culture – Page 2 – Godinterest

January 17, 2015January 17, 2024

The Need for Authenticity: Challenging Misrepresentations of Ancient Egyptians in Film

The representation of historical figures, including ancient Egyptians, in films has been a subject of criticism and debate. The portrayal of Egyptians as predominantly white in movies does not accurately reflect the historical evidence suggesting a diverse population in ancient Egypt.

Several factors contribute to this inaccurate portrayal:

Cultural Bias: Historical inaccuracies in films can often be traced back to cultural biases that existed during the time of the film’s production. There has been a tendency in Western cinema to favor Eurocentric perspectives, leading to the whitewashing of historical characters.
Lack of Diversity in Filmmaking: Historically, the film industry has had issues with diversity both in front of and behind the camera. When filmmakers and casting directors lack diverse perspectives, they may inadvertently perpetuate stereotypes or misrepresent historical realities.
Market Considerations: Some filmmakers argue that casting well-known white actors in lead roles is driven by market considerations, as certain studios may believe that films with white actors will have broader appeal. This perspective, however, has been challenged by the success of films with diverse casts.
Societal Perceptions: Filmmakers often make creative choices based on societal perceptions of beauty and acceptability. Unfortunately, these perceptions have been historically shaped by racial biases.

It is essential for filmmakers to recognize the responsibility they bear in accurately representing historical events and characters. Audiences, in turn, play a crucial role in demanding more accurate and inclusive representations in films. As discussions around diversity and inclusivity in the film industry continue to grow, there is hope for more accurate and respectful portrayals of historical figures in the future.

June 21, 2014January 15, 2024

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

The name Halloween derives from the Roman Catholic holiday All Saints’ Day, The Feast of All Saints, or All Hallows’ Day (hallow means “to make holy” or “consider something sacred”), celebrated on Nov. 1.

All Saints’ Day commemorates the saints who have not been assigned a special day in the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. The day before All Saints’ Day was called All Hallows’ Eve, from which Halloween is derived.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the origin of Halloween goes back to a festival of the Druids, an order of pagan priests in ancient Gaul and Britain, in pre-Christian times: “In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain was observed on Oct. 31, at the end of summer.

This date was also the eve of the new year in both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times and was the occasion for one of the ancient fire festivals when huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. The date was connected with the return of the herds from pasture, and laws and land tenures were renewed. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the process of nature.

The Celtic festival of Samhain, which signaled the commencement of winter, consisted of the eve of the feast and the day itself (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1). It remained popular among the Celtic people even after the Christianization of Britain in the fifth century. The Christian church in Britain adapted the feast of Samhain by adding the Christian celebration of All Saints’ Day to the festival. Until the eighth century, the Feast of All Saints was celebrated on May 13.

It seems that because the British custom to celebrate All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 had spread to other countries, Pope Gregory IV (827-844) transferred the feast of May 13 to Nov. 1.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia claims the reason was, “because provisions were inadequate for the numerous pilgrims coming to Rome in May,” but it acknowledges that some believe “the November feast originated in Gaul and was immediately adopted in Rome.”

Irish and Scottish immigrants introduced All Hallows’ Eve observances to the United States, and after the massive immigration of the Irish during the potato famine (1845-1852), Halloween became a national festival.

The custom for children to go trick or treating from door to door also goes back to the ancient Druid priests, who would go from house to house demanding food for their own consumption as well as for offerings to their deities. If the people in a home would not provide them with food, they would speak a demonic curse over the home, and, history claims, someone in the family would die within the year.

Halloween and its customs have no roots in Scripture or in the Christian church. They are firmly rooted in the occult and in pagan practices. These connections, however, are today forgotten or made light of. Nevertheless, any practice derived from the occult is incompatible with the teachings of Scripture (Leviticus 20:6).

Since many people no longer believe in the existence of a personal devil and his demons, they feel there is no harm in making fun of these “religious relics of the past.” The children are taught that there are no such beings as witches and evil spirits and that it is fun to dress up as ghosts or goblins. The modern denial of the existence of Satan and demonic forces is clearly contrary to Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible affirms the existence of Satan and demonic spirit beings (Genesis 3:1; Job 1:6; Matthew 8:31; Revelation 12:9).

Godinterest is a work in progress. We do hope we get it right, and we firmly believe that getting it right means using our voice online, even on controversial topics. The Christian voice is important, and silence does no one any good. It’s worth the trouble to figure out how to do this, even if it means stumbling along the way.

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:14-16)

May 1, 2014January 15, 2024

Organ Trafficking: a Deadly Trade

One January night in 2004, Susan Sutovic was woken from her sleep by a persistently ringing phone. “It was an international call from Belgrade,” she says. “Telling me my son Petar was dead.” Twenty-four-year-old Petar Sutovic was, at the time of his death, staying in his mother’s holiday apartment in Belgrade and studying law. Petar’s body was allegedly discovered in his bed late at night by his flatmate.

The demand for organ transplants is so high that people are willing to pay a large sum on illegal organ trafficking. The growth of illegal transplants has risen due to the decrease of legitimate organs available. Fewer young people die in vehicular accidents on the road. The transplant waiting list continues to grow each year and as a result, unscrupulous organisations harvest kidney, heart and pancreas for rich clients.

Groups involved in illegal organ trafficking have set up websites where poor people can sell their organs to a broker, who in turn will deal with the traders. According to a study made by the World Health Organisation, traffickers unlawfully obtained around 7,000 kidneys in 2013.

In some instances, healthy individuals are kidnapped and forced to give up an organ. Other cases showed that some people were made to believe that they need an operation and didn’t know that the organ was removed during the surgery. Some people were just desperate to make ends meet and resorted to selling an organ or two.

Organ trafficking takes place at a rate of one per hour. This was according to an estimate made by the WHO. The practice has led to five to ten per cent of the total kidney transplants around the world. Majority of the victims of organ trafficking are children from poor backgrounds or children with disabilities.

Organs sold in the black market vary in prices. A heart can cost up to £1 million.

It is not only parts for transplant that are sold illegally. There is also a market for hip, knee and whole cadavers. In the UK, it is illegal to sell any organ but that doesn’t stop desperate people offering their kidneys, lung, or a piece of their liver in exchange for a large amount of money.

Organ trafficking is an organised crime that commonly involves a recruiter, transporter, medical professionals, contractors, buyers and the banks where the organs are stored before the actual transplant. The seller usually receives the smallest portion of the take as the largest portion of the money goes to the broker, medical professionals, and towards travel expenses.

Patients who are on the transplant waiting list are tempted to buy organs illegally on the black market.

Some people who sold their kidneys have stated that they do it for the money and said that what they did save lives.

Organ trafficking should be stopped. The EU has stepped up its efforts to curb the practice in Europe. One way of doing so is to promote legal organ donation. More people should be willing to donate their organs. This is the only way to finally end the practice of illegal organ selling.