Is it worth dying for one’s Christian principles? Essay

This question cannot really be answered with just a yes or no response, any one who answers it must be able to explain why because everyone has their own informed opinion on this question. Some people would say yes because as all Christians believe, there is life after death with God, so there is no reason why we should wish to escape death but the main reason that most people would come up with for saying no is that nothing is as important as your own life and that you should protect it at all cost no matter what is required (there is a limit e.g. most people would not be willing to kill another person). Martyrdom is a strong reason, not so much in that â€Å"If I die I will be a martyr and everyone will praise me!† Which people who say no might accuse Martyrs of doing, and they would say it is wrong to do that, but more in the sense â€Å"Martyr’s were willing to die so should I be willing to show my devotion to God by sacrificing my life for others and to witness the truth.† Some believe that when presented with death there are more important things than one’s self to think of, those being justice, mercy, forgiveness and peace while people saying no would counter with something like dying for your beliefs could be seen as suicide because you would just be letting yourself die and even God does not like people committing suicide. If you were in a place where Christians were persecuted and you died for your beliefs, you would be an inspiration for hope, so that your sacrifice may lead to better things for all people. This is a key point, that every sacrifice no matter how big or how small is important, but people in the same situation might not be willing to die because even Jesus the Son of God didn’t want to die, he prayed to God â€Å"my Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.† So people argue that there is nothing wrong with not being willing to die f or one’s Christian belief. In my opinion I would have to say that in most cases it is worth dying for one’s Christian principles e.g. if you were in a place where Christians were being persecuted and people were denouncing their Christian principles, then in order to show them that you should never give up hope and to inspire them, it would be worth openly showing your Christianity which would certainly lead to death. But in other cases it would be a waste, e.g. if you were involved in a project that involved helping others less fortunate than yourself and you were told that if you were a Christian you would be killed, then I would use one of the arguments put forward by someone who might have said yes as reason for saying no which is to put other things before one’s self by thinking about all the people that need your help so desperately. In theory, there are more arguments as to why people should be willing to die for their Christian beliefs, but realistically even people who say yes, would in fact not be prepared to die, although there are some people who would, these are the true martyrs.

