The Death Of The Whiskey Priest

Man was created in the image of God, but given free thought. With free thought came the thoughts and ability to sin. It does not matter what religious back ground that you come from or even if you are religious at all, it is easy to see that the world view characterization of human nature is accurate. When looking at resources or evidence that human nature has a tendency to sin all you have to do is turn on the television. The images and stories that we see on the news and through social media are not some recent events. We have been sinning since the creation of mankind, and with the world social unrest and current event mankind dies not look like they are going to stop.

Within the Christian faith, there lies the belief that all mankind are born sinners and through their faith can seek redemption. This belief can be found in more detail within the Christian text known as the Bible. An example of this can be found in the Genesis chapter of the Bible which portrays that even the very first Humans ever to be created in God’s image, named Adam and Eve, defied God despite his pre-emptive warnings not too because of their natural tendency as humans to sin. Not only can one chose with their own will to disobey God but one’s faith can be easily swayed by the evils of the world therefore sin can forever bind them in chains for eternity. “Young Goodman Brown,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, reveals a similar

One of the most outstanding characteristics of humans is that we have a moral conscience- the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, as well as understand the consequences of actions beforehand. Nonetheless, religion remains important to society because it helps to refine and provide a deeper understanding of humans’ moral responsibility. There are instances where either people ignore religious practices in favor of reason and logic or follow only religious teachings that suit a particular situation. Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a novella that typifies the failure of religion to unify people and provide a common course for understanding life. The story talks about Santiago’s fight against fate and the probability of escaping death that is foretold beforehand. The priest symbolizes religion in the novella and readers observe that his actions are similar to those of ordinary people. Ordinarily, we expect the priest to uphold religious practices and bring people together when society is divided on an issue.

Christianity teaches us that crime is also caused by evil in men's hearts (Oord, 2012). The fall of man due to original sin ultimately brought about corruption in the heart of man, which manifested itself externally with violence, murder, theft, and all manner of criminal behavior. The Biblical account found at Genesis, Chapter 4 details the first crime committed on earth in which Cain murdered his brother Abel. At that time God himself brought judgment on Cain for his behavior. Over time, God made the following assessment about mankind. "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually"¦Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:5, 11). As a result, shortly after the time of Noah, God established civil government in the earth as a means of restraining evil doers and protecting law-abiding citizens (Holy Bible, Genesis 9:6; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14).

What is human nature? The Bible says in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are all fallen, sinful and depraved, all of us are. Humans are evil. Genesis 1-3 shows us that God made us whole and good, but we have ruined his perfect plan. The greatest of men were all sinners. Moses, the leader of Israel was a murder (Exodus 2:11-15), David slept with Bathsheba and then killed her husband (2 Samuel 11-12), Paul murdered christians (Acts 9), and the list goes on and on.

Also, just apply what we do from day to day as humans. One day we will go out to eat have a lovely dinner, and though we are full, precede to a dessert that is not needed. Comes number less ominous. When that woman with a model figure dressed in BeBe walks by you grudgingly wish you were she. Hearing these inconsequential things, you would think nothing of performing them from day to day. These sins do not necessarily strike you as a good reason why we are innately born evil. Yet, according to the Bible gluttony lying, and coveting are all sins. In which every sin is weighed the same. Looking at sin this way, we begin to see how much we really do sin in a day.

Christianity states that all people are born with sin through their father’s blood and that only through Jesus Christ can your sins be forgiven. Judaism does not believe that people are bad from birth. Jews believe that people enter the world free of sin, with a soul that is pure and innocent and untainted and that they cannot remove sin by themselves, but need an act of grace provided by the sacrificial death of salvation other than through Jesus (mosiaclaw.)

