Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Research Paper

Contemporary Issues in Western Religions - Research Paper Example The followers of Islam are called Muslims. Islam is based on monotheism, like Christianity and Judaism, and Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) is believed to be the last prophet. The concept of worship in Islam is that every act can be considered an act of worshipping if it does done the way Allah has commanded His believers to. Apart from that, there are also five pillars of Islam, which are compulsory for every Muslim. These are ‘Kalima Tayyaba’ the authentication of faith, five prayers a day, fasting, Almsgiving or Zakaat, and pilgrimage called Hajj (once in a lifetime). As contrary to what is portrayed, Islam is not an extremist religion. It does not teach the followers to submit themselves completely either to the religion or to the worldly affairs, but to take a middle road between them and take care of their worldly matters in accordance to the religion. Islam, Judaism and Christianity are called Abrahamic religions. Islam is theologically and historically conne cted to other Monotheist religions Judaism and Christianity. To Muslims, Jews and Christians are ‘People of The Book’ and are respected for it. Belief in Injil (The Gospel of Jesus) is very important to Muslims, and Jewish history is taught in Islam as its own (ReligionFacts, 2012). But still Muslims believe that Jews and Christians have incorrect beliefs based on incomplete revelations. Jews believe that Islam and Christianity are wrongly interpreted extended forms of Judaism. Christians consider Judaism as a religion with partial revelation but consider Islam to be a false religion. Islam and Christianity were originated in the same geographical location, in the Middle East. Islam was founded in 622 CE in Arabia and Christianity in 33 CE in Palestine. Even though both Islam and Christianity believe in monotheism, Christian’s belief is slightly different. They believe in Trinity Monotheism which divides God into three sanctified persons and Jesus as the son of G od. Muslims however believe that Jesus’ birth was a miracle and Mary was a Virgin yet they do not believe that Jesus is the son of God and that is considered as a Shirk in Islam. In spite of this both believe in one God. The other spiritual entities in Islam and Christianity are angels and demons (and Jinns in Muslims). The humans who preach their respective religions are called prophets in Islam and Saints in Christianity. Regarding Jesus Muslims believe that he is a true prophet of God and his teachings were misinterpret, Jesus did not die but his spirit got lifted to the heavens and that he will be come again but can not be resurrected as he did not die In the first place. Christians believe that Jesus died when he was being crucified and then rose from the dead after three days and after resurrection and is believed to come back on the Day of Judgment. Holy revelations were through prophets and compiled into the Holy Quran in Islam and into the Holy Bible in Christianity. According to Islam, humans have the ability to do bad as well as good whereas in Christianity it is believed that man tends to be attracted by evil by nature. In Islam escape from hell is achieved by doing good actions and having true beliefs as well as by maintaining and upholding the Five Pillars of Islam. In Christianity salvation can be achieved by having true beliefs, and through performing sacraments. Wrongdoers will go to eternal hell and good people will go an eternal heaven in both Islam and Christianity. Islam and Judaism are also similar in theology and history. Like Islam, Judaism follows strict monotheism and believes in one God and believes in angels and demons

A Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Business Plan - Essay Example Following is the list of elements required for the business plan Executive summary is one of the most important segments of any business plan. It will give the brief idea of the company’s business, background and expectations from the particular group. This creates interest for the investor to read further. It should be carefully written. This is written to give an idea about the market and the company operating in. The background of the company should include information like when company started, product or services it offers, its customer base, the growth it’s experiencing and current performance. Apart from company specific information it should also include the information regarding the market and industry it’s operating in. The market can be new developing or developed. The competition and the position of the company within that market give an idea to the investors about the overall position of the company and validity of its growth projections. The clarity of vision can be supportive to attract investors. Vision gives the overall picture of the opportunity existing and how company will be growing with that opportunity. It is supported by the financials and other non financial factors. This section discusses the about the opportunity existing in the market and the roadmap through which company will be operating to earn the profits. This will include planning for various functions of the company i.e. operations, marketing, human resource management and financial management. In this segment the financial strategy should be described. The capital budgeting, break even analysis, operating cost, fixed and variable cost, projection of profits, investment requirement, cash flow and balance sheets. The financial projections will give the bank or investor an opportunity to understand the financial planning and its coherence with the overall strategy. The organization structure includes the organization chart, brief

