What Does the Concept of Dignity mean to Stevens?

Stevens is a unique character whose life evolves solely around his profession and how he can both maintain his dignity and become recognised through his work. The concept of dignity has ruled his entire life and he believes it his duty to remain dignified in all circumstances in order to be classed as a â€Å"great butler†. His metaphorical journey however reveals that in trying to accomplish this, he has lost the vital element which must be sustained in life, human warmth. Stevens defines dignity as, â€Å"Something one can meaningfully strive for throughout one's career†, compared to Mr Graham's views that â€Å"dignity is something one possesses,† which seems more reasonable from the reader's point of view. The critic Richard Locke asks what dignity there is in not making one's own mistakes and refers to the consequent sorrow and remorse that follows, saying â€Å"such rueful wisdom much be retrospective. † This certainly explains Stevens' unemotional behaviour in his mission to attain dignity because he has since regretted not â€Å"making his own mistakes† and living life to the fullest. Instead, he delicately portrays his Father's views, who was â€Å"indeed the embodiment of dignity†, because he is not able to conceive his own opinions having followed Lord Darlington's orders all his life. Furthermore, Stevens has incorporated the Hayes Society perspectives of dignity and related them to that of his father stating that he had, â€Å"Dignity in keeping with his position†, again proving that he can not form his own views and has again had to use someone else's. Stevens is so concerned with dignity and yet his misinterpretation of it, together with the emphasis his father put on it, has left him unable to calculate his own ideas on what dignity actually is and has thus naively lead him into an empty life. It is his father's stress on the tiger anecdote that has in my view confused Stevens, the idea being that a butler resorts to dramatic lengths to ensure that â€Å"no discernible traces† of the tiger â€Å"are left†. It is the fact that his father â€Å"knew instinctively that somewhere in this story lay the kernel of what true dignity is,† and Stevens does not, but yet continues to follow his father's perspectives because he considers him a â€Å"great butler†. Everyone is motivated by aspirations to climb higher, and Stevens' ultimate goal is to be acknowledged as a â€Å"great butler†. He feels he comes significantly closer to his quest at a conference Lord Darlington, holds for the most important delegates in Europe. At the conference he believes that he is heavily relied upon to oil the friction between the delegates from different countries by ensuring that the guests have nothing whatsoever to complain about. Whilst the delegates attend these various conferences, Stevens' father is very ill, however Stevens is more willing to return to work than attend to his sick father who is the only family Stevens has left. There has always been a cold relationship between the two, both of them only conversing over professional issues, and Stevens respects his father not for being a good father but a good butler. As Stevens is devoid of sentiment he can only judge others based on their dignity and we see how important Stevens' views on dignity are because it defies how he interacts and relates with others. Not only does he describes his father as â€Å"dark and severe†, which is dignity personified, he refers to him in the third person, â€Å"I hope father is feeling better now. † His lack of emotion proves to the reader how empty Stevens is, and in order for him to fill this emptiness, Stevens primarily concerns himself with dignity. Despite his father always being detached, he ironically asks, â€Å"Have I been a good father? † However, Stevens coldly dismisses his gesture, and in doing this, he loses any chance of a positive relationship with his remaining family. Furthermore, it is his arrogant ignoring of Mr Cardinal who tells him of Lord Darlington's wrong attitude to the Nazis and of Miss Kenton's attempts to give him one last chance to propose, that severely damaged his chances of becoming a â€Å"great person† and hence a â€Å"great butler†. However, he ironically recalls this experience with â€Å"a large sense of â€Å"triumph†, and consequently dismisses any hope of happiness as he is prepared to place professionalism before relationships. Stevens is also unable to communicate to the reader his true intentions for undertaking the excursion, stating that he wishes to improve the current â€Å"staff plan† however the reader perceives that he wants to visit Miss Kenton, and hence becomes â€Å"an unreliable narrator†, always placing a professional spin on everything. He believes that he is respected for his dignity, and thus judges others on how dignified they are. Dignity means everything to Stevens, it being all he has and hence his profession becomes his life, unable to even call holiday clothes by their true name but instead a â€Å"costume. † A costume implies a disguise worn to hide the true person underneath thus stating that Stevens is not the person to undertake holidays as it distracts him from his work. Another significant point demonstrating Stevens' unreliability is his relationship with former employer Lord Darlington. Everyone must feel good about themselves in order to remain optimistic in life and Stevens accomplishes this by feeling good about being a good butler working for a good master. Despite dedicating the best years of his life to Lord Darlington, Stevens is then quick to deny any knowledge of his former employer once we hear of his connections with the Nazis in World War Two. At Mortimers Pond significantly halfway through the novel, another butler of a lesser stature than himself attends to his car and he asks if he actually worked for Lord Darlington, to which Stevens replies, â€Å"Oh no, I am employed by Mr John Farraday. † Stevens is deliberately misleading about his past relationship with Lord Darlington because of his associations with the Nazis, as the truth would have severely damaged his self-esteem. However, the reader is first given a hint of Stevens' unreliability through his deliberate changing of his mind and misinterpretation of events which have occurred. Stevens corrects himself when he recalls passing Miss Kenton's room and originally believes that she is crying, however on reflection he realises that it is not due to the untimely death of her Aunt, but her acceptance to marry Mr Benn, and that her efforts to provoke him into action had gone unnoticed. Miss Kenton asks him â€Å"Do you want me to stay†, giving Stevens the opportunity to react and tell her how he feels, however he ignores these blatant signs and continues to neglect the forming of relationships in order to protect his reputation. The reality is that he changed his mind about these events in order to shield himself from the painful truth that he is destined to spend the rest of his life alone because he chose dignity above warmth. Everything Stevens encounters on his excursion, he relates to his profession. He travels to Mursden, not as a tourist, but an admirer of the famous silver polish, and naively believes that using this has had positive repercussions all over Europe. However, Stevens has again attempted to selfishly pass something off as his own, so that he can feel good and important, helping him to fill the emptiness left from a lack of human warmth and intimacy. Despite Stevens' clear longing for a close relationship with anyone, he still feels the urge to place his pride above what really matters. At Mortimer's Pond, he refuses to walk around it for fear of dirtying his shoes because no self-respecting butler would allow that to happen and says, â€Å"My footwear is not such as to permit me easily to walk around the perimeter. † Stevens gullibly believes that others really care about how he looks and acts, and he must therefore strive to create a good impression and remain dignified. He sadly also realises that in order to qualify as a â€Å"great butler†, he had to work for an employer of proven â€Å"moral worth†, yet he has just disowned any knowledge of working for Lord Darlington when quizzed about it earlier. Realistically, Stevens is living in the past and refuses to change his ways because they have brought him his dignity, and his archaic, well structured English clarifies the fact that he has learnt his English from historical, classical books and not social context or conversations. The mere fact Stevens lives in the past is saddening as life should be full of new experiences, but instead he effectively shields himself behind his profession and exploits it as an excuse to visit new places. His old-fashioned lifestyle furthermore forbids him to look symbolically beyond the surface at Mortimer's pond and delve underneath to find the truth, and only when he meets Miss Kenton is he forced to change his perspectives and views on life. His relationship with Miss Kenton has allowed him to modernise his views as he would before judge people on the surface and converse with them on purely professional terms. Although his liaison with Miss Kenton has not altered his perceptions on dignity, he has become aware that there is perhaps more to life than work Although the reader may sympathise with Stevens and respect him, his pitiful behaviour is also both extremely noticeable and frustrating. In the unfortunate incident concerning the dismissing of the two Jewish maids, Stevens will not admit that he did not stand up for something he knew was wrong. He says, â€Å"We must not let sentiment creep into our judgement†, but ironically it is his higher regard for dignity which has ensured that he avoids sentiment throughout his entire life, and once again the reader becomes aware of Stevens' outdated response because he is prepared to place dignity above what is right. Furthermore, he ironically says that dignity is â€Å"not removing one's clothing in public†. Whether he is attempting to banter is left deliberately ambiguous, however what he says is ironic to the reader because he does not remove his clothes in private and maintains his professional persona even in his social life. To remove clothing suggests relaxation and freedom, a characteristic the reader never associates with Stevens because of his overwhelming obsession with dignity which has cost him so much. Stevens views dignity as a key to success, living his whole life by it and striving to remain dignified in every single possible circumstance he is subjected to. In his fixation with dignity, he has ultimately committed the deadly sin of pride and has thus condemned himself to a life of emptiness. He is deliberately aiming to aspire to the stature of his father, Stevens believing that he achieved so much acclaim through his dignified manner. However, at the end of the novel, it is left ambiguous whether he will strive to maintain his dignity or seek to change his ways and become more intimate and emotional with people when he discovers that â€Å"bantering is the key to human warmth. â€Å"