The novel I chose to read for my summer book critique was called The Whiskey Rebels by an American author, David Liss. The Whiskey Rebels is an American fiction novel inspired by events in the early history of the United States. The setting of where the book took place was after the Revolutionary War and in the late 1700s. The book’s main characters are its two narrators, Joan Maycott and Ethan Saunders who live two separate lives but cross paths in time over the scandal of William Duer. Ethan Saunders was a spy during the Revolution for Colonel George Washington but after being charged with accusations of treason he is living in Philadelphia in disgrace. Joan Maycott and her husband Andrew Maycott who was a Revolutionary war veteran were moved to the west where they were promised land for Mr. Maycotts’ war debt. Soon after receiving land from their landlord they realize that their land is worthless and they won’t profit off of it. Later they make an accomplishment off of their whiskey distilling. After Tindall realizes they are the ones making the new whiskey he takes all of their land including killing Andrew. After the killing of her husband Joan sets out on revenge for William Duer in hopes of stopping his hopes for taking over the banking system of the United States and also Hamilton’s rise of power. Ethan Saunders the disgrace of the war hopes to finally figure out who framed him and his lost love Cynthia Pearson's father Fleet during the Revolutionary War. Throughout

The Bible says that “even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies” (New International Version, Psalm 58.3). The writer of this Psalm is saying that people stray away from what is right as soon as they are born. That is a hard concept for many to understand. “How can an innocent child be evil right as they are born?” When Eve ate the forbidden fruit that God said not to eat, she committed the first sin. Every person to be born is now cursed with sin because of Eve and Adam. Eve was not alone when she ate the forbidden fruit. Satan was there and he had tempted her by questioning God. Billy Graham

I will now go on to Trinidad, Father Martinez's "nephew" who also exhibits a divided character, lustful and gluttonous, as well as having himself crucified and scourged during Passion Week. When he ate dinner, he ate as if he were "afraid of never seeing food again. When his attention left his plate for a moment, it was fixed in the same greedy way upon the girl who served the table...with careless contempt"(145). Trinidad seems to have such an ugly personality, but at the same time he carries out his religious duties, to the extreme.  It is as if one makes up for the other, contradicting Catholicism.  Padre Martinez, who also tends to acts upon rules of his own, has taught Trinidad literal religion, not spiritual religion. Trinidad seems to think repeated sins can easily be forgiven, acting more to please those around him instead of God. Trinidad's character of sin and solitude seems to be allowing him to get the best of both worlds, when he should just be content with one.

Father Greg Boyle is not your typical catholic priest. He strolls through the streets of LA flanked by gang members, he routinely takes murderers and prostitutes under his wing, and he speaks the type of slang that will make even the hardest jefe in the barrio do a triple take. His atypical behavior is the result of his work at the Delores Mission and the Homeboy Industries, a labor of love that has caused him to become enmeshed in one of the most dangerous Latino communities in Los Angeles. In his biopic Tattoos On The Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, Boyle takes a different approach to religion than one might expect from a priest. With references to Christian mystics like Meister Eckhart and allusions to Buddhist Metaphysical principles,

No one is born without sin. The whole reason for needing a Savior is because of man’s evil nature. People will search far and wide for something to make them feel whole. Until they find Christ, they will not be fully satisfied. This thought can parallel with everything that the Kid has done.

In Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory, setting is essential in understanding the spiritual conquest of the main character. The story takes place in post-revolution Mexico of the nineteen-thirties, where Catholicism has been banned. The government has shut down all of the churches and established anti-Catholic laws, jealous of the rising power of the church, and nervous of the corrupt ways in which the church has been dealing with sin. The main character, a nameless "whiskey priest," hopelessly roams the desolate plains of southern Mexico, on the run from the law, as the only priest left who has not denounced his fatherhood. The surrounding communities in southern Mexico refuse to

1930’s in Mexico, Catholicism has been outlawed, and the people of Mexico are forced to turn from God or face punishment. All priest in this part of Mexico have been killed or have also turned from God. All except one priest who is more commonly known as the Whiskey Priest. The Priest is on the run from the government, and if he is caught he will be punished by death. Through this situation Graham Greene illustrates mankind’s search for purpose through the characterization of the Whiskey Priest and, his relationship with others, and his paradoxical role.

The Question of Morality - Mankind was created good, but sin entered the world through Adam according to