The Renaissance and Religion

The Renaissance and Religion Background Information The renaissance is a very interesting era in the history of humanity. It is an era which has been associated with many discoveries and changes in the life of mankind. To have a clear picture of the significance of the renaissance it is better to slightly examine the way of life just before 1400.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Renaissance and Religion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Before 1400 and actually the early part of 1400, the Roman Catholic Church had a great influence on the society. The church was supreme in every way and commanded unrivalled authority on both religious issues and politics. The pope wielded immense influence on political leaders and kings likewise. What was communicated from the pope was final regardless of who the subject was.[1] The Catholic Church was the only church in the world and its branches were in many countries. It is also worth noting that the church was the wealthiest organization and this wealth was acquired by means which were later found to be unacceptable. Payment for services rendered by the church was very frequent actually there was not a single activity that the priest would preside over without any payment being done weather it was a funeral, baptism or any other. Selling of indulgence and some pieces of artwork representing saints was a common practice. This sounds ridiculous and this is where the Renaissance man comes in. The church had used some weird philosophy to tame the thinking of the society to view the pope and the church in general as divinely superior to them and that the pope had the power to determine whether a person could access heaven or not. With this nature of thinking people were subjected to a rigid way of life where everything started from and ended with the church.[2] The wakeup call The Renaissance period can be said to have stirred people to wake from some kind of sleep they were in. The renai ssance period was a time when humanism for the first time was experienced. It must be pointed out that renaissance was very secular but not necessarily evil as such. It has also been pointed out that the renaissance weakened the influence of the church but helped to spread it further; the roman church was weakened as reformations broke up all the over Europe. The renaissance was an invitation to reason and question issues about life the church was questioned about some of its practices and it was found wanting.[3] According to Kreis (2008), â€Å"the return to favor of the pagan classics stimulated the philosophy of secularism, the appreciation of worldly pleasures, and above all intensified the assertion of personal independence and individual expression.†[4]Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is recorded that man started to appreciate the pleasures of this world and less depended on supernatural teaching from the church. This period has often been described as the â€Å"germinal period of modernism†[5] with the Renaissance man being said to have â€Å"stood at a point midway between medieval supernaturalism and the modern scientific and critical attitude.†[6] The renaissance brought in great surprises to humanity as reasoning and thinking was put to test producing great works in the fields of â€Å"art, literature, exploration, mathematics, science and religion.†[7] People were able to think independently testing new ways and ideas which originated from their minds and not from the church. Some of the achievements of this period are still a great inspiration today for instance the great Mona Lisa was an art work of this period. The renaissance brought in secular thought to people helping to reduce the influence that the church had on their lives. Bibliography Kreis, Steven. â€Å"Lectures on Modern Europe Intellectual Hist ory.† The History Guide, 2008. Retrieved from: historyguide.org/intellect/humanism.html .Renaissance. â€Å"The Renaissance and the Church.† All About Renaissance Faires, n.d. Retrieved from: all-about-renaissance-faires.com/renaissance_info/catholic_church_in_the_renaissance.htm . Think. â€Å"Religion.† Oracle Think Quest, 2010. Retrieved from: http://library.thinkquest.org/C006522/religion/overview.php . Footnotes Renaissance, The Renaissance and the Church, (All About Renaissance Faires, n.d.) all-about-renaissance-faires.com/renaissance_info/catholic_church_in_the_renaissance.htm . Think, Religion, (Oracle Think Quest, 2010) http://library.thinkquest.org/C006522/religion/overview.php . This statement refers to the famous reformations which took place all over Europe for instance the efforts of Martin Luther the reformist helped a lot to show that the church was misleading the congregation. Kreis, Steven, Lectures on Modern Europe Intellectual History, (The History Guide, 2008). historyguide.org/intellect/humanism.html . Kreis, Steven, Lectures on Modern Europe Intellectual History, (The History Guide, 2008). historyguide.org/intellect/humanism.html . Kreis, Steven, Lectures on Modern Europe Intellectual History, (The History Guide, 2008). historyguide.org/intellect/humanism.html . Think, Religion, (Oracle Think Quest, 2010) http://library.thinkquest.org/C006522/religion/overview.php .

