree, and who do not entirely control the universe. There is an element of chaos and lack of control in the Gilgamesh account, with a renegade god and an unplanned survivor. The Genesis account, on the other hand, naturally speaks of one, all-knowing, all-powerful , and all merciful god who set out to create the exact flood and the exact result delineated in the story of Noah. This represents a huge shift in religious thought. In Gilgamesh, the flood â€Å"is simply an arbitrary act† (McDermott 33) while in Genesis it is done for the purpose of giving â€Å"creation a second chance to live righteously† (McDermott 33). In Gilgamesh, the survivor is an accident, while Noah is part of God’s plan. In Gilgamesh, the flood â€Å"was so terrifying that even the gods were frightened and retreated to the high heaven† (McDermott 32); in Genesis, God â€Å"remembered Noah and all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him

Affirmative action and Diversity policies Assignment

Affirmative action and Diversity policies - Assignment Example Cultural diversity is a notion that acknowledges the existence of differences between people of different cultures and suggests that the treatment of these people with inclusivity. Cultural diversity is a framework of social justice and a facilitator in the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes and skills that are pivotal for societal harmony. It does not only acknowledge race and ethnicity as cultural groups, but also sexual orientation, skills and handicaps, class, gender, national origin, age and even the geographic origin. It goes further to welcome the contributions of one culture, as well as those of others for positive social development.Response to Question 2The reason why diversity is encouraged in the student body rests upon various goals of advocacy for cultural diversity. One of the objectives of cultural diversity is to promote harmony and inclusivity. These are assured by the fact that all the cultural groups will feel they are treated fairly. Thus, they will also feel in cluded in the system. Another goal of cultural diversity is that every culture has certain unique strengths, as well as weaknesses that it cannot effectively address certain societal issues independently. Thus, other cultures are needed to bridge the gaps (Kollehlon and Eule, 2003). In the essence, what one culture lacks is compensated by the strength of the other. Response to Question 3In the context of business and education, the value of diversity is can still be explained based on the objectives of cultural diversity.... In the essence, what one culture lacks is compensated by the strength of the other. Response to Question 3 In the context of business and education, the value of diversity is can still be explained based on the objectives of cultural diversity. As earlier mentioned, one of the goals is that cultural diversity fosters harmony and inclusivity. These are assured by the fact that all the cultural groups will feel they are treated fairly (Sowell, 2004). Thus, they will also feel included in the education system, as well as businesses. In this regard, cultural diversity is a depiction of social responsibility, as well as ethics. Another goal of cultural diversity is that every culture has certain unique strengths, as well as weaknesses that it cannot effectively address certain societal issues independently. Thus, other cultures are needed to bridge the gaps. What one culture lacks is compensated by the strength of the other. Different cultures have different ideas and skills that could be integrated to enable institutions and businesses reach great heights of success such as through innovativeness. Response to Question 4 Affirmative action is aimed at addressing various disparities, including those that touch on social differences, economic development and political representation, with respect to various cultural groups. The disparities have various dimensions such as education achievements and social equality. In some cases, affirmative action can be simple considered to address various elements that are attributed as the legacies of past racism and colonial injustices (Kollehlon Eule, 2003). Response to 4A It is worth noting that affirmative action is founded on the notion that economic, political and social systems are not adequately fair and