The Role of Technology in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

The Role of Technology in Business - Essay Example Making information available online and reaching prospective consumers via Social Networking can increase the visibility of the products and their qualities. With the increasingly hectic lifestyles of young professionals; marketing online and allowing for sales via the internet makes purchasing convenient and easy, and thus leads to more sales. The consumer populations keep changing as the baton of purchasing power and desire are passed from generation to generation. It is necessary that the industry recognizes the changing needs of the new generation of consumers and make available products and services that compliment the needs of the consumers in such a manner that the products are most visible to the consumer in a positive manner. Knowledge about production and delivery is becoming increasingly common as the connections increase between different parts of the world. Consumers are becoming aware of products that are not local, and are making demands for them; which are quickly met be importing technology and skills. This increases the set of suppliers for any said product or service, increasing the competition for existing organizations. This competition has to be met head-on in order to survive. The busy consumer will prefer to give allegiance to the organization that makes the product and information about it available easily to the consumer. If a consumer is able to get the details s/he requires easily; they are more likely to buy the product. Needs change as the environment of the consumer changes. A product or service that sold well before may not be received well in new circumstances. It is important that the organization is tuned to the pulse of its market and modifies its product/service to suit the needs of its new consumers. Â  

On the debates pertaining to inference of an effect from its cause Essay

On the debates pertaining to inference of an effect from its cause - Essay Example 172). Taking off from Hume, John Stuart Mill â€Å"held that causal inference depends on three factors: first, the cause has to precede the effects; second, the cause and effect have to be related ; and third, other explanations of the cause-effect relationship have to be eliminated† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 182). In other words, the notion of causation and effect that can be found in the ideas of John Stuart Mill is that causation requires precedence of the cause from the effect, correlation, and that rival hypotheses are ruled out. For Cook and Campbell (1979), however, the most significant contribution of John Stuart Mill to the theory of causality pertains to his notions of the criteria, principles, or â€Å"methods† of agreement, differences, and concomitant variation. The principle of agreement â€Å"states that an effect will be present when the cause is present† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 182). The principle of difference â€Å"states that the effect will be absent when the cause is absent† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 182). Finally, the principle of concomitant variation â€Å"implies that when both of the above relationships are observed, causal inferences will be all stronger since certain other interpretations of the co-variation between the cause effects can be ruled out† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 182). According to Cook and Campbell (1979, p. ... 183) pointed out that â€Å"the concept of a control group is implicit here and is clearly central in Mill’s thinking about cause.† In 1913, Bertrand Russell â€Å"looked to physics and astronomy of his day as the most mature sciences, and he noted their lack of concern with unobservables and explicitness and parsimony of the functional relationships that physicists sought to test† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 172-173).1 However, Russell had asked that asked whether the concept of cause continues to be relevant given that cause â€Å"is not implied by functional relationships of mathematical form† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 173). The Russell viewpoint is positivist â€Å"rejecting unobservables (like cause), and seeking to establish explicit functional laws between continuously measured variables in a closed system† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 173). Positivists like Russell believe that â€Å"causation is unnecessary because it is unobservable† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 175). The essentialist viewpoint â€Å"argue that the term cause should only be used to refer to variables that explain a phenomenon in the sense that these variables, when taken together, are both necessary and sufficient for the effect to occur† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 177). The essentialists â€Å"equates cause with a constellation of variables that necessarily, inevitably and infallibly results in the effect† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 177). In contrast, those â€Å"who restrict cause to observable necessary and sufficient conditions (or sufficient conditions that operate when all the necessary conditions are met) reject as causes those factors which are known to bring about effects sometimes, but not always† (Cook and Campbell 1979, p. 177).

I.T and Hauhaus Essay Example for Free

I.T and Hauhaus Essay As they are the competitor within the market, the retailing strategies to be used are similar. Therefore, it is easier to collect and compare the financial data and draw out the conclusion to see which company would be worthier to invest. The report covers the company and industry background, ratio analysis, future forecast of two companies’ performance. 