Definition Essay - The True Meaning of Hegemony -- Expository Definiti

Hegemony - The True Meaning Hegemony was derived from the Greek word "egemonia," meaning leader or ruler, often in the sense of a state other than his own (Williams 144).   Although the base of this definition remains true, the word has evolved to much more.   Hegemony is defined by Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought as "Political and economical control exercised by a dominant class, and its success in projecting its own way of seeing the world, human and social relationships as 'common sense' and part of the natural order by those who are, in fact, subordinated to it."   Hegemony is defined as a predominant influence or leadership of a dominant class or institution over a subordinate class; the question is are the "subordinates" forced to follow the beliefs, or do they agree with them?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Antonio Gramsci, a leading Marxist thinker in the early 20th century, used hegemony to define class structure, (e.g. bourgeois hegemony).   Gramsci's philosophy was that the subordinate class was to follow this "common sense" that the dominant class set, however, Gramsci ... Definition Essay - The True Meaning of Hegemony -- Expository Definiti Hegemony - The True Meaning Hegemony was derived from the Greek word "egemonia," meaning leader or ruler, often in the sense of a state other than his own (Williams 144).   Although the base of this definition remains true, the word has evolved to much more.   Hegemony is defined by Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought as "Political and economical control exercised by a dominant class, and its success in projecting its own way of seeing the world, human and social relationships as 'common sense' and part of the natural order by those who are, in fact, subordinated to it."   Hegemony is defined as a predominant influence or leadership of a dominant class or institution over a subordinate class; the question is are the "subordinates" forced to follow the beliefs, or do they agree with them?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Antonio Gramsci, a leading Marxist thinker in the early 20th century, used hegemony to define class structure, (e.g. bourgeois hegemony).   Gramsci's philosophy was that the subordinate class was to follow this "common sense" that the dominant class set, however, Gramsci ...

Child Support Enforcement: One Law Does Not Fit All

Single parents are becoming the norm these days and the government has stepped in to assist these custodial parents to make things fair. It takes two people to make a child so it seems only fair that two people support the child financially, right? I am a single mother. My daughter’s father, Donnie, and I were never married and weren’t together at the time of her birth. He wasn’t around to sign the birth certificate so I had to go through DFS to fill paperwork out to get support payments from him after our daughter (Nathalia) was born. When I filled out the CSE (Child Support Enforcement) paperwork the case was being handled by a caseworker in Jefferson City, MO. I gave the caseworker Donnie’s address about four months after our daughter’s birth. Nothing was done and I assumed they were having trouble getting hold of him. When Nathalia was five years old my case was moved to a caseworker in Columbia who called and got the information from me again and I received paternity paperwork within the month. The way it works is the noncustodial parent only has to pay from the time the paperwork showing paternity was sent. I had tried to contact Nathalia’s father to start visitation. He came around for one hour a week for about two months then just stopped. He paid the arrearage for support payments after facing criminal charges for non-payment of support payments, and being threatened with a year in jail if the support was not paid. I feel no sympathy. Now he is back to not making the payments. On the other hand I have a friend (Jessica, fictional name) who has a five year old daughter (Hannah, fictional name) whose father has been in and out of jail for child support non-payment. He has a relationship with Hannah and has care of her fifty percent of the time. The government wants to put him back in jail for arrearage on Hannah and two of his other children. Jessica has lost her health insurance due to not signing papers that would have him arrested. With these two cases the fathers are very different. One is an absentee father who quits jobs to avoid paying his support payments, the other a father who is very much in his child’s life and is a positive influence. Both fathers are being treated equally in the eyes of the State. But which father deserves the jail time? In an article by Jeff Minerd, â€Å"A Kinder, Gentler Look at ‘Deadbeat Dads’,† he states â€Å"In 1950, about 20% of children lived apart from their father; that figure is now approaching 50%† (8). This article was printed in 1999 so the percentage of children not living with their father has likely increased. The increase is due to many reasons. Some of the reasons may include death, divorce, and never-married couples. With the number of children who do not live with their fathers rising it only stands to reason that the number of cases the CSE (Child Support Enforcement) is handling is increasing as well. According to the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Office of Child Support Enforcement, one of their goals is â€Å". . . to emphasize that children need to have both parents in their lives. . . † (Handbook). If this is true then why is the father who is a positive influence and is present in his child’s life having to deal with the possibility of going back to jail for past child support non-payment, but the father who wants nothing to do with his daughter and doesn’t pay his child support as ordered gets off with a slap on the wrist? Child support enforcement should look more in depth at each case before taking actions against a non-custodial father. The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Office of Child Support Enforcement states â€Å"Although the function of the CSE program is to collect and distribute child support payments, throughout the Handbook [sic]we hope to give the message that children fare best when both parents play an active, supportive role in their lives† (1). The government claims that the actions they take against non-custodial parents are to assist in