All population and surveillance the keys to Chinese governmentality as Essay

All population and surveillance the keys to Chinese governmentality as in Europe - Essay Example Borrowing a leaf from one another in development of the state of affairs for human life has been a major practice between societies in the recent human history. Political ideologies have reduced the pace of achievement of a liberal society (Sherman, 2008). Communism in China and capitalism in Europe for instance present a different opportunity for the achievement of such a society. Modern age politics seem to be favoured by a more liberalized approach which integrates government and citizen input towards realization of governmentality. Democracy has been a capitalist ideology well established among the majority of European countries while communist ideology for instance well established in China has taken long to embrace it. Even though China has witnessed many changes especially in economic performance to realize a world podium for economic growth, some pressing issues still persist to acquire complete transformations. Changes in economic systems to accommodate a more liberal state and opening of its doors to international trade are good pointers to better things in the future. Population polices should go deeper than just reducing the numbers but follow ups to ensure that the necessary modern world features balanced with assurance of democratic rights are guaranteed. Stringent measures to reduce hazardous population rise could be handled in other means other than dictatorial force (Eberstadt, 1994). Tracing the population based policy in the context of government ideology from the early Chinese politics, it is apparent that the effect of Liu, Song and Liang Zhongtang is a key factor in the development of the Chinese population policies. While Liu and Song were more educated and held population issues more passionately just like Liang did, even though they held opposing views on population policies. On one hand, Liu and group were of the view that one

Alternative Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alternative Assessment - Assignment Example Research has demonstrated that both the curriculum and performance based assessments played key roles in the development of individual skills among learners with the latter use, known to create awareness among the students and teachers thereby offering an avenue for more lessons. This also creates a system of consistent follow-ups as a track tool for the performance and academic development (Shinn, 1989). Performance assessment is a system in which students demonstrate that they have acquired mastery of specific skills and that they have competencies in a specified field by way of performing certain tasks (Espin, 2012). In view of this, students are gauged based on their achievements on a rather unconstrained response to a significantly rich stimulus resource material. This kind of assessment gained favor from a number of high profile individuals in the united state in the late 1980s with some advocating for a replacement of the traditional multiple choice assessments (Espin, 2012). Despite the extensive campaigns to have the system adopted by institutions of learning, it dealt a blow as efforts to have it installed were marred as it failed to capture an imminent role in so far as achievements of tests in schools is concerned. This was attributed to the fact that it failed to meet the threshold of standard-based accountability. Curriculum- based assessments on the other hand is a system of continuous monitoring of students’ daily progress in an academic setting through direct evaluation of their academic skills. This can be used to measure the student’s progress and achievements in written expression, spelling, reading and arithmetic (Lee & Owens, 2004). While conducting this kind of assessment, the instructor administers certain timed samples and academic materials that are taken from the curriculum based measurement. When such probes are given to students, they are subject

