Everyman and the Bible Exploring Good Deeds, Faith, and...

God has become angry with his people. He complains in the fifteenth century English play Everyman about humans and their obsession with material items, riches, and wealth. Men and women, he feels, have taken for granted their blessings. God wants to reprimand Everyman for his sinful life and sends Death to summon him. At the beginning of the allegorical work where figures and actions symbolize general truths, a messenger shares God’s concerns. The messenger tells the audience to watch and listen closely to the morality play so they can learn a lesson about life. Everyman fears Death, and he desires to know what one must do to earn salvation and enter heaven. The writer then implies that the way to achieve salvation is by doing good works.†¦show more content†¦Doing good deeds are an important part of the Christian life, but they do not grant an entrance into God’s kingdom. Everyman, as a morality play, does still have some Biblical truth and teaches a valuable lesson about life. Thomas J. Jambeck describes Everyman as a Bernadine humanism work, a work in which a man acts as â€Å"an active agent in the work of his own redemption† (109). William Munson echoes this idea, writing that Bernadine humanism gives emphasis to a persons motive, which is the reason why a person acts the way he does (252). Both authors agree that if knowledge is what a person uses to influence his or her actions, then good works in Everyman become the play’s central theme. Knowing what to do and doing it are necessary to accomplish good works (Munson 257-58). Everyman shows the importance of Knowledge and Good Deeds acting together when he plurally addresses them when he says, now friends, let us not part in twain (Line 651). Good works become the result of the two working together. Since man has fallen after Adam and Eves original sin, Murdow William McRae argues that a true Christian must cooperate with grace; that is, he must live well in the life of grace in order to achieve heaven (723). This statement implies that good works save people from hell and allow them to dwell eternally with God. When Everyman learns of his pending death and judgment, he makes an effort to change his lifestyle. Since he does not have a

Reaction Paper the Notebook Essay Example For Students

Reaction Paper: the Notebook Essay In the movie â€Å"The Notebook†, the meaning of unconditional love was emphasized through what happened in the characters’ experiences. It can be observed through the flashbacks that since the main characters were too young at the time they both met each other, they had the tendency to feel intense and aggressive towards their desire for companionship from their opposite sex which eventually lead to infatuation and affection. They have developed such intimate relationship bonded by love. Such love can be described as a common one. Although their love for each other has been established, it is still not as strong as it ought to be. For an individual like me who grew up in a conservative society, I find it somehow aggressive how they developed such feelings in a small span of time as expressed by showing their affection for each other publicly. The thing which they call â€Å"love† was then challenged when the parents of the girl argued and demanded that the guy her daughter loved was not the one suited for her. At this juncture, I can barely see how fragile the foundation of their love is. That with just a single misunderstanding, they tend to decide easily for a break-up, which is really so immature. It seemed so awkward how the girl decided to marry someone although she is aware how much she loved the other guy before. I felt pity for the guy with what happened. Forgetting someone is really difficult; because in forgetting you must remember what you need to forget, thus still remembering all the pain the woman brought him. After all the twists and turns of their love affair, at the end they still managed to come back in each other’s arms. It’s so unrealistic but then I admired how they ignored everything around them and instead, focus on their feelings for each other. The scene which caught my feelings the most is when it was revealed that the old man who was chatting daily with the lonely old woman was the husband who loved her unconditionally, who even made a way on how the woman would remember what she wrote in her diary (the notebook which the old man carries with him during his visits to his wife) and he remained on his wife’s side despite of the woman’s psychological condition up until their death. In a nutshell, I was touched with how someone wholeheartedly expressed love in the midst of all the consequences they have been through. Although it is way far from what we perceive as a platonic love, but it is still commendable. Such martyr love can be rarely seen in our society nowadays because some people tend to remember love as having something in return. And with that, we can summarize this with a quotation: â€Å"Love means to love which is unlovable, or it is no virtue at all; forgiving means to pardon that which is unforgivable, or it is no virtue at all; and to hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all†.

the most beautiful place i can remember Essays -

Whenever the thought of the most beautiful placed my eyes has ever seen comes to mind, there is only one place in my memory. Nestled on a plateau in the shady parish of St. Catherine Jamaica; lies the famous lovers get-away called Winters Park. Bearing no relation to the frigid season of the year; rather the name of the cultivator of this breath-taking paradise. This is undoubtedly the most beautiful place I have ever visited. In the summer of nineteen ninety-nine. My now wife, paid me a visit as the often did every year. We had been friends since high school; but shortly after her graduation, she emigrated to the united states in quest of a better life. We had been dating almost four years when my mother suggested I propose to her. I did not need much encouragement since I had already had it I mind. I wanted it to be a memorable occasion so I thought about places that would support my wish. After scouring the countryside and asking many opinions, a friend of mine informed me of a pr ivate property that catered only to tourist. Since I had never heard about it I was mildly skeptical at first, but had always trusted this friend of mine opinion on almost everything, so I then looked forward this lost paradise as he referred to it. On the day I purchased her engagement ring, I asked her if she would like to go out with me that evening, and she gladly accepted. On our journey, I again became slightly apprehensive, as I had never travelled this area before. The road we took snaked into the mountains of sligoville, I had always thought this area was just some wooded place that farmers dwelt and farmed sugarcane, even Kerri began to question me as to where I was taking her; like myself she had never travelled this road. We soon began to look down on the plains of the bog walk gorge and this somehow started to captivate us, as the view from up here was just awesome. It began to get cool, and all along the roadway, we started seeing flowers of many different species. Birds flew by and perched in tress singing their sweet sons as we drove by. Where had this place been all along we asked each other, this was about ten miles from our homes yet we had never been here. I told her that I heard about a nature resort that wa s here in the hills and she pretty much laugh and asked me how come she had never heard about it, I told her I just found out about it today and we were coming to see. As we rounded the next corner, a sign by the side of the road indicated our destination was just up the bend! I began to see many cars parked along the road and tourist walking with their cameras to and from the destination, those coming back all had an expression of enjoyment on their faces. We followed the sign tills we came upon a gate with a ticket booth, we were asked to pay an alarming price and was slightly taken aback, this better be worth it I thought! Through the gates we went, and as soon as we had travelled a hundred yards, my nose was tantalized by the aromatic fragrances of a wide variety of flowering shrubs and trees, so beautiful1 The whole landscape transformed into a majestic garden in the midst of which

How to Get the Job You Want by Being the Perfect Fit

How to Get the Job You Want by Being the Perfect Fit Recruiters are careful about the applicants they choose to interview because the faster they do their job, the faster they can go on to the next task. One thing recruiters don’t like is wasting time, so job applicants who  are a great fit are more likely to be called in for an interview. You’ve searched the job classifieds for weeks and finally nailed an interview. Here are a few tips to  help you present yourself as the best person for the position so you get the job.Offer the best reasons why you should have the jobInterviews don’t tend to last long, so making the most of your time is important. Prepare a list in advance of your selling points. You may want to include your experience, technical and soft skills, education, training, and accomplishments that benefited your previous company.Ask a family member or friend to help you practiceA  successful interview can depend on practicing  your body language and what you are going to say. Appearing anxious during your interview may be a problem; however, by practicing your responses in advance, you will appear confident and sure of yourself. Ask a friend or family member to practice with you. If no one is available, practice in front of a mirror until you think you have it down pat.Combine your skillsYou may have good qualifications for your desired job, but others may have those same qualifications. See if you can combine several skills that appear on the job application to set yourself apart from other applicants. For example, if you have great computer skills and have also led project teams, point that out to the recruiter.Find out about the interview formatRecruiters use various formats while interviewing candidates for a job. Knowing whether the recruiter will use standard questions, or, for example offer problems you have to solve can help you prepare in advance. What the recruiter is looking for is a creative person who is up to any challenge. There is no problem with asking th e recruiter what type of questions will be presented during your interview, so go ahead and do it.Keep your answers shortDroning on and on is a good way to lose the recruiter’s interest. By practicing, you can hone down your answers to one or two minutes. However, be cautious because memorized responses can sound stiff and robotic during an interview. Work at maintaining your natural voice so your answers sound unrehearsed.Dress for the jobOf course you would like to go to your interview in your comfy jeans and sneakers, but that may not be appropriate. Look over the company to see how its employees dress, and copy that style for your interview. For example, if the employees wear suits, wear one. If they wear khakis and Hawaiian shirts, wear that. One important point is that whatever you wear, you should feel comfortable. While it might be tempting to go out and buy new clothing, if you aren’t comfortable, it will show during your interview.Being prepared for an interv iew is just as important as finding a great position. You can improve how you do both by using successful tactics. Instead of searching for work through classified job ads, you can upscale your search by letting TheJobNetwork do your search for you. All you do is fill out your qualifications and job interests, and TheJobNetwork will send you email alerts for jobs. When you sign up with TheJobNetwork, you won’t miss out on any opportunities.

Unit Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Unit Journal - Essay Example Indeed, the economic integration through liberalization of trade and de-regulation by the states has redefined global economy in terms of inter-dependency of resources. Most importantly, it is designed towards more equitable distribution of resources vis-Ã  -vis goods and human capital across the geographical boundaries. Role of non state actors is emphasized in conflict resolution, negotiation process and raising issues that influence common interests like international peace, environment and sustainable development, human rights, financial aid etc. The barriers in cooperation develop due to exigencies and political dichotomy within the states and nexus between goals of non state actors and international trade (Gourevitch, 2002). The external factors like socio-economic, political and environment have huge impact on trade. They create a nexus between the non state actors and issues that considerably impact civil society. Stiglitz (2007) says that interests of nations are compromised by the American hegemony in the international financial institutes like World Bank and IMF. NGOs mostly use social concerns to influence international trade policies and methods of operations. As such, major barrier to cooperation occurs when the wider interests of the society are threatened by the vested interests of the few like TNCs and international agencies and financial institutions which are influenced by powerful nations like America. (words: 302) Within the broader precinct of security, the national and international policies that address the factors which are threat to people and climate, have emerged as vital issues in international relations. Climate security is intrinsically linked to human security (ipcc, 2008). The limited natural resources like water, land and fresh air are being taken for granted with scarce regard for

Effect (s) on Crime Rates during the 1990s Compared to the Period of Research Paper

Effect (s) on Crime Rates during the 1990s Compared to the Period of 2000 to 2010 - Research Paper Example Some other attributed it to economic crisis and poverty, the influence of abuse in alcoholic drinks. the influence of excessive violence in films and videos, and the lack of respect for authority and the law. Yet, Douglas McDonald and Peter Finn (2000) noted that â€Å"use of illegal drugs began to be more widespread in the late 1960s, and that the increasing integration of the world’s economies has also expanded opportunities for organized criminal enterprises to traffic in drugs more efficiently and with less risk, to support terrorism, and to commit theft, often in a massive scale.†(p. 1) The effect of the drugs may lead to horrendous criminal activities. Aside from this, since drugs are very expensive, addicts frequently resort to crime such as burglaries, assaults and ambushes, to pay for their habit. However, McDonald and Finn also noted in their review article that in the period of 1960s, â€Å"the Federal Government had emerged to be more active in crime contro l†. ... Based from the records compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, wherein levels of crime are measured by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, the national overall crime rate has been decreasing since 1991. Their listed categorized reasons for the decreasing rates are: effective strength of law enforcement agencies; administrative and investigative emphases of law enforcement; policies of other components of the criminal justice system; citizen’s attitudes towards crime; population density and degree of urbanization; variations in composition of the population, particularly youth concentration; economic conditions, including median income, poverty level, and job availability; cultural factors and educational, recreational, and religious characteristics; family conditions with respect to divorce and family cohesiveness; stability of population with respect to residents’ mobility, commuting patterns, and transient factors; modes of transportation and highway syste m; climate; and crime reporting practices of the citizenry. (Marowitz, 2000, p. 1) For easier analysis of the factors that affect the decreased in crime rate, FBI’s crime data, the United States Crime Index Rate, classified crime rates into two major components, which are property and violent crime rates. Violent crimes categories, crimes committed against people, are murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault, while property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. (Marowitz, 2000, p. 3) Marowitz (2000) analysis on the statistics record of United States Crime Index, by the year 1960-1998, burglary rate’s decrease was seen from 1986 to 1991