What Being a Lame Duck Means in Politics

What Being a Lame Duck Means in Politics A lame duck politician is an elected official who is not seeking re-election. The term is often used to describe U.S. presidents in their second and final terms in the White House. The use of lame duck is often considered derogatory because it refers to an elected officials loss of power and inability to effect change. U.S. presidents are bound by the Constitution to two terms in the White House under the 22nd Amendment. So they automatically become lame ducks the minute their take their oaths of office for the second time. Most of the time lame duck presidents become mired in cursed second terms. Few have notched successes as lame ducks. Members are Congress are not bound by statutory term limits, but the minute they announce their intention to retire they, too, earn lame duck status. And while there are obvious downsides to being a lame duck, there are also some positive aspects to not being bound to the often-fickle whims of the electorate. Origins of the Phrase Lame Duck The phrase lame duck was originally used to describe bankrupt businessmen. Ebenezer Cobham Brewers A Dictionary of Phrase and Fable described a lame duck as â€Å"a stock-jobber or dealer who will not, or cannot, pay his losses and has to waddle out of the alley like a lame duck. By the 1800s the phrase connoted politically bankrupt or broken down elected officials. Calvin Coolidge is said to be the first American president to be called a lame duck, during his second term. The term is also used to described political patronage, as in lame duck appointments, or those made by an outgoing politician in his final days in office to reward friends and supporters. The term was also popularized during the debate over when the president was to be sworn into office. The 20th Amendment, which stipulates that the incoming president and vice president take their oaths of office on Jan. 20 after the election instead of waiting until March as they previously did, was called the lame duck amendment because it prevented the still-in-session Congress from acting behind the back of the incoming commander-in-chief. Lame Ducks Are Ineffective and Mischievous One common rap against elected officials who are on their way out of office is that no one takes them seriously. Its true that lame ducks see the power they once enjoyed in office great diminished whether its by an election loss, the approach of a term limit or the decision to retire. Wrote  Michael J. Korzi in  Presidential Term Limits in American History: Power, Principles, and Politics: The lame duck theory suggests that the closer a president comes to the end of a second term - if he or she is barred from seeking re-election - the less relevant the president is to the Washington scene and especially the congressional players who are critical to the passage of many presidential priorities. The lame-duck effect on the presidency is different than the lame-duck sessions of Congress, which occur  in even numbered years when the House and Senate reconvene after the elections - even those lawmakers who lost their bids for another term.   It is true that lame ducks and lame-duck sessions held under the cover of night and without public scrutiny have resulted in some rather undesirable consequences: pay raises, enhanced perks and more lavish benefits for members of Congress, for example. They also have provided an opportunity to pass unpopular legislation not mentioned during the campaign, since blame can then be passed on the non-returning members, wrote  Robert E. Dewhirst and John David Rausch in the  Encyclopedia of the United States Congress. Lame Ducks Have Nothing to Lose   Elected officials in their final terms in office have the luxury of being bold and being able to address serious issues by adopting often controversial policies. As Ohio University economics professor  Richard Vedder told  The Post  of Athens about lame-duckery: â€Å"It’s kind of like having terminal cancer. If you know your time is up and you only have two months to live, maybe you’ll behave a little different in the last 90 days.† Candidates who dont have to face the wrath of voters for unpopular decisions are often more willing to deal with important or controversial issues without fear of angering blocs of constituents. That means some lame duck politicians can be freer and more productive in their final days in office. President Barack Obama, for example, surprised many political observers when he announced in December 2014 that the United States would work toward  restoring  diplomatic relations with the communist nation  of Cuba. At the beginning of his second term, Obama angered gun-rights advocates when he  announced  23 executive actions designed to address gun violence in the United States  after several mass shootings occurred during his first term.  The most significant proposals called for universal background checks on anyone trying to buy a gun, restoring a ban on military-style assault weapons, and cracking down on straw purchases. Though Obama was not successful in having these measures passed, his moves did spark a national dialogue on the issues.