Principle Of Good Governance In Islam

Principle Of Good Governance In Islam Both the Quran and Sunnah have given some study the principles in the areas of constitutional affairs that cannot be omitted from any government system. The Quran does not mention the particulars and details and have been left for the Muslim Ummah to formulate according to time and place. In the application of constitutional principles or guidelines of Islamic political system, general rules or fundamental principles which are considered as the highest values have a major impact on the formation of the Islamic concept of the state, its functions and its system of government. The basic principles, concepts and rules are discussed below. The Concept of Sovereignty in the Islamic System The sovereignty in Islam belongs to God. The Quran tells us that Allah (SWT) is the creator and Lord of the entire universe, including the human kind and all associated with them. Therefore, Allah (SWT) is the one who has all the powers and attributes of sovereignty and nothing whatever that belongs everywhere. Thus, no one else can share the sovereignty of the entire universe as it only belongs to Allah (SWT). Command is only for Allah. He has commanded that you do not submit to anybody but him. This is the Right Way of life, but most men understand not. The rule of law in the Islamic System The principle of the rule of law in the Islamic system is considered as a base or corner stone where Islam was founded on a stake and Shariah, because Islam came to remove injustice and tyranny and struggled to knock down the ultimate power pole. Thus, the basic principles contained in the Quran, Sunnah and consensus (ijma) even in the century struggling with tyranny. Allah (SWT) says: O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the last Day: that is best, and most suitable for final determination  [1]  . In another verse Allah (SWT) says: O ye who believe! Obey Allah. And obey the Messenger, and make not vain your deeds!  [2]   Therefore, the Islamic judge must implement the Quran and Sunnah in all disputes brought before him. If he does not perform it, his behavior is not acceptable because he failed to fulfill the duties of a judge according to Sharia. The Sunnah came to support, emphasise and clarify these Quranic verses. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that: Obedience of a human being is disallowed, if it is considered disobedience to the creator (Allah)  [3]  . Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also said that: Every act that does not conform to our order is rejected  [4]  . In the Islamic system, everyone, from heads of state, government and people, are subject to the law. The Prophet (SAW) himself is subject to, and is the most faithful to the Quran. He was Abd Allah wa rasuluh, the servant of God and his messenger. The head of state and the head of government cannot invoke any immunity from impeachment. The principle, Be you ever so high, the law is above you has always been there in Islamic law, to include the Prophet (SAW) himself. Just before he died, the Prophet (SAW) made the following short speech: I swear by God that I have made lawful only those things that the Quran made lawful and I have made unlawful only those things that the Quran made unlawful. If I have taken the money of any of you, here is my money, let him come and take it, and if I have lashed the body of any, here is my body, let him take back his right  [5]  . In the same way, Abu Bakr, the first successor and caliph of the Muslim state, in his acceptance speech said: O people! I have been appointed over you, but I am not the best of you. Support me if I did good and remove me if I did badly a weak person of you is strong before me as long as I maintain his right for him. And a strong one of you is weak before me until I take back a right from him Obey me as long as I obeyed Allah and his Messenger. If I disobeyed them there is no obedience of me upon you  [6]  . The past verses supported by the hadith shows that every dispute within the Muslim community between individuals, groups of people, or between people and the government, or among the parts the government and people, must be judged by the basic law we received from Allah (SWT) and His Messenger. According to this principle, the country must have an institution that judges among the people of the Quran and Sunnah, and the institution is a judicial authority. The Doctrine of the Separation of Powers and Independence of the Judiciary Separate branches of government have different functions is not an idea that is contrary to the Shariah. There is no detailed prescription about the form of government in the Quran. What is clear is the goal of the state and the principles that should be followed by the government. Hence the idea to promote good governance, organized by the Shariah, is compatible with Islam. In addition, the doctrine of judicial independence is a constitutional principle in Islamic constitution. Judges are independent and subject to no other authority but the law. In Islam, there are a number of recognized institutions may have in common with democratic forms of government. For example, the emir may be likened to the Prime Minister or President who is the chief government or executive body; assembly, which is recognized in both Islam and democracy as a means to discuss the laws and policies made à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹by the government, which recognized both Islam and democracy, and last but not least, the judiciary. Therefore, in Islam, the principle of check and balance as practiced under the doctrine of separation of powers can be exercised. Furthermore, it has been claimed that the doctrine of separation of powers has been used at the time of the Prophet in the city state. As-shura As-shura is one of the most important constitutional principles in the Islamic constitution. The proof of the importance of shura is to be found in the Quran and Sunnah. In one of the two clear verses on it in the Quran, shura is mentioned as mandatory and in the other verse, it is mentioned that those who practice it are praised. The whole system of the Islamic state from its inception to the selection of the head of the state and all those in positions of power as well as its dealings must be conducted by shura, whether it is carried out directly or indirectly through selected or elected representatives. The Quran states that: Those who hearken to their Lord, and establish regular Prayer; who (conduct) their affairs by mutual Consultation; who spend out of what We bestow on them for Sustenance.  [7]   Even the Prophet, although he was the recipient of direct guidance from the Supreme Allah, was command-ed. Allah says: Consult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when thou hast taken a decision put thy trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).  [8]   Following this advice and lead, Caliph Umar admonished that: There is no khilafah without consultation.  [9]   Thus, the practice of shura is the mechanism followed at all stages in the selection of political leadership by Muhammad and his followers. It was the first Muslim elected four khulafah guidance, although the selection and approval process varies. The important principle is the truth and accountability and public confidence in those elected by the community. Even after that when crawling hereditary rule in violation of this community right, mask allegiance, or acceptance of government still retained. Justice Islam has given to the justice position is so well known as the law may have previous system of law, old or new, that had given him. There are many verses of the Quran that speak and enjoy justice, universal order encompassing all human affairs. In one of the verses of the Quran in which enjoying justice has been generally and unqualifiedly ordered, Allah says: Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition.  [10]   In another verse of the Quran, it is stated that: Allah doth command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due; And when ye judge between man and man, that ye judge with justice: Verily how excellent is the teaching which He giveth you! For Allah is He Who heareth and seeth all things.  [11]   Justice in the Islamic political system, including social justice, which means that the government should arrange to meet and satisfy the needs and desires of all the people as they have a valid part of the state and the source of bona fide citizens of the country. This includes the provision of job, means of subsistence and economic justice. This in turn suggests that it is the responsibility of the government to provide food, shelter and clothing for all the people in the state. Economic justice aimed at equitable distribution of lifestyle and checks the concentration of wealth in a few hands. That is why the second Caliph Umar refused to divide land among the Muslim soldiers and commanders in areas conquered by Muslims in Iraq, Iran and Syria. Only justice can create discipline in life of the people. It is also important that the administration of justice, which means that all state officers are also subject to accountability and they do not need to consider and treat the person as a slave or personal assistant. They should not insult the people in any manner. They should be honest and efficiently in administer public affairs. It should be ensured that the concentration of wealth in one class or few hands did not happen. There is absolutely no doubt, that the governing principle of Islam is a set of the most comprehensive scientific and principles of efficient administration. Freedom Contemporary scholars of modern constitutional law divide into several branches of freedom: freedom of thought and belief, the right to education and property and personal freedom. There is no question that the Islamic Constitution gives such great consideration and respect for this freedom because it has rarely been given by other political doctrine in the Constitution of the positive. Man has continued to use the right of choice ever since he has been on the earth. On this point that the Quran makes is as follows: Seest thou not that to Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on earth, the sun, the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for Punishment: and such as Allah shall disgrace None can raise to honour: for Allah carries out all that He wills. Equality The principle of equality is one of the most important constitutional principles upon which the contemporary system rests. This means that the principle of equality contained in the individual communities are equal in rights, responsibilities and public duties that will be enjoyed by all without discrimination of race, origin, lan-measure or belief. The principle of equality has been initiated by the Quran and Sunnah and the expansion of Islam during some as a precedent in Islamic law and its own time and place; precedent is a fundamental revolution in the basic concept of Arab ideas about the source of pride as the notion held by some tribes but not by others. Islamic law based on the Quran and Sunnah is common to all and is equally applicable to the members of the society from the lowest to the highest level, without any distinction or discrimination The Prophet was asked to declare that: I have been commanded to maintain justice between you.  [12]   The Prophet admonished that: The nations before you were destroyed because they would punish the lower class criminals according to the law but would let go those from the higher class. Then laying further emphasis, He continued by stating that: I swear by the Authority in whose control is Mohammads life, if Mohammads daughter is guilty of stealing, I would cut her hand off.37 Therefore, all the personal, civil, political, social, cultural and economic rights of an individual are guaranteed under Islamic law. Everyone has equal rights and is equally responsible before the law. It is the duty of government to ensure that every member of society, particularly the poor, given its right time. Accountability It is permissible to make the head of state and the head of government responsible for their acts. Statute on the question of the permissibility of calling heads of state to account varies from state to state in the modern system of government. Some state Constitution provides that heads of state are not subject to blame for the actions and behavior even though he violated the law, whereas, according to the Islamic constitution, there is no difference between the heads of state and other individuals in the accountability for violating the law. Al-amr bil maruf wa nahi an al-munkar This literally means commanding what is right and forbidding what is wrong and encompasses a whole gambit of duties and responsibilities. The Quran makes it the mission of its believers: You are the best of Peoples evolved for humankind, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong and believing in Allah.  [13]   This means that every individual in the society has the right, nay the duty, to tell the truth and to stand for it, to further all that is good and virtuous and do his or her utmost to remove the wrongs and vices wherever he or she finds them. The Prophet tells us that: Whoever among you sees a vice (or wrong), he should change it with his hands; if he is not able to do that, then he should check it with his tongue; and if he cannot do that, then he should consider it bad in his heart (and wish for its removal) and this is the sign of weakest in faith.  [14]   A famous hadith states as follows: The best Jihad is to say what is just (or truth) in the face of a tyrant.  [15]   Yet another hadith states that: When people see a tyrant and do not hold his hands, it is not far that Allah (SWT) sends a common punishment on them.  [16]   Thus the above hadith categorically emphasised its importance. Islamic Banking in Brunei Having moved early to establish Shariah-compliant services, the Sultanate was now in a position to carve a niche for itself as a center for Islamic banking. However, the industry must address a number of challenges, led by the shortage of skilled labor, if it is to fully support the development of the segment. In mid-October, Standard Chartered Bank Brunei (SCB) said it was mulling plans to introduce Islamic banking products this year to meet increased demand for syariah-compliant banking services in Brunei. The announcement followed the September launch of the Islamic Bank of Brunei, which replaced the International Bank of Brunei as the sole domestically owned bank in the country. The Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei was launched in 1991 and was the first financial institution to offer savings and financing in accordance with Islamic principles. It was followed two years later by the Islamic Bank of Brunei. They were joined in 2000 by the Islamic Development Bank of Brunei. Standard Chartered Bank Brunei CEO Lai Pei-Si told the media in October that launching an Islamic bank was a logical step to take and a logical step to consider because Brunei has an express need for Islamic banking products. He added that the bank would begin modestly by offering Islamic products, with hopes of bringing much more comprehensive Islamic solutions into the country. In April, the managing director of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam, Javed Ahmad, said the market share held by syariah-compliant banking was expected to increase to 60 per cent from its current levels of 40-55 per cent over the next five years. At a seminar on Islamic finance, Ahmad said Brunei Darussalams strengths, led by strong economic and political stability, good infrastructure and government support, meant it was well placed to build a reputation as an Islamic financial centre. With more aggressive marketing, Brunei Darussalams journey towards making itself an Islamic financial hub might become a possibility in the next few years, he said. A report in December by global consultancy Ernst Young said the worldwide value of Islamic banking would reach US$1.55 trillion in 2012 and US$1.8 trillion this year. Growth in Muslim communities in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia were key drivers in the rising demand for Islamic financial services, it said. The Sultanate is benefiting from early participation in the Islamic banking segment, having launched its first Islamic bond, the Short Term Government Sukuk Al-Ijarah programme worth $150 million for a three-month certificate in April 2006. In November, Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD, which acts as central bank), announced the successful pricing of its 82nd issuance of sukuk or Islamic bonds, worth $100 million at a rental rate of 0.16 per cent. The move followed a $100-million, 90-day issuance that matures this month. Although Brunei Darussalam is well positioned to capitalize on growing interest in Islamic finance, observers have emphasized the need for the Sultanate to develop Islamic banking products are new if it is to maintain its position in the market. Understanding the theory of Maqasid al-Syariah (the objectives of Islamic law) and the defining characteristics of an Islamic bank could encourage the Islamic banking industry to improve and excel in their product innovation as well as financial inter-mediation that can be linked to economic growth, Abdul Ghafar Ismail, a lecturer at the Research Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said at a conference last May. Industry experts believe Brunei addressing these challenges, with an emphasis on staff training after human resources has been identified as a factor that may limit the success. Having strengthened its operational base and regulatory framework, Brunei is now taking steps to address a shortage of trained industry professionals in the Islamic financial sector by providing on-the-job training and local universities offering bachelors, masters and doctorate degree programmes related to Islamic finance, said Javed. Early entry into the Islamic financial services market by the Sultanate had provided it has a solid foundation to develop the industry. Experts suggest the focus should now shift to export expertise and strengthening the global role of the Sharia Islamic banking. Concept Of Riba Riba in Malaysia Riba is a transaction contract between 2 or more parties. Therefore, it is an agreement which is enforceable by law.  [17]  So, when an agreement is not capable of being enforced, it is said not to considered as a contract.  [18]  Even though there could be contract between the parites, the law had laid down certain situation where the contract will be invalidated based on circumstances. Section 24 of the Contracts Act describes a void contract as any agreement or contract, the object or consideration of which is forbidden by law, is such a nature that if permitted by law will defeat the law; is fraudulent; it involves implied injury to the person or property of another; or is regarded as immoral or opposed to public policy by the court. Thus, in all the above circumstances, the courts are requested to declare the agreement as illegal and therefore void; having no effect whatsoever.  [19]  The Act further provides for instances or grounds where an agreement will be regarded to be void. The Act provides as follows: The considerations and objects of an agreement are lawful, unless (a) it is forbidden by law; (b) it is such a nature that, if permitted, it would defeat any law; (c) it is fraudulent; (d) it involves or implies injury to the person or property of another; or (e) the court regards it as immoral, or opposed to public policy. The above cases show that the consideration or the object of the consideration is said to be unlawful. In situation where the consideration is said to be unlawful, the contract is void The main part shall be on S24(b) and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ of the contract Act. The court had the power to declare any riba transaction to be void it such situation had been brough to the civil court. If the riba based agreement is allowed, this would defeat any law and also the constitution too. This argument falls unequivocally on S.24(b) of the Contract Act. Besides that, a riba based agreement if allowed would defeat A.3 of the Federal constitution as well. The courts can therefore rely on this provision to declare a riba-based transaction or agreement void. The combination of the two provisions of the law is sufficient for the court to declare that riba based agreement, would defeat A.3 of the Fedeeal Constitution. This interpretation is in line with the principle that the constitution should not be read in isolation but rather it must be interpretaed in a way that it would give life and meaning to other provision of the law. The second argument that could be raised by the court in invalidating riba based transaction is the ground of public policy. This is coverd by S,24(e) of the Contract Act. The question now is what is public policy and what is public policy in Malaysia.. It has been viewed in one quarter as the broad framework of ideas and values within which decisions are taken and action, or inaction, is pursued by governments in relation to an issue or problem.  [20]  It has also been seen as a proposed course of action of a person, group or government within a given environment, providing obstacles and opportunities which the policy was proposed to utilise and overcome in an effort to reach a goal or realise an objective or purpose.  [21]  Furthermore, it is also a commitment to a course or plan of action agreed to by a group of people with the power to carry it out.  [22]   It is also seen as whatever governments choose to do or not to do.  [23]  It can also mean an agreement that injures public welfare, morals or health.  [24]  It also means policy of the law and is applicable to the spirit and letter of the law.  [25]  It is also seen as principles according to which actions of men and communities need to be regulated to achieve the good of the entire community or public.  [26]  It has been seen as principles and standards regarded by the Legislature or by the courts as being a fundamental concern to the state and the whole of the society and things that can injure the public at large.  [27]  It further refers to the art of ruling wisely and to matters which the Legislature or the court regards as fundamental concern to the state and to the whole society.  [28]  It connotes an overriding public interest that may justify the courts decision to declare a contract void.  [29]   From all the definition of Public policy which had been defined above, oine could reasonably concluded that public policy includes the state ideology, the state objectives and plan, the values and fundamental concerns of the state, the legal policy of the state in terms of spirit and letters of the law, the overriding public interest and principles regulating the affairs of the state to achieve good for the community. Regarding the second question which is regarding public policy in Malaysia, it is to be said that Islam is considered as the public policy in Malaysia. The religion of Islam being the public policy of Malaysia is evident in art 3 of the Constitution which declares Islam as the religion of the federation. It was made so important to the extent of having it stated in art 3 of the Constitution. It is also evident in the careful drafting of art 4(1) to exclude Islam from a law that may be rendered void for being inconsistent with the provision of the Constitution.  [30]  One can also clearly see the public policy in the nature of oath being taken by the Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan Agong.  [31]  This can also be seen in the definition of who is Malay.  [32]  It can also be seen in art 74(2) which gives the state the powers to make laws in Islamic matters. On the other hand, the population of muslim had overridden the number of other religion in Malaysia. In addition to that, Mu slims also represent the majority in political positions including that of the states of the Federation. Having affirmed that Islam remains as the major public policy of Malaysia, it is clear for the court to nullify riba based agreement nor transaction to be contradict with the public policy of Malaysia which is under S.24à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ of the Contract Act and A.3 of the Federal Constitution. There are certain objection that had been raised which is one could be said to have the intention to impose Shariah principle on every citizens in this country including those who are of different religion.. This argument may not hold water because this is nothing but pure interpretation of the existing laws of the country namely the Contracts Act and the Constitution. Secondly, it is natural that a law usually emerges anywhere in the world as a result of the political, social, religious and sometimes even for selfish reasons. It is a product of the cultural norms, social status and public policy of a nation and this perhaps led to the emergence of Islam as the religion of the federation. Even the Central Bank Act of Malaysia enjoins the bank to promote the interest of the country.  [33]  It is submitted here that allowing a riba-based transaction is even not in the interest of the country, No matter how it is looked at, A.3 of the Federal constitution is already in existence and the best solution for it is to interpreted it in a way that it gives life and meaning to the provision Moroever, invalidating riba based transaction on the grounds of public policy is equivalent to circumstances where the court declares an agreement void due to the reason of it is against morality Riba in Brunei Throughout the history there are people who are trying to justify riba. There is a writer saying that: We can state that there will be no Islamic pre-eminence without achieving economic pre-eminence. Besides that, is it to said that there could not be any pre-eminence without establishing any fininacial institution which dould not function without relying in interest (Riba/ usury) The muslim ummah is permited to build up their own economies by way of using the means that Allah had allowed for them. Economic strength enables the Ummah to perform what Allah had permitted to them and what had been forbidden to them. Whenever a Muslim helps in preserving Allahs command and help each other to preserve the rightenous of Islamic Law, Allah will make bless them. In addition to that, Allah will also help them in archieving their goals and stay safety. Regarding the statement- There can be no economic pre-eminence without  ¬Ã‚ nancial institutions and no  ¬Ã‚ nancial institutions without interest (Riba), they are utterly false. This false statement had been contradicted with the Al Quran. The practices of Islamic economic where it was establish at the time of prophet until now where banks had affirmed the falsehood of this statement. Muslim economy could said to have been the strong during the past few centuries where it does not rely neither on bank nor Riba. Besides that, throughout this time period, many Muslims w