2)Company Background Bauhaus (0483, HK) Bauhaus was found in 1991. It has been listed on HKEX stock market since 2005. There are more than 200 retails store and over corners and point of sales in Hong Kong, Macau ,mainland China and Taiwan,. Apart from selling different foreign brand, liked Cheap Monday, G-Star, EVISU etc, Bauhaus also building the local brand liked Salad, T Tough Jeansmith and 80/20. It is a leading retail store in selling casual wear, especially for jeans item. There are 234 Bauhaus shops in Asia. Using the wholesale strategy, Bauhaus can expand the business from Asia to Western country. In the future, it may diversify its product line like launch more foreign brand to increase its competiveness. I. T (0999, HK) I. T was found in November of 1988. It has been listed on HKEX stock market since 2005. The Group has an extensive self managed retail network extending to nearly 450 stores across Greater China with staff around 4,800. The brands are well accepted in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the Philippines and France. More stores will be opened in these places in the future. The feature of I. T retail store is group several brands in a sizable retail location. It owns a number of in-house brands liked 5CM, fingercroxx and X-large, as well as distributing European and Japanese designer’s brands such as French Connection and A Bathing Ape Comme des Garcons, DG, etc. 3)Industry Outlook Hong Kong is one of the fashion hubs in Asia. There are a wind variety of local and international fashion brand locate there flagship store in Hong Kong. The competitive is dynamic and incentive. Hong Kong consumers are willing to spend money on fashion and clothing. As the purchasing power of is high, so the demand of fashion product is huge. According to CIA THE WORLD FACTBOOK, this entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. From this result, Hong Kong is ranking to 37 after compared to 227 countries in the year of 2010. According to the information from Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), it shows that retail is the 2nd largest sector in the service industry that accounted for 85. 7% of Hong Kongs GDP. Also, The Census and Statistics Department (C;SD) indicate that the value of total retail sales in October 2011, provisionally estimated at $34. 2 billion, increased by 23. 1% over a year earlier. Analyzed by broad type of retail outlet and comparing October 2011 with October 2010, wearing apparel increase 14. 6%; footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories increase 11. 3%. This data proofs that the demand of fashion items is huge and purchasing power in this region is relatively high. Besides, tourists come to Hong Kong are increasing each year; they bring with high purchase power in fashion items, especially those Chinese tourists. According to the statistics released by the Immigration Department, about 800,000 to 900,000 Mainland visitors travel to Hong Kong monthly. It shows that Hong Kong’s market has a huge potential development chance. According the data of Hong Kong government, the sales revenue of retailing business has a growth during April of 20010 to Feb of 2011. It is because the economic environment is better than past year. Hong Kongs GDP fell in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, but a recovery began in third quarter 2009, and the economy grew nearly 6. 8% in 2010. In addition, China’s economy growth fast, the performance of its economy growth is greater than the other country. And Hong Kong’s economy is influenced by China very much. In the future, we can see that Hong Kong’s retailing business will growth rapidly. It seems a great chance to develop the retail business; however, there are some risks on the growth of fashion retail business in Hong Kong. Nowadays, Globalization is a hot topic of the world, more and more foreign brands enter in Hong Kong market, such as GAP, Forever 21, Zara, HM and Monki, etc which provide good price and trendy design merchandises. They regarded Hong Kong as the stepping stones to go into the China market. With more branding in Hong Kong, the competition between them is becoming more intensive and serious. Therefore, the local fashion retailers have to build up their competitive advantages to withstand the impact from those foreign brands. Also, because of the inflation of Hong Kong and China, the cost of the materials, labor and transportation is getting higher. Garment manufacturing is a labor intensive activity. The cost of garment is mainly from the increasing labor cost and transportation cost. In order to deal with, the retailer probably need to order more amount of quantity each time to achieve the economy of scale, so the cost will be lower. Furthermore, as we know that Hong Kong’s rental price of shop is the first three expensive in the world. The rental price has been increasing rapidly in the recent years. From 2010 to 2011, the rental price was increased more than ten percent. So, rental price of the store is a core cost of any business, especially fashion retailer as it needs a large space for displaying and storing the products. The rental cost affects the profit of the fashion retailers. To conclude, Hong Kong fashion retail market is still positive. There are many great opportunity for Hong Kong fashion retail to expand its business. However, there are some uncertainty need to be pay attention, such as the entrance of foreign brands and the unstable rental cost. So, the local fashion industry needs to create a competitive strategy to deal with. For example, local fashion retailers can use the attractive marketing strategy, liked collaboration with other brands, provide excellent customer services and building great brand image. 4)Ratio analysis i) Test for profitability I. T (in HKD 000)Bauhaus (in HKD 000)* a)Return on Equity (Net income / Average stockholders’ equity)416945/[(1843212+1477723)/2] =25. 1%25. 1% b)Profit margins (Net income/ Net Sales)416945/3834422 =10. 9%11. 4% ii)Test for liquidity I. TBauhaus c)Current Ratio Current Asset/ Current liabilities1873282/1012495 1. 85%3. 3 d)Quick Ratio (Current Assets- Inventory)/ Current liabilities(1873282-736717)/1012495 =1. 1%1. 7 e)Inventory Turnover Cost of goods sold/ Average Inventory1405482/[(736717+394520)/2] 2. 52. 0 iii)Test for Solvency and equity position I. TBauhaus f)Debt/Equity Ratio Total liabilities/ Total stockholders’ equity(1012495+429852)/1843282 0. 78(149 7+126461)/494938 0. 26 iv) Market test I. TBauhaus g)Price/Earnings ratio Current Market Price per Share/ Earning per Share4. 88/0. 33 =14. 82. 98/0. 32 =9. 3 h)Dividend Yield Ratio Dividends per share/ Market price per share0. 146/4. 8 =3. 0%0. 177/2. 98 =5. 9% *Quote from annual report* Two financial reports announced in different date- Bauhaus- For the year ended 31 March 2011 I. T—for the year ended 28 February 2011 i )Test for Profitability Profitability is a primary measure of the overall success of the company. This is a class of ratios that are used to assess a business’s ability that generate earnings compared to its expenses and other relevant costs incurred. To determine rather the company is valuable for investing or not which need to get high profitability when compared with competitor’s company. However, in fashion industry, the sales revenue is seasonal. For example, the sales revenue is much higher during Christmas and Chinese New Year in Hong Kong. So, we should not compare the retailers fourth-quarter profit margin with the profit margin from the same period a year before because it would be far more informative. a)Returns on Equity This ratio indicating how much income was earned for every dollar invested by the stockholders. ROE can reflect if they have used the money that invested in the company to generate much more income. If the ROE is low, it shows that the returns of the investors will not be high. And the company doesn’t utilize the resources that they have invested. Two companies have a similar result of this ratio. Both two companies can generate about 20% of income using stockholders’ equity. It is because retail store is not very high investment to enter the market; it has higher ROE when compare to other industry liked Construction Company. In order to measure the company is worth to investing on; ROE ratio should not be lower than 15%. So, two companies are worth to invest on. b)Profit margin Profit margin is an indicator of a companys pricing strategies and how well it controls costs. It is calculated by finding the net profit as a percentage of the revenue. A low profit margin indicates a low margin of safety: higher risk that a decline in sales will erase profits and result in a net loss, or a negative margin. The higher profit margin means that the company has a higher ability to generate profit. I. T’s result is 10. 