The Factors contributing to Wounded Knee Massacre Essay

The Factors contributing to Wounded Knee Massacre - Essay Example At another point the author maligns politicians by saying that "it was no secret that politicians stuffed the Indian agencies with political appointees who were, more often than not, corrupt and indifferent to the needs of their charges. Eventually, the abused Indians broke out and started killing local settlers, at which point the military men were called in to risk their lives to restore order" (205, 206). Here again, the role of Indians in killing local settlers is depicted as a reaction to a set of conditions developed by politicians. In my opinion, such texts are purposely created under the influence of powerful forces to achieve hidden aims. Hidden aims may include the idea of taking benefit from a given situation to promote a new concept that is previously non-existent. It appears that there is a hidden agenda behind blaming party politics. In this case, the reason for this appears to be that the author wants the readers to stay focused only on one cause of the issue. By doing this, the other factors that contributed to the massacre, have been allowed to escape the vision of the readers. Not only this, but the author also manages to create a feeling of hopelessness and fear among the readers, which is likely to keep the readers away from party politics.

Tattoo and Work Essay Example for Free

Tattoo and Work Essay In my synthesis essay I will talk about both sides of having a visible tattoo by using the articles â€Å"Tattoos in the Workplace: Whats an Employer to Do?†, The Relationship Between Body Modification and GPA. and â€Å"Tattoos Gain Even More Visibility†. These articles work together to show the pros and cons of living with a tattoo whether it is in the workplace, visible or for a religious purpose. The article â€Å"Tattoos in the Workplace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , the article explains all the reasons in why someone with a tattoo shouldn’t be judged off only that. It also talks about how doing such is a violation of the law. In the article â€Å"Tattoos Gain Even More Visibility† it mentions how in today’s society visible body modifications have become more popular and accepted. In the article â€Å"The Relationship Between Body Modification and GPA†, the article summarizes a study done of young people aging from 15 till 25. In the relationship between the three articles I think tattoos should be accepted as long as they can’t be seen in the workplace. These articles will prove and go against my opinion that tattoos in most cases should be a loud in a workplace as long as it isn’t visible. Rejecting someone for a job because of their tattoos is a form of discrimination and should not ever happen. Before reading these articles I had no stance about tattoos because I had none myself. In this issue the audience will be interviewers and employers who think tattoos interfere with someone being able to work with the public. In a scenario about a girl being interviewed for a job with some visible religious tattoos, she went in for an interview but after the interview she found out she didn’t get the job and wondered why. In the article â€Å"The relationship Between Body modification and GPA†, the articles main issue is, is there a relationship between tattoos and students grades. The article goes into description about the study and the specific questions the experimenter asked the study subjects. In the conclusion the experimenter found out that there was no relation between the students having body modifications like tattoos and piercings and the grades that the  students had. In my experience as a student, tattoos and grades had no relation. It depends on what kind of student you are in whether or not you will have good grades. I have no tattoos but my grades aren’t perfect, which is a perfect example of why tattoos and grades have nothing to do with each other. A good question to ask that group of students would be does having a interest in tattoos and piercings stop you from spending money of school needs like books and materials for projects? This essay adds to my argument on w hy tattoos should be permitted in the workplace since the study showed that tattoos and no relation with grades. In the article â€Å"Tattoos in the Workplace: Whats an Employer to Do?