Writing as a Tool to Enlightenment in Invitation to a Beheading Essay

Writing as a Tool to Enlightenment in Invitation to a Beheading Vladimir Nabokov’s Invitation to a Beheading concerns a man struggling for enlightenment against a society that demands its citizens question none of the absurdities that rule their world. In this restrictive environment, where a person can be killed for having depth--for being â€Å"opaque†--Cincinnatus uses writing to help him obtain enlightenment. First, Cincinnatus writes to preserve â€Å"a record of verified thoughts† (Nabokov 51). He wants to give hope to those who, like him, may be persecuted and alone. However, Cincinnatus constantly struggles to express, through writing, ideas that cannot be articulated. This inability leads Cincinnatus to finally understand that writing prevents him from gaining ultimate freedom and enlightenment. He realizes that writing is merely another shackle binding him to the physical world. Cincinnatus finds enlightenment when he willingly rejects all that binds him to the corporeal, including the inspirational writings dedicat ed to his fellow nonconformist, which provided him with so much relief during his imprisonment. This idea of releasing the soul from the burdens of the body and the physical world is greatly enhanced when connected to some of the basic principles of Zen Buddhism. These principles are built around the idea that removing the self from its physical limitations is the key to enlightenment, which is what Cincinnatus finds himself doing. Therefore, each step Cincinnatus takes along the path to enlightenment, aided by the knowledge gained through his writings, is best understood when related to Zen, for each step corresponds to an important teaching within this Eastern faith. Zen Buddhism is based on â€Å"th... ...nnatus’s journey reveals. To truly achieve enlightenment, a reader and a writer, must transcend reading and writing for what the mind already knows. Works Cited Bancroft, Anne. Zen: Direct Pointing to Reality. Spain: Thames and Hudson, 1979. Champawat. â€Å"Samsara.† Online posting. VT EReserve. 30 Mar. 2001 http://ereserve.ward.vt.edu/view.jhtml?crn=20010112004. Cooper, J.C. An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1999. Kapleau, Roshi Philip. Zen: Merging of East and West. New York: Doubleday, 1989. Kotz, Sean. â€Å"Buddhism, Taoism, Zen.† Online posting. VT EReserve. 30 Mar. 2001 http://ereserve.ward.vt.edu/view.jhtml?crn=20010112004. Nabokov, Vladimir. Invitation to a Beheading. New York: Vintage, 1989. Radcliff, Benjamin, and Amy Radcliff. Understanding Zen. Boston: Tuttle, 1993.

PEST analysis for banks Essay

The sustainability of DCB Bank agenda has expanded rapidly. It reflects the company’s increasing focus on the wider nature of business and made the stakeholders growing interests in competitive world of business. There is now a great awareness about the global challenges such as climate changes, poverty, scarcity of resources, and demographic shifting. The responses came from the government and from different businesses, as well as the non-profit organization helped DCB Bank made it possible for the sustainability. Economic Analysis The approach to the sustainability program is useful and encourages DCB to be open and transparent to the issues such as the initiatives in further research and development, dialogue with the government and various organizations, and their priorities. DCB Bank enable to broaden their focus on corporate responsibility to prove that they play an essential role in establishing an economic advantage in the country where they operate. Social Analysis The sustainability strategy focuses in their objective to improve the value of the business and their stakeholders. They give importance on the customers and clients such as maintaining the understanding of their needs and promoting the company by measuring satisfaction. It can be only possible by focusing of their global performance by their assurance to develop an innovative solution and enhancing performance. On the other hand, the people working with DCB Bank make a great advantage in the performance of the business. In addition, they attract employees to collect the talent, develop them according to the competent world, and retaining them as much as possible. Technological Analysis DCB uses the means of technology for their business especially in the areas of Agri and Inclusive banking. Their aim to help the people in fight against poverty is possible through their financial system. The technology makes it possible to empower the system and establish a competitive advantage. Pioneering the new ideas, adding the skills and operational excellence are part of the guiding principle of the organization.