Customer service paper

According to Mint Gang † being able to understand and create the human connection, from understanding the customer to building a legislations to sharing that interest and passion, is now taking centre stage for the service industry as expectations rise – not Just among local customers, but international visitors as well (2013). Keeping this information in mind the results of the survey have been determined areas have received positive scores however some questions asked lead to negative gaps in the organizations customer service.Due to the negative scores that some questions received the Mavericks staff has decided to implement a new performance management system, a mentoring system that revised instant feedback and testing that will reinforce the employee's knowledge. Mavericks will also be introducing weekly meeting with its staff to ensure the players are receiving the best possible gaming experience. Data Collection Instrument Used Due to the complexity of a question naire that allows the surveyors to remark on the service being provided Mavericks Poker Room has opted to utilize a liker scale method to get the results of its customer service.A liker scale method was designed and used by Mavericks Poker Room to evaluate the findings of the customer service bevel that is being received by patrons. The scale that was used is a 1 to 5 rate system with 1 being the low and 5 being the high. Surveyors were asked ten questions to determine the level of customer service that is being delivered to the patrons. The survey was designed with easy to answer questions. Avoid technical Jargon when designing the questions to ensure accurate answers. Keeping the survey simple to understand and relevant to subject matter.In the liker scale open ended questions are avoided to not confuse the surveyor. The design of this survey is to determine Lear and precise answers of weak areas in need of improvement. Analysis of Data Collected Using table 1. 1 below it is deter mined that are areas Mavericks needs to consider improving upon. Surveyors were asked in Question 2 if they thought the dealers were fair among players. Question 2 received and average score of 2. 4 under the acceptable score of 3. 0. The management at Mavericks may want to consider a meeting to correct the implication that some players feel they have been unfairly treated.Question 2 can also consist of player perceptions and may not initially be as accurate as the management staff was looking for. If the surveyor is a disgruntled or angry customer the perceptions of fair and bias treatment may be blurred by the emotional state of the player. Question 7 asks if the dealers are consistent. This question also earned a negative average score of 1. 8; this should be a major concern for the management. The management team will need to consider a training session to make sure the entire staff is running their table exactly the same way. Another negative gap is shown in question 10.Questio n 10 asks if the players feel the tables re controlled properly. This question received and average score of 1. 8. This is another area that could be covered in a training session to ensure no confusion about the obligations of the dealer. All other questions in the survey scored 3. 0 and above ensuring that most of the customer service at Mavericks is at an acceptable standard. Table 1. 1 Due to the negative gaps in customer service Maverick's analyzed the average score of the on an individual basis. These results were a bit confusing to the management team. The negative gaps did not exist individually.As shown in Table 1. The average overall score for each individual is comparable to each other. Surveyor 1 has an average score of 3. 1, Surveyor 2 has an average score of 3. 1, Surveyor 3 has an average score of 3. 0, Surveyor 4 has an average score of 3. 0, and Surveyor 5 has an average score of 3. 5. If we add all individual scores and divide them by the number of questions Maveri cks has an overall ranking of 3. 14. Mavericks has required an average customer service score of 3. 0 with which the organization is meeting as a whole. However, there are individual areas that are not meeting the 3. Goal. Table . 2 After analyzing the results of the surveys the areas that have scored lower may be an affect of emotional intelligence. According to an article from Teller Vision emotional intelligence is linked to the way individuals treat others. The article states â€Å"emotional intelligence can make or break someone's work performance† (Teller Vision, 2013). Looking at the results it is determined that all of the questions that score low are in individual performance. With this information Mavericks needs to determine what kind of training would help eliminate these issues. RecommendationsIt is the recommendation that Mavericks Room needs improvement in some of the areas surveyed. The results of the survey reflect that question 2 that asks if the customers b elieve that the dealers are fair to all players. Because of these results it is the decision to implement a performance management system that will ensure closer monitoring of the dealers. Implementing a system that focuses on appraisals will help indicate where the weaknesses are and which dealers are in need of training. It is the perception of the players that there are unfair acts or bias decisions made by the dealers.These perceptions may not be as accurate as the survey is stating. Perceptions are based on what the player's perceive and may not be the actual reflection of the dealer's Job performance. It is the belief of Mavericks management that once the performance management system is implemented the true results of the dealer's fairness and unbiased actions will be reflected on the performance appraisal. â€Å"Performance Management is a continuous process of identifying, measuring, and developing the performance of individuals and teams aligning performance with the stra tegic goals of the company' (Gauguin, 2013 p. ). The performance system will include performance appraisals and timely feedback to the dealers whether it be positive or negative. If the appraisal reflects negative scores the dealer will then be able to do a development plan for the areas indicated. The development plan will ensure the dealer is working toward the goal of providing the fairest gaming experience. A performance management system will assist the management staff with the gathering of information to analyze if the dealers are being unfair or bias, or if this is Just a perception of players that have had bad experiences at the gaming table.Many organizations utilize the performance management systems to ensure the quality of work employees are providing. There was also a negative result in question 7 which asks if the dealers seem to be consistent among the players. Consistency is a major concerned for management staff. If the dealers are not being consistent at the table s there is room for the players to be inconsistent as well. It is the decision of Mavericks to incorporate training program that will be ensure all dealers are consistent and all making the same decisions and calls at the table. All dealers will be required to take on a two week period of mentoring.A mentor will provide wisdom, technical knowledge, and assistance to the dealer throughout the two week period. Mentoring â€Å"is about relationships in organizations that enhance individuals' development in the early, middle, and later career years. It is the thought of Mavericks management that if they take their most seasoned consistent dealer and have them be a mentor to the other dealers the consistency of the dealers should rise to a higher level. After the two week period the management staff will sit with the mentor and the dealer to refry that the dealer does not have any questions and to provide feedback to the employee.After all dealers have been mentored the management staff has also decided to periodically test the dealers to ensure they are maintaining a consistent level of service to the players. There was also a negative result to question 10 which asks if the customers feel dealers control the table in a manner for a player to enjoy themselves. It is the thought of the Mavericks staff that once the implementation of a new performance management system and the new mentoring program that the results for question en will be improved with knowledge the dealers will gain.However, Mavericks still wants to ensure the dealers are maintaining control of their tables. The problem with controlling the tables is that often the dealers are dealing with angry customers. Because dealers work so closely with people and their money the players can sometimes become very frustrated taking aggressions out on the dealer making for a hostile work environment. According to Anne Grandstander â€Å"it takes a lot of skill to deal with displeased people when they have a p roblem with the problem or service† (2004, p. 234 up. L).To ensure that the tables are being controlled at all times the management staff has decided that they will implement weekly meetings. These meetings will ensure that the dealers are aware of any changes that may be taking place that may help them control the tables in the most consistent and constant manner. During these meetings the dealers will be able to inform the management staff of any concern or issues that they may be having at the tables that would create a pleasurable gaming experience for the customers. Conclusion Mavericks Poker Room conducted a survey to determine the level of customer revere the patrons are receiving.After conducting the survey the results were gathered and analyzed showing negative gaps in areas of dealer fairness, consistency, and control of the tables for enjoyment of the players. Recommendations were made to implement a performance management system that will ensure the fair treatment of players. A performance system will also ensure that the perceptions of the players are accurate and not that of biased results. It is also the decision of Mavericks management to implement new training techniques. These techniques consist of mentoring and testing to ensure consistency among the Mavericks staff.By mentoring the more seasoned employees the dealers will remain consistent when making calls and decisions at the table. Mavericks will also be implementing weekly meeting to ensure the control of the tables are remaining constant. Mavericks is looking to provide the best possible gaming experience to its patrons. By utilizing this information and implementing new ways to meet customer standards Mavericks is sure to be a successful establishment. References Gauguin, H. (2013). Performance management (3rd deed. ). Boston: Pearson. â€Å"Emotional intelligence† a key factor in on-the-Job success. 013). Teller Vision, (1425), 1-2. Retrieved from http://search. Protest. Com/deceive/ Gang, M. (2013, Jan 01). The customer is not always right. The Business Times. Retrieved from http://search. Protest. Com/deceive/ 1265909746? Accounted=8473 Mentoring at work: Developmental relationships in organizational life. Kara, Kathy E. Lankan, MD, England: University Press of America. (1988). Xiii 252 up. Http:// essence. Pap. Org/psyching/1988-97625-000 Grandstander, A. (2004). Serving internal and external customers. Upper Saddle River, N. J. : Prentice Hall. Rate our serviceEach question will be on a 1-5 scale 1 being least and 5 being to most happy with service. 1. Do you feel the customer service is satisfactory 2. Do you feel the dealers are fair among the players 3. Do you feel the pit-bosses are knowledgeable 4. Do you like the environment 5. Do you feel the dealers are equipped with knowledge of the game 6. Do you feel the dealers know the policies and rules of the poker house 7. Are dealers consistent 8. Are pit-bosses consistent 9. Do feel the tourna ment structure is acceptable for players 10. Do you feel the dealers control the table in a manner for a player to enjoy themselves?