European Politics in the 16th and 17th Centuries Essay

European Politics in the 16th and 17th Centuries - Essay Example From the Spanish point of view, any resistance that the natives demonstrated to the conversion was a work of none other than the Satan. The Spanish presented the natives with an ultimatum to both adopt Christianity and then swear allegiance to the Spanish crown of Castile. Those who would refuse to do that would then face military action. This occurred as one of the immediate and unfortunate effect of the reformation. The intolerance that developed expressed itself in religious wars and persecution. Albeit the main motive should have been to generate the true spirit of Christ or the fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man, the reformation made millions of people to suffer on the account of religion. The main subjects of the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese monarchs were deliberately forced to remain catholic. Those who refused to convert to catholic suffered death or imprisonment. The main aim behind ‘a Short account of the Destruction of the Indies’ was to inform the King of Spain regarding the gold hoarding and the murders that were occurring in the New World. The reason of the expeditions was chiefly to convert the natives to Christianity and as a result protect them from the eternal damnation. In contrast to this, the Spaniards that were sent did not follow the rules that were given to them. Instead they targeted and killed millions of natives for their gold. A minor percentage of the gold that was hoarded was allocated for the Spanish purse. At this time, Christian missionaries such as Las Casas tried their best in order to bring justice to the land.

Ethical dilemmas teachers face Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical dilemmas teachers face - Essay Example He came from a financially well-off family. His parents were always very concerned about Joseph’s progress in studies and had left no stone unturned in the way of making Joseph take interest in studies, but all went in vain. One day, the school had arranged the parents-teachers’ meeting. Joseph’s parents approached me and asked me about Joseph. I wished there was some improvement in Joseph’s studies but there wasn’t any. Caught in distress, his father, Henry asked me to give Joseph extra time. I told Henry that Joseph to me was like my own child and that I was trying my best, but there were time constraints. I could not attend Joseph beyond a fixed duration, and there were other students that equally required my attention as well. Henry told me that he had arranged a number of tutors before, but nobody managed to do his job successfully. Henry also told me that Joseph had told him that he understood nobody’s lecture better than mine. I also k new that because whenever I told Joseph something, he seemed to have got that there and then. Henry asked me if I could give Joseph time after the classes. He also asked me if the school forbade me as a teacher to see some student after the school. I told Henry that although there was no such rule in the school, but it would be very difficult for me to do justice to my job as a teacher. However, I did not refuse him, though it was no less than an ethical dilemma for me. On one hand, I had the potential to save a child’s future from getting spoiled because Joseph understood what I taught him and just required a little more time from me. On the other hand, paying more attention towards Joseph alone might be an injustice to other students who were studying with him. â€Å"It is important to remember that your job entails keeping the entire class engaged† (Wood, 2009). But I decided to accept the offer because by giving Joseph tuition after the school, I would not have don e as much

Discuss the ways the poet develops the character Phoenix. Pay Essay

Discuss the ways the poet develops the character Phoenix. Pay particular attention to the devices the poet uses in character dev - Essay Example Although Phoenix is never discussed in the epic â€Å"Iliad† save for that time when an embassy is sent to Achilles to urge him to fight along with Agamemnon’s armies against the Trojans, his character serves as a brief yet insightful look into the great warrior Achilles’ disposition, not as a warrior this time, but as a human being with a past, a future, and a present. Phoenix’s speech is filled with the Greek â€Å"eleos† or what can be termed in English as â€Å"compassionate grief† --- an emotion that does not go well for a great warrior such as Achilles. Homer shows Phoenix as appealing more towards his father-and-son relationship with Achilles, which is a refreshing characteristic amidst this story filled with greatness and lack of the â€Å"softer† emotions of the great warriors. Phoenix says: â€Å"And I made you what you are --- strong as the gods, Achilles --- / I loved you from the heart† (9.587-8), and â€Å"Oh I ha d my share of troubles for you, Achilles†¦ / great godlike Achilles --- I made you my son, I tried,† (9.595-9).

Certificate of Need (CON) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Certificate of Need (CON) - Case Study Example The CON is crucial in the clinical setting in that it evaluates the competing interests and boost economic value. Without the CON, it is evident that the health care environment would be a free market with open competition. Challenges would emerge when making decisions and expanding medical services. As an outside consultant, I seek to evaluate the diversity issues in this case study and their impact in the clinical setting. The advantage of this position is that it lays a strong ground to be open-minded when giving out the solutions on what should be done to enhance quality care. However, the main challenge is that one does not have the power to make decisions that affects the organization. With this, the chief administrator would be in a better position to oversee what is going on in the organization and implement decisions that enhance the organization’s success. Diversity Issues and their impact The case in consideration is the open heart surgery, which is a highly profita ble service that profits Pennsylvania. From 1996-1997 to 2007-2009, Pennsylvania increased the number of hospitals offering open heart surgery. Despite the progress made, the number of procedures made in the state decreased by 37%. The change attributed to less usage of clinical facilities, skilled surgical teams, and cardiothoracic surgeons. The issue was so severe that it contributed to the termination of three hospitals, which are Medical College of Pennsylvania, Episcopal Hospital, and Graduate Hospital. The main question that emerges from this case is why so many open heart programs would be launched despite the face of declining market. Major Problems and Issue In my opinion, open heart programs would be launched because they bring profit to the organization. As previously mentioned, open heart surgery is a highly profitable service that supports many hospitals. Nevertheless, opening many heart programs in the face of declining market would lead to economic depression. Most ho spitals may not be in a position to meet their financial goals and objectives. The machines used on these programs are costly. Thus, it is important to understand the market before launching or adding them. This would prevent economic problems that eventually may hinder the successful running of the organization (Jonas, & Kovner, 2011). Organizational Strengths and Weaknesses Although the new programs were justified to bring income, the truth of the matter is that there was no market analysis conducted prior to launching the programs. The organization fails to recognize the negative effects that would emerge from launching open heart programs in the face of the declining market. As documented in the case study, the change of these programs resulted into less efficient utilization of clinical facilities and highly skilled surgical teams. In other words, it affected the entire work performance and productivity of the organization. Because of economic depression caused by programs laun ched, the Philadelphia experienced a number of changed such as the closure of three known hospitals. Alternatives and Resolution To rationalize the number of programs in an open and free market I would embrace the CON in effort to increase the access of many hospitals to use the programs. The CON would help to improve quality in major health care services, and in turn this would boost the planning and resource development of the hospital. The services I would recommend this organization to embrace in the CON is preparing, revising, and reviewing rules and regulation for the analysis of medical services application. It is also important to conduct special studies and projects on the major k health issues with special improvement in the

Understanding the Education System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Understanding the Education System - Essay Example Additionally, the tuition for technical courses (such as nursing, medicine, and engineering) is extremely higher. Most university students are more likely to incur additional costs on activity fees, accommodation, supplies, and health insurance. As a result, the overall annual cost may increase to $12000. Additionally, the costs are constantly increasing when the university administration adjusts for inflation. The cost education has increased by more than 20 percent from 200 to 2012. The increase comes at a time where the median family income increases by less than 10 percent. Furthermore, the number of charities subsidizing the cost of tuition by providing scholarships to students has decreased. The competition for the limited opportunities is very stiff and results in few students attaining a college education. Moreover, a number of student loans are quite low and may fail to finance all costs. Upon graduation, the students have also to face additional challenges of attaining empl oyment and paying the student loans. The federal government has a responsibility of ensuring all high school students attain post secondary education. The government must implement policies that ensure that students obtain tuition subsidies. Furthermore, the university administrations must ensure that the cost of tuition charged to the students is fair and reasonable. The parents have a responsibility of ensuring that their children have education insurance policies to cover their education (Laura, 2013).