Cults Essay

The word cult is often thrown around in todays society as a derogatory term towards religions that are not well known or have aspects that are contrary to mainstream religions. According to mainstream media, cults have been responsible for massive pact suicides, and their followers are incestual and polygamous. The mass media shows the leader as a manipulative person who controls his/her believers as they blindly follow, not knowing the trouble that will certainly find them † . cult’ has become little more than a convenient, if largely inaccurate and always pejorative, horthand for a religious group that must be presented as odd or dangerous for the purpose of an emerging news story. â€Å"(3) Douglas Cowan and David Bromley show the harsh reality of the way the majority of the media likes to portray cults, probably for better ratings. There are several main cults that are often referenced when researching the topic. The first being The People’s Temple, the found er Jim Jones had a following of 912, that all died (including him) by cyanide laced drinks in 1978. This was known as the Jonestown Massacre, controversy surrounds it as it is debated hether or not it was a mass suicide or murder. Another commonly referenced cult is Heaven’s Gate, a UFO doomsday religion that ended in a 39 member suicide in 1997 when the group was attempting to leave earth because they believed it was about to be â€Å"recycled†. To learn and understand what a cult is, I will be define a cult, what features make a cult and who the people are that Join them, as well as discuss the founders of these religions. What is the definition of a cult? Depending on the intent of the author defining the word cult proves a difficult task. The scholars on the ubject of cults seem to have two different approaches when studying this topic. There are those who are a part of the anticult movement and often use the word â€Å"cult† in a negative fashion towards any religion that has formed in recent history. Those apart of the anticult seem to skirt around the subject of defining a cult or explaining what a cult exactly consists of. We are given the feeling as though they do not want to define it as they may cast an umbrella over other mainstream religions that have a similar form. It is even often used to describe popular trends that will upposedly not last, veganism is a term that has been described as a cult fad. You can see how it is almost always used negatively, or as something that has no real substance and will not stand the test of time like other religions have. In contrast, there are those who do not use the word cult but prefer the term â€Å"New Religious Movements†. These scholars have a more objective opinion, and use New Religious Movements to â€Å"†¦ represent fascinating glimpses into the way human beings construct religious meaning and organize their lives to give shape to religious experience. † (Cowan, Bromley, 3). It is important to be subjective when using the word cult and for purposes of this paper I will define cult in my own words and state that there is a difference between cults and New Religious Movements. A cult is a form of religion that is deceitful towards its own members with the leader abusing their powers. Although there have been many mainstream religions that have had a leader abuse their powers, it is necessary to point out the ditterence, which is that in a cult the head of the religion is the source of all their religious knowledge and do not have other ways of getting to know the religion without them. In comparison, mass religions have many leaders, many forms of knowledge and you can attain religious beliefs through many forms, not only the one source. Keeping in mind that using the word cult subjectively is imperative to this process, it is still easy to find movements that can be categorized under my own definition of the word cult. These would include the previously mentioned religions of The People’s Temple and Heaven’s Gate. When looking at these and other cults there are often many characteristics that they do have in common. It is typical for the cult to have only one leader, â€Å".. ho claims divinity or a special mission entrusted to him from Above. † (Harrison, 19) A lot of cult leaders use the money from the followers for personal profit. There is a major sense of belonging that comes along with being a part of a cult. There are many religions that also share this but cults often want their members to have this feeling with them alone, and discourage involvement with others who are not in their religion. One author that I found that was willing to at least describe a cult relationship for the purposes of her book was Singer. SHe says there are three actors to cultic relationships, using that term better describes his viewings of interactions that go on in cults. The three factors are as follows: 1. The origin of the group and role of the leader 2. The power structure, or relationship between the leader (or leaders) and the followers 3. The use of coordinated program of persuasion (which is called thought reform, or, more commonly, brainwashing)† (7) You can see from the quote that this cultic relationship isn’t Just solely related to religion alone, Singer includes cults that are formed around doctrines, theories and practices, but states that other esearchers may not identify this exactly as she does. According to the scholars of new religious movements, â€Å".. roups that are labeled â€Å"cults† often closely resemble a variety of conventional organizations in which these same characteristics are accepted as legitimate or necessary: communes and intentional communities, convents, monasteries, and other high-commitment religious societies, multilevel marketing organizations and armed forces training and combat units†¦ † (Bromley, Cowan, 5). There could be many reasons why a person would Join a cult, they could e the same reason’s one Joins any faith based group; a person is looking to belong, or meet others with similar morals. A prime reason why a person would Join a cult is that they are not doing this knowing that what they are becoming apart of is in fact a cult. Cults often are established off of a Christian based structure with similar values, and practices. A person may attend a cult thinking it is another sect of Christianity. Members of a cult learn ways to recruit new members, a typical form of recruiting is called â€Å"love-bombing†, where members seek out non-members and shower them ith many forms of attention and affection. Basically, being extremely nice to others with the intent on conversion. Anticult members are quick to let the public know that recruiting for cults can happen anywhere, on campus, on buses and trains, or on the street, letting us know that we can be recruited literally everywhere. In actuality it looks as though most â€Å"recruitment† for cults is done through family members or close friends. When seeing that it is family and friends who do the majority of converting it is easy to see now people would Join. It is not as though the trusted group are trying o harm others by recruiting, they are trying to help and see that others are also going to â€Å"find the truth† in a sense. It is similar to the common practice of missions trips that many Christian religions take part in where they travel to underdeveloped parts of the world, converting people to Christianity and also helping the community in some way. The difference being, hopefully no abuse of power or deceitfulness by the religion. It isn’t always understood why one does Join a cult but it is probable to say each individual has their own personal reasons why, and somehow in a way that eligion is giving them whatever it is they may be looking for. Friends? Belonging? Maybe they don’t agree with morals of other religions and this cult matches up with the lifestyle that they lead. There is a lot of information pertaining to the large numbers of youth attending cults and New Religious Movements, particularly between the ages of 18 and 22. Lorne L. Dawson describes the demographic of youth as the typical â€Å"All American boy or girl†. â€Å"A profile of the typical cult member reveals that he or she is white, middle or upper class, with at least some college education and nominally religious upbringing. 85) It might seem surprising that a lot of followers come from this kind of back round, but when looked at a little more in depth you see that often these young adults have either parental issues or have had some sort of middleclass failures. Those with problems in communicating with their parents often look to the leader of the cult for guidance and use them as a parental fgure. Those have failed according to middle class norms seem to be searching for validation. A lot of followers Join the cults in times of vulnerability and much needed support from others. While you can say that almost everyone has come from back ounds where they have felt vulnerable at points and needed the support of others, it seems imperative that cults cling on to those who have these types of issues going on as well as the added factor of age to convert potential members. The time of young adulthood is when most people are beginning the process of learning who they are and to have a supportive, flattering, group surround them can be very influential to their life. For most cults there is only one leader although this is not always true, using the examples from earlier, Heaven’s Gate had two leaders; Marshall Applewhite nd Bettie who liked to be called Ti and Do. Often the leader(s) starts this religion after some form of miraculous religious conversion where they may have had a near death experience or a vision, there are many different stories of leaders getting the â€Å"call to prophecy’. The leaders of cults are always charismatic, and seem to have all the answers. In a time in peoples lives when they are looking for affirmation it is easy to be drawn to someone who knows it all, and can give the yes and no answers. The leader forms very personal relationships with his followers, which sometimes turns sexual. As cults grow the leader is not always able to be so intimate with each member, and this can become problematic for the cult. In response when cults’ members become larger, the leader will start to segregate himself from the following, only allowing access to certain members who have earned that right. The leader becomes a sort of local celebrity in the eyes of the followers, and like celebrities, their fans stand by them even when arguments against their religious beliefs become even more valid. It is hard to say why a person may start a cult, money could be a huge contributing factor. Or the idea of a group of followers hanging onto every word d by the tounder may be exactly what a true narcissist is looking tor. Out ot all the New Age Religions it is hard to exactly pin point out which ones can be classified as a cult, in history, different Christian denominations have been labelled as cults and paid a price for it. In the nineteenth century The Salvation Army was labelled as a cult and its members were stoned, now it is viewed as a respected and legitimate faith base. So to stamp a religion that hasn’t been researched to its full extent can be harmful, and not fair to its members. To be close minded to the idea of new religious movements could erase the idea of religion altogether, as many religions are stuck in the past and not embracing the progressiveness of the times. If a religion is not abusing their powers or being harmful to its members who is to say that it cannot be fulfilling for someone who is looking for more in their life and doesn’t connect to mass religions? It is important to teach people to be able to question ideas and to critically think on new and old perspectives, hopefully by doing so people will not so easily be a part of such self-destructive religious groups. I work in the field of homeless and mental health and have met many clients who see themselves as closer to God than the rest of humankind so it is very plausible to me for cult leaders to truly believe that what they are doing is the right way to live, and the only way to live. All religions have outsiders who will say anything to bring that religion into a bad light, it is with great importance that we carefully and kindly dissect the true intent on all religions, not Just new age religions.

The Physics of Golf essays

The Physics of Golf essays As anyone who has played a round of golf will attest to, the sport is based around many fundamental principals of physics. These basic laws are involved with every aspect of the game from how a player swings the club to how the ball moves through the air on its way toward the pin. It is the challenge that physics presents to the golfer that has allowed the game, and equipment used, to develop so drastically over the past one hundred years. The first golf balls used were called featheries. They were made with a horsehide cover packed with wet goose feathers. When the balls dried they became extremely hard. The major flaw with the featheries was that they could not be used when the conditions were wet because they would soften again.[5] Despite the flaw of the featheries, they remained the only ball used up until the middle of the 19th century when the revolutionary gutta-percha ball was invented. The new ball, sometimes referred to as a guttie, was molded from the warmed, dried gum of the sapodilla tree.[5] These balls were cheap to manufacture and opened up the game of golf to a more diverse socio-economic group. This in turn made the game of golf very popular, which led to dramatic improvements in golf balls in the next decades. In 1900 a unique event occurred. Some claim that it can be called the first professional sports endorsement. The Spalding Company paid Englands Harry Vardon a considerable sum of money to come to the United States to demonstrate what he could do in winning tournaments using the latest ball design. He won the U.S. Open using the new rubber-wound Haskell ball.[5] This led to another major revolution in the design of the golf ball. Not only was this ball cheap to manufacture, but also it could be hit farther than any other ball previously used. The Haskell ball was such a success that it was not until 1968 that the two-piece balls of today emerged in the market. Obviously...

One Figurehead Against the Other essays

One Figurehead Against the Other essays Along with being a personal narrative of a man ¡s journey to overcome sin, the Inferno also is a cascading allegory of the Medieval interpretation of the relationship between good versus evil and the afterlife. It is on the allegorical level that one infers that hell is representative of sin, with Satan as definitive sin at Hell ¡s center. This conjecture of Satan ¡s allegorical meaning is supported in the Inferno as shown by,  ¡Now see the face of Dis! This is the place where you must arm your soul against all dread ¡ (Canto XXXIV, 20-21). Further analysis of this interpretation of the Dark Lord later in the text shows that there is a perversion of the Catholic Holy Trinity present within him. Dante ¡s use of this perversion, rather than simply being a mockery God as many of the sinner ¡s punishments mock their sins on earth, is allegorically representative of how sin, or the ultimate sin in the case of Satan, is a perversion of God ¡s perfect image and grace. When the poets reach the last depth of Cocytus, Dante presents his image of Satan to the reader in a way that clearly perverts the Catholic Trinity and the image of the Christian God. Under Catholic Doctrine, Lucifer was originally an angel of God, who, like earthly men, was created in God ¡s image. This premise is presented early on in the Bible,  ¡Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let him rule over all the earth ¡KGod created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them ¡ (NIV, Genesis. 1:26-27). Lucifer was cast into hell to be eternally tormented for his insolence against the Father and his lust for the throne of heaven. Dante takes this background and shows Satan, the representation of ultimate sin, as a grotesque, demonic figure with the same features of the angel that he was, though lacking the angelic form of those features. This is stated in the Inferno as,  ¡If he ...

