Issues and Traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay Example for Free

Issues and Traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay Religion takes on many different forms and there are several definitions in as many languages used to describe the practices. For the purposes of this paper, the following basic definition will be used. Religion is the belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. Also, a personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship (Company, 2000). This paper will examine three major religions of today: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. An attempt will be made to identify the top two current issues each religion faces as well as look at two sacred traditions and study the significance and major characteristics of each. Judaism Judaism is monotheistic in nature and has been described as a religion, a race, a culture, and a nation. All of these descriptions have some validity to them but Judaism is best described by some as an extended family (Rich, 2006). This extended family consists of four movements Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist. All of which, still find themselves victims of discrimination known as anti-Semitism which is based on stereotypes and myths and often invokes the belief that Jews have extraordinary influence with which they conspire to harm or control society. For those Jews living in the Middle East there is also the very real danger and threats from a powerful country possibly in possession of nuclear weapons. The president of Iran threatened them publicly with annihilation. Discrimination and threats of violence Jews are a very real part of Jewish life but there are just as many positive popular time honored traditions that exists still today. One of which is the wedding tradition. The tradition begins with the husband signing a Ketabuh, the groom’s marital contractual obligation to the bride. The groom is then led to the Chuppah, a tarp this symbolizes their future home together. The bride is led in with singing and dances and then she circles the groom seven and comes to stand to the right of him. After several additional steps the marriage is blessed and ends in a wedding feast. Another Jewish tradition performed prior to Yom Kippur is called the ceremony of kapparot. The practice was first discussed at the beginning of the ninth century. It was believed that the sins of an individual could be transferred to a fowl, a rooster for men and a hen for women. The fowl was to be held over the head and swung in a circle three times while the following was spoken: This is my exchange, my substitute, my atonement; this rooster (or hen) shall go to its death, but I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace. (Schwartz, 2009) The fowl was then donated to the poor and hoped to take on any misfortune that might have occurred to the one who took part in the ritual. The primary sacred text used by the Jews is the Torah. Christianity is currently noted to be the largest religion in the world today, with around two billion followers. Christian beliefs center on the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the son of God. Jesus’ teachings focused on the kingdom of God, love of God, and love of one another. Today there are many different views his teachings and the meaning of some forms of love. One of the most controversial topics in the faith today is that of practicing homosexuality. The Christian bible stems from the Jewish sacred text which banned homosexuality of any kind. The bible even talks of God destroying two cities over homosexual behavior (Clark, 2009). Today many leaders condone the behavior and some are even practicing it themselves. While homosexuality may serve as a religious divider here in the U. S. , persecution is served cold as a divisionary disabling tactic abroad. It is the number one issue facing many Christians today, outright discrimination as in the case with Jews as mentioned earlier. In countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, China, Saudi Arabia, and others Christians are being martyred because of their refusal to denounce Christianity. Everyday there are approximately 465 people killed because they will not give up their faith in Jesus (Dearmore, 2009). Most Christians in the U. S. attend a church service of some kind one to three times a week. This is a time honored tradition, just as the wedding tradition is in Judaism. The reason behind this is to participate in a time of fellowship with one another. Normally, the tradition includes worship service, private and corporate prayer, the study and reading of scriptures, and collection of tithes and offerings. There is also the coming together for celebration of special holidays. The most important Christian holiday is Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ and Christmas the celebration of his birth. Christian practices differ by denomination. Easter is a central theme for most if not all denominations. The origin of the word â€Å"Easter† is not certain but it was probably derived from Estre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring (Dreamweaver, 2009). It is a celebration of the central event of the Christian faith, the belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day following his death and burial. It is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year. There is evidence that the resurrection used to be celebrated every Sunday until some point in the first two centuries when it was agreed to move it to once a year. The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible. Islam The Islamic religion is monotheistic in nature; they follow one God named Allah. The primary meaning of Islam is peace and the prime message is the Unity of God. Islam identifies Jesus and John the Baptist as prophets. They also believe that there will be no other prophet after the prophet Muhammad. One of the primary concerns facing the Muslim community still today is retribution after the terrorists’ attacks of 11 Sept 2001. Many Islamic followers faced discrimination on all fronts because of the fear of their culture and religious stereotyping (Clark, 2009). The attacks on American soil left a scary imprint of terror in the minds and hearts of many. The media portrayal added fuel to the fire and did nothing to ease the tensions caused by the scary pictures of death left behind. Unfortunately, there is also the fight with fundamentalist ideology and division among their own religious sects. Some groups are teaching others to hate Jews, Christians, and Americans as well as others. In the midst of this hate is a tradition of peace and goodwill towards others. One of the most important traditions is the observance of the Five Pillars of Islam. This involves witnessing to the fact that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. The second pillar is Salat, facing toward Mecca, the Holy Land of Muhammad, five times a day and kneeling in prayer. The third pillar is Alms giving, which encompasses giving charitably to other Muslims. The fourth is the performance of a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Last is to observe fasting during Ramadan. Muslims normally worship in Mosque; they kneel prostrate on small prayer rugs. The rugs may look to be small oriental carpets. Muslims kneel as a sign of humility before God. There is only one requirement that the place of prayer be clean. The rug is approximately one meter in length just long enough for an adult to fit on comfortably. When prayer time comes the rug is placed on the ground with the top pointed in the direction of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. After prayer the rug is immediately folded and put away until next time. The Arabic word for a prayer rug is sajada, which comes from the same root word (SJD) as masjed (mosque) and sujud (prostration) (Huda, What are prayer rugs, and how are they used by Muslims? ). This paper discussed three major religions of today and two current issues that they face. It also examined the characteristics of some of their valued traditions. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have one central theme in common besides the discrimination they all endure; they are all monotheistic in nature. They all believe in their own sacred text, their own version of truth. References http://islam.about.com/od/prayer/f/prayer_rugs.htm http://www.jewfaq.org/judaism.htm http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/kapparot.html