9%, it is lower than Bauhaus 11. 4%. I. T should minimize the expense. Bauhaus has a higher profit margin in 2010/2011. It shows that they have put effort to maximize the profit. Since compared with last year (10. 5%), it has been increased. i) Test for liquidly It is a class of financial metrics that is used to determine a companys ability to pay off its short-terms debts obligations. A companys ability to turn short-term assets into cash to cover debts is of the utmost importance when creditors are seeking payment. Bankruptcy analysts frequently use the liquidity ratios to determine whether a company will be able to continue as a going con cern. c) Current ratio This ratio measures the ability of the company to pay current debts as they become due. It is the important ratio that we can identify if the company has a good cash flow. If the debts recalled but the company does not have enough money to pay it, the company may be asked to bankrupt. On the other hand, current ratio should be in appropriate level. Ratio is too high means the company did not fully utilize the current assets to generate the profit. Bauhaus have a higher current ratio than I. T, it means Bauhaus’ ability of returning the debts is greater than I. T. It can more utilize current assets to generate more income. It shows that they have $3. 3current assets for returning $1 of current liabilities. Investor need to concern the ability of a company that utilizes the current asset. I. T has a lower Current ratio than Bauhaus. However, it is enough ability for them to returning the current liabilities when they are recalled. And it shows that I. T has better utilization of the assets to generate profit. It shows that they have $1. 85 current assets for returning $1 of current liabilities. d) Quick Ratio Quick Ratio is similar with the current ratio with no consideration on the inventory factor. It is more representatives to measuring rather the company can return the current liabilities immediately. The quick assets included Cash, Accounts receivable etc. These assets can return into cash in short time. Inventory will not be counted in this ratio as it may need longer time to return into cash and a risk of cannot be sold. It is a very important ratio for fashion industry, since the trends cycle of clothing is fast, the product may be in today, but out day tomorrow. So, fashion retailer should not keep too many inventories. Bauhaus have a higher in Quick ratio, however, compared with the current ratio, it is a great variation on two ratios. It means that the inventory tied up its current assets. It is not a good issue on a fashion company. They need to bare the risk on high discount of the product when the product is outdated. It will be high losses on the revenue. They can minimize the inventory through different method, liked big sale, buy one get one free and so on. Although the quick ratio f I. T is lower than Bauhaus, it is enough to returning the debts when all the current debts are recalled. e) Inventory Turnover This ratio measure how quick of a company sells their inventory. Higher inventory turnover lead to shorter cycle on inventory. Since inventory is not easily being sold out and transform into cash in a short period, fashion retailer should not hold too much inventory. Since fashion items are easily faded out. If the company store too much stock, the risk of the inventory cannot be sold out will be increase. Also, the expenses of storing will be occurred. Once the inventory is outdated, the company needs to sell it in a large mark down price. The profit of the company will be affected Since Bauhaus have a lower level on inventory, its inventory turnover will much slower than I. T. It may tie up the capital if the inventory cannot be sold. So, company should reduce the level of inventory. I. T has a greater performance on inventory turnover. It shows that they have shorter cycle on inventory. So that it is much easier transforming inventory into cash. iii) Test for Solvency and equity position It’s a set of ratio that to test the company can be able to meet it long-term repayment responsibility. It provides a measurement of company can continue to meet its debt obligations. f) Debt/ equity Ratio This ratio measure a companys financial leverage calculated by dividing its total liabilities by stockholders equity. It indicates what proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. I. T’s result is 0. 33, shows that $0. 33 liabilities that exists for each $1 invested by the owners. It is a very low value. Bauhaus’s result is 0. 21, which is lower than I. T. In the Balance Sheet, we can find out that Bauhaus did not ask for the long term debts from the third party. It shows that they don’t have the interest burden. The result shows that two companies is not using the debt financing to acquire the financial resources, liked selling bonds, bills or notes to the investors. Debt financing is much higher risk than equity financing. As these two companies is listed company, they would like use the equity financing to raise money. And the equity financing method is more safety and no regular interest burden. v) Market Test Market test relate the current market price of share of stock to an indicator of the return that might accrue to the investor. It based on the share markets perception of the company. It can let the investor to know if the company is worth to invest. g) PE Ratio Current Market Price per Share/ Earning per Share This ratio measure the re lationship between the current market price of the stock and its earnings per share. The higher the ratio, the higher the perceived quality of the earnings by the share market. It also shows the future growth of company. If the P/E ratio is too high, it means that the value of the company is overstated. And it is not a good choice to investing on that company. I. T have a higher PE ratio than Bauhaus it means that the quality of the earnings by the share market is higher. It is more worth to invest h) Dividends Yield ratio This ratio measures the dividend-paying performance of different investment alternatives. The higher of result, the better performance. Bauhaus have a higher result, it shows that they have higher dividend-paying performance. If the investor wants to put the money into low risk and long term investment. They can choose this company. 