Arguments in Akbar’s the Great

Arguments in Akbar’s the Great Akbar was living in the mid 1500’s and the early 1600’s. Akbar lived in india. Akbar was only 14 years of age when he took over the throne and surpassed his father. 1564 was the year that akbar was almost assassinated and killed buy a bullet. The bullet did not kill him it only struck his shoulder and Akbar lived. Shortly after this Akbar the Great took the reigns of the mughal empire and he took over the empire. A anti mughal coalistin that was maniley a bunch of afghanis tried to pull of something out of the ordinary, They tried to recapture the throne, it didn’t turn out that well because they loses the battle against the Mughals, The mughals are akbar’s empire.Akbar was an ambitos and noble commander. Akbar built one of the biggest armies known to the mughal empire. One barrier that akbar happen to come across was the afghanis in india. The afghanis where one of the most dangerous to the mughal empire.Akbar declared his intentions to reclaim the rights to the throne at the delhi. The huge mughal empire moved to panipat to conquer and the Mughals faced hemu’s. One of the biggest problem here is that hemu’s army was giant. Even bigger than the Mughals. Even 3x larger than it. It was almost impossible for the mughals to defeat hemu’s army. So Akbar’s hope for the throne is almost gone at this point. But the Mughals army was smarter than hemu’s because the mughals struck the leader of the hemu’s. When a empire or an army doesn’t have a leader they don’t know what they do so they surrendered and akbar took over the throne again. Thesis Akbar was an Agent of change because he was so powerful he extended his empire at 14 years of age, he revised the tax system and he was religiously open minded . Argument 1 Evidence 1 Akbar ruled through cooperation and tolerance. Akbar did not make any of the hindu population/ people convert to islam if they didn’t want to. Akbar also was able to translate hindi literature he was very welcoming of other religions as he was a very curious person. Argument 1 Evidence 2 Akbar the great was a fabulous general and he extended on his military development throughout his reign when akbar died his empire continued Argument 1 Evidence 3 In creation of his empire akbar had a lot of success because of that he created his empire and as a result of that he was able to earn trust and loyalty from the people who conquered him and then Akbar conquered them. Argument 2 Evidence 1 He inherited small fiefs but he was able to achieve stability, and over time he won control of northern india and the afghanis. By the time he dies he ruled from afghanistan to sindu. He was able to do that because he was a great and smart ruler who a lot of people respected. By his strategies to conquer and expand Argument 2 Evidence 2 Akbar the Great revised the tax system in 1574. When Akbar did this he separated the revenue collection from the military administration. Who was in charge of this stuff, you might ask? Well each subban or governor was to maintain order in his region. While all of this was going on a separate tax collector collected these property taxes and sent them to the capital. Argument 2 Evidence 3 The Stuff in evidence 2 supports this. That created checks and balances. In regions they didn’t have much money so the people otherwise known as the individuals, they had no troops. But the troops had no money, the troops and the individuals were dependent on the main source†¦ The central government. What the central government did was they doled out fixed salaries to both the military and civilian personnel according to rank. Argument 3 Evidence 1 Akbar was a really religious guy. He went to a lot of religious festivals even when it wasn’t even his own religion. Akbar built a temple in this certain temple he hosted scholars, they came from different religions. Those religions included hindus, zoroastrians, christians, yogis, and muslims of other sects. He allowed the jesuits to confront a church at agra. Argument 3 evidence 2 Not everybody really thought that the Temple was a good idea. They thought that multiculturalism wasn’t a good idea. Akbar was called a â€Å"heretic†. Mid way 1579 a mazer or declaration was issued that granted Akbar The Great the authority to interpret religious law, superseding the authority of the mullahs. This became known as the infallibility decree, and it furthered akbar’s ability to create an interreligious and multi cultural state. Argument 3 evidence 3 In 1582 Akbar had established a new cult, a cult is (a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.) But this wasn’t really a small group it was relatively large. The Din-i-ilahi, or otherwise known as ‘Divine faith†, that combined a bunch of elements of a bunch of different religions, that also included islam, hinduism and the zoroastrianism. What this faith did was it centered around Akbar The Great as a prophet or a spiritual leader. This faith Died when Akbar died.

What are the effects in the job market when women are less educated Research Paper

What are the effects in the job market when women are less educated than man - Research Paper Example As a result, these women, should they be forced by need to work, will be confined to low productivity and income jobs. Women, up to now, are still vastly overrepresented among unpaid workers or in the informal sector. As education and experience are valuable inputs to productivity and earnings, non-diversification of the human capital deeply impacts the rate of economic development. Education is widely recognized as the prerequisite to economic security and opportunity. In analysis, the state of diversification in the job market presupposes the condition that there is no enhanced creativity in limited viewpoints as women is often not in the equation. This creates a narrow selection in the existing talent pool that often stagnates growth. The job market will negate a picture of strength as there would be less demand for labor without diversified aptitudes and abilities in its workforce. It will also have less ability to demand higher absolute and relative wages as job specialization would be diminished. A relatively weak job market ultimately prevents the increase in employment which would be accompanied by slow economic growth and perpetuates further market and institutional failures (World Bank, 2012). World Bank. (2012). Gender Difference in Employment and Why They Matter. Retrieved October 15, 2012, from World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development:

Management(importance of planning, organizational design challenges, Assignment

Management(importance of planning, organizational design challenges, henry ford-mass production) - Assignment Example As Thompson and Frank (129-130) point out, resource planning is compulsory for any organization that aims at surviving in the contemporary business environment. In any business system, organizational resources are scarce and proper planning is necessary to optimize their output. The management has role to plan on the allocation of the human and financial resources in the most convenient manner to maximize the output. To accomplish the stated objectives, planning will be necessary to guarantee that these objectives materialize. In the absence of planning, the organization will fail to achieve its goals, which is part of business failure. Hornby is one of the organizations that embarked on effective business planning to survive in the competitive toy industry (Thompson and Frank 140). The organization suffered from the forces of competition in the market until when it engaged in proper strategic planning. The organization set its goals, and planned on how to use its limited resources to attain its laid goals. Optimal utilization of resources and work planning ensured its survival. In this light, effective planning is a necessary competence for any organization. In the contemporary business environment, business design is the process of configuring structures, processes, systems and people practices in such a manner that all business strategies are accomplished. The process of business design is complex and managers should prepare to face challenges as they develop their strategic plan within the organizations. The changes evident in today’s business structures poses new challenges to the management team while implementing their design decisions. One of the challenges that face organization managers while conducting business design is complexity of organizational roles. In the organizations role, the managers aim at matching the employee with their most

Comparing Rawls and Hayek Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Comparing Rawls and Hayek - Essay Example Hayek highlights that freedom entailed acting on an individual’s own free will and not on the will or command of others or situations. He covers all the types of freedom that he experienced in the First World War that is political freedom, personal freedom and economic freedom. On the other hand, John Rawls was a philosopher who originated from America and fought or participated in the Second World War. He was responsible for developing the theory of justice which was a concept of ethical, rationality, law, equity and fairness (Bellamy). Rawls argues that justice is fairness and the same justice is responsible for the existence of liberty within the society. Rawls believes that for social institutions to be operational or function properly, justice is necessary in forming the foundations, defining the base and also veiling the position of ignorance within the society. Hayek and Rawls both supported liberalism in their different writings and speech. They talked in unison that p eople were free to exercise their ideas without barriers as long as their idea were not ill motivated or malicious in any way and that the state was there to support them and ensure that their rights, that is of freedom of speech, were practiced and equally enjoyed by all individuals from different classes, ages, ethnical backgrounds and races. Hayek and Rawls both agreed that the government was created for the citizens, by the citizens and to serve the citizens and rebuffed other notion of the other way round that the citizens were meant to serve the government. They were both liberal as they preached the principles of justice, freedom and equality to the public as they both advocated for basic rights such like education, food, shelter, medication and clothing to all citizens. Both Hayek and Rawls were using the society as their main source of reference in their various thoughts and intransient differences, thereby making the citizens the centre of their struggles for freedom and j ustice. This is as per what they experienced in world war one and world war two respectively. The various ideas they tried to put in action were all directed towards the unification of their different ideologies, in favor of the citizens, on how things are done or should be carried out within the society (Hayek 78). Both Hayek and Rawls place emphasis on Rawls theory of the veil of ignorance intended to make us blind to our unique differences as human beings. They both campaign on the interests of democracy as they try to shun the inhabitants of a strong and peacefully democracy. They both argue that in the interest of democracy, ideologies should be placed together to accommodate the different thoughts and lifestyles of individuals coming from different backgrounds and possessing different ideologies in the society. This is because the society consists if unique human beings with unique qualities, backgrounds, class and preferences. However, Rawls and Hayek do not come to an agreem ent thus do not resolve their arguments in order to find solutions and how solutions are reached in different situations. In fact, they completely clash and each has their own viewpoint of the solution to their matching theories and ideologies. Rawls argues that agreements on particular matters can be reached whereas Hayek does not believe that this can happen. Hayek believes that the

Writing Assignment 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Assignment 4 - Essay Example The biblical view presented in Deut 28, epitomizes about benediction for obedience and curses of disobedience to the supreme power, the God as it quotes, â€Å"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God† (NIV28.2). The metaphysical view in this verse discloses about an individual’s receiving blessing from the LORD for being obedient by following his directed commands (Biblical gateway, â€Å"Deuteronomy 28-30†). Specifically, when giving an explanation as to how a man shall be able to experience blessings, the biblical verses of Deut 28.12 connotes that â€Å"The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow†. This statement counts on that if a person serves humanity and the nation by acting as a lender, Lord will open up his treasures for that person and offer blessings. He will also provide ample rain, which is portrayed as a symbol of health, food and prosperity in that person’s land (Biblical gateway, â€Å"Deuteronomy 28-30†). Deuteronomy 28.21 further presents the philosophical belief of curses, which the God shall bestow on a soul against disobedience.

OPM 300 MOD 1 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OPM 300 MOD 1 SLP - Essay Example Mc Donald’s is able to maintain its global power in due in great part to its ability to constantly modify and adapt its operations processes to the demands of its customers and of the social environment as well. One particular operations process that is constantly modified by Mc Donald’s to keep pace with increased competition and smarter, more demanding and less brand-loyal customers is the way it makes some of the items on its menu. One particular example was when Mc Donald’s considered switching to a hamburger bun that does not require toasting. Trial tests have shown that customers preferred the taste and texture of the untoasted hamburger bun (Gibson, 1995). More importantly, leaving the buns untoasted would translate into considerable cost savings resulting from reduced preparation time and the elimination of commercial toasting equipment. Considering that Mc Donald’s serves billions of buns for its hamburgers, chicken and fish sandwiches, this modif ication in one of their operations processes would rake in millions of dollars in savings for Mc Donald’s as well. This illustrates two very important aspects of operations which are customer satisfaction and competitiveness (Meredith & Shafer, 2007).

Comparing Rawls and Hayek Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Comparing Rawls and Hayek - Essay Example Hayek highlights that freedom entailed acting on an individual’s own free will and not on the will or command of others or situations. He covers all the types of freedom that he experienced in the First World War that is political freedom, personal freedom and economic freedom. On the other hand, John Rawls was a philosopher who originated from America and fought or participated in the Second World War. He was responsible for developing the theory of justice which was a concept of ethical, rationality, law, equity and fairness (Bellamy). Rawls argues that justice is fairness and the same justice is responsible for the existence of liberty within the society. Rawls believes that for social institutions to be operational or function properly, justice is necessary in forming the foundations, defining the base and also veiling the position of ignorance within the society. Hayek and Rawls both supported liberalism in their different writings and speech. They talked in unison that p eople were free to exercise their ideas without barriers as long as their idea were not ill motivated or malicious in any way and that the state was there to support them and ensure that their rights, that is of freedom of speech, were practiced and equally enjoyed by all individuals from different classes, ages, ethnical backgrounds and races. Hayek and Rawls both agreed that the government was created for the citizens, by the citizens and to serve the citizens and rebuffed other notion of the other way round that the citizens were meant to serve the government. They were both liberal as they preached the principles of justice, freedom and equality to the public as they both advocated for basic rights such like education, food, shelter, medication and clothing to all citizens. Both Hayek and Rawls were using the society as their main source of reference in their various thoughts and intransient differences, thereby making the citizens the centre of their struggles for freedom and j ustice. This is as per what they experienced in world war one and world war two respectively. The various ideas they tried to put in action were all directed towards the unification of their different ideologies, in favor of the citizens, on how things are done or should be carried out within the society (Hayek 78). Both Hayek and Rawls place emphasis on Rawls theory of the veil of ignorance intended to make us blind to our unique differences as human beings. They both campaign on the interests of democracy as they try to shun the inhabitants of a strong and peacefully democracy. They both argue that in the interest of democracy, ideologies should be placed together to accommodate the different thoughts and lifestyles of individuals coming from different backgrounds and possessing different ideologies in the society. This is because the society consists if unique human beings with unique qualities, backgrounds, class and preferences. However, Rawls and Hayek do not come to an agreem ent thus do not resolve their arguments in order to find solutions and how solutions are reached in different situations. In fact, they completely clash and each has their own viewpoint of the solution to their matching theories and ideologies. Rawls argues that agreements on particular matters can be reached whereas Hayek does not believe that this can happen. Hayek believes that the

OPM 300 MOD 1 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OPM 300 MOD 1 SLP - Essay Example Mc Donald’s is able to maintain its global power in due in great part to its ability to constantly modify and adapt its operations processes to the demands of its customers and of the social environment as well. One particular operations process that is constantly modified by Mc Donald’s to keep pace with increased competition and smarter, more demanding and less brand-loyal customers is the way it makes some of the items on its menu. One particular example was when Mc Donald’s considered switching to a hamburger bun that does not require toasting. Trial tests have shown that customers preferred the taste and texture of the untoasted hamburger bun (Gibson, 1995). More importantly, leaving the buns untoasted would translate into considerable cost savings resulting from reduced preparation time and the elimination of commercial toasting equipment. Considering that Mc Donald’s serves billions of buns for its hamburgers, chicken and fish sandwiches, this modif ication in one of their operations processes would rake in millions of dollars in savings for Mc Donald’s as well. This illustrates two very important aspects of operations which are customer satisfaction and competitiveness (Meredith & Shafer, 2007).

The Role And Importance Of Segmentation Essay Example for Free

The Role And Importance Of Segmentation Essay Success in business depends on whether one is able to sustain him or herself as competition increase. It requires a faint difference to keep a selected business type on the marketing edge. Business research is therefore essential when one wants to analyze the market wants and needs of different segments before determining their position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In our discussion we will try to analyze how segmentation by life stages in the Baby boom occurred how and how markers needed to tailor make messages meant for a specific age group. We will also be able to evaluate how the baby boomers affected the market niche. By understanding key term â€Å"market segmentation’ and ‘Baby boomer generation’ would be a key step in underlining their role and importance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By definition, market segmentation is a process of dividing markets into distinct groups of buyers that require different products (Lake, 2008). The groups have to be divided entirely in a homogenous manner. This is the first step required when addressing the need of different customers. The word Baby boomer is an America-English term which describes persons born following the World War II (Brenet, 2006).This is because countries experienced a drastic increase in their population. The birth rates led to the concept term Baby boom. In USA though, different views of the years were documented but many accepted that it was from 1946 to 1964. In Britain he period after the post war 1947 had the highest number of births. This period ended in the 1960. The Irish Republic before its formation, initially had recorded an exodus of people to Britain. Between 1957-80 eras the Irish people choose to have the largest number of children. (Michael, p321). This period of increasing human population recorded increased unemployment economic sluggishness and increased competition to those in the business sector. It was postulated that by 2010 boomers will represent more than two thirds of the 50-plus population. Role and importance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marketers had to design a method for addressing the different emerging set groups. For this to succeed marketing segmentation was necessary. The segment must watch the firms marketing capabilities sufficient enough for good profit potential, able to promote effectively to and serve the segment and it should be measurable in purchasing power and size. The target markets in this section involve consumer good and Business produce. The later involves goods or services purchased for use in the production of other goods and services for sales either directly or indirectly. The former are goods or services purchased by a consumer for personal use. The basis of market segmentation according (Brenet, 2006) to involves Demographic segmentation-sex, age, income, occupation, education household size and family set groups Geographical segmentation- markets into similar groups depending on the location. Psychographic segmentation- psychological characteristics, values and life styles. Product based segmentation homogenous groups based on usage rate benefits sought and brand loyalty In that period the market analysis of the baby boomers had become more sophisticated (Baby Boomer in denial over aging, 2004). It has been noted that looking at the baby boomers as a single group fails to recognize their diversity which makes the understanding of differences among the various sector of baby boomers difficult(Onta,2002) The most common way to segment the market is the divide it in two based on birth years. This method yielded two boomer subgroups; this leading-edge boomers, born from 1946 to 19545 and currently 47 to 55 years old and the trailing-edge boomers born between 1955-1964 and currently 36 to 44 years old (Onta, 2002).   The   important of segmentation in business is that new opportunities increase when targeting specific groups of clients and customers. Those with varying needs are recognized in economic change fortunes were more profound than was realized at this moment of history. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marketing strategies need to be formulated to address the needs of Baby Boomer. The idea to put into consideration is the fact that every year that passes, boomers are aging. As more Boomers enter the 50 plus population, markets trends will have to change and thus marketers need to change their marketing. One of the best things the marketers need to do is to look concisely at the various stages in the life of the boomer and direct their message to that particular phase. This is where understanding of the various segments and different age groups that exist within the larger subset will be helpful. By sounding a message tailored for the entire population would produce disappointing results. By developing products and services tailored specifically to this groups will ensure that marketers sustain themselves in the economy. References ^â€Å"Article Multidimensional Marketing† Available from http://www.milab.dk/dokumentation/public/Artikler%20og%20rapporter/Meredith,%20Geoffrey%20%20Schewe,%20Charles%20-%20Kohorte%20teori.doc(February 8, 2008) ^â€Å"Baby Boomer in denial over aging† CBS NEWS Article from the Associated Press (March 5, 2004) Available from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/05/national/main604287.shtml(February 8, 2008) Coakley. J Gallaghar, M 1999, Politics in the Republic of Ireland. Routledge Tylor Fransis group,(Pg 321) Green, B 2006, Marketing to leading-edge Baby Boomers; Perceptions, principles predictions, paramount market Books, ISBN 0976697351 Lake, L 2008, Market segmentation for the small business. Your Guide to marketing Available from http://marketing.about.com/cs/sbmarketing/a/smbizmrktseg.htm â€Å"Marketers must view Boomers through a New Lens, www.ncoa.org (February 8, 2008)   Ã¢â‚¬ËœOnta National Association’ Baby Boomer Market (January 2002), Available from http://www.ntaonlnio.com/staticfiles/car-boomer:pdf (February 8, 2008) Population: Babies Mean Business, Newsweek, Aug 9, 1948 retrieved 2007-01-26 Wellner, AS, â€Å"The Forgotten Baby Boom,† American Demographics,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   February 2001, http://www.americandemographics.com (February 8, 2008)

Loss of Brain Nerve Cells in Alzheimers Disease

Loss of Brain Nerve Cells in Alzheimers Disease Fig-6: Showing neuronal death due to inflammation and oxidative stress. Adenosine Deaminase (ADA), and Neuropsychiatric Disorders:- Adenosine is a neuromodulator of brain function that is uniquely positioned to integrate excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission and neuroprotective actions in pathological conditions. The understanding of adenosine production and release in the brain is therefore of fundamental importance and has been extensively studied (ADA-8). Adenosine metabolism in the brain is very important, and its dysregulation has been implicated in pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders, since it modulates the release of several neurotransmitters such as glutamate, dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine, decreases neuronal activity by pos-synaptic hyperpolarization and inhibits dopaminergic activity. Adenosine deaminase participates in purine metabolism by converting adenosine into inosine (ADA-7). (The production and metabolism of adenosine is given in the Fig.7) Adenosine deaminase (ADA, adenosine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.4), an enzyme involved in the metabolism of purine nucleosides, catalyses the irreversible hydrolytic deamination of adenosine (Ado) and 2 ´-deoxyadenosine (2 ´-dAdo) to inosine and 2 ´- deoxyinosine, respectively. The enzyme is widely distributed in vertebrate tissues and plays a critical role in a number of physiological systems. In nature, several isoforms of ADA are known that differ by molecular mass, kinetic properties and tissue distribution (ADA-2). It plays a role in the development and functioning of T lymphomonocytes. Levels of this enzyme increase during the mitogenic and antigenic response of lymphocytes, whereas ADA inhibitors limited the blastogenesis of lymphocytes; thus, ADA levels are higher in T cells than in B lymphocytes. ADA was previously recognized as a cytosolic enzyme; however, it is currently known to be present at the surfaces of cells, in particular T lymphocytes, to interact with some membrane proteins, including CD-26/DPP IV, and is considered an ecto-enzyme. This co-localization of DPP IV/CD-26 and ADA at T cells is important for the activation of T cells because the interaction of ADA and CD-26 at the T cells results in co-stimulatory signs responsible for the activation of the T cell receptor (ada ). Long considered to be an immune-privileged site because of the presence of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) and the lack of a lymphatic system, it is now well-established that the brain is fully capable of mounting inflammatory responses in response to invading pathogens, trauma, or ischemic events (G-17). Fig. 7 Pathways of adenosine production, metabolism and transport, with indications of the sites of action of various enzyme inhibitors. Abbreviations are as follows: ADA, adenosine deaminase; AK, adenosine kinase; AOPCP, a,b-methylene ADP; DCF, deoxycoformycin; EHNA, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenosine; es, equilibrativesensitive nucleoside transporters; ei, equilibrative- insensitive nucleoside transporters; 5-IT, 5-iodotubercidin; NBMPR, nitrobenzylthioinosine; PDE, cAMP phosphodiesterase; SAH, S-adenosyl homocysteine. Activation of oligodendrocytes results in secretion of inflammatory molecules, such as nitric oxide (NO), cytokines, and prostaglandins and most  notably in upregulation of several chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, including NG2, which contributes to the growth-inhibitory environment that prevents regeneration of axons in the injured CNS. In summary, in acute situations and when short lived, neuro-inflammatory mechanisms generally limit injury and promote healing; however, when neuro-inflammation becomes chronic it can damage viable host tissue, resulting in compromised neuronal survival and cognitive impairment. For these reasons, inflammation in the CNS has been appropriately described as a two-edged sword (G-17). Again Hcy activates cytokines and pro-inflammatory molecules, such as IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-12, IL-18, IL- 1 receptor antagonist, C-reactive protein, adhesion molecules (P-selectin, E-selectin, ICAM-1), and metalloproteinases (MMP-9). In addition, Hcy up-regulates reactive oxygen species, leading to activation of NF-kappa B, the pro-inflammatory nuclear regulatory molecule (G-3). On the other hand, neuropsychiatric disorders have been shown to be accompanied with some immune-inflammatory alterations. In this regard in order to make a contribution to the understanding of the ongoing immune disturbance in neuropsychiatric disorders, serum ADA activity was determined in neuropsychiatric patients and compared with healthy controls. Intracellular and extracellular levels of adenosine are tightly controlled by specific nucleoside transporters and several important enzymes, which include adenosine deaminase (ADA) and 5’-nucleotidase (5’-NT) (ADA-4). ADA activity is known to be increased in inflammatory diseases characterized by T-cell activation and proliferation. Therefore, ADA is considered a marker of T-cell activation. In addition, overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion (Oà ¢- _ 2); nitric oxide (NOà ¢- ) and singlet oxygen (1O2) creates a condition known as oxidative stress, resulting in the amplification of the inflammatory response (ADA-6). Studies related to ADA levels in neuropsychiatric patients are virtually non-existent. ADA and schizophrenia Adenosine may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, since it modulates the release of several neurotransmitters such as glutamate, dopamine, serotonin etc. Dutra GD et al (2009) showed that decreased ADA activity in schizophrenic patients than in control subjects (ADA-7). Brunstein MG et al (2007) reported that the schizophrenic patients treated either with typical antipsychotics or clozapine showed increased serum ADA activity compared to controls (ada-b sub 14). ADA and Depression Elgun et al (1999b) reported that decrease ADA activity in patients with depression compared with controls, might reflect the impaired immune system in depression (A sub). Mackiewicz et al (2006) showed that ADA levels did not change with age in rats (A sub). Herken H et al (2007) showed that ADA levels of the patients were significantly higher than the controls (abstract ref). An increasing body of evidence implicates both brain inflammation and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of Alzheimers disease (A-9). Inflammation is a cause, contributor, or secondary phenomenon in the disorder inflammatory pathways are altered in the periphery in AD, together with evidence that increased peripheral inflammation leads to more neurodegeneration and accelerated disease progression in animal models. Antioxidants defense:- Humans have evolved a highly complicated antioxidant defense system to combat the damaging effects of free radicals. Under physiological conditions, overproduction of ROS and RNS and their neutralization is prevented by the activity of endogenous anti-oxidative defense system (AOS). Antioxidants are a broad group of compounds which constitute the first line of defense against free radical damage thus are essential for maintaining optimum health and well-being. They are protective agents, capable of stabilizing or deactivating free radicals before they attack cells. Being beneficial compounds, they control free radical formation naturally and help organisms to deal with oxidative stress caused by free radicals (antiox 4) (Fig. 8). Antioxidant system encloses enzymes like superoxide dismutase; catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and other antioxidant-regenerating enzymes such as gluthatione reductase; dehydroascorbate reductase and glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase, that maintains reduced NADPH; hydrophilic scavengers like urate, ascorbate, gluthatione, flavonoids; lipophilic scavengers, like tocopherols, carotenoids and ubiquinone. The great majority of antioxidants are supplied with the diet and includes polyphenols, lipoic and ascorbic acid, carotenoids, lycopene, quercetine, genstein, ellagic acid, ubiquinone and indole-3 carbinole. In fact, in the biological systems, the normal processes of oxidation produces highly reactive free radicals and each of this administered compounds is involved in the physiological redox balance preventing damage to the tissues (antioxi 3). Enzymatic Antioxidants An important part of the intracellular antioxidant defense systems are antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidases. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) SOD is found abundantly in many organisms, from microorganisms to plant and animals, since superoxide radicals (O2−†¢) are toxic to living cells, oxidizing and degrading biologically important molecules, such as lipids and proteins. The role of SOD is to protect aerobic cells against O2−†¢ action. It catalyzes O2−†¢ dismutation reaction into H2O2 and O2−†¢. There are three known types of SOD: two copper-zinc containing SOD (CuZn-SOD), one in cytosol and one bound to the vascular endothelium ( also called â€Å"extracellular SOD† (ECSOD)) and a manganese containing SOD (MnSOD), which is localized in the mitochondrial matrix (antio-4). This enzyme specifically catalyzes the dismutation of O2−†¢ anion into H2O2 and O2−†¢ in a pH-independent medium (5–9.5). Manganese SOD is the mitochondrial form of this dismutase. Its active site contains manganese and reduces the O2−†¢ generated during the ETC. T he amount of MnSOD inside the cell varies according to the number of mitochondria found in each cell type. This enzyme has antitumor activity. Extracellular SOD also contains copper and zinc in its structure and is the main extracellular SOD. It is synthesized inside the cells and secreted into the extracellular matrix (G-66, G-71, SOD-1). Fig. 8- Mechanism of action of antioxidants Catalase (CAT) Catalase is an enzyme that reacts very effectively with H2O2 to form water and molecular oxygen and with H donors (methanol, ethanol, formic acid, or phenols) with peroxidase activity. Catalase protects cells against H2O2 generated inside them. Although CAT is not essential to some cell types under normal conditions, it has an important role in the acquisition of tolerance to ONS in cellular adaptive response (G-10). Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and Glutathione Reductase GPx is an enzyme that contains a single selenocysteine (Sec) residue in each of four identical subunits, which are essential to the enzyme’s activity. Humans have four different GPx types: (1) a classic cytosolic form; (2) a membrane-associated GPx phospholipids, (3) another cytoplasmic enzyme, gastrointestinal GPx; and (4) an extracellular type. All GPx enzymes are known to add two electrons to reduce peroxides by selenols forming (Se-OH). GPx antioxidant properties allow them to eliminate peroxides as potential substrates for Fenton’s reaction. Glutathione peroxidase works together with glutathione tripeptide (GSH), which is present in cells in high (micromolar) concentrations. The substrate for the GPx catalytic reaction is H2O2 or organic peroxide ROOH. Glutathione peroxidase catalyzes hydroperoxide reduction using GSH, thus protecting mammalian cells against oxidative damage. Glutathione metabolism is one of the most important antioxidant defense mechanisms (G-10). Together with classic H2O2-removing enzymes (CAT and GSH-Px), the enzyme thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is a seleno-flavoprotein which forms the thioredoxin system together with the protein thioredoxin (Trx) and NADPH. This is an effective system to reduce proteins in disulfide form and it also participates actively in the removal of H2O2 and other peroxides (G-57). 4) Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) TrxR catalyzes the reduction of Trx especially, but in humans it can also reduce other substrates, such as vitamin C. This reductase also catalyzes the reduction of disulfide proteins and it is involved in countless vital processes, such as DNA synthesis and the regulation of apoptosis. Additionally, this system also donates electrons during DNA synthesis, and NADPH and human TrxR by themselves or with Trx are efficient electron donors to this human plasma peroxidase, which allows this enzyme to reduce hydroperoxides even when there are low levels of GSH available (G-52). There are three identified TrxR isoenzymes: cytosolic (TrxR-1), mitochondrial (TrxR-2), and a third isoenzyme which has been isolated from the mitochondrion of rat testes (TrxR-3). TrxR-1 has wide substrate specificity, since it is responsible for reducing not only Trx but also hydroperozides, lipoic acid, ubiquinone, and dehydroascorbate. Thus, the Trx system is regarded as having a crucial role maintaining a cell’s redox state. It may also have a role in the system which regulates the expression of redox-sensitive genes through the activation of transcription factors (G-58). Non-enzymatic Antioxidants Vitamin E (ÃŽ ±-tocopherol) The lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamin E is localized in the cell membrane and has been targeted for its relation to atherosclerosis and vascular function. Decreased concentration vitamin E (ÃŽ ±-tocopherol) scavenges the chain-carrying peroxyl radicals rapidly and interrupts the chain propagation. During this reaction, vitamin E becomes a free radical called tocopheryl, which is less reactive than the lipid radical and migrates to the surface of the membrane to be transformed again into tocopherol through the action of ascorbic acid (G-72) (Fig-9). However, in elevated concentrations the tocopheryl radical may act as pro-oxidant. On the other hand, ÃŽ ²-carotene is a hydrophilic precursor of vitamin A and large concentrations accumulate in the membranes of certain tissues. Its antioxidant activity is related to the removal of O2−†¢ and free radicals formed during lipid peroxidation. This activity is due to its conjugated double-bonded structure that can dislocate unpaired electrons, which enables ÃŽ ²-carotene to physically quench singlet oxygen without degradation (G-65). Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) Vitamin C is a hydrosoluble antioxidant, which facilitates its diffusion into intra- and extracellular matrices. Its antioxidant potential is related to direct removal of O2−†¢ and HO†¢. Furthermore, it contributes to regenerating oxidized vitamin E; however, vitamin C also has pro-oxidant activity. It may be the one compound, in addition to HO†¢, that can convert Fe3+ into Fe2+, which then reacts with H2O2 to form OH. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that participates in a large number of cell functions (antio 5). All