getting families to work together to make children’s lives better. But according to Jeff Minerd, â€Å"Government enforcement of child support can have the effect of separating fathers from their children† (8). Minerd also states that it is more supported to go after the â€Å"low-income† fathers because it gets the mothers off of State welfare monies. With â€Å"middle-class† mothers it isn’t so supported to go after the fathers because it doesn’t help the State with the amount of money being paid out because they aren’t on welfare (8). So is their mission to help keep families connected or is it to get the money back that they are giving to the low-income families? The first reason CSE should handle these cases case by case is that if actions are taken that cause the father to be resentful it could harm the relationship between the parents and the child. Actions taken by the state can come between the custodial mother and the non-custodial parent. As Cindy Elmore states in her article â€Å"On and On, Over and Over: The Gender War in Child Support Enforcement Court,† â€Å"We’re all crowded together waiting for the courtroom doors to be unlocked, but the women don’t talk to the men, and the men ignore the women† (397). The line of communication between the parents is destroyed by feelings of resentment and arguments that arise from court dates and state demands. Arguments between the parents also harm the child. Even if the parents do not argue in front of the child, the child will still feel the tension and know something is wrong. Feelings of resentment toward being forced to do something may also disturb the relationship between father and child. If the father is arguing about how much to pay and how often with the mother it may cause the father to stop coming around the child. In my situation Nathalia’s dad, Donnie, got upset about the amount and when I couldn’t change it he just cut all contact. The way his support amount was determined was a paper was filled out on the amount of money it took to raise Nathalia. Then the amount I made and the amount he made were taken into consideration. Since I made more my percentage of responsibility was larger. Then they take the percentage left to raise her after subtracting mine and he is responsible for that. So there was nothing I could do to request they lower the payments. We had many arguments relating to this. Another was that he was afraid the State would go after property that he owned. According to the Handbook on Child Support Enforcement liens can be placed on property the non-custodial parent owns in the county (26) and can also take State and Federal Income Tax refunds to pay back child support (29). So it could happen but not if he pays his support payments on a regular basis. When I kept refusing to ask if his payments could be lowered he stopped calling Nathalia and stopped coming to visit her. Second, if a father is active in a child’s life and is a positive influence leniency should be given. Pushing a father to make payments higher than he can make then sending him to jail until it is paid, when he is active in the child’s life, will only harm the child. In â€Å"Child Support Enforcement and Father Involvement for Children in Never-Married Mother. Families† Chien-Chung Huang states, â€Å"Although there are no studies on changes in father-child contact for children in never-married mother families over time, studies find that about one-third of children saw their fathers at least once a month but another third of children had no contact at all with their fathers† (99). If there are such big chunks of the population receiving child support that have similar situations with the non-custodial parent, shouldn’t the different types have different ways of handling the cases? A father that is helping his child with homework every other week shouldn’t be held to the same treatment as a father who has no contact with his child by his own choice. Speaking from experience, I know that if I my daughter’s father was involved in my daughter’s life in a positive way and they had a healthy relationship I would not mind so much if there was a payment missed here or there. A child’s life can be so much fuller with positive influences from both the mother and the father figures in their lives. Third, if the system states that they are trying to get fathers more active in the child’s life through child support enforcement then if they don’t see what is going on before ordering something to be done, they won’t succeed. Jeff Minerd does not think that child support should not be enforced, â€Å"However, the harsh treatment of low-income fathers may make them hostile and resentful of the mothers, children, and government authority† (8). If a low-income father is ordered to pay what the CSE considers to be fair what happens if the father isn’t even making enough to make the payments? Is he to be held to the same standards as a father that keeps quitting his job to avoid making his payments? What if the father gets remarried? According to Hans and Coleman in the article â€Å"The Experiences of Remarried Stepfathers Who Pay Child Support,† â€Å"Remarriage magnified feelings of disempowerment and introduced additional complexities to existing child support arrangements† (613). When fathers remarry it adds more financial responsibility, especially if they have more kids in the new marriage or if there are stepchildren in the marriage. When the Child Support Enforcement Agency takes harsh actions against non-custodial parents it starts a chain of events that can destroy the relationship between the parents. The resentment the father feels for being forced to comply with what the state orders can cause a rift between the father and the custodial mother. In cases like mine it may have caused a rift so large that my daughter may never see her father again. She doesn’t understand why her father doesn’t come and see her any more. A couple of months ago she made up a reason of her own, it was because he was sick. Just last week a new reason came up. She told me he died and that is why he doesn’t come over anymore. I don’t know where she got this but I do know that it is her way of dealing with her feelings. I don’t know what to tell her when she says this. If I tell her that he is alive what reason do I give her when she then asks why he doesn’t see her anymore? Perhaps if the enforcement of the child support was handled differently she would still have a father that was active in her life.

