Sunday, June 28, 2020

The Importance of Trust - Free Essay Example

It was a relaxing and lazy sort of day. The air was still, the leaves were hardly rustling, and nothing much seemed to be happening. It was the sort of day that something leads to mischief. Inside my brother and I were sitting around, not doing anything in particular. My brother, who was in first grade, had recently started playing soccer and was sitting on the couch holding his soccer ball. He had been outside practicing kicks, so he came inside to take a break. I was sitting in a chair reading a book and thinking about what to do next. Neither of my parents were home, so my brother and I were alone. I know, I said. Lets go play a board game. No, he said. I dont really feel like playing a board game and besides theyre not really that fun. Well, okay, I said thinking.Maybe we could go outside and ride our bikes. He thought about it and said, No, we just did that yesterday. I began to get irritated and impatient with my brother. My gosh! I exclaimed. You dont want to do anything at all. You just want to sit there and hug your soccer ball. Thats not true! he protested. But Ill tell you something. I bet you I can dribble this ball past you. He was pretty good at dribbling, but so was I. We faced each other and the ball was on the floor between us. He moved the ball forward with his foot, but then trying to trick me out of position, he gave the ball a sharp kick. It almost worked, but I tried to block the ball and it bounced off of my knee. The soccer ball bounced off the wall, right into my moms favorite flower vase. The vase fell to the floor with a loud crash. A few minutes later as we started cleaning up the glass we listened in horror as the garage door screeched open. We looked at each other and then at the broken vase with blank faces, not knowing what to do. My brother hid the ball behind a desk and we went back and sat down as if nothing had happened. Hey guys, my mom said. It wasnt long before she noticed the broken vase. My vase! she exclaimed. What happened? she said looking at us. We just stared at each other as we began to tell a lie. We dont know what happened. We didnt touch it at all, he said. Yeah, it must have just fell of the table, I added. After that, the lies just continued to get bigger and bigger. How could it just fall of the desk? she asked questioningly. She didnt seem to look convinced by what we were saying, but she said, Okay, and began to clean up the mess. It was hard to see how sad our mom looked while picking up the pieces of the broken vase and the guilt was starting to build up. Mom, were really sorry about the lamp I said. Im not worried about the lamp, we can always get a new one. What Im worried about is that maybe my children, who Ive always trusted, arent telling me the truth. And trust is not something that you can just put back together again, she said. My brother and I started talking all at once, It didnt just fall off the desk, we were playing soccer and accidentally knocked it over, we said.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Writing and Compare-and-contrast Essays - 1384 Words

