God, money, and poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

God, money, and poverty - Essay Example Only few people are becoming wealthy and successful while logically, a large number is becoming even poorer. The irony behind this is that God has blessed humanity with abundant resources to allow every soul on the planet to access a comfortable and descent life. The role of Christians is a critical issue in this context. Though poverty is a crucial occurrence, it is a multidimensional matter, surrounding not only the material subject of human life, but also its physical, social, spiritual, and social dimension. It is therefore essential to understand the concept of wealth and poverty in both the Biblical-Christian and economic perspective. A system cannot be viewed as efficient if it only improves the lot of simply a portion of the entire society. On the other hand, market efficiency cannot be the basic concern of the Christians. Keister (26) stated that there are vices of efficiency. Murder, theft, war, and slavery can all be reasons enough to the ruthless occurrences, regardless o f the fact that there is an ethical code where such efficiency can be achieved. No matter what people tend to believe, God has a place to fit in the equation of money and poverty. God loves each one of us but most probably, he hates some of our lifestyles, especially those that lead Christians astray. The whole idea behind wisdom of money and poverty is to offer a balanced perspective of how God wants people to view and handle money in their daily living. In a Godly perspective, human beings are portrayed symbolically as creatures whose convictions and attitudes are expressed in their body language. The relationship comes in with the sense that money and poverty are often conceived as figurative extensions of the human body on earth. What people do with money and how they cope with poverty discloses and also shapes the uniqueness of their human identity. In addition to this, the passion of acquiring money or wealth is traced back to their inner desires. Gilder (38) argues that what a man desires whole heartedly and with his entire soul and might is for God himself. Christians may confess faith in God using the Church Creeds, but their personality in relation to God is revealed through what they love most as well as what they worship. Rationally, money and the value that human beings attribute to it show their passionate and ultimate attachments either to the world or to God. It can also be argued that it is through money or charities to the poor that God intervenes in a person’s life. For instance, the Book of Proverbs provides that whoever is kind to the needy lends to God, and the Lord will repay him for his actions. God gives the best to those who share their wealth to the poor and this is what gives the best security for ever, for it is an act of worship. The pastoral nature of the Christians’ faith does not allow the issue of poverty in circumstances like sickness, famine, and homelessness to be just a matter of theological speculation. Our forefathers urged the faithful to be compassionate, to use their money as a manifestation of their faith in the Lord. Secular institutions in a worldly society label religion and treat it as irrelevant or peripheral to huge areas of life. They charge that religion, in this context; Christianity and economic production are not intrinsically related. Some critics argue that â€Å"religion cannot generate Grain,† implying that stewards of Christianity should not assume issues of economic productio

Culture of Excellence in the Classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Culture of Excellence in the Classroom - Essay Example The key ingredients for success in creating the best culture of excellence in the classroom are the teacher’s experiences, responsibilities, and goals. Certainly many teachers teach the way they were taught.  A teacher’s experience and philosophy are important aspects for successfully providing a culture of excellence in the classroom. For example, if the teacher believes in individualism using Mill’s philosophy, he will encourage students to focus only on themselves, which in turn could result in the development of selfish attitudes.  This will lead to developing a generation which has less effective involvement in their society. On the other hand, if the teacher believes in Bentham’s philosophy, which espouses the approach of the greatest good for the largest number of people, he will encourage students to share what they have learned with their peers.  Ã‚  This enhances the possibility of developing a generation of mutual respect for all peoples.  It is because of these factors, that educators must carefully consider their philosophy of education before they ever enter the classroom. They want to make sure that they foster a learning environment that not only fits their personality, but also is flexible enough to effectively reach all of the students in their classroom. Teacher experience is a vital component in developing a culture of excellence in the classroom because it is through these experiences that students can gain insight and knowledge in a fresh and relevant way. Likewise, there is no doubt that the participation of all stakeholders is important for creating and developing a culture of excellence.  Nevertheless, there is still a tremendous amount of responsibility thrust upon the teacher. For instance, he is charged with the task of implementing institutional rules that society expects its citizenry to uphold. Also, he is responsible to the students because the instructional techniques used in the