Elite Athletes and Performance Enhancing Drugs - 1817 Words

Elite Athletes: An Asset or Liability to Sports? Many elite athletes are under great pressure to perform exceptionally well they often times resort to using performance-enhancing drugs to stay competitive. The path to success as an athlete is not an easy track; it is fierce! The fame and the fortune one can attain from being an athlete is only unimaginable to some; it is something worth going the extra mile to reach, for some, there is no limit to the extra mile. After all, in today’s society the public demand for spectator sports entertainment—more touch downs, more world records, and more grand slams—are in higher demand than ever. It is no surprise that winning at any cost is all that matters. Sports have become convoluted with performance-enhancing drugs among athletes. As a result, the uses of performance-enhancing drugs have spurred some of the most controversial arguments between opponents for performance-enhancing drugs and advocates against performance-enhancing drugs. Regardless of the arguments that surround the issue of performance-enhancing drugs, the pressure on elite athletes to perform exceptional in sports will continue to spur them to cheat to stay on top. The Epidemic of Performance-enhancing drugs Jost (2004) in his article Performance-Enhancing Drugs: An Overview carefully structured his argument to show that performance-enhancing drugs are crucial aspects of elite athletic competition. He reasoned that â€Å"a significant but unknown number of OlympicShow MoreRelatedThe Prohibition Of Performance Enhancing Drugs1257 Words   |  6 PagesContinue the Prohibition of Performance Enhancing Drugs Sporting competitions either nationally or internationally have regulations to prohibit or inhibit the use of performance enhancing drugs (PED’s). There been a case for the lifting of these regulations to create sporting fair across all types of people. Craig Fry, an advocate for the use of performance enhancing drugs in elite sporting competitions and author of â€Å"Bring Truth into Play by Saying Yes to Drugs in Sport†, is an Australian healthRead MoreSports Athletes Should Not Be Better Than Their Opponent1268 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction- In the world of sports, competitive athletes are willing to do whatever is necessary to be better than their opponent. The nature of the competitive drive in some athletes is precisely what separates the average from the elite. Compared to their novice counterparts, elite athletes usually have a more extensive knowledge-base of sport-specific information and are more adept at using said knowledge efficiently to identify, remember and manipulate relevant information in their specialistRead MoreAre You Really My Hero?1216 Words   |  5 Pagesand goals. The athletes that achieve such give us our heroes to aspire to attain such levels. We want the future generation of athletes to have these same dreams, goals and hopes of success that we grew up with. But are our current athletes the type of heroes we want our children and young athletes to look up to? Performance Enhancing Drugs are becoming the norm for many of our athletic heroes and modern day headlines are expounding on the wide spread usage among our elite athletes. Some authorsRead MoreWhy Athletes Are Becoming An Elite Athlete909 Words   |  4 Pagesone school or becoming an elite athlete in the professional sense, where the individual now earns a living from playing said sport. Athletes are defined as an individual who has trained and/or become skilled in sports, exercise, or games in which require physical strength, stamina, and agility (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). This then posses the question, can an individual whom is not at their best physical strength or agility or stamina be someone that we’d consider an athlete? We’ve seen over time anRead MoreKey Content Or Arguments Presented787 Words   |  4 Pagespublish the first article on the matter just represents how influential and distinguished Ben Johnson was as an athlete. Despite the fact that drug taking is not ethical, nor admirable, a reporter by the name of Lawton recalls, â€Å"The race was stupendous, arguably the most riveting thing I’ve seen†. This suggests that although there are so many risks, dangers and negative impacts of drug use, there is a positive viewpoint on the issue that it does make watching sport more interesting and engaging forRead MoreThe Legalization Of Steroids Should Be Beneficial For The World Of Sport1226 Words   |  5 PagesSteroids seem to to be having a negative view for much of history. Steroids are drugs used by athletes to become stronger and achieve a strong physique. Steroids are illegal and are strongly discouraged to be used and may be seen first expressed during high school with the introduction of organized sport teams. The perspective against the legalization of steroids believes in the many benefits of legalization. The perspective for the legalization of steroid expresses the harmful effec ts of steroidsRead MoreThe Use Of Anabolic Steroids And How Athletes Are Cheating1482 Words   |  6 PagesThe athletic sports world has drastically evolved since the beginning of the creation of sports. Athletes are becoming bigger, faster and stronger. The competitive edge has started to increase and guys are looking for ways to enhance their performances. Many turn to repetitive practices and healthier diets, while some turn to protein powder. No matter the method the average athlete is trying their best to propel his or her efforts past previous marks. Most stick to natural remedies, but there areRead MorePerformance Enhancing Drugs For Sports Essay1514 Words   |  7 Pages Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports A tremendously large problem in sports is whether or not athletes should be able to use performance enhancing drugs. To most people, it doesn t make any sense for athletes to be using them. They have to know what affect it has on their body not only physically, but also mentally. Around the early 2000’s is when all this starting coming up and it has made a dramatic impact on the sports world. The few people who want performance-enhancing drugs in sportsRead MoreSteroid Use in Sports1732 Words   |  7 Pagespercent of professional athletes use illegal steroids which are also known as performance enhancing drugs. These substances which are banned in professional sports aren’t just any type of steroid or drug. They are called anabolic steroids or performance enhancing drugs, and they are synthetically produced substances of male testosterone hormones. The use of these illegal steroids has garnered a lot of publicity within the world of sports over the past few years. A s athletes continue to become biggerRead MoreWhy Performance Enhancement Drugs Use Essay1142 Words   |  5 PagesWhy are performance enhancement drugs use in professional sports? The use of steroids has been a major problem among sports and has caused lots of controversy. Although these professional sports organizations such as the NFL, NHL, NBA and several others have spent time and money investigating athletes for uses of performance enhancement drugs, nothing has been done to erase records or record breaking statistics. In order to cease steroid and other performance enhancement drug users from cheating

Critical Psychology and Freedom Free Essay Example, 1500 words

Individuals have desired to be free and are always on the motive of getting liberation. However political freedom appears to be paradoxical and is almost theoretical rather than practical. According to Rose, this is because the world today is characterized by the opposition existing between freedom and government. As suggested by Baum (2000), the value of current politics has been defined by the value of liberalism. A state which is liberal is limited in that the practices of the government are restricted by individual liberty. With the issue of globalization, freedom is understood as practical, material, governmental and technical. The principle of individual freedom is an only moral aspect which has led to a growing and advanced civilization. Protecting and enhancing citizens freedom secures the state s wealth, productivity, health, and its welfare. Nikolas Rose argues that freedom has been the governments objective. It is also perceived as governments instrument and means of prom oting the intervention of various governing technologies. According to Zygmunt Bauman, Freedom refers to a situation whereby the motives of the individual shape their actions and the desired results of the outcome. We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Psychology and Freedom or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Bauman suggests that freedom only exists in accordance with those tied to it or those not free. Therefore according to him freedom exists as a relational condition within the structure of the society but not as a universal condition.