† the author supports my thesis that a person being a good worker has nothing to do with a tattoo. It explains how having a face tattoo can be distracting to the customer but is it worth losing a good worker? The article also talks about where the tattoo is placed in relation to your job. â€Å"For example, the odds are that a four-star hotel may not want the concierge to have large tattoos of skulls and crossbones on the back of each hand. But the same hotel may have less concern if a dishwasher in the kitchen has those same tattoos because direct contact with the hotels customers is minimal.† This sentence from the article brings up a good point. But at the same time judging someone based off their body modifications would be morally wrong. This article backs up my claim because it brings up certain grey areas that you have to look at when saying a person shouldn’t get a job based on their a ppearance but it also shows that someone with 50 tattoos could also be a genuinely kind individual who is dedicated to their job despite the body modifications. This was a good article to back up my original claim. On the other hand you have to look at all the grey areas. Can hiring someone with visible tattoos of a skull or vulgar language be off putting to costumers? A company could lose money by hiring someone that would turn the public off with their tattoos. Having a tattoo of a naked lady could be very inappropriate and distracting. In a job interview, if you were not qualified having visible tattoos could just add to why you shouldn’t get the job. There is also a concern in tattoos causing infections that can affect your skin forever. These articles all speak about the same topic and are in agreement with each other and my opinion. In all three articles they agree that tattoos should be accepted in the workplace. And in the articles, they all list different valid reasons. In my scenario Sarah, the girl with the religious visible tattoos is also very qualified for the job but her tattoos were on her wrist so during the job in human resources she would be working with a lot of people and it would be exposed every day. Just like in the articles they bring up the issue of what job could having a visible tattoo not be accepted in. Is having a job with the public and having a visible tattoo impossible? Just like in the article â€Å"Tattoos in the Workplace: Whats an Employer to Do?† they bring up someone not being accepted for a job based on their religious tattoos religious discrimination. Society has changed its perception on tattoos and how it doesn’t relate to your job. In the article â€Å"Tattoos Gain More Visibility† the main subject is how in the society we live in today; more people are getting tattoos in visible places like the neck and hands. In the article, â€Å"Necks and hands, said Joshua Lord, an owner of East Side Ink on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, were the last taboo.† speaking about how now people are getting tattoos in these places compared to years ago. â€Å"â€Å"But recently I’ve done them for doctors and funeral directors and teachers, and a lot of hairdressers,† who use hand tattoos as conversation starters, he said.† this shows how tattoos can be used as advertisement or a means of conversation. This article argues on my side of view. It like the other two proves how tattoos have no relation with the good quality job a person is able to do. The article also talks about the popularity of tattoos now compared to before. What may concern some old school thinkers is that visible tattoos may be here to stay. Speaking from someone with no tattoos, I’m excited to get my first one. The articles â€Å"Tattoos Gain More Visibility†, â€Å"Tattoos in the Workplace: Whats an Employer to Do?† and The Relationship Between Body Modification and GPA. back up my claim that tattoos should be accepted in the workplace. It is discrimination to judge someone’s fit for a job based on body modifications. Having a tattoo is just one aspect of a person and having a tattoo shouldn’t be held against them. There are certain situations  where someone might have a racist or controversial tattoo which might make them working in the public impossible because of customers complaining about their tattoos. If the tattoo is not disrespectful to anyone then there shouldn’t be a problem. After reading this article I have a stance on how I feel about tattoos. In some ways tattoos can get in t he way of you getting a job and that isn’t morally right. My scenario was about a girl would didn’t get a job she was qualified for. It wasn’t stated if it was because of her religious tattoos or not. After my opinion on tattoos not being relevant, do you think Sarah didn’t get the job because of her tattoos or maybe a unknown reason?