Compare and Contrast This type of writing assignment is common. On a standardized test, you may be asked to analyze literature, evaluate ideas, or make a judgment and explain your reasons. In responding to these types of prompts, you often will compare and contrast characters, concepts, or choices. You will be asked to identify similarities and differences, which are the key to compare-and-contrast essays. There are ways to organize your thoughts about compare-and-contrast topics, which will help you write thoughtful and balanced essays. Compare-and-Contrast Essays First, you will learn how to write a compare-and-contrast essay When you compare, you show how two or more things are alike. On the other hand, when you contrast, you†¦show more content†¦The similarities are shown in the overlapping middle section. Gathering Details The next step in preparing your compare-and-contrast essay is to gather details, descriptions, and examples to provide a clear understanding of the subjects being compared. There are several ways to gather details. One way is to use your personal experiences. If you are writing about a subject with which you have direct experience, your knowledge of that subject can beShow MoreRelatedHow to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay664 Words   |  3 PagesInstructions of How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay 1 First look at the items you are supposed to compare and contrast. Do you understand them? If you are writing an essay outside of class, look them up. Start with your text book but also look at your notes from class, and even go and check them out at Wikipedia. If you are taking a test, and cant look things up, pause and think over what these things mean. The next two steps will help you remember. 2 Make a list of ways the twoRead MoreHow write a compare contrast essay1363 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿How to Write a Compare-Contrast Essay The Elements of a Compare-Contrast Essay What is comparison? Explaining the similarities or points of connection between two ideas, people, or things to give the reader a deeper understanding of each What is contrasting? Explaining the differences or points of disconnection between two ideas, people, or things to give the reader a deeper understanding of each Adapted from Webster’s Third New International Dictionary On what subjects canRead MoreComparison and Contrast1409 Words   |  6 PagesAllah Professor: Dr.Bahman Amani Prepared by: Akbar Akbari Place: IAU Maraghe Date: May 6th 2010 ⠝â€" Definition: To compare is to show how items are alike. To contrast is to show how items are different. Thus comparison and contrast involve pointing out the similarities or differences between two (or more) items. In deciding what to compare or contrast, you will want to make sure that the items share points in common. Thus, the items compared are usually the same kind or class of thingRead MoreCom 156 Daily Questions1076 Words   |  5 Pagesyou determine what areas to focus on further when writing? Some feedback that I may receive might point out areas that I thought were researched enough but the person giving the feedback believes there is more, I would further research. This essay is going to have a structure and limit, you cannot incorporate every bit of detail, but there is always room to better explain the main point. †¢ Page 11 of the Guidelines for Writing Academic Essays offers a number of suggestions to help revise aRead MoreEnglish 111 Evaluation Essay623 Words   |  3 Pagesthinking and the fundamentals of academic writing. This is a prerequisite English class for higher-level English education. By the end of this course a student will have gained a great deal of practice in the craft of writing. This essay will evaluate the English 111 textbooks, essays, self-reflections, the instructor, and what I personally learned. The English 111 textbook had effective sample essays and diagrams of outlines. The Successful College Writing Textbook is the textbook used for the EnglishRead MoreEssay on Writing Self-Evaluation947 Words   |  4 Pagesown work to determine the rate their writing is progressing and how they can continue to advance their writing. When I looked through my own work I asked myself â€Å"what have I learned this semester?† and â€Å"what do I still need to learn in order to improve my writing?†. Answering both these questions will help me with my last step of my self-evaluation, developing a plan to learn new skills. During this semester, I have strengthened my writing by trying new writing techniques, learning about purposeRead MoreReflection Essay797 Words   |  4 Pagesperspectives and strong conclusions. I am able to analyze the literature and relate to it in many different ways. In the compare and contrast essay I wrote, Oliver conveys a tone of remembrance by juxtaposing the old burn-dump this waste place and this secret garden. I am able to apply literary terms and analyze how the author uses them to enhance their writing. In the same essay, I stated, By using short, concise sentences, Oliver is more direct in her delivery and showing her lamentations forRead MoreEssay Writing Forms and Styles1402 Words   |  6 Pages------------------------------------------------- Forms and styles This section describes the different forms and styles of essay writing. These forms and styles are used by a range of authors, including university students and professional essayists. [edit]Cause and effect The defining features of a cause and effect essay are causal chains that connect from a cause to an effect, careful language, and chronological or emphatic order. A writer using this rhetorical method must consider the subjectRead MoreThe Academic Expository Essay1191 Words   |  5 PagesThe Academic Expository Essay The academic expository essay is a genre of essay that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, talk about the idea, and present an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. This can be accomplished through: 1. Cause and effect 2. Comparison and contrast 3. Argumentation and various other genres. Please note: Academic essays of cause and effect, comparison and contrast and argumentation are commonly assigned asRead MoreThe Writer’s Profile1390 Words   |  6 Pagesfield of criminal justice, writing is one of the most common tasks that one will complete. Every class that I have taken in preparation for the field has required for me to complete several papers. Each paper has formed and adjusted the way in which I write an essay. Every college paper that I have written has created a distinct trait and ritual. Over time it has corrected my composing practices. This essay reveals my process in which I write and evaluates my current writing self. I entered college