Philosophy 103

According to Sartre, a philosopher from the World War II and Cold War eras, people will create the world around them, thus manipulating their lives. By doing this, they create certain limitations, while also creating more possibilities. Sartre created his philosophical theory at a time in history when more people were able to afford more amenities and luxuries for themselves. More and more industries, companies, and manufacturers were popping up around the world. This created a global human interest in possessing more amenities, especially in a democratic society.People were now able to not only afford the items they needed in order to sustain a normal lifestyle, but they could own things that could entertain them and bring them happiness. This is a lifestyle that has continued on through today. Many people argue that the habit of buying unnecessary items as opposed to buying those that are vital has become worse over time. Many of us wonder why this is the case. Sartre states that p eople â€Å"may not become what they wish to be† because they are too busy focusing on their material possessions instead of focusing on improving their moral selves.It is the responsibility of the person to decide what is really important in their lives. Sartre also makes a few more important notations towards his theory. First, many people think that they will only be defined by the items in which they possess. People think they will only be accepted socially if they possess items that are considered to be attractive to others. People also think they are only defined by what they have, not by who they are as people. However, Sartre also says, in reality, the world in which we live in is not composed of all the material possessions.But we tend to feel complete when we do possess these. It is our way of â€Å"escaping responsibility†. A free market constantly manipulates us, and it is easy for us to fall into its trap. When choosing whether or not to splurge on luxury items, we tend to evaluate our lifestyles and consider what are values truly are. When we evaluate our lifestyles, we fulfill ourselves in which we think will improve our overall lifestyle. Our values become our material possessions, therefore forgetting what is morally significant in our lives.It is all up to the way in which we evaluate things and our ability in attempting to resist our negative and insignificant assumptions of ourselves and the lifestyles we choose to maintain. When doing this, we usually create standards for ourselves to abide by. We only will invest in the most expensive items because we believe it will make us appear more superior to everyone else. By doing this, we forget about what is important: our consciousness of our spending habits with our money.For example, when it comes to buying a car, we forget about the role a car is meant to play in our lives. As opposed to focusing on its ability to get us from place to place, we only focus on the way it looks, h ow fast it can go, how good the sound system is, how high we can have it lifted, etc. By doing this, people lose sight of what is morally important like shelter, food, and one’s own livelihood. We see this a lot in our everyday lives. You see this on billboards, over the radio, in magazines, in movies, and especially on television. According to dictionary. om, a â€Å"Marketer† is defined as â€Å"A person whose duties include the identification of the goods and services desired by a set of consumers, as well as the marketing of those goods and services on behalf of a company. † This means that the job of the marketer is to convince the average consumer that they need their product, and this is where more often then not people confuse Luxuries versus needs. First lets start by defining â€Å"need. † In the strictest sense of the word, a â€Å"need† is something that you have to have to get by in this world – a necessity.You need food, shelte r, clothing, medical care, which are all examples of the basics. You will probably experience physical suffering of some sort if you don't have your needs met. On the other hand, a â€Å"Luxury† is something that you desire — something you would like to have. But by no means will you suffer in any way except perhaps mental anguish, if you don't get the thing you want. â€Å"Wants† quite often fall into the category of Luxuries, nice to have, but the world won't end without them. The hard part comes when you live in a prosperous capitalistic society, like ours.The â€Å"western† standard of living is so high that even many of our poor tend to live above the level of basic needs. In 1998, 97% of â€Å"poor† Americans (as defined by the Census Bureau) owned a television — something that could definitely be considered a luxury. In many third-world countries, less than 30% of the population even has access to electricity, which most westerners wo uld consider an absolute necessity. My intention is not to make anyone feel guilty — it's simply to point out that the distinction between want and need is often relative.It depends on the area in which you live, the company you keep, the lifestyle you choose, and the expectations of the society around you. We are influenced, every day, by the popular culture around us. Television, magazines, movies, and advertising have all done a splendid job of programming us to think that we need a lot of excess consumable goods. Pretend that you are watching TV or flipping through your favorite magazine and see an ad for something awesome. Suddenly, your heart speeds up, and you get a tingly feeling in your gut. It's perfect, how had you ever lived without it before?You rush right to the store, what?! You don't have any left in stock?! Your heart sinks and you feel a rush of disappointment. You spend the rest of the day moping because you couldn't find it anywhere. Now, this might be a b it of an exaggeration, but it's not far off the mark for some people. How often have you learned of a new product and were certain that you absolutely had to have it? What if you had never seen the ad? Would your life be any worse off? It's as if the knowledge that something exists causes the need for it. Thus brings up the age-old saying of keeping up with the Joneses.With the advent of the â€Å"global society,† the Joneses are not just the people next door anymore. They include movie stars and billionaires and imaginary people on TV that don't even really exist. But we hold these folks up as the standard against which we should measure our own lives. Just because Bill Gates has a multi-million dollar house, we think ours is too small. Certainly, no one is suggesting that one gives away everything they own and become a monk, but it is important that one strikes a balance between those things that they have to have and the things that they would like to have.It is also impor tant that people be able to prioritize their spending. The goal is to focus on those things that will really improve one’s quality of life, rather than just look flashy. Here's a perfect example of prioritizing between two â€Å"wants. † Wouldn't it be nice to retire early? Not have to work, spend your time doing what you want? And let's say that while you are thinking about retiring early, you are also looking to buy a house. You could choose the $500,000 home with 10 bedrooms, or you could choose the smaller, less-expensive house that meets all of your basic needs.If you choose the expensive home, you can probably kiss retiring early goodbye. But, if you decide that retiring early would improve your quality of life more than having a huge flashy house, the choice is simple. This coincides with Sartre’s theory of self-responsibility. He defines it as â€Å"individuals are responsible for their choice, i. e. , they are the incontestable author of their act. â⠂¬  This means that whatever decision a person makes, whether it be good or bad, is their own personal responsibility.For example, when a professional athlete is caught cheating by using steroids, throwing a fight, or betting on themselves, etc. they are personally responsible for the actions that take place thereafter. This also applies to Sartre’s theory on responsibility for others. He states that, â€Å"in choosing for one's self, one is thus also choosing for others and is to that extent responsible for the others. † So by having the professional athlete cheat, he or she is also affecting others, such as fans, the team’s image, and their teammates, with their actions.Sartre’s teachings on existentialism are a perfect example for the topic of Luxuries versus necessities. His idea of personal responsibility and the responsibility of others shows that in Sartre’s eye’s every consumer is responsible for themselves and if their actions caus e a negative reaction on the rest of society they person responsible for this change be held accountable. When choosing between necessities and luxuries its up to one’s own moral judgment to decide what is considered a necessity or what is a luxury. So next time your out buying something think to yourself what kind of effect could this it have on society?