Free College Essays - The Sword in the Stone :: Sword in the Stone Essays

The Sword in the Stone The Sword in the Stone is a book about an adopted child named Wart. He is of royal blood and does not know this.   One day when Wart is in the forest, he finds a magician named Merlin.   Merlin comes home with Wart and agrees with Sir Ector, Wart's guardian, to become Wart's tutor.   Merlin goes about educating Wart by transforming him into different animals. Through each transformation Wart experiences different forms of power, each being a part of how he should rule as king.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first transformation plunges Wart and Merlin into the castle's moat as fish.   They proceed to meet the largest fish in the moat, who is the ruler.   This fish takes what he wants because of his size.   In a speech about power, he tells Wart that, "Might is right," and might of the body is greater than might of the mind. Because of the way the fish-king rules, his subjects obey him out of fear for their lives.   Wart experiences this firsthand when the fish-king tells him to leave.   He has grown bored of Wart, and if Wart does not leave he will eat him.   The king uses his size as his claim to power, therefore his subjects follow him out of fear.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Wart's next transformation into a hawk, he soars into the castle's mews.   All the birds in the mews have a military rank. Their leader is an old falcon, who Sir Ector keeps for show.   The birds who rank below the falcon, hold her in highest regard because of her age.   She applies her power over the other birds with no concern for their lives.   In one instance, Wart is ordered to stand next to the cage of a crazy hawk who almost kills him.   On the other hand, her seasoned age brings respect, since she had not been released once she outlived her usefulness as a huntress.   This allows her to maintain a powerful grip over all the birds she rules through fear and respect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Next, Wart is transformed into an ant and posted within an ant colony. There is a single leader of the ants, and she is the only thinking

Developments and Training

In the world we are living in organizations are faced with risks and threats due to introduction of technology and thus for organizations to succeed in their operations they need to train their employees so that they can overcome these risks and threats. Training involves using an experienced person to inform, teach and to convey information to the audience so that they can acquire the necessary skills and knowledge that would enable them to perform their effectively in their organizations. If people in the organizations are trained they become satisfied with the work that they are doing and this improves their morale.With the effective training employees can not leave their organizations because training it enables them to have the relevant skills and knowledge needed to perform their activities effectively. The image of the company can improved when the training is conducted because the employees in the organization become motivated and they enable them to talk about the positive s ide of the company. When an organization conducts training it enables it to develop strategies that can help the organization to achieve its objectives since training enables one to acquire new ideas of running and managing the operations of a company.It also helps a company to manage its finance effectively since training ensures that the management determine the issues that are cost effective thus it reduces the expenses of the company. In case of a public company which is a business organization, it is owned by the shareholders who contribute money known as capital. This capital is used to finance the operations of the business and incase the organizations may lack some funds to run their businesses they can borrow funds from the commercial banks and International bodies such as International Monetary Funds and the World Bank.The company is usually run by people known as the directors they ensure that the operations of the company are run effectively, incase the companies receive profits at the end of their financial periods they can distribute the profits in form of dividends to the shareholders and in other cases their can retain some of their money in reserves so that they can be able to do other business affairs such as expanding the company to meet the needs of the customers of the company. http://www.businessballs. com/training program evaluation.htmlIn companies there are many people who are employed, some of whom may be recruited directly from college and thus may lack the necessary experience to run the affairs of the company, others may have the experience to run the company but may lack relevant experience to run the affairs of the company thus there is a need to train all its employees so that they can gain the relevant experience that is required to run the company’s affairs effectively.The company can develop in house training program this program is usually designed to suit the needs of the company’s its allows the employees to train and develop their skills without moving from their working environment thus it saves on time and money since the employees don’t need to travel from one place to the place in order for them to acquire the knowledge and skills of running the company successfully.This training program is designed to train employees of a manufacturing company that produces horticultural products . The Company has more than one hundred employees who are trained on how to handle the product carefully because they are manufactured for export purposes and thus safety precautions must be taken because the products are manufactured using poisonous chemicals since act as preservatives and enable the product to last for a longer period of time without getting spoilt.The Coastal Recursor Humanos is a communications computer company that sells the leading safety training videos ,cd-roms,interactive safety training programs ,safety handbooks,trairning toolkits and safety posters thus the horticultura l company can access this facilities so that it can effectively train its customers on how to handle this products.The company can identify its training needs by obtaining information from the employees of the company about problems that they experience in the company such as poor working environment that can affect the performance of the employees for example if there is inadequate working area for the employees to work on or if the employees may be under paid or over worked this can affect their performance thus the in-house training program can enable the management to address the problems of the employees of the company and they can thus take the necessary measures to rectify the problems of the company . A training need of the can be identified through looking at the position of the economy, if the economy of the country is performing well then the management need to train their employees frequently so that they can be able to cater for the demands of the customers .When the ec onomy is performing properly the circulation of money is usually high and this leads to high demand for goods and services thus the need for the management train to it employees on how to handle the employees , but if the economy of the company is not performing properly the training program activities of the company can be reduced due to lack of the necessary resources to develop the program since for the program to run effectively it needs money to purchase the training videos ,training tool kits and the training safety posters from the Coastal Recursors Humanos communications company and money to hire the trainers is required to cater for their wages and salaries http://www. businessballls. com/freeonlineresources. htm .The management of the company can develop its program by establishing the training mediums that can ensure that it achieves its objectives this include internal mediums the company can access the information about improving the operations of the business by consul ting the employees themselves, they can give the management the reasons why they are not performing and thus identify the problems in the organization thus a good program can be developed and structured to meet the needs of the employees in their workplaces . The management can acquire information from other parties who are not employees of the company to gather information about the policies that need to be implemented so that the company can run it activities effectively thus this can sharpen the companies effectiveness and can help improve its performance.The training materials that can be used by the management of the company are templates, samples, resources such as articles, tools and diagrams they can provide information to help the company employees understand its operations they contain detailed information about the structure roles and responsibilities of the employees this act as a guide of how the company has been designed and thus it makes it ease for them understand th e activities of the company. http://wwbusinessballs. com/workshops. htm The training materials can be created by the experts of the programs they can do this by determining the needs of the company that need to be addressed . They need to outline the skills that they intend to teach .The skills need to be divided into groups and then into steps so that the necessary time can be allocated to the tasks that need to be urgently addressed. Once the steps have been prepared and all the necessary information that needs to be tackled by the experts of the programs they should design the presentation perfectly so that all the relevant information that needs to be conveyed to the employees is done effectively. http://wwbusinessballs. com/workshops. htm The management of the company can deliver its training through workshops that entail team building, communications, motivation, and planning these can empower the employees of the company to work more effectively since it enables them to acqui re the necessary information that is needed to run the affairs of the company effectively.Training can be delivered through conducting in-house training, by creating a tailored course and by recognizing informal training this helps the company to reduce its expenses, helps the management to deliver its information to the employees effectively and reduces wastage of time and money since the information that needs to be conveyed is always within the reach of the employees of the company. The effectiveness of a in house training program can be evaluated by the top management who ensure that training program is carried out effectively. They also ensure that training plans are properly documented so that they can give the management the direction of conducting their business.There are evaluation materials that a company can use so that it can determine how it performs its activities these are end –of- program validation method, feedback process and follow-up instruments they deter mine what the employees have learnt in their in house training programs ,they give the employees time to reflect on the all that they have learnt and also enables them to apply all that they have learnt during the training section . The evaluation questionnaires can be used to evaluate whether the objectives of the company have been applied. The employees of the company need to prepare action plans so that they evaluate whether they have understood all that they have been taught in the in- house training program, incase they have not applied the necessary techniques of carrying out their activities then they can take the necessary measures to implement them.The in-house training program for the company can be sustained through establishing long-term goals and then implementing the goals of the company so that there can be consistency in carrying out the activities of the company. The management should be involved in the development of the program since they can ensure that all the n ecessary information that needs to addressed is followed and finally implemented The goals of the company can be sustained if the companies results show some improvement, if the results of the company don’t improve then the management can either rectify the program or they can develop another programs that can suit the needs of the company.An in-house training program can be enforced by the managements company through ensuring that all employees who don’t comply with the rules and regulations of the company are dealt with accordingly such as they may be punished so that they can comply with the rules and the regulations of the company. The in house training programs can bring high performance to the company because if the management of the company addresses the problems that have been identified by the management and the employees of the organization then the company can operate successfully. If in the in- house training program the trainer is able to identify the uniq ue potentials of the employees and then be able to illustrate how the employees would be assigned with tasks they are familiar so that they can perform effectively then this can be a good sign that the in-house program is effective.

Evolution and religion Essay

â€Å" Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind †, said Albert Einstein. This essay concentrates on evolution, religion, and creationism. In the first phase these are defined, and later their relationships and controversies are discussed. A conclusive statement is made a the end. Evolution The theory of evolution by natural selection was first put forth by Charles Darwin in his book, â€Å" on the origin of species†, in 1859. In 1930’s Darwinian natural selection was combined with Mendelian inheritance to form the modern evolutionary synthesis. With its enormous explanatory power, this theory provides a unifying answer to diversity of life on earth. Evolution is the change in a population’s inherited traits, from generation to generation. These traits are encoded as genes that are copied and passed on to offspring during reproduction. Mutations and other random changes in the genes can produce new or altered traits, resulting in difference between organisms. Evolution occurs when these different traits become more common or rare in a population. This happens through genetic drift and is based on the reproductive value of traits through natural selection. Under natural selection organisms with traits that help them to survive and reproduce tend to have more off springs. In doing so, they will pass more copies of inheritable beneficial traits on to the next generation. This leads to advantageous traits becoming more common in each generation, while disadvantageous traits become rarer. Over time, this process can result in varied adaptations to environmental conditions. As differences in populations accumulate, new species may evolve. All known species have descended from a single ancestral gene pool through this process of gradual divergence. According to theory of evolution, life on Earth started its journey over 3 billion years ago, when oxygenic photosynthesis emerged, which made development of aerobic cellular respiration possible around 2 billion years ago. In the last billion years, multi cellular plants and animals began to appear in oceans. The Cambrian explosion originated all major body plans of modern animals. About 450 million years ago ( mya) plants and fungi colonized the land, and were soon followed by anthropods and other animals. Amphibians first appeared around 300 mya, followed by reptiles and mammals around 200 mya, and birds around 100 mya. The human genus arose around 2 mya, while the earliest modern humans lived 200 thousand years ago. This theory states that all organisms on Earth have descended from a common ancestral gene pool. Evidence for this is inferred from traits shared between all living organisms. In Darwin’s days, this statement was based on visible observation of morphologic similarities. Today genetic science has proved this. For example, every living cell makes use of nucleic acids as its genetic material and uses the same 20 amino acids as the building blocks of proteins. The universality of these traits suggest common ancestry. The roots of evolution theory were laid by Charles Darwin in 1858. He could not propose any working mechanism for inheritance. This was provided by Mendel in 1865, who proved that distinct traits were inherited in a well defined and predictable manner.( Evolution ) Religion A religion is a set of beliefs and practices generally held by human community involving adherence to codified beliefs and rituals, and study of ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, mythology, personal faith and mystic experience. It is also described as a communal system for the coherence of belief focusing on a system of thought, unseen being, person, or object, that is considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine or of the highest truth. Moral codes, values, practices, institutions, traditions, rituals and scriptures are often associated with the core belief. Religion is also described as a â€Å" way of life †. There are number of models in which religions come into being and develop. Broadly these models fall into three categories: 1) Those which see religion as social construction 2) Those which see religion as progressing towards higher, objective truth 3) Those which see particular religion as absolute truth Creationism Creationism is the belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and the Universe were entirely created by a supernatural deity, God. His existence is presupposed. The term creationism is often used to describe the belief that creation occurred literally as described in the book ‘ Genesis’, for Christians and the Jews, and in ‘Qur’an’, for Muslims. In Christian context, many creationists adopt a literal interpretation of the Biblical narratives and say that Bible provides a factual account, given from the perspective of only one who was there to witness it at that time: God. Almost all churches teach that God created the Cosmos. Biblical creationism places knowledge of God central in pursuit of knowledge of anything, as everything comes from God. It says nothing about the mechanisms by which anything was created. No systematic or scientific inquiry was made into the validity of the text. Christian creationism id categorized into many types. These are : – Young Earth creationism. This is inclusive of modern geocentrism, Omphalos hypothesis, and creation science. – Old Earth creationism. This includes Gap creationism, Day-age creationism, and progressive creationism. Theistic creationism Neo-creationism, which includes intelligent design. While Christian and Islamic creationism are almost similar. Hindu creationism believes that all creatures including humans undergo repeated cycles of creation and destruction. The Hindu view of the cosmos is cyclic. ( Creationism ) Evolution and religion Religion is based on beliefs and science is based on proofs and evidences. The theory of evolution is backed by scientific proofs and is considered science beyond any doubt. The relationship between religion and science takes many forms as both are extremely broad. They employ different methods and address different questions. The scientific method adopts an objective approach to measure, calculate, and describe the natural, physical, material universe. Religious methods are more subjective, relying on notions about authority, intuition, belief in supernatural, individual experience and ‘reasoned’ observations about life or the universe, or a combination of all these. Science attempts to answer the ‘how’ and ‘ what’ of observable and verifiable phenomena, religion attempts to answer the ‘why’ question of values, morals, and spirituality. Both employ different methods to find answers to different questions. ( Relationship). A noteworthy dissimilarity between the two is that religion has been existing since ages, whereas science is too young. The earliest civilizations of human species have been worshipping a supernatural force, which was later named as ‘God ’ by Christianity and ‘ Allah’ by Islam. The two most popular religions of today’s world may be a few thousand years old only, but the concept of religion is as old as man himself. In opposition, the modern day science is hardly a few hundred years old. All the modern scientific theories and discoveries on which the world is thriving today, occurred after the renaissance era in Europe. There are two distinct views regarding relationship between religion and science. One known as ‘non-overlapping magisteria’, described by Stephen Jay Gould states that both deal with fundamentally separate aspects of human experience and so when each stays within its own domain, they can co-exist peacefully. The other view known as conflict thesis, which is not to the liking of historians but retains popular appeal, holds that science and religion inevitably compete for authority over the nature of reality. Here, religion has been gradually losing a war with science as scientific expressions become more powerful, acceptable and widespread. ( Relationship ) Evolution theory gives answers to various how life evolved and developed on this earth. Its domain is limited to explaining and proving the existence of a common genetic pool from which different species came into existence. On the other hand the combined domain of all the religions of this world is almost infinite. Answers to questions which science cannot answer are given by religion. The contents of theory of evolution are limited whereas that of all the religions combined are limitless. For example, evolution theory cannot give a satisfactory answer to the origins of universe or the starting point of life. It just assumes that there was a pool of genes from which all forms of life have descended. Religion explains that there exists a supernatural force, which is not seen by anyone and the existence of which can never be proved in a scientific way, which created the ‘ Big Bang’. Science assumes that this was the beginning of universe. Religion does have answers to questions which cannot be answered by any scientific theory. The theory of evolution has no clue about soul, which is globally accepted as a part of our body, while all religions of this world have clear answers to any question regarding soul. All scientific knowledge, if summed up, is like a small drop in an ocean of summed up knowledge offered by all religions on this world. If religion is based on assumptions, even science has assumptions at its base. Evolution is limited to various aspects of life on this planet. For any religion this is a very small chapter in a huge book. Religion not only touches the various aspects of how life developed, but numerous other topics also. As mentioned above, religion is a ‘ way of life’ and hence its perceptions are much broader than the evolution theory, touching the living and the non-living also. Conflicts between religion and evolution arise when religious fundamentalists refuse to accept the scientifically proved facts. This is true for Christian fundamentalists, especially in the United States. They are simply not ready to deviate from the Biblical teachings that God is the creator of all things and He runs the show. They tend to miss one important point that Darwin has never touched the debate on ‘why’ evolution occurred. He has simply found answers to ‘how’ it happened. The authority of God, or for that matter teaching of any religion is never questioned by the theory of evolution. As a matter of fact, there are ample proofs available which convince us that the scientific