5)Limitation on analyses of ratio Since two financial reports is announce in different ended date. The result may not be accurate. The fashion retail industry turnover is seasonal, like The Chinese New Year of 2011 was in February so the sales turnover must be high in that moment. After that, the turnover will be drop. So, these two companies will in different sales turnover rate. 6)Forecast of the company’s future prospects This part can be divided in to two parts, the 5 years income statement analysis and potential risk of the company. a)I. T The diagram shows that turnover have been increased gradually during 2007 to 2011. Although 2008-2009’s local economy is in down turn, the company still can strive to increase of turnover. It is predict that the company will probably maintain the increment since the economy situation is recovering and the local residents will spend more money on clothing items. The diagram shows that I. T had undergone a decrease on profit in year 2009 due the poor economy situation. And they suffered decrease of financial income. And the operating expense was higher than 2008. After 2009, there was a great improvement on profit. It has six times more profit comparing during 2010and nine times during 2011. It is predict that the company will probably maintain the increment of the profit if it can keep the level of expenses. However, there are some risks have been raised. The operating cost is increasing during these 5 years. Since the rental price is much higher in the recent years. They should adapt different strategy in order to keep the cost in the low level. Another risk is that I. T needs to pay attention that is the exchange issue. Since I. T sources many merchandises from different countries and the foreign exchange is unstable. For example, Japan YEN is much higher exchange rate. However, I. T’s buying office purchase many Japanese fashion brand products. So the cost and price of the merchandises will be impacted by the exchange rate. To deal with risk management, I. T embed a risk alert culture throughout the Group, the Internal Audit Department has implemented an annual internal control risk self-assessment to allow major business units to identify and analyze the risks underlying the achievement of business objectives and to determine a basis for how such identified risks to be managed and mitigated. In the coming future, I. T should pay more attention on risk management in order to prevent suffering from the economy situation and to have a greater growth. Bauhaus Bauhaus also have a gradual increase of turnover during 2007-2011. The increment from 2009 to 2010 was slowly. It may because of the economy situation was still not recovered yet. However, there was a sharply increment from 2010 to 2011. It is predict that, the turnover will be increased faster. Bauhaus also suffered a decrease of financial income in 2009. After 2009, there was an improvement on profit growth. However, the improvement is less than I. T. The diagram shows that the profit properly tends to be increased. Bauhaus also face the foreign currency risk and operation cost increment risk. The Group continuously monitors its foreign exchange position and, when necessary, will hedge foreign exchange exposure arising from contractual commitments in sourcing apparel from overseas suppliers. Generally, the Group introduces conservative strategies on its financial risk management. In the future, Bauhaus will have a great growth. However, in the fashion business market, the information is run fast, the risk is always happen. The company should build up a risk management system to minimize the risk of company operation. 7)Conclusion The financial performance of both Bauhaus and I. T compared in this report is great. And the prediction of their future growth is positive. Thereby, two companies are worth to be invested. The above ratios show that Bauhaus have a better performance than I. T. For the investor that can undergo low risk, so the investment on Bauhaus is more preferable. It is because the company growth and financial debt position is better, and it has a higher dividend yield, and they keep on paying the dividends in last 5 years. For the investor who wants to have higher return, I. T will be a good choice. It is because the PE ratio is lower, so the company still has a great improvement and the share price probably being increased. It’s good for the investor that purchasing the stock in low price and then sold them in higher price.

Christianity and islam

Christianity and islam Reflection Paper: Both Christianity and Islam are very wide spread religions in the world which have a great impact on the lives of their believers especially spiritually. Their common originality, values and some believes has enabled most of their believers to respect and try to understand each others faith. In most nations of the world these two religions have formed the bases of the countries laws and are highly recognized by the governments. Though Christianity is widely spread compared to Islam, they impose the same challenge to each other Considering the similarities and the differences between Islam and Christianity, the two can be said to be very different since the main prophets and the holy books which form the basis and guidance of the respective religions are not acceptable to the other. Christian faith is based on birth, crucification, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who is the messiah which is contrary to the Muslims view of Christ being just a prophet among the many. Comparison between the two religions was much easier because theres a clear difference between the beliefs of the religions as well as practices in time of worship. This is because in day today life of the respective believers their religious views are aired. Getting the historic origin of the two religions was much easier especially that of Christianity which begun as a Jewish sect in the Mediterranean and Islam in the 7th century after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Getting the differences between the two both being Abrahamic religions and the holy books the Quran and the Bible referring to similar ancient people like Isaac and Ishmael in a related context. Introduction Christianity is a religious belief which begun