Antibiotic Resistance Essay -- Medicine Science Papers

"Antibiotic Resistance" I. Abstract When penicillin was first administered in 1943, it proved to be extraordinary at wiping out nasty cases of syphilis, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, and meningitis infection. With the threat of these deadly infections in ‘check,’ pharmaceutical industries then cut back on their research to discover even more effective antibiotics. This new-found medical confidence inspired patients to merrily run to the clinic to get penicillin prescriptions for everything from nausea and diarrhea to running nose and sneezing, and doctors to happily prescribe the ‘miracle drug.’ However, microorganisms are now evolving and developing unprecedented resistance to penicillin and other once potent drugs, like vancomyocin. Currently, vancomyocin is the most potent drug on the market, and  ¼ of all enterococci are resistant to it ("A New Gap†¦," 1997). In the April 28, 1994 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers identified a bacteria that was resistant to all antibiotics (Lewis, 1997). The number of resistant strains of bacteria are rapidly growing, and a panic is beginning to spread in the medical field, as it has been caught ‘off-guard’ by the most recent developments. It takes decades to develop new antibiotics, and the pharmaceutical industries have spent the last few decades focusing on other concerns. Even though our arsenal of antibiotics is diminishing, it is clear that there will be no new ‘miracle drugs’ for quite some time. Since we will soon run out of effective antibiotics, we must do what we can to preserve the potency of our current resources. This paper will provide a background on how antibiotics work and also on the mechanism by which bacteria acquire resistance. Also part ... ...bson, David. (1997b). How does resistance occur? [Online] Available: http://www3.hmc.edu/~dgibson/antibiotics/resistance.html. King, John W. M.D. (1997). Antibiotic Resistance. [Online] Available: http://www.ccm.Isumc.edu/bugbytes/bb-v2n13.htm. Lewis, Ricki PhD. (1997). The Rise of Antibiotic-Resistant Infections. [Online] Available: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/795_antibio.html. Nemecek, Sasha. (1997, Feb). Beating Bacteria. Scientific American, 38-39. (1997, June). A New Gap In The Antibiotic Arsenal. Science News, 151, 348. (1996, May). Reducing Antibiotic Resistance. Nature, 381, 120-121. Smaglik, Paul. (1997, May 17). Proliferation of Pills. Science News, 151, 310-311. Thompson, Clare. (1997, June 8). False Economies Breed Superbugs. New Scientist, 6. Travis, John. (1996, June 1). Biological Warfare. Science News, 149, 350-351.