The Death Of Assisted Suicide - 1593 Words

Assisted Suicide is one of the most debated and opinionated topic in the world today. Currently, the law in the UK has criminalised assisted suicide, with a maximum sentence of 14 years . Kevin Yuill opposes those who are in favour of legalisation. By referencing the floodgates argument he believes that more people who are not in a critical condition will use assisted suicide, thus exploiting the system and leading into a transition to involuntary euthanasia. He also touches on the flaws in the compassionate grounds theory and the breakdown in doctor patient relationships. Alternatively, other theorists and pro legalisation campaigners such as Tony Nicklinson and Ilora Finlay look at the beliefs of autonomy, compassion and individual dignity where if legalised it can end a wide area of unnecessary suffering. Kevin Yuill makes a fair case against the legalisation of assisted suicide, using the ‘slippery slope’ theory. If assisted suicide becomes legal in the UK, there is potential for groups of people to exploit the system altogether. As time progresses more people will become eligible, even branching out to those who do not have a serious medical condition , but desire assisted suicide due to their own personal problems. This brings about a moral issue, as it can open the floodgates to non-critical suicides and potentially involuntary euthanasia . Looking at the Netherlands, where euthanasia is not punishable if the doctor follows regulations and acts with due care, theShow MoreRelatedThe Death Of Assisted Suicide1394 Words   |  6 PagesCope Ms. Ford English 6 28 January 2015 Choosing Death Did you know that more than 300 terminally ill people a year commit suicide in England, a country that prohibits physician assisted suicide? Physician assisted death is committed with the aid of another person, usually with lethal injections like fluids through IVs or shots, to help end suffering in those whose pain and/or diseases cannot be healed. By making physician assisted suicide legal, we can reduce the pain of those individualsRead MoreThe Death Of Assisted Suicide861 Words   |  4 Pages21th century, human understanding for life and death reaches a new level. With great advance in medical technique and quality of life, people not only attach importance to the sanctity of life, but also think highly of value and quality of life. Based on such shift in people s concept and comprehension, in recent years there arises a series of physician assisted suicide cases throughout the world. Assisted suicide means the deliberate hastening of death by a terminally ill patient with as sistance fromRead MoreThe Death Of Assisted Suicide Essay2311 Words   |  10 Pagesterms for â€Å"good death† or â€Å"easy death.† Euthanasia can be subdivided into two main categories: voluntary euthanasia and involuntary euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia is the process in which one is â€Å"killed upon that person’s request for reasons of ending suffering.† Therefore, it is performed with the consent of a patient. Involuntary euthanasia is the â€Å"mercy killing of a medically or legally incompetent person,† meaning that is done without the consent of a patient. Assisted suicide is a practice thatRead MoreThe Death Of Assisted Suicide1490 Words   |  6 PagesCurrently in Force A. Doctor assisted suicide, also known as euthanasia, â€Å"is where a medical doctor helps a patient to die by prescribing a legal overdose,† (Definitions of Euthanasia - Assisted Suicide, 2017, N/A). Currently in Texas the policy in place dealing with doctor assisted suicide according to the Texas Legislature in Texas Laws on Assisted Suicide Sec. 22.08. AIDING SUICIDE a. A person commits an offense if, with intent to promote or assist the commission of suicide by another, he aids or attemptsRead MorePhysician Assisted Death And Assisted Suicide Essay1114 Words   |  5 Pages Physician assisted death is a physician aiding in a patient’s death by prescribing a lethal dosage or informing a patient on a lethal amount of medication. This is not a new phenomenon, over the ages of medicine physicians have been asked by patients to end their suffering. More than half of physicians in today’s society have been asked in some form of way to participate in physician assisted death. People should be able to choose rather or not to end their life through terminal illness or inRead MoreAssisted Suicide And Death With Dignity1394 Words   |  6 Pages Playing God or Dying with Dignity For this assignment, I read four articles in all—two that are decidedly against what they call â€Å"assisted suicide†, and two that are decidedly supportive of what they call â€Å"death with dignity†. This has become legalized for terminally-ill patients with prognoses of surviving no longer than six months, first in Oregon in 1998, but since then Washington, California, and Vermont. It has also been legalized in SwitzerlandRead MoreThe Death Of Physician Assisted Suicide1731 Words   |  7 Pagesthink it could be immoral. For physician-assisted suicide to even be considered the patient must be of sound mind when they are requesting the physician-assisted suicide. To guarantee that the process is carried out correctly a doctor or a witness should be there to prove consciousness. The patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness, if they are not then there is a possibility for a life. There are many pro’s and con’s to physician-assisted suici de. If a person is terminally ill they wouldRead MoreThe Death Of Physician Assisted Suicide1991 Words   |  8 PagesOne cannot refuse death. Physician aid-in-death, however, has been targeted for ages by religious groups or those who strictly believe in only prolonging life as a negative thing. Although such reasons are valid, they do not take into consideration the patient s direct wish, feelings, or foresight of how they believe their life will be. Death should be a basic right; same as Physician-Assisted Suicide should be available as an option for those who are mentally competent and terminally ill, or believeRead MoreThe Death Of Physician Assisted Suicide1348 Words   |  6 Pagesleads to suicide. Depression and anxiety is a disease that takes over human-beings self-determination. Many young individuals reach the point of believing the concept of if they were no longer alive the world they are associated in will no longer be dark and evil. Also, older individuals believe i f they take their own life then they will not suffer anymore. Recently in some states, they passed the right to have physician’s helping with planning their client’s death. Physician assisted suicide meansRead MoreDeath With Dignity : Assisted Suicide2348 Words   |  10 Pages â€Å"Death with Dignity† is a phrase referring to the process of assisting terminally ill patients that have no chance of recovery to die earlier than they would have under natural circumstances by having physicians prescribe medication that would hasten the patients’ death. It is often perceived as a move to relieve the ill of the scorching pain and suffering that they could be undergoing. Family members and, in a few occasions, close friends are tasked with deciding when to assist a loved one

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ Chapter 5 Free Essays

Jesus Preaches on the Mountain One day Jesus went out to find a great crowd of people who had come from far away: as well as those from Galilee, people had come from the lands of the Decapolis beyond the Jordan, from Jerusalem and Judea. In order to make it easier for them all to hear his teaching, Jesus climbed up into the mountains a little way, with his disciples and the crowd following. Christ was inconspicuous among them, and no one knew who he was, for they were all strangers to the district. We will write a custom essay sample on The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ Chapter 5 or any similar topic only for you Order Now He had a tablet and a stylus with him to take notes about what Jesus said. When Jesus had reached a prominent spot, he began to speak. ‘What am I preaching?’ he said. ‘The Kingdom of God, that’s what. It’s coming, friends, it’s on its way. And today I’m going to tell you who’s going to be received into the Kingdom, and who isn’t, so pay attention. It’s the difference between being blessed and being cursed. Don’t ignore what I say to you, now. A great deal hangs on this. ‘So here you are then: the poor will be blessed. Those who have nothing now will soon inherit all the Kingdom of God. ‘The hungry will be blessed. In the Kingdom, they will be filled with good food; they will never hunger again. ‘Those who mourn will be blessed; those who weep now will be blessed, because when the Kingdom comes, they will be comforted, and they will laugh with joy. ‘Those who are scorned and hated will be blessed. Those who are persecuted, and lied about, and defamed, and slandered, and exiled ?C they will be blessed. Remember the prophets, think of how badly they were treated in their time, and be glad if people treat you the same way; because when the Kingdom comes, you will be rejoicing, believe me. ‘The merciful, the kindly, the meek ?C they will be blessed. They will inherit the earth. ‘Those who are pure in heart and think no evil of others ?C they will be blessed. ‘Those who make peace between enemies, those who solve bitter disputes ?C they will be blessed. They are the children of God. ‘But beware, and remember what I tell you: there are some who will be cursed, who will never inherit the Kingdom of God. D’you want to know who they are? Here goes: ‘Those who are rich will be cursed. They’ve had all the consolation they’re going to get. ‘Those whose bellies are full now will be cursed. They will suffer the pangs of hunger everlastingly. ‘Those who look at poverty and hunger without concern, and turn away with a laugh on their lips, will be cursed; they will have plenty to mourn about; they will weep for ever. ‘Those who are well-spoken of, and praised by the powerful, and flattered and fawned over by loud voices in public places, will be cursed. They will have no place in the Kingdom.’ The people cheered at these words, and crowded close to hear more of what Jesus was saying. Christ is Saved by the Stranger But at the edge of the crowd someone had noticed what Christ was doing as he noted down the words of Jesus, and said, ‘A spy! Here’s a spy from the Romans ?C throw him off the mountain!’ Before Christ could defend himself, another voice spoke beside him: ‘No, friend, you’re wrong. This man is one of us. He’s writing down the words of the teacher so he can take them and tell others the good news.’ Christ’s accuser was convinced, and turned back to listen to Jesus, forgetting Christ in a moment. Christ saw that the man who had defended him was none other than the stranger, the priest whose name he had not managed to learn. ‘Come aside with me for a moment,’ said the stranger. They withdrew from the crowd, and sat under the shade of a tamarisk. ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ said Christ. ‘I wanted to be sure I heard him correctly, in case there was any judgement later.’ ‘It is an excellent thing to do,’ said the stranger. ‘Sometimes there is a danger that people might misinterpret the words of a popular speaker. The statements need to be edited, the meanings clarified, the complexities unravelled for the simple-of-understanding. In fact, I want you to continue. Keep a record of what your brother says, and I shall collect your reports from time to time, so that we can begin the work of interpretation.’ ‘These words that Jesus is saying,’ said Christ, ‘they might be seditious, I think. The man thought I was a Roman spy†¦ It wouldn’t be surprising if the Romans did take an interest, would it?’ ‘Very shrewdly observed,’ said the stranger. ‘That’s exactly what we have to bear in mind. Political matters are delicate and dangerous, and it requires a subtle mind and a strong nerve to negotiate them safely. I’m sure we can rely on you.’ And with a friendly squeeze of Christ’s shoulder, the stranger got to his feet and moved away. There were a dozen questions that Christ wanted to ask him, but before he could utter a word, the stranger was lost in the crowd. From the way he had spoken about political affairs, Christ wondered if his first guess had been right: perhaps the stranger was not just a priest, but a member of the Sanhedrin. That was the council that settled all doctrinal and judicial matters among the Jews, as well as dealing with Jewish relations with the Romans, and its members, of course, were men of great wisdom. Jesus Continues his Sermon on the Mountain Christ took his tablet and stylus and moved to a place where he could hear what his brother was saying. It seemed that someone had asked Jesus to tell them about the law, and whether what it said was still valid in the time of the Kingdom of God. ‘Don’t anyone think I’m telling you to abandon the law and the prophets,’ Jesus said. ‘I haven’t come here to abolish them. I’m here to fulfil them. I’m telling you truly: not one word, not one letter of the law will be superseded until heaven and earth pass away. If you break one of these laws, even the least of them, beware.’ ‘But there are degrees, aren’t there, master?’ someone called out. ‘A little sin isn’t as bad as a big sin, surely?’ ‘You know there’s a commandment against murder. Where would you draw the line? Would you say murder is wrong, but beating someone is maybe a little less wrong, and just being angry with them isn’t wrong at all? I’m telling you that if you’re angry with a brother or a sister, by which I mean anyone at all, even if you’ve just got a grudge against them, don’t dare to go and offer a gift in the temple until you’ve made your peace with them. Do that first of all. ‘And I won’t have any talk about little sins and big sins. That won’t wash in the Kingdom of God. The same goes for adultery. You know the commandment against adultery: it says don’t do it. It doesn’t say â€Å"You must not commit adultery, but it’s all right to think about it.† It isn’t. Every time you look at a woman with lustful thoughts, you’re already committing adultery with her in your heart. Don’t do it. And if your eyes keep looking that way, pluck them out. You think adultery is bad, but divorce is all right? You’re wrong: if you divorce your wife for any reason other than her unchastity, you cause her to commit adultery when she marries again. And if you marry a divorced woman, you commit adultery. Marriage is a serious business. So is hell. And that’s where you’ll go if you think that as long as you avoid the big sins, you can get away with the little ones.’ ‘You said we mustn’t be violent, master, but if someone attacks you, surely you can fight back?’ ‘†An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth†? Is that what you’re thinking about? Don’t do it. If anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the left as well. If anyone wants to take your coat away, give him your cloak to go with it. If he forces you to go one mile, go two. You know why that is? Because you should love your enemy, that’s why. Yes, you heard me right: love your enemies, and pray for them. Think of God your Father in heaven, and do as he does. He makes the sun rise on the wicked as well as on the good; he sends the rain to fall on the righteous as well as the unrighteous. What’s the good of loving only those who love you? Why, even a tax-collector does that. And if you care only for your brothers and sisters, you’re doing no more than the Gentiles. Be perfect.’ Christ wrote this all down diligently, taking care to inscribe ‘These are the words that Jesus spoke’ on each tablet, so no one should think they were his own opinions. Someone was asking about almsgiving. ‘Good question,’ said Jesus. ‘What you should do when you give alms is to shut up about it. Keep silent. You know the sort of people who make a great spectacle of their generosity: don’t do as they do. Let no one know when you give, or how much you give, or what cause you give it to. Don’t even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Your Father in heaven will see, don’t worry about that. ‘And while I’m talking about keeping quiet, here’s another thing to be secret about: and that’s prayer. Don’t be like those ostentatious hypocrites who pray out loud and let the whole neighbourhood know about their piety. Go to your room, shut the door, pray in silence and in secret. Your Father will hear. And have you ever heard the Gentiles pray? On and on, yakkety yak, blah blah blah, as if the very sound of their voices were music in the ears of God. Don’t be like them. There’s no need to tell God what you’re asking for; he knows already. ‘This is how you should pray. You should say: ‘Father in heaven, your name is holy. ‘Your Kingdom is coming, and your will shall be done on earth as it’s done in heaven. ‘Give us today the bread we need. ‘And forgive our debts, as we shall forgive those who are indebted to us. ‘And don’t let the evil one tempt us more than we can resist. ‘Because the Kingdom and the power and the glory belong to you for ever. ‘So be it.’ ‘Master,’ someone called out, ‘if the Kingdom is coming, as you say, how should we live? Should we carry on our trades, should we build houses and raise families and pay taxes as we’ve always done, or has everything changed now we know about the Kingdom?’ ‘You’re right, friend, everything has changed. There’s no need to worry about what you’re going to eat or drink, where you’re going to sleep, what you’re going to wear. Look at the birds: do they sow or reap? Do they gather wheat into the barn? They don’t do any of those things, and yet their Father in heaven feeds them every day. Don’t you think you’re more valuable than the birds? And think what worrying does: has anyone ever added a single hour to the length of his life by worrying about it? ‘And think about clothing. Look at the lilies in the field, how beautiful they are. Not even Solomon in all his splendour looked as glorious as a wild flower. And if God clothes the grass of the field like that, don’t you think he’ll take even more care of you? You with little faith! I’ve told you before: don’t behave like the Gentiles. They’re the ones who fret about things like that. So stop worrying about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.’ ‘What should we do when we see someone else doing wrong?’ called out one man. ‘Should we try and put them straight?’ ‘Who are you to judge anyone else?’ said Jesus. ‘You point out the speck in your neighbour’s eye, and you don’t notice the plank in your own. Take the plank out of your eye first, and then you can see to take the speck out of your neighbour’s. ‘And you need to see clearly when you look at what you’re doing. You need to think and get things right. You don’t give meat from sacrifices to the dogs ?C you might as well give a pearl necklace to a pig. Think what that means.’ ‘Master, how do we know that all will be well?’ said one man. ‘You just ask, and it’ll be given to you. You just search, and you’ll find. You just knock, and the door will be opened. You don’t believe me? Consider this: is there a man or woman alive who, when their child asks for bread, gives them a stone? Of course not. And if you, sinners every one of you, know how to give nourishment to a child, think how much better your Father in heaven will know how to give good things to those who ask for them. ‘Now I’m going to stop talking soon, but there are a few more things you need to hear and remember. There are true prophets, and there are false prophets, and this is how to tell the difference: look at the fruits they bear. Do you gather grapes from a thorn bush? Do you look for figs among the thistles? Of course not, because a bad tree can’t bear good fruit, and a good tree doesn’t bear bad fruit. You will know true prophets and false prophets by the fruits they bear. And a tree that bears bad fruit is cut down in the end, and thrown on the fire. ‘And remember this: take the hard road, not the easy one. The road that leads to life is a hard one, and it passes through a narrow gate, but the road to destruction is easy, and the gate is broad. Plenty take the easy road; few take the hard one. Your job is to find the hard one, and go by that. ‘If you hear these words of mine, and act on them, you’ll be like a wise man who builds his house on a rock. The rain falls, the floods come, the winds howl and beat on the house, but it doesn’t fall, because it’s been founded on a rock. But if you hear my words and don’t act on them, you’ll be like a foolish man who builds his house on sand. And what happens when the rain falls and the floods come and the winds beat against it? The house falls down ?C and it falls with a great smash. ‘And this is the final thing I’ll say to you: do to others as you hope they would do to you. ‘This is the law and the prophets, this is everything you need to know.’ Christ watched as the crowd moved away, and listened to what they said. ‘He’s not like the scribes,’ said one. ‘He talks as if he knows things.’ ‘I never heard straight talking like that before!’ ‘That’s not the sort of waffle you get from the usual preachers. This man knows what he’s talking about.’ And Christ considered everything he’d heard that day, and pondered it deeply as he transcribed the words from his tablet on to a scroll; but he said nothing to anyone. The Death of John All this time John the Baptist had been captive in prison. King Herod Antipas really wanted to put him to death, but he knew that John was popular with the people, and he feared what they might do in response. Now the king’s wife ?C the one John had criticised him for marrying ?C was called Herodias, and she had a daughter called Salome. When the court was celebrating the king’s birthday Salome danced for him, and pleased everyone so much that Herod promised to give her whatever she asked for. Her mother prompted her, and she said, ‘I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ Herod was privately dismayed. But he had promised in front of his guests, and he couldn’t back down; so he ordered the executioner to go to the prison and behead John at once. It was done, and the head was brought, just as Salome had demanded, on a platter. The girl gave it to Herodias. As for the Baptist’s body, his followers came to the prison and took it away to be buried. How to cite The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ Chapter 5, Essay examples

Management Information Systems Essay Example For Students

Management Information Systems Essay 1. General Motors has several internal and external influences that are challenging them to reduce their operating costs and become more efficient. In doing an analysis of the General Motors using Porters Competitive Model these influences become clear and opportunities for the company to reduce costs and increase efficiency using information systems becomes obvious. Porters Competitive Model is a model used to describe the interaction of external influences; specifically threats and opportunities that affect an organizations strategy and ability to compete Laudon Laudon, 2005, p. 103. Starting at the center of the model is the current industry, which includes General Motors and their typical competitors, such as, Ford, DaimlerChrystler, and the Japanese Laudon Laudon, 2005. All of these traditional competitors are able to produce cars at a much cheaper cost than General Motors. Looking at the supplier portion of the competitive forces model, part of the reason General Motors was u nable to produce cars inexpensively in comparison to their competitors was that they were producing a lot of their own parts. Their competitors were able to purchase parts from outside vendors at lower prices. General Motors viewed this as an opportunity and has since shed a lot of workers and factories and are currently searching everywhere for the lowest prices on parts. Also General Motors was very slow at producing cars because of old information systems and outdated processes. A lot of General Motors systems could not communicate with each other, which was causing a major lag in the production of automobiles. By integrating these systems they were able to become faster and leaner and were able to increase their customer focus Laudon ; Laudon, 2005. In the competitive forces model, General Motors also has influence from new products and services to reduce costs and increase efficiency. General Motors wants to experiment with new ways to serve their customers, one of which was on line shopping, allowing customer to shop for car models and colors online and giving them dealerships in the area that were currently in possession of the car they preferred. By utilizing the Internet, GM was able to provide additional services to their customers and allow them to also purchase vehicles online. General Motors also found an opportunity to build vehicles to order. This allows them to reduce the cost of inventory and sales incentives by finding ways to make cars that customers have actually ordered Laudon ; Laudon, 2005. Another new technology-based service General Motors has been experimenting with is called OnStar. OnStar is a navigation, Internet, safety, and communications capability that is available on a majority of GM models. Customers have to subscribe to the service but with the service they receive roadside assistance, stolen-vehicle tracking, and concierge support such as making dinner reservations Laudon ; Laudon, 2005, p. 111. OnStar is a comprehensive ser vice, however, has not been successful in gaining interest of a lot of GM customers. New entrants to the automotive market have been a threat to General Motors. Some of these entrants include Nissan and Hyundai. Although, they have been around for a while, they are increasingly gaining a large portion of the market and have been very efficient in product development and bringing new models to the market quickly. In response to this threat General Motors has attempted to stream line their product development portion of their business. In the past, General Motors would have to go through several departments and systems to take a car from design phase to actual production. The average was typically 48 months for this process. After some analysis, General Motors has formed a single committee that now handles the entire product development process. They removed all of their former design and engineering systems and replaced them with a single system called EDSs Unigraphics Laudon Laudon , 2005, p. 112. Everyone involved in the committee has access to this new system and are able to access from a web-based interface to share three-dimensional designs Laudon Laudon, 2005. It now takes General Motors approximately 18 months from initial design to production. Customers also play a part in the competitive forces model. General Motors still struggles in changing potential and actual customers perception of the company from a second rate automobiles compared to their competitors. With the Internet service and new product development technique they hope to change this perception and bring new automobiles and services to these customers. Information technology has played a large role in the redesign of General Motors. They have been able to successfully reduce operating costs by becoming more efficient and competitive. They have integrated several systems and have stream lined internal processes to reduce costs and have also utilized the Internet to gain new customers and aid in sales of automobiles. General Motors will need to continue using information systems to gain advantages over their competitors and to stay a major competitor in the automotive market. 2. Within the last few years preventing future terrorism attacks like the one that occurred on September 11th has become a major concern for both citizens and the government of the United States and globally. In response to this concern, governments and their organizations have created massive databases of personal information on citizens and whom they think could be potential terrorists. These databases have brought up questions of social and ethical issues regarding citizens privacy and rights in regards to the information being collected. Drug and Alcohol Abuse EssaySince this technology reaches customers globally, businesses need to ensure that their new systems are capable of supporting international customers. Language and cultural barriers can create a chaotic environment but with the right system and business processes this challenge can become obsolete Laudon Laudon, 2005. When building the information architecture companies must be aware of what they currently need to do business, but also allow the system to be upgraded in the future for changes that may occur. Business is changing rapidly and the system that they create should allow them to adapt to these changes and not hinder them. Hardware and software should be compatible and allow information to flow freely. This is crucial in the design process Laudon Laudon, 2005. A final challenge of management is in regards to responsibility and control. They need to find a way to ensure that proper security is stored and sensitive information is only handled by those that need it to do their job. Although they want the information shared they also need to have control of the information Laudon Laudon, 2005. Internet technology is crucial to a companys success in regards to reducing operating costs and increasing efficiency. It can provide the company with new customers and streamline business processes. However, there are some management challenges that need to be addressed when using this technology. If the company is aware of these challenges and addresses them successfully the full potential of this technology will be reached. 4. Information systems and technology is allowing businesses to reach consumers in ways that they were unable to do before. One such method is direct sales over the web, where manufacturers are now cutting out the intermediary and directly selling to the consumer. This process is called disintermediation Laudon ; Laudon, 2005, p. 123 and is allowing consumers to purchase goods at a cheaper cost by eliminating the middleman who would typically raise the price in order to make a profit. Web personalization has also made a large impact on consumers. Web personalization is the tailoring of web content directly to a specific user Laudon ; Laudon, 2005, p. 123. Basically when a customer visits a website and either purchases a good or views certain items the web page alters according to each customers preference. For example, at Amazon.com if a certain book is purchased the next time that customer logs on there is a suggested list of books that are similar to the one previously purchased ar e listed that Amazon.com finds may be of interest to that customer based on there previous purchase. Many websites are using web personalization because it allows them to provide customer service and a sales tactic without having an actual salesperson present. It also makes the customer feel as if they are being catered to and that they are valued Laudon ; Laudon, 2005. Data is also collected from purchases of customers to find what is the best selling product so that the company can keep plenty of that product in stock. For example, Dillons stores in Wichita uses what is called a Plus Card which keeps the information of the customer contains the customers demographic information. Every time the customer uses their plus card Dillons keeps track of what is being purchased. Items that are popular can be put on sell to increase revenue or inventory can be updated to provide for these items. Besides being used as a marketing tool, businesses also use the Internet to provide customer service. Instead of having a call center where a customer needs to talk to a physical person they can use the Internet and browse frequently asked questions to get information or answers. They also can send emails to the business and expect a response in little time. Using the Internet for customer service allows the customer to be in control and tailors to the customers tim e schedule. There are many benefits in using technology to gain customer information. The most popular is as a marketing function to provide customers with the products that are most popular. Also, it allows them to provide salesman type services without a physical salesperson or customer service representative. This is saving businesses money by reducing the cost of employing this person and is tailoring to the flexibility needs of the ever-demanding consumer. ReferencesLaudon, K.C. ; Laudon, J. P. 2005. Essentials of Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.