Advertising Disrupts the Objective of Rational Choice Essay

Advertising Disrupts the Objective of Rational Choice - Essay Example But repeated exposure to such ads ends up affecting the thinking cycle of the consumers and influences their buying habits. (Levinson, n.d.) On an average, an American views about 1500 advertisements every day (Butler, 2001). Most of these advertisements promote materialism. They introduce a product in a way that makes the customers feel as if they need it. This results in building dissatisfaction in the mind of the customer and makes him want to buy that product. These advertisements aim to eliminate the difference between needs and want and use the very influential source, media, to make the customers feel the need for those products, even when they do not really need it at all. By portraying that through the use of a certain product, a fancy lifestyle, or an ideal life could be achieved, they give a false perception of happiness and tricks the customers into buying the wrong products. (Butler, 2001) There are various examples of such manipulation present in our society. Consider for example a brand new BMW car being advertised. There is no logical justification of the car being priced at more than ten times the price of an ordinary sedan. Nonetheless, the ideal, happy life depicted through the advertisements convinces the consumers that the car really is worth the price tag, and forces them to make the illogical decision of buying the car. (ScienceDaily, 2007) As already discussed, advertisers use tactics like subliminal messages and promoting ideal lifestyles in the advertisements to manipulate consumers into buying what they do not need. The tools that are used by advertisers to promote such lifestyles are as follows: There are numerous examples of advertisements using

Impact of Isolation in Death of a Salesman :: Death Salesman essays

Impact of Isolation in Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman is the story of a man, Willy Loman, gone deaf to the outside world. Though many try to help him, he shuts them out and creates his own reality in which he is successful and loved by everyone. In Death of a Salesman, Willy has many influences both good and bad attempting to direct his life; it is his refusal to choose the helpful advice that will ultimately lead to his downfall. One negative influence in Willy's life is the inability of his friends to confront him about his problems. It is Willy's wife that causes him the most harm. In her vain attempt to protect Willy, she actually allows his eventual death. The first sign of her negligence comes in one of Willy's flashbacks. Willy brags, "I did five hundred gross in Providence and seven hundred gross in Boston"(35). But as Linda begins calculating his commission, the value rapidly diminishes to "roughly two hundred gross on the whole trip"(35). Linda sees what is going on but does not confront him. A very similar situation occurs later in their life when she finds out that Willy is no longer on salary, but borrows money every week from Charley. Again she will not confront him. By not confronting Willy in either of these instances, Linda allows him to sink further into his false reality. But Linda makes an even worse mistake that allows for Willy's suicide. She acknowledges his suicidal t endencies when she says, "He's been trying to kill himself"(58). She tells the boys that she has found the rubber hose in the basement, but she still will not confront Willy. Another character who is unable to be straight with Willy is Willy's boss Howard Wagner. Howard allows Willy to keep his job, but does not pay him. If he had just fired him right out it would of forced Willy to find a new job. By stringing him along, Howard allows Willy to maintain his fantasy world unchallenged. These are examples of the most negative influences in Willy's life simply because they have the ability to help but choose not to.