Metamorphosis and the Yellow Wallpaper Essay

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and Franz Kafka’s â€Å"Metamorphosis† contain many similarities. They both have the common theme of the deterioration of the main character’s life and mind, as well as the theme of the ostracism of outcasts in society. They also both deal with the main characters gaining a freedom through the demise of their previous lives. The woman in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is slowly deteriorating in mental state. When she first moves into the room in the old house, the wallpaper intrigues her. Its pattern entrances her and makes her wonder about its makeup. But slowly her obsession with the wallpaper grows, taking over all of her time. She starts to see the pattern moving, and imagines it to be a woman trapped behind the wallpaper. The total deterioration of her sanity is reached when she becomes the woman she imagined in the wallpaper and begins creeping around the room. Similar to the woman in Gilman’s story, Gregor, in â€Å"The Metamorphosis,† watches as his life slowly deteriorates. He woke up one morning to find himself to have taken the shape of a bug. But early on he tried to continue in his normal activities; he focused on how he was going to make it to the train station so he did not miss his train, and how his employer would be upset with his absence from work. Then he begins to realize that he is a bug, and he cannot live his life the same way he used to. His sister begins to take care of him, and he loses touch with everything human that he used to know. His mother and father take away all of his furniture and other possessions. Gregor’s family come to the agreement that the bug must be eliminated, it was not†¦

Trickster Tales Are An Important Part Of The Native...

Trickster tales have been an important part of the Native American culture for hundreds of years. Trickster tales are an oral storytelling tradition and are continuously passed down from generation to generation of Native American Indians. American Indians enjoy listening and telling trickster tales because it is a fun and interesting way to tell a story with a valuable lesson. In many tales, the trickster has a name associated with an animal, and a majority of listeners assume they are animals; however, in some tales, characteristics may appear more human-like. Trickster tales allow Native American cultures to use their imagination and thoroughly understand the moral lessons presented in the tales, and therefore may help with one’s†¦show more content†¦The beginning of the story starts with the trickster wandering around aimlessly and encountering a little fox. The fox told the trickster â€Å"the world is going to be a difficult place to live in and I am trying to find some clean place to dwell† (105). The trickster replied to the little fox that he was looking for a place to live as well, and they should look together. As they were looking for a place, they encountered a jaybird and a nit, who were also looking for a place to live. After traveling for some time, they eventually found a lovely place with beautiful land and decided to settle there and built a lodge. Unfortunately, paradise came to an end when winter approached and they had nothing left to eat. The trickster however, had a plan to visit a nearby village and disguise himself as a woman and marry the chief s son who was killing many animals for food. They all agreed the plan was brilliant and could live happily in peace until spring came. Moreover, the trickster disguised himself as a woman by taking an elk’s liver and making a vulva from it. He them proceeded to take the elk’s kidneys and make breasts from them, as well as putting on a woman’s dress. E ventually, the trickster transformed into a pretty woman and decided to have intercourse with the fox, jaybird, and nit to impregnate himself. He went to the village and it was announced that he came for the court of the chief’s son, which was inappropriate manner since the son should haveShow MoreRelatedCoyote and Bear1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe Native American tale of Coyote and Bear, originally translated from oral tradition in nineteen six by G. A. Dorsey in the book The Pawnee, Mythology, Part I, tells us the story of Coyote who accidentally meets Bear, and in order to protect himself from being killed by Bear, starts to make up self praising stories to impress Bear. Eventually, Coyote convinces Bear, but after a few hesitant moves, Bear realizes that Coyote was lying. The tale then, ends up with the murder of Coyote by Bear. TheRead MoreExplore the Role of the Trickster Figure in Native American Literature2123 Words   |  9 PagesWho is the trickster figure in Nati ve American culture? What roles do the tricksters play? Drawing on the readings we have done so far for this course, explore what types of language or symbols the trickster is associated with and their relation to cultural values. In your answer, be sure to consider how the trickster figure relates to native American oral culture (the role of ‘stories’ for example). It sounds simple enough to consider the role of the trickster in Native American culture, but examinationRead MoreMy Favorite Stories From Trickster : Waynaboozhoo And The Geese And How Alligator Got His Brown1939 Words   |  8 PagesIn this paper, I will compare two of my favorite stories from Trickster: Waynaboozhoo and the Geese and How Alligator Got His Brown, Scaly Skin. These two stood out from the others as strong tales with clear and powerful messages. After I compare the two plots, I will discuss the relevant parts of the respective cultures from which these stories originated. One of three reasons I like these two stories is that they are both very concise, direct, and to the point. Let’s use How Alligator Got HisRead MoreWhen It Comes To Folktales, Fairytales, Legends, Myths,1733 Words   |  7 Pagesmental library. These are tales that I can pull out and tell on a moment’s notice. My library has stories from all over Europe, including obscure or not well known stories such as â€Å"Brother and Sister† (a German tale), â€Å"The White Snake† (a German tale), â€Å"Cap o’ Rushes† (an English tale), and â€Å"Bluebeard† (a French tale) that I can recall and tell to others at the drop of a dime. I know a few from Asia, like â€Å"Father Frost† (a Russian tale) and â€Å"The Stonecutter† (a Chinese tale). 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That very second saw the perish of all the age-long values and traditions that, before that moment, defined, raised, and watched over every Indian boy and girl, every Indian husband and wife, and every Indian father and mother. The U.S. government easilyRead MoreTotem And The Coyote Columbus Story By Thomas King1288 Words   |  6 Pages The two stories ‘Totem’ and ‘The Coyote Columbus Story’ written by Thomas King are about the Aboriginal people of North America. Thomas King revisits the history of the Native American people in his stories and tells them in a symbolic and metaphorical manner, with his simple touch of humour. The stories â€Å"Totem† and â€Å"The Coyote Columbus Story† are based on historical events, where in they describe the real historical events which have occurred, rather than the ones written down otherwise. The

Swot of Sika Group - 8937 Words

Sika Group Sika Group - Financial and Strategic Analysis Review Reference Code: GMDCH25387FSAS Publication Date: MAR 2009 Company Snapshot Key Information Sika Group, Key Facts Web Address www.sika.com Financial year-end December Number of Employees 12,900 Swiss Stock Exchange SIK Source: Annual Report, Company Website, Primary and Secondary Research Global Markets Direct Company Overview Sika Group (Sika) is a globally integrated groupengaged in the field of specialty chemicals. Theoperations of the company are divided into twobusiness divisions namely the construction divisionand the industry division. Sika offers processingmaterials, which are used in sealing, bonding,damping, reinforcing and protecting†¦show more content†¦.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Business Description..........................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Major Products and Services..............................................................................................................................................................................................6 Overview......................................................................................................................................................................................................................6 History.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................7 SWOT Analysis Overview.........................................................................................................................................................................................................8

John F Kennedy served as the 35th president of the United...

John F Kennedy served as the 35th president of the United States until his term tragically was cut short by a communist sympathizer on November 22, 1963. On November 22, 1963 the United States lost its innocence. The majority of Americans mourned and felt the pain of his assassination. America watched his assassin meet his own demise from their homes, and watched his widow march down the street of Washington in her husband’s funeral profession, and grown men wept when young John Jr. saluted his Fathers casket as his final goodbye. Kennedy spent the majority of his presidency trying to prevent the spread of communism in Asian countries as well as Cuba. Kennedy and his wife were seen as superstars to the public and although they mesmerized†¦show more content†¦The nation was able to trust the youthful president with telling them the absolute truth and giving them as much forewarning as possible which Kennedy will do to the best of his ability and so will Kennedys sout hern Vice President, Lyndon Baines Johnson when he assumes Kennedys role on Air Force One before federal judge Sarah Hughes in November of 1963. The American public will forever know these two as the last presidents who were honest and truthful to the nation due to the fraud and scandal imbedded into the Richard Nixon administration where history can find the first traces of shrinking belief in the government from its citizens. After the Cuban Missile Crisis it became clear how easy it would be to have a nuclear war, and eventually complete destruction of both countries. The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred after The USSR started sending ICBM’s to Cuba and aiming them at the United States. After a tense week or so in October, the crisis was solved with the conditions that Cuba would remove the missiles and the United States would remove some of their that they had strategically placed towards the USSR. With the formation of Mutually Assured Destruction in the Kennedy Administration it became painfully obvious to both citizens of the United States as well as the citizens of the Soviet Union how close and easy it wouldShow MoreRelatedThe Legacy Of John F Kennedy1142 Words   |  5 Pages The Democrat that stood with his hand on the living holy scripture would not only be known as the youngest man to enter the sacred halls of the White House, but also as the one that entrusted his heart and soul for the love of his nation. John Fitzgerald Kennedy recited what seemed like ancient words bound within the inaugural speech with more than a noticeable Boston pronunciation. The unforeseen knowledge that this young senator would be the victim of a deadly attack left the world innocent

Coaching Mentoring free essay sample

It is crucial for managers to see the value and understand the importance of developing individuals, teams and the overall organisation. The primary relationship in any coaching or mentoring scheme is between the coach/mentor and the individual, but this may not be the only important relationship. Other key stakeholders such as the people representing the organisation’s interests, in most cases an HR and/or learning and development practitioner, and the individual’s manager. All of these parties are interested in improving the individual’s performance and therefore their contribution to the organisation. In the case Coca-Cola Foods, a ten-part coaching and mentoring scheme was initiated. Most facilitated mentoring programmes have a formal process which defines each step and audits the ongoing success of the programme. Although these processes will differ somewhat in how they address the needs of the stakeholders, most programmes generally follow procedures similar to those below: Mentees identified: in this step, Coca- Cola Foods identifies the group of people who are eligible for the mentoring programme. We will write a custom essay sample on Coaching Mentoring or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This can be done in a variety of ways looking at certain job levels, departments, employee characteristics, etc. Once the target group is defined, specific mentees can be identified by having them volunteer, be nominated by a boss or other sponsor. Identify developmental needs: the developmental needs are determined and an individual development plan is prepared in this stage. This can be done by having the mentees disclose what they think are their developmental needs, having bosses determine these needs, and/or having skill deficiencies revealed through assessment. Identify potential mentors: this step produces a pool of individuals who can serve as mentors. They may volunteer for the role, may be chosen by a mentee, or may be recruited by senior managers. Prior to selection, a mentor’s general ability and willingness to handle the role should be assessed. Mentor/mentees matching: a mentor is selected for a specific mentee after considering the skills and knowledge needed by the mentee and the ability of the mentor to provide practice or guidance in those areas. Compatibility of styles and personalities can be critical. Mentor and mentee orientation: before the start of the mentoring relationship, an orientation is held for both the mentors and mentees. For mentors this orientation covers time commitments, types of activities, time and budget support, the relationship with the natural boss, reporting requirements and the mentee’s responsibility for the development. Contracting: a clear agreement is an essential foundation for a good mentoring relationship. It includes a development plan, confidentiality requirement, the duration of the relationship, frequency of the meetings, time to be invested in mentoring activities by each party, and the role of the mentor. Periodic meetings: most mentors and mentees meet for performance planning, coaching, and feedback sessions. The frequency can be determined by the nature of the relationship and by geographical proximity. At these meetings, both parties are candid about progress of the process. Periodic reports: it will be easier to evaluate the success of the mentoring programme if periodic status reports are by both the mentor and mentee. Depending on the level of formality in the programme, this step may or may not occur. Conclusion: a mentoring relationship concludes when the items delineated in the initial agreement have been accomplished or when time/business/budget constraints will prevent the relationships from continuing. It may also be concluded when one of the pair believes it is no longer productive for them to work together. Evaluation and follow-up: after the relationship concludes, both the mentor and mentee are questioned, via interviews or other assessment instruments, about the value of the process, timing, logistics, time constraints and any other valid concerns that could affect the mentoring process. Communication is a plays a major role in building a coach/coachee relationship. Both parties can benefit from analysing a number of key skills (active listening and questioning