Juvenile Probation Officers Essay

All Juvenile Probation Officers (JPO) are required to complete 40 working hours per week following a flexible work schedule. JPOs are entitled to paid working holidays which includes, but are not limited to, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Please note that in the occasion that the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, another day off may be substituted, upon approval of the employer. JPOs may also be granted a vacation leave after six months of continuous service has been rendered. The number of vacation leave, however, will depend on the number of years in service, with a maximum of 15 days for those having rendered at least one year of continuous service. JPOs are also entitled to family leaves in cases of giving birth or conception-related cases, adoption, care of new-born child, family illness, child’s medical appointment of parent-teacher conference Health Insurance. All employees are entered in a group health insurance under a health maintenance organization (HMO) as approved by two-thirds of the majority during the General Assembly Meeting. The group insurance will cover hospitalization, health, long-tern disability, and accident expenses. Employer contribution starting January 2007 will be $557 per month. As such, premiums required for maintenance of the insurance, in excess of the employers contribution, shall be deducted by the state treasurer on the JPO’s salary on a monthly basis and upon employee’s written order. Retirement/ savings plan. After achieving five years of continuous service, provided that the employee is 50 years of age, a JPO is entitled to a retirement benefit which will be computed based on the employee’s age of retirement, length of service, and pre-retirement earnings. Employees may opt for a normal or early retirement, the latter, however, will deduct the accrued benefits for the years prior to the normal retirement age. The employee may choose to receive payment of benefits on a straight life annuity where the retiree will be paid on a periodic basis; or lump-sum payment where the retiree will receive the full one-time payment and no further benefits will be given to the employee upon receipt of payment. Other options will be joint-and-survivor annuity where benefits are provided for married participants. The amount of survivor annuity shall be between 50-100% of the amount payable for the time the couple is alive. The amount, however, will be lower than that received from straight life annuity. In cases where an employee become totally disabled or ill prior to his eligibility in the retirement plan, but has served the company for 10 consecutive years, he will be entitled for a disability retirement benefit, which he could defer or immediately claim. Life insurance. In cases of death or dismemberment of employees, they will be entitled to a life insurance benefit which will be paid in lump sum following the multiple-of-earnings formula. Using this formula, the length of service and earnings of the employee will be incorporated in the computation and will therefore increase following an increase in employee’s salary. Provisions for the life insurance includes accidental death and dismemberment benefits to the employee or his beneficiary equivalent to the basic life insurance and a percentage of the life benefit for dismemberment; monthly income to surviving family members of the employee; retirement from work; and reduction of life insurance for employees near or above 65 years.