as a Jewish belief and is seen as Abrahamic religion. Its followers are referred to as Christians. They believe in Jesus Christ the messiah as the prophet send by God to save mankind and the holy bible as the guide of their faith. They also believe that the messiah who came in the form of mankind suffered, died and resurrected to remiss them of their sins. It is also believed that he would return to reward those who have lived according to the doctrines taught by the holy bible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Islam is an Arabic word meaning submission and therefore Islam religion is believed to be an Abrahamic religion which believes in submission to the almighty God Allah and Muhammad as the prophet. Quran is the holy book believed to be the guideline of the Muslims who are the of the Islamic religion. It is believed that Allah repeatedly revealed it to Muhammad verbally through angel Jibril and the original Arabic version is the final revelation from God which is verbal. Historic background According to Stern(11-15) Christianity originates from the word kristos which is a Greek word meaning the anointed one and it is a monotheistic religion. It guided by the life and teachings of Christ Jesus as shown in the holy bible. It begun as a Jewish sect from the eastern Mediterranean in the first century and by the 4th century was already dominant in the Roman Empire. Most of Europe was Christianized by the Middle Ages but Middle East, North Africa and some regions in India remained with minority Christians. It spread to America, Australasia and all over the world through colonization, discovery work and missionary work hence became a major influence in Western civilization shaping. Thrower argued that It is the words largest religion and represents about a quarter of the entire population, also considered as a state religion in several countries (21-25) It is categorized into three groups: Catholics, Protestants and orthodox.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Islam began developing as from the 7th century with the reconstruction of Prophet Muhammads life after his death. It started spreading in Atlantic Ocean to Central Asia after Prophet Muhammads first recitation of the Quran. According to Williams (1994) The Great Mosque of Kairouan is considered as origin of the western Islamic world mosques and is preserved up to now. Reference to Abdul-Rahman Islamic dynasties like Ottomans and Mughals collapsed under the European imperial sway during 18th and 19th centuries (141-160). Muhammad started conveying Islam at Mecca and later moved to Medina where the tribes of Arabia were united to a polity of Arab Muslim religion.Umar succeeded him in 634 following his death. The other successors were Uthman ibn al-Affan and Ali ibn Talib; the four are referred to as al-khulafa ar-rashidun. Several conflicts followed over political and religious leadership which led to the rise of schism amongst the Muslims. Basically the origin of I slam is tied to the economic, political and military. Similarities between Islam and Christianity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Strachey (62-69) both Islam and Christianity are Abrahamic religions or in other words believe in the existence of one supreme God. They both share common values and origin which is found in Judaism when the people of Israel were given Torah. Islam was founded by Muhammad referring to the Quran while Christianity was started by the followers of Jesus of Nazareth but they both acknowledge a spiritual tradition related to Abraham. For the two religions, God rules, judges, forgives and hes the creator of the universe. Jerusalem is also of major importance to both religions. It was the city where Christ was brought up, crucified, buried as well as resurrected. He also healed, preached and cleansed the temple so its considered as a holy place. The Al-Aqsa mosque in Sura Al-Isra also called the ‘furthest mosque is located in Jerusalem the holy land. Abdul-Rahman (55-64) the first Muslims also prayed towards Jerusalem not Mecca and it was also the plac e where Muhammad ascended to heaven. The two religions also affirm that God sends angels and prophets to convey messages to his people and through inspired scriptures reveals his divine will. They also believe in the judgement day when God will intervene in the history of mankind and determine their eternal lives depending on personal beliefs and actions. Both religions believe in the power of prayer and fasting as taught by their earlier prophets. Differences between Islam and Christianity Thrower(30-58) argues that Islam disagrees with some of the Christian beliefs about Jesus Christ like him being the son of God and savior of mankind, also the holy trinity of there being God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Christians reject Islams prophet and Quran while the Muslims support that God guides Christians but they perceive scriptures in their own interest. It is also different the way Muslims perceive the birth of Jesus compared to Christians. They believe that Jesus was created like Abraham while Christians believe that he was conceived by Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit. They also believe that Jesus was to be crucified but was miraculously saved while Christians believe he was crucified but resurrected. Christians believe that the bible is Gods holy book which was written by people inspired by God and it teaches the will of God on mankind while the Muslims accept but believe that it has been corrupted to fit peoples interests over the years. Conclusion Christianity and Islam are major worlds religions with the latter having a greater number of followers. They share common origin, values and some believes like God being supreme, prophets being Gods messengers and judgement of humanity based on personal actions and faith while on earth. The Quran and the Bible are considered as the two holy books written through Gods inspiration though the Quran is believed was verbally revealed to prophet. Muhammad through angel Jibril. The two religions have some major differences like the birth, crucification, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They also differ in the originality of the holy bible as compared to that of the holy Quran as well as its interpretation by the Christians. The similarities between the two outweigh the differences. Works Cited Abdul-Rahman, Muhammad, Saed. Islam questions and answers. Volume 22, MSA Publication Limited. Saudi Arabia. 1972 Lewis, Bernard Churchill, Buntzie, Ellis. In the religion and the people. Illustrated. Wharton School Publishing, U.S.A, 2008 Stern, Bernard, Joseph. Science society, Volume 12, 1-3, Concept Publishing Company, 1948. Strachey, Lytton Holroyd Michael. Eminent Victorians, Nile Penguin Classics, 1986. Thrower, James. Marxist-Leninist â€Å"scientific atheism† and the study of religion and atheism in the USSR. Volume 25. Vienna ; Walter de Gruyter, 1983. Willliams, John, Adel. The Word of Islam. University of Texas. Qayrawan. 1994