The Cycle of Sacrifice in the Roman Catholic Mass :: Religion Christianity Judaism Essays

The Cycle of Sacrifice in the Roman Catholic Mass The Christian Church is centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is what set the early Christians apart from their Jewish roots. In the Christian Church the notion of sacrifice is based on Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrifice. This comes from a long tradition of sacrifice throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Jewish tradition there are sacrifices made at certain times of the year. For example, traditionally during Passover each family has a rabbi sacrifice a lamb. The Jewish belief is that this sacrifice must take place every year at Passover. The Christian belief has changed since the death of Christ. Christians believe Christ has become the one true sacrifice. The reason the sacrifice of the Hebrews must be continued is two fold. The Hebrew sacrifice is made to God, by a priest who is imperfect, and the sacrifice itself is also imperfect. This imperfection and the presence of sin prevent the sacrifice from becoming eternal and therefore must be rep eated. In the Christian view, Jesus is the perfect victim and the perfect sacrificer. The emphasis on sacrifice in the Catholic Church has changed. In the earliest days bread was broken in a meal of fellowship. Eyewitness accounts of the works of Jesus Christ were the center of the fathering. It was a gathering of a community of believers. Gradually this emphasis on community and discussion has changed to an emphasis on the sacrifice of Jesus. By the middle ages this is the center of all. People came to adore the Blessed Sacrament while the priest offered the sacrifice. This centrality on the eucharist and the priest as sacrificer was solidified by the Council of Trent. In time, the people yearned for a greater participation in the liturgy. This led to the Second Vatican Council in which great changes to the liturgy resulted in a shift of emphasis back to the words and works of Jesus and to the people as the mystical body of Christ. In the earliest church there was little to no mention of sacrifice. The focus of the beliefs of the community was around the resurrection and good works of Jesus. Just after the death of Christ, Jewish Christians gathered in homes after the Temple service. The Cycle of Sacrifice in the Roman Catholic Mass :: Religion Christianity Judaism Essays The Cycle of Sacrifice in the Roman Catholic Mass The Christian Church is centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is what set the early Christians apart from their Jewish roots. In the Christian Church the notion of sacrifice is based on Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrifice. This comes from a long tradition of sacrifice throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Jewish tradition there are sacrifices made at certain times of the year. For example, traditionally during Passover each family has a rabbi sacrifice a lamb. The Jewish belief is that this sacrifice must take place every year at Passover. The Christian belief has changed since the death of Christ. Christians believe Christ has become the one true sacrifice. The reason the sacrifice of the Hebrews must be continued is two fold. The Hebrew sacrifice is made to God, by a priest who is imperfect, and the sacrifice itself is also imperfect. This imperfection and the presence of sin prevent the sacrifice from becoming eternal and therefore must be rep eated. In the Christian view, Jesus is the perfect victim and the perfect sacrificer. The emphasis on sacrifice in the Catholic Church has changed. In the earliest days bread was broken in a meal of fellowship. Eyewitness accounts of the works of Jesus Christ were the center of the fathering. It was a gathering of a community of believers. Gradually this emphasis on community and discussion has changed to an emphasis on the sacrifice of Jesus. By the middle ages this is the center of all. People came to adore the Blessed Sacrament while the priest offered the sacrifice. This centrality on the eucharist and the priest as sacrificer was solidified by the Council of Trent. In time, the people yearned for a greater participation in the liturgy. This led to the Second Vatican Council in which great changes to the liturgy resulted in a shift of emphasis back to the words and works of Jesus and to the people as the mystical body of Christ. In the earliest church there was little to no mention of sacrifice. The focus of the beliefs of the community was around the resurrection and good works of Jesus. Just after the death of Christ, Jewish Christians gathered in homes after the Temple service.

Personal Responsibility of Macbeth in Spakespeares Macbeth :: essays research papers

Let me ask just one question, have you ever heard anyone say something, that deep down it is known that, that is not right? Of course, everyone has been in that circumstance. Just because someone ‘tells’ you to do something does not mean that the deed gets done, right? If someone ‘told’ me to murder a lot of people, I’m not going to do it. The same follows for Macbeth. In the novel Macbeth written by William Shakespeare the main character, Macbeth, is told that he will become King. The only logical way to become king (in his own mind) is to kill the existing one, King Duncan. Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife, has no uncertainty at all, in fact she wants him to become king more than he does, and tells him to murder Duncan to obtain this position. As one can see Macbeth not only knows what he is doing, but he knows what he is doing is wrong. Macbeth was not an unintelligent individual. In fact before he was crowned king, he was the thane of Cawdor. The novel insinuates that Macbeth was having uncertainties, â€Å"and cursed thoughts.† (2.1.8) To paraphrase lightly, the novel states, when Macbeth arrives at Inverness, Lady Macbeth overrides all of her husbands’ objections, and persuades him to kill the king that night. Telling us that he knew what he was doing was wrong! All he needed was a little persuading. Not only does Macbeth kill the king, but he stabs him in his sleep, along with all his chamberlains’ men. Also we know that he is fully aware of his wrong- doing is he had supernatural portents, like a vision of a, â€Å"bloody dagger of the mind/ a false creation.† (2.1.38-39) Macbeth pre- meditated this murder, and all the ones to come. Every human is born with a subconscious thought process known as your common sense. Not to kill is one of them. Yes, killing took place a lot more in that era, but it does not make it right to do so, but Macbeth’s greed took precedence over all these peoples’ lives, in fact, when Macbeth speaks to himself he states that his life is that of a â€Å"fruitless crown,† (3.1.62) or having no heir to the throne. Macbeth not only killed the king and his chamberlain’s men, but also Banquo, Banquo’s son Fleance, Lady Macduff, all the Macduff children.