Psychology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Psychology - Term Paper Example It is possible for us to measure the behaviour of a person both qualitatively and quantitatively and hence psychology is now considered as a branch of science. Clinical psychology is the most important branch of psychology because of the immense contributions it gives to the treatment of mental problems of human beings. There are many branches of clinical psychology at present. Psychoanalysis is one among them. Psychoanalysis theory was developed by Sigmund Freud which deals with psychological method of investigation, systematic set of theories about human behaviour and the treatment of psychological disorders. Feminists were among the earliest proponents of psychoanalysis because it acknowledged sexual desires in all people including women, who at the time were considered asexual. But over the course of the century, the theory fell out of favor among feminists, many of whom maintained that it contributed to women’s oppression instead of their liberation. In the 1970s interest in psychoanalysis among feminists enjoyed a renaissance, and by the end of the century it formed part of the canon of feminist theory in the humanities. However, the theory still faces a great deal of resistance from feminists in the social sciences (Feminist Theory: Psychoanalytic, 2010) This paper briefly explains the feminist theory in psychoanalysis Freud argued that boys and girls begin life with similar psychological dispositions, but they follow different paths to adult heterosexuality owing to their anatomical differences and the expectations placed upon them by their families and society in general (Feminist Theory: Psychoanalytic, 2010). According to feminists the interpretations of sexual development by Freud is unacceptable. Freud believed that the environmental parameters control the sexuality more than the genetic parameters. In other words the boys and girls develop heterosexuality mainly from the environment rather than any genetic predispositions. Freud argued that the boys and girls learn a lot form the family and the society about the sexual patterns and they try to follow the same pattern. For example, boys realize their similarity with their father at an early age itself and will try to imitate the father in every respect. Same way girls will try to imitate their mothers. Freud pointed out that â€Å"When individuals did not successfully progress through the stages of development, mental illness could result. Freud maintained that unresolved early childhood traumas associated with these stages of sexual development become lodged in the unconscious and reappear in neurotic symptoms†(Feminist Theory: Psychoanalytic, 2010). Many of the psychological disorders occur at the latter stages of one’s life is attributed to the unresolved childhood traumas by Freud. For example, it is quite possible that a child could not relieve his/her sexual energy in the childhood because of the social restrictions. In family and society, children are prohibited from engage in any sexual activities because of the traditions, customs and beliefs. On the other hand, childhood is a stage during which the sex hormones are hyperactive. In other words, most of the sexual requirements were remain unsolved or unmet during childhood which will negatively impact the life of the child latter, according to Freud. In short, Freud’s theory succeeded in giving a comprehensive account about the sexual development. Freud observed that

Tax Accounting Article Research and Synopsis Writing Essay

Tax Accounting Article Research and Synopsis Writing - Essay Example The authors are concerned with the tendency to pay extremely low salaries to shareholder-employees. The IRS sternly educated S corporations on the proper levels of compensation, and the distinguished tax law as applied to S corporations vs. partnerships. The courts tended to rule in favor of raising shareholder-employee wages. When S corporations are found guilty of shirking salary payments, the IRS may subsequently collect recovered FICA and FUTA taxes, interest, failure to file penalties, late deposit penalties, and negligence penalties for failing to try hard enough to adhere to the Tax Code. The point of contention in these cases hinges upon how the term 'wages' is defined. Taxpayers have give themselves too much latitude in this area. When discussing these cases, the courts felt a duty to examine their financial "substancerather than their legal form." Fellows and Jewell emphasized that deviations from equitable salary payments to S corporation shareholder-employees will no longer be tolerated. Although the Revenue Reconciliation Act provided an amended approach to tax calculation, Cash and Dickens point out that its repercussions are not all favorable to corporations. This tax amendment required that beginning in 1990, the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) would be figured from adjusted current earnings, rather than regular taxable income. Further, taxpayers must figure Adjusted Current Earnings (ACE) each year as a prerequisite to applying the AMT. Deductions to Adjusted Current Earnings that decrease profits and earnings, such as federal taxes and dividends, are disallowed because they are not subtracted when AMTI is calculated. An alternative minimum tax depreciation calculation depends on several factors, such as when a particular item was first used. Two methods used are the 150% declining balance technique and the double declining technique. Cash and Dickens emphasize that depreciation is the most important "special rule" in figuring Adjusted Current Earnings. The Alternative Depreciation System (ADS) is used for all three of "regular tax purposes," Adjusted Current Earnings and Alternative minimum Tax. Choosing the Alternative Depreciation System can be a boon to corporations who are required to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax every year. ADS is also helpful to those companies who do not possess the time or money to make complex alternate calculations. Deferring taxes and accelerating deductions are both desirable privileges for corporate taxpayers, for obvious reasons. It seems counterintuitive, but the authors suggest reversing these behaviors. Income should be declared in years qualifying for a 20% tax rate, and deductions put off until the corporation reaches a 38% tax rate. On the whole,