The Yellow Wallpaper: A Stifling Relationship -- essays research paper

Husband-Doctor: A Stifling Relationship In Gilman’s â€Å"the Yellow Wallpaper† At the beginning of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, the protagonist, Jane, has just given birth to a baby boy. Although for most mothers a newborn infant is a joyous time, for others, like Jane, it becomes a trying emotional period that is now popularly understood to be the common disorder, postpartum depression. For example, Jane describes herself as feeling a â€Å"lack of strength† (Colm, 3) and as becoming â€Å"dreadfully fretful and querulous† (Jeannette and Morris, 25). In addition, she writes, â€Å"I cry at nothing and cry most of the time† (Jeannette and Morris, 23). However, as the term postpartum depression was not in the vocabulary of this time period, John, Jane’s husband and doctor, has diagnosed Jane as suffering from â€Å"temporary nervous depression [with] a slight hysterical tendency† (30).(Colm) It may be more accurate to view the symptoms she develops later in the story—visual hallucinations, delusions, paranoia—as stemming from a psychotic condition that, prior to the birth of her son, was subdued or in control. The birth of her son precipitated a confrontation with John and became a catalyst of her psychosis. Jane's child may be considered a catalyst because, although he is not named for us by the narrator, he will be the recipient of his father's last name. Walsh points out â€Å"the stress laid in the clinic on the father as word and figure, so that what is finally important might be called the perception of paternity or the relation to paternity† (78). When applied to a reading of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† this translates into the following: The birth event is one of the times, perhaps the first, that Jane actually confronts her relation to the father of her son, John. In relation to the above, until the very last few lines of the story, Jane herself, is unnamed.(Hume, 477) This absence correlates with the void she has in the place at which a non-psychotic person would have a relation to the Husband/Father. Furthermore, even though her name eventually is revealed, it is, in essence, a no name: Jane, as in Jane Doe, as in anonymous, without a history or connections of any sort. Aside from Jane's anonymity, there are other indications that Jane does not fit into the wife/mother relationship. From the opening lines, Gilman makes it clear that the world of the story is feminist. For example... ... Psychoses.† Criticism & Lacon. Eds. Patrick Colm Hogan and Lalita Pandit. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1990. 64–73. Dock, Julie Bates. ‘But No One Expects That’ Charlotte Perkins Oilman's â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper' and the Shifting Light of Scholarship.† PLMA 111.1 (Jan 1996): 52–65. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. 2nd ed. New Haven: Yale UP. 2000. Treichler, Paula A. â€Å"Escaping the Sentence: Diagnosis and Discourse in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’† Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature 3. 1–2 (Spring-Fall 1984):61–77. Johnson, Greg. â€Å"Gilman's Gothic Allegory: Range and Redemption in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’† Studies in Short Fiction 26.4 (Fall 1989): 521–30. Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Trans. Leon S. Roudiez. New York: Columbia UP, 1982. Kristeva, Julia. Desire in Language: A Semiotic Approach to Literature and Art. New York: Columbia UP, 1980. Tripathi, Vanashree. â€Å"Charlotte Perkins Gilman's ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’: A Gynograph.† Indian Journal of American Studies 27.1 (Winter 1997): 65–69. Lacan, Jacques. Ecrits: A Selection. Trans. Alan Sheridan. New York: W.W. Norton &Co., 1977.

Lord :: essays research papers

Roman Catholic Church History: Basic Sources General Histories Thomas Bokenkotter. A Concise History of the Catholic Church (revised and expanded edition). 1990. (BX945.2 .B64 1990) William J. Collinge. Historical Dictionary of Catholicism. 1997. (Reference BX945.2 .C65 1997) Michael Glazier and Thomas J. Shelley, editors. The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History. 1997. (Reference BX1406.2 .E53 1997) J. Derek Holmes and Bernard W. Bickers. A Short History of the Catholic Church. "New Millennium Edition," 2002. (BX945.2.H63 2002) Hubert Jedin and John Dolan, editors. History of the Church. 1980 —. (Reference and Stacks BR145.2 .J413 1980) Ten volumes; volumes I, III, and IV are titled Handbook of Church History. New Catholic Encyclopedia (2nd edition). 2003. (Reference BX841 .N44 2003) Many articles on historical topics. Use the Index (Volume 15) to find where particular topics are treated. NOTE: The content of the online Catholic Encyclopedia dates from 1913. While it contains valuable historical information, readers should consult more current sources for updated scholarship. Online chronology: Dates and Events in Catholic History, 1st Century to 10th Century and 11th Century to 20th Century from the Catholic Almanac Online. Return to top Saints' Lives David Hugh Farmer. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. 1997. (Reference BR1710 .F34 1997) Also available through Oxford Reference Online on all campus networked computers -- select "Religion and Philosophy." On the Internet: Catholic Online Saints and Angels Butler's Lives of the Saints. New Full Edition, 1995. 12 volumes, one for each month of the year. (Reference BX4654 .B8 1995) Bert Ghezzi. Voices of the Saints: A Year of Readings. 2000. (Reference BX4655.2 .G49 2000) Each brief biography includes "a substantial quotation by or about the saint, giving you a feel for what he or she was really like" (Introduction). Ferdinand Holbà ¶ck. Married Saints and Blesseds Through the Centuries. 2002. (Reference BX4655.3 .H6413 2002) Kathleen Jones. Women Saints: Lives of Faith and Courage. 1999. (Reference BX4656 .J66 1999) Richard P. McBrien. Lives of the Saints: from Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and Mother Teresa. 2001. (Reference BX4655.3 .M33 2001) In addition to the lives of holy women and men (both canonized and uncanonized), this volume includes articles on the politics of canonization and the differences between various schools of Christian spirituality. Joseph N. Tylenda, S.J. Jesuit Saints and Martyrs. Second edition, 1998. (Reference and Stacks BX3755 .T94 1998) Kenneth L. Woodward. Making Saints: How the Catholic Church Determines Who Becomes a Saint, Who Doesn't, and Why.

Rasta

Shaquille T. Sailsman Literature and Composition March 26,2013 Rastafarianism The Rastafarian religion has many different elements. These elements include: history, beliefs, customs/culture, celebrations, and worshipping. Rastafarians believe in the divine nature of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, whose title before his coronation of 1930 who Ras Tafari (Prince of the House of Tafari). The name Haile Selassie means â€Å"Power of Trinity. † He was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930-1974. Haile Selassie never regarded himself as God, nor did he adhere to Rastafari.According to iconn. org, Rastafarians regard Haile Selassie I as God because Marcus Garvey’s prophecy – â€Å"Look to Africa where a black king shall be crowned, he shall be the Redeemer† – was swiftly followed by the ascension of Haile Selassie as Emperor of Ethiopia. Haile Selassie I is regarded by Rastafarians as the God of the black race. The Rastafarian religion began in Jamaica i n the 1930s. The religion was formed after periods of slavery. Rastafarians regarded Jamaica as hell and Ethiopia as heaven.Rastafarians called Jamaica hell because Africans were divided up and sent to destinations throughout the world, in most cases as slaves to whites. This is why many Africans found themselves in Jamaica. Ethiopia, the homeland, was seen as a place of fond memories of freedom and life prior to oppression. This meant it eventually became regarded as heaven. â€Å"Rastafarians believes Jah (God) lives on in some form, and believes that one day he will bring about the return of all black people to their ancestral home in Africa,† (Breuilly, O’Brien, Palmer, 152).When Rastafarians have kids, they raise their kids to believe in Jah and after a certain age they should be able to identify who he is. They are also raised to believe that one day he will be raised from the dead and bring them back to Africa, their supposed homeland. Rastafarians dedicate them selves to preparing for this homecoming, growing closer to Jah, (Breuilly, O’Brien, Palmer). They do this by cultivating peace and harmony with all and by living in a way that is close to nature, mimicking Jah.Another way Rastas try to mimic Jah is by rejecting practices introduced from white culture, which is symbolically called â€Å"Babylon. † The culture of Rastafarian is to condemn the eating of meat. They are all vegetarians. In order to spiritually grow as a person, meat has to be gradually eliminated from the diet. According to www. iconn. org, â€Å"the main reason Rastafarians don't eat meat is because animals try so hard to get away. The fear of the animals can be seen in their eyes.It is evident that they are begging for mercy. Rastafarians will have to show mercy. Within the book of genesis, the LORD gave man dominion over animals. It was not to eat them but to care for them. † An efficient healthy body is very basic. The Rastafarian's diet is desig ned to meet their personal needs. The Rastafarian's food is normally referred to as ital food within the Rastafarian culture. The most traditional way to know a Rastafarian is by their dreadlocks. Some people may wear their hair the Rastafarian way – dreadlocks – without being committed to Rastafarian belief or lifestyle, while many believers feel obligated to abandon the traditional hairstyles for the sake of gaining or remaining in employment,† (Breuilly, O’Brien, Palmer, 152). Rastas wear dreadlocks because they do not believe in cutting or combing their hair. It is also the way some ancient African priests and Israelites wore their hair. Sometimes you see a green, red and yellow colored hat over a Rasta's hair. These are the colors of the flag of Ethiopia.Rastas also wear a turban, which is a headband based on cloth winding, over their head to protect and keep their dreadlocks clean. According to www. iconn. org, the holy herb, or known to most as mari juana or ganja, is used in all major Rastafarian celebrations to enhance feelings of peace and community, aid meditation and inspire religious visions. There has often been controversy concerning the legalization of marijuana. Rastafarians are perhaps best known for their religious use of marijuana, which grows plentifully in Jamaica. In addition to ritual use, Rastas also use marijuana for medicinal purposes, applying it o a variety of ailments including colds. Many followers also believe that marijuana aids in the worship of God, Bible study, and meditation. Although not all Rastafarians use marijuana, most believe it will bring a person closer to God. Reggae music originated as an important part of Rastafarian celebrations – asserting the pride and dignity of black people, rejection of white oppression, the beauty of Africa and visions of a peaceful future. Reggae music is intimately connected to Rastafari and its lyrics often speak of oppression, poverty, slavery, aparthe id and human rights.One of the most important figures in trying to spread reggae music was Bob Marley. Born Nesta Robert Marley (1974–1981), he remains the most widely known and the best-selling performer of reggae music, and is credited with helping spread both Jamaican music and the Rastafari movement to a worldwide audience. A Nyabingi ceremony brings together believers from a wider area, and often last from several days. At these ceremonies, there are chanting, drumming, singing, praying, and dancing as well as shaving of vegetarian food and smoking of marijuana.Some occasions for a Nyabingi are based on the Julian calendar used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church; with the Rastafarian faith has strong links. Holy days and holidays are periods of solemn times for the Rastafarian community worldwide. The Holy days are to pray and ask for penance, fulfilling 2 Chronicles 7v14, â€Å"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, search for me and rep ent of their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land. † (Himchurch. org).Some Rastafarian celebrations includes: Ethiopian New Year – Sept 11th (represents a holiday, which is, observed with a short Prayer Service from 10am-11am), Christmas Day – Jan. 7th (Rastafarians observed this as a holiday), Haile Selassie’s Birthday – July 23rd, and the Anniversary of his coronation – Nov. 2nd, (Breuilly, O’Brien, Palmer, 153). Influential prophets and teachers may also be commemorated, but there is no official festival calendar. Rastafarians do not have a specific religious building that is set aside for worshipping.They usually meet weekly, either in a believers’ home or in a community center. The meetings are referred to as Reasoning Sessions. They provide a time for chants, prayers and singing, and for communal issues to be discussed. Marijuana may be smoked to produce heightened spiritual st ates. The music used at these meetings is known as Nyabingi, and so when meetings are mostly musical they are often referred to as Nyabingi meetings. Meetings may also include large feasts. Rastafarians lay great stress on individual bible study and interpretation. Rasta