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

The Origin and Decline of the Papal States

The Papal States were territories in central Italy that were directly governed by the papacy—not only spiritually but in a temporal, secular sense. The extent of papal control, which officially began in 756 and lasted until 1870, varied over the centuries, as did the geographical boundaries of the region. Generally, the territories included present-day Lazio (Latium), Marche, Umbria, and part of Emilia-Romagna. The Papal States were also known as the Republic of Saint Peter, Church States, and the Pontifical States; in Italian, Stati Pontifici or Stati della Chiesa. Origins of the Papal States The bishops of Rome first acquired lands around the city in the 4th century; these lands were known as the Patrimony of St. Peter. Beginning in the 5th century, when the Western Empire officially came to an end and the influence of the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire in Italy weakened, the power of the bishops, who were now often called papa or pope, increased as the populace turned to them for aid and protection. Pope Gregory the Great, for example, did a great deal to help refugees from invading Lombards and even managed to establish peace with the invaders for a time. Gregory is credited with consolidating the papal holdings into a unified territory. While officially the lands that would become the Papal States were considered part of the Eastern Roman Empire, for the most part, they were overseen by officers of the Church. The official beginning of the Papal States came in the 8th century. Thanks to the Eastern empires increased taxation and inability to protect Italy, and, more especially, the emperors views on iconoclasm, Pope Gregory II broke with the empire, and his successor, Pope Gregory III, upheld the opposition to the iconoclasts. Then, when the Lombards had seized Ravenna and were on the verge of conquering Rome, Pope Stephen II (or III) turned to the King of the Franks, Pippin III (the Short). Pippin promised to restore the captured lands to the pope; he then succeeded in defeating the Lombard leader, Aistulf, and made him return the lands the Lombards had captured to the papacy, ignoring all Byzantine claims to the territory. Pippins promise and the document that recorded it in 756 are known as the Donation of Pippin and provide the legal foundation for the Papal States. This is supplemented by the Treaty of Pavia, in which Aistulf officially ceded conquered lands to the bishops of Rome. Scholars theorize that the forged Donation of Constantine was created by an unknown cleric around about this time, as well. Legitimate donations and decrees by Charlemagne, his son Louis the Pious and his grandson Lothar I confirmed the original foundation and added to the territory. The Papal States Through the Middle Ages Throughout the volatile political situation in Europe over the next few centuries, the popes managed to maintain control over the Papal States. When the Carolingian Empire broke up in the 9th century, the papacy fell under the control of the Roman nobility. This was a dark time for the Catholic Church, for some of the popes were far from saintly; but the Papal States remained strong because preserving them was a priority of the secular leaders of Rome. In the 12th century, commune governments began to rise in Italy; although the popes did not oppose them in principle, those that were established in papal territory proved problematic, and strife even led to revolts in the 1150s. Yet the Republic of Saint Peter continued to expand. For example, Pope Innocent III capitalized on conflict within the Holy Roman Empire to press his claims, and the emperor recognized the Churchs right to Spoleto. The fourteenth century brought serious challenges. During the Avignon Papacy, papal claims to Italian territory were weakened by the fact that the popes no longer actually lived in Italy. Things grew even worse during the Great Schism when rival popes tried to run things from both Avignon and Rome. Ultimately, the schism was ended, and the popes concentrated on rebuilding their dominance over the Papal States. In the fifteenth century, they saw considerable success, once again due to the focus on temporal over spiritual power displayed by such popes as Sixtus IV. In the early sixteenth century, the Papal States saw their greatest extent and prestige, thanks to the warrior-pope Julius II. The Decline of the Papal States But it wasnt long after the death of Julius that the Reformation signaled the beginning of the end of the Papal States. The very fact that the spiritual head of the Church should have so much temporal power was one of the many aspects of the Catholic Church that reformers, who were in the process of becoming Protestants, objected to. As secular powers grew stronger they were able to chip away at papal territory. The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars also did damage to the Republic of Saint Peter. Eventually, during the course of Italian unification in the 19th century, the Papal States were annexed to Italy. Beginning in 1870, when the annexation of the papal territory put an official end to the Papal States, the popes were in a temporal limbo. This came to an end with the Lateran Treaty of 1929, which set up Vatican City as an independent state.