Employee Involvement Essay

The direct participation of staff to help an organization fulfill its mission and meet its objectives by applying their own ideas, expertise, and efforts towards solving problems and making decisions. From this definition, participation can include representative participation, direct communication, and upward problem solving. We will focus on the latter two categories because this article is more about understanding outcomes, tools, and methods. The direct participation of staff to help an organization fulfill its mission and meet its objectives by applying their own ideas, expertise, and efforts towards solving problems and making decisions. Based on the thinking that people involved in a process know it best, regular participation of employees in several planning and execution areas occur. Major areas are: (1) deciding how work gets done, (2) suggesting improvements, (3) setting goals, (4) planning, and (5) performance monitoring. That employees will improve their performance if t hey are more motivated by being more involved, is an observed trait. Borders on empowerment. Employee involvement means that every employee is regarded as a unique human being, not just a cog in a machine, and each employee is involved in helping the organization meet its goals. Each employee’s input is solicited and valued by his/her management. Employees and management recognize that each employee is involved in running the business. Employee empowerment is a somewhat different concept. It means that in addition to involving employees in running the business, employees and management recognize that many problems or obstacles to achieving organizational goals can be identified and solved by employees. Employee empowerment means that management recognizes this ability, and provides employees with the tools and authority required to continuously improve their performance. The management states its expectations about employees recognizing and solving problems, and empowers them to do so. Employee Motivation  is the â€Å"psychological forces that determine the direction of a person’s behavior in an organization, a person’s level of effort and a person’s level of persistence Using rewards as motivators divides employee motivation into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic rewards are internal, psychological rewards such as a sense of accomplishment or doing  something because it makes one feel good.[7] Extrinsic rewards are rewards that other people give to you such as a money, compliments, bonuses, or trophies. â€Å"the willingness to exert high levels of effort toward organizational goals, conditioned by the effort’s ability to satisfy some individual need.† Theory XTheory x states that people are generally lazy. Since people are lazy they will try at all costs to avoid work. They will do what they can to waste time and find other things to do. Sigmund Freud the creator of this theory believed that the only way to get people to do work was to threaten them with punishment if they didn’t do their work. This idea is important because if it holds true, motivation becomes extremely important. If people don’t want to do any work it is necessary to motivation Theory X MIT Professor Douglas McGregor Theory X—assumes that people are basically lazy and will avoid working if they can. To make sure that employees work, Theory X managers impose strict rules and make sure that all important decisions are made only by them. Theory Y Theory Y assumes that people find satisfaction in their work. Theory Y managers believe that people are creative and will come up with good ideas if encouraged to do so. They tend to give their employees much more freedom and let them make mistakes. Theory Z is a business management theory that integrates Japanese and American business practices. The Japanese business emphasis is on collective decision making, whereas the American emphasis is on individual responsibility. McGregor’s Theories Theory X- Autocratic Dislike Work Avoid Responsibility Little Ambition Force/Control/ Direct/Threaten Motivated by Fear & Money Theory Y- Democratic Like Work Naturally Works Toward Goals Seeks Responsibility Imaginative, Creative, Clever Motivated by Empowerment

