Reformation Persuasive Paragraph

Reformation Persuasive Paragraph

The Founding Fathers were correct in believing that religion and government should be separate. First of all, there are many religions in America; forcing everyone to have the same religion would not be realistic. Secondly, America was founded as a free society where people can worship however they choose to do so. For this reason, it would be impossible to mix church and state together and serve the will of the people. We believe in the freedom to worship, as well as democracy; therefore,we cannot enforce the laws of one religion. Some may say that one official religion would unify our country. However, enforcing one official religion would only cause conflict. In conclusion, religion and government should always be separate. Religious laws and leaders and secular laws and leaders should not be the same because people who have different beliefs from religious leaders would not agree with their ideas or laws. The American government and laws are based on democracy. We elect our government officials, and our laws are usually based on the will of the majority of the people.

Cause and Effect of the Great Schism

Cause and Effect of the Great Schism

During the late middle ages, many factors gradually led to the weakening the Catholic Church.   One factor for the weakening of the Catholic Church is the selling of indulgences to support the church. In addition, the church was also selling offices, or leadership positions. This caused many Catholics to be deeply disturbed by the abuse of indulgences and simony (the buying and selling of spiritual or holy things). Second, kings and queens tried to increase their own power. Because of this, there were many disputes and conflict with the pope. These disputes added to the questioning of the pope’s authority. This further added to the weakening of the Catholic Church. Third, Pope Clement V appointed many French cardinals. Therefore, many Europeans believed that France’s kings now controlled the papacy. Furthermore, Pope Gregory moved the papacy back to Rome in 377. A year later, an Italian was elected pope and refused to move back to Avignon. The church council later elected a third pope! All of them claimed to be the real head of the church, and this eventually caused the division in the Catholic Church, known as the Great Schism. The Great Schism lessened people’s respect for the papacy and sparked calls for reforms. All in all, there were many events that led to the Great Schism. Indulgences were sold to support the church, kings and queens tried to increase their own power, and there were, at one time, 3 popes!

Alchemyst by Michael Scott review

Book Notes Interview with Michael Scott

Good morning! My name is Michael Scott,  and today I am going to talk about one of my best selling books, The Alchemyst: The Immortal Nicholas Flamel, also known as The Alchemyst. First, let me introduce myself.

Biographical Information

I have authored over 100 books over the past thirty years. Yes, I know I am amazing, thank you... But, guess what? I have also written a wide variety of short stories and novels for all ages. Furthermore, I am an experienced script writer whether it’s for stage or screen. I have produced numerous projects including drama and documentaries, as well as scripted high profile events such as the 2003 Special Olympics held in Ireland. The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel has been printed in 20 languages and is available in 37 countries!

Intended Audience

This book is written for young readers who appreciate fantasy and adventure. Don’t even get me started on what I did to vampires... Anyway, this book gives the opportunity to explore world history, literature, mythology and science without even opening a textbook. It will, without a doubt, captivate the reader in many different areas including history, art, science and geography.

Plot Summary

Here is the basic plot of the story:  Sophie and her twin brother Josh work for Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. Dr. Dee attacks the bookstore where Josh works and flees with Pernelle, and steals a magical book called the Codex containing the elixir of eternal life from Nicholas. From that point, everything changes for the twins. Sophie and her brother are taken into a neighboring shadow realm belonging to Hekate, where sophie gets her powers awakened. Dee’s dark elder masters lead an army into the shadow realm and destroy it, but Nicholas and the children escape.  From there, Nicholas, Sophie, and Josh try to avoid Dee. At the same time, they also attempt to obtain the other pages of the Codex, and to save Pernelle before it’s too late. I don’t mean to brag...but this is the best novel ever...

Special Features

The Alchemyst opens up a whole new world that people want to know more about; It’s really amazing when books have that kind of effect.  It would have been easy for me to just simply combine the legends and their back stories into the novel; however, I wove them into the story giving each one their own distinct and thorough personalities.

One of the most unique parts of the book is when Flamel and the twins meet Hekate, an elder God who lives an entire life every single day. In the morning she is a young girl, in the afternoon a middle-age woman, and in the evening she is transformed into a bitter old crone. Both Hekate's character and the shadow-world she lives in are beautifully described.

One of the best parts about reading The Alchemyst is that you get adventure, excitement, and great characters all wrapped up in a super friendly tone. You get to take part on the journey as if you're one of the gang because the tone is so engaging, sympathetic, and humorous—all the things you'd want in a friend telling you a story.

Encouragement to read the book

So, why read my book? Did you ever wonder why certain legends have stuck around, or why so many different cultures' myths have such striking similarities? Take vampires, for example. These mythical bloodsuckers have existed in legends for centuries—right up to our present-day movie Twilight. Witches and wizards, too, have been around for millennia. In addition, entire civilizations have worshiped gods and goddesses with magical powers since the beginning of time.

So, it makes sense that books like The Alchemyst would be irresistible to many. Imagine, if you could leave your ordinary life behind and discover all the magic beneath the everyday! Ancient mythology and old events in history suddenly don't seem so dusty and out-of-date if the stories they contain, could help reveal the secrets of your present. The Alchemyst puts the wonder back in life and literature, and will make you believe in magic all over again.                                                                                                                                         

Well, that’s about it for this edition of Book Notes. Once again, my name is Michael Scott and I thank you all for your time to watch this show.

References used

http://booksntea.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/book-report-the-alchemyst-by-michael-scott/

http://www.shmoop.com/alchemyst/