Monday, May 11, 2020

The Beginning Of Labyrinth Of Solitude By Octavio Paz Essay

At the beginning of Labyrinth of Solitude, Octavio Paz compares periods of change and growth in a nation to that of an adolescent developing a sensibility of his own being. â€Å"He is astonished at the fact of this being and this astonishment leads to reflection: as he leans over the river of his consciousness, he asks himself if the face that appears there, disfigured by the water, is his own†¦eventually these features are seen as a face, and later as†¦a meaning, a history† (9-10). â€Å"To become aware of our history,† he explains, â€Å"is to become aware of out singularity† (10). With this newly found self-consciousness, the nation continues, better able to understand its own actions and its relation to the surrounding world. It is perhaps, in this spirit that Robert Bellah and his colleagues wrote Habits of the Heart. They remark in the updated introduction that they were provoked into self-consciousness by â€Å"worries about crime, moral decline, and deepening divides of income and opportunity† (vii). In the process of self-examination, the authors identify qualities and traditions they consider quintessentially American, and call upon readers to reclaim these traditions to preserve and improve the sense of community and commitment to others they consider crucial for national preservation. In developing their own sense of Americanism, the authors of Habits of the Heart rely heavily on the classic study of American culture outlined by the Frenchmen Alexis de Tocqueville inShow MoreRelatedMexico Mask Essay1422 Words   |  6 PagesThese three issues are prevalent throughout the culture and history of the nation. They are represented and mentioned in two descriptive texts and a film. The two texts include Ridings essay The Mexicans and a chapter of Octavio Pazs book, The Labyrinth of Solitude entitled Mexican Masks . The film was presented by the National Geographic Society as an overview of Mexican culture entitled The Mexicans: Through Their Eyes . All three representations of Mexican culture describe or exemplifyRead MoreThe Labyrinth Of Solitude By Octavio Paz2410 Words   |  10 Pagesincreasingly become a Latino city as they hosted countless festivals to celebrate the Mexican cultural holidays such as Cinco de Mayo, El Dia de Los Muertos and etc. In the book , The Labyrinth of Solitude, Octavio Paz discusses the generalization of Mexicans and emphasizes the idea of them preferring to be placed in solitude due to their fear of intimacy. The book even discusses the roles of a Mexican fiesta and cultural aspects of the Latino culture. By having Mexican holidays celebrated in Los Angeles

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neal Hurston - 930 Words

Zora Neal Hurston’s ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’, was published in 1937 and is often celebrated for it’s realistic use of language and dialect of the black American south. However, as Wright pinpoints, there is a sense of Hurston catering to the white audience in her use of language, and prompts the question of whether ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ should be considered a ‘community text’ or comparable to minstrelsy. This essay will explore the ways in which Hurston creates a community text through her use of vernacular, as well as addressing some of the other points Wright made in regards to the lack of a clear theme or message in the novel. The definition of a community text is a text created (to represent?) as a part of a community of people. In this case, ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’, would be classed as one within the black community. The ways in which the text could be considered a community text is through Hurston’s use of vernacular and dialect. This is shown through the conversation Janie and Phoebe have near the beginning of the book, Phoebe says, â€Å"Youse just was crazy as you ever was,† to which Janie replies, â€Å"Hand me dat wash-rag on dat chair by you, honey.†[1] The vernacular creates a sense of ease and camaraderie as they’re both speaking in the same way, there’s no sense of a hierarchical divide which is important in presenting a group of people as a cohesive community. On a similar note, the characters using the Southern black dialect allows readers fromShow MoreRelatedTheir Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neal Hurston1176 Words   |  5 Pages In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neal Hurston, Janie Starks is a girl who has a hard time finding love through out the novel. Janie marries three very different men in her life. Their names are Logan Killicks, Jody Starks and Tea Cake. Each marriage is very different from the other. Janie learns different lessons from each of her three marriages. Each lesson is very useful to her. She learns that marriage does not lead to love, in order to have a good marriage, both partners must be treatedRead MoreTheir Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neal Hurston888 Words   |  4 PagesIn the story Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston, the main character Janie dream is to attain unconditional, fulfilling and true love. Throughout her life she experiences different types of love. As a result from her quest to find her desired love Janie’s gains personal freedom and independence, this makes her the true heroine of this novel. Janie searches for the love she always wante d, the one that is represented by the marriage between a bee and a blossom on the pear tree thatRead MoreTheir Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neal Hurston1533 Words   |  7 PagesEveryone in the world today whether is be now or later on in your life, hopes to find a special someone that can spent the rest on their life with and fall in love as well. In the Novel, Their eyes were watching god written by Zora Neal Hurston, this is exactly what the main character Janie goal is. Janie encounters three different man she hopes to achieve her life goals and fall in love with. Each relationship that she experiences differs due to the different cultural context present or broughtRead MoreAn Analysis Of Zora Neal Hurston s Their Eyes Were Watching God1174 Words   |  5 Pagesof death. Zora Neal Hurston uses these and similar aspects of nature as a pillar in her novel Their Eyes were Watching God to describe the progression of the life of Janie, the main character. One of the many natural images Hurston provided the reader with was that of the pear tree. The pear tree was a predominant image throughout the early stages of the book because it represented the innocence of Janie. The beautiful, sun-kissed tree was first introduced in the paragraph where Hurston says â€Å"FromRead More Zora Neale Hurston Essay1149 Words   |  5 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Zora Neale Hurston was a phenomenal woman. At the height of her success she was known as the â€Å"Queen of the Harlem Renaissance.† She came to overcome obstacles that were placed in front of her. Hurston rose from poverty to fame and lost it all at the time of her death. Zora had an unusual life; she was a child that was forced to grow up to fast. But despite Zora Neale Hurston’s unsettled life, she managed to surmount every obstacle to become one of the most profound authorsRead MoreZora Neale Hurston1163 Words   |  5 PagesZora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston was a phenomenal woman. At the height of her success she was known as the Queen of the Harlem Renaissance. She came to overcome obstacles that were placed in front of her. Hurston rose from poverty to fame and lost it all at the time of her death. Zora had an unusual life; she was a child that was forced to grow up to fast. But despite Zora Neale Hurstons unsettled life, she managed to surmount every obstacle to become one of the most profound authorsRead More Symbolism in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay example1117 Words   |  5 PagesIn Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, she utilizes an array of symbolism such as color, the store, and her husbands to solidify the overall theme of independence and individuality. Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered by many a classic American Feminist piece that emphasizes how life was for African Americans post slave era in the early 1900s. One source summarizes the story as, 1 † a womans quest for fulfillment and liberation in a society where women are objects toRead MoreMarxism And Feminism In Sweat By Zora Neal Hurston949 Words   |  4 Pagesnineteenth century on. Zora Neal Hurston’s work entitled â€Å"Sweat† is a prime example of how culture is affected by its cultures standards of economic â€Å"base†. The story was published in 1926 during a time of trial and error considering the obstacles that faced many female authors at the time. Hurston’s story â€Å"Sweat† overlaps with her novel â€Å"Their Eyes are Watching God† which also supports the idea that culture is affected by periods of economic â€Å"base†. Hurston’s â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God† also portraysRead MoreZora Neal Hurston Integrates Folklore with Fiction Essay examples780 Words   |  4 Pages Zora Neal Hurston integrates folklore with fiction in her works. Zora Neale Hurston was an author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance who won Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards. She wrote a number of books but â€Å"Their Eyes Were watching God† was by far her most successful book that she has written. â€Å"Their Eyes Were watching God’† was published in 1937 had fifty-two editions and had a rating of 109,737. This was not only the most successful book that she had written but it was also one of theRead MoreAnalysis Of Zora Neale Hurston s The Eyes Were Watching God Essay1690 Words   |  7 PagesIntersectionality is the study of identity that looks at how different aspects of identity intersect with each other to form specific and differing experiences of oppression. Zora Neale Hurston deals with the intersection of race and gender through the story of Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God. However, rather than seeing the way in which Hurston deals with this intersection, the author Richard Wright claims, â€Å"The sen sory sweep of her novel carries no theme, no message, no thought. In the main, her novel

