Faith is believing what you know not Essay

If deliverer were here now, there is unmatchable thing he would non be, a Christian (Berge, score 1). These be the words of look into gallus as quoted by Berge in an phrase on quarry duettes turn over On Christianity-Changing Christian Thinking. Looking at the place day trust and in special(prenominal) Christianity sensation is left in interrogative sentence as to whether the vision that Christ had for the society is what is happening today. Are the over 33,000 Christian Religions the kind of Christianity that the Naz arne expected 2,000 years ago? commemorate duad in his acknowledgment did non mean that Jesus was a bad person that no one wanted to associate with.Looking critically at the present day Christianity, it is the new(prenominal) air round Jesus was as Berge puts it an tallyticular(a) person and believed in living a life as brass section towards another(prenominal)s with kindness, forgiveness and love (Berge, com comparisonison 1-3). The true mea ning of Christianity and that of righteousness in general has been manipulated to address the needs of man and it is currently totally antagonist of what it bides for. It is not a surprise thereof that brand straddle finds worship a huge joke. This analyze looks at the negativism of organized holiness as viewed by the wide American author Mark duo.Background schooling of Mark Twain To better understand the ghostly view of Mark Twain, it is important to first get an insight of his historical moxieground. Mark was born(p) in Florida on 30th November in the year 1835. He was by then called Samuel Langhorne Clemens. His bewilder, John Marshall Clemens died when Samuel was only twelve. The mother Jane could not manage to support the large family of six and young Samuel no longer could know childhood luxuries. Additionally, he could not proceed with his education and instead began workings at Hannibal Printer William Ament.Division of labor was never practiced in Ament and Samuel did all sorts of work such(prenominal) as printing, editing, type setting, press-work, scattering of products among other tasks. Orion his elder brother was a journeyman printing machine in a print shop. stock-still wanted to be a master of his own and in 1851 bought one Hannibals newspapers, Western Union. He took his younger brothers Henry and Samuel with him. When things did not work out easy for Orion, Samuel worked his focusing out as a river pilot (Gradesaver, par 1-6).Samuel became one of the supply of Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. He became a reporter or when say in the right terms a humorist and in 1863 take the name Mark Twain. In 1869 his first book, Innocent Abroad, was impressed. Due to its criticism, Mark was discouraged from pushing forth his literary call. However, he continued to publish words and making lectures. Few years later, the Innocent Abroad made great sales and Twain was requested to produce another book. Twain peaceful Roughi ng It in 1872.He became an acknowledged writer after several other books were published such as The assays of turkey cock Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, life on the Mississippi, A Connecticut Yankee in mightiness Arthurs woo, The run a risk of huckabackleberry Finn and The gaudy Age among others. He died on 21st April of 1910 as a striking American writer (Gradesaver, par 7-12). Religious Affiliation and Activities of Mark Twain Mark Twain was a Christian by faith. His p bents were Presbyterians and he was therefore introduced to church and the Christian teachings when he was genuinely young. He grew up to catch a Presbyterian.He was therefore a Presbyterian by morality, a religion of Calvinist Protestantism in the United States of America. Calvinist had a great move in the life of Clemen, the famous Mark Twain. As Dempsey puts it on Mark Twins Religion script Review It was the religion of his upbringing, the religion of his wifes family, and the religion of some of his important friendsm whatsoever of whom were in the lead northern Presbyterian and Congregationalist clergy of the day (Dempsey, par 4). Twain was brought up in a deeply Presbyterian family and as a religious stipulation he had to grow up as a unafraid Presbyterian boy (Dempsey, par 4).Twain was religious. Religion was part and parcel of his world and he could not evade it. Twain actively participated in dialogues on religion and be religious services. From this base, it can be argued that Twain was a monotheist (Dempsey, par 9). However his criticism of religion in his literary flora would make one doubt whether Twain was a true religious man. Twain was by chance an atheist. He was not conflicting to religion as such nevertheless the religion that had been manipulated to mean otherwise a religion in which citizenry played holy yet they ar not, a religion that preached of holiness when it did not uphold any moral values.Twain for this reason rejected religion. As De mpsey in the Mark Twains Religion track record Review quotes the inscription on the statue of Twain, His religion was humanity and a building block world mourned for him when he died (Dempsey, par 1). At one time in a Holy Land expedition, one of his colleagues had introduced him as Reverend Mark Twain and a reverend he became. The author of The Celebrated bound Frog of Calvary used to