community also accepts and favors the theory of a super natural power. Writes Lovgren Stefan in his article in National Geographic news, â€Å" Some of history’s greatest scientific minds, including Albert Einstein, were convinced that there is intelligent life behind the universe. Today many scientists say that there is no conflict between their faith and their work†. He further writes, â€Å" the scientific evidence for evolution is overwhelming. Yet, in 2001 Gallup poll, 45% of USA adults said that they believe evolution has played no role in shaping humans. Darwin never said anything about God. Many scientists and theologians maintain that it would be perfectly logical to think that a divine being used evaluation as a method to create the world†. The article further argues , â€Å" there is no way to explain religious faith scientifically. It is hard to envision a test that can tell the difference between the universe created by God, and the one that appeared without God. But why did the universe exist at all ? This is a question which religion is particularly good at answering†. The same article has a report by Ted Sargent, a nano-technology expert at the University of Toronto. â€Å" Even as science progresses in its reductionist fashion moving towards deeper, simpler and more elegant understanding of particles and forces, there will still remain a ‘ why’, at the end. Why are the rules the way they are ? This is where people will find God †. Stefan comments, â€Å" To many scientists, this discoveries may not be that different from religious revelations. Scientific advancements may even draw scientists closer to religion†. ( Lovgren Stefan ) Conversely, religious fundamentalists should also accept the fats which are proven beyond any doubt. This establishes a harmony between religion and evolution. Evolution and creationism The conflict between the believers in evolution theory and creationism is more fierce than that of evolution and religion. This is especially true in the USA where it has become a political controversy. It is a dispute about the origins of Earth, humanity, life, and the universe. The level of support for the evolution theory is overwhelming in the scientific community and the academia, while support for creation based alternatives where evolution does not take place is minimal among secular scientists. Creationists argue that scientific theories are incomplete, incorrect, and inherently flawed due to the infinite regression nature of questions of origins. They argue that if science can provide answers to ‘ what caused the Big Bang ?’ or ‘ what was the nature of first life form ?’ it is likely that answers themselves will be subject to similar kinds of regressive inquiry. They firmly believe that science cannot provide answers to such questions and that their religious discourse is much more complete and more reliable than the naturalistic description provided by science. While creationists point at the limitations of scientific investigations, they intend to point towards the existence of creator God. Skeptics criticize this as ‘God of the gaps argument’. They say that religious argumentation is reduced to a place holder for gaps in human knowledge. One more argument presented is that evolution is a theory and not a fact. This is a result of misconception about the technical meaning of ‘theory’. In common usage, ‘theory’ means hypothesis and unproven assumptions. In science it means ‘ a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena†. Exploring this issue, Stephen Jay Gould wrote, â€Å" Evolution is a theory. It is also a fact, and facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing uncertainty. Facts are the world’s data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts do not go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein’s theory of gravitation replaced that of Newton’s but apples did not suspend themselves from mid –air. And humans evolved from ape-like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin’s proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be disclosed â€Å". Karl Propper gave a new dimension to the debate, by evolving the concept of ‘falsifiability’. He claimed that testable theories are scientific but those that are untestable are not. He declares, â€Å" I have come to a conclusion that Darwinism is not testable scientific theory but a metaphysical research program, a plausible framework for testable scientific theories†. Debate among some scientists and philosophers of science on the applicability of falsifiabilty have been offered by some scientists: Richard Dawkins and J.B.S. Haldane both pointed out that if fossil rabbits were found in the Precarribean era, a time before most similarly complex life forms had evolved â€Å" that would completely blow evolution out of water†. Creationists have criticized the scientific evidence used to support evolution as being based on faulty assumptions and unjustified jumping to conclusions. These include: – the fossil fuel record which has significant gaps that cast doubt on evolution – the emergence of new species which has not been observed directly – radiometric dating which is inaccurate due to an inappropriate reliance on assumption of uniformitarianism While creationists claim that the problems they point out represent significant ‘holes’ in evolutionary theory. Supporters of evolutionary theory respond by arguing that these gaps of knowledge do not cast doubt on the framework the theory of evolution provides, asserting that they indicate either areas where research needs to be directed or there is misunderstanding on the part of creationists. As a matter of fact scientists and subject experts of evolution, do not spend much time on refuting the charges of creationists. Many do not respond at all. They do not think it is worth it. After all, when they reply, creationists get the publicity. ( creation-evolution controversy ) Pope Benedict XVI , in a book titled â€Å" creation and evolution†, published on 11 April 2007, states that â€Å" The question is not to either make a decision for a creationism that fundamentally excludes science, or for an evolutionary theory that covers over its own gaps and does not want to see the questions that reach beyond the methodological possibilities of natural science. I find it important to underline that theory of evolution implies questions that must be to philosophy and which themselves lead beyond the realms of science. It is also true that the theory of evolution is not a complete, scientifically proven theory†. He believes that experiment in a controlled environment h as limitations, as, â€Å" We cannot have 10,000 generations into the laboratory†. He also does not endorse creationism or intelligent design. He defends ‘ theistic evolution’, a reconciliation between science and religion, already held by Catholics. He writes on evolution, as a ‘ process itself is rational despite the mistakes and confusion as it goes through a narrow corridor, choosing a few mutations and using low probability. This inevitably leads to a question that goes beyond science- where did this rationality come from ? † to which he answers that it comes from the ‘creative reason’ of God. ( creationism – evolution controversy) Third alternative The conflict and controversy over evolution and creationism can be resolved if a third alternative is adopted. If biology had followed Pasteur’s paradigm, instead of Darwin’s, and if the theory of cosmic ancestry was prevailing today, then the mechanical theory of nature would account for the evolutionary progress and the origin of life on Earth. There would be no need for supernatural intervention. Cosmic ancestry is fundamentally different from both Darwinism and prevailing western religions. Both hold that life arises and evolves from simpler beginnings. Darwinism explains this with material causes, western religions with supernatural causes. In Cosmic Ancestry life neither arises nor evolves to more highly organized forms from simpler beginnings. With material causes life can descend from prior life at least as highly evolved as itself. Thus in Cosmic Ancestry, life only descends. The fact is that neither science nor religion seem interested in adopting Cosmic Ancestry as an alternative. ( Evolution versus creationism) Conclusion The theory of evolution proves how life originated and developed on this Earth. It has a scientific base in all its claims. It is a result of careful analysis of data. All over the world it has been accepted as a ‘truly scientific explanation’ on evolution of life. It does not have to do anything with any supernatural power. Religious fundamentalists, specially Christian, have evolved a movement called ‘creationism’, which asserts that the theory of evolution tends to wipe off the Biblical teachings and the faith they have in God. Till today, the highest priest of Christianity, the Pope, is busy trying to find ‘holes’ in the theory of evolution, when the whole world has accepted this theory before 150 years. The paradox is that evolution has never touched upon the aspects of God. In fact, scientists also believe in God and accept His existence. There is no legitimate base for ‘creationism’, and it reflects the sense of adamancy among the Christian fundamentalists. Theory of Cosmic Ancestry can be adopted as an option. Works- cited page 1. Evolution, wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 14 April 07, Retrieved on 15 April 07 from: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution > 2. Creationism, wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 14 April 07, Retrieved on 15 April 07 from : < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creationism > 3. Relationship, Relationship between Religion and science, wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 12 April 07, Retrieved on 15 April 07 from: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_between_religion_and_science > 4. Lovgren Stefan, Evolution and religion can co-exist, scientists say, National Geographic News, 18 October 2004, Retrieved on 15 April 07, from: < http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1018_041018_science_religion.html > 5. Creation-evolution controversy, wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 13 April 07, Retrieved on 15 April 07 from: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation-evolution_controversy > 6. Evolution versus creationism, Retrieved on 16 April 07 from: < http://www.panspermia.org/ mechansm.htm >