Shaquille T. Sailsman Literature and Composition March 26,2013 Rastafarianism The Rastafarian religion has many different elements. These elements include: history, beliefs, customs/culture, celebrations, and worshipping. Rastafarians believe in the divine nature of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, whose title before his coronation of 1930 who Ras Tafari (Prince of the House of Tafari). The name Haile Selassie means â€Å"Power of Trinity. † He was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930-1974. Haile Selassie never regarded himself as God, nor did he adhere to Rastafari.According to iconn. org, Rastafarians regard Haile Selassie I as God because Marcus Garvey’s prophecy – â€Å"Look to Africa where a black king shall be crowned, he shall be the Redeemer† – was swiftly followed by the ascension of Haile Selassie as Emperor of Ethiopia. Haile Selassie I is regarded by Rastafarians as the God of the black race. The Rastafarian religion began in Jamaica i n the 1930s. The religion was formed after periods of slavery. Rastafarians regarded Jamaica as hell and Ethiopia as heaven.Rastafarians called Jamaica hell because Africans were divided up and sent to destinations throughout the world, in most cases as slaves to whites. This is why many Africans found themselves in Jamaica. Ethiopia, the homeland, was seen as a place of fond memories of freedom and life prior to oppression. This meant it eventually became regarded as heaven. â€Å"Rastafarians believes Jah (God) lives on in some form, and believes that one day he will bring about the return of all black people to their ancestral home in Africa,† (Breuilly, O’Brien, Palmer, 152).When Rastafarians have kids, they raise their kids to believe in Jah and after a certain age they should be able to identify who he is. They are also raised to believe that one day he will be raised from the dead and bring them back to Africa, their supposed homeland. Rastafarians dedicate them selves to preparing for this homecoming, growing closer to Jah, (Breuilly, O’Brien, Palmer). They do this by cultivating peace and harmony with all and by living in a way that is close to nature, mimicking Jah.Another way Rastas try to mimic Jah is by rejecting practices introduced from white culture, which is symbolically called â€Å"Babylon. † The culture of Rastafarian is to condemn the eating of meat. They are all vegetarians. In order to spiritually grow as a person, meat has to be gradually eliminated from the diet. According to www. iconn. org, â€Å"the main reason Rastafarians don't eat meat is because animals try so hard to get away. The fear of the animals can be seen in their eyes.It is evident that they are begging for mercy. Rastafarians will have to show mercy. Within the book of genesis, the LORD gave man dominion over animals. It was not to eat them but to care for them. † An efficient healthy body is very basic. The Rastafarian's diet is desig ned to meet their personal needs. The Rastafarian's food is normally referred to as ital food within the Rastafarian culture. The most traditional way to know a Rastafarian is by their dreadlocks. Some people may wear their hair the Rastafarian way – dreadlocks – without being committed to Rastafarian belief or lifestyle, while many believers feel obligated to abandon the traditional hairstyles for the sake of gaining or remaining in employment,† (Breuilly, O’Brien, Palmer, 152). Rastas wear dreadlocks because they do not believe in cutting or combing their hair. It is also the way some ancient African priests and Israelites wore their hair. Sometimes you see a green, red and yellow colored hat over a Rasta's hair. These are the colors of the flag of Ethiopia.Rastas also wear a turban, which is a headband based on cloth winding, over their head to protect and keep their dreadlocks clean. According to www. iconn. org, the holy herb, or known to most as mari juana or ganja, is used in all major Rastafarian celebrations to enhance feelings of peace and community, aid meditation and inspire religious visions. There has often been controversy concerning the legalization of marijuana. Rastafarians are perhaps best known for their religious use of marijuana, which grows plentifully in Jamaica. In addition to ritual use, Rastas also use marijuana for medicinal purposes, applying it o a variety of ailments including colds. Many followers also believe that marijuana aids in the worship of God, Bible study, and meditation. Although not all Rastafarians use marijuana, most believe it will bring a person closer to God. Reggae music originated as an important part of Rastafarian celebrations – asserting the pride and dignity of black people, rejection of white oppression, the beauty of Africa and visions of a peaceful future. Reggae music is intimately connected to Rastafari and its lyrics often speak of oppression, poverty, slavery, aparthe id and human rights.One of the most important figures in trying to spread reggae music was Bob Marley. Born Nesta Robert Marley (1974–1981), he remains the most widely known and the best-selling performer of reggae music, and is credited with helping spread both Jamaican music and the Rastafari movement to a worldwide audience. A Nyabingi ceremony brings together believers from a wider area, and often last from several days. At these ceremonies, there are chanting, drumming, singing, praying, and dancing as well as shaving of vegetarian food and smoking of marijuana.Some occasions for a Nyabingi are based on the Julian calendar used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church; with the Rastafarian faith has strong links. Holy days and holidays are periods of solemn times for the Rastafarian community worldwide. The Holy days are to pray and ask for penance, fulfilling 2 Chronicles 7v14, â€Å"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, search for me and rep ent of their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land. † (Himchurch. org).Some Rastafarian celebrations includes: Ethiopian New Year – Sept 11th (represents a holiday, which is, observed with a short Prayer Service from 10am-11am), Christmas Day – Jan. 7th (Rastafarians observed this as a holiday), Haile Selassie’s Birthday – July 23rd, and the Anniversary of his coronation – Nov. 2nd, (Breuilly, O’Brien, Palmer, 153). Influential prophets and teachers may also be commemorated, but there is no official festival calendar. Rastafarians do not have a specific religious building that is set aside for worshipping.They usually meet weekly, either in a believers’ home or in a community center. The meetings are referred to as Reasoning Sessions. They provide a time for chants, prayers and singing, and for communal issues to be discussed. Marijuana may be smoked to produce heightened spiritual st ates. The music used at these meetings is known as Nyabingi, and so when meetings are mostly musical they are often referred to as Nyabingi meetings. Meetings may also include large feasts. Rastafarians lay great stress on individual bible study and interpretation.