Manners and Customs of Ancient Greece

As I began reading this book, I found that it is amazing how so many historians whether they may be researching Grecian history or any other country. It seems that they all or the majority has different opinions on their findings. Therefore, it puzzles me to what is fable and what is fact. In many cases, some things are yet to be seen. Even the ancients them selves seem to be uncertain. Even through glimpses of links connecting them with there past. They to argued about what was fact and what was fable. It appears that the country Helene that in imitation of the Romans came to be known as Hellas, we now call India. I found it amazing how the progress of time came through the names of the following. Originally the city Thessaly built by Hellen son of Deucalion; next Phthiotis, Thessaly, all of Greece except of Peloponnesos, sometimes of Macedonia, now thessaly it self sometimes of Epeirous, and then all of Greece was within Aegean, and all these countries were inhabited by Greeks. It would appear that the most annuitant Pelosgia left from the race whose first people occupied that part of Europe. There does seem to be one fact established that the Hellenes were not the first who occupied Greece they came after a number of tribes of the Pelasgion origin. No one really knows there are many arguments about this as well. I found it funny or odd that these discussions would be dismissed when an agreement could be met; however they would easily remove the difficulty by coming to an agreement by inventing a hero or demigod that suited everyone's purpose. So as earlier mentioned, from Hellen they agreed on the name of Hellenes, also Heracleidae came to be known as Heracles and Ionians as Ion; and Pelasgos the son of Zeus. Up to this point, there was little information to guide us, although there was always light poetry that dawned around them. Although historians tell us there were, facts that couldn't be ignored such as the Thoacians being entirely of Pelasgian origin. Also, the Macedonians were plainly of the same stock as with the Thracians. It is obvious that there were many tribes and even different denominations and it seems to me that they all came from or descended from the same race. This brings me to the characteristics of the Greeks. As I have read this too if one would think long, enough about it how even our characteristics of today are not so different from a time long ago. When poetry places them before us, it is profound for the divinity and everything connected with service of religion. Gods and men moved together over the earth cooperated in bringing about events. Although we as a whole worship one God instead of many; history shows us in many ways it has had to take men and God in bringing about events whether it be by what some call faith, and like history books some must have had it proven to them. As for the Greek's keeping up with a constant interchange of beneficence the Gods aiding the mortal repaying his aid with gratitude an example of this was the mortal submitting to the Gods guidance and to be directed. Sometimes as in the case of Odysseus and Athena, the feeling of grace and favor on the one side and of veneration and gratitude on the other was unexpected. Don't we in some since expect the same from our prayers? By that I mean give gratitude to our God and by giving offering each Sunday, isn't this also a way we give gratitude for what God has done for us. I found it amazing as I read how much a like in characteristics we are in the twenty first century to our ancestors who lived so many years ago. Many of us today are very merciful and caring for the poor. The Greeks also had a high respect for their elders. I also found it extremely fascinating that the Greeks had believed that parents held or had no right to any type of higher honor. People who were blessed with children were regarded as instruments by which God had communicated the mysterious and sacred gift of life. These people actually believed the parents were supposed by their children to be forever invested with a high degree of sanctity as ministers and representatives of the creator. Hence, the anxiety experienced to obtain a Father's blessing and the indescribable dread of his curse. A peculiar set of events, the terrible Erin's, all but implacable and unsparing were entrusted with the guardianship of parent's rights. Now, I can't help but think about how the Greeks felt toward friendship almost as if their friendships were more important than the wonderful blessing of parenting. Not that friendship is not extremely important especially true friendship, but nothing is more precious than the gift of being blessed with a child. The Greeks adored friendship between two men. There is no evidence shown in any other country's history or traditions so many examples of this virtue as in those of the Greeks. In Greece, these people felt that when two men became friends it was more important than a marriage between a man and wife. The friendship through their eyes was as one they were completely united as one. They were like twins, what one felt the other felt. Their thoughts were the same. One did not have and independent thought, if one was slashed than the other as well. They had the same opinions. They faced adventures, dangers, absolutely everything together, even death. As peculiar as I personally may find their friendships to be, I find it also peculiar of the configuration and productions. This was considered the most remarkable feature in Greece consisting in great many varieties of forms, which its surface assumes in the territories of the numerous states into which the country was divided. Of these, two resemble each other, whether in physical structure, climate, or production. It is said that the general atmosphere of Greece is mild, but not in every part. Greece is known to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. They have palm trees and the myrtle flourishes in sight of the pine. Greece is known to have tropical birds of beauty that can not be found any other place in the world. Although they do have storms frequently with what we might say is giant sized hail there is also eternal snow. In Macedonia, it is known to be rocky and bold. Speaking about the beauty of Greece and it's surroundings a person can not help but think of Athens and Sprat, which are known to be representatives of Greece when it came to education. I can not help but think of what Apollo once commanded. If the citizen wanted respect and intelligent children, they must put what is most beautiful in the ears of their sons. They bored one of the lobes and inserted a gold earring. Those people who wore a gold earring would become good men and be preservers of the country. Whatever education had to give was also to be given to every citizen. With education mentioned, I must mention of what I read about the children, their birth, as well as the women who gave birth. The care of the children was taken care of even before they were born. The mothers were actually given rules while they were pregnant, although as I read many things women were made to do are what women today choose to do, such as eating certain foods and exercising. Wine was prohibited and only water was the drink allowed by the expecting mother. I for one did not drink wine when I was pregnant either and I still drink a great deal of water. During the period of a woman's pregnancy she was believed to have been watched over and protected by the goddess Eileithyia, who was considered the mother of love. Newborn infants in Greece bathed in cold water. In Sparta, they bathed in wine. In Athens, newborn children were laid on golden amulets in the form of dragons, which were supposed to commemorate Athena's delivery of Erichthonios to the care of the two guardians. Under certain circumstances, instead of joy and gladness, the birth of a child was, as in Thrice, and event of sorrow and misery. It supposedly announced the fact of an approaching enemy. I find it extraordinary that when it came to education the Greeks atlas tried to educate the poor as well as the wealthy in one form or another, but when it came to the birth of the poor woman's child she many times would be driven to despair. Therefore, her hands would be filled with the blood of her child, with many boogies and rejoicing. On the fifth day from birth, a ceremony took place, which was called amphdromia. The child was named usually until about the tenth day, this was because if an infant was going to die they believed it would be within ten days. The child was usually named according to what derived from some circumstance that had been going on around the time of conception or the birth. For example, thus Mariposa, Homer being born away from Apollo attained the name of Halcyon, was inconsolable for the loss of her baby. Of course when we mention children we have to think about what on earth kinds of toys did the children have and what kind of games did they play? I found it interesting that some played with a rattle that was actually made from that of a rattlesnake. Some had little chariots built by their slaves of course these were probably the richer children. Boys when able would pretend they were at war. In Greece as everywhere else education took place in the nursery. At birth a child was furnished with ideas in his mind, as his intelligence would seem to strengthen the five sluices, which let in, as they believed to be all the flood of knowledge, this afterwards overflows his mind. Most education consists of observing the child. A most important part of the education for the boys consisted of physical discipline. Whether it was started by the men for lack of something to do, instead of going to war in a far off place, or as a tribute to the Gods gymnastics played an important role in every boy's education. It was discouraged for a boy or a young man to make a profession of gymnastics, because as a warrior this person could not go very long without water or food. Although they were huge in stature and had enormous strength, they were susceptible to fatal attacks from disease if they departed form their usual habits and regime. It seems that dance also played an important part of gymnastics routine. In Athens, it was a mark of illiberal education to be ignorant of the various forms of dancing. It was considered an absolute necessity by all Greeks to excel in the accomplishment of dance. Whether it was for the preparation for the performance or the learning of the movements to help in battle dace was widely accepted as much as any religious right. The Cretans, the Spartans, the Thessalians, and the Boeotians held this division of gymnastics in particular honor, chiefly with an outlook to war. The Athenians and Ionians most generally contemplated it more as a means of developing the beauty of the form, and conferring ease and elegance on the motion and display Its really becomes clear in this chapter of the book that the Olympic games both winter and summer, track and field, and inside games were started by the ancient Greeks. I never really understood their importance until now, I knew they had a lot to do with the creation of the games, but it seems they covered all the bases. They prepared them selves for war they were fulfilling their duties as citizens and at the same time brought to perfection their strength, their vigor, and their manly beauty. They also knew that a healthy body created a healthy mind and improved learning performance. The healthy body was of great use during the hunt. The chase would often last for hours or days. To herdsman and shepherds, it was an occupation to them. The highly learned and educated often hunted for the fun of the chase, while the poorer population hunted for food and clothing from their kills. Dogs or hounds were often used in the chase or hunt, and many great fables of that time were of fearless dogs that in the presence of their master would even attack a lion. Their use of camouflage and knowledge of traps and snares was used extensively for they were very intense hunters. It seems to me that a lot of their hunting skills came from education and enrichment of their athletic abilities and they were able to use what they had learned in the gymnasium or on the field to track or hunt their game. Last but certainly not least in the education of the young was philosophy and poetry it was even considered a branch of the field sports and was enjoyed rather than studied. They were taken to small amounts of material and would go over and over it to let it sink in rather than to learn large amount of knowledge that they might soon forget. Philosophy in Greece comprehended religion, and to be religious was to act justly, benevolently, mercifully towards men, humbly and reverent toward God. It was necessary to possess knowledge of the whole theory of ethics, since virtue in their opinions was incompatible with ignorance. They believed like I do that if a man is a moral being he is accountable to the laws of God and his country and his duties to that country. And as in all free states (I thought this was a powerful statement) reasoning and persuasion, not blind will and brute force are the instruments of government. As I end this report, I can't end it without giving my feelings about what I have read. In my opinion, I found this book overwhelming at times. Many words as in emotions came to me as I read it.

Biomedical Ethics Should healthcare be public or private Essay

Biomedical Ethics Should healthcare be public or private - Essay Example Grounded in the concepts of fairness, equity, and solidarity, Canada’s system ensures that people can access health care in the public sectors. Nonetheless, a debate on whether Canada and abroad ensures the right to health is rampant. Whereas some stipulate that Canada fails to offer the human rights to healthcare, others point out that the Canada’s system of health care is sufficient despite the failure to put the phrase of human rights in their documents. As such, exploration on whether the rights to healthcare are explored in Canada’s system of healthcare is paramount. This essay clarifies that the Canadian health care system ensures that all people have the right to healthcare despite the fact that the phrase human right lacks in documentation. Typically, the healthcare system in Canada is publicly funded hence; access to health services is free for all members within the country. As directed by the implementation of Canada health act, the government assures all its citizens access quality health care. The fact that healthcare is public means that accessing healthcare is cost effective thus; catering for the needs of all people notwithstanding their economic status. Every doctor in every province should claim the insurance from provincial insurers. Canada’s private insurance is kept very minimal to avoid competition from advertisements of commercial insurers and health providers that may interfere with the quality of healthcare. Although to some point competition may be regarded as good, in the case of healthcare in Canada, it is not. This is because it may lead to privatization and marginalization of some economically unstable individuals who may lose trust with the public centers, but may not afford the private centers. The term rights to health care is particularly important to the poor people who are technically disadvantaged in terms of accessing costly health care. Kluge defines this kind of people as those who are known as congenitally incompetent patients who lack the cognitive awareness and will never be competent . Therefore, a country that ensures that all people can access affordable and quality care at their disposal is one that respects the individual’s rights to healthcare. With this view, Canada is one of those countries that respect and fulfill the principle of individual’s right to healthcare. One of the values that guide the provisions of healthcare in Canada is portability. Here, portability means that citizens of the country can access healthcare at any province within the country as long as one carries his or her card. This implies that incase one is travelling and gets an emergency; there is no call for alarm. Likewise, people who move from provinces to provinces as a requirement of their jobs do need to undergo unnecessary procedures to ensure that they acquire affordable healthcare. The notion of this principle implies that people can access medical care at any place w ithout any limitation (Baylis 152). A keen look at this concept indicates that human rights to healthc

Creativity in a Business Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Creativity in a Business Context - Essay Example Such industries like the publishing, the entertainment industry are called the creative industries. However business also taps the creative abilities of individual employees in their chosen line of business to stay ahead of competition. Harnessing and utilizing this is a much more challenging task. Accounts is one of the oldest functions of business, and has evolved over a period of 500 years and is based on historical costs and transactions reporting. According to the American Accounting Association (AAA), accounting can be defined as: Difficult as it may be to combine creativity and business, it will be even more so associating accounts function with creativity. Accounting is about adhering and following strict guidelines and rules as per stringently laid accounting norms while representing the financial transactions of the business. Creativity in accounting has got negative connotations, especially after the recent global financial crisis. There is a constant call to increase and tighten reporting norms. (E.g. the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, 2002). Accounting is about measurement and control, which could kill creativity. For the purpose of maintaining the correct perspective on the topic, a brief note on the link between innovation and creativity is necessary. Creativity is about generating new ideas, new perspectives, Innovation are the process of converting it into a product/service from which the firm will derive value. No business is interested in creativity for creativity's sake, but sees it as a means of generating innovations by which it moves forward in the competitive market. In any organization a good balance of focus on each would be necessary. Too much emphasis on creativity would mean lot of ideas, but little commercialization. Too much focus on commercialization would mean drying up of creative ideas, the basis of innovation. (Davila 2006, p 89). Issues, Problems and Challenges The recent crisis in the financial markets has largely to do with corporate governance and the role of accounts professionals in this. It has had a role to play in misleading investors, share holders by presenting finance and