Impact of Globalization on International Security

Impact of Globalization on International Security In order to better discuss the question at hand we must first discuss briefly what globalization is? Globalization as a term has been widely spread during the last two decades, even though it is not a very precise or agreed term. We can say that globalization is a process where different societies, cultures and economies have integrated more and more in a global network via trade, communication and transportation. The term includes economic globalization, i.e. the integration of national or regional economies into the international economy through trade, financial flows, the proliferation of technology, migration etc. Globalization refers also to the international circulation of ideas, languages and culture. It is a process being driven by a combination of factors like economic factors, political factors, technological, social and cultural factors.  [1]   We must understand the fact that globalization and its components are not spread equally, nor do them influent the same throughout the world. For example many African states are much less globalized than European states and in terms of components, for example financial globalization is much more diffused than migration. A concrete example where components of globalization are not spread equally would be China where economical and technological globalization is much more present than liberal ideas. According to Habermas nation states are more and more under pressure both on functional and on normative grounds. They are increasingly unable to handle the intensity and volume of flows of people, capital, information, and problems that cross their borders. He argues that nowadays it is more difficult for nation states to maintain political sovereignty and that the dynamic of democratization is leading to a new transnational and global form of governance.  [2]   Despite Habermases deduction of where it leads, the fact stands that in a globalized world states cannot solve problems in a unilateral way. In security terms states cannot tackle their own security threats efficiently, which leads to the need for states to cooperate in order to manage the threats that result from globalization. Globalization affects in two major ways issues of security in one way it diminishes their threat (positive way) and in the other it increases them (negative way). There are a whole range of security threats from the more traditional, such as interstate and intrastate wars, economic collapse, arms proliferation, refugee crises, infectious diseases, insurgencies, genocides and ethnic cleansing, to relatively more new threats like climate change, oil depletion, nuclear weapons, drug and human trafficking, population trends, terrorism and cyber war.  [3]   Globalization has had a positive impact or a more restrictive effect in security issues like interstate and intrastate wars, genocides, ethnic cleansing, and prohibition of further proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). We have noticed that since the end of the cold war armed and military conflicts have diminished in number, time and space. With globalization is less convenient to make war and is more difficult for them to spread since it is very likely for measures to be taken from the UN and NATO to confine these conflicts and arrive to solutions as soon as possible. In todays globalised world there is more security provided from international organizations; trade and spreading of democracy makes it less likely to go to war, also the possession of WMD makes states more hesitating.  [4]  If we see the trend there are more efforts to confine conflicts, for example Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Ivory Coast and now Libya (although this remains highly debatable); nuclear weapons have decreased in number and continue to decrease although more countries now posses them.  [5]   There is also the other side of the medal where globalization has increased the level of some security threats like migration, terrorism, infectious diseases, oil depletion and climate change. With the development of technology, trade, communication and transportation it is more difficult to prevent and solve problems like migration, terrorism, infectious diseases and financial crisis from passing states borders. Also in the highly globalised world that we live in today climate change has become a major problem one that requires enhanced cooperation in the international level but that withholds many complexities. Globalization has brought more welfare which in turn has helped increase the global population and the speed at which resources are consumed, and now we face the threat of depletion of a major resource like oil. All of the security threats mentioned above require more cooperation in the international level to find some stable solutions. Through globalization problems like or ganized crimes which used to be primarily domestic problems now are internationalized.  [6]   Despite the effect that globalization has on security issues we must emphasize the fact that not all states are affected the same, i.e. maximizing the gains while lowering the risks. For example more developed states can cope better and are much less vulnerable to risks of globalization than are developing countries. Nevertheless, globalization in general reduces the ability of states to act successfully in a unilateral way and to respond to security threats. This increases the necessity for states to cooperate and manage the threats that result from globalization. Globalization also means that seemingly weak actors like individuals (terrorists) or small and isolated problems like viruses can have a disproportionate influence on international security. Furthermore states have different vulnerabilities meaning that their propensity to cooperate in the international arena will vary according to their vulnerabilities and interests.  [7]   Even between rich and powerful countries we can notice differences in the ways they deal with global security threats. The USA for example often behaves unilaterally when dealing with security challenges caused or aggravated by globalization. A different behavior is seen on other important actors such as member states of the European Union. EU member states try to find effective multilateral solutions to the same problems that USA tries to tackle on its own. With the Lisbon treaty and the changes in CFSP, EU has enhanced its capabilities and its efforts to tackle these problems in a more cooperative way. We must say that EU tackles better in a multilateral way nontraditional security threats like migration, climate change, economic issues, drugs and human trafficking.  [8]   Moreover globalization has considerable effect on the study of international security and how we perceive threats. While it is fairly easy to find countless books and articles that deal with hard power and military related topics in international security; we notice a decline in attention concerning the analysis and study of nontraditional security threats like migration, infectious disease and economic crisis. For example researchers of the less traditional international security issues like economic crisis, climate change and public health take for granted the idea that internal behavior in domestic policies can have a thespian influence on specific international problems. For these researchers globalization only intensifies trends that have perpetually been present among us, to them it displays merely a change of degree rather than type. It is quite different for analysts who analyze more traditional security issues relating hard power, war and the use military force, to them glob alization challenges their orthodox, state centric presumption about how security issues are determined and followed. Globalization affects the study of international security for example by how traditional state centric views of war and military security issues are challenged in the way globalization alleviate threats by non state actors like organized crime, insurgencies and terrorism.  [9]   We can say that globalization has increased the persistence of a more liberal approach to the study of international security while realism is playing a more subtle role. More focus is being placed on the individual rather than states. In this case analysts and/or policy shapers of US which focus on hard power and military power will be ineffective and perhaps counterproductive since other actors whose cooperation is necessary to solve security issues will refuse to comply. Globalization has not only changed the way the study of international security is approached but also the role of major powers in these issues.  [10]   Word count Q1: 1490 The human security agenda: discuss content and meaning, and the possible consequences of adopting this framework for security analysis! Human security is a new concept developed after the cold war and it is used today by various actors and factors in international relations like states and governments, international organizations (IO) and nongovernmental organizations (NGO). It is a concept that comes as result of successful attempts to broaden the traditional concept of security. The human security agenda includes traditional and nontraditional security issues such as war, economic security, arms proliferation, refugees and migration, public health security, insurgencies, genocides and ethnic cleansing, environmental protection, nuclear weapons, drug and human trafficking, terrorism, food crisis etc. Shortly put it means a broad definition of security where the focus is on the individual level as opposed to the more traditional focus on the international or domestic/national level, i.e. the states system or states.  [11]   Human security is a very interesting concept, one that even though stands to some extent in conflict with the state centric concept of security that we are used to, governments have used it to shape foreign and security policy. Another interesting fact is that it did not come from researchers or analysts but it came from politics; it was first used in the Human Development Report of United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in 1994. Since then the concept has taken a broad use by UN, NGOs and it has become a cornerstone of policy for important states like Switzerland, Canada and Japan. 14 states have formalized the concept in a multilateral setting within the Human Security Network, and they meet annually at the foreign minister level since 1999 to follow an analogous human security agenda on many security issues.  [12]   The content of human security agenda can be divided in two major components, freedom from fear and freedom from want. The first is linked closely to the activities of the human security network and it means to take way the threat or the use of violence and force from the life of the population. There are many successes examples from following the objectives of freedom from fear policy such as the creation and promotion of the ICC the International Criminal Court, the Ottawa Convention (to ban anti-personnel landmines), and the action to restraint the proliferation of light weapons and the misuse of small arms. The second (freedom from want) is based upon the original formulation of the UNDP and it is about securing what is considered as basic human needs in terms of food, health, economy, environmental and social security. This was included on the very famous 2003 final report of the UN Commission on Human Security. The report points to ten ways how to improve human security on a glo bal scale focusing not only in situations of conflict but as well on issues related to access to education, access to health care, fair trade, patent rights, and basic freedoms.  [13]   The human security agenda with its both divisions of freedom from fear and freedom from want its quite complex and withholds contested consequences if it is going to be adopted as a framework for security analysis, which seems to be the desire of many individuals, NGOs, some IOs, and even some states. Of course if adopted not both divisions have the same consequences, for example freedom from fear is a much more narrow view of human security and is much more coherent. While freedom from want is so broad that includes issues that present no real threat to human security. It seems that as a result from this human security includes nearly everything that can be considered a threat to peoples wellbeing. Here lies the potential risk that if everything that impacts negatively peoples well being is marked as a security threat, than security will lose its meaning. If this happens than security instead of being a term that helps prioritizing problems and being at the focus of policy makers an d analysts than it will be counter-productive. The concept will have no utility; it wont easy the process of prioritizing problems or help make policies more coherent. There must be some priorities, global equity, universal education or fair patent rights cannot rival international security issues like terrorism, wars, pandemic disease etc. We must understand that securitizing everything it wont help the problems disappear it will only narrow our tools to deal with them.  [14]   It is understandable that expanding so much the human security agenda it becomes nearly impossible to find all the resources to deal properly with the presented problems. What has already happened and is probable to continue to happen is that major stakeholders will discuss the issues in international bodies and promise more than they can deliver. Examples can be given by observing objectives like poverty eradication throughout the world, part of the human security agenda, where many powerful countries have failed consistently to provide what they pledge during UN funding campaigns. Mr. Smith suggests that: the international community must be very careful about confusing the provision of international security no matter how unfairly it may be defined with the pursuit of development/humanitarian goals.  [15]   As mentioned in the beginning the human security agenda shifts the object of security from states to people. It categorizes human security threats in 7 general categories: personal, community, environmental, economic, food, health and political security. To be more specific the novel formulation stipulates human security firstly as safety from chronic threats disease, hunger and repression and secondly it takes the meaning of protection from harmful disruption in daily life patterns being it in home or working environment. It also asserts that such threats can exist in all levels of development and national income. We notice an effort to change the concept of security from the realist and cold war definitions and obsession with arms and territorial security to a peoples security and a sustainable human development.  [16]   Despite the attempts to shift security from states to individuals the human security agenda is being developed within the framework of the UN system meaning that states member of the UN and their governments are charged with fulfilling these policies. Perhaps the human security enthusiasts forget that the traditional state centric view of the international security system already includes some basic human needs. Meaning that issues like food, health, education and individual security which are part of the human security agenda are also part of states agenda even though in some states these are issues that take a lot of attention and in others they lack the adequate commitment. Believing that this is generally the case than perhaps in order to solve or to soften such issues more attention should be focused on good government both in developed and developing countries. Perhaps this could be a better approach than adding more extremely difficult goals to an already very crowded internat ional agenda. If we take a quick look at the world we will see that it is filled will failed, weak or ineffective states and governments. If we take into account this fact than we notice that human security is very much related to the state security system itself.  [17]   Furthermore since we dont have a world government and that is very likely that we wont have one in the foreseeable future the duty of providing human security primarily falls under states and secondly under IOs. If we do not have an authority or authorities to insure protection from fear and want human security wont be achieved. Since states are so important for human security, and for them to provide it, it is necessary that they themselves be secured, than states should deal primarily with threats directed to them. That is why as long as there will be more important or urgent threats, human security agenda will have a lower priority in the international security agenda. I agree with Smiths suggestion that: we should simply revert back to the terminology of human rights and human/international development and promote those goals accordingly rather than re-package and devalue them in the form of potential security threats to the richer, and more powerful, developed world.  [18]   Word count Q2: 1437