1.) What Principles Do Franklin And Thoreau Propose For

1.) What principles do Franklin and Thoreau propose for the conduct of life? To what extent do their principles agree? Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Waldo Emerson propose certain principles for the conduct of life. Franklin is very clear in his proposed principles for life, as he clearly states them in his â€Å"The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin†. One of his main principles is the concept of hard work. Franklin believes that the best way to succeed in life is to work hard. Hard work is a key element in how to conduct one’s life. Franklin also touches on the idea that religion allows people to live in good conduct in their lives, as it gives people good values they must uphold. This also contributes to the principle that he believes in, which†¦show more content†¦Fredrick Douglass and Henry Melville both critique Christianity as it was practiced in 19th-century America. Douglass illuminates the aspect of Christianity in relation to the way Christians also uphold the institution of slavery. He views it has ironic that those who claim the Christian faith also believe that there is nothing wrong in the practice of slavery. Douglass questions how one can be a true Christian and still not see that slavery in morally and religiously wrong. He ultimately critiques the way people practice the faith and still uphold slavery. Douglass goes as far to say that the slave master’s even become crueler when they find religion, because then they feel as if they can do no wrong. As Douglass states in relation to slavery and religion, â€Å"Here we have religion and robbery the allies of each other – devils dressed in angels’ robes, and hell presenting the semblance of paradise.† Henry Melville also critique’s the practice of Christianity in the 19th century America in his work â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener†. Melville illustrates the idea of a higher spiritual purpose in relation to societal standards. It also questions what makes a person good ideally in the eyes of society, which relates to how society views a religious person. As religion, such as Christianity, defines how people interacted with others and what actions were associated with a Christian person in 19th century American Society. Melville questions the idea thatShow MoreRelatedWalts Whitmans Vision of America in Leaves of Grass17685 Words   |  71 PagesWhile†©analyzing†©Walt†©Whitman’s†©poetry†©and†©reading†©his†©verses,†©it†©is†©important†©to†© keep†©in†©mind†©that†©he†©was†©not†©a†©politician,†©nor†©a†©philospher†©or†©essayist†©and†©therefore†© could†©afford†©to†©disclose†©his†©human†©side.†©He†©wrote†©in†©Ã‚ «Song†©of†©Myself »:†©Ã‚ «Do†©I†©contradict†© myself?†©Very†©well†©then†©I†©contradict†©myself,†©(I†©am†©large,†©I†©contain†©multitudes.) » †©Ã¢â‚¬ ©Thus†©some†© 1 of†©his†©ideas†©might†©be†©confusing†©for†©someone†©trying†©to†©read†©or†©interpret†©his†©poetry†©in†©one†© particular†©way†©or†©another.†©This†©statement†©proves†©the†©poet’s†©sincerity†©and†©acceptance†© that†©people,†©while†©remaining†©themselves