accompany psalm-singing Easterners as a way of assisting Reverend Henry Ward Beecher (The Ohio State University, pp. 1-2).He was so frequently into the religious activities such that he at times imagined he was a preacher, a prophet and a saint (The Ohio State University, p. 7). Mark Twains and Religion in his Literary Works His huckleberry Finn The literary works of Mark Twain clearly reflects his negative views towards religion. Twain is opposed to religion and has no patience at all for either religion or for the subscribers of the religion (Example Essays. com, par 1). To him, Religion is usel ess, unreal, and mindless and for those not grounded in man (Example Essays. com, par 1).This is a quotation picked from Huckleberry Finn by Example Essays. com in their article on Twains View Of Religion In Huck Finn. In this novel, the attitude of Twain towards religion is that of mockery and cynicism (Example Essays. com, par 1). Twain is at a far distance from the devoted Bible believers. He has much respect for superstitious things than he has for religion. This his clearly brought out in one of his characters Huck in Huckleberry Finn. Huck had great expectations that there would be bad luck in his wake when he killed a spider by accident and later touched the skin of a rattlesnake.Everything had comply true as bad luck follows when Hucks father returns and the snake did bite Jim. Huck makes a prayer to the Lord merely nothing happens. This cave ins Twain with a conclusion that religion is not instrumental at all, it is worthless, more worthless in fact than what would s eem to be an irrational superstation (Example Essays. com, par 2-3). As Example Essays. com points out in their essay on Twains View Of Religion In Huck Finn Twain holds no punches in his merciless pounding of religion (Example Essays. com, par 4).Twain in Huck attacks the believers of religion as well as religion itself. He has a strong distaste for religion as revealed by this book. No skepticism, no doubt, and no question can be raised regarding the aversion of religion of Twain. He neither tolerates religion nor the believers (Example Essays. com, par 4). Every religious character that Twain creates in the novel is cover with hypocrisy. It is true that religious mass admit a soft moorage a warm generous heart like Widow Douglas and Grangerfords. They project hospitality but they are full of hypocrisy.This of course is what makes Twain hate religion from the deepest point of his heart (Example Essays. com, par 5). Mark Twain is opposed to religion be capture religious slew a re hypocrites they are fake and unctuous so that they can impress everyone (BookRags, par 6). The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer In the book The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer, religion is a caricature. It forms an integral part in the society that the Character Tom lives in. However, Tom does not hold religion with the dignity that other people hold it with. Instead, it is a boring obligation and tiresome to him.For instance, Tom does not say his prayers before sledding to withdraw which is a powerful defiant act in regard to his hale religion (BookRags, par 1). Tom is a religious sycophant. His religious stand is for formalities. He works vey hard in trade to buy a Bible not because he is so much interested in religion but for his status in the society. Being religious is not his care but the status that the Bible will place him in is (BookRags, par 2). Tom is very bored by the routine of going to church. He is however not alone in this but is in the company of many others.The monotonous harangues wear them out and their hearts hurt for anything that would cause interruption to the screaming preacher. They are all in stitches when the sermon is finally interrupted by such things as a yelping dog. His boredom and that of other puppet believers is a side-effect of formalities of having to go to church. done this character, Mark Twain reveals his hate of going to church as an obligation. hoi polloi go to church not because they want to but because it is an obligation (BookRags, par 3-5). Twain expresses his criticism on church revivals.In deed they are powerful tools to win people to religion and at the end leave everyone thrilled. However their effects are short lived as portrayed by the characters Huck and Joe. At the revival, they are fighting tooth and nail to seek the face of God but after a short time, they turn back to their earlier lives where they find lots of happiness. To Twain revivals and anything religious do not have any lasting effect and for this respect are worthless (BookRags, par 7). Twain sees religion as one big patch of humor. Widow Douglas is so religious and fervently prays that the sinful Tom is found.She is stern and absolutely honest in her prayers wishing for hope and miracle at a desperation time. Looking at the character of Tom, it leaves one in doubt as to whether her prayers are answered. In addition, the funeral of Injun Joe turns out to be an entertain event rather than a religious event. Completely, it lacks real religiousness. It sounds funny that from miles and miles, people come to witness his burial. This is in the inclusion of people who had with their sincere hearts tried to plead for his crimes pardon. After he is buried the pardon is forgotten.He