Implications of Chinas Charm Offensive for the Sino-Venezuelan Research Paper

Implications of Chinas Charm Offensive for the Sino-Venezuelan Relations and the World Powers Energy Security - Research Paper Example From a conservative geopolitical perspective, Latin America and China are isolated from each other and appear improbable allies. After the establishment of New China in 1949, Latin America and China largely engaged in people-to-people transactions without conducting formal diplomatic affairs. Then again, the 1970s is described by reconciliation in Sino-American relations and the re-admission of China into the United Nations, which witnessed China start building diplomatic relations with most nations in Latin America (Locatelli, 2011). Since 1978, China enforced a strategy of opening up and restructuring, which involved the country conducting major policy reforms toward Latin America and stressing trade and economic partnership with this region. In the recent years, the developing economy of China and fast growing power in the global arena has become ever more appealing to countries of Latin America, which view Beijing as a major site for the expansion of their foreign economic and po litical ties. The strategic features of China’s diplomatic relations with Latin America have involved building strategic ties with Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela (Locatelli, 2011). Latin America has a big market and rich resources, and the region has eventually evolved into a foundation for global development. Particularly, Latin American countries have turned out to be strategically vital to China, both in political and economic terms. China’s policy toward Latin America is rooted in the relative advantage theory—its objective is to gain access to natural resources or raw materials for domestic economic development, as well as...Although the emphasis of China’s policies over the recent decades has been on national economic rebuilding and development, China’s foreign policy has fulfilled a considerably vital part in building and sustaining an international setting. China’s ‘charm offensive’ or peaceful and positi ve relations with other nations and its status in the global system are very beneficial for attaining its policy goals. China’s vision of global amity is both an objective in itself and a way to attain its goal of economic progress and nonviolent emergence as a world power. Without a largely harmonious and established global structure, China’s economic growth would have been impossible (Kurlantzick, 2007). Hence, China’s national economic rebuilding and foreign policy are strongly interwoven with each other. Basically, China’s foreign policy is obliged to serve its entire economic program, and its rising economic power has allowed China to become more involved and influential in the arena of international relations. However, China’s relationship with Venezuela and its security policy toward the oil-producing Latin American country are, according to numerous scholars and policymakers, a threat to the United States. China and Venezuela openly declare their ambition of curtailing U.S. hegemony, and has made steps to create a multipolar world where the global power of the United States would be weakened. At this point, even with China’s charm offensive policy, it is very difficult to determine whether or not the other world powers should be wary about China’s growth as an economic, political, and military power.

'Petroglyph Park' by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and 'The large Blue Term Paper

'Petroglyph Park' by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and 'The large Blue Horses' byFranz Marc - Term Paper Example Franz, was a very sensitive painter who was well known for expressing his feelings and emotions through his pieces of art. He loved painting animals, especially horses because he felt that animals are innocent creatures and are much closer to God than human beings. Both artists, Juane and Franz had their own unique and peculiar style of painting but yet shared some commonality between them – such as abstract figures and the use of rich colors. Juane’s paintings are well known as â€Å"inhabited landscapes† while she makes use of modernist color and unique techniques created from her vocabulary of art work which includes oil painting as well as works on paper. The Petroglyph Park was started by Juane about five years later when she completed her MA in art in 1980, from the University of New Mexico and it is this series of paintings that established her artistic voice in the lineage of landscape painting in America. In her modern abstraction of the Petroglyph Park, she makes use of a unique compositional style with brilliant colors and gestural layers of paint. ‘The Large Blue Horses’ by Franz Marc is an expression of his feelings towards animals in general. His type of painting belongs to the category of ‘Expressionists’ as it depicts the sensitive feelings and emotions of the artist.

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Legal Provisions play Essay

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Legal Provisions play and important Role in Building Decision Making - Essay Example Further, the court shall have jurisdiction in any actions presented by member states, the commission, the council, or the European Government regarding incompetence, infringement on elemental procedural requirement, on vital provisions of the treaties and any issue pertaining to the rule of powers with respect to the application or possible misuse of powers. Further, the court would have jurisdiction and be guided by similar conditions when addressing relative concerns raised by the court of Auditors, Committee of regions or the European Central Bank. The court of auditors was granted this privilege by the Treat of Amsterdam. The European parliament on the other hand was added to the list of the privileged members by the Nice Treaty. This has raised various controversies with arguments revolving around the possibility of the European Union social partners claiming this desirable status. Non privileged applicants ranging from employers and employees to trade unions are also at liberty to launch complaints regarding European Union Institutions directly with the court. Seemingly, the court has interpreted these provisions very strictly as exemplified in Plaumann & Co. V Commission. In this, the court allowed individuals to make direct complaints accordingly. Seemingly, the courts have denied the collective organizations seeking to represent their members as individuals a chance to enjoy this provision. For instance, it refrained from hearing the cases Comite Central d’Entreprise de la Societe Generale des Grandes Sources v. Commission and Vittel v. Commission. In this respect, it is not easy for individuals to complain against the European Union institutions regardless of their activities having direct effect on matters pertaining to industrial relations and employment. The privileged applicants that largely constitute member states have unconditional access with respect to making complaints to the court. These include the council, the commission, and the E uropean Parliament or member states. This is well illustrated in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland v. Council of the European Union in which the United Kingdom raised a complain to the court about the council’s decision regarding the working time directive. Article 264 of this treaty further provides that in instances where a measure reviewed under article 263 is found to be unlawful or illegal, it is void. The European Union in this respect does not have any power to substitute their individual reasoning for the reasoning of the author of the respective contested measure. The courts further have the liberty to make a decision with regard to whether an error demands for annulment of the respective contested measure. A classic exemplification of this pertains to the Hercules Chemicals NV v Commission case. In this, the court ruled that the contentious issue relating to access to the file of competition cases should be considered as the right of the defense. In this, any infringement on this right could culminate in annulment especially if it had the potential to breach the defense’s rights. This could not be merely countered by underscoring that access to the respective file was allowed at later stages of the legal proceedings, like after an annulment action had already been sought. Further, this article provides that the court, whenever it considers necessary, needs to definitively state the effects of the act have been declared void. Seemingly, the provisions of

W6 A566 Automated Collaborative & Expert Knowledge Management Systems Essay

W6 A566 Automated Collaborative & Expert Knowledge Management Systems - Essay Example se perspectives include: A focus on information communication technology support for the knowledge management life cycle and for certain organizational instruments which are implemented as part of a knowledge management initiative. The second perspective is a focus on the proposed analogy between human and organizational information processing, learning, and memory. The third perspective is a review of a set of functions that are part of knowledge management system as offered on the market. The fourth perspective is the extensions and the integration of existing software tools, such as intranet solutions, document management systems, workflow management systems, groupware, and communications systems (Maier 2007). According to Jawadekar (2011), knowledge management system is the process of managing knowledge in an organization in steps, starting with identification, validation, creation, acquisition, codification and transfer and measurement. It also involves the creation of intellect ual capital and converting some into intellectual property in order to meet the set business strategies and implementation. The purpose of knowledge management system is to support decision-making personnel and stake holders in the organization with the online ready access to the organization’s knowledge resources. It has development and management phases (Jawadekar 2011).The knowledge management system design has two components: knowledge development and knowledge management. The system is dynamic because knowledge varies from time to time and improves with the application in business. The phases of change and improvement are known as cycles. The definition of knowledge management system extends further to include the integration of knowledge in business operations and decision-making systems. Integration is happens through business rules, and formulae that are involved the decision-making framework. The KM life cycles provide basis for the definition of application areas from

Macbeth Critical Approach Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Critical Approach Essay The tragic story of Macbeth is a tale of a man, who spirals into a deep, dark, depressing life attempting to escape his unhappy, mundane, unsatisfied existence. All of this would not be possible without the assistance of three wicked witches. These witches serve as a catalyst for the evil brought out of Macbeth, which becomes amplified by his own heinous actions. While Macbeth is cold hearted and dark minded his intentions were not awakened till he encountered the witches who changed his coarse of history. †Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more. By Sinel’s death I know I am Thane of Glamis but how of Cawdor?† After the witches tell him he is destined to be king, Macbeth becomes interested. He fell for evils trap and now hopelessly tumbles down the rabbit hole. Macbeth knows what he is destined to be but Duncan stands in his way. This leads Macbeth to the first step of his corruption, through his sinister thoughts he realizes he is descending into darkness. â€Å"Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires† Fearing he will be discovered for his true self, he pleas to the stars so that they may dim their lights. This fear is what drives him further into madness and deeper into his own despair. Macbeth has destroyed everything that has mattered to him, his best friend, his king, his wife, and his relationship with his people. He has ruined so much that it becomes clear to him that he was much happier in his previous status. â€Å"For mine own good, all causes shall give way. I am in blood stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as the tedious as go o’er† By comparing his own actions to a river of blood he hints to the fact that once a man kills for his own single benefit, there is no going back. He has gone too far and would be nearly impossible to undo what has been done and seems too tough to live with.

