.... to recognize those in heaven and in purgatory. The tradition of dressing up in costumes on Halloween is derived from the Feast of All Souls Day in France. During the 14th and 15th centuries when Europe was hit by outbreaks of the bubonic plague, about half of its population was wiped out. Since life spans were greatly shortened because of the plague, Catholics began to focus on the after life. The number of Masses help largely increased and people of all social classes gathered to dress in different garments and lead lost spirits to the tomb in a daisy chain which became known as the "Dance of Death". Dressing up did not become part o .....

.... we all strive for. To be American is to be part a huge family, no matter what gender, color, or background. We stick together. We fight together, we laugh together, we grieve together as Americans. Terms like democracy, individuality, self-reliance are all words we relate to as Americans. We teach our kids that we should be grateful everyday to be Americans. In this country we can choose our own destination. We can be whatever we want. I think that being a secular country brings us together and makes us stronger.We don't have questions we can't answer. We don't hear stories of people or things we can't prove exist. We know what we ha .....

.... I feel that I experience God the most has to be nature. My grandpa has a farm with like forty acres of forest (woods). Anyway, I've been going down there ever since I was like six or seven. When I was big enough, my dad bought a dirt bike for me and my brother. After that, we owned the woods. We would go down there every Friday after school, and we would hit the woods as soon as we got down there to make some new trails to ride on. During the summer, there is nothing I like better than to sit back in the woods, with the sun shining through the trees, a nice cool breeze blowing, and think about stuff. You always see those Christian pic .....

.... judge mankind (This is also true in Christianity: "The Lord will judge his people." Hebrews 10:30). Both of these religions share almost the same framework, but they also differ in many ways. The word Islam means "surrender" or "submission," submission to the will of Allah, the one God. Muslims are those who have submitted themselves. The basic creed of Islam is brief: There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah. Islam teaches that there is one God, the creator and sustainer of the universe. This God, Allah, is compassionate and just. Because He is compassionate, He calls all people to believe in Him and worship Him .....

.... dynamics of North-American Catholicism are still being played out even on a global stage. What does the Roman papacy mean for North American’s Latino and African descended followers? What challenges do they face? What is the sense of groundedness, comfort, and community that bonds them? The end of the fifteenth and start of the sixteenth centuries ushered in the introduction of Christian-Trinitarian-monotheism to the Americans. Preachers and friars of Spain evangelized the scriptures and sacraments to the indigenous peoples. Yet, the central theme of Christ and the Trinity, the very foundation upon which Catholicism sits was the larg .....

.... (Gautama) supposedly talked and walked while lotus leafs formed in his footprints. Gautama's father was said to have been told his son's destiny for greatness, either as an emperor or as a religious leader. Therefore Gautama's father decided to isolate his son from the outside world, where he might "see how the other half lived" and maybe even be tempted to belong to a different religion. Since the complete seclusion as Gautama's father had wished was impossible and Gautama was a curious young man he did venture out and that is when he eventually say the four sights, which would, if experienced as it had been told to Gautama's father .....

.... by Buddhism, one detail in the story of Siddartha Guatama must be addressed in order for it to be relevant to the main question being asked: What obstacles would Siddartha Guatama face had he been born in modern day North America. Primarily, it must be recognized that rather than being born into the Hindu religion (which in itself is mystical), Siddartha would have most likely been born into a Christian family. This in itself presents the first obstacle, that being that Christianity is a strictly monotheistic and non-mystical faith. Hence from the outset, although in the traditional story Siddartha faced a conflict with his father (Lu .....

.... in a small kingdom in what is now Nepal in 563b.c.e. Shortly after his birth, his father consulted with a number of astrologers, all of whom declared that the newborn prince would become a great king and that he would rule the world in truth and righteousness. Among these astrologers, there was one who declared that if the prince were to see a sick person, an old person, a corpse, and a world renouncing ascetic, he would become dissatisfied with life and become a wandering monk in order to seek final peace. King Shuddhodana decided to prevent his son from running into any of these four sights and surrounded him with pleasant diversions .....

.... If such God does exist, then where does this being come from? Why do believers and non-believers hold on to their beliefs as they do? What significance does the existence of God have upon mankind? These are only the tip of the iceberg amongst the vast array of unanswered questions related to God. Though there are so many uncertainties as we have just mentioned, the existence of all other uncertainties in our world may explain why the existence of God is so real to many people. For the believers, God provides a convenient answer to all these questions except for the answers regarding God itself. The following are some of the genera .....

.... of simony and the selling of indulgences, his most noted mistake was raising donations for a Crusade that never took place. In 1486 Innocent announced a crusade, as well as at the same time declaring a tithe on all churches, benefices and ecclesiastical persons of all ranks. Military plans were drawn up but, in the end, no great army ever assembled or departed from Europe's shores. Instead, in a twist of irony, the Vatican wound up hosting an infidel in the form of Prince Djem, the sultan's brother. This arrangement confused the general public and the papal status fell in the eyes of the public. Papal status was further weakened by Inno .....