is also forgotten (BookRags, par 8-9). Twain hates religion for conflicting with peoples lifestyles. Huck does not understand anything that is religious it never allows him to venerate his lifestyle. church service is what the society uses to set limi ts for people. The widow that Tom lives with is deep big money rooted in religion and wants Huck to be a very good church-going boy. Huck is however on the other side Tom had just given him the promise of them becoming robbers. Religion in itself makes adherents caricatures to be laughed at (BookRags, par 10). A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs CourtThe greatest fear and enemy of Twain as expressed by Yankee is the Roman Catholic Church. He seems to have a strong distaste for the Roman Catholic Church for manipulating religion for the sake of politics. To Mark Twain, the church is a political machine. The Roman Catholic Church in particular is embodied in other functions other than spiritual functions that it deeply claims to advocate for. Through the character Hank, Twain accuses the general church for upholding the 16th century ills in the society such as, well-disposed inequality, superstations, tradition, hereditary nobility, and subservience of masses.Twain is opposed to t hese practices and the Roman Catholic Church as portrayed in this book seems to be lenient on these vices (Gradesaver LLC, par 2). Still on religion Twain condemns the acts of those who uphold morality only at a superficial level. These people cannot take any action unless they are faced with a real experience. Hank and King Arthur give out to abolish slavery and they only come to realize the dehumanizing effects and burdensomeness that slavery has on those in it when they themselves become slaves. The leaders claim to uphold the moral values of the society yet they fail to practice morality.This is what makes Twain suffer from a horse voice in condemnation of religion and its hypocritical moral practices. In all his literary work, Twain looks at religion from a negative point of view (Gradesaver LLC, par 2). In A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court, Twain views the Catholic Church as atavistic survival that has been transported into the modern era. Hank Morgan, a Presbyteria n by religion for instance introduces many denominations for the fear of unity in the church. He fears a Christian family that is united perhaps because of the damage that it would cause to a hypocrite like him (The Ohio State University, p. 24).Twain makes use of the environmental determinism to make religion jesting as depicted by his books Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthurs Court, Life on Mississippi and many others. Twain in these works uses religious words that do have a negative connotation such as infernal and unchristian. In this he suggests that there is risk of exposure in religion. The great American writer suggests that religious as well as denominations are deviant and unfair (The Ohio State University, P. 26).Twains religious faith was far much wide for any philosophical system and too limitless for any creed. Mark was ignorant and disinterested in Christian creeds as well as doctrines. They in fact try hi m with a creative spark for his literary works. His views on religious are clearly brought out by his literary works (The Ohio State University, P. 27). decision Mark Twain was a realist thinking atheist. Though he was a Presbyterian by birth, he was opposed to religion. However, as depicted in his literary works, religion had been manipulated to fit the needs of the few.Religion in itself failed to stand for what it actually presents. Many of his works in literature such as The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and many others are grounded on religious criticism. He satirizes religion in the most humorous way. Despite the fact that he was brought up in a Christian family, his negative beliefs in religion isolates him from being a Christian or a religious person. He is an atheist who does not see anything good in religion. References Berge, Gregory.Mark Twains View On Christianity-Changing Christian Thinking. Ezine Articles. nd 2010. entanglement. 5 Aug. 2010 http//ezinearticles. com/? Mark-Twains-View-on-ChristianityChanging-Christian-Thinking&id=2012922 BookRags. (2009). The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer Book Notes Summary. Bookrags. com. nd 2009. Web 4 Aug. 2010 http//www. bookrags. com/notes/ts/TOP3. hypertext mark-up language Dempsy, Terrel. Mark Twins Religion Book Review. Bochynski. com. 15 Jan. 2004. Web. 5 Aug. 2010 http//www. bochynski. com/twainweb/reviews/phipps. html Gradesaver. Biography Of Mark Twain. Gradesaver. com. nd 2010. Web. 4 Aug. 2010http//www. gradesaver. com/author/mark-twain/ Gradesaver LLC. Connecticut Yankee In King Arthurs Court Study Guide. Gradesaver. com. nd 2010. Web. 4 Aug. 2010 http//www. gradesaver. com/connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/study-guide/major-themes/ Example Essays. com. (2010). Twains View Of Religion In Huck Finn. Exampleessays. com. nd 2010. Web 4 Aug. 2010 http//www. exampleessays. com/viewpaper/81878. html The Ohio State Universi ty. The Reverend Mark Twain. The Ohiostatepress. org. nd 2006. Web. 5 Aug. 2010 http//www. ohiostatepress. org/Books/Book%20PDFs/Fulton%20Reverend. pdf