Modern Orthodox Judaism Free Essays

Judaism (from the Latin Iudaismus, derived from the Greek Ioudaismos, and ultimately from the Hebrew , Yehudah, â€Å"Judah†;[1][2] in Hebrew: , Yahadut, the distinctive characteristics of the Judean ethnos)[3] is the religion, philosophy and way of life of the Jewish people. [4] A monotheistic religion originating in the Hebrew Bible (also known as the Tanakh) and explored in later texts such as the Talmud, Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenantal relationship God established with the Children of Israel. 5] Rabbinic Judaism holds that God revealed his laws and commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of both the Written and Oral Torah. We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Orthodox Judaism or any similar topic only for you Order Now [6] Historically, this assertion was challenged by various groups such as the Sadducees and Hellenistic Judaism during the Second Temple period; the Karaites and Sabbateans during the early and later medieval period;[7] and among segments of the modern reform movements. Liberal movements in modern times such as Humanistic Judaism may be nontheistic. 8] Judaism claims a historical continuity spanning more than 3,000 years. Of the major world religions, Judaism is considered one of the oldest monotheistic religions. [9][10] The Hebrews / Israelites were already referred to as â€Å"Jews† in later books of the Tanakh such as the Book of Esther, with the term Jews replacing the title â€Å"Children of Israel†. [11] Judaism’s texts, traditions and values strongly influenced later Abrahamic religions, including Christianity, Islam and the Baha’i Faith. 12][13] Many aspects of Judaism have also directly or indirectly influenced secular Western ethics and civil l aw. [14] Jews are an ethnoreligious group[15] and include those born Jewish and converts to Judaism. In 2010, the world Jewish population was estimated at 13. 4 million, or roughly 0. 2% of the total world population. About 42% of all Jews reside in Israel and about 42% reside in the United States and Canada, with most of the remainder living in Europe. 16] The largest Jewish religious movements are Orthodox Judaism (Haredi Judaism and Modern Orthodox Judaism), Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism. A major source of difference between these groups is their approach to Jewish law. [17] Orthodox Judaism maintains that the Torah and Jewish law are divine in origin, eternal and unalterable, and that they should be strictly followed. Conservative and Reform Judaism are more liberal, with Conservative Judaism generally promoting a more â€Å"traditional† interpretation of Judaism’s requirements than Reform Judaism. A typical Reform position is that Jewish law should be viewed as a set of general guidelines rather than as a set of restrictions and obligations whose observance is required of all Jews. [18][19] Historically, special courts enforced Jewish law; today, these courts still exist but the practice of Judaism is mostly voluntary. [20] Authority on theological and legal matters is not vested in any one person or organization, but in the sacred texts and rabbis and scholars who interpret them. [21] How to cite Modern Orthodox Judaism, Essay examples

Modern Orthodox Judaism Free Essays

Judaism (from the Latin Iudaismus, derived from the Greek Ioudaismos, and ultimately from the Hebrew , Yehudah, â€Å"Judah†;[1][2] in Hebrew: , Yahadut, the distinctive characteristics of the Judean ethnos)[3] is the religion, philosophy and way of life of the Jewish people. [4] A monotheistic religion originating in the Hebrew Bible (also known as the Tanakh) and explored in later texts such as the Talmud, Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenantal relationship God established with the Children of Israel. 5] Rabbinic Judaism holds that God revealed his laws and commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of both the Written and Oral Torah. We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Orthodox Judaism or any similar topic only for you Order Now [6] Historically, this assertion was challenged by various groups such as the Sadducees and Hellenistic Judaism during the Second Temple period; the Karaites and Sabbateans during the early and later medieval period;[7] and among segments of the modern reform movements. Liberal movements in modern times such as Humanistic Judaism may be nontheistic. 8] Judaism claims a historical continuity spanning more than 3,000 years. Of the major world religions, Judaism is considered one of the oldest monotheistic religions. [9][10] The Hebrews / Israelites were already referred to as â€Å"Jews† in later books of the Tanakh such as the Book of Esther, with the term Jews replacing the title â€Å"Children of Israel†. [11] Judaism’s texts, traditions and values strongly influenced later Abrahamic religions, including Christianity, Islam and the Baha’i Faith. 12][13] Many aspects of Judaism have also directly or indirectly influenced secular Western ethics and civil l aw. [14] Jews are an ethnoreligious group[15] and include those born Jewish and converts to Judaism. In 2010, the world Jewish population was estimated at 13. 4 million, or roughly 0. 2% of the total world population. About 42% of all Jews reside in Israel and about 42% reside in the United States and Canada, with most of the remainder living in Europe. 16] The largest Jewish religious movements are Orthodox Judaism (Haredi Judaism and Modern Orthodox Judaism), Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism. A major source of difference between these groups is their approach to Jewish law. [17] Orthodox Judaism maintains that the Torah and Jewish law are divine in origin, eternal and unalterable, and that they should be strictly followed. Conservative and Reform Judaism are more liberal, with Conservative Judaism generally promoting a more â€Å"traditional† interpretation of Judaism’s requirements than Reform Judaism. A typical Reform position is that Jewish law should be viewed as a set of general guidelines rather than as a set of restrictions and obligations whose observance is required of all Jews. [18][19] Historically, special courts enforced Jewish law; today, these courts still exist but the practice of Judaism is mostly voluntary. [20] Authority on theological and legal matters is not vested in any one person or organization, but in the sacred texts and rabbis and scholars who interpret them. [21] How to cite Modern Orthodox Judaism, Essay examples