How does the increasing influence of NGOs in global politics affect state sovereignty - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2146 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Politics Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Introduction This discussion examines the increasing influence of NGOs in global politics and focuses specifically on the role of development NGOs and the way in which they have challenged traditional understandings of state sovereignty. The discussion focuses on development NGOs in order to understand how many such organisations have taken on roles which were traditionally seen as the preserve of the nation state, being directly involved in healthcare provision, infrastructure development and educational provision. The discussion begins with a look at the increasing importance of NGOs in international development before highlighting how this has then led to them challenging state providers in terms of influence. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How does the increasing influence of NGOs in global politics affect state sovereignty?" essay for you Create order The final two sections of the discussion cast a critical eye on the issue and examine the extent to which these developments have directly challenged state sovereignty and also the extent to which this should be seen as a problem. The increased role of NGOs in development The increasing influence of NGOs in global politics is something which has taken off in the post-war years (Weber 2010). Increasingly, the trend has reached such significant proportions that international relations theorists have argued that many traditional theories of international relations such as realism are now no longer relevant in light of these increasingly important global institutions (Weber 2010). As globalisation has gathered pace, and media coverage has become ever more comprehensive the number of NGOs which now have a truly global reach has grown dramatically (Green 2008). Organisations such as Oxfam now have a comprehensive global reach and an institutional and logistical capability which makes them one of the best equipped organisations in the world (Green 2008). Both Green (2008) and Chang (2003) argue that this professionalisation of what were once small charities run largely by well-meaning volunteers (or frequently religious organisations), has fundamentally ch anged the capabilities of what these organisations are able to achieve. By logical extension, this enhanced capability therefore, gives such organisations a much greater scope and power which inevitably results in enhanced political power and relevance. A key positive is that such organisations are now able to achieve far more than was ever thought possible less than a century ago. However, the downside for some is that this power is frequently not coupled with democratic accountability and responsibility. Large scale development NGOs and state sovereignty The controversial element of large scale development NGOs in relation to state sovereignty comes on those occasions in which NGOs provide services which are traditionally seen as the role of the state. In some cases this is not controversial, for example in developing countries which have experienced a major natural disaster where immediate relief is urgently needed. However, in other cases where NGOs are involved in more long term provision of services, their impact on state sovereignty can be seen as being problematic. Perhaps the main reason for this is that they undermine the relationship between state and citizen and frequently undermine the sovereignty of political institutions (Riddel 2014). Whilst this is done with the best of immediate intentions writers such as Riddel (2014) and Houtzager (2006) have argued that the long term impact of this can be damaging both to the actual conditions in the particular country, but also to the political strength and accountability of the state. The argument goes that by taking over services which the state could provide, NGOs undermine the longer term planning and development of the state and effectively make it reliant on NGOs for service provision. Academics such as Houtzager (2006) argue that the only long term method for sustainable development, revolves around a strong and accountable state with genuine political power, and therefore NGOs which undermine this are in his view damaging to the longer term prospects for developing states. A further area in which NGOs are able to undermine state sovereignty, relates to the way in which NGOs are able to undermine the diplomatic positions of sovereign states by addressing problems or issues directly at source (Thakur 2006). For example, a nation state may invoke economic sanctions on a particular state in order to create diplomatic pressure but NGOs are able to bypass this to a certain extent by taking funds direct from citizens and using them in the way they best see fit. By remaining unaccountable to direct state power they are able to challenge the power of the state in numerous ways. Overall, it can therefore be seen that, in the vast majority of cases NGOs have never directly challenged state sovereignty but by virtue of their contribution towards a variety of issues, they have gradually eroded the role of the state in many areas. Also in some cases it can be seen that large scale NGOs have at times directly challenged the power of the state through the provision of certain services and their sheer size and capability. Broadly speaking however there is no major evidence put forward by any of the writers examined which would suggest that NGOs have directly challenged or undermined state sovereignty. Rather, the picture which emerges points to one in which state sovereignty and power is undermined by global governance institutions and large corporations, and then the gaps are plugged (or attempts are made to plug them) by myriad forms of NGO. This point is also supported by Eimer (2009). Critical Reflection The relationship between the modern political and international landscape and state sovereignty is particularly problematic. The role of supranational institutions such as the United Nations and the EU frequently make the news because of what is seen as their lack of true democratic accountability. However, the arguments made above show how NGOs are also contributing to this challenge on state sovereignty. The extent to which one sees this as a problem, is largely driven by the perspective one takes on the importance of the state as a provider of security and long term support. A key threat of such significant NGO involvement is that in huge numbers of cases the NGO in question is based in a different country to that country which it is attempting to help. This therefore, makes longer term security much harder to obtain from such involvement. However, in contrast to this view it must also be noted that the vast majority of major NGOs work closely with many governments in attempt ing to support and develop infrastructures and key provisions (for example health provision) and that the idea that they undermine sovereignty in the