Contraception And The Catholic Church Religion Essay

Contraception And The Catholic Church Religion Essay Religions place in civilization has always been a tenuous battle between the liberties society is willing to afford it, and the divine right they claim. More recently religion has come to fill the void between human desire and morality in the wake of inherent greed. The Roman Catholic Church is, perhaps, one of the most driven and commanding religious institutions; its claims have always been those of religious enlightenment, a beacon of hope morally guiding society in a world of darkness and sin. On an idyllic level, Catholicism functions as intended; for its millions of followers the Church provides a sense of stability and spiritual guidance. Yet regardless of intent or belief, religion and Catholicism are flawed; they are human concepts instituted and governed by man, inherently subject to human error and imperfection. Religion in general and particularly the Catholic Church have always claimed a monopoly on the definition of transgression and morality, fortifying its role in soc iety as a pillar of hope and faith for all people both good and evil. Yet history has demonstrated that these charges have been repeatedly abused and misinterpreted, catering to the powerful while often smothering subordinates cries of injustice. Perhaps one of the most staunch and unwavering views of the Catholic Church has been their stance on contraception; until the 1930s Catholicism stood side-by-side with Protestants in their dissenting view on the distribution and use of contraception. However with the advancement of modern medicine the use of contraception became an acceptable and essentially healthy practice for much of the world. While Protestants recognized the value of contraception and safe-sex, Catholicism still refuses to accept its necessary role in society. By the Catholic definition, transgression (otherwise known as sin) is defined as an offence against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is a failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods (Catholic Pages). Catholicism further splits sin into two categories: mortal sin and venial sin. Venial sin is a comparatively mild form of transgression when compared to mortal sin, as its consequence is not eternal damnation; it is essentially any sin that is committed without the full knowledge or intent of the parties involved and is not grave in nature (ONeil). For a transgressive act to be considered a mortal sin, it must fulfill three requirements: the matter must be grave, the sin must be committed with full knowledge, and the sin must be committed deliberately (Catholic Pages). Murder, theft, adultery, premarital sex, bearing false witness, and the use of contraception are all considered mortal sins in the eyes of the Catholic Church and ar e divinely punishable by eternal damnation (Catholic Pages). While there are several acts that unarguably belong in this category, it would seem that several are out of place, the most blatant being contraception. It is important to note that the Catholic definition of sin is neither more nor less legitimate than that of any other denomination; it is merely a byproduct of biblical interpretation and human policy. Many argue that one of Catholicisms greatest weapons has been its definition of sin, which has repeatedly been wielded to assert Church authority in matters ranging from warfare and foreign relations to simple public policy disagreements. Contraception, which by biblical reference is alternatively referred to as Onanism (referring to Onans sin of withdrawal in refusing to impregnate his dead brothers wife, a sin by Jewish faith) has been manipulated similarly to homosexuality (Brohm, Birth Control). The term Sodomy (like Onanism) was also coined by the Catholic Church, as i t referred to the men of Sodom and the homosexual acts they committed (Brohm, Birth Control). When an institution holds the power to define what is right, they hold a monopoly on justice and while it may be righteously wielded for a period, basic human nature makes its abuse inherent. Focusing specifically on the mortal sin of contraception, a practice that has come to be more than a means for inconsequential pleasure, especially in a world of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, the need for its proper distribution and use is more necessary than ever before (particularly in preventing the spread of infectious and potentially deadly diseases). The Church has always maintained a firm stance on contraception, lauding it as a violation of natural law (Brohm, Contraception and Sterilization). This opinion can be traced back to passages in Genesis: But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brothers wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother.  What he did was wicked in the Lords sight; so he put him to death also (Genesis 38:9-10). However this biblical reference is disputable as Onans use of coitus interruptus (otherwise known as withdrawal) was aimed at preventing the p regnancy of his dead brothers wife, with whom he was charged to procreate according to Jewish tradition. It was not merely for the sake of avoiding pregnancy that Onan acted in such a way; he was simply trying to avoid creating children for whom he couldnt provide. This single passage forms the basis for the Catholic argument against contraception. The church also considers the practice of sterilization (just as that of contraception) sinful as the majority of biblical doctrine compiled against contraception does not specifically prohibit contraceptive measures, but rather condemns the practice of sterilization as a defilement of the human body. When examined in context, much of Catholicisms argument against contraception is substantiated by their doctrine and interpretation. Epiphanius of Salamis wrote, They [certain Egyptian heretics] exercise genital acts, yet prevent the conceiving of children. Not in order to produce offspring, but to satisfy lust, are they eager for corruption (Brohm, Contraception and Sterilization). Epiphanius basis for claiming the Egyptians actions sinful seems to be more a statement against Egyptian culture and peoples (a civilization that was largely under Moslem rule and therefore in direct opposition to Catholicism), than a direct attack on the crime of contraception. It is more a method for the Church to gain control and power over a civilization than a moral statement like the Church often parades it as. This same format of condemnation occurs in the writings of St. Augustine; You [Manicheans] make your auditors adulterers of their wives when they take care lest the women with whom they copul ate conceive. They take wives according to the laws of matrimony by tablets announcing that the marriage is contracted to procreate children; and then, fearing because of your law [against childbearing]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. They copulate in a shameful union only to satisfy lust for their wives (Brohm, Contraception and Sterilization). Again, the substantiation of Augustines argument is based not on the inherent sinfulness of contraception, but rather the transgressive actions of the Manicheans whose own law prevents them from bearing children in certain situations. Both Augustine and Epiphanius highlight an inherent irony that occurs repeatedly in Catholic doctrine; the Church adopts a position on an issue, not in the spirit of moral guidance and leadership, but rather as a means of vilifying and defiling societys view of a certain race or civilization (most typically one that was proclaimed heretic or had an outstanding argument with the Catholic Church such as the Manicheans or the Egy ptians). By using their power to interpret religious doctrine, the Church was often able to form their policy in a manner that vindicated their cause, while slandering the moral standards of their enemies and dissenters. In recent times the Catholic petition against contraception has focused on the defilement of marriage. The Churchs stance on the unacceptability of premarital sex has always remained firm; hence it is assumed that contraception is used only within the confines of marital relations. As is tradition, the current Pope Benedict XVI renewed the Catholic Churchs stance against the use of contraception (specifically birth control) in a 2008 Vatican statement calling the policy an important document which addresses one of the essential aspects of the marital vocation and of the specific path of holiness that follows from it (Ertelt). Essentially the current pontiff claims that the use of contraception is an attack on the natural expression of love displayed through the act of procreation. While Pope Benedict XVIs stance on contraception is more rationally defined than previous church policy, it still demonstrates a disconnect with modern society. Obviously the Church will never promote or en dorse multiple sex partners and it is unlikely that their stance on premarital sex will change in the near future, however their dissenting position on birth control and contraception suggests a lack of modern day colloquial knowledge. The rationale for the use of contraception is far beyond any ancient concepts of marital relations or natural order, the issue is one of public health and world population. Perhaps the most compelling rationale for contraceptive education and use is the current HIV/AIDS pandemic that is sweeping Africa and invading other parts of the world. As of 2007 it was estimated that approximately 33 million men, women, and children were afflicted by either HIV or AIDS (AVERT). Since 1981 the HIV/AIDS and the subsequent illnesses it causes has killed 25 million people (AVERT). While not all of these numbers can be derived directly from the absence of proper contraceptive measures, a fair majority of those afflicted acquire the disease through unprotected sexual interaction. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 5% of the adult population is afflicted (roughly translating to 22 million people), some myths suggest the only cure for HIV/AIDS is unprotected intercourse with a virgin child, only further reinforcing the need for contraceptive awareness and education (AVERT). The Catholic Church has always regarded itself as a shelter for the poor, homeless, and otherwi se less fortunate; however their medieval stance on contraception suggests that they are ignoring the reality of modern times. Catholicism contradicts its own doctrine when it preaches a message of caring for the sick, only to turn and condemn contraception, a practice that could potentially stem disease and poverty on a global scale. Even ignoring disease, the proper education and use of contraception still holds the power to improve the standard of living worldwide. There are between 143 million and 210 million orphans worldwide; the Catholic Church has always pledged to be an institution that provides hope and shelter for those in need (including the millions of orphans), yet every year hundreds of thousands of unwanted pregnancies result in children being forced onto the streets or into the foster system (Skyward Journey). Mother Teresa, 1979 Nobel Peace Prize Winner and one of the most gracious and influential women in the twentieth century, fervently opposed the use of contraception. This is in many ways ironic, as Mother Teresas mission centered on caring for the impoverished children of the world. Her humanitarian efforts to promote adoption are legendary, yet in 1988 Oxford conference she stated that she would never allow a child entrusted to her care to be adopted by a woman who had an abortion or used c ontraceptives. Such a woman cannot love, she said. (BBC News). Mother Teresas stance on adoption and contraception are inherently contradictory; contraception reduces unwanted pregnancies, consequently reducing the number of orphaned children (Mother Teresas mission). Yet to say that contraception is not only a sin, but also a disqualifying characteristic for an adopting mother is (plainly put) ridiculous. There can be no solid proof that a woman who chooses to take birth control is incapable of loving; such a statement is fundamentally absurd. Mother Teresas opinion regarding contraception identically mirrors that of the Catholic Church as a whole (she was commonly called upon by Pope John Paul II to be an ambassador of Church doctrine), and demonstrates a clear disconnect with the problems facing the modern world. The Church also blatantly ignores the medicinal uses of birth control in their anti-contraceptive convictions. Sex without the consequence of pregnancy is not the only use for the pill; women who suffer from irregular and uncommonly painful menstruation periods turn to birth control as a form of relief and regulation. The hormones within the pill act to correct imbalances within some womens biological cycle (an aspect of birth control which Catholicism wholly ignores). This not only makes menstruation more regular and predictable, but it often shortens the total length and decreases the severity of side effects like nausea and cramps. Even the use of birth control for medicinal purposes is generally condemned by the Church, as their doctrine makes no exception or distinction between the medicinal and contraceptive use of the pill (similar to their adamant opposition to abortion, even when it is medically necessary to save an expecting mothers life). Ultimately Catholicisms opinion on contraception has remained static seemingly more for the sake of stubbornness and continuity than actual policy and necessity. With membership, attendance, and giving at an all time low within the Catholic Church (and most sects of Christianity), it would seem that these are a direct response to the stale doctrines and policies that Catholicism clings to in the midst of a dynamic and rapidly developing world. In an age where technology progresses at an exponential pace, humans seem to be searching for spiritual guidance that is as dynamic as the world they live in; not simply a regurgitated list of constant reverence and piety that stands unforgiving and unwavering in the face of new opinions and ideals. The Church preaches messages of forgiveness and compassion, is it not compassionate to prevent the conception of an unwanted child, in a world where children are regularly abandoned and orphaned. Catholicism needs to realize the gravity of their pol icies, millions worldwide look to the Churchs doctrine for guidance and in terms of contraception millions are misled. The same as condemning homosexuality, Catholicisms position on contraception touts those who violate their doctrine as sinners to be looked down, a class below those who are saved by their faith. Anyone familiar with the Bible knows that its teachings (and particularly the teachings of Jesus Christ) center on acceptance and love; nowhere in the Ten Commandments is it specified thou shall not use contraception but rather love thy neighbor and do not covet they neighbors property are dictated. The basic principles of compassion and the appreciation are taught, not constraint and restriction. The Catholic opinion and fixation with the sins of society ultimately detract from the purpose and message of religion in general; its purpose is not to dictate and control the lives of its followers, but rather to support and supplement believers faith, counseling them in times o f trouble and providing an explanation for those areas which man falls short.

Smart objectives of bp

Smart objectives of bp Task Three SMART Objectives of BP BP Objectives are prepared according to SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed).That means it should be particular about what we are going to achieve and should quantify about the objectives. There are a several types of objectives that all can be done in the SMART format. Process objectives Impact objectives Outcome objectives Personal objectives BPs five year plan objectives are, Increase profitability by 20% Increase production Financial gain by serving to the increasing demand Build brand value that was affected by the oil spills Five year development plan for BP Business plan is a statement about companys future goals and plans to achieve those goals. This can be externally focus or internally focus. BPs Strategies in progress can state as, Upstream growth Downstream turnaround Alternative Energy: focused disciplined Corporate simplification In the upstream will focus on cost and capital efficiency to deliver profitable growth. In the downstream will drive further efficiencies and a focus on quality and integration. They will maintain their disciplined approach to alternative energy and will continue to unlock corporate efficiency through a culture of continuous improvement. Five year development plan for BP # Objective Strategy Actions Performance Indicators Time Period 1 Increase profitability by 20% Research and development Hire most qualified researchers Innovative ways of doing things One year 2 Increase production Acquisition of north sea area. Negotiations with governments and agreeing for a joint profit sharing. Coming into an agreement with relevant governments Two years 3 Financial gain by serving to the increasing demand Sales and Marketing approaches to increase market share Recruiting experienced sales and marketing people and objective training Acquiring new market opportunities, increase the market share One year 4 Build brand value that was affected by the oil spills Communication and promotion strategy Using new media opportunities of social media to build brand name again, invest in CSR activities in Go Green. Reduce the black mark 3 years Evaluating and implementing the plan In corporate strategy, Johnson, Scholes and Whittington present a model in which strategic options are evaluated against three key success criteria Suitability (would it work?) Feasibility (can it be made to work?) Acceptability (will they work it?) (Source-: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_management) # Objectives Time Line 1 year 2 year 3 year 4 year 1 Increase profitability by 20% X 2 Increase production X X 3 Financial gain by serving to the increasing demand X 4 Build brand value that was affected by the oil spills X X X Conclusion When it is mention about the strategic management and the leadership strategic planning is a major part of it. Strategic planning can divide in to three stages as strategic Analysis, Strategic Options and Evaluation and Implementation. The British petroleum Corporation is a well established organization in petroleum industry and here it is mentioned about the strategy and competitive advantages of the BP and the technical tools which could they can use to analysis situations. The porters five forces investigation helps identify the competitive environment BP analysis their market for Quality production. There are so many competitors like Solar, sharp in the market and BP establish with mass production. By doing the SWOT analysis its helping company to identify the internal and external environment of the company. BP is focused on customers and they believe in their productions. They used the oil plus solar power combination and they used product segmentation, improve cost efficiency and some more strategies to increase their profits. They have created value through technology and this is a barrier for their competitors. Company can use strategy clock, Ansoff growth matrix tools to analysis their position in the market. To develop strategic options first it should identify the external context and priorities and clusters. Then it should develop the strategic options. SOP matrix is best tool to identify the strategies of the company.

Female Ambiguity :: essays research papers

Female Ambiguity: Kirke from The Odyssey vs. Bianca from The Taming of the Shrew   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Women are ambiguous characters throughout texts such as The Odyssey and The Taming of the Shrew. In these two stories, there are female characters that are deceitful and beguiling towards men. Kirke and Bianca are two comparable characters that display such behavior. I will explain how both characters display ambiguity by hiding their true nature behind actions that they wouldn’t normally take; therefore these female characters are being deceitful to those who fall for their actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kirkie displays her obscure behavior at the point of The Odyssey when some of Odysseus’s crew is sent up to Kirke’s hall. When the men lay eyes on her she is weaving on her loom. Kirke’s weaving is a domesticated action to the crew of Odysseus’ men who witness it. Before the men see her the carnivorous mammals at her entryway that seem to be under her spell intimidate them. Kirke’s weaving alone is not what enticed the men to her, yet it was her singing which was described as beguiling, that made the men believe she was an angel. â€Å"Low she sang in her beguiling voice, while on her loom she wove ambrosial fabric sheer and bright, by that craft known to the goddesses of heaven.† (Homer 171) This action of weaving and singing gains the trust of the weary men who then wish to approach her. The sirens also sing. Somehow with female singing men lose their rational thoughts and become hypnotized by the sound. Weaving is an action used at least by one other female character, Penelope that deceives a large group of men into thinking that the female is harmless and domestic. In this story all the females that sing use it as a lure of the men and it works every time, however the waving trick didn’t work so well for Penelope and her secret of unraveling a shroud she would spend all day weaving was discovered. The crewmen in this part of the story see Kirke singing on the loom and it strikes their hearts and they seem to narrowly forget about the wolves and lions at her entrance only to see her young beautiful image as a fine woman. Polites, one of Odysseus’ crewmen broke the silence held by the men to assure them that this womanly duty Kirkie performs makes her seem harmless and that they should not hide away from her.

The Contributions of Frederick Douglas, William Apess, Sarah Margaret F

The Contributions of Frederick Douglas, William Apess, Sarah Margaret Fuller, and Sojourner Truth      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As has been noted before, when we look at the authors of The Declaration of Independence, we are quite aware that the 'document' was written in the interest of the people who were there. The wealthy, white, landowners make up the Constitution to fit their needs and exclude everyone else. The people most notably left without rights are African American's, Native American's and Women. These minority groups formed a bond with each other because they were outside the dominant group. These groups of people helped gain their strength and voice through speeches and conventions with each one using the very words of the Constitution as their platform. During this time powerful voices spoke out like: Frederick Douglas, William Apess, Margaret Fuller, and Sojourner Truth, who didn't have the advantage of a formal education, but still found a way to become educated or taught themselves.    A brilliant speaker, "Abolionist, women's rights advocate,journalist and newspaper editor, social reformers and race leader, Frederick Douglas was unquestionably one of the most prominent black leaders of the nineteenth century and one of the most eloquent orators in American public life"(1751). Frederick Douglas was basically self-taught and his voice became so polished that he was in fear of losing the audience of his own race to the cause of freeing slaves because he sounded "too white". Douglas was asked to speak at a Fourth of July celebration and in his speech; What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? ; He expresses that it is: "Your National Independence, and of your political freedom"(1819). He reaches out to his audience by showin... ...ither has been answered fully"(2022). This is the backbone of most of the representative material. It is based on spiritual and Christian thought and that people are created and given their rights by God. Since most of these authors weren't taught in the classical sense the Bible was a useful and sometimes life altering tool. Hopefully, we will learn more about these representational authors so that as a collective group of Americans we can fully understand their impact on the growth and development of our country.    Works Cited The Heath Anthology of American Literature Copyright 1998 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Issues in Feminism Copyright 1998,1995,1990 by Mayfield Publishing Company Owl-eyes Biography and Etexts http://owleyes.org/douglas.htm Bright Moments http://brightmoments.com/blackhistory/nsotrue:html

Cain and Abel Analysis

Cain and Abel The Graves/Jung model is an interpretative method that attempts to explain a variety of things on a variety of levels. It explains how individuals progress, how societies progress, how theories progress, how we view others, and how others view us; just to name a few. I will be applying the theory to analyze the story of Cain and Abel found in the fourth chapter of Genesis, in the Bible. I will be interpreting the three main characters to assess what level of the model they are functioning in. We meet the main characters of the story in the first two verses.Cain is Abel’s older brother and we learn of their occupations, â€Å"Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. Their nature of their occupations could already be setting up the idea that Abel is physically small and Cain is physically larger. In the Hebrew world, shepherds are historically the youngest children and often girls. Later in the Bible, there is a mirror of this in 1st Samuel. it is King David (portrayed as the smallest amongst his brothers) who is also a shepherd. Typically anyone who â€Å"works the land† is going to have to be physically fit, which leads to more capabilities of physical violence.The author may have put these important details in to start to paint the picture of â€Å"helpless innocent Abel† and â€Å"big bully Cain†. This is just the beginning of why this is a Level 3 story of competitive, survival-of-the-fittest type interactions. Even though the characters might be functioning at the level 3, I think the society they are living in is at least level four. We see this in verses three and five when the third main character is introduced, â€Å"the Lord†. The fact that Cain and Abel’s god needs a offering implies that at some point someone said or wrote that he needed one.They wouldn’t just do that if it were not made clear by society that offerings were expected. This is all fitting with Level fou r. This also implies that the god is at least a level four god. In verses six and seven the Lord states, The LORD said to Cain, â€Å"Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. † This shows that the god of this story can function on level six.He is empathizing with Cain and even offering advice, or at least his challenge to Cain without explicitly telling him to not go through with his anger. However, to get to a level six, one must come out of a level five which came out of a level four. The level four god comes out in his punishment of Cain, â€Å"And the LORD said, â€Å"What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength.You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. † He is saying by this punishment that there are rules and you broke them, a very level four statement. The god in the story of Cain and Abel when the context is not extended to the whole Bible is a level four god. Cain is a textbook level three character he gets â€Å"angry† and jealous that someone else did better and he decided to go through with level three actions in verse 8. â€Å"Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Cain essentially decided that he was bigger and stronger so he could deal with things accordingly. The problem with that is that he is on a level four society with a level four god. Level four was created to stop individuals functioning at level three and this story follows suit with the Lord’s punishment of Cain and the society carrying it out. This is seen in verse 15, Then the LORD said to him, â€Å"Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. † And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. Now we also see a little bit of level two come out in Cain’s words.When the lord asks him where his brother is, Cain responds with, â€Å"I do not know; am I my brother's keeper? † This is a very mischievous thing to say because Cain knows exactly where Cain is. It is very similar to a child being asked by his parents â€Å"Where did all those cookies for the shower go? † and the child who, while knowing it was wrong, ate them responds with â€Å"well I don’t see them anywhere. † Cain is mirroring this. I find it interesting that when it comes to a conflict both the Lord and Cain begin to function in lower levels than their original state.Lastly there is Abel, since the author doesn’t give us and lines of dialogue to reference, we will use the context of the story to evalua te what level character he is. I would say because he abides by the level four standards set by society and the level four god then he is at least functioning at the level. We see this in the fact that not only was he attempting to do the societal norm in making an offering that potentially allowed him to have â€Å"regard† with the Lord but also he succeeded in that. This shows he possibly could be a higher level than four but it is hard to say since we do not know exactly how he responded to Cain’s attack.

A Moments Indulgence by Rabindranath Tagore Essay

A Moments Indulgence by Rabindranath Tagore was written in 1910 as part of the Gitanjali collection, 157 poems in the original language of Bengali, and 103 in English translated by Tagore himself. Contents [hide] 1 A Moments Indulgence 1.1 About the Author 1.2 Gitanjali 1.3 The Poem 1.3.1 Synopsis 1.3.2 See Also 2 References About the Author[edit] Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7th May 1861 in a wealthy family in Calcutta. He was the youngest of the thirteen children born to Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. His father was a great Hindu philosopher and one of the founders of the religious movement, Brahmo Samaj.His grandfather Dwarakanath Tagore was a rich landlord and social reformer. In 1886, he moved to Brighton, East Sussex, England, to read law. During his stay in England, he attended University College London for some time, following which he started to independent study the works of Shakespeare. He returned to Bengal in 1880 without a degree, but with the aspiration of fusing elements of European traditions in his literary works.[1] Tagore is the most eminent Bengali renaissance poet, philosopher, essayist, critic, composer and educator, who dreamt of a harmony of universal humanity among the people of different origin through freedom of mind and spiritual sovereignty. Tagore started writing poetry when he was a child, and in the course of his life was often hailed as the Shakespeare of the East due to generating thoughts on: society, religion, aesthetics, education, rural welfare, nationalism and internationalism in his literary works, essays and poetry. [2] One of his most well-known and famous collections of poetry is Gitanjali [Song Offering] which generates thoughts on religion. Tagore died on 7th August 1941 in Jorasanko, the mansion he was raised in. The years before his death were riddled with periods of illness and pain, which eventually rendered him in a comatose state. Gitanjali[edit] Gitanjali (Bengali: à ¦â€"à §â‚¬Ã  ¦ ¤Ã  ¦ ¾Ã  ¦Å¾Ã  § Ã  ¦Å"à ¦ ²Ã  ¦ ¿) is a collection of poems by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. First published in 1910, Tagore’s collection containing mystical and devotional song poems, was translated to English by Tagore in 1912 before he embarked on a visit to England. The poems were extremely well received, and would be the first of many volumes that earned him much acclaim in the East and West.[3] The English Gitanjali, or Song Offerings, is a collection of 103 English poems of Tagore’s own translations from his Bengali poems. This was first published in November 1912 by the India Society of London.[4] At the time of publication, the collection was profoundly praised by the best of Tagore’s literary contemporaries in England; including W. B. Yeats and A. C. Bradley.[5] With the enthusiastic assistance from major western poets such as Yeats and Ezra Pound, the volume made an appearance in England.[6] The collection was tremendous success and caused a literary sensation, its impact was so great that in the following year, 1913, Tagore became the first Asian poet to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for his translated version of his cycle of song-poems, Gitanjali.[7]. The translations of Tagore’s work were once a craze, but as Sisirkumar Ghose discusses, Tagore in translation is riddled with problems. His own translations†¦ (have) been criticised and have been faulted.[8] Robert Frost stated that poetry is that which survives translation. When looking at Tagore’s poetry, it is questionable how much of his original work survives throughout the process of translation. It is evident that the nuances of rhythm, imagery, verse form, and most importantly language, are inevitably lost. The main criticisms of the Gitanjali’s translations were for: often not translating the original poem in full, leaving chunks out, and in one instance fusing two separate poems. The Poem[edit] A Moments Indulgence I ask for a moment’s indulgence to sit by thy side. The works that I have in hand I will finish afterwards. Away from the sight of thy face my heart knows no rest nor respite, and my work becomes an endless toil in a shoreless sea of toil. Today the summer has come at my window with its sighs and murmurs; and the bees are plying their minstrelsy at the court of the flowering grove. Now it is time to sit quite, face to face with thee, and to sing dedication of life in this silent and overflowing leisure. File:To upload.jpg Gitanjali 71. An example of poem 71 from Gitanjali written in Bengali, its original language, with the translation of English beside it. Synopsis[edit] The central focus of A Moments Indulgence is about dedicating ones time to God, which clearly brings the devotee joy. The speaker is aware that his soul has been engrossed in worldliness, thus putting aside worldly pleasures that man is often disillusioned by, the speaker begins devoting his time to God. The poem begins with the speaker seeking a moment’s indulgence from his creator. This is evident as he says, he ‘will finish afterwards’ he task he was doing, in order to connect with his creator. Analogy is used in both verse one and verse two, when he suggests that having to give up your work is a small price to pay to reach the almighty. The second stanza shows the extent of the speaker’s devotion to his creator. This can be seen through the way he says that when he is away from God, mentally or physically, his heart remains restless, and the tasks at hand seem like they will never end. The metaphor of the shoreless sea reinforces that when away from God, one cannot be content. It portrays a clear distinction between the pleasure one receives from worldliness, and the true spiritual joy one gains from devoting time to God. In the third stanza the speaker is talking about the present day, and describes the beauty of the world which is a gift from God. He uses nature imagery to describe the beauty of the day which is being enjoyed by both animals, the ‘bees’, plants, and ‘the flowering grove’. The speaker also uses sound descriptions of: ‘sighs and murmurs’ to describe the present day, this has connotations of peace and being at peace in the environment one is in, adding to the spiritual vibe of the poem. This implies that nature is close to God as it is content, reinforcing the second stanza’s idea that when away from God a person can not be content. The fourth stanza shows that the speaker believes that the present time is the best time to dedicate himself to God; he does this by singing to God and  sitting quietly. Surrounding himself with nature, and the speaker believes the silence and free time is the perfect time to devote time to his creator because he is not distracted by worldly tasks and is surrounded by a gift, the beauty of nature, which is from God.

Bewitched Discussion

One of the strongest and perhaps oldest emotions of mankind is fear, and the most intriguing fear is the fear of the unknown. The idea of fear inspires classic and contemporary writers to explore the things that cannot be seen or fully comprehended by human understanding, from the element of fear of the unknown to the exploration of something metaphysical that motivates detachment from life. One of the common themes in relation to fear that is explored in â€Å"Bewitched† is the subject of supernatural.Classified under the supernatural genre, the Bewitched story by Ueda Akinari can be compared to the story of the â€Å"Beauty or the Beast† in contemporary literature where animals are used symbolically to imply something significant about the literature. However, the woman who turned out to be a snake in â€Å"Bewitched† is deeper and harder to explain than the man who became a beast in â€Å"Beauty and the Beast. † This is because the stories of the Japane se writer Akinari were made during 18th century where religion was highly discussed and debated.Human awareness regarding religion or divinity was very limited. In fact, the author’s religious conviction and orientation about paganism is reflected in his works. In a way, the story of â€Å"bewitched† is also like the story of the falling angel â€Å"Lucifer. † Bewitched is aesthetically unique and creative because Akinari initially and creatively delved into how to twist something wonderful into something unappealing yet stimulating.However, aside from this, there are presently limited stories that are similar to Akinari’s Bewitched story. Even in the early 20th century in the West, contemporary literature explored the topic of politics and societal concerns as a means of social movement for public awakening. Most of the contemporary literary pieces nowadays under the horror genre do not touch on the topic of supernatural kind; rather, most of them deal w ith the horrifying side of human nature.

