Secular Organizations and Sacred Places - Research Paper Example

Running head: SECULAR ORGANIZATIONS AND SACRED PLACES Secular Organizations and Sacred Places July 3, Secular Organizations and Sacred Places Mount Rushmore is a classic example of a contemporary secular monument, while the Sphinx of Egypt is an ideal example of a mythical monument that has been considered sacred due to its typical construction. This essay briefly compares the two sacred monuments that attract millions of visitors from around the world every year. Location Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and it has the busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, which have been carved on granite mountains (U.S. National Park Service, 2011).

These four American Presidents had played an important role in the creation of the democratic nation of the United States of America. This contemporary monument is admired and respected by all people holding democratic and secular beliefs. On the other hand, the Sphinx of Egypt was built nearly 6000 years ago during the reign of King Khafre (Guardian’s Sphinx, n.d.). Due to the artistic beauty and the message of love radiated by the gigantic sculpture, the Sphinx is popular among the tourists who respect democracy and secularism.

The Sphinx has the body of a lion and the divine head of a king or God, which shows the combination of strength and intellect in the mythical creature (Guardian’s Sphinx, n.d.). Significance Mount Rushmore represents freedom, unification, and democracy that have been given to the American citizens by the great American Presidents (South Dakota Mount Rushmore Information, 2011). Since the busts of the American Presidents are carved on the top of the mountain, the head is shown to be the most sacred part of the sculpture.

It was the vision, planning, and successful implementation by the American Presidents who had emphasized freedom and democracy for the unified country. In case of the Sphinx, the human head is sculpted on the animal body, which shows that the human intellect is the most superior, and hence, it is the most sacred part of the mythical sculpture. The Sphinx symbolizes love and devotion, which are needed by humanity to overcome the negative forces within the soul and to elevate the soul to the divine level (Redstone, n.d.).

Teaching Mount Rushmore was built by 400 diligent workers under the mentorship of the great sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, and it took them 14 years to complete the sculpture (South Dakota Mount Rushmore Information, 2011). It shows that hard work and dedication can overcome the barriers when a good leader provides direction to a team of dedicated workers. The carved faces of the Presidents show the perfection of the work. The Sphinx that was built during the reign of King Khafre, who ruled from 2558 to 2532 BC, shows the dexterity of the workers in ancient Egypt (Guardian’s Sphinx, n.d.).

Since the mythical sculpture exists even today, it shows the engineering skills of Egyptian workers who had perfectly carved a masterpiece to withstand the natural forces of destruction. Hence, Mount Rushmore and Sphinx are secular monuments that are admired and respected by the people worldwide. Mount Rushmore represents democracy, unification, and freedom, while the Sphinx symbolizes love and devotion that are necessary for a human soul to elevate to the divine level. References Guardian’s Sphinx. (n.d.). Guardian of the Horizon.

Retrieved July 3, 2011, from http://www.guardians.net/egypt/sphinx/ Redstone, J. (n.d.). The Great Sphinx: Its meaning and message. Light Omega. Retrieved July 3, 2011, from http://www.lightomega.org/Ind/Message-of-the-Sphinx.html South Dakota Mount Rushmore Information. (2011). Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Retrieved July 3, 2011, from http://www.mountrushmoreinfo.com/ U.S. National Park Service. (2011). History and Culture. Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Retrieved July 3, 2011, from http://www.nps.gov/moru/historyculture/index.htm