Report for Potential Investor Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Report for Potential Investor - Assignment Example Financial Analysis The Company’s Financial Analysis is based on the last 5 year’s financial data as per London Stock Exchange Website (Source: Robert Wiseman Dairies Fundamentals). ... the raw milk and oil prices (Source: annual report 2011, pg 17, web version) For 2011, the Company has reported an operating margin of 4.1% (Source: annual report 2011, pg 11, web version) after adjusting for non recurring items like closure of Okehampton Dairy and Cupar Depot (Source: annual report 2011, pg 17, web version) Net Profit Margin : Calculated as the ratio of Net Profit or Profit after tax to Revenue NPM 2.96% 4.03% 0.78% 2.68% 3.99% The profit margin of the Company is quite volatile as seen from the 5 year data. The Company benefited from lower finance cost which declined from ?1.3m to ?1.0m (Annual Report 2011, Pg 17, Web Version) and lower effective tax rate, down to 20.9% from 27.3%(Annual Report 2011, Pg 17, Web Version) in 2011 but the gains on absolute basis were more than offset by reduction in operating profit. Return on Equity : Calculated as the ratio of Net Income to Shareholder’s equity RoE 16.73% 25.61% 4.89% 13.85% 17.28% Net Profit Margin 2.96% 4.03 % 0.78% 2.68% 3.99% Asset Turnover (Sales/Assets) 2.72x 2.69x 2.75x 2.46x 2.50x Financial Leverage (Asset/Equity) 2.08x 2.36x 2.28x 2.10x 1.73x The return on equity for a Company justifies the investment of shareholder’s funds in that firm. It should be higher than the cost of equity which implies the Company has been adding value to shareholders. A high RoE is desirable, it should be analyzed in its components based on Dupont’s formula (i.e ROE = Net Profit Margin * Asset Turnover * Financial Leverage) to assess impact of each of component on ROE. Based on this, volatility in net profit margin it seems has made ROE volatile with Company managed to improve its asset turnover (conversion of asset employed in sales) over

Crime Causation and Diversion Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crime Causation and Diversion Paper - Essay Example There are several intervention, diversion and prevention programs that have been created to help the youths avoid getting into criminal careers when they become adult in that way reducing crime rates in the society (Greenwood 2006). These programs are also aimed at ensuring that the youths people’s lives are salvaged and that they are able to live productive lives later. This paper will discuss the youth advocacy program and Jeopardy programs. Jeopardy Program Jeopardy program is a program aimed at intervening and preventing gang violence in the city of Los Angeles. This program focuses on youths aged 7-16 years of both genders and their parents. The program works through school, community and the police department in ensuring that young people achieve permanent changes in behavior as a way of ensuring that they eventually positively contribute to the development of the community. The program targets children who are at risk of being recruited to gangs. This is especially in n eighborhoods in the city that are known to be dominated by dangerous gangs (Jorge 2013). The programs give these young a variety of training both physical such as martial arts and formal training thus channeling their energies in productive adventures. The Jeopardy program has several goals. It aims at reducing the level of truancy and school drop out in the community. By keeping the children in school, they are kept away from company that may recruit them to a gang and a life of crime. It also aims at improving the youth’s grade in school and promotes graduation rates. When the learners’ grades are good, they have hope of even going to college and getting into a good career. Their energy is thus focused on achieving this. It also aims at addressing psychological disorders in the youth that may lower self esteem (Jorge 2013). This is because research has reported that people are bound to get into criminal activities to boost their esteem. It also aims to impart the you th with life skills such as problem resolution skills, decision making and goal setting skills. All these are seen to lead to the achievement of the ultimate goal which is to reduce gang involvement. All these aims are achieved through several activities carried out by the Jeopardy program team. This first thing that they do is to identify the children in the community who may be at the risk of being involved in gangs. They then conduct interviews with the children and their parents in order to identify which is the most effective method of dealing with the problem. The families are then referred to the local counseling agencies. This is followed by monthly seminars held with the family every month. During these seminars the progress of the child is assessed. The child is also told to choose from a wide range of activities to engage in and is monitored for at least a year until positive behavioral change has been reported. Youth Advocacy Program (YAP) The youth advocacy is an early intervention program that was aimed at youth at risk of getting into a life of crime and their parents. They would refer the parent to treatment and counseling agencies. The main aim of this program was they reduce the development of hardcore youth delinquency and reduce the crime rates in the society. During the juvenile investigation procedure, in cases where the offender is a minor, the case would be