" (James, 2006) The strength and force of this ruthless creator of the sun became a justification of Aztec conquest of neighboring persons, in the name of his spirit. As the Aztecs were generated from the space where time began, and as the sun demanded violence and sacrifice and death to come into being, so did the maintenance of their agricultural way of life and society. Sacrifices of inhabitants and conquered people were made to the god recreating the cycle of destruction and rebirth that gave final rise to the final, great fifth sun. These sacrifices were administered by the priests, and recreated the cycle of birth and death, particularly the giving birth of the final generation of humanity from the bones of the dead persons killed in the wars over the first four suns. Sacrifices performed before altars of fire that symbolized the fiery creation of the world. Other than the remaining step-like temple structures pointing upwards to the sun, little remains of Aztec civilization. These great conquerors became the conquered and much of their complex civilization was destroyed by Christian conquerors. "Even well-educated bishops could [not] have understood or appreciated or even tolerated a religion which represented its most sacred deities as complicated monsters frequently shown consuming their worshippers. The priests of this religion also performed human sacrifices by excising the living heart from the chest of captives...
Even the neighboring states, who practiced similar sacrifices, regarded the Aztec's wholesale massacres of thousands of victims as abhorrent" and "were willing participants in the burning of the Aztecs sacred books." (James, 2006) Still, even if a contemporary observer cannot condone such practices in a spirit of cultural relativism, what remains known of Aztec civilization is more comprehensible after gaining a better understanding of the function of their creation mythology and their reverence of violence and the sun.
War in Afghanistan After the terrorist group al Qaeda attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, the American military was sent to Afghanistan to attack the Taliban, and destroy their governing position. The Taliban became the target of the U.S. because they had allowed Osama bin Laden to use their country as a training ground for terrorist activities directed against the United States. However, the U.S. is now bogged down
Rick Cole of Capital Christian believes that the door cannot stay closed forever, and feels that by offering different services based on music preference is an opportunity for the entire congregation to unite (Garza). Contemporary worship music began with the Jesus movement of the early 1970's and the rise of charismatic churches, and although it paralleled the growth in contemporary Christian rock and pop music, it remained separate until a
It evolved into a major part of the very fabric of society. Ambassadors from these provinces would report their sacral worship and elaborate religious practices when visiting Rome. Often, these rites and practices were woven into the religious system. The religious system in Rome and in the provinces in the time of Augustus, or Rex Gestae, was steeped in his achievements. He ordered the inscription of these achievements on
Persian Wars (490 BCE to 479 BCE) between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire were predicated by various circumstances, ranging from cultural ideologies to political connivances. For the Greeks, particularly the Ionians and the Athenians, Persian rule was unwanted and unacceptable. The Persian leaders Darius and his son Xerxes, however, following in the example of Cyrus the Great, saw the Greek city-states as puny colonies that were to be
The Red Army lost numerous men and machinery, and ultimately, the cost was too much for the Soviets to bear. The Soviets finally began to withdraw troops in the spring of 1988, and removing all troops by early 1989. They left the country in political and personal chaos, with infighting between ethnic groups and religious sects. Author Esposito continues, "Within a brief period after the Soviet withdrawal, the great
Civil Wars It is estimated that between 1900 and 1967, there were 526 civil wars called throughout the world (Civil pp). Today, there are literally dozens of wars going on around the globe, and dozens more that have ended during recent years, such as the civil wars in Guatemala and Tajikistan. According to Christopher Cramer, most literature concerning civil wars has highlighted the role of political instability in the relationship between growth
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