state is questionable. This point is highlighted by Eimer (2009) in relation to China with Eimer (2009) highlighting the fact that the Chinese government has actively encouraged growth in the voluntary and NGO sector within China and has even encouraged foreign NGOs to become involved. Eimer (2009 p.1) points out that; Officials are now actively talking up the role of charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as they hope to harness the newfound enthusiasm amongst the Chinese for giving to charity and volunteering that has appeared since the Sichuan earthquake. Because it has little experience of its own of working with such groups, China plans to use some of Britains most famous charities as role models for their own voluntary sector. For a country with such a strong government as China to actively introduce NGOs and third sector involvement in the country shows that they do not perceive NGOs to represent a threat to sovereignty. Eimer (2009 p.1) highlights points made by Dr. Wang (the Minister in charge of NGOs in China) as directly looking towards major existing NGOs as examples of what can be achieved, arguing that; Dr. Wang is looking to Britain and charities like Save the Children, which works extensively in China, for examples of how best to boost Chinas charity sector. The way Save the Children operates is a good example for us, said Dr Wang. I think we can learn a lot from the UK. For example, the laws relating to charities, the institutions that govern charities and the way they are managed, both large charities and grassroots ones. In the past, charities played a very important role in transforming the UK into a modern society. However, it must also be acknowledged here that the Chinese government has such a strong power base that there are virtually no institutions on the planet which could challenge them. That said, it does provide some evidence that NGOs do not necessarily undermine sovereignty even where they have major involvement. Indeed, many such as Green (2008) and Chang (2003) argue that even with well-functioning democratic governments in wealthy states there are still areas in which NGOs can improve life for the majority of people without remotely undermining state sovereignty. It is certainly important to acknowledged that the way in which globalisation has changed the world is unlikely to be reversed any time soon, and there is therefore an important question to be asked as to whether NGOs themselves are to blame for declining state power, or whether or not forces such as large corporations, supranational institutions and other similar entities are more to blame. Certainly NGOs have increased their role whilst state sovereignty has undoubtedly declined but this relationship could very well be as much coincidental as it is a correlation. Giv en the evidence examined above, it would therefore, seem much more plausible to argue that NGOs have not caused a trend of declining state sovereignty but that their increased involvement in plugging important provisions gaps within many countries has undoubtedly contributed or cemented this trend in place. Fundamentally however, it can be argued that this does not represent a significant issue for the majority of states. It can therefore be argued, that the rise of NGOs has gone hand in hand with a decline in state sovereignty, particularly in some of the worlds poorest countries but that this decline in state power is unlikely to have been driven by NGOs and is much more likely to have been driven by other international forces. In many ways, the most likely outcome here is that NGOs have stepped in to fill in the gaps in provision, which have been left by the decline of state sovereignty caused by the increased power of institutions such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO), I nternational Monetary Fund (IMF) and major global corporations. This is certainly the view of a number of thinkers including Peet (2003) and Stiglitz (2002). It can therefore be seen, that the evidence and arguments examined above point more to a situation in which NGOs are not directly responsible for the erosion of state sovereignty in many cases but that they have probably indirectly contributed towards it. There is certainly a problematic relationship between many NGOs and many poorer states in the sense that many NGOs have now become so powerful that they are able to support large parts of state infrastructure in many countries (Green 2008). In addition there is strong evidence that many NGOs have intervened in states and have contradicted the power of the state by introducing policies such as supporting women into jobs (unpopular in some countries) and encouraging entrepreneurial behaviour in many other states through the use of microfinance (Smith 2013). Conclusion In conclusion, it can therefore be argued, that the rise in power of NGOs has certainly coincided with declining sovereignty in many of the worlds poorest countries and indeed in some of the wealthiest as well. However, the arguments examined above show that to solely blame NGOs for this decline in sovereignty is likely to be wrong. Indeed, much of the evidence suggests that the decline in sovereignty has been pushed much more by organisations such as global corporations and particularly global governance institutions which have comprehensively challenged state power in many institutions. That said, it must also be acknowledged that many of the larger NGOs have evolved into very powerful institutions which have directly challenged state power. To the extent that this trend is likely to continue, it must therefore be acknowledged, that NGOs have contributed to a decline in state sovereignty but also that they are certainly not the root cause of this decline. References Chang, H-J. (2003). Rethinking Development Economics. London: Anthem Press. Eimer, D. (2009). China turns to British charities to plug gaps left by communist party. London: The Telegraph. [available online at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4526715/China-turns-to-British-charities-to-plug-gaps-left-by-communist-party.html ] (accessed 21/10/2015) Green, D. (2008). From Poverty to Power. London: Oxfam. Houtzager, P (2006). Changing Paths: International Development And The New Politics Of Inclusion. Michigan:ÂÂ   University of Michigan Press. Krasner, S. (2001). Problematic Sovereignty: Contested Rules and Political Possibilities. Columbia: Columbia University Press. Peet, R. (2003). Unholy trinity. Zed Books Riddel, R. (2014). Does foreign aid really work? An updated assessment. Crawford School of Public Policy: Development Policy Centre. Smith, B. (2013). Understanding Third World Politics: Theories of Political Change and Development. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Stiglitz, J. (2002). Globalisation and its discontents. London: W.W.Norton. Thakur, R. (2006). The United Nations, Peace and Security: From Collective Security to the Responsibility to Protect. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Weber, C. (2010). International Relations Theory: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge.