Global Warming is Not a Myth. Explain
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Global warming is a scientifically established phenomenon that cannot be dismissed as a myth. It refers to the long-term increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere, primarily caused by human activities and the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The overwhelming consensus among climate scientists is that global warming is real and is largely a result of human-induced factors.
Scientific Evidence: Multiple lines of scientific evidence support the reality of global warming. Temperature records show a consistent increase in average global temperatures over the past century. Furthermore, ice core samples and other geological evidence reveal that current warming trends are unprecedented in thousands of years.
Human Activities: The primary driver of global warming is the emission of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun, leading to a rise in temperatures. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes release significant amounts of these greenhouse gases, intensifying the greenhouse effect.
Consensus Among Scientists: The scientific consensus on global warming is overwhelming. Numerous scientific organizations, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), NASA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have concluded that human activities are driving global warming. Thousands of climate scientists worldwide agree that the evidence for global warming is robust and compelling.
Impacts on the Environment: Global warming has tangible effects on the environment, including rising sea levels, melting glaciers and polar ice caps, more frequent and intense heatwaves, changes in precipitation patterns, and disruptions to ecosystems. These impacts pose significant threats to biodiversity, food security, water resources, and human well-being.
Mitigation Efforts: Recognizing the urgency of addressing global warming, countries around the world have come together to take collective action. The Paris Agreement, adopted by nearly all nations in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This agreement demonstrates the global consensus on the reality of global warming and the need for collaborative efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In conclusion, global warming is a scientifically established fact supported by extensive evidence and consensus among climate scientists. It is driven primarily by human activities and poses significant risks to our planet and its inhabitants. Understanding and accepting this reality is crucial for taking decisive action to mitigate its impacts and transition towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