1st and 2nd Timothy

INTRODUCTION The pastoral epistles are the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus in the New Testament. These books include 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. The title â€Å"Pastoral† comes from the instructional nature of the letters themselves. Timothy was an assistant to Paul during his ministry. He was taught the scriptures as a child by his mother who was named Eunice. Both Timothy and his mother were probably converted during Paul’s first missionary Journey. There is also evidence supporting that Paul led Timothy to the Lord because he calls Timothy his â€Å"son in the faith. [1] Timothy was highly recommended by the Christians in Lystra and Iconium at a young age. Titus was also a minister who accompanied Paul on at least one of his missionary trips. During Paul’s ministry in Crete, he raised new churches that Titus would have direct influence over. These letters are primarily instructions for the general functions within the church. Collectively they pro vide guidelines for all forms of leadership within the local church body. Paul touches on the subjects of women, elders, deacons, and overseers in relationship to authority and function.Before discussing the restrictions and responsibilities of each of these, I’ll briefly provide the historical setting for the pastoral epistles as well as the different views of Paul’s Authorship. Historical Setting These three letters were written after Paul was first imprisoned in Rome at the conclusion of Acts. The order and dates of Paul’s ministry between the release of his first imprisonment and his second imprisonment are not known. It is commonly accepted that he wrote the bulk of the pastoral epistles between A. D 60 and his death around A. D 67 to 68.Most believe that he began writing his first letter to Timothy within a year of being released from prison in Rome around A. D. 63. Paul informs Timothy that he left him in Ephesus so that he could go into Macedonia. Thereà ¢â‚¬â„¢s no evidence that he went anywhere else so he probably began writing the pastoral epistles there. Pauline Authorship Paul’s authorship of the pastoral epistles has been challenged by critics on four grounds. The first is the Historical Argument. This argues that the letters do not fit into the history of the book of Acts. The Second is the Ecclesiastical Argument.This claims that the organization of the local church as taught in these letters is to advanced for Paul’s lifetime. The the third argument is the Doctrinal Argument. This claims that the false teaching attacked in the letters is Gnostic heresy that took place during the second century. This argument also contends that the authors theological outlook is different than the outlook expressed by Paul in his other writings. The last argument is the Linguistic/stylistic Argument. This argues that the authors style, linguistics, and vocabulary differs from the writing in Paul’s other letters. Each of these arguments have recognizable flaws.Apart from those, the external evidence for Paul’s authorship is significant. Early church fathers such as Inatius, Polycarp, and Irenaeus concerned them as written by Paul. The evidence both internally and externally appears to supports the Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles. NATURE OF LEADERSHIP IN SCRIPTURE Servant Leadership Jesus completely turned the table when there was no servant to wash feet as was custom. Under normal circumstances, a servant was expected to wash the dirty road-worn feet of guests. In John 13:1-17 Jesus provides his disciples with an excellent example of leadership.Jesus humbled himself to a position of servitude and washed his disciples feet. He says in 14-15, â€Å"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. † The most effective leaders are those people who are servants to others. Servant leadership is a leadership style that has g ained a large amount of popularity in recent years. [2] Jesus modeled it perfectly in this example. Jesus got on his knees and washed the dirt of His disciples feet even though this act of kindness was customarily views as custom fit only for servants.Philippians 2:5-11 says, â€Å"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. † Christ was the ultimate example of servanthood. In his book The Leadership Genius of Jesus, William Beausay says, Servant leadership was the core of Jesus’ style. We see it reflected in the actions of his followers. His disciples were not docile little robots. They often asked him for help.They needed guidance and clearly felt comfortable approaching him for personal support. † (Beausay 23)[3] Jesus He, being God, humbled himself to the point of death on a human-made cross and showed us a perfect example of want it means to be a servant leader. All the pain He endured was for our sake. Paul, the author of the pastor epistles, understood this importance in leadership and lived in a way that showed servant leadership qualities. Not only did Paul write to train and instruct the early church, but he preached the gospel boldly and was persecuted for his devotion.Ultimately, he was more than likely killed for his faithfulness to God. It is from this perspective that Paul instructs the early church leaders in the pastoral epistles. Responsibility To Teach Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 4:11-12 that God has directed some as evangelists, pastors, and teachers. He writes that the purpose of this is â€Å"for the building up of the body of Christ. † He also writes in 1 Timothy 4:13, â€Å"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. To devote oneself is to give up everything for that one cause. It doesn’t take much research to see that our society does not like responsibility nor do we tend to enjoy accepting blame for our mistakes. In many cases to accept responsibility and and accountability is considered foolish. Paul thought it important that our church leaders devote themselves to such things. I, for one, believe that all of us are called to the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel. It is our responsibility as Christ followers to share the truth about who Jesus is with those around us.Certainly the presence of God can be experienced through nature and other visual stimuli, but something can be missing without a clear representation of the truth. 4 Knowing the truth is simply irreplaceable. 5 Just as God expects us to put forth this effort, Paul expected Timothy and Titus to abide by this principle and to teach it to their local congregations. We should take seriously the responsibility to present truth in our teaching and witnessing. CHURCH L EADERSHIP Deacons Deacons provide a ministry in the church that is associated with service of some kind. This service varies among theological and denominational customs.The word â€Å"deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos, meaning â€Å"servant. † Other uses of the word are diakonia, which means â€Å"service† and diakoneo, which means â€Å"to serve. †6 Broadened, it has come to mean any kind of service. Specifically we can find in scripture where these phrases were used applied to general service and spiritual service. Paul addresses the qualifications of deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13: Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,  but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. He says first that deacons must be men of dignity. This stresses the importance of deacons to be men worthy of respect.This does not mean that they lead with a strong hand and enforce others to respect them. Instead, they are to live lives that bring honor to God. Thus, gaining them respect from others. Paul also says that deacons are not to be double-tongued. This means that they are to be self-controlled in speech. Any form of Gossip or slander should not be a part of his nature. Instead, he should speak out for righteous causes while being slow to anger. They also must not be deceitful. Deacons should not be addicted to much wine nor should the enter the position for what they can get out of it.Paul may have written this because of the pagan influ ence in first century world. He knew that every single deacon would be under the careful watch of non-Christians. It would be possible for a deacon to hurt his family and lose his witness if he was bondage to different excesses. Next, Paul writes that these men should hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. This means that they should hold a certain reverence for the soul purpose of service and honoring God. The Christian faith truly is mysterious. Sometimes people have to walk into situations where there are no clear certainties.Deacons must be confident and do with a genuine character. 7 Those wishing to be deacons must also be tested to see if they are beyond reproach. Just as Athletes wishing to be on Olympic teams have to prove themselves as disciplined competitors, so Paul believed that a person must have proven a spiritual maturity before serving as a deacon. 8 Attaining any spiritual maturity only comes from seeking to be more like Christ. Next, Paul writes that deacons are to be husbands of one wife, and good managers of the children and households.Though this verse is one of the most controversial of deacon qualifications, at least three things are clear. First, he must acknowledge and embrace the biblical emphasis on marriage and view of the home. Second, the deacon is to be devoted to only one wife. Third, there is a theme behind the passage that should remind the deacon of the absolute rejection of divorce. 9 Overall, Paul’s experience with young and growing churches taught him that deacons must be people with a strong spiritual character. Elders and Overseers Elders and Overseers share many of the same qualifications as deacons.Paul also lists their qualifications in 1 Timothy 3: It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable,hospitable, able to teach, not ad dicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity. but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?   and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Though Elders and Overseers are two distinct words, they seem to be used for the same role throughout scripture (Acts 20:17,28). â€Å"Elder† may be reserved for someone who deserves the respect that someone of an older age would attain. â€Å"Overseer† may lean more towards the function of the person in that position.The qualifications that are mentioned here vary only slightly. Paul makes it a point to warn them to be free from the love of money. This may give evidence that elders were held responsible for financial matters within the church. In all matters they are to serve as unto the Lord. 10 Paul also says that elders and overseers are to be able to teach. This provides evidence that they were held responsible for teaching theology as well as doctrine in the church. Paul makes it a point to mention that elders and overseers are not to be new converts. New Christians can fall quickly to temptation and become prideful.They often hold on to their pride, while a more mature Christian has come to understand the importance of humility. Older leaders are more likely to have a servants mindset ingrained in their character. 11 These leaders have a unique role in that they oversee the affairs of the church body. One of these roles included protecting the church from false doctrine. Some of the false teaching during this time was sparked from gnosticism and Jewish speculation. There were a number of different variations to the gnostic doctrine, but the main emphasis claimed that gnostics acquired a knowledge normal believers did not have.Thus, Gnostics believed their faith was superior to others. It was the responsibility of all the church members to know the truth and speak out against it. That is why it is vitally important that elders spoke the truth against different forms of heresy. This type of leadership is a critical factor related to how well the church is doing in reaching the goal of spreading God’s word. 12 Women in leadership Paul makes it clear in the pastoral epistles that women play a key part in the church. They are vital in the raising and teaching of Children.He writes concerning them so that they will understand proper submission. He writes this in in the second chapter of 1 Timothy: Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. First, Paul informs the women of the church to present themselves in a modest fashion. Paul, again new that non-christian eyes would be on believers. He did not want women to cause offense to anyone outside the Christian community. 13 Women He says that it is important they make a claim to Godliness. He then says that they should receive instruction submissively.This stresses the importance of male leadership in the church. Paul clearly points out that women are not to have any type of authority over other men. He reminds Timothy that Adam was created first, and then Eve. Paul stresses that women keep silent because it give a concrete and essential reason for the submission of women that is grounded in the creation story. 14 There are three major views when it comes to the role of women in the church. The first is total silence. There are surprisingly a large number of churches who practice this view. Second, is that they not teach Doctrine in the Assembly.Third, They may teach anything allowed by male overseers. The third view is what most churches use today. 15 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CHURCH TODAY? Church’s today should strictly follow the biblical qualifications for deacons, elders, overseers, and women in the church. In light of a church’s specific situation, each church must decide what leadership roles will be as they seek to live out the biblical conception of that role. 16 Church’s today should seek to find men who can serve well. Men should be chosen only if they are well qualified and have developed skills in witnessing and other types of ministry.The most important qualities are found in those men who â€Å"hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience,† and are committed to serving other people. 17 The ability to work well with others should also be a key quality desired by churches looking for deacons or elders to serve. In today’s world, much of the work by the deacon involves a great deal of patience and understanding. 18 Church’s want to be able to trust that their deacons, and elders will exercise sound judgement in all matters concerning the well being of the assembly. It is clear that women were highly important to Jesus as well as Paul.There is no argument to be made that women are inferior to men. Jesus severed social and religious customs to show his high regard for women. 19 Women should strive to be excellent examples of Godliness in our church’s today. This is a very important role within our church’s. While they are not to exercise authority of men, they play a key role in teaching our children what it means to live godly lives. CONCLUSION Paul has outlined specific qualifications for the office of deacon, elder, and overseer as well as restrictions for women in regards to leadership.It is our job to strive for obeying these qualifications and restrictions in our own churches. Paul writes this in the fourth chapter of Ephesians: Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,   being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.It is God’s desire that we be unifi ed. It his is intention for us to be moving as one unit towards one common goal. We need men who are faithful to serve in the role of deacon, elder and overseer to achieve this goal. BIBLIOGRAPHY Beausay, William II. The Leadership Genius of Jesus (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Business). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1197 Brindle, Wayne A. The Pastoral Epistles (Notes and Outlines). Liberty University School of Religion, 1996 Chartier, Jan. Developing Leadership in the Teaching Church. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press 1985 Dale, Robert D.Leadership for a Changing Church (Charting the Shape of the River). Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press 1998 Foshee, Howard B. The Ministry of the Deacon. Nashville, TN: Convention Press 1968 House, H. Wayne, The Role of Women in Ministry Today. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1990. Howe, E. Margaret. Women & Church Leadership. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1982. Naylor, Robert E. The Baptist Deacon. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1955. Samra, Jim. The Gift of Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan 2010. Stendahl, Krister. The Bible and the role of Women. Stockholm: Fortress Press, 1966. ———————– 1] Wayne A. Brindle, â€Å"The Pastoral Epistles Notes and Outlines,† (Liberty University school of religion, 1996) [2] William Beausay, â€Å"The Leadership Genius of Jesus,† (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1197) [3] Ibid 4 Jim Samra, â€Å"The Gift of Church,† (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan 2010) 5 Ibid 6 Howard B Foshee, â€Å"The Ministry of the Deacon,† (Nashville, TN: Convention Press 1968) 7 Ibid 8 Ibid 9 Ibid 10 Robert D. Dale, â€Å"Leadership For a Changing Church,† (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press 1998) 11 Ibid 12 Jan Charter, â€Å"Developing Leadership in the teaching church,† (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press 1985) 13 E.Margaret Howe, â€Å"Women & Church Leadership,† (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1982) 14 Krister Stendahl, â€Å"The Bible and the Role of Women,† (Stockholm: Fortress Press, 1966) 15 Wayne A. Brindle, â€Å"The Pastoral Epistles Notes and Outlines,† (Liberty University school of religion, 1996) 16 Robert E. Naylor, â€Å"The Baptist Deacon,† (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1955) 17 Howard B Foshee, â€Å"The Ministry of the Deacon,† (Nashville, TN: Convention Press 1968) 18 Ibid 19 H. Wayne House, â€Å"The Role of Women in Ministry Today,† (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1990)